The Great Frog Hunter
"So…" Sprig asked as he, Polly, Amelia, and Marcy were washing the dishes, "How are frogs in your world?"
From the couch behind them, where Hop Pop, Anne and Sasha were currently sitting, they all raised their heads and looked at him, Hop Pop with curiosity, Anne and Sasha with disbelief. It was just a couple of days since the potluck contest happened, and while the humans had quickly forgotten about the question, the young frog had not.
"Huh…" Marcy said, trying to think what to say.
"Sprig, what do you mean?" asked Hop Pop, who was not present at that time.
"A couple of days before, Marcy told us that some creatures of our world exist in their world too" Sprig replied, turning to face his grandfather "Bugs, snakes, even frogs. So, I was curious to know how frogs are, in their world."
"Wait, seriously?" Hop Pop looked at Anne and Sasha, "Frogs exist in your world too?"
"Huh, yeah" Anne admitted, "Though, they are not like the ones who live in here: they are…quite different."
"Different? How?"
Anne looked around, trying to figure out what to say: she wished not to lie, especially to their foster family, but how could she tell them the truth…in the gentlest way possible?
"Well, they…"
"They are animals," Sasha said, without even bothering to look at them, focusing on her reading. Anne glared at Sasha, who took almost a full minute to realize it, "What? He did ask, remember?" the blonde girl added, not seeing the issue.
"Woah, for real?" Sprig asked, "Are they tribal creatures, who live in the deep of the forest, makes dance around a fire, and fight with sticks and arrows…?"
"Huh, Sprig, what do you mean?" Marcy looked at him.
"You know," the young frog-boy said, "Living in tribes, like savages…?"
"Oh, no," Anne replied, "Sorry to break your fantasy, but Sasha was being…literal: in our world, frogs are animals."
"Yes," Amelia added, taking her phone and showing a short video where a small, azure frog with several black dots croaked on a broad leaf.
"This is one of the most exotic kinds of frogs we have in our world, the okopipi."
"Wow…" Polly and Sprig said, looking at the video. Even Hop Pop, unable to control his curiosity, moved to look at it. At one point, the frog in the screen ribbed, and Sprig smiled seeing it.
"Hey, it can rib, just like us: cool!" she ribbed in response.
"Wait, it is normal that it's so small?" Hop Pop asked, wondering about what he could see.
"Actually, yes: in the world where we came from" Anne kept explaining, "frogs, like toads or other amphibians, are not as large as you are now: they are way smaller, so even Polly would be bigger than they."
"I could take over all of them and instate myself as their conquering Queen!" the polliwog exclaimed, "All bow to Great Queen Polly! Go, my pretties: kill, kill! Mwahahaha!"
"Don't hope about it" Jacob said, appearing right then with James in tow, "As frogs are smaller on Earth, they are less smart too."
"Jacob!" Anne side-glanced at him.
"Huh, can you explain that?" Sprig asked.
"As I said, they are animals," Sasha simply said "No farming, no houses, no tools, no society, nothing at all! Just small creatures, who live in swamps, eat bugs all day and look gross. Of course…no offense."
"None taken." Hop Pop murmured, looking at the small frog on the screen, "So…do you have other images like that?"
"Sure I do!" Amelia grinned, "Polly, would you like to see how polliwogs are in our world?"
"Sure!" the polliwog gleamed. From the light in her eyes, you could read she was imagining so many differences.
Amelia snorted, before moving to another video, "Here: this was the polliwogs pool, as you can…"
"Oh my frogs, are there so many?" Polly almost jumped, seeing how many polliwogs were in a single pool of water. There were hundreds, maybe thousands, of polliwogs together.
"Yes: this is another key difference from our world." James nodded, "Frogs from the place where we come from do produce hundreds of offspring, in just one go. To put it in perspective…imagine having hundreds, if not thousands, of Polly."
Polly looked again at the images as her fantasy started to run wild once again: with so many brothers and sisters, she could form an onrushing army and wreak havoc on anyone who dared to oppose her: the tough made her grin visibly.
"Thousands of polliwogs…"
"…to take care of?" both Hop Pop and Sprig had a thousand-yard stare as their brains absorbed that notion. Having just one Polly, was much more than enough
Then, Hop Pop formulated a thought: as a farmer, he was used to dealing with any kind of pest and problem vegetables could face, up and including invasive species that ruined limitless crops and reproduced at exponential paces. And the frog's behavior from this "Earth" place the girls were talking…was somehow familiar.
"Girls, can I ask a question?"
"Sure HP" Anne looked at him, "What is it?"
"Don't call me HP!" the old frog scolded her, "Anyway…are frogs an invasive species in your world?"
"Not at all" Marcy heard the question and replied immediately "That is just how they survive in the wild: sure, they make a lot of offspring, but only a few make it so to the adult age-"
Marcy stopped talking as she looked behind and saw's face full of horror, while Jacob was facepalming. It was then that it hit her, whom she was talking to.
"Eh, I mean…"
"Don't be sorry about that" Hop Pop stopped her before she could say more "I saw many species of Amphibia, who live as you described. It is sad, true, but is also how Nature works."
"I guess it makes sense," Sprig added.
"Wow, actually I am feeling quite sad" Polly exclaimed, "Need chocolate!"
"Then you're in luck," Marcy said to the polliwog, "I may have still some Earth sweets in my backpack: want to check it together?"
"Sure thing!"
Marcy grabbed Polly and the two moved to the basement, leaving the other alone for a few minutes top.
"So…small animals who live in swamps and eat bugs, heh?" Sprig continued, "I guess your frogs are not very interesting animals, after all…"
"Actually" Anne replied, as she got an idea, "We do have some good depictions of frogs in our world: there is even a fairy tale, The Princess and the Frog."
"The Princess and the Frog?" Hop Pop listened, "Is that a theater play?"
"It eventually became one too" Sasha replied "It's a fairy tale, a beautiful prince turned into a frog by the spell of a jealous witch, but after being kissed by a beautiful princess, he goes back to be human."
"Seriously?" Sprig said, "You have a fairy tale with that plot?"
"It's one of the most ancient and famous folklore stories of the world." Anne said, "Even if it wasn't from your culture, you can't help but know about it."
"Plus, the fact that frigs are tiny and inoffensive" continued Jacob "means that they can live freely in areas where humans live. There are even some places, where frogs are seen as a natural defense against mosquitos."
"I don't know if I should feel weirded out or proud…" Sprig said.
"How about we…talk someday else day about it?" Anne intervened, hoping to push the issue behind "Besides, Hop Pop, didn't we have to bring those cabbages to the market, today?"
"Indeed we have!" Hop Pop said, jerking up, "Prepare yourself, I'll go fetch Bessie!"
Sprig, Jacob and James rushed to gather their things, while Sasha silently glared at Anne.
"What?" Anne asked, seeing the look on her friend's face.
"You just had to remind him, didn't you?"
"Huh, come on, Sash: he would have remembered it, eventually. I just wanted to find an excuse to talk about something else."
"Still, if tonight I feel back pain, I'm blaming you."
As the cart pushed by Bessie reached Wartwood' square, the humans were quick to notice that there was something odd today. In particular, a large crowd was gathering in a part of the square, so dense that they could not see, from the outside, what could monopolize such attention.
"What's going on? Are there sales ongoing? What are they giving away?"
"Maybe there's a traveling merchant, from one of the other villages in the valley," Hop Pop said, "It doesn't happen often, but it can happen. However, I must admit that this crowd seems… excessive"
The humans dismounted as Jacob, Sasha, and Amelia began to lend a hand to Hop Pop, while Marcy and James, intrigued, approached the crowd: that is when the two recognized a small yellow frog in gray-green clothing, desperately trying to make its way through the crowd.
"Ivy, what's going on?" asked Amelia, drawing her attention.
"Someone new is here and gaining all the attention" the little frog replied, recognizing them "He says his name is Hoffanio Von Froung, and that he is the greatest hunter in all of Amphibia. Judging by his prey, he must be the real deal!"
"A hunter from outside the valley?" asked Amelia with puzzlement, "I thought the pass was blocked because of snow, and that no one could get in or out for a while."
"Indeed: he arrived before the connection with the outside was interrupted. I wanted to get a better look, but I can't make my way!"
"Is there something we can do-"
"Hey, girls?" made Sasha behind them, approaching them with the others, "What's going on?"
"They say a great hunter has come to Wartwood with his most recent prey," Marcy answered immediately, "A certain Hoffanio Von Froung."
"Hoffanio?" said Hop Pop guardedly.
"Do you know him?"
"By reputation," he replied, "He is a toad who has dedicated much of his life hunting the largest, most dangerous and unknown creatures in Amphibia, sometimes at the request of others, but other times for purely personal taste. He has come to Wartwood before, to show off the creatures he has defeated-he is a bumptious fellow, almost more so than our mayor."
"You have to admit, though, that his long-barreled crossbow is legendary!" Polly added.
"Ivy, would you like to go and see what kind of creature it is?" Sprig said, nodding at Ivy "If Hoffanio himself came here, it must be something exceptional."
"I was already trying, Sprig," his peer echoed, "But to no avail: I'm too short, and there are no trees for me to climb to see."
"Maybe I know just the right idea," Anne said with a smile.
...
"This is genius, Anne!" Sprig said, holding tightly on the girl's shoulders with his legs, while Ivy did the same with Amelia.
"Nah, just a little attentive" the human girl smiled at him, as they sneakily moved through the crowd to get closer.
Now, the humans (plus Sprig, Ivy, and Polly in Jacob's hands) could clearly see what everyone was looking at.
In the center of the crowd, it was a large wooden wagon, on which a fat, well-dressed toad, wearing a concave-shaped, gray-green hat, a monocle in his right eye and a bow tie around his neck, was declaiming to the audience his latest feat: the defeat of the deadly double-sickle Black Mantis, which was hanging on the wagon itself, observed with admiration and fear, while the hunter toad gloated into the attention.
"-I will not bore you with the lengthy details of my fortunate hunt, which forced me into long days of strenuous stalking before I was able to lure this beast to a suitable spot to neutralize its forces and kill it, but may you be happy that such a malignant presence has been permanently stripped- "
"Wow" commented Amelia with an amused face, "This guy must really love the sound of his voice."
"His hat and attire remind me of that used by the great European hunters of the nineteenth century," said Marcy analyzing the curious fellow, "You know, like those who went on safaris to hunt rhinos and elephants?"
"Judging by the way he talks," James subtly remarked, "he must have a very similar personality."
"-and I can therefore say to myself that I am happy, nevertheless we are now forced to admit that there aren't no more creatures unknown to us, who can still dwell in the hidden meanderings of the world!"
"I'm curious about the black mantis, and where he found it," Marcy said, promptly pulling out her notebook, "In your opinion, could we ask him some questions?"
"Mar-Mar, you're kidding right?" said Sasha looking at her, "He gives me the creeps just looking at him."
"Not just to you," Jacob added.
"Nevertheless, he could still provide us with useful information," Marcy recoiled.
Anne sighed, "That's fine Marcy: but let's try not to be too conspicuous."
"So," the toad-hunter ceased his long speech, while part of the crowd began to ebb away "Are there any questions for the great hero? Who among you is brave enough, to want to ask something to the greatest hunter in all of Amphibia?"
"Me, me!" said Marcy, waving her hand, "Here, I got it!"
"So, what do you want to ask-" made Hoffanio, turning around, but stopping when his eyes saw the humans for the first time.
"For all my lucky shots! What kind of strange and horrible creatures are these?" he shouted, amazement glowing in his eyes.
"Huh" Marcy said, her hands still up "Actually, I was the one who-"
"They look higher than frogs, even toads" Hoffanio rushed to them, walking around "Strange buffs of fur above their heads and all different in colors…"
"Ouch! That hurt!" Anne protested as Hoffanio ripped one of her hair.
"Slender, weird, spindly limbs…huge heads too big to not be abnormal...is that a bump in the middle of their face?"
"Can't you see that we can understand you?" Sasha glared at him, "We are talking to you, right now!"
"Yeah, mister Hoffanio" Sprig said "Anne and the others-"
"Oh, little boy, are these your mounts? What are these ugly beasts called like?"
"We are not beasts!" Sasha yelled.
"And they are not our mounts!" Sprig said in turn, jumping down, Ivy quickly imitated him, "These are our friends!"
"You cannot be friends with beasts, little frog" the toad smiled, while the humans and Sprig felt even angrier, "Beasts do not reason!"
"We are reasoning right now!" Anne yelled, "Don't you see we are replying to everything you say?"
"Huh, dude?" Ivy asked, using a word she had gained by befriending Sasha, "Don't you see they are talking to you at this exact moment?"
"Just the fact that they appear to be talking does not mean anything" Hoffanio smugly said, "Even parrot-flies appear to talk, but they are just dumb animals."
Animals, Anne thought with ill-digested irony. Just a few hours ago, Sasha has used the almost exact word to talk about the frogs from their world: irony was such a cruel mistress…
Meanwhile, Sprig, Ivy and Polly kept talking back with the great hunter, trying (with no result) to show him the truth.
"They reply to everything you say!"
"Even most hounds-wasps can do it easily!"
"They have emotions!"
"Don't you believe such childishness: it's just their movement that makes it looks like they have emotions or intelligence. Beasts like them cannot feel anything: obliviously their brain is not developed enough…"
"WHAT did you say?" both Sasha and Amelia roared almost at the same time.
"Let me try," Marcy said, taking a couple of step forward and facing Hoffanio upfront, "Hello, mister. I know that our appearance does look weird-"
"It is quite funny to notice how these beasts act: sure, they are ugly, but also funny to listen. They have a very strange mimicking voice…"
"No, I am talking to you directly, in your language!"
"I guess this must be an involuntary behavior, due to their apparent low-brain capacity-"
"What." Marcy said, her first time seriously feeling offended.
"I guess these are the males of the group?" Hoffanio walked past Marcy (leaving her shuttering for a minute or two) and right toward Jacob and James, "Their corporeal constitution suggests a lifestyle based on gathering, with little chance to face off bigger predators…"
"Hey, stop touching!" Jacob protested, "I'm not a bull on sale!"
"Ugh, this one shows even uglier features" Hoffanio looked at James, "I suppose this must a natural mechanism to dissuade predators."
"Excuse me?" James hissed, his eyes roaring with fury.
In a few minutes, with Hoffanio keep pushing their buttons and making them feel like oddities of a zoo, the humans went to full rage: Sasha was the most angry, and her fists were beginning to contract, her gaze growing icy and hard, a fury that her entire school had learned to fear flaring up again in its original power. It was only because of the presence of Sprig, Polly and Ivy that the humans were able to control themselves.
Only Marcy was still trying to make contact, but with no apparent success except for Hoffanio to deliver more "theories" on to explain why they weren't really sentient or trying to talk to him.
It was lucky for them that Hop Pop was still nearby on his stand, close enough to see what was happening, and to intervene.
"Please stop, mister!" the old frog said, "And you, better go back before we have to-"
"Are these creatures yours, mister…?"
"Hopediah Plantar" he replied.
"Plantar. Very well, what is your price?"
"Well, the cabbages come at…"
"No, you beasts: how much you ask to sell them?"
Anne turned around and looked at the toad with horror, Marcy and Amelia imitating her. Jacob instantly put himself between his friends and Hop Pop, who was still facing the toad. Sasha gritted her teeth in surprise. James widened his eyes.
"I…"
"I am offering you, ten gold farthing coins."
Some of the frogs, who were close by enough to hear, instantly turned their heads: gold money were rare in Wartwood, and even the ones who claimed to possess one, treasured them as they were priceless artifact.
Yet, Hoffanio was apparently so rich he could offer ten golden coins on a whim?
"Sorry…"
"How about thirty? That is basically five for each of them. They are a stable pack, aren't they? Can the females produce offspring?"
"I'll remove your ability to produce offspring for the rest of your life, you ignorant-" Sasha started to yell, prompting Jacob, Anne, Amelia, and James to block her. Sure, he would have deserved it; he would have deserved anything Sasha would have done to him, but doing that was not a good idea.
"No-"
"Fifty!" Hoffanio continued, pushing the issue. Hop Pop wanted to reply to him, until he saw his old enemy walk to him.
"Come on Hopediah" Monroe said, looking at him like he was trying to stop him from doing a terrible mistake "I know you are not the brightest bulb, but even you wouldn't be dumb enough to refuse that much of money for your pets, aren't you?"
Hopediah ignored Monroe and looked at Hoffanio in front of him, smiling smugly. "I can't sell them."
"Why?" Hoffanio asked, "What could you use these beasts-"
"They aren't beasts, you stupid balloon!" Hopediah released all his anger in one go "If you wouldn't be so much ignorant to ignore the truth in front of yourself, you would have realized they CAN understand you, they CAN talk, and they DID reply to every word you said. They are not beasts: they are my host, and I treat them like my children! And I have no intention to ever sell my children!"
Thus said, he turned around, and walked to the others, quickly leaving as Hoffanio kept looking at them.
"Hop Pop…" Anne said with wonder, her mouth wide open.
"That. Was. Epic!" Marcy commented, her enthusiasm boiling in her veins.
"Yeah, you're awesome, dude!" Jacob commented.
"I wish to express my sympathy for your tongue, old sage" Amelia bowed her head, shinobi-like.
"Hats off to you" James commented.
"Huh, Hop Pop" Sasha said, moving to his left.
"Yeah?"
"I want to be honest with you: that was one of the most epic thing I ever saw you do."
"It did? Uh…"
"Yes, it was" the blonde girl quickly added, "I admit it: you are ugly. And disgusting. And you definitely don't wash. And your cooking skills are bad. And you surely don't have comic timing. And-"
"All right, all right: I get it!" Hop Pop said, making signs for her to stop.
"However, you were able to stand your ground and us, even though that jerk was offering you so many gold coins. I really think you are starting to prove yourself worthy of my respect."
"Well, thank you, Sash-wait a minute! What do you mean by "starting"?"
"Sash, what are you saying?" Anne said, "Oh no, tell me that's not what I think..."
"Come back here immediately, young lady!"
Sasha said nothing, just laughed and ran off, followed by Hop Pop and the others.
"Okay, remind me: how we got to this point?"
"For the third time, Marcy," Jacob said, trying not to get distracted "When we got back to the farm, Sasha was so…nervous, about that Hoffanio guy trying to buy us off, that she tried to break logs with her bare hands."
"Uh-huh?"
"And Anne, while she was harvesting some of the crops…saw that Sasha was visibly frustrated, and asked her if there was anything she could do to help."
"Typical Anne-Bananas. And then what?"
"Sasha told her if she knew...a way to vent, or calm her anger."
"And how did that lead us to a Muay Thai vs Thai Chi clash?"
"Well, exercise is a good way to vent emotions..."
"So Anne, are you ready?" said Sasha, stretching our arms. After changing, she had remained in her tracksuit (the one that, for the moment, also supplanted as a swimsuit), had bindings tied to her hands and feet, and a bandage on her forehead "My Tai Chi is waiting for you!"
"Here I come, with my Muay Thai!" replied Anne, arriving at that moment. She, like Sasha, was also in sweats and barefoot, ready to get into training.
"Anne, I have to admit you surprise me," spoke James, to Jacob's right "I didn't know you were into boxing!"
"First of all, Muay Thai is not just boxing, but a real martial art of Thai origin: my mom enrolled me in a class when she realized how … high-spirited I was."
8-yeard old Anne was in the kitchen, in her parents' house, playing pots and pans as if they were drums, and singing the same song at the top of her lungs for several minutes now.
" I'll tell you what I need, What I really, really need "
"You know what Mommy really needs?" her mother lowered herself with a sweet and kind voice, before her eyes turned scolding "You. Out of her kitchen. Txn nī̂! Now!"
"At first it was a little difficult to get used to it, but now I am an experienced and veteran fighter."
"What about you, Sasha? How did you get into the martial arts world?"
"I started when I still went at elementary school: it was a great way to handle my ...little daily squabbles."
Sasha stamped her feet angrily as she waited sitting in the chair. Ever since her mother's new boyfriend had become a permanent presence at home, it was no longer possible for her to live peacefully: the fact that this man insisted on being called "dad," after her real father had left, angered her even more.
The principal was in his office, having a heated discussion with another boy: it wasn't her turn yet, but it would come soon. And tonight, her mom would probably be angry with her...again.
Sasha looked up, and saw hanging on the school bulletin board, a flyer for a Tai chi class, with a drawing of a girl in a fighting stance on it.
Sasha looked at the flyer for a few seconds, before getting up and pulling it off: if she had asked her mother to sign up for such a class, she would not have protested; besides, it would have been a perfect excuse to spend as much time away from home as possible. And if she was good enough, and managed to demonstrate her skills...maybe her mom would come back to pay attention to her, now that Esther was no longer at home?
"Waybright!" said the voice of the secretary "Come in."
Sasha nodded, taking the flyer and hiding in her pocket, before walking inside.
"It was a great chance to keep improving my gymnastics skill, and even thanks to that, I managed to get the spot as captain of the cheerleader's team," Sasha said, snapping back from her painful memories, and looking at Anne in front of her: now she needed to vent even more.
"Ready for this, Boonchuy?" she said, already preparing on a defensive pose.
"Ready to put you down, Sash" Anne smirked.
"Huh, Marcy?" James said, looking at her, "What are you doing?"
"I never got a chance to watch Anne-Banana or Sash fight before" the girl admitted "And this looks like a good chance to take notes: I could use them someday, in the future: there was a comic idea that…"
"Bo-ring!" Polly exclaimed, looking at Sasha and Anne, "It's time for battle: let's you and her fight!"
"The public is clamoring, Sash."
"Just to warn you, Boonchuy…I have no intention of holding back."
"Neither am I!"
Sasha nodded, and began to move in a circular motion to the right, her hands ready to act, while Anne tried to stay in front of her, All of a sudden, Anne, confident in her position, went on the attack with her foot, but Sasha blocked the blow and went on the counterattack.
Marcy watched the scene with eyes full of excitement: Anne was the tiger, powerful fast attacks in a smooth and homogeneous movement, attacking quickly and retreating to leave no gaps for the enemy to exploit; Sasha, for her part, was the snake: her movements seemed less powerful than Anne's, but they were more agile and sinuous, and she could without difficulty evade or block attacks, taking every opportunity to try to go on the offensive with even faster and unstoppable attacks.
"Wow…" let out Sprig, watching the scene with interest.
"Why aren't they attacking more?" asked Polly, noting that both girls had a predominantly defensive posture, "Stop defending; go on the offensive!"
"If one of them did that," said Jacob, without looking away from the match, "She would risk exposing herself and give her opponent a perfect chance to knock them out in seconds. That's the nature of martial arts: attacking out in the open, especially in the face of an experienced and prepared opponent, is the easiest way to lose immediately and decisively."
"And you, how do you know that?"
"I got to learn a little bit, during the time Amelia…tried to enroll in a karate class."
"You're referring to when..."
"Halt!" said the girl arriving at that moment, a scowl in her face" Jacob, if you just try to tell Marcy that story-"
"The one about how you got yourself kicked out in less than an afternoon? I wouldn't dare, I'm not cruel!"
"Wait, really?" Marcy gasped, "Amelia, how did you get kicked out in just one day?"
"Let's not talk about it," she replied defensively, "Anyway, how come you're not in the ring? Didn't your parents teach you any martial arts? I don't know, Kung Fu, Ju-Jitsu..."
"My parents would have liked," Marcy admitted with an embarrassed smile, "But you know me: I can't stand on my feet, let alone practice. Also, I never liked violent sports: I prefer board games…or video games."
Jacob smiled at her "Chess team champion and head of the school's Chess Club, three years in a row."
Meanwhile, the clash between Sasha and Anne continued with neither winners nor losers, and soon the two girls, tired, sweaty and dehydrated, agreed on a break.
"What's up, champs?"
"Thirsty," replied Sasha, "Can you bring us a glass of fresh water?"
"Make it two" added Anne, "And let them be full."
"I'm going!" replied Marcy, putting the notebook under her arm and walking toward the kitchen. Jacob stood up in turn.
"I'd better go with her. Knowing her tripping skills..."
"Shall I save you a seat?" asked James.
"That won't be necessary: it's a matter of a few minutes, at most."
Jacob followed Marcy inside the house, finding her in the kitchen. Hop Pop was in his study, intent on reading (or perhaps, he had fallen asleep with his eyes open again) and Marcy took two glasses hollowed out of the wood, filling them with water suitable for drinking (an important difference to remember, in Amphibia.)
"Would you have believed it?" said the boy, observing her.
"What?"
"That it actually happened. I mean…until recently, we were in our world, worrying about homework, exams, and our little daily chores. Then, we open some strange kind of music box…and we were plunged into a world of talking frogs, populated by giant insects and other creatures, like in one of those board games we used to play with our friends. In short, we became the protagonists of an isekai!"
"I know, isn't it amazing?" quipped Marcy with eyes full of excitement "So many things to see, discoveries to note down, new things to learn…"
"...And dangers that could tear us to shreds."
Marcy paused, turning "What does that mean?"
"Marcy, I like isekai too, but usually, the protagonist finds himself in an otome world full of beautiful girls and fairy tale princes, or gifted with crazy powers and abilities. We…we are just ordinary middle school students in a world of giant monsters."
"But we are together, and we are all alive."
"For now," Jacob added laconically, "But we are also a long way from home, with no hope of being able to contact our families again and let them know how we feel, where we are, or what has happened. I don't even dare to imagine how my parents must be feeling now: sure, we are fine, but how can they know?"
Marcy left out a small gasp, and leaned against the kitchen counter: it was fortunate that the glasses were still resting on the table, and not in her hand; otherwise, she probably would have dropped them on the floor.
"Can you believe that the, last time I talked to my mom, I was angry?" said Jacob, a note of sadness in his voice "She was complaining about my music, so I decided to take a hike, and she paired me up with Amelia, so she could keep an eye on me and not get me into trouble. Then we I saw you, and we got closer, and Anne opened that box… If I had known that that might be the last time I would see them, maybe I would have used softer tones, I wouldn't have been so aggressive, I wouldn't have-"
He quickly wiped away his tears. He was a boy, almost a man, and men did not cry, "During your lessons with Maddie, did you discover anything else that might be useful to us? Something, anything that might point us in the right direction, to reload the stones, get that box working again, and get home?"
Marcy looked down, trying to focus and remember. Unseen by Jacob, her pupils glowed, for a few seconds, of a brilliant, blazing green.
"No, unfortunately. Perhaps, I could ask Maddie for help, if there is anything in her books that could help us...but to do this, we would have to reveal to them about the box."
"Do you think we can trust them?"
"I do, and I think we can trust them to see it. But Sasha and Anne…they are still unsure."
"Amelia and James are also unsure what to think. Maybe we should ask them-"
A heavy sound of knuckles tapping against the door caught their attention and interrupted the conversation.
"Who is it at this hour?" asked Jacob in an instinctive tone.
"Maybe, it is Maddie who came to bring us fresh bread!" Marcy gleamed up, forgetting about all her sadness in a few seconds.
"Let's see…" Jacob said, moving to the door and opening it.
Both humans were shocked and intimidated to see Hoffanio appear before them in hunter's gear, his weapon slung over his shoulder, grinning wickedly.
"You-you are..."
"You are quite trained well, aren't you? It is clear why that old frog did not accept my price: you strange creatures are the most curious and surprising animals I have ever seen. You can do jobs if you are taught, and although you don't have much physical strength, apparently, you can do things impossible to most creatures because of your great intelligence."
"What are you doing here?" Jacob growled, trying to close the door again.
"It is not to you that I speak, beast," Hoffanio said with an evil grin, preventing the door from closing, "but to your master: where is Mr. Plantar?"
"Hop Pop is in his study," Jacob replied, "And he can't be disturbed."
"In that case, behave like the servant beasts you are, and announce me: I have a proposition for him."
"For the last time-"
"Guys, what's going on?" Hop Pop said, coming out of his study, "I'm trying to study, and if you keep making noise...oh."
"Mister Plantar," Hoffanio replied, "I have a business proposition for you."
"I believe I have already answered your proposal in full."
"Oh, come on, there's no need to pretend anymore: I've figured out your strategy."
"What are you talking about?" Jacob asked, looking puzzled.
"Pretending to be extremely attached to it in public, and walking away, all to emphasize how attached you are to it. You're clearly not a novice trader: after all, these are creatures that no one, so far, has seen in all of Amphibia; moreover, endowed with traits and abilities that are rare, to say the least…let's talk in a straightforward tone, how much do you really want?"
Jacob felt a surge of disgust emerge from his gut: this… idiot, hasn't only refused to give up on buying them, he took Hop Pop's reaction as a strategy to haggle over price.
"I am a rich man, Mr. Plantar," Hoffanio continued, "and I always get what I want. After all, what are a thousand or two of golden coins, for a priceless new addition to my collection? You do not have to sell them all, honestly. Just one or two, if possible a breeding pair: you know, I'm thinking of set up a private zoo, and-"
"Go away," replied Hop Pop in a dry tone.
"Guys, about that water-" Sasha arrived at that moment, before noticing Hoffanio, "Oh. Him."
"Still driving up the price, old frog? It doesn't work anymore."
"I'm not driving up the price!" Hop Pop yelled, a rare anger forming in his words "I'm not selling any of them. They are not beasts, they are not cattle and surely, they are not pets: they are children. MY children, since they're my responsibility. And while we may bicker a little" he side-looked at Sasha, "nothing will ever want me to kick them out, imprison them or treat them any different! You are just wasting time, mine and yours: I suggest you leave now!"
"Yeah" Jacob sneered at the toad, "Get out, before we kick. You. OUT!"
"Wait a minute!" said Hoffanio, trying to still prevent the door from closing, "Are you saying that they-they are not your property?"
"That's right!" replied Hop Pop without turning around, returning to his study.
"But then- whose are they?" quipped Hoffanio, as Sasha helped Jacob push open the door.
"We're free, dude! We don't have an owner!" the blond girl said in frustration, "Can it! End of discussion."
"Wait...but that means you beasts…"
"Okay, that's it" Marcy intervened as she approached with her notebook in hands, "I have no choice: I'm going to ban-hammer you."
"What is that supposed to m-" quipped Hoffanio, before Marcy struck him violently on the skull with her notebook, causing him to lose focus and allow Sasha and Jacob to close the door for good.
"Wow, Mar-mar, I didn't know your book also counts as a weapon."
"I've dealt with guys like that before, on the forums and sites I was a moderator of. Banning them is usually not that difficult, but also less satisfying."
Meanwhile, outside the door, Hoffanio struggled back up to walk a few steps away, out of sight of the Plantar farm. Sitting down on an old abandoned stump, he rubbed his aching head, thinking back to the words he had heard.
Within seconds, his lips twitched into a smile.
Those monsters, whatever species they were, had no master. They were free animals, and as such, could be freely hunt by any frog or toad who had the required opportunity and expertise. In addition, Hoffanio wanted to be sure that no one but him could get that honor.
There was always something magical about hunting a creature for the first time: no previous experience, no memory, just you, your trusted weapon, and a creature you had never faced before, both of you alert to take advantage of whatever mistakes your opponent would make. And these creatures, were something he had never seen before: ergo, he would enjoy the experience of hunting them fully.
A crushing sound of leaves reached his ears, and within seconds, Hoffanio grabbed his long-barreled crossbow, aiming it at the intruder.
"Don't shoot, Von Froung!" replied an alarmed old voice, which Hoffanio immediately recognized.
"Mr. Monroe" Hoffanio replied, "What brings you to me?"
"I beg your pardon, but I couldn't help but notice that you are…very interested in the beasts that Hopediah Plantar harbors in his home."
"So what of it? Do you mean to tell me that you are a great friend of his, and can persuade him to change his mind?"
"Actually, Hopediah and I are just ...old acquaintances; however, for some of your gold coins, I could provide you with some ...useful information."
Hoffanio emitted a snort, understanding his intentions, "What kind of information?"
"For example, I can tell you that those creatures say they call themselves humans and claim to be from nothing less than…another world."
"Another world?" asked Hoffanio in an intrigued tone. As much as he tried to keep cool and detached, a part of him could not help but consider the potential of such claims: if it was true, it meant that he was facing no small adversaries.
"That's right: it sounds unbelievable, but it would probably explain their horrible appearance-"
"Can you write?"
Monroe blinked, "What do you mean?"
"I need you to do something for me-"
"It seems that the tomatoes we planted are growing well," James said as he re-entered the house, glancing toward the table where Sasha, Anne, Marcy, Jacob, and Amelia were already seating "Just now, as I passed by them, I thought I heard a mooing sound."
"That means they're maturing fast," Marcy said, looking up from the board and noticing the sky turning red, with the sunset approaching "We need to remind Hop Pop to pick them up before they start developing mouths and teeth."
"Yeah, I don't have any desire to see what Amphibia's tomatoes look like from the inside anytime soon," Sasha said, looking at her own cards-it was lucky Jacob had brought a set of Uno cards with him, since he was still struggling to use the local card games.
"Polly asked me earlier if we couldn't try training one: my guess is that she'd be able to."
"Sure, until it gets as big as a Tyrannosaurus and starts eating everything in its path," snorted Amelia, with a mischievous smile "You should pay more attention to your moves: with this, you're in check!"
"Are you sure about that, Amelì?" replied Marcy with spite, moving one of her archers and "eating" Amelia's heron-rider "That's what I wanted!"
"What? No!" said Amelia observing the chessboard, "No fair!"
"I've got to hand it to you, Amelia: you're good, but your opening move is elementary, to say the least."
"What are you two playing at?" asked Jacob, looking up from the game. Although he had personally shuffled the deck, he did not have many good cards.
"It's a game from Amphibia that Hop Pop explained to me: it's called, Flipwart! It's like chess, but to the max!"
"And…what differences do it have?"
"Like chess, both sides have a wart, and the objective is to flip the enemy's one. Each piece has a different set of abilities. The archers, for example, can only attack in a straight line; the toads with the mace are the only ones who can jump over the other pieces-"
"I can see why you are so enthusiastic about it. Don't demolish Amelia too much: let her think she could win."
"Hey, I can still win!" she protested.
"Amelia, Marcy just ate your strongest piece: and you've only taken…a couple of pawns so far?"
"I haven't started fighting yet!"
"Then I suggest you start right now: Mar-mar has already eaten over half of your pieces."
"Marcy," James intervened, sitting down to observe the game, "when Amelia is done, can I have a trial game with you? You know, I play chess too, and I'm quite interested on this."
"You used to play chess too?" Marcy said, looking at him eagerly.
"Oh, yes. I also participated in a medieval fair once, where there were human-sized pieces, like in Cynthia Coven's book. Do you remember that scene?"
"Oh yes, the one where Cynthia and her friends enter the tower and-"
A hissing and crashing sound preceded the burst of a projectile through the open window, which fell to the floor.
"Hey!"
"What was that?!" Sasha snapped, angry at the surprise.
"There's no-one outside," Marcy peeked out, "Whoever it is, has already escaped."
"A tug-and-pull" Jacob answered her "Take aim, pull, and run away before they can see you or react. I've done it before, but with fruit gone bad."
"Well, I want to know which frog enjoys being a punk, instead of-"
"Oh no!" said Anne as she observed it "It's not vandalism: it's blackmail!"
"What?!" the other five humans said, at the same time.
Sasha ran to Anne's side and saw that the girl was right: what landed on the house was actually a rock, on which was wrapped a letter with an unmistakable message.
"I KIDNAPPED HOP POP AND HIS FAMILY. IF YOU WANT TO SEE THEM ALIVE, COME TO THE FOREST. NOW. WAITING FOR YOU."
"Hop Pop has been kidnapped?!" Anne said in a panic, "There is no time to lose: we must rush to rescue them!"
"Wait, Anne-" Sasha tried to stop her, but to no avail: Anne had already grabbed her tennis racket and ran out, heading for the forest "Oh, Boonchuy!" Sasha said, running behind her friend.
Within moments, all the humans followed the two girls (Marcy, of course, risked tripping but was rescued by James and Jacob). The last to leave was Amelia, who, after grabbing her hat and katana, "accidentally" dropped all the pieces of Flipwart, thus invalidating the unfinished game.
"Whoops" she said with a dissonant smile on her lips, "My bad…"
Anne was running at breakneck speed, the paddle in her hands, toward the forest. Her legs ached since she had been running without stopping for several minutes now. She did not mind: if Hop Pop, Sprig and Polly were captured, every second of delay could be catastrophic.
How could this happen, Anne wondered in a panic, maybe someone caught them while they were in the market? Did they lure them into a trap? Let them be okay, if they are hurt or worse...
"Anne, Anne!" the voice of Sasha rang out behind her, "Stop immediately!"
Anne heard her, but she did not stop: she had to run; she had to find the Plantars before...
Her foot caught in a half-buried raid, barely protruding from the ground, and so Anne fell flat face-first: fortunately, she managed to cover her face than her hands, but even so, the fall was not so soft.
That's how Marcy feels every time she trips over a pebble?, the girl bitterly thought as she got back on her feet.
"Anne, stop!" Sasha reached for her, grabbing her arm and trying to catch her breath, "What are you doing?"
"They kidnapped Sprig and the others!" repeated Anne trying to free herself, "Sash, we have to rescue them!"
"Anne!" yelled Jacob and James, arriving at that moment, Marcy clinging to both of them, "Don't run like that: you've got all of us out of breath!"
"Oh, sorry to worry that someone kidnapped Hop Pop and the others!"
"Anne, this is a trap, for us!"
A minute of awkward silence fell over the small group as Amelia joined the others.
"What" was the first word out of the Thai-American girl's mouth.
"Think about it: the paper did not say the conditions of release."
"Nor a means for us to get information."
"It just said to come to the forest right away. Don't you think that…"
"…it was just a trick, to get us away from the house?"
Anne's eyes widened as she realized, amid panic, that she had not considered the proper precautions.
"Wait, you seriously mean... this is a trap set for us?" she said with voice filled with horror and confusion "Then, why you all followed me-"
"You took off running right away, without thinking!" rebutted Sasha, "I tried to stop you, but you ran too fast!"
"We saw you two run away, and followed you," James intervened, "We also took Marcy by the shoulders because she kept tripping."
"By the way, Mar-Mar: when we get home, you need to eat fewer cupcakes."
"I can't help it!" retorted the girl, "Their creamy fluffiness attracts me!"
"I followed all of you!" said Amelia finally, "It's not my fault you didn't explain anything to me: and besides if this is a trap, who's behind it?"
"Legitimate question," said a cavernous voice, and all the humans turned around: Anne clutched her tennis racket in her hands, Amelia her katana, James grabbed a rock, Jacob took a defensive stance with his bare hands, Sasha clutched a branch tightly, and Marcy's eyes went wide.
"Hoffanio!" said Jacob with a growl, "Was it you who wrote that message?"
"Who, me? No, I just used local labor-it's amazing what some frogs can do…if you pay them enough."
"What did you do with Hop Pop and his grandchildren?!" retorted Anne angrily, "If you did hurt them-"
"Mr. Hopediah Plantar is currently at the market, and his scions are with him," Hoffanio admitted with wicked grin, "You're not very smart after all, right? As soon as you read my message, you panicked and flocked here, without even checking whether such words were true, or not."
Sasha glared at Anne, who tried to whistle and look away.
"What do you want from us?" James said.
"What do I want? It's very simple: I want you beasts…to become part of my collection."
"Fat chance!" Sasha replied, "Hop Pop told you: we are free!"
"And that's the beauty of it" Hoffanio replied, as he had already calculated this "If you creatures are free, and you have no master...it means that any hunter can hunt you down and catch you. And after a brief agreement with your mayor-"
"Fifty-five copper coins for not noticing that Swindtog's store sells illegal books; twelve copper coins from Monroe, for my silence about what he does every night; five gold coins from Hoffanio Von Froung for telling him that the hunting limit applies only in the town limits…"
"-I can tell you that I can freely hunt you all as I please, as long as you are far enough from the borders of Wartwood."
Jacob felt a cold chill run through his veins.
"However, what I want is not only you, but a real challenge: for this reason, I will give you a good advantage. You have six minutes to run and hide, and if you can escape from me and my crossbow, you may even save yourselves."
"Six minutes?" said Amelia fearfully.
"No, only five: I have cut off the time needed to explain everything to you. Hurry up, and let me experience…the thrill of a real hunt! "
The humans said no more, starting to run again through the dense forest, under Hoffanio's excited gaze.
"And now…" the hunter toad said, as the humans disappeared from his sight, "Let's see what you've got."
Hoffanio proceeded at a steady pace through the forest, alert for any noise that might betray his prey. The risk other creatures, already known to him but still dangerous, might be nearby, did not faze him: even the largest mantises were no worthy opponents of him.
Suddenly, he saw tracks in the fresh mud and realized that it was, without any doubt, one of his prey. Probably, one of the most interesting, the one with the yellow fur.
His fingers tightened on the crossbow, looking around: was it perhaps here, trying to ambush him? His crossbow was a powerful and uncontested weapon, but it was slow to reload: if he had used all the bolts (he had five), he might have found himself defenseless, for a minute at most however.
Therefore, there was the hunter's third rule: always have a shot ready to fire, unless you are sure you can defeat your prey instantly.
A sound of moving leaves made him turn around: as he approached, he saw that the bush was empty, but had wide spaces: evidently, his prey had been using it as a hiding place, for no more than a few minutes.
A sound of cut branches, and a figure moving a few meters away, made him react: taking aim in a heartbeat, he fired at the figure, all the darts he had. Only when the figure did not move did he advance on it with a smile.
However, his smile died in his throat, when he saw that the figure he had hit without sparing darts was just a pile of leaves and dry wood, bound together with dry grass.
Hoffanio had not yet gotten up when he heard the bush behind him move and understood...what was about to happen.
"Clever girl…" said Hoffanio, an instant before a mighty kick struck him from behind, knocking him off his stomach.
"Take this, you jerk!" Sasha shouted after him, taking the opportunity to run away.
Hoffanio had gotten back on his feet, and as much as he still felt the pain of the blow he received treacherously, this was not enough to make the desire for victory disappear in him. On the contrary, now more than ever he was determined to triumph.
These creatures were very interesting: if they had faced him head-on, he would have won right away, but he would have been disappointed; instead, they had hidden and divided and used ingenious tricks and ploys to mislead him as much as possible. The blond beast had created a puppet to fool him, and then struck him by taking advantage of the fact that he had an unloaded crossbow and was not on guard around him-a defense strategy...much more effective and clever than that of ordinary beasts.
A sign that, whatever they were, they were definitely more interesting, than the giant bugs he had faced until now.
Now, Hoffanio was chasing two other creatures, the black-haired male and the olive-skinned female, who were heading toward a large rock formation. Hoffanio knew the area well: he knew that a few meters ahead, the area ended in a cliff that no frog could cross, and therefore he felt safe to ensnare them.
Maybe I had better not kill them, thought the toad as he proceeded ahead; a pair capable of breeding might be useful. After all, there are at least half a dozen of them, and-
"Awooahwoahaaaawww!" an unfamiliar cry resounded through the trees, and Hoffanio recognized it as the cry of the male. What was going on?
Hoffanio ran forward, only to realize that he was too late: the two creatures, using a vine fashioned from the trees, had crossed the cliff and gone over to the other side, moving far enough away that he could no longer hit them from where he now stood. Worse still, because of his weight, and from the fact that he could not use both hands (lest he lose the grip on the crossbow), Hoffanio couldn't follow them by the same method they did: he would have to go around, and by then, he would lose them.
"They know how to use the environment to their advantage, even to open up new ways…wonderful."
"Dah!" Hoffanio exclaimed, as he tried to move forward, only for the two beasts to keep attacking him with fruits from afar.
"Game set!"
"Conversion!"
Hoffanio tried to align his crossbow to shoot, but the endless attack made him unable to do so. So they were able to attack him, even if they were so far from him, just by the nature of being in a higher position?
Interesting…
"Ambush!" Amelia yelled, rushing from her hiding place and hitting Hoffanio on the face with her katana, before side-kicking him and jumping away to find the others…
The humans, using their intelligence and unexpected survival skills, had managed to escape Hoffanio and his long-barreled crossbow, trying to slip out from under him and return to Wartwood. Hoffanio, however, was still an experienced hunter, and knowing the area, he knew how to move to block the humans' retreat each time, preventing them from getting to safety.
"Is he still on our tail?" asked Anne with a transfixed air.
"I think we lost him!" said James leaning slightly out of their shelter, "I don't see him."
"But I see you," replied a female voice, causing them to wince for a few seconds before calming down.
"Sasha!" said Anne hugging her friend, "Are you okay?"
"Oh yes, just fine," replied Sasha in a sarcastic tone, "I'm muddy, my hair is full of dirt, I'm hungry, my shoes are damp, and an exalted hunter wants to catch us to hang our heads on a wall, but other than that, I've never been better!"
"Guys!" did Jacob, Marcy, and Amelia as they came out of the branches, "Have you seen him?"
"We may have lost him: have you found our way to get back home?"
"If you mean a safe way, I'm afraid not, Anne-Banana," admitted Marcy, scratching her head.
"That fellow has positioned himself on the only road we know of," Amelia said with a snort, removing slime from her hat, "but maybe if we can avoid him for enough time-"
"Don't count on it," replied the toad, and the boys saw that he had caught up with them: his clothes were filthy, his hat was covered with leaves, and he had some bruises, but he had his crossbow loaded, and he was looking at them with an evil eye.
"Run!" said Anne, and they all followed her.
You have defended yourselves well, thought Hoffanio, foretasting his impending victory, but now you can no more escape: this road …is a dead end.
The humans ran, until they discovered that they were in trap again: behind them, the forest, with Hoffanio coming striding in; ahead of them, a rushing river with fast-flowing waters.
"There is no way out!"
"We are trapped!"
"That's right!" said Hoffanio with a growl, "You have defended yourselves well, but now you can neither escape nor hide!"
The humans clutched each other: was this their end?
"Does anyone have a plan? Does anyone have a plan?"
Anne looked at Hoffanio, a feeling of fear inside her. It was then, that two words ran through her mind.
"Muay Thai!" shouted the girl, moving to counterattack. Her shout made Hoffanio hesitate, and he gave her that second needed to reach him, and hit him in the stomach with a mighty kick, causing him to drop his crossbow.
"Tai Chi!" growled Sasha in turn, striking the toad with Tai Chi moves, and leading the others to charge.
Hoffanio was a toad, and so he was much bigger and bulkier than the humans, but he was also less agile: without his crossbow, and without a moment to regroup, the humans struck him relentlessly, like deadly wasps.
"Ay-ha!" Amelia hit him with a kick to the face.
"Knock-out!" Jacob hit him in the jaw with a right
"Bollocks!" James grabbed a couple of fruits and threw them to his face, blocking his sight.
Hoffanio, now clearly overpowered, tried to move back to clean up his yes, but he took a step too far to the river…and felt on it immediately, the water dragging him away, as the humans stood, watching their foe disappear.
"We did it…" Anne said, trying to regain her breath, "We…did it…"
"A-choo! Sasha sneezed, trying to cover herself more with the blanket Hop Pop had given to her. Like her, even Anne, Marcy and the others were fighting what it can be described as a tremendous cold.
"So…you ended up fighting that hunter that wanted to hunt you, just because he wanted to?" Sprig asked, bringing some more hot blankets for them.
"He told us that you have been kidnapped!" Anne explained, before going back to shiver.
"Nah, we were fine" Hop Pop scoffed, "No one even tried to do anything to us…."
"Plus, if someone did, I would have smashed him!" Polly exclaimed.
"Regardless of this" Hop Pop continued, "I think today you have learned a very important lesson."
"What? That we need to properly consider anonymous messages we receive before considering them the truth?"
"That stand your ground and fight back is a better solution that just run and hide?"
"No, sillies" Hop Pop chuckled, "That you should never, never go too far from the house… if there is a realistic danger outside. Or, at the very least, you could have cleaned up the room and closed the door before running away: we feared thieves had come in our absence!"
"Believe me Hop Pop" Anne smiled slightly, "Panic can do bad things to the mind of someone. At least, now we do no more have to fear about Hoffanio wanting us for his collection…"
Slowly, the toad hunter walked out of the water, careful where he stepped on to make sure to not fall again. He lost his crossbow, his clothes were ruined, he was nowhere he recognized, and he was alone, with no food or equipment for him to use.
Yet, he was happy.
"These humans…are not cowards, or defenseless, as I thought. They can hide, they can evade the hunter, and they can fight back! They cannot be treated like any beasts I've ever seen before."
He looked up, at the red moon in the sky. He felt as illumination, was dawning on him.
"They are not animals: they are …the most powerful menace a frog, toad or other Amphibian can ever face in his entire life…"
He smiled evilly, "A worthy opponent …for the greatest hunter of Amphibia…"
I'd love to hear what you think about my work so far. All comments and critiques are welcome!