Chapter 4: Looming Threat
They watched as the former bandit chief charged toward the town, the guards and the Louds knew that they couldn' hold back as this would be a tough fight. Leni and Lola shot at the beast with burning hands as Lisa sent M.U.T. to the frontlines while working on a few things within the city walls. Lynn wasn't gonna wait for him to get closer as she charged at the beast herself alongside Lori, Lucy, Luan and Lincoln; all with their weapons drawn. Lana placed her hands on the ground and focused making thorny brambles in the path of the bandit beast. However, despite their efforts, the bandit beast was proving to be far stronger than everyone thought.
As he charged, he easily clobbered the frontline; sending the sibling and M.U.T. to the side. Lana brambles slowed him down for only a few seconds before biting them and freeing himself. He was slowed once more by the twin burning hands but he soon adapted to heat and continued to push forward. The town threw everything they had at him, from boulders to fire to anything they could get their hands on but it was like mosquito bites to the mutated man. Lori, Lucy and Lincoln shook off the impact of the hit to see Lynn riding on the back of Luan as she was sprinting at breakneck speed to catch up to the beast. Lucy took note and hopped on the back of M.U.T. to follow; leaving Lincoln and Lori to run on foot.
Back near the town, Lola was feeling a bit tired from using burning hands and Leni was starting to feel the same. However, they both knew they could stop defending as Leni used another spell Lincoln had told her back home; guiding bolt. With a deep breath and her sight focus, Leni mimicked the motion of drawing a bow before she shot a radiant bolt of light and it nailed the beast in the eye; making him slow down and stumble a bit. The guards cheered for a moment before Moar brought them back to their senses as the beast was still alive. Lola followed Leni's lead and pulled off a similar move but hers wasn't the same as her older sister's. When Lola shot her "bow" the sound of a loud crackle echoed through the land as a streak of blue lightning landed as well.
As the beast was stumbling and regaining its senses, Luan and Lynn managed to cling onto its leg and began to climb up. Lucy had reunited with the guards and her sisters before her eyes landed on Luna who was being followed by a small band.
"Luna, where have you been," Lucy asked in an octave slightly above a monotone.
"Trust me, it'll be worth it," Luna said as she gathered the band before standing in front of the guards. "HELLO MEADOW PEAK! ARE YOU READY TO ROCK?!" With that Luna and her band began to play some music sending a wave of energy and inspiration to the guards and her sisters. As the beast began to charge again, Luna played a series of notes quickly and before long the earth itself trembled from the music making the beast, and Luan and Lynn, to violently shake. "YOU LIKE THAT YOU CREEPY FUCK!?"
During Luna's performance, Lisa had given the catapult guards several vials and told them to pour one on a boulder before launching it. They did what the small child had asked and as they poured the liquid, the boulder began to rumble as Lisa told them to fire. As the boulder flew through the air, they broke apart and sent multiple smaller boulders at the beast. The men cheered once more now having a way to maximize their artillery. Lisa was feeling proud of herself as Lucy came up to her with M.U.T in tow "I believe this is yours," Lucy said with a slight smile as Lisa began to work on her metal hound.
Lana, fueled by her sister's music, clapped her hands to send a thunderous wave at the beast but this time it shook it off. The beast finally managed to regain its vision and footing before slamming the ground causing a fissure to crack toward the defenders. Some maintained their stance while the unfortunate few either fell over or met their end at the bottom of this earthly break. The beast face twisted into that similar to a smile before charging once more at top speeds. The guards reloaded the catapults and continued to use Lisa's concoction to get the most out of each shot, however the beast was smarter as it grabbed a few boulders and threw them back; crashing into some of the catapults.
Lynn and Luan continued to climb until they made it onto the bandit beast back. "You sure this'll work," Luan said as she readied her feline claws. Lynn wasn't completely sure but she wasn't gonna tell her sister that as she nodded in agreement. The two began to hack and slash across the back of the beast until the spine started to get exposed. Lynn used the hilt of her ax to jam it in causing the beast to howl in pain before reaching behind to the source of the pain. Luan easily dodge the massive hands thanks to her new limber body but Lynn was once again slammed by the meaty hand of the beast. Lynn was sent plummeting to the ground but was saved by a diving Lori, preventing her sister from a serious injury. Lynn got back on her feet while Lori and Lincoln continued to chase down the bandit while Luan resumed attacking the visible spine.
Back at the gates, Lisa was helping repair the catapults while Lucy assisted the bowmen by pointing possible weak points they could aim for which proved to be a huge help. Their arrows found their way to the eyes of the large bandit but even with eyes full of arrows, the bandit just ran straight without need for sight. As it got closer, Lana couldn't take it anymore and charged back as her teeth sharpened before she sank her fangs into the flesh of the bandit. It was nearly useless as he easily flung the messy twin away causing her to crash onto the wall; knocking her out. Lola saw her sister fall unconscious which lit a fire with herself as she pulled out the dagger she took. She lined up her shot between the eyes of the former human and as their eyes met; Lola's anger only intensified as the memories flooded her mind. In one fluid motion, she launched the dagger at inhuman speeds causing the dagger to sail across the field and piercing the skull of the charging bandit.
The bandit shrieked in pain as the dagger tore through the head before appearing out the opposite side. The dagger's continued to soar only to be caught by Luan who proceeded to violently stab at the spine which sent the beast sprawling on the ground in pain. Lincoln saw his opportunity and began to climb up using his sword to stab into the flesh to climb a bit faster. Lynn and Lori saw their brother's plan and joined as they both climbed up barehanded with Lori using her dragonborn claws.
The bandit was in pain and he knew deep down it was only a matter of time before these kids would put him away. These damn kids who humiliated him before. The kids who stole his wealth. As these thoughts flooded his mind, something even deeper inside him snapped. Rage? Wrath? No, this feeling was bloodlust. It was vengeance. It was the urge to dominate and take what he deserves. With this newfound surge of power, he used his extra limbs to shoot himself high into the air while Lori, Luan, Lynn and Lincoln held on for dear life due to the sear speed they were traveling at. Upon the landing, the bandit eyed the gates of Meadow Peaks before crouching down to get ready for a possible devastating move.
The guards readied themselves as the most of the Loud siblings prepared a spell for this attack. Leni and Luna told Lola to get Lana to a safe place which the pin princess didn't argue about. The remaining Louds had finally got on the back of the beast and felt the bandit's muscles tense up. Lynn, being a competitive athlete, knew that the bandit was gearing up for a full sprint and told her siblings to hold on but Lincoln had another plan in mind. He quickly discussed it with others which wasn't the best on paper but it was better than letting the beast crash and destroy the town or even kill their sisters.
Everything was set; the bandit ready to strike, the guards and Louds read to defend, the four on the back of the beast with a plan only known to them. As the moon hung high above the darkened sky, the bandit beast charged faster than before, almost causing the ground to tremble from the speed and weight. As soon as the beast took off, Lori used her lightning breath to shock not only the beast but also herself and siblings due to the small area they were on. The shock causes the muscles to seize up causing the bandit to cramp up a bit and slow down. The guards took advantage of the flinching beast and bombarded it with arrows, boulders and whatever could fit in the catapult. Leni and Luna casted even more spells but they were getting exhausted as they're spells were weakening.
Lisa saw her sister were getting weak before looking at M.U.T. as an Idea came to mind. By removing a few parts, she managed to fit herself within her robopup like power armor before jumping into combat herself. Lisa ran toward the beast, similar to how Lana did earlier, but she managed to grab onto the bandit and shocked it again as the paws of M.U.T was converted into shocking grasp appendages. The additional surge of electricity tightened the muscles of the bandit to the point where the muscles began to tear. Lynn and Luan, thanks to their lack of metal armor, weren't in too much trouble but Lori and Lincoln were struggling to stay conscious. The armorless two sprung into action and quickly grabbed their brother and sister before taking a risky drop of the bandit.
Lisa saw her siblings dropping off and quickly ran to grab them before they hit the ground. As Lisa checked on her siblings, the bandit continued to move closer to the town but he had a noticeable limp in his stride. The guard readied another catapult but the bandit fell over mere feet away from its target. The bandit slowly reverted back to his human form which was a mangled mess due to the beastly form. The bandit chief was now a shell of his former self as he gasped in pain while trying to crawl toward the town. Luna placed a foot on the guy preventing him from moving with little effort.
"Alright dude, spill it. What the fuck was that all about," Luna asked as the guards surrounded the bandit. Before the bandit could speak, Lynn could be heard yelling and running toward the crowd. Some guard held Lynn back as she thrashed about saying that he needed to die. Moar stepped up and addressed the half naked Loud, telling her that he'll be hanged but that they need an answer. Lynn accepted that as all but two Louds calmed her down. The guard clasped metal cuffs around the neck, wrists and ankles before forcing him away and leaving the family alone to talk amongst each other. As the adrenaline from the fight began to wear off, the frontliners felt their muscles and bone ache in pain from the falls and slams of it all.
Before they could retire back to their beds, the sound of a slow clap could be heard behind. They turned and saw a woman, and floor length black and purple robe, holding Lily in her arms while applauding the siblings' work in battle. Lori let out a relieved sigh seeing the youngest of the group and reached out to hold her, only to be stopped by a wall of fire separating them. The wall faded as fast as it appeared and the woman had a wicked grin on her face. "Oh no, this one is staying with me though I did enjoy seeing what you all are capable of." Lori wanted to fight but the strain on her body was too much to stand a chance. The others quickly came to Lori's side before questioning the woman before them. "I am Myra and, as far as you need to know, I have a plan. However, you have been proven to be a thorn in it so I'll make you a deal."
With a flick of her wrist, Myra opens a portal before their eyes reveal Royal Woods on the other side. Posters, banners and television programs all asking what happened to the Loud family with a few testimonials from neighbors and friends. The siblings watch as the town that would find them occasionally annoying was putting up a fuss as to their whereabouts. "I can send you back home. Right here, right now. But this is a one time offer. If you reject it, then I will not show mercy if we meet again."
"What about Lily," Lincoln asked, using his sword to prop himself up.
"She'll be returned as well… in time," she said with the last part under her breath. They began to mumble amongst themselves before Lori and Lincoln felt something off about her. Lincoln really focused his sight on the woman before he realized who exactly she was as he lifted his sword up. Lori followed suit as the other questioned the two's actions.
"Don't listen to her," Lincoln yelled in a hoarse voice. "I remember who she is now. Myra Victalie, the priestess and right hand woman of the necromancer, Zigrim the Plague." The woman chuckled and applauded once more at the boy's deduction.
"Well well, a gold star for Lincy. Isn't that right Lily." The woman tickled Lily's stomach causing the youngest to let out toddler giggles. This sight before sent the group charging at the woman to save their sister but it would be in vain. She quickly moved past each one of them while placing a slip of paper on them all. Before they could question or pull off the paper, the slips combusted into a fireball knocking out the family. Lori held onto her consciousness just long enough to see Myra open another portal and stepped through as Lily waved at her sister; not having a full grasp on what just happened.
Myra appeared in her hideout as she let out a cackle of amusement. She walked past the parents of the children who had a clear view of the fight thanks to Myra's magic. Lynn Sr. was trying to stay calm while Rita was guiding the both in deep breathing exercises as they both knew this is what she needed. Myra ran her fingers on the bars before looking at them.
"I'll admit, your wills are stronger than I expected. Nevertheless, I have ways of getting what I want and it starts by separating you two." She snapped her finger and a golem picked up Rita's cage and began to take her to another room far from her husband and daughter. Lynn Sr. bit his knuckle as he really fought with his emotions to not let out his rage. Myra only smiled as she saw the patriarch losing his mind enterally but she needed an external display of rage for her plan. She leaned closer to the cage before speaking once more. "Who does it feel knowing you can't do anything? Your children have been beaten by my hands. Your wife having things done to her. Everyone you love will be mine to control and all you can do is sit here and do nothing."
"Please…" Lynn said, his voice breaking and tears running down his face, "Do whatever you want with me but leave my children and wife out of this." Myra chuckled once before walking away while Lily waved and said bye-bye to her dad. Lynn Sr. slammed his fist at the bottom of the cage which proved to be a bit of rage. Below the floor was a door that had three large glass vials attached to it. With Lynn's act of anger, one of the vials filled a bit with a reddish orange liquid
Back with Lori, she awoke to see her siblings being taken care of by Henway and other clerics. Lola was sitting next to Lana constantly checking on her while the others were coated in a healing aura. As she struggled to sit up, Henway placed a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back down.
"It's too soon for you to sit up. That explosion was something else and, frankly, I'm surprised most of you survived it," Henway said while sliding over a tray of food and water. Lori's ears perked up over a certain word he had said before questioning the tavern owner which he hesitated to answer. "The cat one seems to have taken it the worst of you all. She's been knocking on death's door since we found her but we are doing ever-" but he couldn't finish as Lori quickly sprung out of bed and rushed to Luan's side. Her body was wrapped in bandages as three clerics surrounded her casting a spell to, hopefully, keep her with the living. Lori held onto her sister's hand in hope that she could feel it in her unconscious state.
Henway walked over and placed a hand on Lori's shoulder once more as they both looked at Luan. "I've seen many tabaxis in my life and they always told me that they land on their feet; she will be no different," Henway spoke softly to ease Lori's worries. Soon after Henway's little speech, a soft chuckle could be heard under the bandages followed by just three words; I get it. Lori teared up knowing her sister was no longer on the verge of death as she held her hand tighter. The clerics let out a collective sigh of relief but they still had a lot of work ahead of them.
After a while, the rest of the family were resting in their beds, bandaged up and eating a light meal of huntail stew and water. Most were pretty beaten up but some managed to walk away with few cuts and scratches; overall, it could've been worse. While the others were talking to one another, Lincoln was in deep thought as he tried to remember Myra's plan. He had written it down back home but with the stress of being in the game and being knocked out, his memory was hazy on the finer details. As he was thinking, Lynn walked up to him and gave a playful punch to his shoulder.
"Nice plan Stinkcoln. Nearly killed up but it helped us get the upper hand" Lynn cheered while Lincoln rubbed his shoulder. "So, the others wanna know, what's next?" Lincoln looked confused as to what she meant. "Well there's that bitch Myra who has Lily but she seems stronger than us. So, what should we do?"
Lincoln took a moment to think as Lynn was right. Myra was designed to be a tough encounter so it'll be awhile before any of them could fight her evenly. Then he remembered Henway's words from yesterday about Madame Lafayette and her knowledge. Lincoln stood up and gathered his sisters' attention.
"Okay, Listen up. I know we just got our asses kicked by Mrya but that's gonna stop us from getting Lily back. We'll train, we'll fight and we WILL get back home." At this point Luna played her lute to add to Lincoln's speech. "I know this is partly my fault but with our strength, nothing's gonna stop us! And you wanna know why nothing's gonna stop us?" Lynn piped up with their family slogan; Louds Never Quit! "Exactly! Louds Never Quit!" Lincoln began to chant it as his sisters soon joined in with just as much enthusiasm before he continued his speech. "So here's the plan. First, we head to Madame Lafayette to see what she knows, then we train to get stronger and finally we save Lily!" His sisters cheered as Henway clapped for the motivational speech.
"Those were some powerful words, kid. But before ya go, the people of Meadows Peak wanna give y'all a little something." Henway handed Lincoln a satchel that had a few different trinkets inside. Some were mundane but one thing caught Lana's eye; the bear necklace from the potion shop. She quickly grabbed it before seeing a note tied to the band.
Louds, though it pains me to par with such an item, my family believes in returning favors. Since you helped save the town from such a massive threat, this was the only thing of equal value I can use to return this favor. Please take good care of it and it will take good care of you. Best Wishes, Shemaus
Lana put on the necklace and a strange feeling soon washed over her but she couldn't pin it down. Before Lana could experiment with this feeling, Henway had one final gift for them. He ushered them out through the front doors of the tavern where they were greeted by a basic wooden cart and a horse. The cart had two benches on the walls of the inside with a bench on the front for the driver and at least two others. "It's not much but it'll get you from point A to point B," Henway said as he showed them their new ride. The group was thankful for the ride as Lori took the reins as the others took their spots on the cart. Lincoln and Leni rode up front with Lori as the rest comfortably sat in the back. After a round of thanks from the family, they set off the Madame Lafayette and on their journey to save their baby sister.
Character Lvl.
Lori lvl. 3 (Subclass: Oath of the Crown)
Leni lvl. 3 (Subclass: Light Domain)
Luna lvl. 3 (Subclass: Collage of Creation)
Luan lvl. 3 (Subclass: Way of the Four Elements)
Lynn lvl. 3 (Subclass: Path of the Beast)
Lucy lvl, 3 (Subclass: Phantom)
Lincoln lvl. 3 (Subclass: Battle Master)
Lana lvl. 3 (Circle of The Moon)
Lola lvl. 3 (Divine Soul)
Lisa lvl. 3 (Subclass: Armorer)
That was a fight and a half but it was a bitch to get all of them some time to shine so in the future fight may be limited to only a few at a time. Other than that, I had fun writing this chapter. Next chapter, I'll be sowing the seeds for the first loudcest pairing. Which will it be? Leave a guess but you'll find out in the next chapter. Until then next time, keep your friends close and your enemies 20 miles away. Who would want to keep someone who hates you in your personal circle