I do not own Dragon Quest 11 or any of the characters.
Road to Yggdrasil
Kai dodged aside from the Troll's enormous morning star, allowing it to crash to the ground before lunging, driving his sword's blade into the side of the Troll's throat before slashing out through the front of its throat. It crashed to the ground, clutching at its throat as Kai walked away, ignoring the others fighting their own trolls, instead heading for the last, which was facing no one yet. Of the four, Kai had faced one, now moving to face the other, Jade, Sylvando, and Rab were just finishing another, and David, Veronica, and Erik were facing the other. Serena was standing back, ready to heal anyone who needed it.
"Hey Kai," Jade said, stepping up beside him. "Think we can kick this one to death?"
Kai grinned instantly. "It'll be more fun than that Orc King."
Jade grinned, and together, they charged forward. The Troll roared, swiping at them, only for Kai to jump, slamming the sole of his foot into the side of the morning star, knocking it out of the troll's hand and away from them. A moment later, Jade's kick exploded into the Troll's gut. It grunted, doubling over, and Kai jumped, slamming an uppercut into its face. It sailed back, stumbling, then crashing heavily to the ground. Jade jumped, landing on its stomach before jumping off again before slamming her feet down into its head. It roared in pain, swiping at her, and she rolled away from it, standing just as it did the same. Then, as it lumbered after her, Kai flipped up behind it, slamming an axe kick down into the top of its head, which dropped six inches, breaking its neck and killing it. It crashed to the ground, beginning to dissolve into shadows as David and the others finally finished their own.
"So, I reiterate," Jade smirked. "I can definitely kick everything to death."
Kai rolled his eyes. "Technically, I'm the one that kicked that one to death."
Jade rolled her eyes as they continued walking. Soon enough, the snow gave way to lush green grass, a dirt road, and leafy green trees. After the first ten minutes or so, however, as they reached an open area where the road forked, more than two dozen monsters swarmed them. Most were orange-skinned, devil-like monsters surrounded by a pink cyclone called Whirly Girlies, but there were also a few that were egg-shaped machines on a pair of legs that had been given a pun as a name, officially labeled Runny Eggsoskeletons. Kai and Jade looked at each other, grinned, and nodded before charging into battle unarmed, Kai with his hands in his pockets. The Whirly Girlies were slightly faster and reached them first, but as they both threw their first kicks, their targets shot to the side, avoiding them. Jade reacted instantly, spinning the opposite direction and slamming a windmill kick into its face, its neck breaking instantly. Kai, on the other hand, flipped backward, slamming a kick down into his as he fell, then landed on it. More shot forward, and he and Jade both charged into their midst, slamming devastating kicks into them rapidly. Behind them, David and the others used their weapons and spells to fight the monsters, fighting effectively, but still not killing as many as Jade and Kai were with only their feet.
An Eggsoskeleton leapt at Kai as he was slamming a roundhouse kick into a Whirly Girly's neck, but he simply swung his attacking foot to the ground before his other heel flashed out, slamming into the underside of the Eggsoskeleton between its legs and crumpling the metal before his foot swung over Kai and smashed the Eggsoskeleton down on a Whirly Girly just as it lunged to try and attack Kai with a surprisingly powerful open-handed slap. Then, just as he shifted his weight to that leg, Jade leapt over him, placing a hand on his head for balance before slamming a kick into another Eggsoskeleton and sending it rocketing backward into a second, both of their metal bodies crumpling. Kai pivoted sharply, forcing Jade to drop to the ground on her hands and feet just in time for Kai to duck under a blast of razor-sharp wind magic before he spun, his heel flashing up into the side of a Whirly Girly's jaw, snapping its head around the wrong way. However, just as he did, he and Jade stopped as the ground began to tremble in time with something massive walking toward them. They turned, staring into the distance where a huge, blue-skinned Cyclops stomped into view, holding a club the size of a full tree.
"Well...shit," Kai said. "Weapons?"
"Let's start with kicks," Jade said. "But maybe you should stop holding back."
Kai grinned, slipping his shoes off before forming his scales over his feet and hands. Then, they both charged. Two Eggsokeletons moved to block their progress, only for Kai to roundhouse kick through one and into the other, destroying them both. Jade sped past him, but he caught her by the arm and yanked her backward, the Cyclops' club crashing to the ground an inch from her. Then, he spun, hurling her at it. She shouted in effort, slamming her foot into its chest, only for it to not react at all. She swore, leaping off of it just before its hand swatted at her, smacking into its chest. Kai leapt into the air, kicking off of its club and drilled a fist into its jaw and it roared in pain, staggering backward. However, before it could escape him, Kai spread his wings, flapping them and pursuing the Cyclops. He drilled another punch into its face, rocking it back again as he passed it. He flapped his wings, streaking back the other way and drilled a kick into the side of its head, sending it stumbling away. It swung at him blindly, but he flapped his wings to lift himself over the club before flipping, slamming an axe kick down into the top of its head, shattering the single horn atop its head. It roared, falling to its hands and knees, and Kai dropped, slamming his foot down into the back of its neck and breaking it as he crushed it between his foot and the ground. As it dissolved, his wings vanished in a flash of light, and he sighed, turning to Jade.
"So, you really can't kick everything to death," Kai said.
Jade sighed, nodding. "I wish I had your scales. Thank you for pulling me out of the way of its club."
"You're welcome," Kai said.
"That was a lot more hectic of a welcome than I was expecting," Erik commented as he and the others walked over to join Kai and Jade. "Also, why are you two so dead set on fighting without weapons?"
"Where's the fun in making things easy?" Kai shrugged, continuing along one of the two paths.
"Are you sure that's the right way?" David asked.
"Nope," Kai said, continuing.
After a few minutes, they passed through a short tunnel to an open area with a cliff on all sides, a narrow path reaching up along the cliff face. However, it was too high for them to climb, so Kai transformed fulling, allowing the others to climb onto his back before he flew them up to the top of the cliff where the path reached a crack in the wall of stone near the top and continued through it with a bridge just on the other side of the crack. Kai flew over the bridge before landing and letting the others down before transforming back.
"Why don't we just have you fly us everywhere?" David asked, only for Kai to growl loudly.
"I'm not your fucking horse!" Kai snarled, storming away from him and toward the city he'd dropped them off in front of.
"What'd I say?" David frowned.
"You suggested that he's only here for your convenience," Jade scolded him. "What if he'd said 'Why don't I just force you to constantly carry me around everywhere I go?' You'd be offended, too, right?"
David sighed. "I suppose so."
They all followed Kai into the city, everyone except Kai admiring the beautiful architecture. Kai walked up the stairs into the main courtyard that all of the buildings surrounded, finding most of the people of the town present for a prayer thanking Yggdrasil for the birth of a new infant. As he walked forward, the High Priest bowed in greeting, Kai bowing in return.
"It's been so long, Kai," the High Priest bowed. "I had heard all of the Dragovians were dead. I'm glad to see that you survived. Are there any others?"
"No," Kai said. "I'm the only one. And before you say anything, I'm not traveling with the Luminary because I give a shit about him. I'm keeping his grandfather alive until I'm strong enough to kill him."
The High Priest sighed, nodding. "I see. Even so, you are helping the Luminary, so you have my thanks."
Kai nodded. "Is the Dragovian armory still here?"
The High Priest nodded. "It's in the back of the weapon shop."
Kai thanked him and walked over to the weapon shop. The shop owner opened the door for him and unlocked the long-unused Dragovian armory, a leftover from a time when the Dragovians had made friends with the Arborians after saving them from an attack by numerous monsters. Once he was inside, he picked up a satchel, then began to scoop materials out of a bucket. Chunks of metal ore of all grades and qualities, priceless gemstones, even a few orichalcum pieces. Then, he turned to the weapon and armor selections and began to grab things. He grabbed a dagger for Erik, changed into fresh clothes after the fight with Krystalinda filled the clothes he was wearing with tears and holes, grabbed a sack filled with shed Dragovian scales, grabbed three Meteorite Bracers and Mighty Armlets, and a handful of rings and charms in a small pouch. The last thing before he left the armory was a small pouch with a pair of objects he'd really rather burn but that would be put to good use if he didn't destroy them.
Then, he turned, leaving the weapon shop, locking the Dragovian armory's door behind himself. In the courtyard, David and the others were being introduced to everyone by Veronica and Serena. Kai walked down the stairs to the courtyard, stopping by the new mother long enough to congratulate her and her husband, then headed up to the top of the stairs to the cathedral, where Jade and Robert were waiting for David and the others, Jade having changed back into her normal outfit. As he reached them, Kai tossed Jade a pair of Meteorite Bracers and Mighty Armlets.
"Those are enchanted to make your reaction time and movements faster and to make you stronger respectively," Kai said. "Wear all four and maybe you can kick a cyclops to death too."
Jade grinned, slipping one of the Meteorite Bracers up her right arm to her bicep, only to gasp as it shrank down to fit snugly to her arm, though not so tight as to impede the use of her arm or her blood flow.
"Oh, yeah," Kai said. "They also resize to fit their wearer and then loosen when you intend to remove them."
Jade tested it, the pale green armlet growing as she tugged on it, then shrank again as she put it back where she'd had it. She hummed appreciatively, taking off her leather bracers and putting the wide, blue Mighty Armlets on her forearms, before putting the leather bracers back on over them. Despite the bulky appearance of the Mighty Armlets, they didn't show under her leather bracers. Jade pulled the other Meteorite Bracer on and admired the two thin, green rings on her arms. They were designed as four pieces of green metal connected by blue crystal spheres. They matched her outfit perfectly.
"How do you feel?" Kai asked.
Jade stared at her hands for a moment before smiling. "It feels...weird, but good."
Kai nodded, then glanced at Robert before holding out the last items he'd gotten from the armory. Robert stared at the weapons in open-mouthed shock for a moment before. He accepted them, staring at the gleaming golden claws, the smooth, pure white armor connecting the claws to the gauntlet, decorated by a rectangular latticework of gold lines and a blue-green gemstone in the center, and the gauntlet designed like a gold face and headdress with blue lines spaced between gold ones, all wrapping around the gauntlet. They weren't the same claws Robert had used to kill Kai's brother, but they were identical to them.
"You...why would you give these to me?" Robert asked.
"Because you'll put them to good use," Kai said. "And when I kill you, it'll mean more for you to have them."
Robert stared at them for a moment before nodding and slipping them into a pocket on the side of his pack. They waited in silence for the others to join them, and after another fifteen minutes, they finally did. As they reached them, Kai tossed Erik a Meteorite Bracer and David a Mighty Armlet. Both pulled them on under their sleeves, and together, they all headed into the cathedral.
Kai ducked aside from the Bloodbonnet, slashing it in half before leaping forward into a slash, splitting a Goobonce down the middle just as it leapt at Jade. Jade spun in a circle, her spear slashing three more Bloodbonnets across the front, though they survived. Kai roared instantly, flames watching over the monsters, burning them all to ash in seconds. Off to their right, Robert was spinning and twirling through the monsters, his new Golden Claws shredding the venomous little monsters, periodic blasts of Zammle blasting further away ones, though they survived. To the left, Erik was making good use of his Meteorite Bracer, spinning and twirling through the horrible little monsters with his twin daggers, moving much faster than before. He'd turned down the new dagger Kai had offered him, keeping his own instead, so Kai had held onto it for him. Behind Kai and Jade, David and Sylvando were fighting off the monsters there. David, thanks to having his Mighty Armlet on his left arm, was finally able to wield two swords well, as the armlet finally compensated for his left arm's lack of endurance from years of training with a sword. His work with it was still sloppy, but it compensated for the years he spent using his right arm for his sword well, putting him just below Sylvando's level. Serena and Veronica were standing in the middle of their group, Veronica using spells to help the others while Serena was preparing to heal any wounds they received. And then, finally, they were finished.
"Shit," Erik groaned, holding a hand to his side, dark lines of venom already spreading as far as his neck.
Serena hurriedly healed him, then quickly used Squelch to try and remove the poison, only to have to cast it three more times in quick succession to fully cure him.
"Those things are nasty!" Sylvando commented.
"Yes, they are," Kai said. "They're among the most venomous monsters alive. It's what that brat in Octagonia used to take me down. Their venom can even affect a Dragovian. In a human, it's fatal within a minute, and as you all just saw, it requires four casts of Squelch to fully cleanse it."
"And there are probably a lot more between us and the altar," David said gravely, staring down the path closer to the First Forest.
"The First Forest is filled with Yggdrasil's power, which gives and strengthens life," Kai said. "Unfortunately, as the High Priest said, that means that the monsters there will be more deadly than almost anywhere else."
"Great," Erik said.
"Here," Kai said, pulling out the bag of rings and charms. "I have something that might help."
He tossed a ring consisting of three interlocking bands to everyone.
"Rings?" Serena asked.
"Hey!" Erik gaped. "These are Catholicon Rings! Are these real?"
"Yeah," Kai nodded. "They protect against most ailments that plague this world, including poison. However, they won't completely protect you from any of it, just help you resist. Bloodbonnet venom will still kill you."
"And why didn't you give these to us before?" Veronica demanded.
"I meant to give it to you as soon as we stepped out of the cathedral," Kai said, then gestured around. "Unfortunately, our welcoming committee didn't wait for me to pass out gifts."
The others all sighed, nodding and looking around at the three dozen ugly, monstrous corpses around them. They were all waist high, and the difference between the two types was simply gender, as they were the same race. Bloodbonnets, the males, had blue bodies with stumpy arms and legs, finger-length, razor-sharp claws that could deliver venom, two horn-like growths growing out from their shoulders with yellow eyes on their ends, a surprisingly large mouth in the center of their body filled with huge fangs filled with the same venom as their claws, a third eye just above their mouths, and a long, pink, solid section of their body extending from the eye up to about a foot above their body, which Kai explained contained their brain and was used to communicate with each other through electrical signals. The Goobonces were almost identical but with a pink body, two eyes above their mouths, and their brain covers were blue and were much shorter, no larger than the top half of a human's skull. Of the pair, Goobonces were much faster than Bloodbonnets, but Bloodbonnets made up for the deficiency by being able to spit their venom in a thick spray or as a mist using venom glands under their tongues. It was difficult to tell which was the more deadly of the two, but Kai would give it to Bloodbonnets for their range.
Once everyone had pulled on their rings, they continued along the path. True to their expectations, they met many more Bloodbonnets and Goobonces, though not nearly as many at one time as the initial fight, and also met living, exploding boulders as tall as Kai, a few large, gold, serpentine dragons that Kai handled personally, and several Cyclopes. Finally, as the sun began to set, they stopped to make camp. While Serena and Veronica worked together to cook dinner, as it was their turn, Kai used the Fun-Sized Forge. He combined some of the materials he'd gathered as well as some of the Dragovian Scales to forge armor for the others. Erik and Veronica got a Dragon Scale Vests, and the others all got full Dragon Scale Armor shirts like what Kai had on, and which he repaired the small amount of damage his had received. All except Robert. Jade, having asked what he was making, declined new armor, so she also didn't get any.
Once he'd passed out the armor, they all ate and went to bed for the night. The next day, they continued on their way, and reached the First Forest just before noon the next day. A massive canyon separated the road they were on from the First Forest, but it was spanned by a ridiculously long, surprisingly sturdy bridge. And at the other side, a group of mice-like monsters dressed as bandits and wielding sewing needles leapt out of the trees at them, only to be slaughtered by Kai and Jade, one kick from either crushing their entire bodies.
"I thought you said the monsters were strong," Erik said.
"These are just mice," Kai said. "Wait until we find a real monster, then you can talk."
And a few seconds later, they did. A hulking creature made of brown and green stone, the green stone on its back and around its head looking like small trees that had all been cut off low, or like coral. Kai identified it to the others as a Mosstodon, and they all charged into battle. Except, none of them could cut through stone. Veronica's spells had some effect, but every time she blasted off chunks of its body, they simply flew back over and reformed. Finally, Kai leapt over the others, drilling a fist into the Mosstodon's head, sending it staggering backward. Jade met it from behind, shouting in effort and smashing a roundhouse kick through its knee entirely, sending it crashing to the ground. Then, Kai flipped over the Mosstodon and exploded down on top of it, its entire body exploding apart.
"Alright, I'll concede," Erik sighed. "Some of the monsters here might be a pain in the neck."
Kai rolled his eyes, looking to Veronica and Serena. They both nodded, taking the lead, and Kai fell in just behind them where he could step in if they were attacked by anything. And attacked they were. By everything. A group of Liquid Metal Slimes attacked them, each of which had to be frozen by Kai or Veronica before they could be struck so that they wouldn't simply part around the weapon, but whose bodies, even frozen, were so solid that even Kai's Dragovian King Sword barely cut through it. They were attacked by creatures nearly identical to Jormun except green with blue hair, these creatures called Jowlers, who were decidedly less friendly than Jormun. They were attacked by Living Statues that presented the same problem as Mosstodons but amplified, and Fruity Sucubats, and groups of Mosstodons. They fought off a swarm of dozens of the mice at once that scored a surprising number of injuries, and they were attacked by several living stumps called Stump Champs. And then, they met the worst of the monsters.
"A manticore!?" David yelped, diving aside from the monster in question's claws as Erik tackled Veronica out of the way of a swipe of its tail, which fractured the ground.
"Not even!" Kai called over the monster's infuriated roars. "This is only an Infanticore. And adolescent Manticore."
He lunged, slashing it down the side of its left middle leg with his Cobblestone Sword, and it roared, sweeping its tail around at him, only for him to bend backward under it, his dagger slashing the tail off halfway down as it passed him. The Infanticore roared, leaping away from him, only for Jade to stab her spear into the ground, using it as a support as well as pushing off of it as she slammed a kick into the side of its head, knocking it to the side and making the jet of flames it spewed miss Kai by inches. Instantly, Erik and Sylvando passed it on the sides, Erik spinning and using his twin daggers to carve a dozen gashes along its right side as Sylvando swiped and jabbed a pair of identical, Silver Rapiers into its left side as he passed. The Infanticore roared, then leapt at Kai, only for him to leap into the air, flipping and kicking the beast down into the ground. Then, David lunged, plunging his right sword into its left eye before spinning, ripping it back out as he slashed his left sword up through its face. Then, Rab and Veronica sent a Frizzle and Zammle into its face together, finishing it. As it dissolved, Kai looked around at the others.
Everyone looked exhausted after the long string of battles they'd fought, but after a moment of catching their breath, they all continued up the sloped ground toward the altar. After a ways, they climbed a stairway made of huge, white and brown mushrooms, then continued along the path there as it wound around the mountain they were climbing. More and more monsters assaulted them, but they killed anything that attacked. They fought a pair of Infanticores at one point, during which Kai found himself, unfortunately, fighting alongside Robert against one as the others all struggled with the other, then climbed up a truly enormous, hollow tree using a vine hanging down inside of it, only to fight an Infanticore and a Mosstodon at the top, Kai dealing with the Mosstodon quickly before helping the others finish the Infanticore. As they continued along the path, they reached a clearing where a bunch of living, blue, flower bulb-like creatures with the leaves being equivalent of arms, called Sprite Bulbs, were hopping around. Erik drew his daggers, but Kai set a hand on his shoulder.
"They're not evil," Kai said. "If we don't bother them, they won't bother us."
Erik hesitated, then nodded, sheathing his weapons and following Kai and the others up a short cliff using a vine, only to stop as they found a quadrupedal, blue-scaled dragon chasing a group of Sprite Bulbs around, trying to eat them. Kai launched himself forward instantly, drawing his Cobblestone Sword and slashing the dragon's head off in a single strike. As its body crashed to the ground, however, two more charged out of the bushes, roaring. Kai drew his dagger, narrowing his eyes, but before he could attack, one of the two dragons exhaled a stream of powerful, frigid air. Kai grit his teeth, bracing himself to resist the attack, only for the other dragon burst out of the mist the spell had formed, its jaws snapping closed around him before it smashed him to the ground. He flipped to his feet, just in time to form his scales over his entire body and lunge into a swipe by the dragon's right forefoot, stopping its attack. A moment later, David reached it, slashing it across the side of the head and making it recoil. It roared in pain, rearing back, and Erik shot forward, passing under its neck and slashing it. However, just as it did, the other dragon spun, slamming its tail into all three of them and hurling them into a heap.
"Okay, Kai," Erik groaned. "You can stop holding back now."
"If I just kill everything myself, you all will never improve," Kai said, pushing himself up.
Just as he did, three Sprite Bulbs surrounded them and shook their bodies, causing a thick cloud of glittering, blue pollen to fill the air before they spun, spreading the pollen through the air. As it reached Kai and the others, it flashed and faded, leaving their injuries completely healed.
"Hey, thanks little guys!" Erik smiled.
Just as they stood, the dragon spun again, its tail slamming into Robert, Serena, and Veronica, hurling all three away as well, three more Sprite Bulbs rushing over to heal them just as another dragon emerged from the bushes. However, before they could worry about that dragon, a Wight Bulb, a creature almost identical to the Sprite Bulbs but with a gold head and a purple body and leaves, spun out of the bushes in a blur and slammed into its head, knocking it to the side and breaking its charge. Then, it roared, waves of sound slamming into the dragon and hurling it. Kai ignored that fight instead charging at the dragon that had whipped him with its tail. It roared, lunging and snapping at him, but he leapt over it, kicking its head into the ground before landing on its body, stabbing down into it. It roared, thrashing, and Jade shot forward, rolling under its tail before jabbing her spear into it several times in an instant. It roared, rearing up and throwing Kai off before Sylvando dropped past it, his rapiers slashing down its neck and body, killing it. As it crashed to the ground, Kai turned to the other dragon as it spewed a jet of flames at the Wight Bulb, narrowly missing it, only for the Wight Bulb to spin like a top, slamming into it again, this time discharging a frightening amount of electricity into the dragon, which convulsed, then crashed, smoke curling out of its mouth, nose, and ears.
"We don't have to fight that thing, too, do we?" Erik asked.
Kai sheathed his weapons and walked forward. The Wight Bulb turned on him, but then floated over and allowed him to pet it for a moment before it turned and drifted away into the bushes again. The others all sighed, sheathing their weapons, and they all continued on their way. They passed a small pond and a river where more Sprite Bulbs were drifting around peacefully in the air, then started up a steep incline that ended at the Altar at last. However, within minutes, Robert stopped, panting and groaning.
"Och, all this trudging up hill is playing havoc with my auld bones," he complained.
The others all looked back at him worriedly, before Sylvando hummed for a moment.
"Well, don't tire yourself out, darling," Sylvando said. "We all want to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for our big day. Come on. Let's call it a night, eh?"
Kai glanced at the sun. It had gotten low, so it was a fair idea, even if it was annoying that Robert was delaying their progress. He sighed, taking the tent from Robert's pack and began to set it up, Jade and Erik helping while David and the others all gathered fire wood, leaving Robert to rest. One of the Sprite Bulbs flew over to try and heal Robert, and he chuckled, smiling.
"Thank you, little one," Robert smiled.
The Sprite Bulb made a high, happy noise and drifted over to land on Kai's shoulder, sticking there. He chuckled, stroking its head, then continued setting up the tent.
"You've made a friend," Jade said.
"Being part monster, peaceful monsters tend to be more accepting of my company," Kai said, driving the last stake into the ground. "All done. Whose turn to cook is it?"
"Yours," Erik said.
"Good," Kai said, walking back down the hill to one of the dragons and cutting off enough meat for them all before heading back up to the others. "Dragon meat, tonight."
"Ach, dragon meat is a might...gamey, don't you think?" Robert asked.
"It has more nutrition than any other kind of meat we have access to," Kai said. "Plus, dragons are one of the few types of monsters that don't dissolve into darkness more often than naught. But if you'd prefer to live off of berries for the night, you're more than welcome to go foraging."
He skewered several chunks of dragon meat for each of them and held them over the fire to cook. As he did, the Sprite Bulb cheeped and flew off, only to return a few minutes later with its leaves filled with berries, which it offered to Robert. Robert smiled, taking out an empty bag from his pack and the Sprite Bulb dropped the berries into it before flying off for more, making three trips and filling the bag.
"I like this wee thing," Robert smiled, stroking the Sprite Bulb's head.
"He's alright," Kai said.
"So, we'll finally be going up to Yggdrasil tomorrow," Veronica mused. "I can't help feeling a little nervous." Everyone but Kai stared up at Yggdrasil. "Serena, why don't you play that song? You know, the one you always used to play when we were children."
Serena nodded, picking up her harp and beginning to play. It was a beautiful, soft melody.
"Yggdrasil looks so magical at night," Jade commented. "It's strange to think that each of our lives is a leaf on one of those branches."
"Yeah," Erik nodded. "And it's really like the old man said? There's some kind of...heart in there that all life comes from?"
"Yes," Veronica nodded. "When someone dies, their leaf withers and falls, and their soul returns to the heart. When someone's born, a new bud blooms on one of the branches."
"I suppose it won't be long now until we finally face Mordegon," Jade said. "Do you think if we can beat him my father will finally go back to how he once was?" She looked over at Kai. "If he does, Kai, please speak with him. Before you try and destroy Heliodor, please give him the chance to make peace. Please give him the chance to find a way to atone peacefully."
Kai tore a peace of meat off one of the skewers, eating it and grimacing. "I'll talk to him, but I make no promises for sparing Heliodor. At the very least, I may spare the people in Heliodor, but your father and Lord Robert were both there when my people were slaughtered. And in order to kill your father, I'll have to get past both Sir Hendrik and Sir Jasper."
Jade sighed, nodding. "At least try to hear him out."
Kai said nothing, and Jade sighed, then glanced at Veronica, who was holding a white and gold flute.
"Oh, you play an instrument, too, Veronica?" Jade asked.
Veronica looked over at her, then shook her head. "No. The High Priest gave it to me. He said it would...help us. It belonged to our ancestor, Serenica. She left it behind in Arboria, apparently."
"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm pooped," Sylvando said. "What do you say we all get some beauty sleep?"
"What, no food?" Kai asked, taking the meat off the fire and separating it onto plates. "Suit yourself. I'll eat your share."
"I meant after we eat," Sylvando assured him. "I can't wait to try you...uh...delicious dragon meat."
Kai rolled his eyes, passing out the food. Everyone ate the food, and of them and aside from Kai, only Jade wasn't hesitant about it.
"This is really good," Jade complimented.
"Thank you," Kai said.
"It's got an...interesting flavor," Erik said. "It's not bad."
"Says the only one among us who can't cook anything edible," Kai countered.
"It's...uh..." Sylvando took a small bite, grimaced, and set the plate aside. "Well, time to sleep."
Kai rolled his eyes, watching as only he, Jade, and Serena finished their food, though Victoria made a valiant effort. As everyone else headed to bed, Kai collected the untouched meat everyone had left behind, wrapping it in several large leaves and tying them closed with string before storing it in the satchel he'd gotten from the Dragovian armory.
"Thank you for the meal," Jade said.
"You don't have to act like you actually liked it," Kai said, collecting the plates. "I know it's not the most pleasant food in the world."
"No, I really did like it," Jade said. "Do you want some help cleaning those?"
"It's fine," Kai said. "I've got help."
The Sprite Bulb cooed excitedly, and Kai walked down to the river with him, dipping them in the water before holding them up. The Sprite Bulb dipped into the water before spinning, splashing the plates with enough force to clean them, and Kai used some natural soap along the river's edge to loosen the grease and blood, as well as disinfect them before the Sprite Bulb spun again, rinsing the plates. Then, he headed back, blowing flames on the plates before putting them away and heading to bed under the stars, as he usually did, instead of cramming himself into the tent with the others.
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