Hello. Job's tiring. I like it though but it's also very lonely and quiet. The pay is good though. And thanks for reading :)
Log #138.5
After many months of backbreaking toil and butt-kissing, I've successfully secured myself as a 'proud and loyal' member. It wasn't easy; many of the chores they gave me were menial, degrading and outright bullying. I guess you can't escape that, even here.
Regardless, with my position safe, their suspicions of me are cleared and I can finally move around freely without being watched. It makes sense that they were so untrusting of me. After all, I did just walk up to them as asked if I could join. Anyone would be wary of that. But after giving that conversation piece about how much the king was a doofus, they let me in.
Still, I've yet to be able to meet their leader – the newt with a golden mask. He's very secretive and from his build, I'd say he's also very jacked. Like, super swole. I wouldn't want to get on his bad side but I still need to get close. (Not to ask about his training regiment but it wouldn't be a bad idea.) Otherwise, this whole operation is a farce. He's been leading all these attacks at Newtopia, erasing years worth of history, and degrading a noble name. We know he's definitely not related to us, which gives us an idea of who's actually backing him up.
Anyway, he wants to lead another attack at a library known as the Archives of Antiquity. I had to make him repeat it a few times just to make sure the 'spies' behind me heard it. (Seriously, those cloaks aren't fooling anyone. You're literally the only non-newt in this city.) Hopefully, the Night Guard would be prepared with a counterattack. Once this 'cult' is finished, that'll give me a chance to get a bit more personal with our dear leader and get the answers we want.
Signing off,
Mumps
— Evidence No. 12, an excerpt from the victim's personal diary. Despite wearing the cloaks belonging to the Cult of the Olms, the written contents suggest a different allegiance to a 'Cult of Calamity'. No record of the written cult exists prior to this. The victim, Mumps, was not found. Only his bloodstained journal was discovered.
"STOP THAT!"
"YOU STOP THAT!"
Do you hear that noise? That angry argumentative noise? Well, it's a tale as old as time. In fact, it actually is as old as time. You see, long, long ago, back when humanity was still young, there were two brothers: Cain and Abel. Cain was a farmer of sorts while Abel, his younger brother, was a sheep herder. They were good brothers, maybe even the best of brothers. Some would say that they invented the very concept of brotherhood.
Then Cain smashed Abel with a rock. Why? Because their grandpa liked one of their gifts over the other. Man, their old man kinda sounded like a jerk.
Thankfully, this was slightly different than that tale. For one thing, neither sibling had any gifts to sacrifice. And another, their grandpa was quite apathetic of their – forgive this soul for their foul language - "poop".
Also, a third thing, there was a third sibling! What a plot twist!
CRACK!
"KYAH!" The third one, Sasha, shrieked as a small rock cracked onto her head.
Presently, Sasha was in the mountains. She, along with an old frog, was riding their beloved giant snail, Bessie – driven by Sasha – along a rocky path, pulling a wooden carriage behind its shell. The path was narrow and literally crumbling beneath them but they had their reasons for taking it.
She just wasn't sure why.
Sasha rubbed her injured noggin, a small bump forming beneath her hair. "Hop Pop, quick question; why are we climbing the side of a mountain?"
"To get to Newtopia.", answered Hop Pop, the grandpa in this murderous tale.
"No, I get that but why the mountain? I mean, isn't there like another way or something?" Sasha continued. "Like, I'm not questioning your judgement but I'm kinda getting sick of having rocks fall onto my he—" CRACK!"—AGH!"
As if on cue, another one fell on her head, causing her to yell in pain.
Hop Pop nodded. "Well, there are other paths but the mountain trail is the safest and most reliable. The forest path is full of marauders and scummy salesmen, whereas the lakes are just a no-go from the start."
Sasha winched. "W-why's that?"
"STOP TOUCHING THEM!"
"I'M NOT! I'M JUST TOUCHING THE AIR! SEE?!"
"YOU'RE TOUCHING THEM!"
Hop Pop continued. "The lakes, also known as the Puddle Drops, is a large stretch of no frog's land. Every year, the lakes change shape and size due to the wet season, which makes navigating across extremely dangerous. You'd need to hire a guide."
"And we're dead poor."
"And we're dead poor." Hop Pop said with a sombre sigh. "We're not in the red, thankfully, but this journey isn't exactly cost-effective. We'll probably have to hunt down some grub once we clear the mountains."
"Hey, if it makes you feel better, I'll use my SUPERPOWERS and get us some ka-ching, if you get what I mean," Sasha said, smiling cockily and nudging him with her elbow. "Eh, eh, get it? Did you get that, Hop Pop? Did ya?"
The old frog rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. You have mystical abilities. Seriously, you just found out about them and immediately, you're telling everyone about it. Nobody is that impressed, Sasha. As far as we thought, your kind could always do that."
"But they couldn't. And you wanna know why?"
"Because you're 'the chosen one'?"
"Because I'M THE CHOSEN ONE!" Sasha cheered. "I don't know what I'm chosen for but whatever it is, I'M SO DOING IT, HAHA! " She said, a huge smug look plastered on her face. Someone should really wipe that.
SMACK!
"GAH! MY EYE!"
Thank you.
Hop Pop huffed. Ever since Sasha found out she had supernatural abilities, she's been on a power-fantasy-high. Thankfully, she had no idea how to use them, not that it helped. The thought of it alone was enough to feed her narcissism. He didn't want to say it but he's pretty sure her head's growing bigger by the minute.
"Oh, and for the record—ouch, this actually hurts— I go by 'Super Sasha' from now on and I accept no alternatives."
He silently wished the rest of the journey would be a bit better.
"HOP POP!"
"HOP POP!"
Hop Pop sighed. He hoped too much.
Getting up from his seat, he turned around and looked down the open hatch, the interior of the fwagon in mostly full view. Inside, two little frogs – well, one of them was actually a tadpole – were not in the most amicable of moods. "Kids, what is even going on down there?!"
The tadpole as mentioned, Polly Plantar, pointed accusingly at the older of the two, a monstrous growl escaping her lips. "Hop Pop, Sprig's touching my bucket!"
Sprig Plantar, the older brother, placed his hands on his hips and shook his head. "I was not! I was checking the floorboards for holes!"
"Liar!"
Hop Pop took a deep breath. "Kids, you know I love ya but can you please just pipe down?! I get that the road here ain't that smooth and everyone is uncomfortable—"
"AGH! MY OTHER EYE!"
"—but we just have to make the best of it and power through. Once we leave the mountain trail, it'll be smooth driving from here on out." He said with a hint of optimism. "So the less ruckus, the faster we get off this place."
"Now, this may just be the temporary blindness and concussion but what if we take a detour?" Sasha piped.
Hop Pop turned to her. "How in Amphibia would we take a detour? This road only has one direction."
"Not according to that sign, it doesn't." She said, pointing towards.
And just as she said, there was a sign. Not at all an illusion made from her repeated head injuries. Like, a literal signpost. It was discoloured and worn but the sign was still standing tough as the wood it was made from. It pointed in two directions: one to the north where they were going and another to the northwest where, much to Hop Pop's surprise, was a path he'd never seen before.
Sasha stared at the signpost. "'Mosco's Mountain Retreat?' This place has hotels?!"
Hop Pop blinked. That couldn't be right. He pulled out the map they'd use for their travels, inspecting it thoroughly. "Well, that's weird! Our map here says that there's no such path."
"Quick question but where did you get that map anyway?"
"From a reputable map seller, obviously. I got it for a good price more than a decade ago."
Sasha stared at the old frog.
Hop Pop stared back.
"... Okay, I see your point. I'll get a new map in the next town." He said, crumpling it up and throwing it away.
Just then, a rock appeared. Similar to the one that tripped an angsty girl with a blue sword, this one also got in the way of passers-by. However, unlike that smaller girl-tripping rock, this one was bigger and bumpier, clearly superior compared to its weaker hillside cousin.
The rock, using its natural ability of getting in the way at the worst of moments, hit the fwagon's wheel, causing the carriage to jump slightly. "W-whoa!" Inside, Sprig suddenly lost his balance and almost jumbled his feet. Thankfully, all he did was nudge his sister's bucket.
Polly gasped. "You touched my bucket." She growled demonically. With questionable baby strength, she karate-chopped him in the foot. "HIYAA!"
"Dowch!" Sprig yelled, hopping on one foot. Furious, he retaliated with his own blow – a very light smack on the flipper.
Polly's eyes widened. She glared at Sprig, and he, in return, glared back.
Oh, it was on.
"HYAAAAA!"
"RAAAAHH!"
Smacksmacksmacksmack—
What happened afterwards would be purged from history books all across the globe in the future, not because it was too violent to describe but because it was the exact opposite. Sprig and Polly got physical, slapping each other's hands and flippers in a milquetoast manner.
They didn't even look at one another the entire time.
At the driver's seats up top, both patrons sighed.
"We're going to that retreat."
"No need to tell me that."
Welcome, welcome, welcoooooome!
Welcome, one and all, to Mosco's Mountain Retreat – Amphibia's most luxurious non-Newtopian resort. Built around 6 years ago, the resort's founder, Sir Mosco Chartreuse, was on a business trip when suddenly, an earthquake caused him to get lost in the great mountain range known as the Iron Mountains, named as such due to its rich deposit of precious iron. It was during this time he discovered the mountains' springs, bursting full of wonderful groundwater full of medicinal properties. It was said that upon bathing in one, he regained 20 years of his life.
Thus, like any good businessman, this privileged newt decided to share his findings with the world by building a fence and destroying the natural landscape into a high-class and expensive resort. Nobles, merchants and other rich folk of Amphibia all come to bathe in these waters, hoping to also take back their lost youth, stolen from them by the ravages of time.
After taking the left path, the family crossed a stone bridge and only then, did they arrive at the prestigious establishment. The Plantars were left breathless: the resort was made out of small yet personal stone-brick shacks, connected by strings of man-made paths. Those same paths were lined with trimmed shrubbery, both local and imported, as well as candlelit streetlights. As for the lobby, it was quaint with an open-air design, its floors made of dark wood. The lobby also had chiselled pillars as support and even marble fountains at the front, humidifying the air with its lustrous waters.
Sasha whistled out loud, highly impressed. "Pfheeew, not bad... Mmmalright, I'm gonna go get a brochure."
Hop Pop stepped in front of her. "Now, hold on there!" He said. "Need I remind you that we're currently poor? We don't even know if we can afford a room here! I don't want to blow away our budget before we even get to Newtopia."
"Ugh, I hate being poor!"
He ignored her, walking to the lobby. "Now, Sasha—"
"Super Sasha."
"Sasha, pay attention. This is in case we ever run into any 'financial problems'. If you ever see me nervously asking for a few minutes to think, that's the signal for you to go and grab Bes—"
RING-RING-RING-RING-RING!
Just as Hop Pop walked through the arched entrance, a ringing of bells was heard. Suddenly, two newts – employees of the resort – appeared, one of them holding the ringing bells. They then began clapping ecstatically, much to the old man's befuddlement.
"Congratulations, sir! You're our 1,000th customer!" One of the resort workers applauded.
"Say whaaaaat?"
The other worker nodded. "As our lucky winner, you get an all-expense paid 2-nights stay at the retreat with full access to all our facilities and amenities!" He stated. He then pulled out a brochure, showcasing all the resort's offers. "This includes our luxury indoor pool, 5-star dining, 24-hour gym and spa service, as well as our presidential suite!"
"You even get a special lightning pass for our entertaining and kid-friendly theme park! What an incredible win!"
"How does it feel to be a winner?"
Hop Pop blinked. "... Honestly, this all seems a tad convenient. It is free, right?" He asked.
"According to the script we're reading, yes!"
"Then I feel like the luckiest frog in the world!" He cheered.
While Hop Pop celebrated his uncanny instance, Polly and Sprig weren't far behind, nudging each other slightly. At least, that's how it started. It went from a little elbow touch and fin slap here and there but quickly escalated to full-on pushing.
"Hey, quit it!" Polly shouted.
"You quit it!" Sprig yelled back.
Hearing the commotion, Hop Pop turned around and frowned. "Kids, we just got a free once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Could you at least try to get along?"
Sprig and Polly both tucked their hands behind them. "Alright, Hop Pop. We'll try." Sprig muttered, shuffling his foot apologetically.
Hop Pop smiled. "Thank ya, kids. I'm glad we managed to get to an understanding. We don't often get vacations. This might be a good experience for you two." He said with a chuckle.
Hop Pop turned back towards the employees, ready to claim his free presidential suite. Yet, despite all the words of wisdom, Sprig and Polly immediately broke into a sissy slap fight. There was zero hesitation whatsoever.
Smacksmacksmacksmack—
Hop Pop hummed. "Did you two get that?" He turned around and without noticing, Sprig and Polly broke off, posing innocently and cutesy-like.
"Yep, we so did~!"
"We're your little angels~!"
Sasha, present the entire time, stared at the frogs, having watched the whole scene. She looked tired. "Not gonna lie but seeing you two act like that kinda makes me wonder if I'm a bad influence."
What are the differences between hotels and resorts? The answers are 2 things; accommodations and location. A hotel is a single building where everything is located in one place. However, you don't spend time at a hotel; it's only for resting. What makes a hotel great are the surrounding conveniences, from shopping malls to historical sites just within walking range. A resort, however, isn't for those. Resorts are about relaxation and provide many built-in outdoor services such as beaches and ski hills. Both are roughly the same price, so it's best to think that hotels are about city pleasures whereas resorts are about natural pleasures.
Mosco's Mountain Retreat counted as a resort. It took advantage of the natural spring water, building the entire facility surrounding it. And oh boy, were the Plantars looking forward to that.
The free stay was pre-planned and thus, contained a schedule that allowed them to tour and participate around its premises. Unfortunately, they checked in a tad late in the day so many of the exciting ones weren't available. Thankfully, the springs were the very last part of the day's program. So they weren't missing out on that.
Just within the entrance of a dark crack digging into the mountainside, Hop Pop, now sporting a Hawaiian shirt he got for free, was reading their itinerary. "According to this here schedule, the last thing for today before the mountain springs is a tour through the mysterious and abandoned Olm caverns!" He stated. "Says here that the caves can reach all over the mountains, so it's easy to get lost."
"Hey, uh, Hop Pop?" Sasha called, wearing a similar Hawaiian-themed shirt.
"Yes, Sasha?"
"What's an olm?"
Hop Pop lifted a finger, only to pause. "I… don't know, actually. Probably something important. Maybe the tour guide could answer."
Speaking of tour guides, there she was. A bluish newt like many of the staff here but shorter than most, wearing an explorer's outfit – pith helmet included – and with well-combed short red hair. She also had freckles for some reason, a trait Sasha didn't know amphibians could even have. In a weird way, she reminded her of Maggie.
"Gather around, everyone!" The tour guide called. The tour wasn't limited to only the Plantars; there were a surprising number of other visitors here too. "Good evening, brave explorers! I'm Parsley and I am your guide today as we venture through these wonderful historical caves! These tunnels are full of drawings and murals left behind by the now-extinct olm race, and it's so old that it's said to even predate Newtopia itself!"
"Ooooo~!"
"To recap, in case you don't know what an olm is; olms were an ancient race of giant worm-like creatures that once inhabited these mountains hundreds of years ago. But one day, they mysteriously vanished without a trace." She exclaimed, jazzing her hands for flair. "It's said that their civilization was extremely cultured, and they had the ability to predict the future."
Sasha bobbed. "Huh, so the power to see the future and they couldn't even figure out how to not get extinct? Lame."
"Rumour has it that they're still around, hiding beneath the earth in places that no frog, toad or newt could reach." Parsley the tour guide grinned. "But those are just old rumours. No one has seen an olm for hundreds of years and the only proof of their existence that we have are the few bones found during archaeological excavations as well as these murals drawn on the walls and ceilings."
She then clapped her hands. "Now, before we begin, there are some rules during the duration of the tour. These rules exist to protect you as these caverns can be very dangerous."
"Now, rule 1: Always follow the yellow line we painted on the floor." On cue, she pointed at the thick yellow line just before her feet. "It's the route of the entire tour and ensures you don't get lost. Remember; do not lose sight of the yellow line."
"Rule 2: Keep your buddy close. Everyone here has a buddy, so make sure to keep watch of them. We don't want you to suddenly get lost or hurt and have no one to call for help."
"Finally, rule 3: Always have your lightning bug with you." Parsley said, jingling a glowing lantern in her hand. "We keep the caverns in their natural darkened state as to reduce any deterioration. So, every pair of buddies get a single lightning bug! Thankfully, the yellow line glows in the dark, so you don't have to worry about getting lost even without a lightning bug but it's still better to have one."
She then clapped her hands again. "Now, does anyone have any questions?"
Polly raised her flipper. "Yeah, why do you have a funny hat?"
"It's part of the uniform. Very standard." She replied with a tap of her pith helmet. "If that's all, let's begin the tour!"
The crowd whispered amongst each other with excitement. One pair at a time, they followed the guide into the dark caverns, their lightning bug lanterns being their only source of light. For the tour, Sasha paired up with Hop Pop while Sprig and Polly paired with one another. She would've preferred to join up with the two younger frogs but then, Hop Pop wouldn't have a buddy. Not that it mattered much; they were all heading in the same direction anyways.
Entering the caverns, it took a few minutes before they arrived at their first mural. Not only was there a yellow line to guide them but the ground was also overhauled to make it a smoother and more streamlined experience. Parsley waited until everyone arrived and no more lights could be seen. Once she was sure, she cleared her throat and presented the ancient drawings.
"Behold, the murals of the olms! The olms were once a highly advanced civilization and had their own language and system of writing which we dub the Olm Alphabet. Although similar to the common Amphibian and Newtian alphabets, there are some distinctions between them." She explained. "Due to how little the number of resources we have regarding the olms, we know very little about their culture. However, we do know they once lived in an underground city known as 'Proteus'."
"Its location is unknown, but it is speculated to be reachable through the use of these caverns. Unfortunately, these can span many miles both through the mountains and under them. An expedition of any kind in an attempt to find the city is nothing less than suicide." She casually stated.
"Through many years of research and study, the archaeologists and linguists of Newtopia University discovered a way to translate the Olm Alphabet. This particular mural says—" Parsley lifted her lantern, brightening up the drawings. "— 'Do not forget the milk'. We're not exactly sure what the 'milk' is but many theorists state that it's probably an object of worship or maybe even a more philosophical message, detailing a deeper understanding of the inner person and their relationship with the universe."
Sasha raised a brow. That sounded stupid but she was not one to question some dead culture.
Meanwhile, at the far end, Polly – who had a sun hat for some reason – was getting bored. Being a 5-year-old, she just wasn't interested in the lore and history of extinct hill folk. So they're dead – big deal. Hopefully, this tour was a short one because much like the rest of the family, she really wanted to divebomb into the mountain springs.
The youngest yawned, following close behind her brother and out of her bucket. It was when she yawned did she made a discovery; just off of their route was another tunnel, just without the yellow paint. Polly smiled excitedly. "Hey, look! It's another path!" She giddily said, tugging Sprig's free tropical shirt. "Ooo-huhuhu, let's take this one!"
Sprig stared into the abyss. Thankfully, it didn't stare back. "Nuh-uh, no way, Polly! You heard what the tour guide said. We have to follow the yellow line."
"Pffftt, so what? It's not like we're gonna get lost. Just go in and out, 20-minute adventure."
Sprig frowned unsurely. "I don't know… That still sounds risky. We better not. I mean, what would Hop Pop and Sasha say?"
He could already imagine it; Hop Pop would chastise him for being irresponsible, and Sasha would get all cranky as she usually did. He appreciated that Sasha cared but he didn't like it when she got mad. It's only been a few days since she yelled at him for almost getting himself killed.
Polly, unfortunately, was not convinced, crossing her cute little flipper. "Oh, I get it. You're a teapot."
Sprig blinked. "I'm a what?"
"A teapot! You heard me! Because you whine like one!"
Sprig frowned. That didn't even make any sense but he felt offended regardless. "I'm not a teapot!"
"Yu-uh! You are one! You're afraid of a little detour. That's teapot behaviour!"
"I'm not afraid! You're just trying to get us in trouble!"
"Pssh, why would I do that? All I'm looking for is some excitement." Polly replied, waving off his concerns. "But you're too much of a teapot to do anything about that."
"Stop calling me a teapot!"
"Well, stop acting like one!"
Sprig turned red. Considering he was naturally pink, that was an achievement. "I. Am. NOT. A teapot! Come on!" Holding his lantern tight, he marched towards the other path and Polly, with a delighted smile, followed him from behind.
At the front, Sasha's eyes glowed pink. Something was wrong. But before she could think further, her nose twitched. "AH-CHOO!" She sneezed loudly; these caves were really cold. Snorting and wiping her nose, her eyes turned back to their usual blue. What was she thinking again?
Sprig was not a teapot. Like literally, he was not a teapot. He was a boy frog, 10 years of age, and the eldest of the siblings. He had bright pink skin unlike any frog out there, wore a leather cap that hid his luscious orange locks, and was a crack-shot with any projectile-based weaponry. He was smart, skilled and, although he would never say it out loud, thought himself as handsome. It's why he wore his hat; it limits his handsomeness to acceptable levels. If he ever removed it, girls would swoon on to his feet, unable to control their lust. His cap protected them from his irresistible charms.
… Huh, he never knew he had such an ego. Pretty sure that wasn't the reason he wore a hat. Did he inherit this out-of-character narcissism from someone?
Well, ignoring that, the point of the matter was that he was Sprig Plantar, a responsible older brother. And no responsible older brother would take the beaten path off to nowhere, just because he got baited by his half-age crafty little sister.
It did not take him long to regret this.
Sprig looked down in despair. "I can't believe I'm doing this."
Polly chuckled. "I can. Besides, if it bothers you so much, just go back to the group. I'll catch up."
"As if! You'll just get lost without me. I'm the big brother holding onto the lightning bug. See?"
To make a point, he jingled-jangled his lantern.
Polly stared at the lantern. "Well, why can't I hold the lightning bug?"
"Because you're a baby and it takes a responsible older frog to hold on to this thing. You don't even have legs."
Polly gasped. Oh no, he didn't.
"W-well, when I get legs, I'll kick your butt!" Polly shouted.
Sprig stuck his tongue out. A childish act but hey, he was 10.
Polly turned red and swelled like a balloon. Much like Sprig, the colour palette made it noteworthy. "I WANNA HOLD IT!"
Sprig moved the lantern away. "No! Only older and responsible frogs with legs get to hold it!"
Polly bounced to his shoulder, her short flippers stretching as far as they could. "GIMME!"
"NO!"
Despite the struggle, Polly was relentless. She continued pushing herself over and onto Sprig, desperately reaching out to the lantern. Sprig, in response, would stretch his arm away from her, keeping it inches from her grasp. At the same time, he'd push her back with his other arm, blocking her from getting closer, and Polly would retaliate with equal counteracting force.
With all the shoving going on, Sprig began to lose his balance and as his knee bent at just the right angle, the combined weight and misshapen centre of gravity began pulling the two down. Quickly, it reached maximum potential and Sprig fell to his back, pulling Polly with him.
"WAH!" Sprig yelled, dropping with a light thud. Luckily, Polly was right in front of him and thus, received none of the impact.
"Bwuh..." Polly gurgled, shaken. She was the first to recover and quickly looked for the lantern. However, to her surprise, it was completely dark, its tiny door slightly opened. "Oh no! The lightning bug! It got out!"
"W-w-what?! We've got to get it back!" Sprig said.
Getting up after Polly jumped off, Sprig looked through the tunnels, searching for any source of light. It was a quick glance; the lightning bug glowed faint yet clear in the pitch-black caverns. Sprig and Polly rushed in the light's direction, the former holding into the empty lantern.
They had not noticed that one ran faster than the other, on account of having legs.
Within a couple of minutes of rough chasing, navigating through the winding tunnels, Sprig eventually reached the glowing insect. Outside the lantern, its appearance was more recognisable; it was a small hornless beetle the size of Sprig's hand and glowed yellow from antenna to wing. It also floated lazily which was surprising considering how far it managed to travel in such a short period.
The lantern in his hands, Sprig opened its tiny door and quietly crept behind the bug. Once he was close enough, he jumped with his strong frog legs, scooping it into the lantern.
"Gotcha!" Sprig said, locking the tiny door. He wiped the sweat off his brow and smiled. "Phew, that was a close one. Imagine losing you, little critter. That would've been the worst-case scenario, haha."
Indeed, had he lost the lightning bug, then navigating back to the resort would've been difficult, maybe even outright impossible. Sprig was a forest frog, not a cave one; he was completely out of his element. At least with the bug, he could find the same tunnels he previously ventured through.
Truly, getting lost without any light source would be the worst-case scenario.
Sprig blinked. A certain someone wasn't here. "Eh, Polly? Pooolly?"
...
...
No response.
"... Oh frogs."
Meanwhile, somewhere else, Polly was freaking out.
"Sprig? Spriiiiig? Where'd you go?" Polly called out, hopping from one unleveled ground to the other. "Come on, this isn't funny! You know I'm afraid of the dark!"
Scotophobia was no laughing matter. It is a common fear among young children and to varying degrees, even adults. Many things lurked in the darkness, unseen by the naked eye. Many threatening things, all watching and waiting, hidden in plain sight.
Polly saw something scurrying nearby, its form unclear. "Sprig?" She called.
She hopped closer to the pitch-black darkness and to her surprise, the 'something' turned and stared back, a pair of eyes glowing red. It started with one pair, then two, then three, and suddenly, much much more.
CRRIIIIEEEEK!
Polly didn't have time to react. Without warning, a swarm of batsquitos – insectoid creatures of the night – fled the scene, flying past her like a cloud of screeching thorns with buzzing wings of equal measure. "AAAAAHHHHH! SPRIG! SPRIIIIIG!" Polly screamed, covering her eyes and frantically running off.
Nearby, Sprig perked. He knew those screams. "Polly?! POLLY! WHERE ARE YOU?!" He yelled, hoping to gain a response, and followed the noise.
"SPRIIIIIG! SPRIG, I'M SCARED!"
"POLLY! POOOOLLY!"
The two siblings continued to call out for one another but the path to each other was winding. Their voices echoed through the tunnels, bouncing off the limestone cavern walls. While Polly ran in fear, Sprig desperately attempted to follow her voice, as confusing as the path was.
Thankfully, luck would have its way.
"WAAAH!" "OUGH!"
Sprig and Polly yelped, bumping and falling onto the soft ground. They coincidentally crashed into one another, having been too focused on their respective voices to look where they were heading.
Sprig rubbed his behind before looking forward, his sister finally in front of him. "Polly! Are you alright?!" He asked, worriedly rushing to beside her.
"Sprig!" Polly called back, hopping to him with teary eyes. She leapt into his arms and hug him tight, a gesture Sprig unhesitatingly reciprocate. "T-there were these bats and I-I just hopped a-and—"
Sprig shushed her, softly caressing her bowed head. "Shh, shhhh... I'm just glad you're okay. I was so worried." He said, his rapidly beating heart slowly regulating. "Let's get out of here. I bet Hop Pop's worried about us."
Polly sniffled. "But… How?"
"Uhh…"
Although they recovered the lightning bug, they've also ventured deeper into the mountains, filled with tunnels stretching for miles. After such a frantic run, it'd be impossible for them to remember which way they came back from. Everything underground looked the same with zero landmarks to peruse over.
At least in the forest, they could look up to see the sky if they ever got lost. You couldn't even do that in here.
Sprig gulped nervously. "There's probably another way out. L-let's just keep looking. We'll be sure to find one!" He said, putting up a brave face. "Here, I'll carry you and you can hold on to the lightning bug."
"I thought only responsible older frogs get to hold it. One with legs."
Sprig laughed awkwardly. "W-well, I think this is a special case. We can have exceptions!"
While ferrying Polly in his arms and Polly herself with the lightning bug, he began walking. To be honest, it's been a while since he last carried Polly. They only had a difference of 5 years, so it wasn't enough for him to lug her around that often. Even as a baby, she was still as big as his head and as heavy too.
Still, if it meant that they wouldn't get separated again, it was nothing.
"Now, this mural has to be my absolute favourite out of all of them. It writes 'To you, a thousand years later, my unfinished thesis' which I think is absolutely romantic."
"The tour guide has a very weird definition of 'romantic'," Sasha muttered under her breath.
Meanwhile, back on the surface – not truly the surface though; it was more like a meter below it – Sasha and Hop Pop were still on the tour through the caverns. The tour guide Parsley was very enthusiastic, translating the murals and explaining everything in complete detail. It was a bit impressive, though the whole experience was a lot longer than Sasha liked.
These caverns held many murals. However, most of them weren't particularly interesting. Take for example; a few meters back, there was a mural about the olms worshipping a tree of some sort, only to be revealed from its text that it was actually a weird-looking mushroom and how important it was to one's diet. In fact, a lot of them were about mushrooms and for some reason, fish. Just ordinary, boring and normal-size fish.
They were in the high mountains. Where were they getting fish?
The tour guide Parsley clapped her hands. "And that brings us to the end of our tour! Did you all enjoy this wondrous stroll through time? Because I sure hope so! Olm culture is so fascinating. Oh, I wish I could meet one of them!" She said with a delighted sigh. "Hah... Too bad they're extinct."
After leaving the tunnel, the tourists all returned their lanterns by the exit, dropping them into a repurposed minecart. Parsley stood nearby, waving as the guests all leave. "Tata, now. Goodbye, fellow explorers! I hope to see you all again soon!"
She was a nice lady. Very eager about the olms. Maybe even too much.
Hop Pop smiled, wiping sweat off his brow. "Phooey, that was exciting, wasn't it? All that culture shared with us with nothing but words and pictures. Even when they're dead, they live on in our hearts."
"Ugh, I already take history in school. I don't need it here either." Sasha vented. She's just glad it was finally over. "Let's just get to the mountain springs and relax. No more learning! Super Sasha hates learning!"
"Well, our clothes are still back with Bessie. Sprig, Polly, be a dear and fetch us our swimming suits." He said, calling out to the two frog siblings. Yet, there was no reply. "Sprig? Polly?"
Hop Pop and Sasha turned around. Bizarrely, they weren't there. The kids were behind them, right?
"Huh... Did they pass by us?" Hop Pop muttered, scratching his head.
"I don't think so?" Sasha replied, unsure herself. She then shrugged. "But wherever they are, I'm sure they're fine. Maybe they went to the theme park. You know, because they're little kids."
Hop Pop turned to her. "Sasha, you're also a kid."
"HEY, I'M A TEENAGER! THAT'S WAY DIFFERENT!"
He rolled his eyes. "Sure, of course, Super Sasha."
Sasha blushed. "T-T-THAT PROVES NOTHING! I WILL NOT BE SLANDERED, YOU HEAR ME?!"
Returning to the journey to the centre of the mountain retreat, Sprig and Polly continued on their way. The tunnels were dark and precocious, making traversing difficult. They even passed a few obstacles on their way – spike pits, deep chasms and huge gaps – but with some quick thinking and spectacular teamwork, they leapt through it all with flying colours.
Still, with how dark and restrictive the environment was, it was impossible to tell whether they were getting close. Thankfully, they were heading up the entire time so that's probably the right direction.
Eventually, they reached a large open cavern and saw something on the walls. Drawings of sorts, painted with once vibrant colours, now dulled over the years. Polly gasped. "Whoa, look! More murals!" She said, hopping to the scrawls. "If there're pictures here, that means we must be close, right?"
Sprig couldn't verify that but the logic was sound. They did come from a mural tour.
He looked at the wall drawings, humming and scratching his chin. "Hmm... I wonder what it says. Too bad that guide lady isn't here to translate it for us."
"It's kinda creepy though. I mean, look at all those eyes."
"And that fire. That's, uh… That's a lot of fire."
"Look over there, at the middle!" Polly pointed. "I wonder who those three are. They don't look like any frogs I know."
"I don't know... I've got a good feeling with the pink one. It's the same colour as I am."
He wasn't always a fan of pink; it was kinda weird being the only pink frog in town. But according to Hop Pop, the Plantars always were more colourful than the rest of Wartwood. Though, he used to also say that it was only in appearance; Plantars were always and forever will be boring farmers.
The discovery of the family's hidden basement quickly proved otherwise.
He hummed. It was a pretty drawing, albeit somewhat unsettling. "Well, whatever it is, we better keep on moving. Don't want to stay here for too long."
"That's right; you wouldn't."
Sprig and Polly's eyes widened. At double speed, they twisted themselves, facing the voice. It was, however, quickly met with terror.
In front of them was a gigantic snake-like creature, towering over them easily, its skin a pale and translucent white with scarlet veins faintly seen, and a pair of thin bony arms. It had reddish antenna-like tufts on the side of its head similar to a familiar woodsmith, and its eyes were completely blank with barely a set of pupils visible beneath the iris.
The creature grinned, revealing its sword-length teeth. "Hey there, kids. A bit far from home, aren't you?"
Polly screamed. "AAH! GIANT WORM THING!"
"I am not a giant worm thing! You, however, are dinner!" The creature cackled.
""AAAAHHHHHH!""
Plucking Polly like a football, Sprig ran like the wind, dashing into a nearby tunnel. The giant worm smirked and gave chase, diving towards them. Sprig ignored the rumbling encroaching on them; these tunnels didn't provide many alternate routes, so he focused entirely on speed. Eventually, they found some branching paths and without thinking, Sprig ran into a random one.
After a few seconds of continuous running, the rumblings disappeared. He panted tiredly, catching his breath. Polly looked through the tunnel behind them, seeing nothing but darkness. "I think we lost them!"
"Think again."
To their surprise, the creature reappeared, the caverns rapidly quaking beneath their feet. It was also now blue for unknown reasons and what's worse was that it came from the other side of the tunnel – the side they were heading to.
""AAH!"" They screamed, running back in.
This whole scenario repeated several times. No matter how many different routes they took nor how far they ran, the snake-like behemoth would find them within moments. It was hopeless to hide and hopeless to run; it was as if this creature knew their every move.
As Sprig ran across the soft dirt, he took a slight misstep and to his shock, the ground collapsed. He and Polly shrieked as they suddenly sunk into the dirt, dropping their lantern and tumbling down a small twisting hole before ultimately popping out into a large cavern.
"Guh..." Sprig groaned, rubbing his dizzy head. He took a single step and the floor beneath crackled and snapped. He looked down and instead of the stone and dirt he was accustomed to, it was instead a floor made entirely of discarded and broken-down bones, large and small, partially filling the enormous cavern. There were more skeletons here than the entirety of Wartwood! Heck, he'd even go as far as to say that it's more than Frog Valley's population.
Sprig blinked. "Well, this isn't a good sign." He looked around and yelled. "Polly! Where are you?!"
"I'm right here, bro!"
Nearby, Polly waved. She then hopped to him, something she found unexpectedly challenging due to all the bones. "This is all sorts of hecked up! I don't think I've ever been this uncomfortable in my life."
"Well, that's just rude. This is our home, you know."
As fate has decided, the worm creature returned, hugging a pillar and grinning toothily as it 'stared' at them. But then, at the other side of the pillar, another worm appeared but with bluish skin and tufts in contrast to the other's slightly red one.
The blue one smiled. "Ah, good find, Lysil."
"Yes, and they sound juicy too, Angwin." The red one replied.
"To think these two would just appear without notice. They must've taken a different tunnel."
"How unlucky of them. At least in Quarrellers' Pass, it'd be expected."
Polly screamed frustratedly. "GRRRAH! THERE WERE TWO GIANT WORM THINGS?!"
The red one, Lysil, frowned. "We are NOT giant worm things. We—"
Lysil slithered forward and Angwin, slithered back. In time, the tail end gradually transformed from red to blue and finally, Angwin reappeared at the other end; the two were conjoined, one end to the other.
"—are olms."
"And it's been a while since we've had a good dinner. Especially an impromptu one." Angwin exclaimed, licking his lips.
"It's only mid-evening!" Sprig shouted. "I think!"
"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't realize that we were being philistine. It's so hard to keep track of time when we don't have a watch." Angwin said bemoaningly. "In case you didn't realize, that was sarcasm."
"Ugh, why are we even conversing with them?! We're supposed to be eating them!" Lysil argued.
"Hey! They're the ones that started it! Don't go blaming me for this!"
As the two began to hiss at one another, a thought suddenly sprung up. These two referred to themselves as olms and he recalled, as short it was, about them from the tour guide. But she said...
Sprig gasped, tapping his chin. "Wait, you two are olms? But the tour guide said that you were extinct!"
"Extinct? Us?" Lysil said in disbelief, followed by an honest but spiteful laugh. "HAHAHAHAHAH! Did you hear that, Angwin? They thought we were extinct!"
"GAHAHAHAH! How hilarious, Lysil! What a pair of jokesters! They're so stupid that it's funny!"
Sprig's brow furrowed. "Well, you don't have to be a big jerk about it!"
"Hey! We're not jerks!" Lysil responded.
"I think they were just talking about you."
"What?! If anything, they were talking about you!"
"And why would you think of that, Lysil?"
"Why do you think, Angwin?!"
The olms began butting heads with one another – a rare sight. Not just at the fact that they were from a not-really-extinct race of amphibians but because of their conjoined nature, it made them look like a naked fleshy doughnut.
But as the other set of siblings watched the giant snake-like creatures argue, it put them in perspective. Sprig and Polly have always bickered with one another and in some cases, it might even end up being physical. But at the end of the day, they were siblings by blood and bond. They yelled and fought and participated in weak slappy-hands fights, but the emotions always, without fail, faded sooner or later.
Sometimes, they don't even remember what they were arguing about. That's just how family works.
Sprig stared as the fight continued. "Wow… They sure argue a lot. And they're supposed to be siblings?"
"Is that what's going to happen to us?" Polly said out loud.
Sprig cringed. What she said wasn't at all inaccurate. It was exactly what he was thinking himself. Whatever the olms had, he didn't want it. Not in a million years.
He sighed. Turning towards Polly, he lowered himself by a knee. "Hey, Polly? I'm sorry I touched your bucket. I know you're a bit sensitive about it and I should've handled myself better."
She looked at him and glanced downwards, feeling a sense of guilt. "It's okay. I should be the one saying sorry about that. You didn't mean it. The road's all bumpy and stuff." She apologized. "I'm also sorry for calling you a teapot. I was just being stupid. I'm not even sure why I chose a teapot as an insult."
Sprig smirked. Thinking back, getting mad for being called a teapot was a tad silly. "Yeah, and I'm sorry for making fun of you for not having legs. You'll get them someday! Maybe even this year!"
"You think so?"
"I'm sure of it." He meant every word. With a smile, Sprig opened his arms. "Awkward sibling hug?"
Polly smiled back. "Awkward sibling hug."
And so, the brother and sister, Plantars in their roots, embraced one another. A heartwarming sight to behold, immediately ruined by the 'awkward' part of the hug. Both Sprig and Polly, their eyes staring into the distance, patted each other's backs twice. Not once and definitely not thrice, but twice. Exactly two times back-to-back.
""Pat. Pat.""
Sprig and Polly let go, their sibling relationship revitalised. That felt good. Hugs are good. "Now let's get out of here!"
"Yeah! I'm not gonna die before I get my legs! I'm either gonna die running across a battlefield and stabbing a commander with a knife, or I'm never gonna die!" She cackled. "So, you got a plan, big bro?"
Sprig smirked knowingly. "Not at all." He then looked around, examining the pit of bones. If there was a way in, there had to be a way out. And they were a lot… but most were olm-sized and who knows where they'd lead to. It just wasn't worth the risk.
So they needed a frog-sized hole that they recognised. Like the hole they fell into, for example. "Look! There's the exit!"
Polly stared at the hole. "It so way up! How are we supposed to get there?"
Suddenly from nearby, one of the olms, Lysil, shouted at them. "Hey, you! Were you planning on escaping?!"
"You didn't think we'd just let you leave, did you?" Angwin hissed.
Sprig shrugged. "Honestly, we were really hoping."
Angwin laughed. "Well, too bad for you! We heard all of your little runaway plan. Our eyesight might be a bit on the bad side, but our hearing is impeccable."
Sprig blinked. "Really? So, you can't see but can hear everything?"
"Almost everything. It's not completely accurate."
"Don't tell them that, you idiot!" Lysil chastised.
"Don't call me an idiot, idiot!"
Huh… this needed a test. Sprig grabbed a nearby bone – a femur, probably – and threw it a good 10 meters away. The bone crackled on impact, pitting bone against bone and causing the two olms to turn.
"Did you just teleport?" Angwin asked.
Lysil groaned. "No, you rube! They threw a bone! This is why I told you to clean up this place! But nooooo, you just had to live with the aesthetic!"
"Shut up! I can't listen to myself think with all your complaining!"
Lysil glared with her blank eyes. "Oh, so it's my complaining that bothers you?!"
Sprig smiled. This just gave him an idea. He turned to his little sister. "Polly, you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"DIBS ON THE SPINES!" She was.
And we're off! Sprig and Polly went in opposite directions, grabbing bone after bone as they ran. They didn't just run around either. They hopped, skipped, stopped, and even snatched more in mid-air with their tongues. Occasionally, they'd kick a few elsewhere or grab one, only to immediately throw it away. What's important was to make as much annoying noise as possible, in as many positions as possible.
From the olms' perspective, it was pure chaos, like countless tiny dynamites bursting all over. Due to Sprig and Polly's gymnastics and erratic movements, it became impossible to keep track of them, especially among the sea of brittle calcium.
Angwin gasped in horror. "Oh no! They're taking advantage of our lack of eyesight! How could we have not seen this coming?!"
"It's fine! Just pick one and hit them!" Lysil harshly ordered.
Angwin 'looked' around left and right, getting a feel of the environment. Even in all this commotion, there was one thing the frogs could never hide – their heavy footsteps. Some sounds were louder than others, so it's only a matter of finding which one.
After a few moments of stillness, Angwin's tufts vibrated and he opened his empty eyes. "There!" He yelled, lunging straight to his chosen noise's position.
Unfortunately, he chose wrong.
CRASH! Angwin slammed headfirst into the stone, cracking it with nothing but his sheer dense head.
The olm howled, rubbing his poor bruised head. "DOH! THAT HURT!"
"I hear them! They're over there!" Lysil shouted, hurtling with little delay. Just like her twin brother, she too crashed into the rocks, stopping dead in her tracks. "AGH! My snout! They're throwing us off our game!"
That seemed enough to leave them dazed. Sprig turned to Polly and nodded, who responded in turn. Quietly, Polly leapt into Sprig's shirt and the latter jumped onto the walls, naturally sticking on the vertical surface. He quickly and nimbly crawled up while Polly, hanging inside his clothes, snuggled comfortably.
However, as they climbed up, the disruptions gradually waned and with that, silence reigned.
Lysil's senses tingled and she perked up. "Huh?" She muttered. 'Looking' up, she felt the pitter-patter of the frogs just barely. Their position was given away. "Ohohoho, trying to climb out, eh? Sucks to be you because we're not just sensitive to sounds."
While pulling her brother, she slithered to the wall and began climbing upwards, her thick claws piercing through the stone with a series of sharp cracks. Within seconds, the olm reached her prey, just mere meters below them. "We can feel you on the walls!"
Polly's eyes bulged. "SPRIG! LOOK OUT!"
"Oh shoot!" Sprig yelled. Just as Lysil was about to chomp on their gonads, Sprig jumped off the wall, rocketing towards the hole. Unfortunately, he ended up being a few meters shy and thinking quickly, he picked up Polly and flung her as hard as he could.
"W-w-waaah! Sprig!" Polly screamed and with a plop, Polly disappeared into the hole.
Sprig gave a sigh of relief. She made it and that was worth it.
As Sprig fell, he landed on one of the olm's heads like a squeaky toy. The olm Angwin did not like that. "H-hey! Get off my head!" He said. He then began to shake his head, flinging the poor boy left and right.
"WAH!" Sprig shrieked, holding on to dear life.
"What happened to the other one?! I can't hear her anymore!" Lysil asked. She then turned to her brother who, no matter the effort, was still unable to throw his passenger off. "Angwin, stay still!"
Angwin stopped. "But he's on my head! And I can't reach him! I have tiny arms!"
Lysil, however, ignored him, pushing Angwin down slightly to face the dizzy Sprig face-to-face. "You have somehow ended up being a bigger pain in our necks than we thought. And I'm guessing that the other frog managed to escape. How disgustingly noble of you to sacrifice yourself."
"I didn't sacrifice myself!" Sprig shouted.
"Huh?"
He then stood up, his knees shaking slightly. "Sacrificing myself means that I plan on getting eaten. Well, that's not gonna happen! Polly's escaped and now, it's my turn!"
The reddish olm chuckled. "Oh, is that so? And how are you going to do that, you morsel?"
"LIKE THIS!"
Suddenly, like an angel from Hell if the damned lived upstairs, the bouncy baby ball of pure violence known as Polly reappeared, screaming the ancient warcries of the valkyries. Much like Sprig, she landed with the grace of a flopping fish but instead, it was on Lysil. "I'M BACK, BABY!"
The olm gasped. "Oh, great! Now I've got one on my head!"
"Ha-ha!"
"Shut up!" Lysil said angrily at her brother. "As for the two of you, you frogs can't stay up there forever! When you slip, we'll eat you both in one gulp!"
Polly growled. "Big talk for someone who's deaf!"
"... What?"
Polly took a deep breath, the deepest she's ever taken, and doubled in size.
...
...
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"
Meanwhile, at the top of the mountains, Sasha and Hop Pop were enjoying themselves in the cool water of the mountain springs.
"This is fantastic! I've never been this soft before!" He exclaimed happily. "Look at my bones! They're like jelly but in a good way! How are you holding up, Sasha?"
Next to him, Sasha was halfway submerged, her arms anchoring her to the edge of the spring. She was staring upwards with her eyes covered by a pair of crisp tomatoes. For some reason, they only had tomatoes here.
Although Hop Pop asked her a question, she did not answer. So, he called again. "Hello? Amphibia to Sasha? Are you even listening to me?"
"..."
"Is this about your new name? For the last time, I ain't calling you tha—"
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"
Suddenly, a loud howling noise boomed across the entire retreat, echoing off the massive peaks. The mountains even shook slightly and everyone, whether guests or employees or even the local wildlife, abruptly stopped.
Hop Pop blinked. "... What in the green beans was that?"
Sasha turned to him and lifted one of her tomatoes. She raised a brow but did not respond in any verbal manner. Hop Pop frowned in return.
In a cave of bones, Polly huffed out of breath.
"H-hah, hah... Wow, I don't think I've ever screamed that loud before. That's definitely a new record!" she said, visibly proud. "How are you doing, bro?"
Sprig was clearing out his ears. "Well, there's a ringing noise at the back of my head now but other than that, I'm pretty good."
Polly nodded. "Good, good, because when I get down there, I'M GOING TO SLAP YOU!" She shouted in fury.
Sprig gawked. "W-w-what?! Why?!"
"You threw me like a bugball! Like, what was that for?!"
"I was trying to save you!"
"Well, try differently, you waffle maker!"
He looked at her, flabbergasted. He didn't even know what that was. "Ooooohoho, excuuuuuse me, princess! I didn't realise you could've jumped there yourself. Oh, wait, you can't! Because you don't have legs!"
Polly gasped. "YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"
"MAKE ME!"
Then, the head beneath Polly shook. She wobbled a bit, her balance disturbed, yet she was able to stay afoot on the olm's red and fleshy head. Lysil, the owner of the said head, groaned, having suffered the worst ear-splitting roar in all her years. Yet, she somehow recovered quickly. One would think that shriek would've incapacitated her far longer than this.
"Oh for the Mother of Olms, can you two just shut up?!" The red olm Lysil screamed, her tone explosive yet distressed. "I don't even want to eat you anymore! You're more trouble than it's worth!"
"Lysil, are you there?! I can't see or hear you!" Her brother Angwin called out in panic.
"Yeah, I'm here! You can obviously feel me, idiot. We're conjoined."
"Oh, please don't be dead! If you die, I die! We're conjoined!"
She groaned. "Look, just take that tunnel over there and keep going up. It'll lead you straight onto a surface path." She told the frogs.
Sprig paused. "You're letting us go? Just like that?"
"I'm not letting you go; I'm kicking you out! You've been nothing but a pain since you got here. At this point, all I want is you gone. You're not worth the stomach ache!"
Sprig scratched his head. This was an unexpected turn of events. "Wow, rejected from being food... I'm actually offended."
"Yeah, eat us normally, you big slimy crude!" Polly complained.
"GET OUT!"
"Lysil, I don't like them anymore!" Angwin shouted for he was still blind and deaf.
Remember the tour guide, Parsley? The one with an incomparable passion for olms? Yeah, her being a tour guide was not a coincidence. The mountains were rich in olm history and she was a virtuoso of that field. Instead of camping in the middle of nowhere to dig into the bedrock, she applied for a job – one that provided her bedding, food and income, as well as being close to the targeted sites.
She really liked olms. You know how some kids-turned-adults liked dinosaurs? Well, olms were her dinosaurs.
"And that's how I got my Master's degree in Archaeology. It was a wild ride from start to finish. So many artefacts; so many reports!" She reminisced blissfully. "And the newts at the university thought I was weird for picking olms. Hah! Who's weird now, Jacob?!"
The only person in the vicinity, an unnamed janitor with a bushy moustache and unibrow, stared at her. "... I don't know you, lady." He said, promptly leaving.
Parsley watched as he scrammed, now left all alone. "Hmm, tough crowd."
Suddenly, from one of the numerous holes that littered the walls of the tour tunnel, Sprig and Polly emerged, popping out like radishes. They were covered in dirt and grime, but they were safe! They even found their lightning bug again, somehow having escaped the lantern.
Sprig, realising where they were, cheered. "We got back!"
""YAAAY!""
Meanwhile, Parsley the tour guide, who watched the two frog kids sprouting out of the ground, took a second. She rubbed her eyes, just in case, but lo and behold, they were still there.
"Hey, what are you kids doing here?" She asked suspiciously.
Not that they noticed. "Just went on a perilous journey where we almost died." Sprig answered in the honest Plantar way.
"And it was AWESOME!"
"And we learned a valuable life lesson."
"That we should do it more often because it's AWESOME!"
Parsley hummed. Not the answer she was expecting. "Okay..."
With a nod, Sprig bid adieu. "Welp, we better be going."
"See you around, funny-hat lady!" Polly waved. "Oh, and don't take the side tunnel before the first cave drawing. We met a couple of olms and they tried to eat us."
"Is my hat really that funny? My colleagues said it's standard." Parsley mumbled under her breath, touching her pith helmet. She then stopped. "Wait, what did you say about olms?"
Sadly, they were already gone by then.
A few minutes later at the main lobby, the two siblings rushed to their grandfather and adopted older sister. Unlike them, Hop Pop and Sasha were squeaky clean, wearing complimentary bathrobes and bamboo sandals. It was like night and day between the two groups, and Sasha had sunglasses which made the idiom even more obvious.
"Sprig, Polly! There you are! We've been looking for you all over the place!" Hop Pop stated. He examined his grandchildren and his expression contorted. "Sheesh, you surely need some tidying up."
Polly sighed. It was good to be back. She was about to give a reply but then noticed Sasha at the side acting very un-Sasha-like. "Why is she so quiet?"
Hop Pop grumbled. "Sasha here refuses to say anything until we call her 'Super Sasha'. She's been like this to me all day."
"You guys can just call me Sasha." Speak of the devil and he'd respond. The teenager took off her sunglasses and folded its stems. "I'm bored of it now."
"Well, ain't that just fantastic." He said sarcastically, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "Anyway, you two should clean up once we get our room. Had you come with us, you would've had the chance to bathe in the cool healing springs."
Sprig and Polly glanced at one another. "Honestly, after all the excitement we had today, a warm bath does sound kinda nice." He said. Now that he thought about it, his shoulders felt a tad stiff.
With all members present, the unusual family strolled their way to the reception. It was high time for them to check in, now that they finished everything. It had been quite an eventful day for all parties. It's only expected that the next step of their schedule would be a good night's rest.
At the receptionist's desk, Hop Pop greeted. "Howdy there! It's me, Hopadiah, the 1000th visitor. We just did all the programs for today and are a bit tuckered out. Is our room ready?"
The receptionist hissed sharply. "Ah yes, about that..." She started, her voice carrying a hint of displeasure. "Unfortunately, your stay at Mosco's Mountain Retreat has been declined."
CRACK! "WHAAAAAAAT?!"
"We recently received eyewitness reports stating that two of your group members had entered a restricted area during the tour at the Olm Caverns. Such behaviour is against our terms and conditions and as such, your booking was rejected."
"B-b-b-but—!"
"Additionally, as part of the contract, you'll have to pay for all the expenses during your brief stay, plus a 15% cancellation fee." She then gave him a clipboard. "Here's your bill."
Hop Pop grabbed and stared at the piece of paper attached. He then took a deep and long breath. Sure, he didn't expect this but how bad could it be?
...
...
He had never seen so many zeroes.
"... Oh. Mmm, yes, okay. I see..." He said, visibly aged by 20 years. "Can you give me a FEW MINUTES TO THINK?" He asked out loud with great emphasis on that last part.
Nearby, Sasha puckered and quietly scuttled away.
The receptionist nodded. "Of course! Take all the time you need!"
"Not to worry. I just need a minute or two, that's all."
Hop Pop began twiddling his thumbs, whistling a little tune. "Pfhweet-phwoo-phwoo..."
...
...
"What wonderful weather we're having, hmm?" He said, beaming.
PSCHWEEET!
Suddenly, Bessie appeared, the fwagon at her back and Sasha at the helm. The snail and her driver burst into the lobby, leaving tyre marks in her wake. Somehow.
"HOP POP, LET'S BIGGITY BOUNCE!" Sasha called. Without another word, the Plantars all rushed to their beloved snail, rushing into the fwagon and slamming the door shut.
The hotel worker gawked. "H-h-hey, wait! You can't do that! You still haven't paid your bill! SECURITY!"
"SASHA, STEP ON IT!" Hop Pop yelled from inside the carriage.
Sasha whipped the reins and howled. "HI-HO, BESSIE!"
"KREEEEEE!"
And that was the day the Plantars committed larceny. In the end, the management of the mountain retreat not only banned them from their premises but also added wanted posters with a considerable reward. These posters would last for a long time before being dropped due to certain unspeakable future events.
And what happens now to our heroes? Hop Pop gained another mark in his unintended path of criminal notoriety, the Plantars siblings became closer than ever and for the first time in history, it was somehow not Sasha's fault.
She was proud of that.