Good evening, friends! I know you're all anxious for the next chapter and I humbly apologized for the deadline, but the thing is that I'm pretty occupied meaning that I'm far too busy with my video making skills or keeping the theatres clean. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere and so were you. In the meantime, this chapter is where Dyllan has discovered the magic staff, the same day where Anne and Frank make amends for lost cause. Thank you for your patience and enjoy reading!

Amphibia: Living In A Frog World

Chapter 5: The Magic Within

24 hours ago, the sun began to rise over the horizon as the flowers began to bloom while the algae on the mushrooms began to vanish. In the hidden underground, the villagers began to wake up and prepare for another day by fishing in the creek while others are harvesting crops in the fields.

Inside of the smaller cavern, Dyllan was tossing and turning in his bedroll when he dreams of the day when he left home for school on Anne's birthday, then he stood quietly next to his friends, KJ and Ivan while Anne, Sasha, and Marcy were committing burglary by stealing the box from Frank's grandmother shop.

He has never been guilty in his life and he didn't want to commit a crime, but he was also afraid of losing the only friends he ever had and ended up like Frank. When Anne opens the box, he and the others looks away from the bright flash. Dyllan immediately woke up screaming. He was panting at first when he thought that everything was a dream.

"Guys, I just had a crazy dream of how I was stuck in a land of walking, talking-" He paused his sentence when he saw Tint and Cronaxx standing beside him with backpacks on. He looked a bit disappointed that he was still here. "Salamanders."

"Morning, Dyllan. Let's get moving." said Tint.

"Moving? For what?" Dyllan asked.

"We've got fish to catch, and crops to harvest. If we don't work, we don't eat." Cronaxx explained.

Dyllan slowly climbs out of his bedroll and stretches his arms and legs. But little did he realized two that he slept in his school clothes and he forgot his toothpaste. "Oh, great. I'm gonna stink after today."

"Why would you stink? Do you not have moist skin?" Tint asked.

"I have dry skin." Dyllan answered

"You should try rubbing your skin on moist leaves. It helps us salamanders if our mucus glands are not producing enough." Cronaxx advised him

"Eww. Mucus? That's what's on you? I thought it was slime." said Dyllan, cringed

"You could learn a lot from us. Now come on, let's get some food. I'm starving enough as it is." said Tint as the three of them departure from the cave and climb their way down to the creek.

As they were walking, Dyllan was curious about what Amphibia is. Then they spot a couple of salamander kids being escorted by their parents before they cast a shield spell and glared at the human and the Tormaks. Dyllan frown and spots a scrolled up piece of paper in Cronaxx's backpack and walks up to him.

"Hey Cronaxx? As long as I'm here, I'm kinda curious. What is Amphibia?" He asked.

"I'm glad you asked." Cronaxx smiles as he takes out his scrolled paper revealing the map of Amphibia that looks like a giant lily pad surrounded by ocean. "Amphibia is a wonderful place to be. The lands here are inhabited by numerous creatures. But we amphibians live like civilized folk."

"Like a utopia of amphibians?" Dyllan asked.

"Hmm, not exactly. The amphibians of the valleys mostly keep to themselves. They're mostly small minded, paranoid, and they mostly live in their own communities. You've got the frogs, toads, newts, and finally, salamanders. We salamanders practice the arcane arts and potions. We keep our magic to ourselves because we've had incidents in the past that made us outcasts to the rest of Amphibia. But you don't have to worry about me and Tint. Why else would we take an outcast like you in?"

"To study my movements and behavior? I am a creature from out of this world, remember?" replied Dyllan blandly.

"(chuckled) Okay, and I know what it's like to see a young lad all alone." Cronaxx looks at Tint who waves at the two as he reaches the creek. "Let's go get some food."

Both Dyllan and Cronaxx went to catch up with Tint at the creek and set their gear down.

"Now Dyllan, you will gather some fish and Tint, you'll gather some shrimp." Cronaxx instructed them.

Dyllan did as he was told to get into the creek to catch fish while Tint started to gather some brine shrimp and night crawlers from the edge of the waters. Cronaxx walked into the forest to find spices and herbs for his alchemy table.

As Tint gathered some food, Dyllan was having trouble hunting fish in the creek. But unfortunately, the fish swims away whenever he approached. He tried to toss the spear towards the fish, but missed the target. Dyllan groans when frustrated.

The villagers watched from afar with either delight or embarrassment as Dyllan looked away from their peering gazes. Tint glares at them with anger causing them to look away and left. Then he turned to Dyllan and felt sorry for him. So he decided to help him out just in case.

As Dyllan catches sight of another fish, he picked up the spear from the water and throws it, but the fish swims away once again while it still alive. Dyllan sulks in defeat, but then he spotted his speared fish floating towards along with more fish in a clutch. He turns around and sees Tint pulling a fishing net.

"Thanks, Tint." said Dyllan in a shameful tone.

"Don't worry. You'll get them next time." replied Tint.

Then out of nowhere, a light green aura yanked out the fishes that Tint grabbed as they turned and looked upon a young salamander leader named Flaps, Chief Nightoum's son. He comes out of the bushes revealing bandages on his feet.

"Compensation for cheating and for destroying our village." said Flaps, glaring at them.

"Ugh. Hello, Flaps." said Tint, in a bland tone.

"You know him?" Dyllan asked.

"Everyone knows me. I'm the son of Chief Nightoum." replied Flaps takes the fishes he yanked and stuffs them all in his bag. "And I don't appreciate anyone hoarding fish that we eat. Especially from village-destroying outsiders like you."

"Look, we're just trying to get by. And what happened to your village was an accident." Dyllan argued.

"You don't understand land-dweller. This is our turf! We salamanders are an exclusive community. We don't treat outsiders like they're one of us. Especially to weird creatures like you. You nearly killed us all with that beast!" Flaps raised his voice as Dyllan backs away from him.

"Aww, what's wrong? Afraid of a little salamander like me? Get this straight, I'm more powerful than you. And you not performing magic makes it easier for me to scare you off!" Flaps cackled, but Tint has heard enough of Flaps' behavior and gets in his face between him and Dyllan.

"Alright, that's enough Flaps! I think you have more things to deal with other than to pick on an outsider like Dyllan or me." Tint confronted him before curling up his fists.

"Ah, ah, ah, we wouldn't want to make things worse for your old uncle now, would we?" Flaps warned him as took the whole fish with him when he walks away, chuckled. "Smell ya later, loser."

Poor Dyllan was hurt and scared. Like from his home, he's been bullied by some older kids ever since. Tint however, he doesn't like bullies especially Flaps who always picks on him because he's the chief's son and always gets away with by pinning a blame on him.

"Come on, Dyllan. Let's just head home." said Tint as Dyllan nodded and they don't want any more trouble from the salamander community.

Back in the cave, Cronaxx just got back from village and went inside just to see Dyllan and Tint cooking the shrimp and night crawlers, but he looked at his nephew and guest with sad faces. He knew something was up.

"Hello, boys. Did something happen at the creek?" Cronaxx asked.

"It was Flaps. He was giving Dyllan a rough time. Telling him he's not one of us." replied Tint.

"It really hurt. Stuff like that happens in my world. And it hits hard when I'm the target." said Dyllan.

"Don't take it too personally. The salamanders in this town aren't used to new creatures like you." Cronaxx walked over to gather some food and herbs together while Tint cooks over the fireplace. "Just give them some time, I'm sure they'll come around."

"They can join the club." said Dyllan, crossing his arms and sulked on his bed roll. "I'm not used to seeing new people back home. Let alone talking salamanders. I have particular standards with who I want in my friendship circle."

"Okay. So, where do me and my Uncle stand?" Tint asked.

"I just met you guys and you were kind enough to take me in. So, you two are okay. Maybe a few more days with you and I'll probably consider calling you guys my friends." replied Dyllan.

"That's understandable. I like to make friends who like magic as much as I do. If they are that ambitious, I'd ask them personally myself." Tint finishes cooking their lunch and placed their meal on three plates.

"So, Dyllan. Do you have any other friends back home?" Cronaxx asked as Dyllan took a bite of his shrimp and swallowed before he can answer.

"Yes, I do." Dyllan reaches in his pocket and shows him the photo of him and his friends. "These are my friends. I grew up with them since I was in kindergarten. This is Anne, Sasha, Marcy, Ivan, KJ, Daniel, and Hershel."

"Wow. You look like you have so much fun with them. Especially with this Sasha human there." Tint looked fascinated to see the photo.

"You could say that. She is my girlfriend after all." replied Dyllan.

"Hmm, you like that girl?" Cronaxx asked.

"Yeah, I do. She stepped up for me, and promised to stick by my side no matter what. I love a girl who is loyal to those who remain close." said Dyllan, even though it's not true if she used him.

"Do you think she misses you back home?" Tint asked.

"Hopefully. Without them, I feel more lost than ever before." replied Dyllan

"I know it's hard to miss the people you care about. But you know if you miss them, that means you're lucky. It means you had someone special in your life, someone worth missing." said Cronaxx.

"Thanks, Cronaxx." Dyllan thanked him as he finishes up his plate, then he glances over to the enchanted circle that Cronaxx drew when they settled in before he took a glanced at the drawing of a staff hanging on the wall. "That looks like a great drawing."

"Oh that's not a drawing. That is an illustration. The Staff of Lerrad." Cronaxx explained.

"The Staff of Lerrad? What's that?" asked Dyllan.

"The magic staff was made by the first wizard to ever exist in Amphibia. Lerrad was the first to discover the magic that exists in our world." Tint explains about the staff.

"Is it powerful?"

"Oh it sure is. Not only that, but the staff is also tall. The average salamander couldn't be able to wield the staff with one hand." He takes a glimpse of Dyllan's stature. "You might be just be able to since you're tall enough."

"Well, I wouldn't get your hopes up though. No one even knows where the staff is." said Cronaxx.

"Really? You don't even know where the staff is?" Dyllan tilted.

"Nope."

All of sudden, Dyllan started to sweat and it was so hot in the evening. He knew that the salamanders keep their skin moist, but he'll be fry cooked if he couldn't find any that keeps him cool down.

"Oh, my. It's a hot one this evening." said Tint.

"We'll need to get more water to keep ourselves moist and hydrated. Dyllan, Tint, I need you to go out there and get more water and some fish for dinner." Cronaxx ordered.

Dyllan looked out at the entrance and reached his arm out into the sunlight to exposed himself to the sun and then he started to feel a sense of burning on his skin.

"Ow! The sun is too hot. I'll most likely get a sunburn if I stay out there too long." said Dyllan.

Tint could see that Dyllan wasn't invulnerable to the heat as he or his kind was. He had to think of something for his new friend before he turned to Cronaxx for help.

"Uncle, do you have anything that could protect him from the sun?" Tint asked as Cronaxx thought for a moment before he reply with a smile.

"There is something he can use." said Cronaxx as he went to his trunk and unlocks a secret compartment at the bottom. He takes out a blue cape that's covered with holes and tears, but comes with a hood to cover up the human's head. "Here."

"What's that?" Dyllan asked.

"This should help keep the sun at bay. It's not enchanted, but it works well with extreme temperatures. This cape has been with us through many tough times, and will continue to do so for more years to come." Cronaxx explained before Dyllan puts on the cape, ties a knot around his neck, and then pulls the hood onto his head. He still feels hot from the heat, but he felt much better when protected himself from the sun

"This is perfect. Thank you." Dyllan smiles.

"Of course. And it fitted you so well." replied Cronaxx.

"Come on, Tint. Let's get some more food and water." said Dyllan as he and Tint left the cavern to heading their way back to the creek, only to find the water source much smaller than yesterday. "Uh oh. This doesn't look good."

"No it doesn't. The heat of the sun is causing the drought." Tint looks closer to the water, but only to find more fish swimming closely. "But it makes it easier to catch fish this time of day. I'll get the water, you get the fish."

Dyllan looks down at the fish that kept swimming around and seeing them trapped in between a rock and a hard place made him unpleasant. He didn't like to see them swimming in enclosed spaces, but with such options. Either they can swim with little oxygen they have and perish slowly? Or he can catch them and make it fast?

And so, Dyllan used his bare hands to catch as much fish as he could, then stuff them in a fish sack. As he was about to go find Tint, he felt his sack get lighter and lighter before turns around to see his sack magically levitating. He kept a firm grip on the sack and not letting go of his catch. Just then, Flaps came out of the bushes who levitates the sack.

"Give me the fish you freak! The salamanders need it more than you do." Flaps glared at him.

"What's your problem?! I'm not causing you any trouble! Just let me eat like everyone else!" Dyllan yells, but Flaps uses his magic to swing Dyllan through the air until he let go and slammed to the ground.

"I told you, you can't win, freak. You are nothing!" Flaps sneered.

But Dyllan felt his mind suddenly started to snapped like a twig. He kept thinking like he was nothing, but punching bags by any kind of bullies on Earth and it was hard enough. When Flaps telling him the same thing, but instead it made him rage before he gets up and tackles Flaps to the ground and pinned him down as the salamander looked a bit shocked.

"I...am not...NOTHING!" Dyllan shouted before he punches to the ground, making Flaps more frightened.

Tint heard Dyllan shout and raced with the water bucket, but he tripped and poured the water all over Dyllan and Flaps as his bandages got wet, leaving his burnt legs exposed. With his wounds exposed, he felt stings when contact with water as Flaps begins to growl in anger and desperation.

Dyllan got up as he realized that he made a mistake and quickly ran as fast as he could and try to escape with Tint. Flaps tried to chase them down, but his burn scars and newly black eye made him difficult to keep up. So instead, he used a wind spell to slow them down with a gust of wind by causing them to split up.

Tint was pinned on a tree with his eyes closed while Dyllan slipped and fell down to a steep hill. Feeling like his fall was never ending, he kept his eyes closed and hoped it would end soon. Meanwhile, Flaps kept using the power of the wind in hopes he would catch them.

"Now you're dead!" Flaps hissed, but then a voice was boomed.

"Flaps, enough!"

Flaps turns around and shocked that it was his father, Chief Nightoum who is coming up with a stern look on his face with Cronaxx stood behind him. They are both displeased with Flaps action towards against Tint and the outsider. Flaps tried to explained by pinning a blame to them.

"But, father. That creature was fishing again! Taking more fish than we could ever catch-"

"I said, ENOUGH!" Nightoum shouted with th thundering boom of his voice made Flaps jumps back in fear. "The creek provides for all. Not just our community, or even the Tormaks. Now stop messing around and come home!"

"But, father- I…!" Flaps stammered, but groaned in defeat and stomp toward his father as the chief takes a moment to feel his son's legs and face. He could sense his frustration and he could feel his son's wounds.

"We'll need to get your wounds treated again and we'll need do something about that eye of yours." said Nightoum sternly.

Not only that Flaps did fail to get the fish for his community, but he has to return in with his father in a tow. Cronaxx watched until the they left out of his sight and then walks toward to his nephew while the young salamander stood up, swiping the dust off of his shirt.

"Geez. What's with that kid? Couldn't let Dyllan have his catch of the day." Tint muttered.

"Are you alright, Tint?" Cronaxx asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. But I didn't pick a fight with him." replied Tint.

"Never mind that. Where's Dyllan?" Cronaxx looked concerned when the boy is not with his nephew.

"Dyllan?" Tint looked around before he started to hollered so loud. "Dyllan! Where are you?!"

Meanwhile, Dyllan groaned as he got back up and shook his head while he felt feeling dizzy from all the spinning and rolling down the hill. He turns to the top of the hill and prepares to climb back up, but he suddenly stops as he turns around and hears a faint whispering.

"This way."

Dyllan got scared at first. All he could think about was just reuniting with Tint, but at the same time when he thought about how soft the voice was. He felt like someone was calling to him. And so, he turned from the hill and start following the voice by leading him to the deep of the jungle. The sun stopped shining on his face when he removed his hood and it gave him more breathing room.

"Where are you taking me?" Dyllan asked.

The voices grew louder and louder as he reached to his destination until the voices stopped. Dyllan turned his head sharply, wondering what's going to happen next. He started to grew more anxious, feeling unfamiliar with this territory. Before he could speak, a faint red glow was coming from the mushrooms.

Dyllan turns to the glow, seeing something hidden from the inside. Once he stepped closer to the mushrooms, it started to move away from the glow and looked freaked out. His mind kept telling him to run, but in his heart felt something new was different. Something like, curiosity. Meanwhile, Tint and Cronaxx were trekking through the jungle to find Dyllan where he last saw Dyllan before they were blown away by Flaps.

"This was where we were the last time I saw him." said Tint as Cronaxx looked at the ground closely and studied Dyllan's shoe prints.

"Hmm, looks like he took a slip here, then started rolling down that hill there." Cronaxx points to the print marks down the hill and finds a piece of fabric from the cape that he gave it to Dyllan. Then suddenly, they look to the horizon and see a glowing red light that came from not far ahead.

"What is that?" Tint asked.

"Dyllan. We have to find him." Conaxx can only reply and they made a sled from a piece of dead bark and slid down the hill to reach Dyllan as fast as they could.

Back to Dyllan as he slowly reaches out to the red glow as it glows brighter and brighter. He looks carefully to see a large red crystal just as the voices come back and echo to his ear.

"Touch it. Take it."

Without having a second thought, without fear nor regrets as Dyllan placed a finger on the crystal and then the mushrooms vanished, showing inside a magic staff made of redwood and the red crystal embedded on top of it. The staff was almost as tall as Dyllan and gazes in its magnificence. And then it happened, he firmly grips the staff and pulls it out of the mushrooms below as he gazed into the crystal, his black pupils glowed red in an instant.

At the same time, Tint and Cronaxx follow the red light and find Dyllan with the magic staff in his hands. They gasped as they looked amaze and smiled with delight. By the time the red light dispersed into the crystal, the light glows down further. Dyllan opened his eyes, showing red glows through his pupil in few second.

"Dyllan! You found it!" Tint smiled as he rushes to him. Dyllan breaks from his gaze and turns to the Tormaks.

"What? What did I find?" Dyllan asked.

"You found the Staff of Lerrad, the wizard's most powerful magic staff in all of Amphibia." Cronaxx explained.

"I told you that you were tall enough to wield it." said Tint.

"Huh? Wow, this is pretty cool." Dyllan shows the staff to the two of them before he starts to wave it around, but Cronaxx stopped him.

"You shouldn't be playing with a staff like this. One false move and you could cause a massive earthquake that could cut these lands in two." Cronaxx warned him not use such wild magic.

"Brr! We should get back to the cave. It's going to get dark soon." Tint shivered when he felt a cold breeze to his shoulder.

"Yes, indeed. We should head back right away. It'll be night soon." said Cronaxx as they prepared to leave the wilderness just as Dyllan gives the staff to the eldest salamander, but he raised hand as he kindly declined. "That won't be necessary. It's too heavy for us."

"Are you sure?" Dyllan asked as the eldest nodded in reply. Just as he figured that the staff is very lighted on him. "This is incredible. This feels like I'm in one of my creatures and caverns sessions with Marcy."

"You actually journeyed into different caves with your best friend in your world?" Tint asked.

"Not exactly. Creatures and Caverns is a role playing game back home. You see…" Dyllan explain the game to the Tormaks as they travel all the way back home until Dyllan was finished explaining by the time it's evening. "So the game ends when the dungeon master declares the quest completed and you gain experience points. Then, a new quest begins."

"Oh, my. So this game is like bringing a book to life?" Cronaxx asked.

"Exactly. A book you can illustrate and write for yourself." replied Dyllan.

"How, interesting."

"(yawn) I don't want to be a downer, but I'm beat." Tint yawns.

"Yeah, me too." Dyllan agrees before he yawns.

"Get some rest. We've got a long ahead of working tomorrow." said Cronaxx as the they went to get some rest.

Later on, Cronaxx was writing his own journal about finding the magic staff and started to wonder how Dyllan can managed to lift the staff off from the mushroom. He pondered the question, who is this child? Then he started to yawn and fell asleep. Tint gave a blanket over his uncle shoulders before he was about to sleep near the fire pit.

Dyllan is the only who was still awake while looking out to the sky as the stars shining as bright as the red moon shines upon them. As he turns to another set of constellations, he sees a shooting star zoom past the night sky. He remembered when his mom told him about the subject of shooting stars.

"Remember, Dyllan. If you believe in yourself and wish upon a shooting star, all your dreams will come true."

Dyllan clench softly on his chest and prays to the night sky before he closes his eyes.

"Please, help me get back home". Dyllan whispered before he went into his bedroll for another night in a frog world.

While they were all sleeping, the Staff of Lerrad started to glow red again, but with the inscriptions in the markings of the staff glowed red as well when it loomed a red light in the cave. Just then, Dyllan's heart suddenly started glowing red too through his chest, but he didn't feel anything. By then, the staff's glow slowly rescinded and the cave grew dark once again.

The next day, it was pretty too far from the island nor the valley. But out there in a shore where there was a capital city with the wall that surrounded, structures were themed with mushrooms and possibly made out of gold. Up in the balcony when there is a certain girl who was sightseeing for the view.

"What? Holy moly! It's beautiful!"

Yep, that's Marcy, the girl who's been separated from her friends, but instead she just found herself in the capital city where she now lives in a huge palace. However, her curiosity leads her to unfortunate incident when she fell down the stairs and injured herself. Luckily, she was brought to a hospital by patching her up and placed a cast on her right leg.

Once Marcy was healed, she can able to walk with only two crutches meaning her right foot is not ready yet. However, she was accompanied by a newt, lady Olivia who was wearing her pink dress with some pearls and a necklace, white gloves and a hair band. She is the one who is looking after her and grown very fond of her presence.

"Once, I said on this very same balcony with my mother and had-"

"Whoa? Is that a seagull but also a bug?" Marcy cut off her sentence when pointing at the seagull bug.

"Almost the same reaction. I'm a descendant of a long line of newts who made a sacred vow to care of this land. The trees, the plants, the animals... All are under our care." said Olivia as she explains about the environments. Like from Earth, she and her taking good care with plants and animals.

"Lady Olivia, you newts took me in when I landed here, fixed me up, cared for me. I promise to do my best and look after this place as well!" said Marcy, showing her cute face while holding Olivia's hand.

"We'll be counting on you, Master Marcy." replied Olivia as they hold their hands at each other.

They quickly became friends after that incident and now Marcy will do whatever it takes to look after the environments, then soon she'll have to prepared whatever she needs before going on her quest to find her friends and reunite them. At least, not all friends would get along just as long as they have to work together wherever they are.

And that's the part how Marcy ended up in the city of Newtopia. I really wanted try and do Marcy's solo chapter where she was promoted to become a Newtopian Ranger or a Night Guard for short, but that has to wait because up next is where other friends were stranded. Just one more and then we'll be back where Anne and Frank has settled in the Plantars. Hope you enjoyed and I'll be seeing ya real soon!

Amphibia (c) Disney

Dyllan Loyalitat and The Tormaks (c) AdmiralDT8