"Your Majesty, it is almost time for the meeting" General Lucius spoke
Queen Sindel rose from her throne and acknowledged the general. It had been several days since the funeral for Asgaarth's father Thorren and Edenia must prepare for the oncoming tournament of Mortal Kombat, this time their realm lay in jeopardy.
"Thank you; everything is being prepped and I assume the voyages will be arriving from the many regions of Edenia very soon."
"Yes, your majesty, many of these regions have fighters with battle experience, some of the strongest who fought in the tournaments. Though it is still not many, we have lost many of our strongest in previous tournaments. Many of these regions have been training for this tournament that is coming, the future of Edenia is at stake."
Queen Sindel heard everything from General Lucius and nodded in approval, but she still carried that bit of doubt within her. Every tournament that took place every 500 years kept getting more difficult, the lives lost, friends and subjects who displayed true loyalty and genuine friendship died to Shao Khan's armies. The thought alone of Shao Khan taking away everything Queen Sindel worked so much for, made her uneasy.
General Lucius noticed the worry in her face and shared his concern for her.
"My Queen, is everything alright?" General Lucius spoke in a soothing tone. His eyebrows perked on his aging features of his face.
"Don't worry about me, General", Queen Sindel spoke with a smile. "Please greet our guests by the docks, I must check on the preparations. Jerrod will be there shortly he is taking care of the princess at the moment."
General Lucius along with two other knights both bowed to the queen as they left the palace and made their way to the docks.
Queen Sindel walked through the palace to a room where Jerrod is currently at, playing with their daughter Kitana. Queen Sindel opened the door quietly and took in the smiles of her husband and daughter, capturing this special moment in her mind. This small moment right there is worth the fight to keep Edenia safe, for every Edenian to cherish every moment they have that will echo a thousand years.
King Jerrod noticed his wife at the doorway and picked up Kitana, walking up to his wife giving her a pec on the lips. Jerrod smiled at his wife placing his right hand on her cheek.
"How fare you my love? We will get through these hard times together, don't let Shao Khan cloud your mind. We have so many years left until this damned tournament begins, we will be ready when the time comes."
Queen Sindel took Jerrod's hand from her cheek with both of her hands embracing it.
"I know, I don't want Khan to take away our home, many of our subjects have families, young children, some who are Kitana's age. The thought alone of him ripping through our peaceful home and merge it into Outworld, is unimaginable."
Both Sindel and Jerrod held each other into an embrace as they felt time slow down to stay in that position with Kitana in it. Regrettably Queen Sindel let go of the embrace as she took Kitana into her arms.
Queen Sindel held Kitana and looked at her daughter. Seeing her face, her brown hair tied back by a blue ribbon, and the blue dress she had been outfitted with.
"I see that you outfitted her with the blue dress your mother had gifted us." Sindel spoke as she smiled at her daughter.
"Yes, this dress was handed down from many generations of young daughters and princesses, I believe Kitana is finally the right age to wear it and it fits."
"It sure does my love. I will look after Kitana, just please meet General Lucius by the docks, our guests will be arriving momentarily. I will meet with you once mother is ready is ready to watch Kitana."
King Jerrod nodded and put on his royal cape, kissing his wife before departing to the docks. Queen Sindel saw her husband leave as she walked to the garden to meet up with her mother.
"Good morning mother." Sindel spoke which caught the attention of Dina as Asgaarth landed on her shoulder.
"Good morning daughter, or should I say, my queen." Dina smiled and bowed
Sindel smiled as she told her mom to rise and filled her in on the situation. Sindel still had many matters to attend to and the meeting was close to starting.
"Don't worry, I will look after Kitana, Hikaru is still on a mission with General Ahura to hide the kamidogo, Ahura's wife Amara is still worried about him. Jerrod's parents are needed for the meeting with them being rulers for a few thousand years even during the Dragon King's early reign after the deaths of the previous rulers Dragon King Zhambul the Magnificent and Dragon Queen Asizi the First."
"Thank you, Mother, how fare is Asgaarth."
"He is faring well, he enjoys flying around the palace, Dr. Alvaro thinks he should be growing arms soon. Zuri spoke with me about teaching Asgaarth once he can talk, she has taught the basics to her daughter Tanya. With her teachings, Asgaarth has the potential to be incredibly smart."
Asgaarth returned and brought a blue Edenian Orchid flower in his beak. He placed the flower carefully in Kitana's hair and flew away to the Water Forest. Much to the shock of both mothers.
"My, I guess that bird is learning fast, and he matched it with Kitana's outfit" Dina spoke, her face was speechless, and Queen Sindel took some time to process it as well.
"It's almost as if he understands how to communicate, we should tell Dr. Álvaro when there is time."
"I will let him know, but he wants to speak to you and the king soon, something important is happening in his life."
"Very well, we will speak later, I must begin the meeting at once."
Queen Sindel left the garden as Dina continued playing in the garden with Kitana and soon Asgaarth arrived with more flowers. Asgaarth chirped as he started walking towards Kitana so the two could play.
Elsewhere conversations began to unfold to the quiet island where the Eukaryonites are staying, a quiet yet tame island. The Eukaryonites are having a meeting to discuss how they will live their lives now that it has changed for the worse. The meeting was in a remote forest area of the island away from the shorelines. Riptide the dolphin agreed to keep watch while the meeting was going on with Faldi the Elephant at work making a boat.
Most of the survivors looked to the wisest knight that served Eukaryona; Titian the turtle as he grew weary of the dismay that was caused.
"Please everyone settle down, I am aware that we are in need of a structure, however tensions will not solve anything."
With Titian and Tian the panda being the only present surviving knights of the old regime in Eukaryona; many of its citizens asked them and rely on them for help. This is due to their experiences working alongside King Cerveras the panther and the deceased Queen Apalla the cougar. Both were present in their daily lives offering aid and it was natural that the Eukaryonites would look to Titian and Tian being the new leaders.
"We are all under stress, we have no structure, we are stranded on this rock, and that king, that dastardly king is going to find us." This remark came from Ms. Taurus the cow who has not been the same since the fall of the kingdom. "I told y'all one arrow to the head as soon as he was distracted and none of y'all wanted to."
"Ever consider the consequences if we killed him, yes both of us were out on a special patrol when this was happening."
Tian spoke in an angry manner closer to Taurus.
"Say you miraculously took the shot and killed the king, none of this would be happening because there would be a strong possibility of a war to breakout. Do you think I want to risk my family or anyone else to die in some war all because you decided to kill the king"?
Taurus considered her words for a moment; sure it was easier said than done but thinking about the children and many who are still missing. Would it have been worth it and be the cause of an unspeakable event?
"I had not taken much time to think about that."
"You have the right to express your reasons, but you need to rationalize your thoughts first."
Ms. Taurus nodded and would listen as Tian began to speak.
"The actions he caused us all, are inexcusable, my good friend Zebrak is dead because of him, we all lost something that day. However, I would not have been a knight without him, he trained us, led our kingdom, and was an ideal ruler until the queen's death. If anything, the king was my friend, even during the early days serving him, I gained so much knowledge and kindness from him.
Tian cleared his throat and took a look at the crowd to make sure they were giving him their undivided attention.
"It hurts to know what he has become, but taking away life is a powerful statement. There is no going back, you remembered when he killed that serpent that killed the queen, maybe that's why he is like this now. That kind of power it messes with your mind, and it should be a last resort when he attacks, don't consider it until all options are used."
Tian took a deep breath and put his arm on Titian's shoulder to provide comfort, especially with Tian being much younger than him, maybe he could be his voice for the crowd.
"I got this Titian, you helped out so much for the kingdom, now it's time I return the favor." Tian spoke
"Thanks, Aliuropoda-San, I could really use a stronger voice."
All the inhabitants immediately turned to Tian.
"As we all know, it has been several days since we lost our home, we all are afraid, have trepidation, and uncertainty. So many friends….."
Tian had a tear roll down his face as he remembered Zebrak Equus.
"Gone, along with family. I understand your fears we all need a new place to call home, and in order to make this place our home, we need a new layout."
All of the Eukaryonites became intrigued by Tian, wanting to know what they could do.
"When Titian and I became knights, Sir Fortis had us undergo training and choose our weapons based on our preferences and skills. We can apply this logic here, we all have different skills that can benefit everyone here, so let's start with that. Now I'm going to ask everyone here what your best skill is, how will you benefit from this new home of ours, and will you defend it in the event King Cerveras finds us."
Tian would begin calling everyone present at the meeting; this excluded the Eukaryonites who have not reached adulthood yet. The children were not a far distance from the meeting but a greater distance to not here the meeting. The children would begin their training routine, and the younger children were with an owl teacher to teach them basic education.
Zebron would start training with his best friend/ brother figure Anthron the eagle. Both are the sons to two of the most well-known knights and defenders of Eukaryona. Zebron no longer could use his magical wand due to it being damaged by Humora the wolf and instead began to practice the training he learned from his father.
Each blow and kick echoed his father's words when they began to train. Words of encouragement, bravery, and parental guidance flowed through his mind like a river. With one final back flip kick to Anthron, Zebron gracefully landed on his feet as he helped Anthron get back up to his feet.
"Not bad Zebron, your fighting skills have improved so much since our last practice session" Anthron spoke with proudness.
"I take it you are happy I'm not using my wand to fight anymore" Zebron laughed as he and Anthron walked to check in on their friends.
"I will be honest, while you have been training so much and practicing your father's fighting style, I do miss that wand, it made our sparring sessions unpredictable. That edge alone would tip the odds to our favor against his almighty servitude."
Zebron frowned but he knew the wand needed to be used for emergencies only, using the wand now could result in it breaking. Tian and Titian agreed he should not use the wand unless they could fix it or if King Cerveras and his forces suddenly found them and needed it then.
"I know, I used to have so much fun with that thing, you always got so mad I slacked with my training, yet it's different. Now that I cannot use it, I rely on my dad's teachings, in a way I feel closer to him when we spar."
"I understand, hopefully we can get it fixed in time, it's not like the waves will teleport us to someone who can repair it. I cannot help but I feel the same way since I use both of my parent's fighting skills. I just wish there was a way I could have trained Asgaarth and Freline, I would love to have been their trainer and protect them like a strong brother. But fate was not to kind to us." Anthron lamented as well, what separated them was that Anthron had siblings and was a middle child to his family. He made a promise to himself to protect his family in the event he lost his parents, now his family is gone.
Anthron then realized that he failed to save his old family, but maybe it's possible he can protect his new family, Zebron and their friends. Zebron noticed this and placed a hoof on Anthron's shoulder.
"He is going to pay, all of them will. They think they won but this was just the first battle, we will be ready for the next." Zebron spoke with great confidence.
"And I will help you, together that king will not stand a chance." Anthon spoke.
The duo made it to the path and found their friends Nita; daughter of Tian, Masaccio son of Titian, and Jonas the dove; the adopted son of Dolly the Dodo.
The three are seen relaxing by some trees as the duo approached them.
"Hey you two, how was training?" Nita spoke as she went and gave Zebron and Anthron a hug.
"Training was great, we wanted to check on you guys, especially you Jonas how's your mom handling things, and more importantly how are you?"
Jonas was edging Dolly's bow to remove any unclean areas. He perked his head up to acknowledge the Zebra. He has been keeping himself busy since his other mother; Dolly's passing, but knew he needed to stray strong for his last remaining family member.
"Honestly Zebron, I don't know what to feel, from what I found out, my parents died from the harvest outbreak, then comes my family that adopted me, and now I lose one of them for something that was beyond our control.
Jonas began to start tearing up with Nita placing a paw Jonas, hoping to provide some comfort.
I….. told her to not go that night, and what happened you ask? She went, was blamed for the Queen's passing with the blame being comparable to Mr. Howler's affair. Then she gets executed because the king had a broken heart." Jonas' rant had come to an end as he threw the knife at a tree that had a picture of King Cerveras' head as the target.
The group remained silent and Masaccio grinned when the knife hit the bullseye directly on King Cerveras' forehead. He then broke the silence to commend Jonas on the hit knowing it was further away from where they were standing.
"Nice shot, we get that aim better and you will be unstoppable."
The other three, gestured to him to lay off, knowing the pain Jonas was in, losing Dolly and dealing with the aftermath of its effects.
Nita gently gave Jonas a hug to provide some comfort to the dove, hoping to calm him down.
"To soon Mac, we just need to let Jonas vent his frustrations, it's not been easy for us."
"But it's been easier for us!"
Immediately the group of five got frustrated when they heard the voice of their long-term bully; Nerval the Rhino and his girlfriend Zoey the horse.
Nerval had the appearance of a rhino with a massive body, almost comparable to Fortis the hippo. He is grey in color, a hump on his back, sporting two horns on his large face. He wore a silver set of clothes made from metal with a blue armor shirt and some stained steel leggings for his legs.
Zoey the horse is known for her beauty, she resembled an Earthrealm Friesian horse, has a long black mane from her head to her neck, she is seen wearing a sparkling red dress made from Lola sheep's store, white gloves, and to finish off, a purple hat.
Nerval had been a constant bully to Zebron and several of his classmates. He would always steal their belongings, ridicule them for not following his orders and demands, and always feels he has a need for control to make a name for himself so he could be as popular as the Tiger twins.
The main difference between him and the Tiger twins is that twins would proudly serve as role models for the school. Help others in need, do the right thing, and never let popularity corrupt their minds. It helps that their parents would discipline them well so they will proudly serve the kingdom with such honor.
Nerval on the other hand uses his size and strength to his advantage to make the children fear him so he could establish control and dominance towards everyone. In his mind, he does not need to show humbleness because to him doing the right thing takes time, he wants respect immediately.
This attracted his girlfriend Zoey, who envies the popularity Tigra has in their school, everyone wanted to be like her and she felt betrayed when Tigra became a knight. How once a shy and cowardly tiger became a role model and took away the status Zoey once had at their school.
She even broke Zebron's heart when he once had feelings for her and tried to give her a lavish gift; a necklace with white pearls on it. She rejected it all because it was not her style and destroyed it in front of his eyes. The worst part, it was one of his mother's prized necklaces; he always kept it to remind him of his mother and wanted someone to share that emotion with.
Much to the group's surprise they saw a pig on the ground all bruised and bloodied, laughing maniacally at the pain.
This is Wyatt the pig, he resembles an Earthrealm American Yorkshire pig though with the mutations his ancestors had undergone, he would have differences in than his Earthrealm counterpart.
Having messy brown hair, an olive green tank top, with bulky brown shoulder pads, two brown gloves on his hands complete with arm guards. And lastly brown pants that covered his lower body.
"Stop laughing fool, I'm not the one whose mother decided to have an affair with the teacher. Why are you laughing!"
The five were somewhat concerned about the pig but they stood firm as they made eye contact with the couple. Wyatt began coughing blood as he continued laughing through the pain.
Nerval would survey the children seen in his direction, smiling, he plans on belittling all of them.
"Let's see what we have here, someone who's mom was responsible for the collapse of the kingdom, two useless children whose parents are doing a poor job on reestablishing control, a lonely brother who lost all his family because he was weak, and the worst of them all, is you Equus. You damaged your wand that gave you purpose, and all alone again, you see everyone talked nonstop about that pathetic Thorren and Zebrak but no one talked about me? Why is that?"
"Maybe…because you're an ass rhino man" Wyatt shouted and continued to laugh.
Insulted Nerval would kick the pig to the group of five; Nita immediately ran to check on Wyatt. Shocked as she saw the state Wyatt is in, he would show no distress, just, happiness?
"Wyatt, oh no I'm so sorry, please let me help you I have some bandages. Please stay calm and focus on my voice!"
Wyatt began to continue laughing as he saw Nerval make a disgusted face.
"Hahaha! I am feeling so great, yeah yeah yeah, I trained, my mom is in the dungeon because she had an affair with our teacher. I even took a beating by Nerval! I always wanted to punch him in the face, what a stupid bitch."
Zebron, Anthron, and Masaccio stepped forward to the couple with anger, never would they be insulted. The fact that everyone in the kingdom lost something and still Nerval must feel the need to bully to make himself look strong.
"Not everything has to be about you, none of us care what you want, or how dominant you are."
Anthron spoke with anger; his anger having the qualities of an active volcanoe.
"Don't speak to my dear sweet attractive Nerval in that tone feathers. I never liked you because your sister ended up working for Lola, my idol. Everything she made had no glamor, even at the queen's funeral, what a disgusting pattern of red.
Zoey looked at her hoof blowing the sand off one of them and faced Anthron with a devious grin on her face.
"Probably why she died, she was so clueless to escape, and I bet that king killed her and your baby brother as well. If only you could have seen it."
Zoey began to neigh and laugh manically at Anthron seeing his face break with sadness and rage nearly snapping as Zebron and Masaccio quickly grabbed him.
"SAY IT AGAIN, I DARE YOU TO, YOU ARE GOING TO WISH YOU DIED AT CERVERAS' HANDS REGARDLESS."
"Please, they are not worth our time, don't do it Folnir-san." Masaccio spoke with firmness as he continued to hold down Anthron.
"They just want to break you because they have nothing to feel." Masaccio added strengthening his grip to not lose it knowing Anthron would retaliate at Zoey.
"You have been awfully quiet Zebron, did I intimidate you. I wonder how your mother's pearls are doing, possibly crushed by Cerveras anyway, you never had a chance with me."
Zoey blew a kiss to Zebron, causing his eyes to water but knew he needed to control himself.
"Take it back, my mother left a legacy behind, something you will never have. You both will be forgotten, Cerveras has no use for you, you think I want to hold down Anthron, no, King Cerveras will do it."
"Like I care what the King thinks, I will refuse him as well."
"Go ahead bully everyone on this island, because sooner or later you will both annoy everyone and when Cerveras comes. He is going to slay both of you on the spot, he is not the merciful king, no, he's a ruthless monster now. Despite the mistakes of my father and the passing of my mom, they gave a damn, what did your parents do, they abandoned you, and you have this need to one up me.
Zebron took a breath, his eyes full of rage and tears, locking eyes firmly at the duo
"Stay out of our sights now!"
Zoey collapsed to the ground as Nerval bent down to help her.
"Why waste our time bothering you, we have more important things to worry about, you are the least of our problems." Zebron added holding his grip on Anthron's arm.
Zoey began to cry uncontrollably running away as Nerval took an angry glance back at the duo.
"This is not over."
"GLADLY COME BACK FOR ROUND TWO." Anthron shouted with both Zebron and Masaccio looking unsure of themselves.
Nerval stomped away and followed Zoey away from the group. He walked away feeling a different emotion. Usually when he bullied others, he felt such pride and joy because he loved making everyone miserable. But he does not lie that King Cerveras destroyed everything for everyone. It felt different when he wanted to return to the status quo of harassing Zebron and his friends, but it does not feel good anymore.
It may have to do with Zebron losing his father and he knew Zoey went too far with Anthron. Nerval had no one left to take care of as his parents were sent to the dungeon due to talking back to King Cerveras. They may have been left behind along with Wyatt's mother and several others.
He bullied Wyatt due to Mr. Howler passing his classes because his parents have a strong status as voyagers. Sailing the seas and bringing back priceless artifacts that he constantly gave to Zoey who values jewelry. Once King Cerveras took aggressive control, his parents were furious when Tyrone burned down their boats and sent them to the dungeon for disobeying his orders. He blamed everything on Wyatt when his mom had an affair with Mr. Howler due to his disappearance and the new teacher, Mr. Hoot, failing him since he knew Nerval was not taking things seriously. It was that affair his life fell apart as his parents stopped giving him gifts and sooner, they were taken away from him after the Queen died.
Zoey's parents on the other hand, ditched her the night after Queen Apalla's funeral, essentially abandoning her. Somehow, they knew something was going to happen to the kingdom that night and they left not looking after Zoey but worried about themselves. Zoey's parents would work as jewelry workers and had a combined work plan to earn Koins faster. They elevated Zoey to keep Nerval close, hoping she would date him and treat others who had feelings for her with nothing.
Breaking their hearts which caused Zebron's gift to appear useless and felt joy just breaking the hearts of many to ease the pressure and pain her parents caused her. All she wanted was her parents' love and was extremely jealous of Zebron's friends for having a loving and caring family forming a tightknit group of friends.
Regardless Nerval decided to follow Zoey to their home and just rest for the day. They isolated themselves from the kingdom because they didn't need them. They felt betrayed when the kingdom focused so much on Zebron and Anthron's family but not caring about the ones left behind in the dungeon. Sure, the prisoners such as the rat who stole a large supply of food and killed the owner was reasonable, but Nerval's parents refused to back down from the king. If anything, they are innocent, yet Zebron and his friends looked after Wyatt the son of a woman who had an affair with his teacher. All because he was receiving his punishment his mom should have received, pathetic.
Zebron and his friends met up with their instructor Harley the rabbit. She has brown fur, Dark brown eyes, and wore a blue jumpsuit. She is an adult and had taken up a role as a self-defense teacher. She had been preoccupied with the younger ones and did not notice the commotion with Nerval and the others.
"Goodness is everything alright, I.. Wyatt quick we need to get you help."
Wyatt still smiled and laughed it off
"Oh, don't worry, I feel fantastic, I got to punch Nerval in the face and Zebron made Zoey cry all because she insulted him and his friends. They must understand their actions have consequences."
Wyatt spoke in an unhinged manner sending chills down everyone except Anthron and Harley.
"I am sorry for what happened, it makes me so mad that they are doing this, we all are dealing with trying to reconstruct order, yet there is more chaos than order."
Harley complained.
"Well, there isn't much left to do today, and I think the adults are finished with their meeting. Why don't we just inform them of what happened and talk about this over our meals. Are the rest of you okay, I'm sorry I was not there to help you."
"Don't stress about it Miss Harley, I handled it, they said hurtful things to us, however I feel Anthron and Wyatt got the worst of it."
Zebron spoke, having concern in his voice as he spoke.
"How so"
"Well- "
"No Zebron I can explain, you and Mac held me back, calmed me down, however, I should be the one to explain what happened." Anthron cut off Zebron and remained composed, Zoey's words struck a nerve, how dare she mention the death of his sister and brother. Was it necessary to mock Freline, all she wanted was to make everyone smile, yet she's the one who messed up Zoey's dream because she has a passion for her work?
Anthron explained the situation and together the group met up with the rest of the kingdom to eat and discuss how everything is going to operate in this new normal.
However, there is one figure who will not take lightly to excuses or insults.
Back in the Kingdom of Eukaryona, King Cerveras was in the dungeon to check on the prisoners, he had clearly forgotten about them due to pressing matters of his own kingdom.
There were only 7 Eukaryonites in the dungeon this included Farquaad the rat thief, Nerval's parents; Flint and Odessa, Wyatt's mom Ronda, a male antelope called Luis who scammed people in the past, A monkey named Conner who is a con artist, and Pat the weasel who attacked an elderly male duck just mere moments after King Cerveras' speech.
Farquaad was smacked across the dungeon much to the shock of the prisoners who all began to fear for their lives as the king approached. King Cerveras grabbed Farquaad by the neck slamming him against the wall.
"You are in no position to talk, you killed that store owner all because you wanted Koins, be thankful Apalla let you live this long to rot!"
Farquaad spat in King Cerveras mouth which made King Cerveras disgusted, releasing him as he fell to the ground. Farquaad clawed at King Cerveras' scar and hissed at the king. King Cerveras held his eye in pain and made a stronger growl at the rat, hatred in his yellow dilated eyes. Farquaad would attempt to lie his way out of this situation much to King Cerveras' annoyance.
"You see I killed because she was in the way, you and I are not so different after all, I know you killed that precious Dolly. She kept saying, please oh please let the king forgive me. She kept crying about her family and you killed her, that shows how much we could be if we worked together."
Angered King Cerveras did a heavy punch to Farquaad in the face causing him to lose teeth and blood splattered in the dungeon.
"She caused the Queen's death; you killed that female Gopher in cold blood after you stole everything from her shop."
"Is that why you killed Dolly, because her actions took away someone you loved, or is it because she deserved death. Apalla was too nice, maybe that's why she died…ever consider that?"
And just like that King Cerveras killed Farquaad in a flash, King Cerveras grabbing both sides of Farquaad's head, smashing it against the wall.
Ronda began screaming as the thief's body lay motionless across her cell.
"From 8 prisoners….to 6, now here is the thing. I am willing to spare all of you after your evaluation, should I be convinced, you will serve me in my kingdom. You were all left behind by the others, I can't say I blame them. All of you have been placed in here for a reason…"
The worry and shock within the prisoners grew as King Cerveras starting walking to each door, clawing on the wall as an irritating screech was made from the sounds of his claws on the wooden walls.
"The evaluation will begin once the full kingdom is under control, remember your place to me"!
King Cerveras slammed the door shut to the dungeon, his presence giving a sense of dread to all of the prisoners.
King Cerveras went to the throne and sat in silence, pondering his next actions.
Everything will be in order soon, I tried to be a fair ruler, but they took advantage of my kindness…
That being I saw that single entity, showed me the truth. I have the power to purge all who cause harm to others at once.
Even if it caused me to lose some of my valuable allies, General Sifline, Fortis, Zebrak, Taos, and that wretched Dolly. We were weak…. To caring, I show kindness and what do I get
The love of my life, Apalla's death, a rebellion, pointless deaths that should not have occurred, children who I know are going to want revenge, and a kingdom in chaos.
I have reestablished some order, I must speak to Tigra, if this Lunara could be of use….
A knock on the throne was heard,
"Enter." The king shouted as he saw the door open.
"Ah yes Tigra, great to see you, anything to report?"
Tigra bowed at once to King Cerveras.
"My lord, most of Eukaryona has been assimilated, the only section left to control is the farmlands, overseen by Maahes."
"Great news Tigra, have you heard of anything from our new associate Lunara…"
King Cerveras grinned at the mention of Lunara, admiring her dedication to immediately surrender and serve the king. Someone who knows their place, someone who will not fight against the king but rather aid him perhaps.
"She left me a message on a bush, she notified me of who will be keeping watch on the farm, tomorrow she will speak with me to share more."
"Clever, I see she is the mastermind of the group, do please let me know of this meeting."
"Of course, my lord, thank you for this opportunity and reuniting me with my family at last."
"It is the least I could do for your collaboration in this new kingdom, and to make up for what Fortis choose to do instead. You are dismissed Tigra, Isbjorn is taking your shift, spend time with your family and be ready to meet with Lunara."
Tigra bowed and left the room leaving King Cerveras to sit in his throne room alone, hoping to one day be the one true ruler of every kingdom in existence. She was by the castle entrance when she saw Isbjorn from afar make eye contact. She smiled and waved at Isbjorn who made a slight bow to her back smiling at her as well.
With that, a new day will bring a new normal of uncertainty yet opportunity to those that seek it. An opportunity for Lunara, wanting to finally get a new life to earn the respect she so richly deserved. Even if it meant turning on this group of survivors, she walked past Wade Howler scoffing at him in disgust.
"What's your problem Lunara, I've been pulling my side of the work and taken over your daytime duties. Why can you not give me some kindness."
Lunara frowned at him and used her left paw to fix her hair.
"I call your bluff, all you do is run away and cry, pouting that no one likes you then you stumble here." Lunara spoke with sass. She walked away only to stop midway through her walk, she turned around to face Wade, smirking with a devious idea.
"Oh, I'm so lost and hungry, I had a good life and a family when I decided to date some dame who was offering me a good time. I lose everything and cannot handle the consequences, so I run away and hide somewhere so I don't go back. Now I'm scared because I might have to serve…...gasp my king who is no longer benevolent."
Lunara began to laugh as she finished mocking Wade, pointing her fingers at his face. Feeling joy at the thought of making fun of Wade, it felt so impowering to make fun of him because he ruined her perfect batch of ripe strawberries a few months back. It was not intentional, but he never apologized for it despite the hard work Lunara spent trying to plant them.
Wade became embarrassed by what Lunara did, not wanting to accept the truth. He then got angry at Lunara growling as he dropped the basket of food he was carrying to the barn.
Lunara got into a defensive mode as she hissed at Wade. Showing her sharp teeth at the wolf.
"How dare you, I…I was not…"
"Contempt sweetheart, not the way I see it, you wanted to escape to freedom. You see I had to work hard labors just to find my footing. You realize some of the kingdom made fun of me because I always had dirt on me, not as attractive as the former queen. I was harassed, many did not want to appreciate the time I took to pick berries and food for them."
Lunara showed her claws to prevent Wade from talking, wanting to be the dominant one of this conversation.
"You had a life I would have wanted, your students respected you, you had it all, but you threw away your reputation for a thrill and adventure for many nights and ran away. It takes those like me so much time to reach that status while you had it and fumbled it."
Lunara smiled putting a paw through her black hair walking away from Wade who was dumbstruck and lost when Lunara walked with elegance to the barn to meet with Maahes the lion.
"Well, Maahes, I believe it's my turn for the night patrol, I want to eat first and immediately start patrol."
"As you wish Lunara, but I want to ask where Wade is?"
"Oh, he's most likely crying, he started it honestly because he felt the need to talk with me when I want nothing to do with him. Therefore, I insulted him with the truth and won that debate, anyway time to eat.
Lunara spoke as she closed her eyes, walking into the barn to find some tomatoes and began eating
I could sure use some Edenian Cod or Triton's Herring right about now, I hate produce.
Lunara spoke in her mind brooding at the sight of the tomatoes, she sighed as she took a bite. They tasted great, they had sweet flavors, but it got tiring eating them every single day.
Maahes sighed as he went to grab Wade so he may eat dinner before all of them rest very soon.
It had been several hours after the meals with the survivors all going inside to rest, none of them had any idea how to build a boat, the best they could do was hide and try to find a path to lead out of this area and somewhere safe away from the king.
Lunara knew this was not going to work, everyone was delaying the inevitable, there was no way to escape only to serve the king. Lunara had no problem with this because if she played her cards right, King Cerveras would reward her for immediately bowing down to the king. All she needed to do was bind her time and continue updating Tigra on the status of the barn.
Lunara made sure to look at the barn making sure everyone was asleep. Making her way to the woods to find Tigra.
Tigra made sure to hide her scent so the others in the barn do not find intruders as she arrived quietly to meet with Lunara. She wore a black cloak to conceal her identity and got closer to meeting Lunara, much to her surprise.
"Ah! You have to stop acting so secretive if this is going to work, if I was louder Maahes would have awoken, and our alliance would fail."
"I cannot take that risk, maybe be more cautious of your surroundings "
Tigra whispered with disappointment in her voice. She removed the hood from her cloak to allow Lunara to remain calm.
"I'll try, anyway not much has happened over here. It's been boring, the same old duties of hiding and picking different times to scavenge food or protect the barn. There have been missions to find a secret path away from the barn to escape but there has not been any luck."
Tigra nodded in response, pondering what should be done.
"The ones in the barn, any in particular that have the canine tooth, any others who have a desire for plants"?
"No, we all have canine teeth, there are about 19 of us in the barn, there was a meerkat lady, sadly she took her life as the pressures and stress began to rise. It makes me upset because we do not have to hide, we could just surrender to the king and not live in fear. I would like to explain my grievances with Maahes, but he's to headstrong and thinks he is going to miraculously take down King Cerveras, not to mention I'm risking everything to make sure Maahes does not catch on, so I do not complain."
"As you should, now is Maahes the leader of this establishment, more importantly is he the strongest one there?"
"Of course he is, he has been training consistently with a large combat hammer, he did take some private lessons with that one hippo knight a few years back, what was his name, Fortis, I think. Ever since then, he has made sure to follow his lessons daily to protect his barn.
Tigra had some tears in her eyes at the mention of Fortis, he was practically family to her and the one that never gave up on her when becoming a knight. While she is happy to have her parents by her side again, she wishes Fortis could have been here with her, sharing his guidance and wisdom.
"He trained the best of the kingdom; I miss him dearly. I am ashamed that he decided to challenge the king for the throne when it cost him his life. I am conflicted on how to feel, he means so much to me, yet he threatened to challenge the king, steal his throne and claim this kingdom for himself."
Lunara listened, she could see that Tigra while a strong and dominant knight of Eukaryona, is still a young tiger in need of guidance. Lunara thought how to use this to her advantage, possibly even manipulate her.
"I met him before, he was kind to me, but I am certain you do not have to feel so conflicted on how to feel. He left a lasting impression on you, a sort of family bond and mentor to you but don't you care about how he was willing to take power? Maybe in a way, he lost himself in the confusion of the King's willingness to show true strength.
Tigra would listen to Lunara; not thinking of how she never had the full story. She remembered Fortis showing up to give her and her fellow knights the weapons and displaying good intentions. However, she had been absent the week prior to his death, not knowing if he was planning on taking over the kingdom. Maybe Fortis would hide this secret because Tyrone would have told her immediately.
"His death would have been prevented had he just listened to the king so now you must make sure to not follow in his footsteps. Honor his legacy and learn from his mistakes, now here is what I need to tell you."
"I am listening."
Maahes is the leader, if we could find a way to lure him away from the barn and somehow obey King Cerveras, then the rest will follow. What we need to do is have you and several knights come by in a few days, gather your strongest allies and ambush us. Don't worry about Maahes I have found some disgusting vegetables with white coloring; I will make a meal and slip it in everyone's food and thus they will all become sick. The king Is strong, so have him and Maahes fight, Maahes would be so weak that he would lose against the king, not that it would be an issue, he seems strong this increases his victory. once that is done everyone in the barn would have no choice but to obey King Cerveras."
Lunara finished forming a sinister grin imagining how this plan of hers would not fail.
"Sounds great, for now do your best to endure I understand you want to leave, so stay loyal and fit in, if you hear a roar from King Cerveras that is the day we will invade. Mold is the white coloring on the vegetables it grows when the produce is spoiling, and the conditions here allow it to grow. Place it in everyone's food and we should be able to bring new opportunities for you all."
"Say less, I am ready to leave so badly."
Tigra bowed and ran off to the shadows
" Until we meet again….."
Tigra vanished into the darkness as Lunara pretended to be on patrol soon everything would work itself out. Running through the shadows of the forests of Eukaryona and moving as swift as the wind. This swiftness could be seen in a familiar bird's flight from the Edenian night sky to a small house.
Asgaarth flew through the stars and raced his way back to an old Edenian home, it was a small cozy home with a blue color, two windows on the front and a chimney on it. There he greeted Dr. Álvaro who was eager to see him again.
"Bienvenidos Asgaarth, had a great flight my boy."
Asgaarth chirped in response, he resembled a normal eagle except his hair started to grow longer possibly as a result of his mother's long hair. His hair got all messy due to the dirt and small branches stuck on his head.
"Oh, so I see you got messy, Vamos! time for your bath.
Dr. Álvaro carried the bird to the bathroom and got the water running. He put his hand on the water to make it warm and filled up buckets to properly clean Asgaarth.
He placed Asgaarth in a small mini basket and filled it with water and a soap he designed for domesticated Edenian birds that was safe to use on them. Carefully washing him despite the protests Asgaarth kept making with his loud chirping.
"You are not the only one that complained, I had a family once too you know…."
Many years ago. Álvaro was once a family man; he had married his long-time fiancé Sofia. She had a brown skin tone just like Álvaro, she had brown wavy hair to her shoulders and dressed in red attires mostly in a heavy skirt. and together they had a son, Rubén. The three were a happy family as they both did research on Edenian wildlife due to a fascination with it.
The parents could only have one child due to complications with Sofia, having mourned many losses despite the strongest magics, none of the babies could survive. They cherished Rubén and raised him constantly, caring for him in his youth and all the way until he became an adult.
Álvaro remembered all the times he shared with his son, even the moments when he did not want to be cleaned up.
Álvaro remembered everything they did, he taught him Edenian sciences, played many Edenian sports such as Jousting Kombat, taught him how to win Chess Kombat becoming the best in the realm at one point, Taught him how to win Puzzle Kombat teaching strategy with his training to use effective skills to match the form of the puzzle, and supported him.
As with many parents came the inevitable day when the children need to move out and explore to find themselves. Rubén would go to a different region of Edenia as he wanted to protect Edenia from the Mortal Kombat tournaments. However, things changed after the 9th Mortal Kombat tournament in Edenia.
Many things happened around this time such as the loss of Sofia when she got sick and age catching up to her, Queen Sindel and King Jerrod spoke a beautiful eulogy about her. Rubén was there. He and his father spoke after the service ended, Sindel remembered how she was a great friend and gave her condolences before going back to the palace, Jerrod did as well to comfort her and her stomach.
"Dad, there is something I have to tell you…"
"Rubén, you can tell me anything what is it…"
"We have 1 tournament left, Shao Khan is not going to stop until he gets what he wants, so I am going to be the champion. I owe this to mom, the many friends and teachers that died for this tournament, for our realm,"
Álvaro was shocked, he was saddened at this thought.
"Rubén this is a big responsibility, I wish I could have been in my prime to aid you, alas I nearly drowned if it wasn't for the sons of Argus who saved me."
"Father, I cannot allow you to compete you're not in your prime, I have participated in several of these tournaments. I fought the Shokan General Zenkaro, Shao Khan's deadly assassin Hideyoshi, the strongest tarkatan; Korbrac, and Grum the six armed shokan warriors. Unfortunately, most of our allies lost to Duroc heir to King Gorbrak, the Kytinn D'vorah, and of course…Shang Tsung and Shao Khan himself. I have the most experience in this tournament, it's a heavy burden but I cannot let our home die"
Dr. Álvaro remained silent and hugged him
"Promise me you will be safe, promise me that you will come back to your wife, start a family, and promise me you will live your life. Fight like hell for all of us, and especially yourself, we cannot allow Shao Khan to invade our home.
"I promise father."
"I will come visit you…."
Dr. Álvaro had tears in his eyes as he applied soap on Asgaarth's feathers. He remembered all the times he raised his son, no doubt Asgaarth reminded him of his times with his son. Even the last time they spoke was before Rubén went off to train for the final tournament.
Dr. Álvaro finished cleaning Asgaarth's body and took him to the counter to dry him he carefully dried his feathers upon examination of his head.
"It can't be…your feathers on your head, they feel like hair."
Asgaarth's head started growing hair recently, Dr. Álvaro did not think much of it when he examined Thorren but now he has made a discovery. Yet again there was no hair on Thorren, perhaps his mother had hair…Dr. Álvaro sighed shoving this comment mentally for the time being.
"I see your hair is messy, I think you are due for a new look."
Dr. Álvaro carefully combed the hairs with an extra comb and brush he found to stylize this hair, he decided to give Asgaarth a ponytail with the lose hair. Tying it in place to hold its shape, it reminded him of Rubén's hair style in a way.
"You remind me so much of him, I know I will see him soon. I will have to inform the king and queen that I need to leave to see him, his wife is expecting a baby daughter. They are going to name her Maya, and I want to see my granddaughter, I hope Dina can watch over you for a few weeks, maybe Zuri or Amara, I will discuss this in time."
Asgaarth nodded and nudged his head on the doctor's chest, yawning in response.
"Qué Quires Pajarito? You want a story?"
Dr. Álvaro walked to his mini library by his couch to pick out a book, he then sat on the couch with Asgaarth following suit.
"I used to read this to Rubén when he was younger, Zuri's husband Ambassador Omari gave me this book when his father visited the Lightrealm before it got conquered by the Dragon king. It has one thousand and one stories but I want to read just one. It's about a Sailor from the Lightrealm who voyaged the many realms. Instead, we will just read his final voyage, it will go nicely for you."
Asgaarth chirped in response as he got comfortable on Dr. Álvaro's shoulder.
"You are truly fascinating Asgaarth, Queen Sindel told me what you did for the princess, you will make a fine addition to all of us. A new family for you that will last for many eons."
"S… …D…Doc"
Dr. Álvaro was shocked by Asgaarth's first words, happy that one of them was for him.
"A story you shall receive my dear boy…"
Dr. Álvaro read the story as Asgaarth listened in happiness before eventually falling asleep. Dr. Álvaro placed Asgaarth on his nest and Dr. Álvaro got himself ready for bed.
I was so lost without you Sofia…until this strange young bird entered my life…You would have liked Asgaarth…wherever you are in the Heavens…Please keep watching over us…Te amo mi Amor…
Dr. Álvaro drifted off to sleep hoping to learn more about Asgaarth, were there others like him, what was his family like, and is it possible that by any chance that ship he lost that faithful day is the answer to this.
The night could not stay away for long as it would become daylight, with the Edenians still preparing for the Mortal Kombat tournament, King Cerveras' planning to take down Maahes, and the peaceful Eukaryonites building their new home. Several days had passed with each day new challenges awaited everybody, especially out in sea. It was a rather beautiful day with a pure blue sky, yellow orange sun, and crisp salty ocean water as a familiar group was setting sail.
"Wyatt you alright, you have not said anything all morning."
Zebron spoke with concern on his face. As he paddled, in the boat were his friends Wyatt, Anthron, Nita, Mac, and the leader Tian who is the father of Nita. They were sailing to another island with navigation from Riptide the dolphin in hopes of finding more resources to support their new home.
"You worry too much about me Zebron, don't mind me I was hoping to find some fireflies."
Tian gave a disapproving look as Wyatt began to laugh, though it was not as bad when he did it after getting attacked by Nerval and Zoey.
Zebron would smile as Wyatt explained his fascination for the fireflies, how they always welcome him in the dark, how they guide him, and their communication using light patterns.
"That's great, I really loved your project about the fireflies, but you do realize we won't find them now."
Zebron spoke with happiness as he and Wyatt would chat.
"Yeah yeah, I know, I wish I had my lantern with me, I left it back at our old home, I spent so much time designing it, even Nerval tried to break it, but I repaired it. I still wish I did not leave them along with my toy pigs Nita made, Howdy, Abigail, Luke, and Erick."
This caught the attention of Nita who looked up at the thought of the toys.
"Yes, I remember, I remembered that you wanted a sister, hoping she would be named Abigail, so I made a toy doll that resembled a girl pig just how you wanted. I imagine both of you would have been great friends, then I made three more toys for you."
"Thanks Nita, I always took care of them, I used to pretend they would follow me as we figured out a place in my future. I always yearned for siblings, I always wanted that sibling bond, you know."
Anthron took notice of Wyatt's lament, of the Eukaryonites on the boat, he was the only one that had an actual experience living with siblings.
"Trust me, you would have enjoyed it, sure I was the 2nd oldest, but I wanted to make sure my siblings were happy. Freline and I grew up closely together, we looked out for each other even if we had some instances of fights."
Anthron chuckled as he reminisced on happier times.
"Then Asgaarth came into our lives, and he had been keeping everyone busy. It was just the three of us, we all took care of each other and always held that family bond."
The group smiled at Anthron.
"That sibling bond is special, Wyatt, it is one that is irreplaceable, and stays the strongest. I understand why you wanted it, just know that you would not have regretted it, even if it hurts."
Anthron finished with Mac placing an arm on his shoulder.
"They will appreciate you living your life for them, Father was pretty close with your parents, they talked so many great stories together. But they always talked about that sibling bond you all shared." Mac added as he spoke with happiness patting Anthron's back.
Tian smiled as he provided comfort to Anthron.
"Ah yes Thorren and Sifline they were quite the pair; they had that strong duty and family values for you and your siblings Anthron. Your mother always spoke so much about how happy she was to have such an amazing family, both the family with Thorren and her extended family with the kingdom."
The boat would then near an island with Riptide notifying the group that they are almost on shore.
"Land ho mates, the island is approaching!"
Tian and everyone on board would secure the boat and begin making the journey to station it towards safety past the strong currents of the ocean.
The next island was smaller than the one the kingdom is currently on, having trees, bushes, sandy shores, and a cave nearby.
"I will stay by the boat, keep it safe to make sure nothing bad happens to it."
Riptide suggested, He wanted to prove his worth to this new group of friends and has done a remarkable job. He enjoys helping the group navigate the oceans, having a strong sense of navigation and knowledge due to living in these waters for quite some time.
"Be careful Riptide, holler if there is trouble!"
Zebron spoke, the group would enter the island seeing the wild fruits and bamboo that grew on it. Tian took notice of the bamboo, immediately grabbing a handful and taking in the taste and texture of it.
"Ah fresh Bamboo, it tastes so nice, I'm going to collect some of these to take back to the island."
Nita smiled and rolled her eyes.
"Oh dad, of course you would go for the bamboo, you have not eaten it in days, and you refuse to eat that staff."
"Cannot risk it, it's a gift from an old friend and it may prove useful in the event we need to defend ourselves."
"Yeah, its fine, come Mac, let's explore the rest of this island. I am sure we will accomplish more together, we always worked better as a duo."
Nita placed an arm on Mac's shoulder who instantly blushed as the arm contacted it. They walked deeper into the forest to begin collecting things they needed, leaving Anthron, Wyatt, and Zebron in the forest. Though this would not go unnoticed by Zebron and Anthron who saw Mac's facial features and eyes react to the interaction.
Zebron knew that these two had always been working as a duo, especially when they worked in pairs, but knew they were hiding their feelings. Anthron immediately knew as well based on how his father taught him how to read body language and remembered all the time his parents had that special connection of love. Both knew they wanted their relationship to grow naturally, instead of forcing them to immediately act on them as soon as someone blushes from a simple gesture.
"OH...A firefly, its heading for that cave, wait for me little fella!"
Wyatt immediately ran off to follow the firefly and into the cave.
"Wyatt wait, don't go there alone we need to stick together!"
Zebron shouted hoping to grab the attention of Wyatt.
"The firefly is telling me something, there is something in the cave that it needs."
Zebron brought his wand, knowing that it was still damaged, it would still illuminate in the dark, although not as strong as before.
"Go with him to the cave Zebron, I will inform the others."
Zebron saw Wyatt enter the cavern, and a sense of dread occurred to Zebron, he hated caves.
"Really it had to be a cave! Not again!"
When Zebron was younger he visited Fortis at his home one time to collect Zebrak's broken shield and got scared when Fortis scared him by accident which caused a spider to bite him. The spider screeched at Zebron and bit him on his left ear, he had been sick for a week due to the venom from the spider. Since then, he refused to enter caves alone and always went with a friend if he needed to visit Fortis.
"Fine, but please do not take too long, I don't want to be alone in there."
"I will do my best brother, remember to face your fears, it is the only way courage will grow in your mind."
Anthron flew off as Zebron ran into the cave, running into the uncertain darkness of the cave.
Zebron grabbed his wand and began to shake it hoping to keep it illuminated in the dark.
Zebron noticed the cavern, it was gorgeous to be in, seeing the rock patterns, the dripping sounds of water, and most importantly Wyatt's laughter. For a moment he forgot his fear of caves, that is until his wand started to give out. Zebron instantly froze in the dark, hating that he could see almost nothing but hear the noises and Wyatt's laughter.
Zebron noticed a firefly approached the fading light source as it guided Zebron.
"Thank you, little buddy, but I still need your help, can you take me to Wyatt."
Within seconds many fireflies all surrounded Zebron illuminating the way into the cave.
"Thanks fellas!"
Zebron ran through the illuminated path passing by large structures of the cave, he couldn't help but notice a mural of the sons of Argus being placed into a deep sleep by Delia and Argus. Among the sleeping image of Taven, showing many warriors fighting, but they were black silhouettes, yet one silhouette had a wand. Zebron could not focus on it too long not knowing this figure was him in it.
"Those two individuals…. The ark mentioned something about two brothers with symbols on their faces, it wasn't much to go off. The book was in poor condition with the writing obscured, I wonder if they were important. Though father did mention seeing the man in dark brown in a dream once. It is most certainly possible, not sure about the man with the dark red cape."
"Zebron! You came! Please, I need help with something." Wyatt shouted.
"I am on the way, stay tight!"
Zebron followed the trail and Wyatt's voice until he reached Wyatt. Running away from the mural a deep male voice one who would not be heard by Zebron but observed silently through an hourglass beyond the realms.
"Patience Zebron….. There is more at stake then you realize in the future, it will be revealed soon."
"Wyatt at last I found you, now what do you need help wi-…Whoa!"
The two were by a large body of water and a ship of some sorts, though it was bigger, mostly destroyed and had something on it.
"A new lantern, it has those fireflies trapped in them!"
"An ancient ship, it looks destroyed though, but maybe there is more information to be found."
Wyatt smiled with confidence
"There is a lantern in there! Maybe we can use it, we can travel at night, use it as a model to craft more and make lights again."
"I suppose, let's be careful, I can teleport us there since it's a short distance. But we must make sure we are careful."
"Understood let's do this this!"
Zebron focused carefully on the magic using his mind to concentrate carefully to not to cause further damage to the wand.
"TorpeleT!"
The duo safely traveled to the area of the ship and began to explore it when they noticed the old designs on it. On the ship they saw a Naknadan corpse with a nametag, old flags, loose koins from Edenia, journals, and of course the lantern.
Zebron grabbed the nametag of the Naknadan's helmet
"Uh… who is Kumulator?"
"This creature apparently, looks like it could not reach eternal paradise. Though this one is new, I've seen those different creatures what are they called, Edenians, but not this six armed being."
The two walking pass the corpse and collected a few Koins from the ship, a photo, two journals, before grabbing the lantern.
"I'll keep the books; you take the lantern. Let's hurry I don't want to be in here much longer."
Wyatt nodded grabbing the lantern, only by doing so, he would unknowingly activate something in it, shouting a message into Wyatt's mind causing his eyes to glow pure white.
"Wyatt! Wyatt! Do you hear me!" Zebron yelled shaking his shoulders for a response.
Wyatt's mind warped as the lantern delivered a mental message
Wyatt! We select you as the next holder of the fabled magical lantern of purelight, forged by the greatest crafters of Edenia, the crystal realm known as Illkan, and the Lightrealm. Use it well on your journey and help those who have lost their path!
The voices ceased as Wyatt returned to normal as he gazed at the lantern.
"What did you….."
Just then the ship began to violently shake, Zebron grabbed Wyatt and did his best to teleport both to safety but to no avail.
The lantern reacted and teleported them out of the cave and to the entrance of it. The group gathered by the entrance and saw the duo teleport to them in one piece,
"Wow that was…unexpected"
Zebron said as he looked at Wyatt, shocked and bewildered all at once.
"The fireflies, they choose me, to weld this magical lantern, but I do not know how it works, it just teleported us when that ship fell."
Tian and the rest were speechless at what had happened and stepped forward to the duo.
"What is that, does it function like Zebron's wand, are the both of you alright!" Tian asked as he brought the two in close for a hug.
Wyatt smiled and started laughing
"We are fine, I just found this lantern, it choose me for something, possibly to help those who lost their path in darkness."
Wyatt shrugged as he examined the lantern.
"Thank you Zebron for accompanying me, I am terribly sorry for what I did, it was foolish, but we found something."
Zebron nodded and smiled "No problem, I am not that experienced, but I would be happy to help you utilize this lantern better, maybe we can stand a chance to that king."
Tian gave a thumbs up.
"Good, we will need it in the event King Cerveras finds us, remember Wyatt, we don't split up, we all go together, is that understood."
Wyatt nodded; "Yes Sir"
Tian sighed and took a deep breath in
"Alright kids, that's enough for today, let's all go home, we got enough supplies from here, let's not keep Riptide waiting for long."
The group departed to the boat and greeted Riptide and set sail back to the island.
Zebron dusted off the book and found the name of the previous owner
Who is this Daahraan, is he affiliated with that Dr. Álvaro….I will have to read more about it later…
Others, however, were chosen to do evil, even betraying friends for a greater opportunity.
Lunara would make soup for the morning for all the Eukaryonites at the farm. Humming a tune as she laced different produces with the mold to make a vegetable soup. She had amazing culinary skills to make a small sample of bland food become an amazing masterpiece.
She got bowls ready as she gave everyone some soup with many thanking her for her meal. Until she got to Wade.
"Good morning, WADE!" Lunara yelled, slamming the bowl on his table.
"Good morning sunshine, smells great luv, but I am not in a soup mood today, I wanted prunes and carrots."
Wade grinned pushing the bowl towards Lunara.
"Seriously, I cooked you a meal, a HOT meal, and this is the thanks I get."
Most of the survivors were eating and Maahes himself grew annoyed at the two constantly fighting, he decided that Lunara could handle Wade, so he continued eating, not caring if Wade did not want to eat.
"Oh, you mad now, bloody hell, I angered this precious Feline. Maybe think twice when someone is offering you a good charity."
Lunara hissed at Wade.
"Oh, I'm not the one who abandoned everyone because he got caught sleeping with someone."
"Now you have done it, I don't care anymore what you think I won't eat your bloody food, ungrateful bitch."
Lunara tossed the soup high in the air as she tackled Wade to the ground. It crashed on the ground pouring its contents everywhere. The survivors each stopped eating including Maahes who ran toward the fight.
"Worthless pig, no wonder Humora hates your guts! Your children would be ashamed of their father right now."
Lunara hissed as she kept punching Wade in the face.
Tigra was standing atop the castle balcony looking through handmade binoculars designed by Fortis. She noticed the soup fly up in the air. Smiling as she got prepped and ran to the throne room with her allies and the king.
"My Lord, Lunara is ready to begin the plan"
Tigra spoke with glee in her voice. The rest of the knights and kingdom all marched outside the castle. With King Cerveras guiding them to the front his scar on his left eye mirroring his anger. He marched out to the stage and spoke to all of his subjects.
"Excellent, now we begin the next stage for Eukaryona!"
King Cerveras then let out a fine roar that echoed all throughout Edenia…
Queen Sindel and Dina finished putting Kitana for a nap when they started to feel the ground rumble and the windows beginning to crack, in a hurry grabbing Kitana and her mother, shielding them from the glass using her magic hair. Wrapping them safely from the dangers.
King Jerrod was at the meetings with his parents and several representatives of the regions of Edenia. They had finished discussing their meeting and instantly felt the palace shake and most of the wine glasses shattering. Immediately everyone took cover as soon as Lucius' wine glass broke.
Zuri and Omari took cover in the rooms of the palace. Shielding their daughter Tanya with their bodies even protecting Amara and her son Rain who was almost Tanya's age. Tanya wept as she was holding a stuffed animal of one of Xaa's champions Bianca the Unicorn. Both mothers using their hydro and pyro powers to create a barrier around themselves and their families.
Dr. Álvaro took Asgaarth away from the windows and hid in the bathroom of his home to keep both safe. Asgaarth remembering the day King Cerveras turning evil as the sound echoed in his mind. Chirping and crying as a result.
"Loud…..Noise"
The Eukaryonites felt this as well with Titian and the others running to their shelters
Tian's wife Mei the red panda ran into her home.
"Oh, Tian I can't lose you or Nita as well, please be safe."
The boat lost control of itself and nearly crashed if it was not for Wyatt and Zebron's magical artifacts that reacted and teleported them to safety in the form of pure light taking the group and Riptide in the speed of light back to the Island.
Lunara heard his roar, smiling and laughing as everyone in Maahes' barn got ready for battle.
"What did you do Lunar…."
Lunara quickly punched Wade in the face causing him to be knocked out.
"What I had to do."
Lunara got into character as she ran to the barn pretending to be scared.
"It is time for the new age of Eukaryona to begin! Soon all will bow down to me King Cerveras!"
A/N Kumulator is not Kollector, it's an OC Naknadan, Kollector will appear in the fic down the road. Wyatt has a ton of references and is a tribute character, read them carefully to get who he is inspired from. Lightrealm was introduced in MK11 and was not used at all, so it will be expanded upon with this chapter offering a small taste of what I have in mind. Stay tuned and thank you so much for reading, until next time, have a great day.