Today marks the two year anniversary of Amphibia's series finale. I love that show so much because of their characters, their settings, and their storyline. When Star vs the Forces of Evil ended, this show came into my life. And I couldn't ask for an amazing series like Amphibia. The finale credits still get me choked up, and that's okay. Because it is natural to miss something you love. I'd like to thank Matt Braly for all he's given us in those three years and wish him the best of luck in the future. Now, in honor of the second year anniversary, I present to you all the next chapter of Loyalty Among Worlds.
The next day, Dyllan and Tint wake up before Cronaxx to make breakfast. The two feel refreshed, energized, and ready for the day. Tint is relieved his hand recovered from his injury. And thanks to Dyllan, he starts thinking about slowing down his ambitions to being a great wizard, and focusing on the time he has now with his strange new friend.
Dyllan goes out to get water to fill their cauldron. While traveling to the creek, he looks up to the sun. The sun rays make him shine a smile on his face. Dyllan starts believing that this day is going to be a better one. Without Tint's injury, and with no more misadventures ahead, Dyllan can glide through this day like a normal school day back home.
Cronaxx wakes up to Dyllan placing eggs in the cauldron full of water. He places the cauldron over the fire, causing the water to boil. "What are you making today Dyllan?" Cronaxx asked.
"It's a special breakfast treat my grandmother used to make," replied Dyllan. "It's simple, but nutritious to humans." He takes the cauldron off the fire and places it next to the alchemy table. "They're called hard boiled eggs." He takes out an egg, removes the shell and takes a bite.
Cronaxx takes a hard boiled egg and bites down on it. The soft chewiness proves to be satisfying to the elder wizard. "There is a lot the salamanders could learn from humans," said Cronaxx. "Myself included."
Just then, a knock is heard from the cave. It reveals to be Spots. "Hey Tint, Dyllan," he said. "Do you guys want to come harvest all the crops with us?"
"Is it that time of the year again?" Tint asked. Spots nods yes.
"What's that time of year?" Dyllan asked.
"It's the heatwave season" said Cronaxx. "Around this time of year, Amphibia will reach its warmest point for only a few days. Which make the crops in our valleys dry and dehydrated. So with the drought underway, the salamanders get together to gather as much fish and insects, and harvest as much crops as possible. We use all the food we gather to celebrate a glorious feast as the day passes. And at the start of the next day, we plant new crops and prepare for weeks without brewing new potions."
"Everyone is already harvesting crops as we speak," said Spots. "Better get a move on."
The small group exit the cave and see the whole tribe gathering as much food and herbs as they possibly can. The fisherman corner the fish by stepping in the path of the current. The rest of the salamanders pick what's left of the crops. Cronaxx smiles at seeing the whole tribe working together. Dyllan, Tint, and Spots join the tribe to help.
The entire salamander tribe feels more close than ever . But none feel more closer to the tribe than Tint himself. While working with the other salamanders, he starts showing his skills that make other salamanders want to follow his lead.
Dyllan smiles at Tint getting along with the others. He watches other salamanders struggling to fish, so he offers to help them. To gather as much fish as they can, they use fishing nets to gather in clutches. The salamanders are still a bit scared of the human, but they are hungry enough to build up the courage to trust him. Dyllan helps the salamanders and they start growing fond of the human.
Near the end of the day, Cronaxx comes by and watches Dyllan and Tint working well with the tribe. He smiled seeing them get along with the others. Then, he calls Dyllan for a special assignment. Tint and Spots assure Dyllan that they can handle the rest of the harvest themselves. So, the two venture back to the cave.
"Alright Dyllan," said Cronaxx. "Listen carefully. It is time for you to perform your first magic spell."
Dyllan is surprised that after eight days of being stuck in a new world, he is about to be taught how to harness the power of Lerrad's Staff. He takes the staff in his hand and sits down on his knees, listening to his teacher's instructions.
"Magic is more than a just a tool," began Cronaxx. "It is an extraordinary power, or in this case, influence from a supernatural source." He points to Lerrad's Staff. "The staff is your influence. And your influence is connected to your emotions. The stronger the emotion, the stronger the magic."
Dyllan looks over the staff, giving off a bright yellow aura. Dyllan looks at Cronaxx with a smile on his face. "This is really cool," he said. "So what's my first spell going to be? Fireball? Ice Spikes? Conjuring?"
"Woah, woah, easy," said Cronaxx. "Some spells can be too powerful for a human like you. So what we're going to do is small, simple, but effective." He takes out a spell book and turns to the first spell of the book. "We're going to do a basic rejuvenation spell."
Cronaxx takes out a couple dead plants and places them in front of Dyllan. "These plants have been overwatered, and this could be the best opportunity to use this spell," he said. He takes out a vial of the healing potion he brewed, and gently pours a drop in the soil. "A drop of this healing potion, plus a healing chant, will make anything as healthy as a horsefly."
Cronaxx claps his hands together and repeatedly chants, "Rejulic, rejulic, rejulic." His hands start glowing a light green aura, and with the touch of his hands, the magic seeps through the pot. The magic flows through the overwatered plant, causing the color to change from brownish green to a fresh grass green. The plant then blooms a beautiful pink petaled flower.
Dyllan gazes in magnificence at the flower and quickly follows his teacher's instructions. He takes Cronaxx's health potion and pours a drop in the soil of the second plant. He claps his hands and chants the same words. "Rejulic, Rejulic, Rejulic." He watches the reaction with excitement, but nothing happens.
"What am I doing wrong?" Dyllan asked.
"Your mind is still all over the place," replied Cronaxx. "You must concentrate on the spell. Channel the magic, think about healing the plant. Now do it again, take a deep breath and focus."
Dyllan takes a deep breath. Inhaling at a steady pace, and exhaling slowly. He places his hands on his pot again and tries to concentrate. "Rejulic, Rejulic, Rejulic." With his eyes closed, he focuses his efforts on healing the plant. When he opens his eyes, he finds the plant still dead.
"Aw man!" Dyllan moaned.
"Don't be distraught," said Cronaxx. "You were in the zone, you chanted the salamandrian tongue, and you- Wait a minute. I think I know what's wrong."
He opens Dyllan's mouth and closely observes his tongue. "It didn't work because you were speaking in salamandrian tongue. And you're not a salamander," said Cronaxx. "You need to chant in the ancient tongue of your people."
"But I don't know what the human's ancient tongue is," said Dyllan. He goes out for a breather. Cronaxx looks at him with concern. How can his student practice magic if he doesn't know his ancient tongue?
Dyllan takes a walk through the forest, wondering how Tint and the other salamanders are doing with the harvest. Along the way, he remembers he packed a second photo in his backpack. He returns to the fields to see the salamanders with baskets overflowing with herbs and ingredients. The fishing nets are packed with fish that could last for months. Dyllan is happy with how well the salamanders work together.
"Dyllan!" Tint called. "This is amazing! You can imagine how easy things get when you're with us."
Dyllan couldn't stop smiling. But then, the wind direction changes from the north to the south. The next thing the salamanders hear a noise like a lawnmower. The trees from the island creak and crack in the hot dry winds. The salamanders grow anxious and start gathering as much nets and baskets as they can. Whatever they didn't get, they leave behind.
"Dyllan, we got to go," said Tint. Then a large branch flies over their heads. "Get the villagers to the cave. Do it now!" Tint starts running with the villagers to help them.
"What is it?" Dyllan asked.
Tint turns around with a serious, yet fearful look on his face. "Dragonflies," he replied. He turns around and runs with the villagers. "DRAGONFLIES!"
Then out of nowhere, he hears a large screeching sound. Dyllan turns around to see a flock of large dragonflies approaching the island. The flock comes in various colors. From blue to pink, to red, to green, to yellow, to brown, to purple. The dragonflies are scaled to be the size of biplanes back on earth. The flock comes in a V formation like a flock of geese. Dyllan starts rushing to the villagers as fast as he could.
The dragonfly leading the flock spots Dyllan and has the flock attack the villagers. The dragonflies swoop down from the sky, trying to scoop up anything that moves. One dragonfly scoops up an anteater beetle hybrid creature and flies away with it.
Most of the salamanders grow scared at how close they swoop in. Tint leads the villagers back to the cave. Dyllan stuck behind them, a spear in hand, and ready to swat any dragonflies that come close. One attempts to attack the group. But Tint uses a fireball spell to scare it away.
They get closer to the cave entrance, but Te'Kaya shouts. "Wait! Where is my son?!" The group looks around and finds no sign of Spots. Dyllan goes back to the fields to find him while Tint leads the rest down to the village. Te'Kaya grows anxious, wondering where Spots is hiding.
Dyllan races back down as fast as he could. "Spots!" He called. "Spots! Where are you!?" He watches the skies, hoping to keep a close watch on the dragonflies swooping down on him. He runs into the tree line, he trips on a root and falls on his stomach. As he did, another dragonfly swoops in and destroys a batch of trees.
This dragonfly had pink scales, and light yellow eyes. A few molt spots are exposed, but the rest is unshed skin. The dragonfly is ruthless. It wouldn't give Dyllan a chance to get back up.
Dyllan is too scared to climb out of the fallen trees. He didn't want to get caught, so he waits for the dragonfly to leave, which doesn't last very long. The dragonfly left and Dyllan takes this chance to go find Spots.
He races into the fields and finds Spots with his foot tangled in an huge abandoned net full of fish. He rushes over to his aid. "Hang on Spots," he said. "I'll cut you free." He takes out his Swiss army knife and cuts the net, freeing Spots.
"Let's get out of here!" Spots cried.
As they ran close to the Tormak's cave, the pink dragonfly returns and tries to swoop in and attack them. The two duck just in time. But the dragonfly swoops in and hits the cliffside. The cave starts to rumble and rocks start falling from the ceiling. The cave becomes partially buried, and most of Dyllan and the Tormak's stuff are buried in the rocks.
"Oh no," said Spots. He is devastated that Dyllan's temporary home is destroyed.
But Dyllan is shocked. He looks down in sorrow, seeing Lerrad's Staff roll down from the cave. He grips it tightly, and the staff glows a dark crimson red, and his eyes are fueled with fire and rage.
"It's coming back!" Spots cried.
Dyllan looks up at the dragonfly getting ready to swoop down again. He gets up on his feet, staff in hand, and watches the dragonfly swoops down again. But Lerrad's Staff causes a fire wall surrounding Dyllan and Spots. The dragonfly gets scared by the fire that it turns to fly away.
The fire wall diminishes in the sand and Dyllan points the staff at the insect with hate. He gives off an intimidation shout.
"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!"
With a swing of his arm, he shoots a magma blast from the staff, at the dragonfly flying away. He hits his target and the dragonfly goes down. Spots drops his jaw in awe and disbelief. Dyllan yells his anger out over his victorious hit. The shout spooks all the other dragonflies, and they fly off abandoning the damaged lands.
Dyllan drops to his knees, his energy drains from his fit of rage. Spots could not believe his eyes, he saw a human creature perform magic like a salamander. After a few deep breaths, Dyllan picks up the surprised salamander. With little strength, he walks slowly to the tribe's cave.
The next day, the entire village overlooks the damage in the valley. The nearly dry rivers are blocked by damaged trees. The fields of cropped herbs are scrapped by the flock's nosedives. The coast is polluted with fallen tree branches, leaves, and rocks. And the Tormak's old cave is nearly buried with rocks.
Dyllan is the most frustrated amongst the salamanders. He digs through the rocks to reach his backpack. He pulls it out of the rubble to find a photo showing him, and a man with brown hair and a small birthmark on his neck. That man is his biological father, Thomas Loyalitat. With the photo barely torn and crumbled, Dyllan pouts in sadness, seeing the state of the photo of him and his father.
Tint finds Dyllan getting his stuff out of the collapsed cave. He could also see the sad look on his face looking down at his photo. He looks at the photo, then looks up to his friend. "Who's that in the photo?" he asked.
"It's my father," said Dyllan. "This, and the photo of my friends, are the only memories I have left of my home."
"It'll be alright boys," said Cronaxx, climbing up the cliff. "I know all this feels hopeless now. But I assure you, I've seen generations of salamanders get back on their feet after many natural disasters."
Tint rolls his eyes and smiles, "I'm sure you did uncle."
"Now, let's help clean this place up," said Cronaxx. "I think the chief would appreciate it if you did." Cronaxx grinned slightly, making Tint assume something good is about to happen. Dyllan, on the other hand was very confused.
And so, the salamander tribe goes straight to work with cleaning the village. The tribes folk pick up leaves and sticks, but the trunks and branches are too heavy to lift. The river is blocked by fallen rocks and tree trunks, causing the fish to pack together in tight areas.
Dyllan wants to help out in their clean up, so he volunteers to go to the creek. But after all the chaos he endured, he starts feeling grumpy. The more damage he came across, the more frustration he feels. "Stupid dragonflies," he said. "If they didn't attack the salamanders, none of this would've happened. I would still have shelter in this strange new world."
He swats a branch away, only for it to swing back and hit his face. He brushes off his face and finds the branch broken. He looks to the ground to find large drag marks on the ground, leading to a small lake nearby.
He follows the trail of destruction and slowly peaks out to find the dragonfly that attacked him and Spots yesterday. Dyllan slowly approaches the beast and looks down at it. The human starts giving a triumphant smile at his fallen foe.
"Ha Ha! That's what you get!" he cheered. "Score one for Dyllan Loyalitat. I have brought down this mighty beast!" As he takes a step on the fallen dragonfly, a sudden impulse comes from the fallen insect. The sudden shock causes a small sphere to pop out of the insect's tail region.
Dyllan is shocked to see that it reveals itself to be an egg. As he gets closer, he finds more egg fragments nearby. All with bite marks. There are also paw prints surrounding the area, indicating that predators came from nearby.
Dyllan starts feeling queasy than he ever did before. But it isn't out of disgust, it is out of guilt. He realizes that he shot down an expecting mother, and most of her children were eaten before they could even hatch. He starts breathing heavily. He gets down on his knees, and he starts feeling dizzy. During his freak out session, he recalls a memory from his early childhood.
-Flashback-
This memory takes him back to his once healthy mother, who was showing him a cocoon about to morph into a butterfly. At that time, she was preparing to meet her new husband, Matthew, after a couple of years grieving for the loss of Thomas.
"Life has many wonders in this world," said Sarah. "You never know what to expect. But no matter how big or small, life is precious. Don't think of your step family's arrival as a bad thing. But a way to bring two families closer together. If you have no family, you could walk down a dangerous path. But with your step father's understanding, and your mother's love and compassion, I know you'll be a great son to us all."
"And if treated properly…" She points to the cocoon opening up. Revealing a monarch butterfly. "There is great beauty."
-Flashback Ends-
Back in the present, Dyllan looks up to the now deceased dragonfly. And the surrounding egg shells. He looks at his staff and frowns. "What have I done?" He asked himself. "I... I did this... I'm so sorry Mom."
He turns his attention to the egg and goes over to pick it up. "There there little fella," he whispered. "It's okay, I'm here." With the egg in his hands, he rubs the shell. "I got you."
He turns the egg over and finds a small crack on the side. Feeling a sense of responsibility, Dyllan takes out a vial of his health potion and places a drop on the crack. He places his hand on the crack gently, thinking about his first magic lesson. But, he remembers that the spell won't work because he can't speak the tongue of the salamander. Then, he remembers something important about his family's history.
-Flashback-
Dyllan was only five years old, hiking in the forest with his blood father and grandfather. The three were vacationing in Germany, in a country called Rhine Valley. They stopped at a river with the town on the other side. Dyllan gazed in magnificence at the town.
His father picked Dyllan up, placed him on his shoulders and pointed at the town. "This is your family's hometown, Dyllan," said Thomas. "For over two hundred years, we lived here bringing happiness to the community. Our name, Loyalitat, means 'loyalty' in German."
Dyllan's grandfather came up behind them, with a cane to help him walk. "Diese Stadt hat sich kein bisschen verändert, (This town hasn't changed one bit,)" he said. Then he coughed a bit.
"It was a shame when times were tough," said Thomas. "My parents had to leave for the safety of our family. It was tough, and they didn't want to leave. But in the end, I'm glad we did. And because of our courage, our family is growing stronger with every generation. So good things will come to those who embrace change. But it's important to never forget where we came from."
Dyllan smiled at his father, then coughed just like his grandfather. That made the two men smile with pride. Then, Dyllan's grandfather feels another cough coming. He covered his mouth and let out a powerful one. Thomas goes over to his father to help him stay on his feet. "Come on Vater (Father)," he said. "Let's get you back to the hotel. Let's go, Dyllan." Dyllan smiled and takes one last look at the town until they're out of sight.
-Flashback ends-
And thinking back to his grandfather speaking German at home, he comes up with a theory. He takes out his personal English to German translator book. After finding what he is looking for, he closes his eyes and chants, "Heilen, heilen, heilen. (Heal, heal, heal,)" As he chants in German, his hands glow a light yellowish green aura, and so did his staff. Then out of nowhere, the crack disappears.
Dyllan could not believe his eyes. He just performed his first healing spell. "Oh my gosh. I did magic again. I did magic again! I did magic again!" He places the egg under a large leaf covering a part of the lake. Then, he takes his leave to return to the salamanders. "I hope you live a good life," he said. As he leaves, the egg cracks again, but this time it is a natural crack.
The next morning, Dyllan is more calm than yesterday. Cronaxx and Tint take notice of the human's attitude. But they are happy enough to see him helping out the village. Tint works alongside Dyllan, as a real friend. And Cronaxx watches with pride as they work together with the other salamanders.
Chief Nightoum comes by to hear the progress of cleaning up the village and the valleys. Hearing the positivity from everyone, makes the blind chief smile. "Cronaxx, I think it's time to tell your students the good news," he said.
"Of course," said Cronaxx. "Tint, Dyllan, could you come here please?" Tint and Dyllan return to Cronaxx, seeing Chief Nightoum by his side. "The chief has something he would like to tell you."
Dyllan and Tint listen very carefully to the chief. "After giving much thought, and hearing of what you two did for the villagers. I have decided to repeal Tint's suspension and welcome the Tormak's back into our village." Nightoum smiles, as well as Cronaxx. Dyllan and Tint are surprised to hear the news.
"And as for you, human," said Nightoum. " Not all the salamanders in our village still trust you. But after all that you have done for us so far, I am willing to give you a chance. And therefore, I grant you permission to live and work in our village. To learn our ways. And eventually, become a member of our tribe."
Dyllan is startled by the surprising announcement. "I don't believe this," he said.
And so, Dyllan and the Tormaks gather all their stuff, and what's left from the collapsed cave, and set their new quarters in the salamander village. Dyllan looks at all the huts in the village, feeling impressed at the glowing algae giving the homes a natural glow. He watches the salamanders practicing magic, brewing potions, drawing enchantment circles, and living like a thriving culture. The trio settle back in the Tormak's old hut. Dyllan is impressed with how well the Tormaks were living before he came in their lives.
"Doesn't it feel good to be living back in the village?" He asked.
"Yeah, I suppose so," said Tint. "But there are times when I wish to see the rest of Amphibia with my Uncle. We've been living on this island for only five years now and that's too long for a wizard to be in one place. When you stay in one place in your whole life, you'll never get the chance to see the rest of the world."
"And believe me, we will see more of Amphibia," said Cronaxx. "We just need a solution on how to get to and from the village without having to swim all the way across." The trio nod in agreement and prepare to settle in for a night in the village.
The next day, Dyllan and Tint are assigned to gather fish and bugs at the blocked river. Thanks to the debris, the fish and insects are easier to catch. But it takes quite a swim to get what they need to eat. But today is different. There are more insects than fish.
"That's odd," said Tint. "There's no sign of any fish or night crawlers."
"Is it because the river is blocked off by trees?" Dyllan asked.
"No, it's something else," replied Tint. "I think someone or something is gathering all our food upstream."
"What kind of creature would eat all our fish?" asked Dyllan. He grabs his fishing spear and heads up the river. "I'm gonna go find out. If there are any more watering holes up ahead, I'll probably find this creature."
Dyllan makes his way up the river to find more food for the tribe. So far there aren't any fish to find. And the insects are heading downstream. Dyllan keeps going until he reaches a small lake.
As he reaches the lake, Dyllan spots a fish swimming around. Then, out of nowhere, he loses sight of it deep underwater. As he looks closer to investigate and sees two large eyes staring at him.
Dyllan jumps in fear, "AAAHH!" He crawls back like he's in a horror movie, and the large eyes pop out of the water. The creature reveals itself to be a large brown nymph with yellow eyes with only five legs instead of six. Across it's right eye, was a scar.
Dyllan pins himself against a tree and covers his eyes, not wanting to see what happens next. "Please don't eat me!" But all he hears is a clipping noise coming from its mandibles. He looks back up to see the nymph just pulling on his cape.
The large insect leads him back to the lake where he left the egg. He finds the leaf where he laid the egg safely away from predators. He pulls back the leaf to see that the egg hatched on its own.
"Y-you're...you're that egg I healed, aren't you?" he asked. The nymph nuzzles his head on the human like a dog. Dyllan gets up, and sees one of the insect's legs to be shorter than the others. "I guess that crack left an impression on you big guy."
It slowly approaches Dyllan, causing the human to back up again and fall back. The nymph regurgitates its lunch and it splatteres on Dyllan's knees. "Ewww," he groaned.
The chewed up insect twitches its leg, making Dyllan sick to his stomach. He gets on his knees and then pukes out his lunch in front of the nymph. The cheery insect rolls its head in the vomit, then eats it up making Dyllan pale as a ghost.
Then, the nymph claps his mandibles again, as Dyllan crawls to the stream so he could drink the fresh water. Shortly after a few sips, Dyllan starts feeling a bit better and gets up from his knees.
"Okay," he said. "That was really disgusting." He stands up and looks directly at the large insect. "Guess you're the reason our food was missing." He brushes his legs off any more dragonfly saliva. "Now get going. We need the fish to eat." He brushes the nymph away. "Shoo. Shoo!"
But the nymph didn't go anywhere. Instead it crawls back in the water and rests. Dyllan starts thinking of a way to lure it away from the river. So he decides to draw out a strategic plan. He takes his staff and draws in the dirt.
After a day of thinking of ways to lure the nymph away, he couldn't think of a good plan. Dyllan tries drawing another plan, then he hears clicking sounds behind him and he realizes who it is. So he decides to clear his plans and make something new. Dyllan carefully draws two circles and adds pupils. Then he adds a small head, making the drawing look like the nymph itself.
The large nymph looks pleased with the result that it takes a larger stick and starts drawing all over the ground surrounding him and Dyllan. The lines are all wiggly and all over the place. Dyllan is curious to know what it is, so he starts walking around. But as he steps on one of the lines, the nymph snarls.
Dyllan lifts his foot, calming the larva down. Then slowly places his foot down back on the line. The nymph snarls again, so Dyllan steps over the line making the insect calm. Dyllan smiles at the somewhat artistic insect that he starts to dance every step he takes over the lines.
Dyllan makes twists and turns, making sure he didn't step on the lines surrounding him. Before long, he finds himself underneath the nymph. He stands toe to toe with the magnificent creature. At that moment, Dyllan's sense of fear is gone. He feels happy, just like the time when he first met Tint and Cronaxx. He slowly reaches out, facing the large disgusting creature. And the nymph slowly leans in, hoping to touch the human's hand.
Then Tint comes out of the shadows, looking for Dyllan. "Dyllan! Where are you?"
The nymph and Dyllan snap back to reality when they hear Tint's voice. Then the large insect jumps back into the water to hide. Dyllan watches the insect hide, then he calls out to Tint. "I'm over here!"
Tint comes out of the bushes and finds Dyllan by the lake. "Were you able to find more food?" he asked.
Dyllan shakes his head. "Nope, but I was able to find out what's causing our food shortage."
"Good for you," said Tint. Then he gives his friend a nudge on his leg.
Unfortunately, the nymph grows anxious, clapping his mandibles. It watches as the human looks like it is being attacked above the water. The two friends hear a rumble coming from the lake. Then the nymph pops out, ready in a battle stance. Tint suddenly realizes what that is and gets in front of Dyllan.
But Dyllan pushes him away to calm the insect down. "It's okay," he said soothingly. "It's okay. He's a friend." He turns to a startled Tint, seeing him calming down the large larva. "It's alright, you just scared him."
"I scared him!?" Tint asked. "Who is him?"
"This is," replied Dyllan. "I found him as an egg two days ago."
Tint walks up to the nymph with his guard up. "Guess that explains the missing food supply we're having."
"And I don't think he wants to leave," said Dyllan. "We should go to the village and discuss this. Maybe Cronaxx will know what to do."
"Okay," said Tint. "But I don't think the chief isn't going to like this."
So Dyllan and Tint make their way back to the village, but little do they know is that the nymph is following far behind them. Tint goes ahead first to try the gentle approach. He finds Spots on guard duty and walks up to him.
"Hey Spots, is Uncle in?" he asked.
"He's in his usual place," replied Spots. "And he's in a good mood today. Why?"
"Because we may have hit a bump today," said Tint. Then, the nymph comes out of the bushes, surprising both Dyllan and Tint. Spots is surprised as well.
"What is going on around here!?" he said. "First Dyllan performs magic, and now he's brought a dragonfly nymph to our village!?"
"I didn't mean for it to follow me," said Dyllan. "Could you just bring Cronaxx out here so we can sort this out?" "This thing is acting like a pet."
Spots looks to Tint who nods at him. Then Spots leaves his post to inform Cronaxx and the chief about Dyllan and Tint's discovery. He reaches the center of the village and finds Cronaxx and Nightoum talking. Nightoum senses Spots' presence and turns to him.
"Spots, what is going on?" Nightoum asked.
"Dyllan and Tint brought a dragonfly nymph to the entrance of our village," replied Spots.
"Is that so," said Cronaxx. "Bring us to them."
Later on, Cronaxx, Nightoum and Spots reach the entrance and find Dyllan keeping the nymph under control while Tint is behind the insect, keeping him from wandering off. Cronaxx is most surprised to see them. Chief Nightoum could hear the nymph struggling.
"Dyllan, Tint, what is going on here?" Cronaxx asked.
Dyllan knows he has to tell the truth. Hopefully, Cronaxx may have an idea on how to get rid of the nymph.
"I'll tell you everything," said Dyllan. "This all started when the dragonflies attacked the village. I saw a dragonfly attack our cave on the cliffside, then I shot it down with Lerrad's Staff."
"Wait a minute," said Nightoum. "Did you say Lerrad's Staff?"
"He did," said Spots. "I saw him use a magic staff to save me and scare off the other dragonflies. He casted a magma ball and hit the dragonfly from the sky."
Chief Nightoum couldn't believe his ears. A strange creature performing magic. "I need to know if this staff is real," he said. Dyllan gives him the staff, and he feels for the crystal and its energy, confirming his suspicions. "I don't believe it..." Some of the other salamanders come out to see the staff itself. A few of them stare with magnificence, seeing an old legend come to life. The staff's crystal glow and so do Dyllan's hands.
"Please continue Dyllan," said Cronaxx.
"Anyway," said Dyllan. "I shot down the dragonfly, and later realized that it was a female laying eggs. Only one of them survived." He points to the clipping nymph. "Him." the nymph clips his mandibles in response.
"While trying to heal the egg, I figured out how to perform my first healing spell. And I did it all on my own." He takes out his German translator book. "I remembered where my family came from, and with a little German chant, I performed my first healing spell and saved this insect's life. And now, he likes me." he starts scratching its head causing the insect to fall on its back.
Cronaxx approaches Dyllan with a concerned look. "Dyllan, I am disappointed that you shot down his mother out of anger. However, I am proud of you for taking responsibility for your actions, and understanding the balance of nature." The nymph nuzzles his head under Dyllan's arm. "And because you healed this creature, it clearly shows he shares a magical bond with you. So now he's become your responsibility."
"So what do we do with this larva?" asked Spots. "We can't just let it live in our village. It's gonna grow up to become a monster."
"Spots, there is no monster more dangerous than a lack of compassion," said Nightoum.
"Well, let's hope he can do more than just eat all the food," said Dyllan.
"Perhaps," said Nightoum. "But in the meantime, I would have to agree with Cronaxx. Since you got involved with the hatching process, it's now your sworn duty to make sure this insect grows up until he is mature enough to be on his own."
Dyllan wastes no breath arguing with the chief. "Very well," he said. "As a Loyalitat, I will accept this responsibility."
The nymph claps his mandibles again with happiness, and Dyllan nuzzles his head with his arms. "You know what," he said. "I think if you're going to be around, you're going to need a name." After giving much thought he comes up with a good name. "I've got it! Since you like to clip with your mouth out of happiness, your name will be: Clipper." Then Clipper jumps in the air, making the group smile. Dyllan couldn't feel more happy with what he's accomplished. And neither could the chief of the salamander village.
Just then, the captain of the guards runs up to the chief. "Chief Nightoum," he said. "We have some bad news in regards with our herd of earthworms, and your son." The captain is out of Dyllan's earshot, so he couldn't hear a word he is saying.
Chief Nightoum grows worried when the captain finished explaining. He turns to Dyllan and says, "Dyllan, Tint, Cronaxx, we have a problem."
Dyllan looks to the chief and asks, "What is it?"
"After the attack, our herd of earthworms have scattered across the lands and have disappeared," said Nightoum. "But that's not all, my son Flaps went out to find them, and didn't come back. I'm really worried...Flaps... He's my last boy... I can't lose him."
"I'm so sorry chief," said the guard. "But your son could be beyond the Red Scar by now. No one in our tribe has the endurance to withstand that much heat."
Dyllan sees how desperate Nightoum feels losing the only family he has left. He knows that Flaps is a bully and he got what he deserved during the race. But he couldn't help feel guilty of how important he means to Chief Nightoum. Dyllan wastes no breath. "I'll do it," he said, shocking everyone in the tribe. "Flaps may be a bully, but he's your son. And in the end, it's the right thing to do."
"But how will you get through the Red Scar?" asked the guard captain. Then out of nowhere, Clipper lifts Dyllan from the ground and revs up his five good working legs.
"I guess Clipper wants to come with me," replied Dyllan. "Is that a good idea?"
"I'm not so sure," replied Cronaxx. "Dragonflies need to remain moist in their larvae state."
"I'll go with him," said Tint. "In case something goes wrong and Dyllan winds up alone with Flaps. Plus, I can handle the heat once in a while."
"It would make me feel better if more than just the two of you go out there," said Cronaxx.
"I'll go too," said Spots. "I've been on this island my whole life, so I can find safe routes to guide the worms."
"That could work," said Nightoum. "Dyllan, if you and your crew could bring my son back, I'd be very grateful. And in return, I'll do what I can to help you get back to your home world."
Dyllan, feeling hopeful with the chief's offer takes his hand and places it on his face to feel him nod yes. "You have my word as a Loyalitat," he said. "I will find him, and bring back your herd." And with that, Dyllan, Tint, and Spots make their way to the Tormak's hut to get ready for their journey.
Happy 2nd Anniversary of The Hardest Thing!
Keep on Truckin', and remember:
Change can be difficult. But that's how people grow. It can be the hardest thing, to realize you can't hold onto something forever. Sometimes, you have to let it go. But of the things you let go, you'd be surprised what makes it way back to you. - Anne Boonchuy