Ahoy mateys! AdmiralDT8 on deck, and today is the day! Here's the chapter I've been waiting for a long time to publish! The chapter in which Dyllan's achievements brings him one step closer to completing his quest. And if you pay attention, you might learn something from this story. If you ever want to access early artwork or animations, subscribe to either my Deviantart page or my Page.
The very next morning, Dyllan, Tint, Cronaxx, and Clipper are back on the road, hiking to the last landmark in Frog Valley called Wartwood. The day is partly cloudy, but the sun is still as hot like any other day.
Dyllan is hiking close to Clipper at a steady pace. He looks up to his friend's injured wing and is happy to see the bandages were off, leaving only a strong bruise in its place. He is happy to see his friend almost all healed up.
The group kept walking until they spot Toad Tower. They are close enough to see the toads guarding the tower, and far enough for the toads to not see them. They keep following the path away from the tower's position. As the clouds start clearing up, Tint can see another town just below them. "Uncle, is this the place?" He asked.
Cronaxx and Dyllan look down to see the village from where they are. Cronaxx takes out the map of Amphibia and turns in the direction they are in. He points to the town, confirming where they are. "Yep, this is it," he replied. "This is the town of Wartwood."
"Yes!" Dyllan cheers. "My friends have to be around here somewhere. I can feel it in my bones."
"Don't worry Dyllan," said Tint. "We'll find them."
But Dyllan is too excited to listen to the Tormak's, "I'm coming, girls!" He takes Clipper's harness and slowly leaps with joy as they hike down the path.
In the town of Wartwood, the frogs are getting ready for the day. They open up their shops awaiting for the customers to partake in keeping their businesses afloat. Like the salamanders from the island, the frogs of Wartwood come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. Only a few of the residents aren't frogs at all.
While they go out and about, the frogs spot the large dragonfly heading into town square. The dragonfly walks closer, and closer, and closer to the entrance. Until they realize that the large insect is coming in the front gates. "Dragonfly!" "Run for your lives!" They shout.
The frogs all take shelter in their huts as the dragonfly slowly walks to the entrance of town. Then, Cronaxx, Tint, and Dyllan cross the gateway looking at the sign above them. "Slow to accept, and even slower to respect," read Dyllan.
"Best not to draw anymore attention to ourselves," said Tint.
The center of town is quiet and deserted. Dyllan soon realizes that their entrance has scared off the frogs. "I'm guessing Clipper's presence was a little too much," he said.
"Once again, our reputation precedes us," sighed Tint.
"It'll be okay boys," said Cronaxx. "Clipper, you better head outside of town. It should make the people feel more comfortable."
Clipper looks to Dyllan, who pets him gently. "It's okay Clipper," he said. "We'll call you if we need anything." Clipper blinks in understanding and ventures into the forests just outside of town.
Then, the trio goes to see the frogs slowly coming out of their huts. "It's okay," said Cronaxx. "We come in peace." The frogs then shrug it off and go back to their business. But they keep a close watch on the Tormaks and the cloaked Dyllan, who appears strange to them.
"So, where should we start looking?" Tint asked.
"Hear All, Hear All!"
The trio turn around to see an announcer waving a bell around. The green frog is shown to be dressed like a paper boy in the early twentieth century. A black shirt with black pants, white suspenders, and a black cap. "This year's potluck winner takes a long vacation on the outskirts of town!"
"A newsboy," said Dyllan. "Maybe he's seen something."
He gently approaches the news frog and taps him on the shoulder. "Excuse me," he said. "I'm looking for a few people."
The news frog just ignores him and continues announcing the news. "In other news, the weather is gonna be clear skies in the next few days!"
Dyllan walks back to the salamanders with a doubtful look on his face. "So far he's no help," he said. "I don't even think he's heard a word I said."
"Let's not give up," said Tint. "Let's just keep asking the townsfolk." The trio make their way across town in hopes to find Dyllan's friends. While they are walking, Cronaxx realizes how well the group is standing out amongst the crowd.
"Actually boys, why don't you let me ask the questions. The frogs are uneasy seeing us around, and we shouldn't scare them off every time we get too close." Dyllan and Tint slowly nod in agreement. Dyllan keeps his hood on, and covers his body with his cloak.
Their next stop brings them to a woodworking shop. Inside the shop are carvings, chairs, tables, prosthetic limbs, and engravings. Dyllan is fascinated by all the handcraft artifacts, but then is disturbed by one of the statues that's near the entrance.
"I have a few questions on that," he said.
Standing behind the counter, is a light blue axolotl with bluegills. On his head are two small white tufts on the side and a large white mustache. His eyes are small and squinty, but he has a pair of goggles to help him see. His left lens is clear, and his right lens is green with three small settings on it. He wears a beige shirt, a brown apron, gray boots, and a red bandana.
"Welcome to my shop," he says. "My name is Leopold Loggle. And I am Wartwood's professional wood smith. How can I help you today?"
"We're just a few salamanders looking around Frog Valley for a few things," said Cronaxx. "Have you seen anything strange lately?"
"As a matter of fact," said Loggle. "I have…" Loggle starts dragging out his sentence. Dyllan opens his mouth with a wide grin. "…not. I have not."Dyllan's face suddenly drops with disappointment.
"Aw what?" Tint whines. "Why'd you drag off your sentence like that?"
"I had a smithing accident," replies Loggle. "I fell tripping on an anvil, and pierced my voice box clean through." He lowers his scarf revealing a hole in his neck. This makes Dyllan as pale as a ghost and Tint blocks the hole away in disgust. Then, he pulls up Loggle's scarf to make Dyllan feel better.
"Well then," said Cronaxx. "Is there anyone else in town who have seen anything out of the ordinary?"
"Actually," said Loggle. He starts dragging his response again. "There are." The group wait for Loggle to drag out his sentence again, only to find out he finished talking. "Let me think." He takes out a small pen and starts clicking it. Dyllan spots the pen and is familiar with how it looks.
"Maybe Felicia Sundew knows something," said Loggle. He points out his window to the town's tea house. "Her tea house is just right there."
"Thank you so much," said Cronaxx. "Perhaps we can do business in the future." The trio then leave the woodsmith shop, leaving Loggle to play with his pen.
Dyllan follows the salamanders behind and says, "That pen! It belongs to Anne, I just know it. I've seen her use it in school. She has to be around here somewhere. How else did Loggle get that?"
"Let's just keep looking," said Cronaxx. "And remember Dyllan, be patient and stay calm."
The three make their way to Felicia's tea shop. Inside, there are frogs sipping tea, having polite conversations. And the shop is decorated with thin silk curtains, white tablecloths, collectible saucers, cups, and tea pots on shelves. Dyllan is fascinated, "It feels like I'm sitting by my grandma's fireplace," he said. "She loves to place her tea sets there."
"How many does she have?" Tint asked.
"Only three," replied Dyllan.
The three take a seat near the window and then a yellow frog dressed in green, with flowers on her head and is tied in a large ponytail walks up to them.
"Welcome to Felicia's tea house," she said. "My name is Felicia Sundew, and I'll be serving you today."
"A pleasure to meet you, Felicia," said Cronaxx. "We'll just take some jasmine tea, please."
Felicia writes it down on her notepad. "Alright," she said. "Will that be all?"
"Actually, we also like to know if you have any information," said Cronaxx.
"Information? About what?" Felecia asked.
Cronaxx slowly leans into Felicia's ear to whisper. "Have you seen anything strange around here lately?" he asked.
"Oh um," said Felicia. "Nope, I haven't seen anything of the sorts. But you could try asking One-Eyed Wally, he sees things outside of town whenever he goes home."
Cronaxx looks into her eyes, and can see that she is telling the truth. "Okay, thanks for the info," said Cronaxx. "Any idea where we could find this Wally character?"
"Wartwood is a very big farming community, so I would start at the big gathering places like the restaurants or the farmer's market," replied Felicia. She takes her leave to bring them their jasmine tea.
"You know," said Dyllan. "We also have jasmine tea in my world."
"That's interesting to hear," said Tint. "Maybe your world and our world are the same."
"I wouldn't go that far," said Dyllan. "There are a lot of times when humans don't agree with one another on anything. In my hometown, our people argue amongst themselves about what is beneficial."
"But why would they argue like that?" Tint asked.
"I guess it's just because they have different perspectives on life," replied Dyllan.
"But it's the differences that should make them strong," said Cronaxx. "I may be old, but I know that frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders can work together if they just put their minds to it. Things don't go so well while the amphibians argue with one another."
"Amphibians argue too?" Dyllan asked. "Hmm, maybe our worlds aren't as different as I thought."
Felicia comes back with their jasmine tea and they thank her for it. Dyllan is curious, since this is the first cup of tea. As he takes a gentle sip, he feels the hot drink settling in his mouth. The taste is sweet and bitter at the same time. And Dyllan didn't like that. He almost chokes on the tea, coughing on his cape. Only a few frogs take notice of Dyllan's behavior.
"You okay?" Tint asked.
Dyllan stops coughing for a moment and whispers, "Yeah. Cough cough. This is just my first time drinking tea," he said quietly.
"Here's your check," said Felicia, giving them the tab. Cronaxx looks at the tab and see that they owe her three coppers. Thanks to their little venture in Lily Paddington, the trio pay their tea without any conflict.
Later that day, the trio ask the grocer at Grub n' Go for information. The grocer isn't very helpful for them, so they take their business to the town's butcher. But the butcher is out sick, so they go straight to the village baker. They walk into Flour and Daughter's bakery and meet the owner of the business, kneading dough.
The baker is a blue short frog with deep eyebrows and purple eyes. He has purple dots and stripes on his back, and a light blue underbelly. His attire consists of a dirty apron, a baker's hat, and sports a stoic facial expression.
"Welcome to my baker's shop," said the baker. "My name is Mr. Flour. How can I help you?"
"We're here because we need information," replied Cronaxx.
"Information?" asked Mr Flour. "About what?"
While Dyllan stands next to Cronaxx, Tint picks up a strange, yet familiar scent coming from the kitchen. It is no ordinary kitchen smell, it is the smell of potion brewing.
Inside the kitchen he sees a young blue frog with light pink hair, with dark pink spots in a small knot, looking like a mushroom cap. The frog is also wearing an all black robe with a brown rope for a belt.
She turns around and spots Tint with her exposed eye with a slit pupil. She grins from ear to ear. In her hand is what looked like a straw stuffed doll. "Wow, a salamander in Wartwood," she said in a raspy voice. "What brings you here?"
"Uh," said Tint. "My uncle, my friend, and I are looking for something. We were traveling across Frog Valley, and then-" He takes another whiff of the cauldron and asks her, "Is that the scent of a worm's wart brew?"
"Yes it is," replied the frog in an impressive tone. "You like potion brewing too?"
"It's more of a hobby in my spare time," replied Tint. "I practice a lot of magic spells for a living." He holds out his hand for a handshake. "My name is Tint. What's your name?"
The frog shakes his hand and replies, "I'm Maddie. Pleased to meet you. By the way, I practice magic too."
Tint is surprised to hear that. He has never seen a frog practicing magic before. "Oh? What kind of magic skills do you perform?"
"I perform the dark arts," replied Maddie. "You know, curses, voodoo, wicked spells. Ever gotten to that yet?"
"Not exactly," said Tint. "My uncle always told me that the dark arts are too unpredictable."
Then, coming from behind them, are Cronaxx, Dyllan, and Mr Flour. "Tint, what are you doing back here?" Cronaxx asked.
"No one is allowed back there, other than my family," said Mr Flour.
"I just smelled potion brewing in the kitchen and I discovered that this frog practices dark magic," replied Tint. Cronaxx takes a whiff of Maddie's brew and is shocked.
"Dark magic?! Oh no, no no no. Absolutely not." Cronaxx takes Tint by the shoulders and drags him off. "Come on Tint, let's go."
"But what about asking them about this Wally character?" Tint asked.
"Wait! One-Eyed Wally?" Maddie asked. "I know him. He's a regular at Stumpy's diner, you'll probably find him there. Or he could be wandering around outside of Wartwood."
"Yeah," said Mr Flour. "That guy's an absolute nutcase. But he's a nice guy once you get passed all the superstitious nonsense he blabs about. Just listen for his accordian, and you'll find him."
"Thank you both, this is very helpful," said Tint. "Hope to see you again Maddie."
"May the shadows of darkness intertwine our fates," said Maddie, waving goodbye.
Tint waved goodbye, lightly chuckling back at the light blue frog. Dyllan smiles at Tint, and wonders if he is trying to make friends with her. Cronaxx, however, looks uneasy with the female frog practicing the dark arts. But his worries reside once they leave for Stumpy's diner.
Inside the diner, the trio look around for One Eyed Wally. The frogs watch them carefully, knowing they are newcomers. They take a seat at one of the booths and Dyllan starts to feel glum.
"You okay Dyllan?" Tint asked.
"It feels like we're stuck on square one," replied Dyllan. "I think this is one of those days that Wally doesn't show up." Dyllan looks around again, seeing no sign of his best friends. "And the only other lead we've got to finding this character is that he's somewhere outside of town."
Then, out of nowhere, a large frog with a messy apron, an even messier undershirt, a large chef hat, prosthetic arms, and a peg leg approaches their booth. His face and arms are covered with scars, and his attitude is far from professional.
"Welcome to Stumpy's Diner," he said in a monotone voice. "My name is Stumpy. Here are your three bowls of slop," he said. "Enjoy, or whatever," Then, he walks away back into the kitchen.
"That's strange," said Tint. "We didn't even order yet."
"Guess he's used to whoever comes into the diner," said Dyllan, staring at his bowl of slop. The moment he sees live bugs crawling around, he starts dry heaving and looks away.
Cronaxx looks at Dyllan with guilt and disappointment. "I'm sorry things aren't going so well with the search," he said. "But I promise you we are not going to give up until we find your friends. Remember, the true failure is not trying at all."
Dyllan looks at the salamanders like he just came up with an idea. By looking around the diner again, then at the salamanders, his face grows a soft smile. "I think I have an idea."
"What's that?" Cronaxx asked.
"Hear me out. So far, we've tried the quiet approach," said Dyllan. "And Sasha always told me that the only way to get people's attention is by getting in their faces." He takes his staff and it starts glowing bright. "And if we're going to get everyone's attention, we need to do something that should bring the town together."
"Perhaps," said Cronaxx. "But we shouldn't draw too much attention. What do you propose we do?"
"Well, we could try a small jig," said Dyllan. "It won't get everyone's attention. But, who can ignore a song and dance? Especially in a tavern-like diner?"
Tint smiles at the idea, takes out a wooden flute and gets ready to play. Dyllan smiles and starts stomping his foot in a rhythmic beat. The patrons look to the trio wondering what is going on. Cronaxx takes out his lute and plays the right melody to the song.
"Frogs of Wartwood," Cronaxx announces. "Here's a special melody to lighten up the mood for anyone feeling under the weather." The frogs are unsure about what to expect from the salamanders, so they wait for an outcome.
"Hey, ho, to The Diner we'll go/ To feed our hearts and drown our woes/ Rain may pour and wind may blow/ But there′ll still be many miles, here't goes!" Dyllan leaps from one spot to another in the diner. Tint dances to a jig and Cronaxx smiles as he ups his tempo. The frogs start smiling at the melody and bounce their heads to the beat.
"Sweet as the sound of the falling rain/ And the stream that flows from a hill to plain/ Better than rain or rippling brook/ Is a bowl of slop inside this Took!" The frogs start following the rhythm, using their hands and mugs and march to the beat of the tune. One blue frog comes in hearing music playing. He is dressed in old tattered clothing, a dark blue violet brimmed hat with a cattail for decoration, and an orange scarf. Instinctively, he takes out his accordion and synchronizes to the melody. A few off keys to start with, but eventually, he gets in sync.
"Oh you can search far and wide/ You can feast the whole town dry/ But you'll never find a soup so brown/ As the one we eat in this hometown!" Before long the frogs in the diner start dancing and singing along with the salamanders. Stumpy himself is most surprised with the amount of customers singing. Even more patrons enter the diner to see what is going on.
"You can eat with fancy spoons/ You can eat sittin' on your recliner/ But the only stew for the brave and true …" In that moment, Dyllan looks around to see most of the frogs watching him and the salamanders perform. He loses his focus the moment he sees the accordion-playing, eye squinting frog in particular.
But he regains his focus when Tint nudges on his leg. "Dyllan," he said. Dyllan snaps back to reality and finishes the song. "But the only stew for the brave and true/ Comes from Stumpy's Diner!"
The trio give off stylish poses on top of one of the tables, and the frogs cheer. Then out of nowhere, a high class toad with light green skin appears in a night dress. And standing right beside him is a smaller frog following his moves.
"Alright," he said. "Simmer down, simmer down now." He spots the trio climbing down from the table. "Now see here you three. In this town, you gotta have a permit for your little street performance. Toadie, give 'em their warning slip."
"We didn't know about that," said Cronaxx. "We're sorry."
Toadie jumps to them and gives them the slip. "Well consider this your first warning," he said. "If you ever want to obtain a permit, just stop by Mayor Toadstool's office."
"As the mayor of this town, your interests come first," said Toadstool.
"I thought it was our safety," said the squinty eyed frog. "Especially after the monster that appeared outside of town."
"Now Wally, there's no need to mention that," said Toadstool. "That monster is not our problem, it's theirs."
Dyllan remembers why he stopped playing mid way, and turns his attention to the blue amphibian. As the squinty eyed frog leaves the tavern, the trio follow him up to the point they reach the outskirts of town. "Excuse me," he said. "Are you One-Eyed Wally?"
The frog turns around and nods. "That be my name," he said. "What's it to you?"
"I think I know what kind of 'monster' you were talking about," said Dyllan. He takes a deep breath, removes his hood, and uncloaks himself. Revealing his human structure, the frog gasps.
"Oh my, there's more than one!" Wally cried.
"My name is Dyllan Loyalitat," said Dyllan. "And I'm looking for my friends." He pulls out a photo showing Wally him and his three friends. "Do you know where they are?"
"I don't know what to tell you," said Wally. "But I haven't seen those two hideous things." He points to Sasha and Marcy on the photo, making Dyllan frown. "But I have seen only this one." He points to Anne on the photo.
Dyllan smiles with new hope. "You've seen Anne? Where is she?!" he asked.
"She's living in the Plantar farm not far from here," said Wally. "I pass that farm from time to time."
"Can you lead us to the Plantar farm please?" said Cronaxx.
"If you wish to tame these monsters, it's your funeral," said Wally. "Follow me." He pulls out his accordion and leads them out of the city limits and enters the farmlands outside of Wartwood. Dyllan squeals with excitement on the inside, hoping to find his best friend again. He wants to surprise Anne, so he hides his face with his hooded cloak. Tint is anxious to see what the farm would look like. And Cronaxx is just pleased to see the relief on his human student's face.
And it is with good fortune, that at the top of the hill, with the red moon out in the sky, that Wally leads the trio to the Plantar Farm. The farm looks peaceful and quiet, consisting of a house unit surrounded by fields of crops, and a red shed where tools can be found. The house is made from a stump of a tree, with a small yellow wooden front door with a circular window. The house is shown to have three floors, and a red wooden roof. Moss and grass are seen growing outside the house. And the back porch has access to a nearby lake.
"Here we are," said Wally. "Good luck to ya!" And with that, Wally hops away, leaving Dyllan in relief and happiness along with the Tormaks.
"This is it," said Cronaxx. "The Plantar family farm." The trio look with relief until they hear a shout in the distance.
"HELP!"
"Hey," said Tint. "Did you hear that? It's coming from over there!"
Tint points to the corn field, and Dyllan spots a pink frog dressed in a large hat and a large waistcoat. On top of him is a purple tadpole with a polka dot bow on top of its head. They are pinned behind a shed, cowering in fear in front of two silhouetted creatures.
"Looks like those kids are in trouble," said Dyllan.
Tint grins with his hands glowing. "Then let's get the jump on them, shall we?" he asked.
As the two race to rescue the two frogs, Cronaxx calls out to them. "Boys, look before you leap! We don't know anything about them yet!" When Cronaxx sees the mysterious creatures take a sickle and pitchfork in their hands, he rushes over to help as fast as he can.
Dyllan dives in to stop the creatures from attacking. The pink frog stops screaming just as Tint and Dyllan tackle the two creatures. Tint keeps his powers in check, making sure he wouldn't do anymore harm.
"Get off of me, you foul carrot monster!" cried the small shadow creature. The creature sounds like an old man. Cronaxx races behind them, still using his walking stick to catch up.
"Tint! Hold up!" Cronaxx cried. "It's just an old frog!"
Tint pushes him down to get a good look at him. The creature turns out to be an elderly orange frog with white tuff hairs on the sides of his head and wearing a waistcoat, yellow shirt, and brown trousers with spats.
"I don't know why you're protecting the corn thief, but I swear to frog, I will defeat you!" he cried. He tries to tackle Tint to the ground, but Tint is too strong and resists his pushing.
Tint crosses the frog's arms and keeps him pinned down on his back. "Take it easy gramps," he said. "I don't know what's going on. But you need to calm down!"
At the same time, Dyllan tackles the tall creature to the ground. The two roll around trying to gain control. Without any experience fighting anyone, Dyllan tries his best to subdue the creature. But the mysterious figure gets the advantage and pins him on the ground. Dyllan grunts as his face gets shoved in the dirt.
Eventually, the elder frog stops struggling from Tint's grip and shakes his head like he is waking up from a dream. He opens his eyes and he can clearly see Tint pinning him down. Then, he looks over to see the pink frog and the tadpole shivering from being afraid of the tools that they were using to hit them.
"What the heck is going on here?" He asked. "Why is this salamander pinning me on the ground? You let me up right now!"
Tint is satisfied he is now talking sense, but he is unappreciative by the frog's attitude. Cronaxx comes up to him with little breath. "Well... you were trying to attack those kids over there," he said. "I don't know what they did to you... but it's not...worth it."
"Say What!? We were attacking my grandkids?!" The frog cries out. He turns to the kids who are still in shock from being attacked. Then, he turns to Dyllan being tackled. "Wait. What is that?"
"That's my friend," replied Tint. "If this is all just a misunderstanding then tell that creature to stop."
"Alright, alright," said the frog.
Dyllan and the creature spin around, but can't get a firm grip with his hood in the way. And the creature uses that to its advantage. Dyllan and the creature keep grunting and growling, trying to pin each other to the ground like a couple of dogs. They can barely hear any of the frogs or the salamanders calling out to them.
Then, Dyllan uses his legs to push the creature off of him, and push it back on the ground. Even with the hood over his eyes, he gets back up and gets ready to attack again. And just as he dives in to attack, he hears Cronaxx and the elder frog call out to them.
"DYLLAN/ANNE! STOP!" they cried.
At that moment, Dyllan stops in his tracks just as he collides with the creature. He slightly moves his hood so that he can see the Tormaks and the frogs. "What did you just say?" he asked.
"I said stop," replied Cronaxx.
"Not you Cronaxx," said Dyllan. He points to the frog. "You, Frog. What did you say?"
The frog is confused as to why Dyllan is interested with what he said. "I said, 'Anne, stop'," replied the frog.
Dyllan turns his head, and at long last, he finds that the tall creature is his best friend, Anne Boonchuy. He gets off of her to get a better look. Anne looks almost exactly like the last time he saw her. Except her school clothes are a bit messy, a couple of leaves and a twig in her hair, and she's missing her right shoe.
"Anne?" said Dyllan. "Is that you?" Dyllan kept his eyes on Anne as she gets back up. She stops in her tracks and starts rubbing her eyes out of disbelief.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"Anne, it's me." Dyllan smiles and removes his hood exposing his head to her and the frog family. "It's Dyllan," he said. He steps back, giving her a good long look. His eyes start swelling up with tears of joy. "I'm here."
"Dyllan?" Anne asked. Dyllan replies with a simple nod, hoping that Anne would remember. Out of everything she's seen in Amphibia, the only thing she never thought she would see in her life is standing right in front of her. And that is one of her best friends, Dyllan Loyalitat
Anne shrieks with joy and Dyllan starts crying with happiness. "DYLLAN!" She rushes up and tackles him in a hug. Dyllan hugs back and laughs. Both of the friends are happy to see each other again. Even Anne let out a few tears of joy as well. The frogs stand in disbelief with their jaws open wide, but the Tormaks smile at their human companion.
"I can't believe it!" she cried.
"I can't believe it either," replied Dyllan. "I found you! I found my friend!" The two roll around on the ground, unable to keep their excitement in check. "I thought I'd never see you again! What happened to you?! And where's your other shoe!?"
"I think I lost somewhere!" Anne cried. "But that doesn't matter. You're here! And I... I just... Oh, I missed you so much!" Anne hugs Dyllan again and he hugs back.
"I missed you too Anne," said Dyllan. "You have no idea what's happened to me!"
"No duh," said Anne. "I mean, look at you!" She takes a look at his blue cape. "And nice cape. Are you like some kind of wandering traveler?"
"Oh, I'm more than that Anne," replied Dyllan. He picks up his staff and shows it to Anne. She gawks at with with awe. "Marcy is gonna be so jealous when she sees this," he said.
"Oh right," said Anne. "Are Sasha and Marcy with you?"
"I was going to ask you the same thing," said Dyllan.
"Hey!" The two turn to the pink frog who calls out to them. "What's going on here?!"
"Oh, right! You guys!" said Anne. She presents her human friend to the frogs. "This is Dyllan Loyalitat. He's one of my best friends from my world!"
Dyllan shyly waves hello to the frogs, "Uh...heh, Hi?"
"Dyllan, meet the Plantars." She points to the elderly frog. "There's Hopediah Plantar. Or Hop Pop for short."
"Hello there," said Hop Pop.
Then, Anne points to the tadpole. "The little tadpole down there is Hop pop's grand daughter, Polly."
"Wassup," said Polly.
And finally, Anne points to the pink frog. "And this is Sprig, Hop pop's grandson and Polly's older brother."
"Hi! It's nice to meet you," said Sprig. "And if you're Anne's best friend, I guess that makes us bestie-in-laws!" He laughs at the title, which makes Dyllan smile.
"Well, Sprig," he said. "Thank you so much for looking after my friend." He offers him a high five. "Up Top!" Sprig responds by hitting his hand with his tongue. Dyllan grosses out in response, and Anne laughs.
"He did the same thing to me before," she said.
"I hope we're not interrupting anything else," said Tint.
Dyllan brushes off the mucus and looks to his salamander friends. "Oh no, you're not," replied Dyllan. "Anne, Plantars, I'd like you to meet the Tormaks. The salamander wizards who found me, and took me in." He points to the elderly salamander first. "This is Cronaxx Tormak, a professional wizard. He's walked on this world for a very long time."
"A pleasure to meet you all," said Cronaxx. He shakes Hop pop's hand.
"A pleasure to meet you too." replied Hop Pop.
Then, Dyllan points to his friend. "And this here, is his great great nephew, Tint Tormak. Cronaxx's top student and my amphibious friend. He's the one who found me when I was all alone."
Tint bows in respect and says, "It is a pleasure to meet you all."
"Thank you both for saving me and Polly earlier," said Sprig.
"Yeah, what was all that about?" Cronaxx asked.
"Why don't we go inside and discuss this," said Hop pop. "It's been a long night."
The group enters the living room and discuss what's been going on at the farm. Apparently, Sprig and Polly were watching Hop pop and Anne argue the past few days. It got out of hand so badly, that Sprig had devised a plan to get them to work together. So they faked a robbery by stealing the corn themselves and made Anne and Hop pop keep watch for their made up thief.
During their watch, Anne and Hop pop drank each other's energy drinks causing them to hallucinate and argue some more. After seeing them fight during the lookout, Sprig took Polly and dressed themselves up as the corn thief. The disguise worked a little too well. And in the end, Anne and Hop pop worked together and stopped the so-called corn thief. And that's when Dyllan and the salamanders arrived.
"Wow," said Dyllan. "That must've been difficult."
"In my experience," said Cronaxx. "Sometimes, the best way to settle an argument is by letting the two factions settle themselves naturally."
"That's what I've been trying to tell him!" shouted Polly.
"Well it worked, didn't it?" Sprig asked.
Anne isn't paying attention to the end of the story. All she's doing is looking with disbelief that her friend Dyllan is sitting next to her. The next thing she did is poke his arm.
"Hey Anne, cut it out," said Dyllan with a smile.
Anne chuckles, "I'm sorry. I still can't believe that you're here!" They pat each other on their heads, making them smile.
"I'm just really glad that I found you," he said. Then he starts to yawn. "Alright, it's getting late. We should probably get some rest."
Then, Anne gets an idea. "Oh, Hop Pop. Can Dyllan and the salamanders stay here with us?"
Hop Pop isn't sure about the idea. "Uh, I'm not so sure Anne. We don't have a lot of room around here. Plus, the last time you bunked with Sprig, it didn't end well."
"I think it'll be okay Hop Pop," said Sprig. "Tint can bunk with me and we'll see how it goes from there."
"Uhh..You sure you want me to be your roommate?" Tint asked. "I don't do well with others."
"Nonsense," said Sprig. "It'll be easy. Cronaxx can take the living room, you can bunk with me, and Dyllan can bunk with Anne."
"Woah woah, hold on there, boy!" Hop Pop shouted. "These are salamander wizards. They could practice all sorts of mumbo jumbo in our own home."
"Why not?" Polly asked. "It would be cool to see them practicing magic."
"That's the problem Polly," said Hop pop. "What if something goes wrong and the house gets blown up by a failed potion?"
Dyllan and Anne look out the window and spot the barn not far from the house. "What about that barn over there?" asked Dyllan.
"Are you blind?!" Hop pop asked. "Our snail lives in there!"
"We'll call it a safety measure," said Cronaxx. "We can use the barn to practice potions and arcane arts once a week. And if anything goes wrong in the barn, Dyllan and Tint will help fix it back up."
"And besides," said Dyllan. "It's not like going to be forever. It's just until we can find our other friends and return home."
He looks out the window and stares into the stars. "If me and Anne are stuck here, then that means Sasha and Marcy are out there somewhere too."
"Wait a minute," said Hop Pop. "Where did you guys come from anyway?"
"We came from an island off the west side of the mainland," replied Tint.
"But how did you guys get through the mountain pass?" Anne asked. "Hop Pop said that it's impenetrable this time of year."
"It's quite simple Anne," said Dyllan. He whistles out the window and Clipper comes out of the tree line. Anne and the Plantars are amazed at a large dragonfly standing in front of their farm. "We flew here. It wasn't easy, but we made it."
"Wow," said Sprig. "We can go anywhere with that dragonfly!"
"I wouldn't count on that Sprig," said Dyllan. "One, we barely made it across. Two, there's not enough room to carry all of us. And three, one of his wings is still recovering. So for the time being, he's grounded."
"Come on Hop Pop," said Anne. "Can't Dyllan and the salamanders stay with us for the time being? Puh-lease?" She gives him the puppy eyes as she begs on her knees.
Hop Pop isn't entirely bright on the idea. But at the same time, he thinks that having an extra pair of hands can't hurt the farm's productivity. And with their dragonfly Clipper, they can help make deliveries, handing our vegetables all over the village. And the wizards can help improve their family lifestyle around the farm. He thinks that if anyone gets hurt, they can heal their injuries in no time flat.
So Hop Pop sighs in defeat, giving into Anne's pleas. "Alright," he says. "But I don't want you freeloading around here. Nor do I want any of your hocus-pocus business at least once a week. All I ask is that you three help us around the farm, whether it would be growing and harvesting crops, feeding Bessie and your dragonfly, making repairs, cleaning up around the house, and aiding us if any of us get hurt. Deal?"
Cronaxx approaches Hop pop and offers a handshake. "You got a deal," he said. Hop pop smiles and shakes hands, agreeing to the terms. "We'll do our part to help you with your farm. In exchange, you give us shelter and food to eat. Plus, we will practice our magic training outside the farm."
"Very well," said Hop pop. "Lights out kids. Sprig, you will show Tint to your room. Anne, take Dyllan to the basement so he can unpack his stuff." The kids nod in agreement and make their way to their quarters.
"And the little Pollywog keeps her bucket!" cheered Polly. She hops upstairs to sleep in her bucket.
Cronaxx starts settling in the living room. He enjoys snuggling in his bedroll on the couch cushions. "I kinda like how comfortable this is," he said. Hop pop nods in agreement and makes his way up to his room.
Tint brings his stuff all the way up to Sprig's room. "Nice place you got here," he said. "So, where should I sleep?"
Sprig points to the left side of his room. "You can leave your stuff here," he said. "I do hope things will turn out okay this time."
"What do you mean by 'this time'?" Tint asked.
"Because not long ago, Anne and I shared my room when the basement leaked," replied Sprig. "Let's just say it didn't work out. She kept opening the window, letting the cold air in. She was also eating loud snacks, and reading in the middle of the night."
"Well then," said Tint. "I think we can make this work. I can stand closed windows, I only snack on soft foods, and I can read without using a light. But more importantly, I know when it's time to sleep."
Sprig smiles and says, "Then let's give it a few nights, and see where it takes us." Tint uses his magic to unpack his basic essentials. His telekinesis unrolls his bed mat, shelves his hygiene tools, and lays out his clothes for tomorrow. Sprig smiles again, removes his hat and goes to bed. "Good night Tint," he said.
"Night, Sprig," said Tint. He snugs into his bed roll and turns to face the wall. "It's just temporary," he whispered. "Once the mountain pass clears up, we'll be on the road."
Down in the basement, Dyllan is settling in. He sets up his bedside across from Anne's, removes his cape and empties his backpack of his essentials.. All the while, Anne is gazing at his magic staff again. Never before has she seen a rare artifact like a magic staff in real life.
"Wow, so this is a real magic staff?" she asked.
Dyllan nods, "It sure is," he replied. "And not only that, Lerrad's staff actually did something to me." Dyllan takes the staff and gives it a couple swirls, making the staff glow. Anne watches with wonder and gazes at the red aura surrounding the crystal. Then she hears Dyllan chanting, "Licht!" Then the staff magically starts spouting small orbs of light all around the basement.
"Hoopa Da Boopa, you can do that?!" Anne asked.
Dyllan nods yes. "I'm training with the salamanders to control my newfound magic powers," he said. "And perhaps one day, under Cronaxx's guidance, I can become the first human wizard in all of Amphibia." Anne smiles at him, and Dyllan smiles back.
"So where did you start in all of this?" Anne asked.
Dyllan explains his story to Anne. Of how he woke up in the middle of the mysterious marshlands, to being attacked by a giant raccoon. From meeting the salamander tribe, Tint, and Cronaxx. Then, he explains how he found his staff, learning his special abilities, and planing to give back to the salamander community. He then explains how he met his dragonfly, how he saved the tribe's herd of earthworms, and eventually how he became a member of the Nightoum tribe. Then he narrates how he traveled across all of Frog Valley, visiting Lily Paddington, Bog Bottom, and Swamp Shiro. And finally, reaching his last stop in Wartwood, up to the point where he finds her.
"Now it's your turn," said Dyllan. "How did you get into Wartwood?"
And so, Anne explains her story of how she started in Amphibia. From wandering the wilderness, to living in a cave. Then, meeting Sprig, the Plantars, and the citizens of Wartwood. How she and Sprig became friends. Then, she tells him how she tried to fix Hop Pop's cane when she broke it. She tells him how she and Sprig shared his bedroom when the basement leaked. Of course it didn't end well, but their friendship grew stronger when they became honest with one other. And finally, she explains to him about how they tried to make pizza for the potluck competition.
"You tried to make pizza?" Dyllan asked. "Please tell me you didn't add 'the topping that must not be named'." he shutters.
"Yep, and we didn't, thank goodness," said Anne in a relieved tone. "Then it all leads up to what just happened the last few days. I'm so glad you arrived when you did. Things could've turned ugly."
"No doubt," said Dyllan. "You could've killed Sprig." He yawns and stretches out. "Okay, Anne. Let's get some rest. We got a whole new day ahead of us. We've got a lot of planning on what to do once that mountain pass clears up."
"Dyllan," said Anne. Dyllan turns around, and to his surprise, Anne hugs him smiling from ear to ear. "I'm so glad you found me."
Dyllan smiled back at returns the hug. "Me too," he said. "I don't know what I'd do without you guys. But now that we're together, we're going to find Sasha and Marcy. And then, we're gonna get back home. That's the Loyalitat Vow." The two grow very tired. "Alright, goodnight Anne."
"Goodnight, Dyllan," said Anne. The two settle in their beds and fall fast asleep. Tint and Sprig are asleep as well. Tint vaguely hears Sprig's croaking, but he doesn't mind that. Polly is comfortable sleeping in her bucket, along with Hop Pop in his bedroom.
In the living room, Cronaxx looks out the window before he falls asleep. He stares at the yellow letter 'P' on the sign hanging on the front of the house. He smiles looking at it, then he settles in for the night.
And there you have it! Dyllan Loyalitat has reunited with one of his best friends, Anne Boonchuy! And if you read this chapter carefully, you could've guessed that this chapter takes place at the end of the events of "Steakout" And the first fourteen chapters of Dyllan's adventure were in the timespan of three weeks. Now that Dyllan has found Anne, they'll have to wait until Clipper's wing is healed, and for the mountain pass to clear up. So for the time being, they'll be going on various adventures all over Wartwood. So what's in store for the lost humans? Stay tuned to find out. Until then, Keep On Truckin'!