Amphibia: Calamity Warriors
Chapter Fifty-Five: The Day She Came
After the events that took place at the Frostbound Citadel and the Shadow Isles, the group returned to Wartwood and decided to take a few days to recover. Although they did some light training and preparations for the third temple, they mostly took time to unwind and relax for the next few days.
Today, the group sat in the main hall of Swampview Manor, enjoying some pizza that Shadow had prepared for everyone, thanks to Anne's instructions, of course.
"This is really good!" Valor said with a smile before taking another bite of his pizza.
"You really know how to cook, Shadow!" Marcy declared.
"Please, you should try Anne's way of making pizza." Shadow waved it off.
"What are you talking about? This is amazing!" Ina declared.
"Truly an exquisite dish!" Apollo said, showing rare joy.
"I know I had my doubts, but this is delicious!" Hop Pop said.
"I wish my mouth was bigger!" Kaemon exclaimed.
"Right?! Shadow's a great cook!" Sprig chimed in. "With Anne right next to him."
Just then, Clarissa had walked in, having returned after another training session for her duel. After the events that occurred, almost everyone was ready to throw the vengeful salamander out, but Shadow said otherwise, choosing to honor his word with their duel, and while some were against this decision, no one pushed it. Even Valeriana allowed her great granddaughter to stay, despite her worries, on the condition that she set up shop in town, in case something happened.
Anne was especially against keeping Clarissa around, given how the salamander not only tried to kill her boyfriend twice, but her as well to hurt Shadow. Still, she wanted to at least try to honor Shadow's request and at least try to be nice.
Seeing Clarissa heading for the guest room that Shadow had for her, Anne spoke up.
"Oh, hey Clarissa, wanna try this?" She asked.
The salamander magician looked at the otherworldly dish with distrust. "That depends, who made it?" She asked.
"Shadow did." Marcy said. "He's surprisingly a good cook."
Clarissa narrowed her eyes at the pizza. "Sorry, I'll have to decline. I don't wish to be poisoned." She said, the comment harshly aimed at Shadow, before she tried to move forward when Sprig hoped in front of her.
"Wait, Clari!" Sprig loudly pleaded, holding a slice. "Just because you hate Shadow, doesn't mean you need to starve to death. Come on, give it try."
"Why should I trust you in this regard?" She asked with a raised brow.
"What? Does this look like a face that can deceive you?" Sprig asked with a cute face.
The warrior glared at the pink frog for a bit, and then let out a defeated sigh.
"I suppose not."
She took the pizza slice, slowly bringing it to her mouth, and bit the tip of it, tasting it as she chewed.
"Yeah, this is okay I guess."
A couple of seconds later, her face lit up from the taste.
"WHOA! The taste just kicked in! The cheese, the oregano, the dangerously delicious tomato in a mushy, yet delightful paste! All cooked together in a perfectly seasoned, circular bread! I think…I think I'm in love! What is this blessing from the Gods?!"
"That Clari, is called pizza." Anne told her, pointing a finger gun at her.
"I love it! I love pizza! This is perhaps the greatest thing I've ever eat-" She stopped herself, noticing the smirks coming from the others, with Polly rising an eyebrow. "I mean, it's fine, not dying, so that's great, I guess." She said, trying to pass it off as nothing. "But... just to be safe." Tapping the butt end of her staff on the ground, she levitated a few more slices and proceeded to go to her room. "I'll have to check these, to make sure they're not poisoned." She quickly closed the door behind her.
"I think she's starting to like us." Sprig said with a smile.
"I wouldn't bet on it." Valor frowned. "Let's not forget how she tried to kill Azazel…twice!"
"Yeah, I'm still suspicious of her." Ina nodded. "I wouldn't put it past her to try a third time."
"Let's give it time, everyone." Hop Pop said. "She just needs time to adjust."
"I still don't trust her!" Polly exclaimed.
"Just give it time, everyone." Shadow said. "She'll come around."
Anne, of course, had her doubts, the image of the salamander about to bring her sword down on her neck was still fresh in her mind. Still, she wanted to at least give her a chance.
After eating, Shadow and Anne went to the training yard and went through several sparring sessions, to check for any changes, and while their fighting skills seemed to have been refined, they did notice something, and not just fighting skills.
After a few rounds of practice, the couple sat on a log, drinking water.
"You feel it too, right?" Shadow asked within his mind.
"Yeah, it's kinda freaky, not gonna lie." Anne spoke telepathically. "It's like our souls are link, since the Valhal stuff happened."
"And then there's this." Shadow raised a hand, and as if on command, the shadow's moved at the motion of his hand. "I seem to have gained the ability to manipulate the darkness. Strange, as I've never had this level of abilities from my younger years."
"Hey, check this out!" Anne said, forming an orb of light in her hands, shaping it to form a tennis racket. "I'm beginning to get more control over light. Pretty neat, no lie."
"Still, I find it concerning." Shadow said with a frown.
The two sat in silence before Shadow stood up. "Before we conclude our training for today, there's a trick I want to teach you."
"Ooh, new skills!" Anne said with excitement, standing up next to her boyfriend.
"First, draw out Azura's Tear."
Following as she was instructed, Anne pulled her sword from its sheath.
"Now, toss it."
Anne seemed confused at first, but did as she was told, throwing her sword, the weapon spinning before the blade got lodged into a tree.
"This is a trick I got around to teaching myself." Shadow said. "Now, without moving from your spot, I want you to call your weapon back to you."
"Eh?" Anne said in utter confusion, a brow raised.
"Call your sword back." Shadow repeated.
Anne looked at him for a moment before looking at her sword, still lodged in the tree.
"Uuhh…Azura's Tear!" She called, holding her hand out.
Nothing happened.
"Azura's Tear, return!" She called again.
Still nothing.
"Azura's Tear, get your butt over here!" Anne shouted.
Again, nothing.
"Oh, for Frog's sake!" Anne yelled in frustration.
Shadow pulled his Black Hope katana from its sheath and threw it a few feet away. He then held out his hand and focused, his hand glowing black, and shortly enough, the Black Hope came flying back into his hand.
"Focus on your weapon." Shadow instructed. "Focus on its name and beacon it back."
Anne tried again, this time, closing her eyes and focusing on the weapons name, beckoning it to return. For a moment, again, nothing happened, at first. Then her hand lit with blue energy, the sword twitching a bit before flying out of the tree and into her hand handle first, much to her surprise.
"Oh my gosh, I actually did it!" She exclaimed in joy.
"Good job, Anne." Shadow said with a smile.
"I'd like to see that Thresh creep mess with me now!" Anne declared with a smirk.
"Do not mistake the chain warden you fought earlier to the Risen we have been killing again." Shadow warned her. "These... Corruptants are stronger, and faster, and apparently smart enough to make their own decisions and sapient enough to be considered an individual being. Not even the Empyrean hold as large a candle to them. He was probably summoned to gauge your power and aid in your physical rehabilitation. Their master apparently hurts you because he cares." He shuddered, remarking with a laugh, "Now that's an odd thought. Imagine the source of all our troubles to in the end be an alternate version of myself."
Anne looked at Shadow with concern. "Are you okay?" She asked, worried.
"Yeah, I think so." Shadow nodded, although he seemed unsure.
Ever since the events of the expedition to the Shadow Isles, all in order to save Anne from the Mark of the End, Shadow had begun to feel dark urges within himself. Not to mention he started hearing His echo in his mind more than ever, even louder than before, causing more nightmares and making it harder for him to sleep or focus on daily routines.
But with Anne, Kaemon, and the Plantars by his side, he felt calmer, at peace, the echoes falling silent, thanks to their positive influence. For now, at least.
The two cleaned up before returning to the manor where Marcy and Apollo were waiting.
"Hey guys!" Marcy waved. "How'd the training go?"
"Pretty well, I think." Anne said. "But to be honest, it's kinda scary, having all this power."
"With great power comes great responsibility." Apollo said in a solemn tone. "It's a price we pay."
Looking around, Shadow noticed some characters were missing. "Where is everyone?" He asked.
"The Plantars are getting things ready for the third temple, with Kaemon, Ina and Valor helping, along with Frobo and Echo." Marcy told him. "According to my notes, the next stop is Death's Eye Mountain, and from the look of things, the Risen's presence has been causing the volcano to become active, extremely unstable."
"It will be dangerous, as the temple is the mountain itself." Apollo told them. "Besides the heat, the chances of it erupting are high."
"Sounds intense." Anne remarked.
"Even more reason for us to prepare as best we can." Shadow said.
Soon, Apollo and Marcy left to help the Plantars prepare, while Shadow and Anne made their own preparations at the manor, gathering their tools and other gear for the journey.
"So, I was looking through your old armory, and I found some pretty neat stuff." Anne said. "Like this thing."
She held up what looked like a grapple gun, a small blue device with a spike attached to a chain.
"Ah, the hookshot." Shadow chuckled. "I used to use that thing to swing around all the time, when I was younger."
Anne thought for a moment before saying, "Speaking of which, I'm curious about something."
"Does it involve my past again?" Shadow asked.
"To be honest, yeah." Anne nodded. "Specifically, about Karlia. How did you meet her?"
Shadow thought for a moment, looking back on the memories he had of the newt that was a sister to him, her bright smile and sparkling eyes flashing in his mind, bringing a smile to his face.
"Well, I suppose since you know what she's like," Shadow said, sitting down with Anne sitting before him, eagerly awaiting him to tell more, even. "It's only fair that you learn how she came."
Ten years before…
It was a bright early morning in Newtopia. The various citizens got for to go to work, the high priestess had gotten up to address the morning masses, everything seemed peaceful.
One particular carriage stopped at the stairs that lead up to the castle, allowing the occupants to exit. One of them was a younger Yunan, sporting longer hair and a young captain at the time, along with a young, hopeful Karlia, a nun for the High Priestess and a graduated tutor, wearing white clothing.
Looking up at the castle, young Karlia was ecstatic, filled with excitement and glee.
"Here we are, ma'am." Yunana declared, standing at attention next to the young woman.
"Ooh, this is so exciting!" Karlia said, giddy with excitement. "Finally, I get to meet the Royal Family, the King of Newtopia!"
"You know, most people would be horrified at the thought of meeting the Royal Family." Yunan said.
"The only ones that would be afraid are those who break the law and outsiders." Karlia said with a smile. "But I've been looking forward to this day for so long!"
Rolling her eyes, Yunan lead the young nun up the stairs into the hall before crossing paths with Andrias himself, along with his wife, Astrid, and their son, Apollo. All the while, Karlia bounced with excitement, only stopping when Yunan placed a hand on her shoulder to cease her bouncing.
"Ah, you must be the new tutor." Andrias said with a smile. "Karlia, was it?"
"Yes sir! Reporting for duty!" The young newt declared with a salute. "It is truly an honor to meet you, your highness!" She looked down at the younger Apollo. "Aw, hello there, young man. You must be Apollo, am I right?" She said with softness in her voice.
"Er…hello…" Apollo said shyly before ducking behind his mother.
"I hope you don't mind, but he's a little shy." Astrid said with a warm smile, gently patting her son's head. "Just give him some time to warm up to you."
"In the meantime, go meet with my advisor, Octavian." Andrias instructed. "The old codger should be down in the dungeons, like always. Olivia will show you the way."
"We'll be heading for an out-of-town event we have to attend." Astrid said. "Yunan, make sure you head to the barracks and get the new blood on track."
"Understood, ma'am!" Yunan nodded.
"Well, we're off." Andrias declared, sharing one more smile with the nun newt. "I have high expectations of you, young lady."
Karlia watched the royal family leave, that excited smile on her face never leaving.
"Right this way, ma'am."
The nun followed the captain down another hall before the captain passed her off to Olivia, who led her down another set of halls and into the dungeons, where Olivia's father, the royal advisor to the king and minister of justice, Octavian, was waiting, scribbling something on some parchment on his desk, all the while the sound of whipping could be heard echoing through the halls. The newt was old, had graying hair and had dark blue skin and a lighter underbelly, wearing long, black robes fitting for a newt of his position.
"Hemlock!" The old newt called.
Stepping into the doorway was Hemlock Longclaw, who at the time was a general, and when needed, torturer, holding a bloody whip in his hand.
"Sir?" The tall newt said.
"Ease up, wait between lashes. Otherwise, that salamander won't be able to feel the new sting." Octavian told him. "And we must make sure he learns his place, right?"
Hemlock smiled with cruelty. "Of course, Sir Octavian."
As the tall newt returned to the lashing, Octavian was about to return to his reports, before he noticed the new tutor in the doorway.
"Ah, there you are!" He said as he got up from his desk. "So, this is the High Priestess' star pupil, Karlia."
"That's me-reporting for duty!" The young nun declared, fists on her hips and an eager smile on her face.
"Your grades and reputation precede you, young lady." Octavian said, holding up some papers detailing Karlia's grades. "I expect nothing else from a nun of your caliber."
"And you'll have that and more, I can promise you that." Karlia declared.
"Yes... you know, our last tutor we had was a... a bit of disappointment to me." Whipping was then heard, along with some scream of pain, much to Karlia's cringe and Octavian's delight. "Well, no matter, I'm sure you'll... whip the boys into shape."
Not knowing if he meant that as a joke or not, Karlia kept her mouth shut and followed him as he stepped out of the room.
"As you know, the salamanders are becoming restless, ever since they were subjugated." The old newt said. "I've devised a plan to put them in their place, with the King's approval, of course. All I need is a general with a strong conviction and willing to get their hands dirty."
"The salamanders?" Karlia questioned.
"The salamanders live outside the normal order." Octavian told her. "Their heathen ways inflame the people's lowest instincts, and they must be taught a lesson." He stopped at a balcony, a few small ants sprawling on the cobblestone. "For many years, I have been taking care of the salamanders. One. By. One." He punctuated his point by pressing his fingers on the ants, killing them. "And yet, for all my success," He then pulled the loose stone from place, revealing a large group of ants underneath. "They have thrived. They have a safe haven outside these walls, that they call Valhal." He said that last part in a mocking tone.
"And what are you going to do about it?" Karlia asked.
Rather than answering, the old newt slammed the slab he had picked up back into place on the railing, killing the ants.
Karlia gulped a nervous lump and gave an anxious smile. "You make your point very clear, sir." She said.
"You know, I like you, Karlia." Octavian said with a smirk. "Shall we-"
"Father." Olivia spoke up, entering the scene. "The prince is at the classroom, ready for the new tutor."
"Ugh... duty calls." Octavian said with an eyeroll before looking at Karlia. "Have you ever met anything like Prince Azazel, Karlia?"
This confused the newt nun, having not expected that. She had heard about the mysterious adopted son of Andrias, called Azazel, how everyone theorized about what he looked like or if this adopted child was even real. Now, it was her chance to see it for herself.
"Um... not to my recent knowledge, sir." She answered.
"Then this should be quite the education for you. Come along."
As they followed him, Karlia turned to Olivia. "What does he mean by that?" She asked.
"Well... to put it simply, the Prince is... special." Olivia answered vaguely, which only fed Karlia more questions.
Eventually, the three arrived at the door that led to the classroom, Octavian pushing the door open.
"This will be your student."
Karlia almost gasped when she saw the boy sitting at one of the desks. He wasn't a frog, nor toad, nor newt, not even salamander.
Azazel Leviathan was a human. About the size of a young newt child, relatively skinny, a round head with short black hair atop his head.
The young boy looked up and seemed a bit shy, especially scared when he saw Octavian walk through the door, but he relaxed a bit when he saw Olivia.
"This is Karlia, boy; your new tutor." The old newt said sternly. "You are expected to behave and listen to her instructions, understand?"
"Yes, sir." Azazel nodded.
Nodding, Octavian turned to Karlia. "He's all yours. I have high expectations of you, young lady." As he turned towards the door, he turned his head back to Karlia. "And before I forget, remember; Prince Azazel is to never leave the castle grounds. Is that understood?"
"Of course, sir." Karlia nodded.
After the old newt left, Olivia nodded to her before following after her father, leaving the young nun alone with the human. Karlia was still unsure on how to approach this. She was looking forward to teaching the sons of the Royal Family, but this revelation took her by surprise.
Still, she was willing to try.
"Hello there, young man." She said with a smile. "It's nice to finally meet you!"
Azazel was silent for a moment before nodding, "To you as well."
"Nice to see you have manners." Karlia remarked. "Your parents must've taught you well."
"Yeah. They did." Azazel nodded.
"Well, shall we get started?" She asked. "I've already got plenty of lessons to teach you!"
"Okay." Azazel nodded, an eager smile on his face.
Over the next few hours, Karlia took Azazel through several lessons, teaching him various subjects. And the whole time, Azazel was enjoying the lessons, a smile on his face as he paid attention. Sure, she may have been reluctant to teach him, but over the last few hours, she had warmed up to him.
"Alright, and can you tell me what caused the Toad Badlands to become what they are?" Karlia asked.
"It was a result of the Toad Rebellions?" Azazel answered.
"That's right." Karlia nodded. "The Toad Badlands are a result of the Toad Uprising and the restless toads, forcing the Newt King to lay siege on the land, forcing the toads to surrender."
Just then, there were fireworks heard going outside, the two taking notice of, Karlia walking over to the window and pushing it open, seeing a large crowd in the streets, along with stalls and performers.
"Ah, it must be that time for the Festival of Ages." Karlia remarked before seeing a downcast look on Azazel's face. "What's the matter?"
"I've always wanted to explore outside the castle." He said with a sigh. "But I'm never allowed, because of the way I look."
Karlia thought for a moment. This was no doubt why no one ever saw the adopted prince; it was due to him being isolated within the castle, mostly out of fear of how the public would react.
In Karlia's eyes, that was no way to raise a child.
"Then how about I take you there?" She suggested with a smile.
Azazel looked up in surprise. "No way! We'd both get in trouble for sure!"
"Not if we go in disguise." Karlia said confidently. "As long as we remain discreet, no one will know."
Azazel seemed hesitant for a moment, not wanting to get himself or the nun in trouble. But he really wanted to see the festival, and Karlia was right to some degree.
What Octavian and the King didn't know wouldn't hurt, right?
"Okay." He nodded.
A few minutes later, Karlia had successfully snuck the young prince out of the castle, the nun having him wear a cloak to hide his identity, before making their way to the festival, passing various stalls and street performers.
Azazel looked about the festivities with wide eyes in awe.
"Are you liking it so far?" Karlia asked.
"It's amazing!" Azazel said in amazement.
The two went onward before approaching a stall that involved darts.
"Hey, step right up and test your aim!" The newt running the stall declared. "Pop ten balloons and win a prize!"
Excited, Azazel pulled Karlia over. "Karlia, over here! I wanna win a prize!" He declared.
"Ah, would you like to test your aim, young man?" The newt running the stall asked with a grin. "Just pop ten balloons and you could win a prize!"
Looking at the prizes, Azazel gasped at the sight of a pink butterfly plushy.
"Karlia, look!" Azazel exclaimed, pointing at the plushie. "I'm gonna win you that!"
Karlia blushed at this, a smile creeping on her face. "Well, do your best!" She encouraged him.
The newt stall runner laid out ten darts, Azazel taking up one dart before throwing it, easily popping the first balloon, then another, and another. By the time he was down to his final dart, he had already popped nine balloons. He threw his last dart, popping the last balloon.
"Congratulations, young man!" The stall runner declared, pulling down the plushie from the wall. "Here's your prize!"
Smiling, Azazel took the plushie and presented it to Karlia, the newt nun taking in, smiling.
"Thank you, young man." She said. "You really didn't have to."
"But I wanted to." Azazel said. "You've been so kind to me, where others judged me harshly. So, I wanted to thank you!"
Karlia smiled warmly at his words. "Well, now I feel like I need to win you something." Looking at the walls of the stall, she saw a bright green dragonfly plushie. "How about that?"
Looking at the plushie, Azazel's eyes widened with awe. "Yes!" He declared, nodding excitedly.
After the stall runner laid out the darts, Karlia started throwing them with expert precision, popping one balloon after another, before popping the tenth balloon.
"Nice shot, ma'am!" The stall runner declared as he took down the dragonfly plushie and gave it to her.
"Here you are." Karlia gave Azazel the plushie. "Now we both have plushies."
Azazel squealed with joy as he hugged his plushie. "Thank you, Karlia, for taking me out here." He said, his eyes sparkling with admiration.
"Happy to do so." Karlia smiled, happy to see the young prince smile.
The two walked away from the stall, enjoying the festivities.
"I'm having such a fun time!" Azazel declared.
"But we barely just got here." Karlia pointed out, giggling at the boy's excitement. "So far, we've only played one game."
"Just being out of the castle is a breath of fresh air." Azazel said. "And I have you to thank for it."
Karlia smiled at this, but when she looked up, her joy was replaced with dread at what she saw. Noticing this, Azazel looked behind himself and was shocked to see Octavian standing before them, along with Olivia and Hemlock, the boy retreating behind Karlia.
There was a moment of silence before the old newt spoke.
"You disappoint me, Karlia." He said with visible venom. "I recall telling you that Azazel Leviathan was to never leave the castle, and yet, here you are, disobeying my orders."
"Sir Octavian, please, if you could let me explain…" Karlia tried to defend herself.
"I don't want your excuses, nun!" Octavian didn't give her a chance, not having any of it. "I will see you locked up in the dungeon to await the King's judgement." He turned to his son-in-law. "Captain Hemlock, arrest her."
The captain stepped forward, flanked by several guards, while Olivia could only watch in fear for the nun.
"NO! I won't let you do that!" Azazel yelled, getting in between them to protect Karlia, defiance in his eyes. "She's the only tutor I will ever want. She's kind, she's smart, and most all, she doesn't treat me like a freak. So please, don't throw Karlia in the dungeon, let her teach me more things. Please!"
Karlia was touched by his words. Never in her entire life had she had a student like him who looked up to her and willing to defend her.
Octavian glared at the boy, but he knew that Azazel was right. Out of all the teachers they tried to get for the princes, this one seemed to fit the most, and they couldn't afford to find another.
He sighed reluctantly. "Stand down, Hemlock." He said, much to the shock of the Captain, and he almost protested, but shut his lips, knowing better than to argue with the royal advisor. "Very well, your highness. Karlia will continue to serve as your tutor." He said, then turned his attention to her, and adding. "But I warn you, young nun. Anymore disregard to the castle rules, and you'll be sent back to the High Priestess, as a disgrace. Understand?"
"Yes, sir."
As the advisor left the scene with the captain and Olivia following behind.
Azazel looked up at Karlia with shame. "I'm sorry, Karlia. I didn't mean to get you into trouble."
"Don't be sorry, Azazel." Karlia smiled, crouching down a bit and caressing his cheek. "It was worth it, to see you smile."
Azazel smiled before hugging her, the newt reciprocating before standing up, holding the boys hand as they returned to the castle.
The next day, Karlia was in her classroom when Azazel walked in, along with young Apollo.
"Good morning, Karlia!" He declared happily. "Look who I brought!"
Karlia looked up, seeing the young newt prince standing next to the human.
"Ah, hello there." She greeted with a warm smile. "Have you come to attend my class as well?"
Apollo seemed shy for a moment before he found the right words. "Um, yes ma'am." He nodded. "I, uh…also have something for you."
He timidly held up a sheet of paper, much to Karlia's curiosity. Taking the paper, she saw that it was a drawing of herself, Apollo and Azazel, holding hands, with words above reading 'Future Friends'.
Karlia felt her heart warming, tears of gratitude forming in her eyes.
"It's beautiful."
Present day…
"Ever since then, we formed a beautiful friendship." Shadow said, recounting the day. "She taught me many things and I looked up to her like a big sister to me."
"Wow." Anne said in awe. "She sounded awesome. I wish I could've met her."
Smiling, Shadow walked to his room and returned with the same dragonfly plushie, though it seemed to have gotten a bit dirty over the years.
"I still have this plushie to this day." He said, looking at the plushie fondly. "It's a reminder of the times that truly made me happy."
Anne looked at the doll and smiled. "You should get this little guy cleaned up."
The two laughed, both unaware of Clarrisa listening from the other side of her guest room door, having listened to the whole story. After hearing about this tutor that Shadow valued so much, for a moment, the salamander seemed to be reconsidering her earlier assumptions, sharing a similar pain to the Black Wolf.
She shook her head, however, quickly pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind. She was not going to let this win her over.
She was determined to surpass the Wolf.
Nighttime came, and everyone had departed for bed. Well, almost everyone. Shadow was still awake, brushing Joe Sparrow a few feet away from the manor, at Marcy's request, of course, which the boy in black didn't mind.
"Did anyone ever tell you that you have such beautiful feathers?" He commented, earning a happy chirp in response from the bird. "Yeah, I bet Marcy tells you that a lot."
Suddenly, he noticed what sounded like the flapping of a large bird, much larger than Joe by comparison. Looking up, he saw Skye up in the sky flying towards them.
"Well, look who it is." He said with a smile.
Joe chirped happily as the object of his affection landed, not wasting time attempting to bust into his mating dance.
"Now's not the best time, Joe." Shadow chastised the bird, approaching the roc and petting her. "How'd the reconnaissance go?"
Skye shrieked in response, and from the sound of it, it seemed urgent.
"Any idea on what Sasha is up to?" Shadow asked.
The roc chirped, the answer making Shadow raise an eyebrow.
"The northern toad tower, huh…" He mused. "Even took down a narwhal worm. That must mean she has the Calamity power within her as well…"
He looked down and saw what looked like a rolled-up parchment tied around the roc's leg, adding to his confusion.
"Where'd this come from?" He wondered, removing the letter from Skye's leg and holding it up to her. "Don't suppose you know where this came from?"
The roc shrieked, as though to say no.
"Huh. Curious." He said, looking at the parchment. "I wonder…"
He undid the twine and unrolled it, revealing it to be a letter, before he started to read.
Dear Shadow Plantar-Leviathan and Co.,
If you are reading this message, then you have managed to save Anne Prime from the Mark of the End, if not at the price of your light. Neither of us need to stress enough the consequences of this gamble. With your karma so imbalanced, you are especially vulnerable to Satanael's influence. I can only assume you, and by extension the other Calamity Warriors are now able to see and hear his echo, but its more complicated than that.
You may have noticed that you are feeling more compelled to commit in more infamous acts as time progresses. These subconscious urges will only continue to grow in strength as time goes on. Eventually it will reach a point where you lose control of all actions, and even more so to embrace such a nature.
The third temple on this continent, the Temple of Power lies within Death's Eye Mountain. However, the situation is far more complicated than that. The surrounding region has grown unstable, the crust's energy around that area going out of control. Worse still is that the Risen have managed to infuse darkness into the magma and transformed it into Shadowflame, turning the mountain into not just an active volcano, but a ticking time bomb.
Should it erupt, the infected ash will spread over half of the continent, turning the living into Empyrean under the Dragon's sway. The good news is that there should be something within the temple, once a salamander laboratory, to render the volcano inert and purify the magma. The bad news is that the Risen, Toads, and a corrupted third party are all aware of this knowledge and seek either use its technology for their rebellion/vengeance against Andrias, or to destroy it and the temple as a whole, effectively stranding you all here.
There is also another, more personal wrinkle. Sasha has been compromised. The roc may have told you more than enough about the revolution, but you haven't heard what I did. Charon brought back from the dead, the Dark Revenant, Mordekaiser felling her in combat with a single strike, and her other, more manic self offering her a deal she accepted: End the Plantar and Leviathan bloodlines, including all who associate with you, and they will give the human the means to make her friends never betray her again.
Expect Sasha, her new flame Damien, Grime and Siwang to appear at the temple, and keep those who join you back to Wartwood close. Her new Risen forces will try to kill her in order to keep up appearances.
You have no reason to trust me, and I for now I want it that way. I used to think no differently than Thresh or the rest of his "siblings", as the cycle repeats itself over and over again. The only reason I reach out to you now is because you are here now. You are far more vital to Satanael's plans than you or Hopediah realize. I cannot relay such sensitive information without risk of being discovered, for business calls me to someplace, someone else. I can only trust you to use this information wisely, and to be ready when the time comes. We will meet face-to-face. Count on it.
As for your condition... There is only one place on this planet that can give you what you need to restore your karmic balance. Journey to the West and it will be easy enough to spot. It's the first thing you'll see.
Sincerely,
Kai Valmar
P.S. Tell Anne that Thresh says hi. Satanael's corruptants have always been nameless, going by callsigns. So, hearing a name for the Chain Warden is an acceptable change of pace.
P.S.S. Your suspicions are well-founded. She is the reason, but not the catalyst. He will reach out to her; I will be made to come to her.
Shadow felt his blood run cold when he read the last sentence. He could, in fact, feel Satanael's echo in the back of his mind, urging him to commit horrific acts. Even now, he could feel him trying to urge him to kill the bird mount he was tending to.
So far, he had managed to keep those urges at bay. But how long would it last?
Looking over the letter again, he took notice of the name Death's Eye Mountain, one of the largest volcanoes in Amphibia, one that stood dormant for years. But since the Risen are involved, he could only guess that it would be worse.
The next thing he took note of was the part that involved Sasha. According to this letter, she had accepted a deal with a literal devil. No doubt to take revenge on him for turning Anne against her. Not only that, but she had apparently agreed to killing the Plantar and Leviathan bloodlines, all just to put Anne and Marcy back under her thumb.
He sighed bitterly. Getting a vengeful salamander off the path of vengeance was already tough, but now he must get a vengeful Sasha off that path too.
He rubbed two fingers on his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "Hopefully, this isn't true." He said to himself.
Looking at the letter, the other things that drew concern were the ideas of Charon coming back as a Risen, and Siwang being alive.
"This will create some issues down the line." He said, reading over the name. "And just who is this 'Kai Valmar' character?"
Now, he was met with another dilemma; should he inform Anne and the others? It would make sense, to be prepared and nip the issue in the bud. Perhaps restrain Sasha and her group to keep them from causing further problems.
And yet, another part of him wanted to try and steer Sasha off this path. He regrated scarring her the way he did and wanted to show her that he was a completely different person, but also show her that her behavior was not acceptable.
"When the time is right."
With that, he concealed the letter and went to bed, hoping he was making the right choice.
Back at the northern toad tower, the preparations were completed, Sasha and her group were prepared to make their move, having finished loading their gear and supplies on a tarantula mount. All they needed to do was wait for confirmation. Milo wasn't among them, this time, remaining at the barracks to train the toad recruits.
And they got it, when a moth hawk swooped down and landed on Siwang's arm. This hawk was different from the moth hawk that Siwang previously had, being slightly bigger and having a sharper beak.
The moth hawk let out several squawks, the barbarian toad grinning.
"The Black Wolf's group is preparing to make their move tomorrow morning." He said. "Right on schedule."
"Good to know." Sasha smirked. "I can't wait to kick our plans off with a bang!"
"We just need to play our parts right and everything will turn out well." Damien nodded.
"At any rate, make sure you lot get plenty of rest." Grime said. "Tomorrow, our true mission begins."
"You sure you can't come with us, Siwang?" Damien asked.
"As I said, the Calamity Warriors think I'm dead." The barbarian said. "For now, it's best they think that, for now, until we spring our trap."
"Fine with me." Sasha shrugged. "As long as things go the way we want it to."
Damien frowned when Sasha said that, feeling the venom in her tone.
"You okay, Sasha?" He asked.
"Yeah, all good here." She waved it off. "Just looking forward to putting things the way they should be."
She looked towards the horizon.
"Just you wait, Shadow. I will settle things between us."
Back in Newtopia, everything seemed fine for the most part, everyone going about their business like normal. Cody was busy training the new recruits, Olivia and Yunan were taking the kids while Hemlock watched in secret. Nobody knew why, but one would guess that he did it to look after them. Despite his excentric persona, he had to care about them, deep down, right?
Meanwhile, deep within the castle basement, Andrias was reading another letter from Marcy, this one detailing their preparations to the third temple. All the while, the Core stared down at him.
"It's only a matter of time before we undo the prophecy and claim what is ours." Andrias said solemnly, before looking up at the multi-eyed mechanical being. "Been a long time coming, I'd say. Wouldn't you agree, old friend?"
The Core hummed in response, and for a moment, the image of a familiar newt appeared in its eye. Octavian had served his purpose well, after the Black Purge.
It was only fitting that the Core granted him a reward fitting for his talents, as one of the key figures to the near demise of the salamanders.
And soon, the cycle will continue.
And there's the new chapter! I really had fun with this one, and after the guest made the Hunchback reference, I immediately knew what they were going for and I knew I was gonna love it. I wanted to show how they met and why she was so important to Shadow, but I wasn't quite sure how. Thanks, guest, for the idea! You are MVP!
And the next chapter will revolve around the Third Temple, or as I have decided to call it, Eye of the Shadowed Crucible! This will definitely be a fun chapter, as the gang have a second reunion, and Sasha is a few steps closer to getting revenge. Will Shadow and co. be able to steer her from this path and shake her from Eliza's influence before she goes down the path of no return? Only time will tell.
Oh, and before I forget, I have a pole regarding my plans for True Colors. Whenever you get the chance, feel free to give it a look and vote whether or not you want me to keep it as one chapter or split it in two.
As always, thank you guys for checking out the new chapter, and be sure to look forward to more! Reviews are greatly appreciated!