Our second chance is called Amphibia - Road to Newtopia (Season 2)

by TheRealTrunko

Two months have passed ever since the six humans ended up trapped in Amphibia, and they are now ready to set on a new journey out of the Valley in search of a way to return home. On their journey, they will face old and new enemies, uncover hidden secrets and conspiracies, make new friends and allies and experience shocking revelations.

18. Marcy & The Rangers Squad

Translator

Marcy & The Rangers Squad

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It was yet another day in Newtopia, and the gang (the humans with their frog families and friends) were all gathered in a small bakery and malt shop for breakfast, Polly and Sprig digging their way through their own slice of cakes while Ivy was narrating them the events of the day prior from her point of view, especially the training mock fight between Sasha and Jacob.

"-and then Jacob's voice roared, powerful as a thunder, as he slammed back onto Sasha, lightning shooting from his eyes!"

"Hey, that's not how it went, and you know it!" Her adoptive human sister replied, looking away from the croissant-like sweet she was busy eating a few moments ago. " He just headbutted me !"

" Still knocking you down flat," the boy replied as he took another sip from his milkshake, savoring his victory.

"But how? I was so close to beat you! You were getting weaker, I knew I just had to push a little bit more and I would've won! I am the element of Strength after all, not you!"

"It's not all about muscles and sizes, it's how you use them."

"You must have cheated somehow! I know that you did!"

"It's you who are a sore loser who can't accept you lost!

"Anyway!" Bella, who until then had been eating her own pastries in silence, tried to calm both sides by changing the topic of the conversation. "It was a good training, and you both managed to impress the higher-ups of the Army. General Yunan even said she's now planning a new additional training regime just for you two, to boost your focus and skill with those powers." She took a breath before continuing, remembering how much tired she had been yesterday. "Frog, when I got back home I was so drained that I went directly to bed without even eating dinner!

"Ah yes, it always happens on the first days," Felicia mused with a dreaming expression. "Do not worry, sweetie, in a couple of day tops you'll get used to it. Besides, being the squire of a newly promoted Royal knight is much better than your old job, right?"

" You have no idea !" Bella couldn't agree fast enough, venting a good chunk of her suppressed irritation. "I wouldn't have believed it before, but being a cadet of the Newtopia Army is much better than work as a bellhop. I get twice the respect for doing the same heavy lifting I was doing!"

"Happy for you, miss," the shop's waitress, a young newt close to Bella's age, smiled as she served her drink. "I suppose I could…I could-"

"No need to ask," the former bellhop smiled as she dipped on her own uniform and took out several copper coins to use as a tip. " Solidarity , sister!"

"Well, I am happy to see all considered you had a good day together," Hop Pop mused, as his gaze focused on Anne and Sprig once again, "At least, you got a better day than them!"

"Oh, come on!" Anne lamented, rolling her eyes, " It wasn't that bad !"

"Kiddo, you burned the stand of that guy…"

" But we paid for all the damages! " Polly protested, " We had the cash !"

"And you could have ended up worse , if I hadn't been secretly following you to make sure you'd be safe!" Felicia scolded, "At least James didn't get in trouble!"

"Yeah, what did you do?" Jacob asked looking at his bro, the British teen sputtering his heat as he realized everyone was now looking at him.

"N-nothing important," he shrugged, "just having a walk, doing some window-shopping, stuff like that!"

"Wow, suddenly I'm starting to reevaluate the whole Cheese Museum thing," Sprig mused. "What about you, Marcy? Marcy?"

Everyone turned head again, as they looked in direction of Marcy and Maddie, the two girls having barely touched their own food and were instead discussing excitedly about something.

"Marbles, Madeleine?" Sasha asked, "Are you listening?"

"Oh, yes! Sorry guys, I wasn't paying attention!" The dark-haired girl replied, "It's just we're going to have a busy day, and we were discussing how to properly plan everything !"

"The old headmaster said that today we're going to meet the squad that was assigned under Marcy's supervision, and I am going to be her second in command." Maddie added with a smug expression, generating surprise from Sprig, Ivy and Polly.

" No way! You're going to be her second?"

"Well, she is quite skilled," Jacob mused, before turning to look at Marcy. "Though I am quite surprised that they agreed on that. Aren't the rangers of the Night Guard kinda… racist toward frogs?"

"Yeah, they even say so in their oath!" Bella added, before correcting. " And that's terrible, of course!"

"Well, after we managed to bring back the eggs of the Golden Crab against all expectations, the headmaster didn't retract his promise," Maddie gave Marcy a heartfelt smile. "Plus, if those obnoxious spoiled wannabe heroes try to belittle me, I can take care of them myself!"

"Be careful, hot stuff," Felicia warned, "you don't know who the members of your squad may be, so try not to make enemies on the first day."

"So…" Marcy asked, looking at her friends and family, "what are your plans for the day?"

"Polly and I are taking Akitsu and we're going on a flight around Newtopia," Amelia proudly announced. "It's been so long since we had a chance for some 'us time', plus I really want to test that jumpsuit."

"What jumpsuit?" James asked, suddenly alert.

"The one Marcy made for me, of course!" The girl with the cone hat replied, giving a thumbs up to the ranger / spellcaster human girl. "I had it for a while, but with all the exciting stuff that happened, I never got a chance to properly test it."

"And if that doesn't work, Akitsu and I will make sure she doesn't end splattered like a pancake!" Polly nodded.

"And what about you?" Marcy turned to Jacob and Sasha. "Do you have more training under Yunan today too?"

"Huh, actually…" the boy was the first to interject, "She gave us the day off, for some reason, so I am thinking about going to the Colosseum. Grimsey used to be a star there, right? I bet they still remember him. If anyone of you wants to join me-"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Ivy immediately jumped on the boy's back, an eager enthusiasm shining in her eyes. "Sasha, you're joining us, right?"

"To tell the truth," The blonde girl looked at Anne, both girls sharing a glance, "Boonchuy and I were planning to use today to do some redecoration for our rooms. I mean, the king has been quite generous with providing for our accommodations, but it's clear it has been a long time since someone stayed in there."

"We're going to go on a shopping trip, so if you have any request, please tell us!"

"And with what money do you expect to pay?" Hop Pop asked. From what little he knew about redecorating, it wouldn't be a cheap endeavor.

"Hey, we have this, remember?" Sasha smiled smugly, before taking out the Royal Credit Card and flashing it out openly. "And he didn't say we couldn't use it to improve our living conditions."

"But-"

"Oh, don't worry, Hop Pop," Felicia reassured him, "The Royal Credit Card has unlimited money, remember? That means that, no matter how they much spend, they'll never be close to run out of money! Besides, how much do you think they'll buy?"

Oh Felicia, James mused internally, you never saw the shopping power of a Californian teenager, don't you?

(…)

When Marcy and Maddie arrived at the headquarters of the Night Guard rangers, they found Headmaster Albert waiting for them, a silent yet disapproving look on his face, his assistant Zephen standing to his left, taking notes.

"Ranger Captain Marcy Regina Wu and Ranger Maddie Flour reporting for duty, sir!" Marcy enthusiastically saluted, the old Headmaster scoffing in response.

"Had you had done it on my younger days, you'd had made me arrows meat."

"Huh?" Marcy took a step back in surprise.

"Officer gets saluted, officer gets shot." The Headmaster continued, giving the human girl a lesson many rangers already learned the hard way. "When you're far away from the city, being saluted is the easiest way for the enemy to know which ranger to kill first. So outside of formal ceremonies or other things we usually do indoor, we don't do that, understood?"

"Y-yes sir, I mean-"

" It's fine," the headmaster's expression softened up, "You're young, you're bound to make some mistakes. As long as your mistakes doesn't end up putting other's lives at risk and you can live to learn from them, you have all you need to nurture and refine your skills as well as get valuable field experience. Even the brightest rangers can do mistakes."

"U-understood!" Marcy nodded, a strange feeling of warmth and recognition inside of her as the Headmaster's words resounded in her head: even the brightest… can do mistakes. As long as you can learn from them…you have all you need.

"And you," the Headmaster now turned to Maddie, the petite azure frog looking back at him. "You surely have proved your skills by bringing back the Golden Crab's eggs, but don't expect for me to treat you easy just because you're not a newt. In a team, everyone pulls their own weight, without expecting to rely on the others to cover your own weaknesses with their strength. And while your knowledge of magic surely gives you an edge, it won't solve all the situations you may face."

"Yes, I understand that." Maddie grunted, having already expected the speech and yet still feeling the irritation connected to it.

"Just to make sure," the Headmaster nodded, giving hint for the human and the frog to follow him. "Now, shall I introduce you to your team?"

"I see your new uniforms fits right," Zephen pointed out, "Bernardo's works are always of the highest quality, don't they?"

"Well, it's a uniform specifically made for my own measure, so it fits just right!" Marcy nodded, looking back at her newest clothes. Still, I have a couple of ideas on how to make it better. "So… about the team we're about to meet, is there something important we have to keep on mind?"

"Well, yes." Headmaster Albert admitted, "The team you're about to meet… they have been leaderless for over two months now, since their previous leader went missing on a high-profile mission."

"Two months, and you couldn't find someone to take his place?" Maddie scoffed.

"Is not like we didn't try, but whoever tried to replace him never lasted more than a few days." Zephen replied with a sad tone, "You see, the captain of a ranger team is much more than simply the group's leader, he is the central point of the bonds that connect all the team members, strengthening it and turning a small group of untrained recruits into a fighting force able to coordinate and act with ease. For a squad to lose their commander while training is still unrefined… it's a disaster."

"And you have no idea what happened to him?"

"We sent two teams searching for any hint, but we couldn't find anything. At first we were hopeful we would find him again or that he would be the one to contact us, but… after two months, we've come to accept our loss."

"Such a shame," Headmaster Albert couldn't help but sigh, "Ernst was a dear friend of mine and one of our top squad commanders. He personally oversaw the training of so many new recruits, he had both the admiration of his subordinates and the respect of our leaders…as well as mine. I was seriously considering him to take my place once-"

As Albert continued to lament the sudden disappearance of his best element, Marcy couldn't help but feel a hand clenching on her heart. This Ernst, whoever he was, they were speaking so highly of him, and now she had been tasked with the duty to take over his former teammates?

Frog, sounds like I've got some big shoes to fill…

They kept walking, proceeding further and further into the structure, until they came to a solid wooden door. Albert glanced at Zephen, the range assistant announced as he beat the doorway with his hands, sticking his head inside.

"Line up and stand at attention!"

The Headmaster walked in, followed by Marcy, Maddie and Zephen. The dark-haired girl quickly noticed that three figures, all newt and wearing the same uniform as her, Maddie and the headmaster, standing at attention. The first one was a slender newt with shiny red hair and a well-groomed appearance, his body language exuding self-confidence and charisma from every pore of his skin. The second was a much smaller young female newt, with freckles on her cheek and wild, unkempt hair, her face expression reminding Marcy of Polly's, and just like the tadpole, she gave off strong vibes of having a strong, aggressive personality. Finally, the last one was almost the complete opposite, for he was a tall, strong newt with a gentle expression, wearing a metallic helmet with protrusions similar to axolotl's antenna.

And all three, seeing Marcy and Maddie walking into the room, looked at them with glances full of confusion at first, before they quickly turned to one of shock and disbelief.

"At ease, rangers!" The headmaster spoke, "Lady Marcy, these are Javi," he pointed at the newt with red hair, "Kettle," the small newt with freckles, "and Femur", and the gentle giant. "Rangers, she is lady Marcy Wu and her associate, Maddie Flour. From now on, they'll be in charge of your squad and your training."

" Wait, what ?!" Javi gasped, "Sir, is this a joke ?!"

"Not at all, ranger. I know that this may be unexpected to all you, but both lady Marcy and miss Maddie had given proof of their skills by achieving what many of us reputed impossible and," he cringed internally, "managed to bring back the eggs of the Golden Crab that many rangers, you included, tried and failed to obtain in the past. Thanks to this unexpected successes, and other achievements they've ranked on their way to our beloved city, they've now been granted rank of Ranger Captain and Assistant, and thus they'll take charge of your squad."

"A frog, in the Night Guards?" Kettle said as she glanced at Maddie, the azure frog staring in kind. "That sound crazy as is it absurd!"

"You want to try me, shortstack?"

" Enough !" The Headmaster spoke, his tone and expression sufficient to stop the two of them and regain everyone's attention. "Captain Marcy, I entrust you and your assistant with them. Since many of our teams have left the town by the King's order, you have all today to make acquaintance with each other and start setting up new boundaries and training regimes. Feel free to ask my own assistant," he glanced at Zephen, "should you need anything. I trust you with this task!"

"O-of course!" Marcy nodded as Albert and Zephen walked out of the door, the latter handing Maddie a large pile of paper in the process, leaving them alone…with their new squad.

Well, time to face the music, she thought as she turned around. As she had expected, the three of them were looking at her with suspicion and worry.

"Greeting, everyone. My name is Marcy Wu and from today onward... I guess I'll be in charge of all of you? Look, I know that you may not be ready to trust me yet, I understand that. I don't know what you may know about me-"

"Wait, you're…one of those creatures who picked the Kings interest after their arrival, aren't you?" Javi said as he was hit by realization. "The… hummus, right?"

"That's humans, but yes, that's us." Marcy chuckled, "I know how weird I may look to you, after all, I am a bizarre, warm-blooded creature from another-"

Femur gave Kettle a strange look, the small newt saying what he was thinking. "Warm-blooded?"

"That means her body is less affected by the fluctuations of temperature, so she and her friends could protect us during the last Hyber Day." Maddie quickly explained, "Yes, I made the same expression when they told us for the first time. We had a rocky beginning, but after a little while, everyone in Wartwood started to love them."

" Wartwood?" Javi raised an eyebrow. "That's way over in the Frog Valley. You came from all the way there?"

"Yup, Maddie's dad is the local baker, and she's the Valley's most expert about spell-making," The only expert too, the human girl added mentally. "I couldn't be prouder of being her apprentice."

"You're a spell-maker, that is, you can actually make magical spells and curses?" Now Keetle expression was one of pure disbelief, her open jaw almost touching the ground. "So, this is why the Headmaster allowed you two to join the Guard? You can do magic stuff ?"

"Indeed, but magic can't solve any situation, and is not the only skill Maddie and I mastered, on our road to reach this city." Marcy took the floor once again. "But you'll have way enough time to learn about us, in the upcoming days."

She looked at the three rangers of their squads, the three companions she and Maddie would adventures and toils for as long as they would stay in the city. And as she looked at them, she knew this was just the beginning.

"Let's talk about you, shall we?"

(…)

"Ok, honestly, I wasn't expecting this."

The Newtopia Coliseum was located in one of the city's intermediate neighborhoods, easily accessible from both working-class and more affluent areas. It had an elongated, elliptical shape and stood on as many as three floors of solid marble-covered rock, and each archway was decorated with statues and marble ornaments sometimes painted in bright colors. Large banners surrounded its entrance, promoting some of the major events of the coming days.

And under the main archway of the entrance, towering over the small crowd of visitors, fans, street vendors and 'informers' who crowded the atrium, was a large ochre-colored bronze statue depicting a toad in gladiator gear, raising a hammer with an air of triumph while at his feet, lay the remains of his defeated opponents.

A toad that both Ivy and Jacob had met before.

"No way," Ivy said once again, her eyes shining with enthusiasm as she looked at the shining statue of Captain Grime, "they even made him a statue?"

"I guess he wasn't inflating his own stories," the human replied with a smirk, as an unknown axolotl approached them from the side.

"Psssh, you want to buy some good tip for the next fight? Only twenty coppers!"

"Sorry, we're not here to play bets," Jacob snorted, turning around and letting the axolotl see his face, the amphibian gasping in shock as he saw the human's features. "Leave us alone, please."

"Are you sure you shouldn't have brought your disguise, boss?" Questioned Bella, who had been following them in civilian clothes. "I mean, they're staring at you."

"They would have found out the truth, sooner or later." The human boy explained, "After all, the King's already announced our presence into the city. And I'm sick of having to wear all that stuff whenever I want to go outside!"

"Jacob, Bella, look!" Ivy pointed at a large depiction of Grimsey smirking at the visitors, next to a sign with the words ' VISIT THE MUSEUM OF THE HALL OF THE CHAMPIONS AND LEARN THE STORY OF THE ROCKWALL TOAD' written on it. "Can we go and visit it? The ticket's just two coppers!"

"You look quite enthusiastic about our former champion," another voice spoke, the crowd moving apart as the trio saw a large, tall and buff pink newt with short, white cropped hair, her body covered with scars and bandages (even a bite mark on her tail), dressed in a gray armor with large pauldrons and kneepads. "And judging by your appearance, you're not from around here. Nice armor, is that a customized one? Are you a mercenary?"

"Adventurer, actually." The human boy faced the hulking female newt. "Name's Jacob, and you are?"

"I'm Priscilla, Priscilla Paddock."

" Priscilla ?!" Bella gasped in fear and shock. "Boss, that's Priscilla the Killa, one of the toughest fighters of the colosseum and local champion at the Cart Smash Rally! She's the newt who managed to break a mantis apart barehanded!"

"I wasn't barehanded, I was wearing gauntlets at the time," Priscilla replied with a chuckle, internally proud of being recognized, before turning her attention to Ivy. "And her?"

"She's-"

"Ivy Sundew, daughter of Felicia Sundew, alias Felis the Red, the greatest adventurer Amphibia ever met!" Ivy said aloud, the crowd around gasping again as they took a step back, "I guess you know her?"

Priscilla's heart fluttered: she was the daughter of Felis the Red? THAT Felis the Red?

"I…I see," Priscilla finally replied, trying to hide her own enthusiasm. "You're quite an interesting bunch of visitors, it doesn't happen so often we get to meet someone related to someone else this famous. And… I see you even brought your own weapon. Is that a war hammer'"

"Its name is Ragnarock," Jacob replied, "I believed it wasn't an issue. Was it?"

"No, in fact, this offers us an…opportunity. Sir Jacob, would you and your friends be interested into joining me and the other gladiators for today's sparring session? There are no shown scheduled for today, so the arena is free for us to use. I personally would like to see how experienced you are with that weapon, and… many colleagues of mine could tell you so many stories about Rockwall Grime, they even fought with him back on the days."

Jacob smiled.

(…)

"Optimal altitude reached!" Amelia said, holding on Akitsu's back, Polly next to her. In contrast with her usual samurai outfit, the brown-haired girl was now wearing a pitch-black padded outfit covering all of her body except her head, her feet and her hands, with extra folded plastic-like fabric that connected his legs and arms together. "Ok Akitsu, now let's proceed westward. Polly, take charge of the reins."

"Huh, are you sure you want to try that?" The Tadpole mused, trying not to look down to not see how much high they were compared to the ground. "Look, usually I like when we're going to do something reckless, stupid and extremely risky, but I don't think that jump down from Akitsu while we're on flight may be a good idea."

"How am I supposed to test this skydiving suit otherwise? After manip- convincing Marcy to make me one, I need to test it to see if I can use it properly, don't you agree?"

"But if it doesn't work, well…"

"That's why I am trusting you and Akitsu to watch over me! If something bad happens during the test and I require your help, you'll need to dive to my rescue and grab me before I impact with the water's surface," the samurai wannabe noticed how Newtopia was getting far in the horizon, and the dragonfly was now flying over a deep blue crystalline trait of sea. "Do not worry, Akitsu already knows what to do, you just need to hold onto her and warn her if she doesn't notice I'm in trouble."

"Huh before you jump…if you don't survive the test, can I take Yamato?" The Tadpole asked with hopeful eyes, only to see Amelia's expression. "Come on, it's a cool weapon!"

"The sword of a samurai is not a 'mere' weapon, is a partner, a companion of life, a comrade in battle, just like Akitsu ," she petted her, the dragonfly purring in appreciation. "And I don't plan of leaving either of them, not right now at least!"

Amelia moved on the lower end of Akitsu as Polly moved to her place, glancing at the empty air below them as countless doubts once again start to harass her mind, picking at her self-confidence, fear ripping at her heart as the reality of the situation hit her, reminding the prideful human that she was still barely a teenager going to jump of a high altitude with a skydiving suit she had never properly tested before. Even if Marcy had did a ten plus job in the suit, the more she looked, the less confident she felt about her own decision.

Maybe she could give up, and try some other day? Polly wouldn't mock her for renouncing (not too much, at least) and she could use the time to-

No, she shook her head, trying to fight the fear paralyzing her, I can't stop. Not here, not now. Aiden is still out there, slowly building his forces, and even if Andrias and his councilors are confident on the matter, we can't be certain that they'll succeed. Moreover, with what else we've managed to find, he is not the only enemy we're going to face: there is another. One enemy secretly watching, spying on our every move, waiting for a chance to strike.

To protect ourselves and the people we care for, we can't simply wallow in our comfort.

To protect everyone, we have to become stronger.

To protect everyone, I have to become stronger .

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. Akitsu would surely rescue her if something went wrong, and Polly would warn the dragonfly if she didn't immediately notice it. And she could trust Marcy's craftmanship skills.

Silently, the young samurai counted up to three, her body leaning forward, and she jumped.

(…)

"Hop Pop, is everything alright?" Sprig asked, his grandfather looking down at his beetle burger with inappetence. "You can't finish your food? If so, can I have it?"

"I'm fine Sprig, it's just…I can't help but feel worried about Anne, Sasha and the others outside of my sight. What if they end in some kind of trouble?"

"Anne and Sash went shopping, Hop Pop," Felicia reminded him, "the most dangerous stuff they may face are overpriced stuff and hyper-enthusiastic sellers. And Jacob, Ivy and Bella just went to visit the Colosseum: I guess they really wanted to find more info about Grime's past."

"Any hope that Ivy may finally convince you to make the captain her new dad, Miss Sundew?"

" Sprig !" Hop Pop grunted, his fear from before momentarily forgotten. " That was quite rude for you to ask!"

"Look, while I can understand my daughter's…enthusiasm about the notion, there are no feeling whatsoever between the captain and myself." The tea expert and adventurer spoke back, "He's a good client of my teas shop and sometimes I act as his confidant, but…nothing else. Moreover," she added with a teasing smirk, "shouldn't such a charming youngster like you be more focused on your own relationship with my daughter and Maddie?"

As she said those words, Sprig almost jumped in surprise, his pinkish face becoming redder with blush. "I… I didn't ask them for this! I wasn't even planning to get a girlfriend this soon, let alone two !"

"And yet, you didn't seem to be too much against it." Hop Pop continued, "So, when are you going to make me a grand-grandfather?"

"HOP POP!"

" Just kidding, just kidding!" The older frog hurried to add with an embarrassed smile, before looking away. Far away from the table around which they were sitting, right in front of the restaurant, he could see the giant structure of Newtopia's coliseum. "Maybe… you think we could take a deviation on the way back later, and go to see how Jacob and Ivy are doing? Besides, I've never been to the Colosseum before."

"Oh, I went there a couple of times once, but it's not my kind of place." Miss Sundew replied, grimacing as her memory brough back some of her past experiences. "People gathering there are for the most either combatants looking for hire or people who make a living thanks to the fights. Some are honest, others… less so."

"Huh, how so?"

"Gambling exist here too, Sprig." Hop Pop nodded, "People make bets on this or that gladiator, how well will they perform and if they will die in live during the show. I used to know people like that back on my…ahem, younger days."

"It still exists of as today." Felicia nodded with an expression of disgust. "Usually, I'm not against the concept of earning money through gambling, but I set a line whenever it involves profiting off someone else's death."

"Huh, I wonder if they get a chance to meet again that dude who helped us back at Bittyburg, the Wrecker. Jacob said he told them they would meet again, and the Colosseum look like the right place some guy like him would go. Judging by how Jacob seems to act whenever he talks about him-"

" That's quite an interesting point you make, Sprig." Hop Pop replied, his eyes wide open as he could feel gear starting to turn, an idea blossoming on his head. "Felicia, would it be a bother to you to watch over my grandson for a little bit? I think I may have eaten a little too much, a good walk is what I need to digest."

"That's not a problem, but where are you going?" Asked the yellow frog, who in truth had fully realized what Hop Pop's plan was.

"Oh, nothing too much excessive. Just going for a walk, breath some fresh air, look to the landscape, maybe stop somewhere for a little bit to… meet with an old friend." He said, as his 'Wrecker' personality started to resurface under his old, weary eyes.

"Hop Pop?" Sprig asked raising an eyebrow. "Why are saying it and looking afar like you're in the middle of some monologue?

"Huh? Oh, nothing! Just, my old dramatic side that sometimes tend to re-emerge!"

(…)

"Okay, Boonchuy," Sasha said with ill-disguised pleasure as they walked out of Miss Trimbeline's High-Class Beds and Sheets, "Where do you want to continue our crazy journey of unrestrained shopping now?"

"Let me check the list, Sash," her friend said, taking out a small sheet of paper where they had written all the stuff they needed to buy in order to redecorate their rooms, most of the 'must have' items already crossed out. "We took care of the 'bed' issue, so even this is done… how about some furniture?"

"Didn't we cover that already?" The blonde human recalled, "We even got a fully equipped alchemy set for Marcy and Maddie to work on their new spells."

"I mean decorative furniture, to fill the space and make it livelier." Anne replied with a teasing smile, "Maybe a small table where to sit around, or some nice, comfy armchair-"

" Sold !" Sasha thumbed up, looking with her eyes at the image of another luxury shop with various piece of elegant furniture on the storefront, the name Expensive Furnishing for Expensive Newts on the signboard. "And I think we already have a place where we could find them."

However, as they walked toward the store's entrance, some unknown newt dressed in a posh attire, who a few moments ago had just been standing near the entrance with a proud expression, rushed toward them.

"Greeting, we-"

"Certainement pas!" The newt yelled with a high pitching voice, stopping Anne for even finishing her sentence. "This is no place for filthy creatures like you! A high-class store manned by Newts! For Newts ! And Newts alone! Hors de ma vu misérable!"

" Hey !" Sasha yelled in response, " You can't-"

Too late, as the newt shoved them, pushing the two girls outside of the shop's premise before closing them the door with a slam.

" What a jerk !" Anne lamented as she waved her fist, helping Sasha to get back on her feet. "Even back at Wartwood, we weren't treated this rudely!"

"Well, if they don't want us in their shop, I guess we'll go make our expenses elsewhere," Sasha replied, looking at a store on the opposite side of the road who seemed to sell the same kind of items, but whose main entrance and signboard looked much less glamorous than the one of the shop where the two girls had been kicked out as soon as they tried to enter. "This one look's perfect… for revenge ."

"Greetings!" A female voice announced as a small ring played out, the door closing behind the duo, before an old female newt dressed in a pinkish dress walked from the back. "I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting new customers, but I can assure… oohh…" she stopped, her yes widening and her mouth opening in surprise as she glanced upon Anne and Sasha's forms.

"Yes, we are not newts." Anne grunted, "is that an issue?"

"No, it's not an issue!" The newt hurried to explain, the precarious situation of the shop and the need to make sales having outweighed any other feeling a long time ago. "I was just…surprised! As I don't recognize what kind of creatures you are. You don't look like Amphibians, do you come from afar?"

"We could say that, yeah." Sasha replied, her hand moving to her pocket and taking out the Royal Credit Card, holding on her fingers and raising it so anyone, even outside or on the opposite side of the road, could see it. "We are looking for some furniture to decorate our… current living spaces. Could you please show us the most expensive items you have?"

" O-of course !" The female newt gasped, recognizing the highly valuable payment method in her hand, meaning that these two strange creatures a) were part of the King's court, or at least were close enough to him to be allowed to use such a valuable item, and b) they had basically limitless money for their budget, and thus limitless money they could spend in her store. "Please follow me, I'll be happy to show off the best items my humble shop can offer to you, honored guests!"

The newt kept talking faster and faster with enthusiasm, as Anne glanced outside of the shop and on the opposite side of the street, the Universe apparently generous enough to provide her and Sasha with some instant karma and justice, as she saw the arrogant rude newt look at them from the other store, his eyes big and his mouth grimacing, as he too has seen the shining gold and recognized the Royal Credit Card, realizing to his horror how much money he had missed to his competitor's advantage…

---

"Wait, so Javi comes from a noble family?"

"Huh-huh!" Kettle replied with a teasing smirk, "He is the son of a count, but since he is not the firstborn, they kicked he out."

"They didn't kick me out!" The offended Night Guard replied with a scoffing expression, "Well, not completely, at least. They're still giving me a small allowance and they paid for my studies, as long as I don't try to contest my brother's inheritance rights. This is also why I choose to join the Night Guard: I want to rank up successes and become successful on my own way!"

"Well, I can see you already had the determination to keep going then," Marcy nodded, "Okay Kettle, is your turn now. What do you choose to do?"

"Why, I'm attacking of course!" The small, energic newt replied as she looked upon her character's placeholder. "A ranger must never be afraid, and never retreats!"

"Ok then, roll the dice then." Maddie challenged her with a smirk. While she did acknowledge the young newt's eagerness and spirit, the young azure frog was the only one sitting around the table who had experience with Marcy's games of Creatures and Caverns, and the odds weren't in Kettle's favor.

"And the result is…three!" Marcy announced, "That means that you fail to cause critical damage to your enemy, while your character loses at least three life points."

"What? That's not fair!" Kettle replied in shock, "How's that I could fail?"

"That's how the game works, every action you decide to take is subjected to the roll of dice to check how much successful you are." Maddie quickly explained, "One is the lowest result you can achieve, complete failure, while twenty is the highest, absolute success. And you did choose to take the riskier option."

"Well, she is right on that issue."

"Javi?"

"I mean, both mine character and Femur's were not too far from where you are right now, right? Instead of charging head on, you could have simply acted as bait and lead him to where we were, so we could face it together." The former scion of nobility nodded, looking over the improvised game set. "I have to say, this is quite a peculiar game you proposed. What did you say it's called?"

" Creatures and Caverns, where you can role-play as any character you want to delve into deep dungeons, battle monsters and collect treasures. Back on my… home… I used to play it very often with my friends, so when we ended up in Amphibia, I decided to teach it to some of the people I befriended."

"I admit I was quite surprised when Marcy first proposed us, but after a while, I got the hang of it." Maddie nodded. "And beside its entertaining value, it's a good way to teach coordination and battle strategies."

"I'm not…very used to it." Kettle grumbled, "Captain Ernst never had us do stuff like this."

As Kettle mentioned their former leader and commander, a fog of sadness laid onto Javi and Femur's expression, the massive newt shrugging. It was clear, both to Marcy and Maddie, that they still missed him even after so much time had passed.

"Captain Ernst… would you like to tell me more about him?" Marcy asked with a curious expression "What kind of Captain he was on your eyes?"

"He was…. the best kind of Night Guard captain any recruits may hope to have as their instructor." Javi said with a low tone of voice, as he recalled the day he met him. "He was hard, yet just. He would never punish one of us unless we did some serious mistake. He didn't treat me like a member of the nobility, but only as a recruit of the Guard, and he only cared about me, not for any connections I may be worth."

"He was always ready to support us, whenever we failed, and always ready to encourage us when things went right." Kettle nodded in admiration, "Moreover, thanks to the respect he received from the Headmaster and the other higher-ups of the Night Guards, Captain Ernst was allowed to choose his own recruits. We didn't end u under him because of fate or simple coincidence, we were chosen by him ."

"And…before he vanished, did something happen?"

"If you mean something stranger than the usual, no." Javi shook his head. "The captain had always had some strange moments, but nothing much beside sometimes staring at the horizon, like he was deep in thoughts. I even dared to ask him if there was something troubling his mind, but he said it was nothing, just remeshing about some of his past adventures and the previous teams he trained."

"A life spent on the Guard, to protect the innocents," Kettle said with a dreamy tone, before surely the light in her eyes turned sad. "When the Headmaster came to us, to tell the King requested him himself for some dangerous mission-"

"Wait, Andrias?"

"Oh, I guess you had a chance to meet with him?" Kettle narrowed her eyes on Marcy. "The headmaster said you and your friends got a triumphant welcome, after your arrival."

"Something like that," the dark-haired human girl replied. "Well, what about you, Femur? What's your story?"

The giant Newt said nothing, simply looking aside, as Kettle once again spoke on his behalf.

"Big Guy here isn't really one to talk." she says while giving the giant newt a pat on his arms. "But after being together for so long, we still understand him just fine!"

" Can't talk?" Maddie turned to look at him, "then maybe, I could come up with a spell to-"

"It's not that he can't, but more like he chooses not to." Javi replied, Marcy gasping as she heard that. So, this is like selective mutism?

"I…I guess I can understand that. Anyway, Femur, is there something about you that you would like to share?"

The gentle 8-feet tall giant newt grunted amicably, as his hands moved to a small brown container, placed next to the wall. Then, he opened it and showed that it contained a violin, Marcy and Maddie looking in wonder at the instrument.

"You can play music too?" Marcy said in amazement, just as Kettle's chuckle caught her attention.

" Yup ! Femur even got a degree in classical music, from back when he used to go at Newtopia's University. Are you…like, a musician too?"

Marcy said nothing as her smile grew again, now becoming a Cheshire cat-like grin, before moving to take Femur's own instrument in her hands, the large newt face twisting into an expression of joyful surprise as he saw check the instrument for its 'conditions' before beginning to play a strange new music that he had never heard before, yet whose rhythm seemed so gracious and combined.

The song, of course, was the intro music of the Vagabondia Chronicle.

"I think I am, friend." Marcy said with a low, quiet tone, as she could see the surprise and excitement behind Femu's silence, while Javi and Keetle were now looking at her with renewed interest, Maddie simply smiling in solidarity. "Wanna play together, to compare our music skills?"

And for the first time since she saw him, Femur smiled.

(…)

"Ivy, please, remind me," panted Bella, her skin feeling sweaty and her muscles aching due to the unplanned physical activity, "why did I have to join you into training with all these seasoned gladiators today, even if it was supposed to be a day off?"

"It's written in your contract, sweetie!" The young yellow frog replied, as she kept gazing over Jacob, the human boy still dodging all of Priscilla's attacks, her mace clashing against his hammer, the other gladiators and them looking at the fight with great interest.

"That guy sure got skills," a tall newt with a reddish skin and a large underbelly, dressed in an announcer's outfit and an aquamarine dried flower tied to his jacket, murmured to Ivy's right. "Perhaps would he be interested into signing a contract with the Coliseum? I already have some ideas for what his show name could be-"

"While we do appreciate the offer, I don't think he would be interested," Bella intervened, "Jacob-I mean, my boss is already employed with the Newtopian Army, he's being trained by General Yunan and Captain Grime themselves!"

"Grime? You mean, ol' Grimsey?!" The announcer said with an expression of joy and happy surprise. "By the Olms, I feel so stupid right now! No wonder those moves looked familiars, if he's been trained by the Rockwall Toad himself of course he showed him his best tricks."

"You… knew the captain?" Ivy asked, her eyes widening with emotions, "Back when he was a gladiator?"

"Kiddo, I met him before he got famous, after they kicked him out of the Toad Army for the first time and he was forced to become a gladiator to pay for his 'mistake'. He was the best gladiator a manager like myself could dream of! And he knew how to rock the part as well. I…assume you know whatever happened to him?"

"He's now living in Wartwood, and he's the captain of the Militia." The young frog said with a cheerful tone. "He's even become a regular of my mom's shop!"

"So, you are the daughter of Felis the Red, huh?" The old newt smirk grew once again, "It's been a long time since I last heard of her, I assumed she was killed in one of her adventures. But I'm happy to see that not only she lives, but she had such a cute and energic daughter, who could bring me back word about my friend."

"Oh, I assume you do miss Mr. Grime, don't you? Maybe you can write him a letter, so once we will go back to Wartwood, we'll take care to show him."

"That would be greatly appreciated! I want my old friend to know that he hasn't been forgotten, even after his polemical redeployment."

" Polemical?!" Bella was quick to notice the word and the expression the gladiator's managers had made when he said that. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you see, back when Grimsey was a gladiator, everyone in Newtopia knew about him. He was saluted and honored, the crowd cheered anytime he would make an appearance in the arena, many nobles ladies would tribute him with small tokens of their admiration. And after the Toad Army reintegrated him, and he was assigned to command the Southern Tower's garrison, a rumor started to spread out. According to it, the real reason why Grime was allowed to rejoin the Toad Army was not as a reward for his combat prowess in the Coliseum or for his amazing feats, but rather, because some of our top counselors were afraid of his popularity and wanted to move him away."

" Move him away ?!" Ivy almost jumped in protest, "But why ? He was awesome, he was popular-"

" But he was a toad ." The answer stopped Ivy cold, Bella gritting her teeth as she realized the issue. "And his huge popularity is still considered by some a threat to the status-quo. Some malicious slanders even said that, if left unchecked, the Toads would rise against Newtopia and the King."

"Grimsey? Launching a rebellion against Newtopia?" Ivy scoffed at the idea. " No way! "

"Slander and gossip don't need truth to spread or to believed, unfortunately," the manager gritted his teeth, "moreover, from what my sources report to me, there is a large dissatisfaction on how the Toad Army relates to Newtopia-"

" Ah !" Jacob yelled all of a sudden as he managed to push Priscilla back for the -nth time, both warriors stopping their mock fight to breath again and relax their aching muscles, the various gladiators who had witnessed the training coming closer to congratulate them.

"Nice work, kid!" Priscilla said with a satisfied smirk, "You know, it's been a long time since someone managed to make me use all of my muscles at once. Your fighting style is still raw, but I can see you're much better than the average."

"I had… a good teacher." Jacob panted, his hair all greasy due to the sweat. "And this place had me all pumped up! I feel like Spartacus whenever I look at these bleachers."

" Spartacus? Who's that?" Priscilla asked.

"A famous gladiator back from home, who once used to fight in an arena like this for the amusement of the masses," the boy replied, carefully avoiding the part about the rebellion. "I have a friend back home, his name was Giovanni, and he is a great expert of this stuff." And anything related to Roman history, the boy added in his mind.

"Was he someone like Grime?" One of the gladiators quipped, "I bet he made some great poses too."

"Well, he is one of the most famous gladiators that I know of." the human nodded, before he noticed that the long time spent fighting with Priscilla under the sun had made him sweat under the armor, and he stank, in the literal sense of the word. "Man, I really could use some refreshment! Is there someplace where I can wash?"

"Back on the main hall, behind the souvenir's shop," the manager axolotl pointed, "there is a small cleaning room to wash whenever someone need it."

"Thank you!" The human boy thanked before rushing away, leaving the dirty ground of the arena and walking inside. But apparently his attention was focused elsewhere, because less than a minute later…

CLANK! DONG! CHUNK!

He ended up crashing onto someone who was walking the same exact hallway, and since she was giving him the shoulders, he didn't notice Jacob until he ended up slamming right onto her, making her drop all the assorted merchandise she had been carrying on her arms, one of the boxes landing right on her tail and making her yelp, while another knocked out the large sunglasses and the Basque hat she used to conceal her own identity, exposing it to the eyes of the human boy.

" LOOK WHERE YOU'RE GOING! " The newt yelled, not realizing yet that her disguise had been broken, " You made me drop all of my stuff!"

"Well, you ended up on my- wait, General Yunan?!" Jacob gasped, "Is that you?"

The self-proclaimed 'Scourge of the Sand Wars, Defeater of Ragnar the Wretched, and the youngest newt to ever achieve the rank of general in the great Newtopian Army' let out an 'eep' as she realized she had been recognized, slowly getting back on her feet. "No, I mean, I'm here by accident! Understand? Accident . OK, look, the reason why I was disguised is-"

" Jacob, are you ok? " Priscilla rushed just in that moment, "I heard a big crash, so I came to check if you may need- oh, Yunan? Yunan Longclaw, is that you? " The female gladiator's worried expression slowly turned into a smiling grin. " It's been a long time since the last time we met, General ."

" Same as you, Priscilla ." The Newt general replied with a cold, seething tone, the invisible hands of fate once again forcing two old adversaries to meet face by face.

(…)

"So, you're the one who had been poking their face where they shouldn't?" A creepy, sleazy voice said from behind James, the disguised human moving his head slightly to see a large newt with a hood covering his face, and what looked like an old armor covering his body.

"I'm the one who had been asking some questions around, yes," the British boy replied, laying his half-empty glass of Newtopian drink back on the counter and waiting, his unseen hand moving to check if his disguise was still safe. While he still had to get use to wearing a fake tail attacked to his back, it was a very important part to look like a simple, unassuming newt, instead that some gangly creature arrived from another world, and now going deeper and deeper in Newtopia's criminal underworld as he hunted for the associates of the cult. "I had been looking for info about the Cult of the Olms. Some told me they used to gather here once. You have information to sell? I can pay you well, very well ." He underlined, hoping that basic greed and hope for a substantial reward would provide him with good information.

"I'm not here to give you information, but rather, a warning," the newt spoke harshly, the tone of his words sounding more like a threat. "We don't like squealers here, and we don't know anything about this 'cult of the Olms' you're looking for. All you're doing is upsetting people going away with their honest business, and who are very angry at being bothered. Luckily for you, I am willing to forget ever seeing you here and let you walk away… now ."

Is he threatening me because my investigation, or perhaps the Order of the Olms paid him to 'silence' anyone investigating about them?, James though as he finished his drink, turning around to face the goon. Sure, he was bigger than him, and yet he could spot several weak points where he could hit to incapacitate the newt before interrogating him.

"Surely that's a tentative offer," James said, focusing as to make his own voice sound harsher and deeper than it was, "but I'm not planning to leave anytime soon. The way I see it, there are only two options: one, you're legitimately worried about what my presence could mean to your business, legal or not. To which I absolute don't care about. My previous offer? Still on the table. Any useful information would be paid awesomely. Or two... "

The boy got up and was now glaring back at the newt with eyes barely visible under his disguise, "You're here because the Order of the Olms either paid or blackmailed you to take care of anyone coming too close to them. In that case… stay out of my way ."

The newt gritted his teeth, his arm and hand already moving to punch him, only for James to be quicker as he struck first. His fist slamming heavily on the newt's stomach, making him lose focus for a couple of seconds, as the disguised human moved behind him and kicked him right at the junction between his tail and his back. Pushing the tug unto the ground as his teeth slammed on the cold, hard floor. Swiftly, James grabbed his hands and tied them behind his back, pressing with his own weight over the newts' body to stop him from getting free.

"Now, since your restraints means that you can't easily turn to violence as solution," James admonished him, "how about you and I have a chat?"

" Hah ! You idiot!" The newt spat, his tone of voice feeling rather brave and self-confidant in contrast with his situation. "You really think I would've approached you, knowing what kind of threat you could pose… without any readily available backup?"

James stuttered, cursing in his head as he realized he had been so focused on the oblivious-threatening newt who had approached him from behind that he forgot to check the other patrons of the place as well.

Sure enough, the doors had been slammed shut and all the amphibians who had been sitting around drinking from their glasses or having idle chat were now surrounding them, all looking at him with hostile glares. Many of them holding in their hands makeshift clubs, knives, forks or broken glass bottles. Were they all member of a gang? The absence of other amphibians in sight (even the barkeeper had now disappeared) made him realize this had to be some kind of trap… and he had walked right through it.

" Get him boys! Let's show this punk what happens when people start to poke their faces in our business!" The downed newt yelled, still unable to release himself yet inviting his friends to come and help him. "But don't kill him immediately : I want to teach him some manner first, and I need him alive for this !"

James turned around, putting his back against the wall as he once again scanned the crowd of enemies. Sure they were many but they probably weren't used to some 'real' fighting; thus, if he could 'divide' them so they couldn't focus on him at the same time…

"Looks like you're a coward as well as a bully, pal," James grunted, speaking loudly so everyone could hear his words. "How many of them did you brought today? Fifteen? Twenty? You should have brought more ."

The taunt had the desired effect and a couple of goons, quickly followed by the other, rushed toward James, the British teen slamming three smoking bombs at the same time, filling the establishment's interior with gray smoke that denied them any chance to locate him.

And among the vision-clouded smoke-out gas, his enemies' number meant nothing.

(…)

" Emergency !" The voice of Headmaster Albert's Assistant Zephen rang trough the hallways of the Night Guard base as he made way to the room where Marcy and Maddie were boding with the newly-met members of their own ranger squad. The door slamming open jut as Marcy and Femur were intent to play together for the third time the theme music of The Vagabondia Chronicles. "We- what's going on?"

"A-assistant Zephen!" Marcy gasped, trying to fight her own nervousness. "Something happened? I remember we were told if we had any trouble we could ask you, but so far, we didn't have any issue."

"Something happened, indeed !" The assistant replied, taking big breaths between sentences, "The Headmaster want to see you immediately. Something happened, in the old city area, and we're in dire need of all available rangers!"

While a bit baffled by the situation, Marcy nodded as she promptly moved to follow Zephen, Maddie just behind and Javi, Kettle and Femur hot on their heels. Instantly, the human girl's hyper-active brain and limitless creative fantasy began conjuring countless possible situations that may force Headmaster Albert to send them on the field with little to no warning: some kind of giant monster right in front of the city gates? The Barbari-Ants who were making an unexpected comeback? The Herons? A new species of whale-like fish who could swallow the whole castle in one bite? Or maybe…something even worse ?

Could it possibly be Aiden, the dark-haired girl though with a shiver, could he and his army be already on sight of Newtopia's walls? How many soldiers does he have? Did they carry siege engines with them? Do they brought more of those war robots?

She was still internally panicking, her mind going from one desperate situation to another, when they walked into the main area where the Headmaster was already waiting for them.

"Captain Marcy," the old newt said without even looking at her, his attention focused on some papers lying on the table, "there is a situation. Seems like the Order of the Olms showed himself once again."

"The Order?" Behind Marcy, Javi and Kettle gasped, grimacing alongside Femur. It was clear, from the tone they used and their expressions that they were all too familiar with the Order.

"Indeed. There is a big fight happening right now in the 'Ol Farmer & trader' Inn. Right before the brawl started, one of my 'informants' reported to have seen a strange individual coming in barely any minute before everything go out of control. Usually, it would be for the City Guard to take care of such matter, but that inn is one of the places that we were keeping under watch as a possible Order hideout. And this accident may destroy months of investigation!"

"So, you think that this guy may be connected to the Order, if he had a bone to pick with them?" Javi asked, quite alert and attentive to the headmaster's words.

"It's possible, and this is the exact kind of opportunity we were waiting for, to further investigate the Order's doing and try to identify its members, in particular their leader Goldmask."

"Goldmask?" Marcy asked, internally screaming of excitement: that did sound like the name of a plainly evil bad guy!

"The leader of the cult, at least from what information we had been able to gather." Zephen nodded, "We've been hunting for him for months already, and yet… He always managed to be a step ahead of us, like he knew all of our trick and strategies."

"This is why every possible lead is important!" Albert affirmed, slamming his fist on the table to underscore his words. "We can't pass such an opportunity: we must take this guy in custody, as well as all the other guys in the place, and investigate the inn. We couldn't do that without proof, but if there IS a hidden Order base under that inn-"

"-this could be our first true success against the Order, as well as the key to thwart any plan they may have and arrest their leader!" Kettle jumped in realization. "I like this plan!"

"Yeah, unfortunately, we are currently lacking in manpower as you already know." the headmaster grunted, his gaze falling back on the papers in front of him. "That means that, if we want to exploit this chance, we can only rely… on you."

Marcy nodded, her thoughtful expression now filling with determination and resolve. "Sir, we're going to get you the evidence you need. We'll arrest the guy, detain anyone and inspect the building. If someone is hiding something, be sure that we'll find it !"

" Indeed we will !" Javi nodded, raising his fist in eagerness. " I've been waiting for an occasion like this for weeks now!"

" Those cultists won't see what will hit them! " Kettle agreed.

Femur said nothing (of course) and yet his grunt and expression clearly told that he agreed with his companions.

"Then let's no waste any more time, guys!" Maddie smiled, checking one more time the spell bags she had ready to use. "It's show time!"

---

"So, let me get this straight," Jacob asked, his gaze keeping switching between Yunan and Priscilla, the newt general looking at the gladiator like she wanted to rip her apart with her own hands, the gladiator meanwhile keeping smirking at Yunan and trying to provoke her, "you know each other?!"

"Yup, ever since I was one of the latest additions to the arena and our 'general' here was only a weak, hapless cadet. By the way, Yunan, how is Lady Olivia? It's been so long since we last saw her."

"Her Excellency the Royal Advisor had been busy assisting the King manage his own nation," Yunan hissed back. "She no more has the time to give attention to a mere gladiator like you!"

" Mere?" Priscilla now seemed genuinely offended by the word, raising her arm to show off her muscles. " There is nothing mere on this body! I am sure you remember how even your so esteemed Royal Advisor had been appreciating it, seen how many tokens of her appreciation she used to send me. I still have some of them."

"She was only showing you mere respect as the winner of the events!" Yunan's seething was now turning into a roar. "Don't misunderstand the Royal Advisor's generosity for something else!"

"Huh…?" Ivy approached the old manager (who had revealed to be called Bonzo) with a curious expression. "What's going on?"

"Oh, it's one of the greatest stories I ever had a chance to witness in my whole life," he replied, showing his smile full of gold and rotting teeth. "Basically, some years ago, when Priscilla had just joined the rooster of the coliseum's gladiators, the Royal Advisor Lady Olivia used to come here regularly as representative of the King, and she often had with her a young cadet to act as her bodyguard and helper."

"You mean Yunan, right?" Bella mused, still looking while the quarrel between the Soldier and the Warrior kept growing of intensity, both sides trying to provoke the other with a peculiar snark-to-snark combat.

"Indeed, but Lady Olivia also used to be present whenever Priscilla fought, cheered for her, and even sent some gift as tokens of her appreciation every time she won, so of course the rumor mill started that there was…something more between them."

"Oh, I see." Bella had to restrain herself from laughing. "I guess that explains everything."

"No way! General Yunan and Priscilla the Killa had been love rivals! That's so otome !"

Everyone jumped, and the clash among the two stopped, as they heard another voice join them, Jacob (who until now had been watching the show with interest) turning around, as he recognized both the voice and the image of a landing human girl dressed in a skydiving, a small tadpole holding on her shoulder with the flippers while, behind her, a large white dragonfly landed while buzzing in amusement.

"Amelia!" The boy in armor gasped, "What are you doing here?"

"I finished all my test, and I wanted to share the news with you, cousin." The young girl admitted with proud, showing off her skydiving suit, "Now I can fly just like Akitsu!"

" Please." Polly snorted. "What you did wasn't flying, it was more like ' falling with style'."

"Oh, shut up!"

"Huh, Jacob?" Priscilla asked, her eyes wide open "Who is she?"

"Right," The boy repressed the need to do a facepalm in frustration, "Priscilla, Thong, Kuzur, gladiators, this is my cousin Amelia, her little friend Polly and her…riding companion Akitsu. She's a White Skies Dragonfly, it's harmless."

"A White Skies Dragonfly?!" Several gladiators gasped at the same time, Priscilla even looking at the humongous flying bug with her mouth wide open. "That's… I have never seen one before in my life!"

"Such an ethereal creature… wasn't only a myth?" Another gladiator said.

"To think I am able to see one with my own eyes…we are blessed brothers!"

"Wait, he said it's her riding companion? As it, she tamed it?"

"Just what kind of creatures are they?"

"Hey!" Yunan yelled as she put herself between the two humans and the gladiators, realizing where their thinking was going. "They're under my wing, hands off!"

"By the way, Jacob," Amelia continued, "I brought you a clean shirt to change. Did you forgot to bring some changing clothes with you? You know that sweat makes your clothes smell."

"Thanks, mom," The boy replied as he started to remove his armor, piece by piece, first starting with the gauntlets and vambraces, the moving onto his pauldrons and removing the key elements so he could finally remove the main breastplate and take off the dirty and smelly shirt under hit. But just as he did-

"Huh, what's going on?" Jacob asked as he was left bare-chested, noticing the strange looks the girls were giving to him, Amelia's yes now even wider and more surprised than he had ever seen before. "You're really weirding me out right now."

"Oh no, it's just we were noticing… you've been working out, did you?"

"What does that mean? You know Sasha and I had been training under Yunan now, plus all that stuff we did back in Wartwood and on the road to come here."

"It's just your body looks a lot more… chiseled than before." Damn, you could grill meat on those abs, the wannabe samurai couldn't help but think as she realized how much more muscles his cousin was now fitted with, Is that ai eight pack?!

"Maybe it would be better if you went to change…someplace else?" Bella suggested, "There is a changing room over there, I think you could use that."

The boy didn't seem to realize the implications, and yet he followed his assistant's suggestion, walking up to a small sideline room, on the 'maintenance area' of the arena, where the gladiators changed among spectacles or hide whenever they pretended to have been 'defeated' by their colleagues to not break the illusion.

"Sometimes girls are so weird," he said, as he proceeded to wear the clean shirt Amelia had brought him, taking a couple of minutes to wash his face and hair. He was fixing his hair as he checked on the mirror when he realize that he wasn't alone, but that someone with a huge, tall and muscular figure had been waiting for him, and was now looking at him from the opposite side of the room.

"Looks like you earned quite a lot of reputation just in one day, right kid?" The figure said as Jacob turned to face him, the stranger's arms crossed in front of his chest. "It's like everyone can manage to impress a group of hardline fighters who train themselves each day facing some of the worst monsters that Amphibia can offer, all for the amusement of the masses."

"Who.. who are you?"

In response, the figure took a couple of step forwards, the ground shacking as he slammed his boots, revealing himself to be a brownish, red-skinned toad, two large scars over his face and an eye patch covering one of his eyes, yet smiling as he looked at Jacob, the human boy's nervousness disappearing as he recognize the figure.

"Wrecker!" Jacob gasped in excitement, "You…you're here! We meet again!"

"Hey, I did promise to you it would've happened, did I?" The Wrecker replied, "I've keep watching you for all your travel to here, and I can say you have managed to impress me, kiddo. You know, the say you're going, it reminds me of myself, when I was the young adventurer traveling afar looking for adventures and battles worth to fight."

"I- I am honored to be worthy of such words."

"That said, while your skills are good, you still have some weakness that a more skilled opponent will exploit. You remember early when you were facing Priscilla the Killa? You were taking too long to move from defense to offense, and she exploited it to keep you on the defensive all the time, leaving you with little to no chance to counterattack. And while your frontal defense is good, you are still weak on your flanks."

"I guess that's true? You know, you're not the first one to tell me this: even Hop Pop was telling me yesterday that I should improve on those points. I didn't pay too much attention, but if you're saying the same thing, then it must be true."

"Never underestimate the foresight on an old wise frog, kid." The Wrecker replied, "Hey, how about I give you some tip to improve yourself? I watched very carefully during the fight, and I noticed that even your opponent Priscilla had a weak point…"

(…)

" Move, move !" Kettle shouted as he watched the slow line of crooks marching in front of her, tied together with some rope and held in line by the threat of her crossbow and Maddie's spell, both she and the frog glaring as they were 'handed over' to the members of the Newtopian Police.

"Well, I have to admit, you sure know how to take care of yourself." Maddie smirked in respect. "I bet these bozos weren't expecting someone like you to hide so much strength and energy at the same time."

"The captain asked me why I didn't prove them wrong, so…I did prove them wrong, did I?" The small newt replied, feeling proud of herself and happy of Marcy's leadership. "Next time they will think twice before trying to mess with me."

"That is, if they will ever have a next time." The spellcaster replied, before noticing three figures exiting from the building and moving toward them. "Marcy, Javi, Femur! Did you find something?"

"Well, we did find something," Javi scoffed, clearly unhappy about the situation, "though not what we hoped for."

"The good news is, the headmaster was right . This inn was indeed used as a hideout for the Order of the Olms." Marcy explained, a bitter tone of disappointment in her voice. "Unfortunately, it seems that it has been deserted for some time. A couple of weeks, maybe more judging by the dust and the cobwebs."

"Captain, did you find anything that could be a lead?" Kettle asked, only for Javi to shake his head as he answered.

"Only a few disguises, a couple of knives and the tattered ashes of what they stole and burned. Enough to say it was one of their hideouts but nothing else. What about the ones we've managed capture? You interrogated them, did you find something?"

"Yes and no," Maddie replied with a grimace. "From what we've been able to piece together, they weren't members of the Order properly, but rather, they were their fixers. The Order rewarded them to 'neutralize' anyone who came looking for them as well as to destroy any trace of their presence. And judging from what you just told us, they've been able to do their job quite well so far."

"The good news is, most of them already had enough warrants that we've been able to arrest all of them." Kettle smirked as the guards carried them away. "Even if we can't find anything about the Order by them, Newtopia will surely be better off without those criminals free for the streets."

"But…what about the one who cause the quarrel in the first place? What did he say?"

"That's the worst news, Marcy," Maddie hissed, like the idea of having failed was physically hurting her. "Seems like he took advantage of the chaos to escape, and he brough the leader of the fixers with him."

"He brought him away?! Marcy gasped, instinctively looking afar as she tried to think what business he could have to 'rescue' him from the raid. Maybe the mysterious newcomer was not an enemy of the order at all, but rather, someone who wanted to join them? Or maybe some kind of unknown ally, benefitting somehow from the chaos that the Order's sudden appearance had brought to the city?

Frog, I fear they may be hiding in the actual secret hideout of the Order of the Olms now, laughing at us as we speak…

(…)

" Ungh !" The newt groaned in pain as he came back to his senses, blood spilling from his mouth due to the teeth he had lost during the fight. As he tried and failed to move, he quickly realized that he was tied up to a wall, two large iron chains binding his hands and pulling his chest upward while, on the floor, another large ring provided to block his tail so he couldn't use it. Pieces of his armor lied scattered on the ground, leaving him shirtless and wearing only his pants. And in front of his, next to a fake replacement tail.

"Hey, you." James said, sitting on a backward wooden chair, taking special glee as he saw the newt's eyes and mouth widening in shook in reaction to his actual humanoid features. "You're finally awake. You know, I was starting to think you were faking it: I didn't hit you that bad on the head, while you were trying to kill me. At least, that wasn't my intention."

"You…what kind of gangly freak are you?!"

"My name, as well as what I am, is of no concern of yours, Thonk the Gruffler, alias Tohken Phyll, Aliasi Thomber Tenn. Looks like you have quite a reputation among the other sums of Newtopia's underworld: fence, thievery, extortions, blackmail… and now we can add terrorism to that list, since you work with the Order of the Olms."

"And so?" Thonk grunted, "Those cultists may be crazy, but they pay me well!"

"So, you admit that you were working for them," James replied, sending his prisoner an ice-cold smile. "Not going to try denying it? Good , less wasted time."

"I don't care who you work for, freak, be the Night Guard or the Army, I'm not going to tell you anything, and my skin's too hard and battered to feel anything, so don't you bother!"

"Oh, but I do have other ways to make you talk," the British teen's nodded, "By the way tell me… do you know what the train conductor says to the frog?

"Is that some kind of code? Because-"

" Hop On! " His torturer replied, the newt jerking in pain in response to the incredibly lame pun.

"…no…"

"What did the tree say when spring arrived?" James continued with merciless determination. " What a re-leaf! "

"No, please!"

"What do you call a bug that can't make a decision? A may-bee."

"No, no more !"

"What's green, green, green, green, green?! A frog rolling down a hill."

"Please, I have a family! I have a wife and a kid, plus several more I didn't recognize and two newts I married on the side! I'm not a bad guy, I'm just doing my work ."

"Just tell me what you know, and this will be over soon." James sniped, only to grimace as the newt shook his head.

"I-I can't. If I talk, they will kill me!"

"There are many things worse than death, buddy," James leaned closer to the trapped newt until his lips was right newt to his ear. "How do birds learn how to fly?"

"No, mercy !" Thonk gritted his teeth, hoping that if he focused enough, he could ignore those cruel, painful words.

In vain.

" They wing it."

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

"What do you think, Mar-Mar?" Sasha said with a prideful expression as she stood next too Boonchuy, both girls watching as their friend stepped inside the room that had been assigned as their own suite, the boys and Amelia's rooms further down the hallway. "Do you like the redecoration we did with our living quarters?"

Marcy didn't say anything, her mouth open agape, her eyes widening in surprise and amazement as she looked at the room around her, noticing how different it looked from before.

Compared to before, the room was now much brighter and more colorful, the bare rock walls had been repainted and decorated with a meander whose curved designs composed foliage and leaves surrounding Amphibia's symbol. In the center of the room, in plain view and visible to anyone who entered, was a round, violet-colored couch, on which were stacked harmoniously, among round embroidered cushions, the plush Domino II toy that she, Sprig and Sasha had made for Anne long ago and the fluffy panda that Jacob and the others had given her, during the trip.

On the left and closer to the exit was Anne's bed. An imposing bed of fine wood and cream-colored blankets, the headboard of which was decorated with a painted glass image of a forest. Arranged around the bed, moving from left to right, were a large dark wooden closet leaning against the wall; a small round table with a yellow-colored box, resembling a jewelry box, resting on it. A long desk with several drawers and an integrated shoe rack, a framed mirror for observing oneself and a basin of water (for early morning washing) on it. And finally, right next to the bed was a small console made of glass and gilded metal, on which was placed a small glowing coral for evening reading.

Sasha's bed was located on the right, equidistant from both the entrance and the large balcony visible in the background, from which the three girls could view Newtopia and the surrounding region from above. In contrast to the frugal-naturalistic decoration of Anne's bed, Sasha had instead opted for a large four-poster bed with very pale pink fabrics and curtains, tending to white, two large strawberry-red pillows resting on the backrest. She, like Anne, was also equipped with her own personal closet (albeit visibly larger and painted white) as well as a large desk equipped with a mirror, with everything she needed to be able to take care of her face. A long metal shelf above the commode served as a bookcase and housed several books dealing with different topics, including sword fighting, military strategy, and the rules of good etiquette and table setting. Finally, a large gold metal candelabra would provide the blonde girl with brightness and warmth should she feel the need while a box of chocolates, located on the bedside table, would satisfy her sweet tooth every other moment.

Finally, located in the farthest part of the room, right next to the large balcony, was the corner of the room reserved for Marcy. Her bed, like Sasha's, was also canopied, albeit smaller than her friend's and composed of various elements whose nature, both in shape and color, could only be derived from the corals that made up much of Newtopia's architecture. A large bookcase of fine wood housed numerous volumes that, for one reason or another, had become part of Marcy's collection while another even larger piece of furniture, similar in some ways to a cross between a display case and a sideboard, contained numerous cases filled with objects of a mysterious nature, ancient artifacts, specimens of animal and plant life forms, charts and maps depicting geographical are, buildings or entire cities. Many such objects were already in the room before Andrias offered it to the three human girls as a temporary residence, and from the first moment Marcy had been enormously interested in them. On the opposite side from the bed, on the other hand, was a large worktable desk on which were arranged all the tools necessary to spell-making, working on her gadgets and equipment, conduct research on the nature of the Gems and the Box, as well as the story behind them, or add new content and information on her Journal. On the balcony, there were a small shelf containing a few living samples of vegetations gathered from all over the continent, and an advanced, gear-equipped telescope.

A small corner of the room was 'assigned' to host the Trio's adventuring equipment and weapons, various cases full of weapons (beside their main ones, they had several secondary and auxiliary ones, plus many others they kept from Wartwood or gathered during the trip) and fantasy equipment surrounding three human-sized wooden mannequins, two of them wearing Anne and Sasha's armors, the empty third one clearly meant to host Marcy's ranger uniform whenever she wouldn't need it.

"I…I can't believe my own eyes," the spellcasting ranger and Night Guard captain said with a voice full of wonder. "You surely did a good job by redecorating this room!"

"What I can say, I always had a kick-knack for redecorating interns," chuckled Sasha with appreciation, "and I didn't have to care about money for once."

"Plus, if what you see for our room managed to impress you, you should see the stuff we bought for the boys, Amelia, or the others." Added Anne with a mischievous grin, "Would you believe that Sasha bough a whole shop just to get back at some jerk?"

"Wait, what?!"

"Hey, that guy said we weren't welcome in the other shop, did he?" The blonde girl replied, "Not my fault I was feeling quite spendthrift but I couldn't get anything from them. And I was waiting for a chance like this ever since we arrived in Wartwood."

"Well I do have to agree on something, it is nice to be able to have a basically limitless reserve of money for our needs." Her friend nodded, looking at the Royal Credit Cards on Marcy's hands. "By the way Mar-Mar, what did you need it for? If you wanted something, we could have bought it for you during the day."

"Oh, it wasn't shopping related, more like… for a personal project, related to the squad."

"That reminds me!" Sasha jerked up, moving to the three large mannequins and pointing at the still-empty one, "You can place your Ranger uniform here instead of simply put it among the other clothes in the wardrobe. Easier to find if you're in a hurry or to fix if it gets damaged."

"Thanks, Sasha, but I won't use that uniform anymore soon. You see, after we returned to the Night Guards' headquarter, once I was done reporting our, ahem, results to the Headmaster, I paid a small visit to their chief armorer Bernando and I showed him a small project I worked during our journey. Basically, an idea for a better uniform for the guard. One who is lighter, sturdier and with a lot more equipment and items incorporated to support us in mission! And he liked it so much, he immediately agreed to make one for me, Maddie and our newest squad members! "

"Huh, are you sure this is a good idea, Marbles?" Anne raised an eyebrow. "I mean, nothing against the armor, if you designed it I'm sure it is much better than the previous ones, but… aren't you afraid they might accuse you to play favorites?"

"Oh, that's no worry. I ordered enough uniform for the whole Night Guard. Bernardo says it will take a couple of days, but he has skilled friends who-"

"What?!" Sasha gasped, for a moment thinking she had heard wrong. "You ordered a set of new highly-customized armors and uniforms for the whole Night Guard ? But that would be like…like…" she struggled to find the right word, as Marcy simply smiled back.

"It's not against the regimentations if I paid for them on my own pocket. This is why I need the Royal Credit Card for a little bit."

Anne said nothing, her mind racing back to all the stuff they bought today, all the various furniture and elements they used to 'redecorate' their own room, the boy's and Amelia's, cold sweat running on her forehead as she recalled she never checked how much pricey the things they bought were, self-confidant on the fact that the Royal Credit Card had limitless money for them to spend. And now with the revelation that Marcy had bought brand new high-quality uniforms for the whole Night Guard-

-frog, how much did we spend today?

(…)

King Andrias Leviathan, lord of Amphibia, Peacekeeper of a Thousand Years and the First of his Name, laid on the ground of his castle's Throne Room while Lady Olivia and the Various Royal Guards desperately tried to bring him back to his senses, the yell of his royal advisors calling for medics as he felt the hand of his own subjects trying to raise his head, the giant having slammed it on the floor after fainting.

The faint caused by the emotional rush he felt as he looked upon the Credit Card Report issued by the Bank of Newtopia, detailing every and all expenses the six 'humans' had done in the last few days, and the sum of the total expense.

"Two-two hundred thirty-seven…" King Andrias repeated, as the soldiers managed to put him on a sitting position, the medics already coordinating the efforts to speed up his return to fully aware state, as he felt a headache incoming. He knew he didn't have to worry, for the Royal Credit Card had limitless money on it and thus, even if someone spent millions every day for years, as long as they lived, the card would never run out of money.

And yet, the idea that such a small group could spend such a huge amount on honey in so little time made him feel like he had just been punched to the face.

"Your majesty, are you once again with us?" Lady Olivia asked with a worried tone, the medics to her side while the rest of his courtesan and guards surrounded him. With no heir to inherent the throne, what would've happened if King Andrias died by the shock?

"I-I'm…fine, Royal Advisor." The King smiled, trying to hide his real emotion as he dissimulated, as he had done for every day of his life in the last thousand years. "I was just…checking some information that turned out to be bad news, but I'm okay now. I was just a little surprised, that's all."

"Bad news sir? Something related to the State affairs perhaps?" Lady Olivia tensed up, her political skillset starting to focus once again. "Can I help you with that?"

"No, it's nothing important," the King replied, turning the Bank report into an unreadable piece of scrap paper. "Only a small-"

" Your Majesty, your Majesty !" The mood in the room was broken once again as a young newt in the uniform of the Night Guard stormed into the throne room, the Royal guards quickly grabbing him by both sides as Lady Olivia repressed the feel to facepalm for the -nth time today.

"I do hope you bring urgent news," the on-duty captain of the Royal Guards nodded, "to breach the etiquette in such a blatant way."

"I apologize for my manners, your majesty, but the news I bring are dire!" The Night Guard ranger protested, the Royal Guards unhanding him as they obeyed Lady Olivia's silent order. "We received new messages from the Boiling Basin area, the Night Guards squads we sent in the region were attacked by Toad soldiers by unknown origin and annihilated!"

" WHAT ?!" Lady Olivia yelled in shock, " Those squads were more than half of the current forces of the Night Guard, comprising all their best rangers and commanders ! How could they have lost?"

(…)

I…I can't believe we lost, Gynmare Greentail, Veteran Squad Commander of the Night Guards and Senior Member of the Night Council though as he looked around him. The Toads and their giant metallic soldiers were inspecting the bodies of his fallen comrades and subordinates, kicking them in attempt to produce laments and hissing to locate those who, like him, were still alive among the carnage and, once found, deal with them definitively. If they were lucky, they would be found by the Toads, who used short piercing knives to stab the newts into their heads or through their hearts, killing them instantly and (hopefully) painlessly. If they weren't…

Gynmare closed his eyes as the yell of another newt's cranium ripped away by the cruel, cold hands of one of the metallic monsters, his now lifeless body dropped onto the ground and being slowly covered by a strange orange powder that made rot by the second, the head carried away for some nefarious purpose.

I need to get away from here, the veteran ranger thought, realizing it was only a matter of time before he would be found like the others, I need to leave this place and report to Newtopia. And then, Ill return with the reinforcements, the rest of the Night Guard and even the Army, to teach these toads what it means-

"Where do you think you're going?" A cruel, harsh voice said in a feeble tone, Gynmare's eyes widening in horror as he stopped crawling, raising his eye to see a large deep-green Toad in orange armor, holding with both hands an axe whose blade was dirty with the blood of the other rangers. Mentally, Gynmare tried to think to a strategy: should he use the knife he had hidden on the left boot? No, too soon, and there was no way such a small knife would do much against the huge axe of his adversary. Could he use a smoking bomb to distract him and get an opening to run? Did he still had some? Or maybe… yes, that was an idea.

Gynmare quickly jumped on the side, moving out of the range of the enemy's' weapon before moving to attack, his gauntlet opening to reveal the hidden blade hidden into it. He didn't need to kill him, only wound just above the eyes so he could-

The Newt's way of thought was cruelly stopped as the Toad, seemingly aware of what he was attempting to do and grabbed him by the tail, slamming the ranger back into the ground and stomping on his body, before hitting him with his axe on his knees' level, cutting off both legs as he yelled in pain.

"You and you!" Rehys ordered, pointing at two toads who were the closest to him "burn his wounds so they will cicatrize and won't regrow, get a fast spider and bring him to the tower. If he dies on the way, I'll make you pay for his death with yours!"

"Yes Boss!"

"As you order!"

"Why… why do you care so much about keeping me alive?!" Gynmare yelled, his brain pulsating with pain as the two used a burning torch to cicatrize his flesh, preventing his legs and feet from regrow. "Just give me the coup of graze, you toad bastard!"

" NO ." Rehyes replied, his eyes and voice filled with hate, "I won't give you the freedom of a quick death, Gynmare the Audaceous, just like you never cared for the toads who fought under your banner. Tell me, did you ever think about them? The ones you abandoned in the Deadly Quicksands? Did you ever know what happened of them? With any food nor water, no hope to get help? Into an unstable ground who made them sink faster with every movement, leaving them trapped to be eaten alive by the bugs? I do ."

"You… who are you?" Gynmare wondered, the toad's word striking him before of his fist, knocking him into unconsciousness.

"You didn't remember about us, but I surely have never forgotten what you did to us. What all you Newts did to all of us. "

"Commander Rehys," one of the toads said, coming closer. "The rangers weren't alone. We found several frogs from nearby villages hiding on the windmill, I think they were the ones who told them were to find us. They surrendered when we arrived, but what should we do with them?"

"Round them up for judgement… and hang them ." Rehys said with a disinterested tone, pointing at the windmill with his gaze. "Hang them high, so they'll be seen from afar. So that everyone will see what happens… to those who try to cross the will of Prince Aiden."