Conqueror of Daylight

Chapter 34: Airheads

Aaarrrgghh's face lights up with a grin, "She did it!" he announces, proud and excited, drawing Toby's attention. "No way! How did she do that?" Toby blurts out, his voice mixing surprise with a hint of envy.

Claire can't help but skip towards the brief success, her excitement bubbling over. "Whoa! I made a portal!" she exclaims, even as the portal shimmers out of existence. "Did you see that? I made a portal!" Her smile beams, her achievement momentarily filling the room with light despite the portal's brief lifespan.

Draal, slightly alarmed by the staff now aimed in his direction, nudges it away with a cautious hand. Meanwhile, Toby, struggling to swallow his jealousy, tries to play it cool. "Yeah, if we need to teleport an olive or a baby mouse," he jests, his attempt at humor swinging the broom into Claire's face by accident.

"Oops!" he chuckles, regret mixing with embarrassment. "I meant, you have an awesome staff and totally deserve it... Even though you lost the Killstone," he adds, backtracking with a tone that teeters between admiration and a poorly veiled dig. Claire, unamused by the backhanded compliment, fixes Toby with a glare, her patience worn thin by the comment veiled as praise.

Claire, her frustration boiling over, turns sharply to Toby. "Excuse me, Mr. Godking, but weren't you the one in charge? And you completely blew it!" She crosses her arms, glaring at him as Draal and Aaarrrgghh watch from a distance, choosing not to intervene. "And if Jim were here," she adds, but Toby cuts her off with a heated interjection.

"But Jim's not here, is he? Right now, he's probably getting chewed out by ghosts because we messed up. And let's not forget Y/N, jumping into portals to save your hide from Angor Rot, trying to snag the Killstone back. Now, who knows what mess he's dealing with? Last I heard, he's in the realm, desperately trying to negotiate with the 'Pale Lady' herself. Imagine that, our Y/N, calling out 'Cursed' into the abyss, and what does he get? Nothing but his own echo for company!" Toby's words hang heavy in the air, filled with the weight of their recent failures and the lengths their friends have gone to rectify them.

Claire rolls her eyes, crossing her arms. "Oh, please, like Y/N hasn't been in tight spots before. He'll figure it out. Probably having a better time than dealing with your drama here."

Toby, not ready to back down, puffs up. "Drama? This isn't drama. This is about us, the team, sticking our necks out for each other. And what about you? Swinging that staff around like it will magically make everything better!"

Aaarrrgghh, watching from the sidelines with Draal, leans over and murmurs, "Should we step in now?" But Draal, with a half-smile, shakes his head. "Let them be. Forge fires temper the strongest steel, and this... this is their fire."

The tension in the Hero's Forge escalates as Claire and Toby continue their heated argument, utterly unaware of Jim and Y/N's upcoming arrival.

Claire, frustrated in her stance, faces Toby, who is equally determined not to back down. "And who are you to call me a newbie?" Claire challenges, her voice rising with every word.

"I've been at Jim and Y/N's side since the very start," Toby asserts, emphasizing his loyalty and the trials he's endured alongside his friends.

Jim, flanked by Y/N, both still in their armors, materialize from the Soothscryers, doings in the forge, their sudden appearance drawing a momentary pause in the argument. Jim, concerned by the escalating situation, turns to Y/N, seeking any new information. "You catch anything from..." Jim hesitates before saying her name. "...Morgana?" he inquires, hoping for some insight.

Y/N, his expression somber, shakes his head. "Silence. It's like she's vanished," he admits, the lack of communication from Morgana leaving him uneasy.

As the argument between Claire and Toby resumes, Toby, in an attempt to provoke, throws a low blow. "And let's not forget, Claire here thought she could snag an invite to the dance from Y/N. Looks like that didn't pan out, huh?" His words are laced with a taunting edge, aiming to stir the pot further.