Crossed Fates

Chapter 9: Rocky Restart

Cidade Dos Roedores... Reduced to rubble. Reduced to a wasteland. All the inhabitants... dead, without even knowing what was happening. 

A piece of rock is smashed through, and with it follows a cough.

Liv: "GYAHH!!! WE'RE ALIVE!!! WE'RE ALIVE!!!"

She wiggles out of the hole, and so does the others.

Toby: "Oh shit! W-What the fuck happened? What did that stupid prince do?!"

They all look towards the rubble. The air is dusty, and they can barely see.

Luke: "Look! Tyler's alive!"

They all rush over to Tyler, who is lying down on the floor, unconscious.

Luna: "He's alive..."

Luke: "Wait... Tyler probably shielded us under the ground. Dude... He saved our asses."

Liv: "Maaaan. I hate being saved. This is the third time."

Luna: "Well, I'm grateful."

Luke kneels over Tyler.

Luke: "He's got bandages over his arms and hands. He must've been gushing."

Fortunately, Tyler begins coughing. He opens up his eyes.

Tyler: "Gah... Oh, it's just you guys."

Luna: "Tyler! What happened?"

Tyler: "I fought off the Shadow Prince the best I could. I lost, though, and he... he told me to man up, basically."

Luke: "Shitballs, man."

Tyler: "But hey, hey. I'm still alive. Oh, and... now a member of The Peeps."

They all look at each other.

Luke: "I thought you didn't-"

Tyler: "Well, you daft sausage, I changed my mind. People can do that."

Toby: "Well, I'm happy you're on the team, buddy. Too many people on this team's names start with L."

Liv: "Oh aye, I didn'ae even notice."

Tyler: "Well, now it's... uh... uhm..."

Luke: "LTLLT."

Tyler: "I only actually know Luke and Luna. Who're you two?"

Toby: "Call me Toby."

Liv: "The best pirate in all the land!"

Luna: "Her name's fucking Liv!"

Tyler chuckles.

Tyler: "Well, I mean, she did answer my question. Maybe she is the best pirate in all the land.

Liv: "See!? This guy gets it!"

Tyler: "Oh yeah, before I forget... Luke, you can bless things, right?"

Luke: "I suppose I could try."

He points at the cursed relic.

Tyler: "You could probably remove the curse from that."

Luke: "Ooh, maybe! We might get something really cool."

He opens up his palm, and a ray of light shines towards the relic. The relic floats into the air, and turns from a cursed sword, to a cannon without any wheels.

Liv: "Ooh! Ooh! Dibs, dibs!"

She grabs the cannon with one hand, and immediately starts swinging it around.

Toby: "Woah! Can you shoot anything from that?"

Liv: "I'll shoot something alright, just watch and learn, ladies!"

She steadies the cannon, and she actually shoots out a huge beam of water, the beam turns into a ball into the air very quickly, and as soon as it hits the ground, it explodes and it has a huge radius.

Luke: "Woah, that is awesome. I can bless things and make them cool like that?"

Toby: "Hmm, now what? Liv has a new cool weapon, and the whole of this city is just... gone."

Tyler: "We train."

Others: "Train?"

Tyler: "Train. You guys weren't strong enough to take down the Shadow Prince. So... you all need to start training."

Liv: "Oh come on! He just got a lucky shot."

Luna: "He's right... We need to start training. We can't all just rely on what we know already. There's still room for us to grow."

Tyler: "Yes, and that is why I'll be your mentor."

Luke: "You will? Seriously? For all of us?"

Tyler: "Sure will. The Prince actually told me to."

Luke: "Haha! I told you man, you're a bro! A real bro. You're a homie."

Luna: "I think we're gonna have to get out of here, first. There's... uh, only rubble."

Tyler: "Of course we're gonna have to get out of here. I'll take you somewhere. A city with... uh... not rats, but people like you guys. Elves... Uh..."

He looks at Toby, Toby looks at him confused.

Tyler: "...Whatever you are, and even cyborgs."

Toby: "I'm a hybrid."

Tyler: "A hybrid? Good, that means you're naturally strong, and naturally a badass."

Toby: "Oh, well... thank you."

Tyler: "...Anyways. I'm off, follow me if you're willing to become stronger."

He begins to walk. They all look at each other for a moment. Contemplating this. Luke starts following him, then shortly after, so does Luna. Toby sighs and walks along with them, and Liv just runs ahead, catching up the best she can.

3 hours later...

Luke: "Are we there yet?"

Tyler: "Not yet."

Toby: "Are we there yet?"

Tyler: "Not yet."

Luna: "Are we there yet?"

Tyler: "No. Not yet."

Liv: "Are we-"

Tyler: "JESUS CHRIST! WE'RE THERE! WE'VE LITERALLY STUMBLED ACROSS THE FUCKING SIGN."

He lifts them up using the ground, and he drags their faces next to the sign. The sign reads 'Welcome to Lusni Khavarum!'

Luna: "Lusni Khavarum?"

Toby: "Ahh, this is where I grew up. It's changed amongst the years."

Luke: "You grew up here? Nice. What was it like?"

Toby scratches his chin, he then sighs.

Toby: "A lot of festivals. This city is all about the moon, really."

Liv: "Haha! The people here are dumb for praying to moons."

Toby stares at Liv.

Liv: "...Not uh... saying you're dumb, Hybrid."

Toby: "Yeah, thanks."

Tyler: "Stop your bickering, guys. We're gonna go to the training grounds... and we're gonna make you all powerhouses."

Luna: "Oh boy... I'm gonna lose my figure."

Tyler: "Yeah, well I don't really care. You chose to be mentored, so you're gonna be mentored."

Liv: "Oh yeah! I'm gonna become an even better pirate! I've been meaning to do some damn training!"

Tyler: "You've got good spirit, Liv."

Liv: "You're damn right I do! Let's go inside the fucking city now, please! I need to train!"

Tyler: "That, we will."

They all walk inside the city's walls. The atmosphere is oddly calming, although there are a lot of townspeople walking around. Tyler was right, there are a variety of species that seem to live here. There are lizards, minotaurs, and even angels.

Luna: "Oh... wow!"

Toby: "So... where are we even going to train?"

Tyler: "Well, since you're all sloppy as fuck, i'll send you over to a friend I know. She'll whip you all into shape."

Luke: "What?! I thought you were mentoring us!"

Tyler: "She's only going to help with muscle and flexibility and all that nonsense. I'll be doing the fighting stuff."

Luke: "Oh... Oh. My bad."

Tyler: "So, let's get going."

He leads them towards a part of the town. He pushes them all inside a building. A nice, young lady greets them at the entrance. She has long black hair, and a burn scar that seems to stretch along the entirety of the right side of her body, her dazzling green eyes make her seem very trustworthy.

???: "Welcome to- Oh, Tyler? It's been a while. You doing alright?"

She seems relatively happy to see Tyler. He walks up to the front and grins.

Tyler: "Hey, Hanako. Good to see you. How long's it been?"

Hanako: "Too long, you boar. How're the Slimes?"

Tyler: "Ehh... Dead, but I don't care. They used me, and now I have new friends."

She seems a little shocked by the sudden announcement, but she laughs it off.

Hanako: "W-Well! They weren't exactly the best... But..."

Tyler: "Hey, let's not dwell on them."

Hanako: "Right, so... I still owe you that favour. Do you want me to keep these guys at my training camp?"

Tyler: "Yeah, could you do that?"

Hanako: "Of course! And just for you, I'll let them all stay here for as long as they want."

Tyler: "Oh, Hanako! You beautiful lassie. I don't deserve it."

Hanako: "Don't call me beautiful, or I'll make you do the splits again for 2 days."

Tyler: "Shit! Don't bring back that painful memory... Yeouch-"

Liv: "Lady! Make me the strongest human ever!"

Tyler: "Oi, don't butt in. Right, Hanako... Let me introduce you to The Peeps. The Paladin is named Luke."

Luke: "Pleased to meet you."

Hanako: "Pleased to meet you too, O'Paladin."

Tyler: "The Hybrid is named Toby."

Toby just nods. Hanako returns the same gesture.

Tyler: "This elf is Luna."

Luna: "Hey! Helloo!~"

Tyler: "And this... uh, Transmogrified rat is named Liv."

Liv: "YEAH!!! I'M LIV!!! BUT DON'T REFER TO ME AS JUST 'THE TRANMOGRIFIED RAT'! REFER TO ME AS THE PIRATE LORD! FOR I WILL BECOME THE STRONGEST PIRATE EVER!!!"

Hanako: "My! Aren't you eager, Liv?"

Liv: "YEAHHH!!!"

Tyler: "These guys saved me, y'know? I originally attacked Luke and Luna, but then when the dungeon was collapsing, they carried me out."

Hanako: "Oh! You guys saved my precious little Tyler~! Thank you, Thank you!"

Luke: "Don't sweat it, Hanako. He saved us too. Fought for our lives as well."

Hanako: "I'd imagine he would. He's just so awesome and precious, isn't he?~"

Tyler: "Hanako... Lay it off. You're embarrasing me."

Hanako: "Sorry, anyways... You four come with me, Tyler, you gonna join us? Refresh yourself?"

Tyler: "No thanks. I think I'll just be walking around town, thank you very much."

Hanako: "Okay, honey. See you later."

Tyler: "Don't call me honey. We ain't dating."

Hanako: "You're easy to tease."

She flashes a playful grin at him, and then she looks at the other 4.

Hanako: "You guys prepared to go through physical hell? Because I am!"

Liv: "YOU FUCKING BET I AM!!! WOOOHOOO!!!"

Luke, Toby & Luna: "...Shit."