The Heroes of Aeseganora: Part 1 - The Oca-Tree

Escaping The Slaves - Part II

"Ye blasted seadog!" Kwazii shouted as he ran towards him. But as he did so, Innes stopped him by creating a force field, knocking the cat down to the ground.

"You could've broken me tail!" Kwazii yelled in annoyance, and later fury as Innes, Brone, Scud, Lino and Raquel only stood and laughed at him.

"Don't even think about getting up and running, little kitten," Raquel said. "I shall deal with the girls, but Innes will have you and that penguin follow him.

Nobody moved or said anything.

"I do hope that none of us have to drag you pathetic creatures back to prison." Lino said with a smirk.

"They're not going anywhere," Ollum's voice said, as he appeared as well, smears of dirt on his face, along with a few thick lines of blood. His crown was also askew.

The five Slaves looked at him.

"I beg your pardon?" Scud said.

"We needed a way out of this world, and we did not want whatever poor choice that you or the Octonauts have to offer, your Majesty," Brone said, looking at the crew. "We still want a way out of this world. We want a world that is full of magic, and they are going to give it to us. Find a world - one rich in magic - break into it and allow us to come through to it."

"No," they all said together bravely.

The Slaves laughed in their faces again, and the Octonauts' hands prickled as a glass of anger overflowed inside them.

"You are not in any position to refuse," Brone said, his eyes glowing. "You will do as you are told. Break into a world for us."

"We can't!" Peso spat, terror building up in him. "We don't even know how many worlds there are in Earth!"

"We didn't even know there were more worlds, not just Aeseganora!" Barnacles said.

"There are," Innes said. "Now, we'll ask you one more time: Break into a world for us and let us through."

"We... shall...NOT!" Inkling screamed, his staff raising up again, about to cast a spell again...

A haze of magical golden sparkles gathered together, slowly glowing brighter and brighter until there was a blast of light, a rumbling, deep sound...

But as soon as the vortex appeared, it seemed to go further and deeper, like digging up a hole in sand or dirt.

What was happening to this portal? Ollum asked himself.

Wait.

If there really were other worlds, could this portal be cutting into one of them, like a knife?

Almost immediately, they realised, in fear, that they could do it.

It probably wouldn't be a walk in the park, but if Inkling really magnified his attention upon it, if he put some thought into where the portal would lead to, it would be possible.

But none of them wanted to. They could refuse to follow Brone's request, and as a consequence of that, they could go back to the Slaves' Jailhouse and potentially remain there for the rest of their lives. It all came down to their choice. Every world was full of people and creatures like them: people like their families, their friends, children. Living creatures who didn't deserve to have their fate ripped out of their hands. How could they hand a world they had never even entered to these people?

But how could they not?

And with that, they came to the conclusion that refusing to do what the Slaves wanted would mean that they may never see the people they loved ever again. Everything that they didn't want to lose - their families, their friends, the Octo-Agents, their lives back on board the Octopod, their identities as the Octonauts - would be gone. Dead. Dust.