Story Arc: Welcome to Wartwood
Episode 1: The Two Beste, the Devil and the Serial Killer (IV)
Chapter 4: Discussions, Flight and other discussions
Plot: Anne, Marcy, after she finishes eating, starts talking to Bruce.
At first some feelings are hurt, but the girls of Los Angeles begin to understand Bruce better.
When they fly high in the sky, Bruce begins to tell some things that he discovered about the Gems of Calamity.
Then suddenly Carmen perceives a strange energy signature, chasing this clue, they end up in front of an angry fly, while something monstrous is hiding.
XXX
POV Narrator
Anne, Marcy and Sprig are still in the Morgans' Vault, sitting around the table no longer full of food.
Somehow Anne managed to make up for 10 days of hunger in one go.
"You know what, Mar-Mar, I think I was too careful with Bruce." Anne said, with a blissful smile, running a hand over her full belly.
Clearly receiving a large amount of exquisite food did wonders for Anne's mood.
'Personal note, I absolutely have to learn how to cook.
Manga and Anime were right, reaching a girl's heart is difficult, but the shortcut is through the stomach.
I think it works for men too. ' Think Marcy, wanting to learn a new skill to make Anne happier and maybe get out of the "I love you like a sister" zone.
"I'm not sure what I ate, but without a trace of a doubt it was the best lunch of my life." Sprig said, having no regrets for his reckless actions of him.
She may not be able to prove to Hop Pop today that she is responsible, but her quest to find a dangerous beast has led her to find some ... ugly creatures that are just as pleasant.
"Bruce, are you done fixing your dragon !?" Anne asks aloud, turning her head in the direction of Bruce who is on top of Ferrus 'head, armed with a wrench the size of a sword, he is currently recalibrating Ferrus' flight systems.
Somehow the huge wrench managed to fit inside the pockets of Bruce's red coat, probably it must be some trick like that, bigger pockets inside or a pocket size for items.
The white-haired Sorcerer instead of asking Ferrus to lower his head and descend like a normal person, decided to jump.
The distance between Bruce and the floor is about ten meters, for a normal person to jump from that high would end very badly. But Bruce was never normal.
As if it were a daily action, Bruce jumped down, landing smoothly on his feet in front of the triangular table.
Sprig being an anthropomorphic frog who has always lived jumping high from place to place, not seeing anything strange in Bruce's jump.
Anne and Marcy are simply surprised to see what Bruce has done.
"How did you do it, did you use air or gravity magic?" Marcy asks, trying to figure out how Bruce jumped ten meters without breaking a bone.
"No magic, just normal physical strength ... normal by my standards being somewhere around Spider-man at the moment." Bruce said, monotonously, not finding his physical prowess something to discuss.
"This day is getting more and more wonderful. First we are rescued by a Class Assassin summons, then we enter a bunker located in a pocket dimension, where a masterpiece of engineering in the shape of a dragon is found!" Marcy said, in an enthusiastic voice, summarizing the most important events of the day.
"Man, what are you going to do later, bring the dead back to life or grow a pair of wings to take flight?" Anne said, in a playful tone, getting up from the table.
For some reason Bruce's calm, stoic expression has been replaced by an irritated frown.
"Anne, to be clear we're not friends, we're just acquaintances. Our relationship is limited to a damsel in distress and a knight in armor who saves the day." Bruce said, sternly, setting the record straight from his point of view.
"Drama between beast and spirit." Sprig murmurs in a low voice, deciding to stay on the sidelines and watch what is about to happen.
Marcy's happy smile is replaced by a sad expression when we hear that Bruce doesn't consider Anne his friend.
If Anne Boonchuy, the beautiful, funny and sociable girl, fails to make friends with the white-haired wizard, what are Marcy's hopes of ending up on good terms with Bruce who could become her future brother-in-law and / or master of magic.
'Learning magic will be an unfulfilled dream, so too will get Bruce's approval for hitting on Adeline.' Marcy thinks, feeling that her road to becoming a witch and earning Adeline's surname is over before she can begin.
"If we're not friends why are you helping us?" Anne asks, with an irritated frown that hides some pain.
Maybe calling a friend, a guy who half an hour ago was the target of his outburst was not a good idea.
"Among others are a Belmont and a Bahamut, I was born with the duty and responsibility to defend and protect the innocent from the threats of the supernatural.
In some cases even aliens, supervillains and crazed androids. "He briefly declares his duty as Belmont and Bahamut, adding some clauses that have appeared in the last decade.
The modern world has become a real mess comparable to the DC Universe for the amount of Mutants, Aliens, Super Villains, Super Heroes, Kamen Rider and other strange cases that keep popping up around the world.
"The fact that you are friends with Adeline and that you have ended up in the midst of a magical conflict that was not connected with you.
It just adds more reasons to help you and keep you alive. "Bruce said, feeling responsible for Anne and Marcy's life not only as his professional duty, but also as a brother.
The Los Angeles girls were silent for a moment.
Surprisingly, Marcy was the first to speak.
" We are not friends ?
Are Anne and I just a responsibility?
A side mission to complete while focusing on the main mission !? "Marcy said, clearly hurt by Bruce's statements, feeling hit in the most sensitive and fragile place in her soul.
'Why on earth do I feel so bad? I should already be used to the idea of not making new friends.
For years I only had Anne and Sasha on my side, no one else was paying attention to me, not even my parents.
It was a miracle to be able to enter Adeline's life, that girl is too good for someone like me, this also applies to Anne.
They both deserve something better than a nerd unable to express her feelings or talk to people face to face. ' Marcy thinks, starting a downward trail of negative thoughts, born a small inferiority complex.
'Ten days ago, starting to believe that I can make new friends, through Bruce, Luz and Amity.
Surely I was deluding myself, they were kind to me, just because I was the friend of Adeline, the main character of the whole affair.
I'm just a second character who if he goes beyond his limits will end up being sidelined and forgotten by everyone. ' Marcy continues to think badly of herself, feeling that she has made false hopes.
"Women is their sensitive feelings. First Adeline, then Anne, now Marcy." Bruce mutters, folding his arms, feeling a great irritation and an even greater sense of guilt about what Marcy is feeling.
"Marcanne, look me in the eye and listen to me very well." Bruce said, drawing the attention of the two girls from Los Angeles.
Anne's angry gaze and Marcy's sad eyes meet Bruce's tired golden orbs.
"The three of us have known each other for a short time. For six days we spent several hours together getting to know each other and having fun, nothing more, nothing less. Friendship with me is difficult to forge." Bruce said, looking Anne and Marcy straight in the eyes, to show how things stand.
"Marcy, I don't want to hurt your feelings. I like you, honestly you are my favorite in Adeline's little group of friends." Bruce said, in a sincere tone, having no trouble expressing his opinion.
"You are smart, very smart for a girl your age and you know so many interesting subjects.
Few people can argue with me about the works of Tony Stark, Reed Richard or Henry Pym.
Besides being smart, you are quite pretty, the vibe of bookworm, nerd and otaku, I find it very ... pleasant. "Bruce said, with a slight blush on his cheeks, feeling a subtle embarrassment to talk about his preferences in terms of women.
"In short, if I were a normal boy I would accept you without problems as my ... friend." Bruce said, folding his arms and turning in Ferrus's direction, having a slight hesitation to finish the sentence.
Marcy's sadness for the moment has been buried, instead feeling embarrassed, flattered and gratified.
Returning to Los Angeles, Marcy was never a popular girl, she was basically an invisible girl to the kids throughout the school.
All the boys were hitting on Sasha, Adeline and sometimes Anne, no one ever said anything nice about Marcy.
It was never a problem for Marcy, men never attracted her interest, she would have preferred by far the attention of a pretty girl like Adeline or Anne.
Receiving these sincere compliments from Bruce, for Marcy they were touching and much appreciated by the small self-esteem.
This resulted in an embarrassed reaction of not knowing how to respond.
It didn't help that Bruce is a pretty effeminate guy and looks a lot like Adeline, one of his crushes.
"If Adeline and I had swapped places and I was the regular brother who lived in Los Angeles, we would have been good friends, I'm pretty sure of that." Bruce said, with a sincere tone and a weak smile, appreciating for a moment the idea of a carefree life, oblivious to the real dangers of the world.
"Unfortunately I am not normal, I cannot be an ordinary man, I am destined for ... this madness that is rooted in my blood." Bruce declares, in a bitter tone, spreading his arms to indicate the entire Vault of the Morgans and its contents.
"My blood and the experiences I have lived so far do not lie, I am destined to fight, company after company, until I die.
Even dead I'm not sure I can rest in peace. "Bruce said, lowering his head, not deluding himself into having an eternal peaceful rest taking into account the conflicts with hell and the other magical entities that crave his soul.
"Aren't you exaggerating?" She asks Anne, raising an eyebrow, believing that Bruce is giving himself a lot of air.
"Ten days ago, I was persuaded to quit my training to master the seventh sense and take part in a vacation to Los Angeles.
They end up meeting a twin sister I didn't know I had, there were some awkward beginnings and uncertainties. But everything was fine. "Bruce said, happily remembering the first few moments in Los Angeles.
"Until a man in gold armor who responds to the pseudonym of Gemini has to mess it up with an ambush.
My best friend, Luz; my rival Amity; my foster sister, Miyu; my biological sister, Adeline; they were carried away from me! "he declares Bruce abruptly, pulling his pent up anger out for a moment, slamming his foot hard against the floor.
"I who am one of the strongest of my generation, a more unique than rare case, was reduced to a rag. The left eye was the first of a long series of injuries.
My family of witches can barely cope with the obstacles that appear on my fireplace. "Bruce said, in a sad tone, putting a hand over the blindfold that hides his left eye.
"If a demigod and his mythical companions get seriously hurt. My supposed mortal and common friends what life expectancy can they have?" Bruce asks, in a bitter tone, bringing up one of the reasons his only friends here are Witches, Mutants or Superheroes.
After these words, silence ruled the Vault of the Morgans. Until Anne, a huge superhero fan spoke.
"For one of the ten smartest people in the world, you are pretty stupid." Anne declares, in a frank tone, determined to express her opinion.
"I don't think you understand my situation, my life is a mix of an Urban Fantasy novel, a Paranormal Horror movie, adult animated dark fantasy series." Bruce said, trying to make Anne understand that a Belmont's life is incredibly dangerous and she can't afford to make friends with anyone.
"Bruce, I've seen enough cartoons and comics to understand how things really work.
You are like one of my favorite superheroes, to protect those I love, to hide my secret identity at any cost.
It just takes things to a higher level. You want to protect your friends to the point of keeping them off and pretending they're just acquaintances. "Anne declares, feeling like she's solved a big mystery, finally watching all those cartoons with Adeline and Marcy is coming in handy.
Bruce opens his mouth to give a reply, but Anne was faster than him.
"Bombshell. Whether you like it or not, Marcy and I are involved in this story of swords, magic and frogs." Anne said aloud, putting an arm around Marcy's shoulder, pulling her towards him, a sign that her nerdy friend of hers must express her thoughts as well.
"You have been very kind and helpful with the two of us. I understand that we are not in a video game where everything will go smoothly without problems.
But it would be even worse to miss such an opportunity, I want to explore this world, make new friends and ... try to fulfill my dreams. "Marcy said, casting a quick glance at Anne, really wanting to have a fantastic adventure with Anne at her. flank.
"You should pull this fighting spirit more often, it's pretty nice to see." Bruce comments, trying to seem unaffected by the girls' words, but a small smile adorns his lips.
"Does that mean you're no longer going to pretend we're just acquaintances to be saved out of a sense of responsibility?" Question Anne, wanting Bruce to stop being so stoic and open up more.
"Taking into account that I will be together for a long time, maintaining a simple professional relationship seems inefficient in the long term .: Bruce replies, with a calm and stoic tone that does not hide his sulking from Tsundere.
"So ... do you want to be my friend?" She asks Marcy, in an embarrassed tone, reaching out to Bruce, not believing what she is saying / doing.
"I'll be open to possible future friends with you two. For the moment I think we're almost friends." Bruce responds, squeezing Marcy's hand, gently, treating the situation as a commercial pact that a start a friendship.
"You are two embarrassed social." She declares Anne, in an amused tone, putting an arm around Bruce's shoulder, pulling her towards her.
"I prefer the term introverted. For your information, I don't like being touched except for a select few." Bruce said, gently removing Anne's hand.
"Is there such a thing as almost friends?" Sprig murmurs in a low voice, having never heard such a term.
"Now it exists." Bruce declares, in an authoritative tone, as if his word is enough and advances to make this fact true.
"If we're done doing this soap opera scene. We have to catch a flight. But first I have to give you a system you have your clothes on." Bruce said, pointing his hand in the direction of Anne and Marcy.
"Magia creației: Schimbarea ținutei (Magic of creation: Change of dress)." Bruce said, creating a small magic circle in front of his hand, casting a spell in the direction of the two girls from Los Angeles.
A purple laser hit Marcanne's ruined clothes, completely changing them.
Anne's new outfit consists of a school uniform, a white collared shirt worn with a dark blazer jacket with the school emblem and a plaid miniskirt. She also sports a plaid bow tie, black knee socks and loafers.
Marcy's new dress is also a school uniform. This clothing consists of a simple white long-sleeved shirt with gold edging on the collar and sides, with black and gold cuffs.
The uniform also consists of a black flounced skirt with a golden line that crosses it horizontally.
To finish off her look, Marcy wears a standard black cape with gold lining that reaches down to the lower back and simple brown steel-toed boots.
"Hope you like the outfit update." Bruce said, waving his hand, creating an ice mirror big enough for the two Los Angeles girls to see their new looks.
"I feel like I'm Kotan from Dragonclaw Z getting his new suit from Keman, after finishing training in the Kronos to face Doctor Oreg's bioengineering monster." Marcy declares, in a euphoric tone, doing several heroine poses, enjoying the addition of a fabulous cape.
"It's certainly prettier than my previous uniform. But I can give it a warning in the future." Anne said, looking in the mirror, appreciating Bruce's gesture, even though she could do without the bow tie.
"Well, you don't touch me without permission and I won't do magic tricks on clothes." Bruce said, taking note of this arrangement.
"Bruce, is this awesome uniform from an Anime or something?" Marcy asks, wanting to know the origins of this school uniform with a cape.
"The uniforms come from two distinct schools of magic.
Anne's uniform comes from the Royal Biblia Academy, the American school of magic that has as pupils the Trinity Seven, the seven most powerful witches of my generation.
Marcy's uniform comes from the Ars Magus Academy, the most prestigious school of magic in the Boiling Isles, founded by Konoe Ayatsuki Mercurio alias Nine the Phantom, one of the most powerful witches in history. "Bruce explains the origin of the design of the two uniforms. school, along with some interesting facts about their respective magical institutions.
"Are there schools of magic? Like, winding towers, cute uniforms, dark plots that threaten your life kind of magic school?" Marcy asks, wanting to know a lot about these two schools of magic that Bruce mentioned.
The white-haired sorcerer not wanting to tell his unofficial school life which is quite messed up, especially the part of "friendships" with class campaigns.
So he made the sign of the hand which means: more or less yes.
"You have to tell me everything about your school life!" Marcy exclaims, wanting to find out more and more details about Bruce's magical life.
Maybe becoming a powerful Witch will help her with heart problems?
Not far from this mess, perched high up, a certain blue-eyed crow who has so far been on the sidelines watching, decided to put an end to this useless chatter.
"Cra Cra." Carmen said, landing on Bruce's right shoulder, her favorite place in the whole world.
"Carmen, do you have something to tell me?" Bruce asks, turning his attention to Carmen who looks at him intensely.
"Cra Cra."
"Harsh words. You know you shouldn't be jealous, you're my best Familiar. Ferrus is just an Advanced Automaton, he can't be compared to you." Bruce said, seemingly managing to understand Carmen's raven language.
"Cra Cra."
"We are not talking about you as a Familiar, but we are talking about you as a woman ... this is a more complicated one." Bruce murmurs, with an unhappy expression, not wanting to discuss this subject.
"Cra Cra."
"Marcy is just pretty, you are gorgeous." Bruce said, trying to appease Carmen's jealousy before he can spite Marcy.
"Cra Cra."
"Don't be ridiculous, I have no fetish for school uniforms. My weaknesses are cosplay, monster girls, witches and chains." Bruce said, without an ounce of shame, speaking of his "weak points" in the area of women.
"Anne, what does fetish mean?" Sprig asks, in an innocent tone, having never heard this word before her in her life.
"I don't understand what that means either." Anne said, with a deep blush of embarrassment, preferring to lie, not wanting to answer such an embarrassing question.
'It seems that I will no longer be the only one with strange preferences. I can understand the effect of a cosplay combined with a cute girl, maid uniforms are legendary weapons. ' Marcy thinks, getting all red in the face, remembering cosplay nights with Adeline and her embarrassing reactions to her.
"Cra Cra."
"Oh God repeating myself. Carmen you are a fantastic Familiar and an even better woman. But you are my Familiar and I am your Master, there are certain rules of conduct." Bruce said, slightly uncomfortable about where this discussion is going.
"Cra Cra."
"There is a difference between Heroic Spirits and a Raven Familiar." Bruce declares a fact impossible to spoil, no person can compare the greatest heroes of humanity to a magical bird with various tricks.
"Cra Cra."
"If you put it that way, it might go. You'd be a great lawyer with that silver tongue." Bruce declares, in a defeated tone, accepting that his crow is a master of debate who can convince anyone.
"Cra Cra."
"I enjoy doing it, but we don't have better things to do with our time. Like decorating the inside of the lair, building a laboratory and a monitoring / research line in the entire region." Bruce said, focusing on the work to be done and less on the activities proposed by Carmen.
"Cra Cra."
"A dinner is not necessary. We can both live without food for weeks. And if we ever feel hungry, we can just drink some water and stay in the sun for an hour." Bruce said, being able to do without certain daily necessities, thanks to his unique biological characteristics.
"Cra Cra."
"You're right, we are not plants or machines, we are animals, beings of flesh and blood; eating and drinking is written in our instincts.
But my EVO form is vegetable in nature and Woz's healing method is pushing me to the edge of alien machines. "Bruce folds his arms and throws a counter argument to Carmen.
"Cra Cra."
"If it's that important to you, we can have a single night off. Then let's get back to our next move." Bruce said, agreeing to compromise with Carmen, a night without work, followed by a planning marathon.
Meanwhile Bruce and Carmen are arguing, the two Los Angeles girls and a pink frog are talking about what they see and hear.
"Is it normal for spirits and ravens to argue like an old married couple?" Sprig question, not knowing what to think of this scene.
"I don't think normal word can be used for Bruce. Although I admit it's a little strange to see a person arguing with a crow as if they were a jealous girlfriend." Comments Anne,
"Anne-Banana, I don't think we should make a hasty judgment on the person who gave us a hot meal and clean clothes." Marcy said, not wanting to misjudge Bruce, especially when he might get the same treatment if someone discovers some of his lesser known passions than him.
Unfortunately, Sprig's curiosity is stronger than his common sense, plus the word discretion is not present in the Plantar vocabulary.
"Spirit of the metal cave, can you tell us what is between you and the crow, by any chance is it a lesser spirit you need or a spiritual advisor?" Sprig asks, wanting to know more about the mysterious blue-eyed crow.
Carmen stopped croaking and started staring intensely at Bruce, wanting to hear how his Masters will respond.
The white-haired wizard, putting aside the thought of feeding the pink frog to Ferrus, puts his hand under his chin and begins to think.
"To me, Carmen is the friend of my mind. She puts me back together. Pick up my scattered pieces and put them back in order. It's very nice when you have a wife-friend of your mind." Bruce unable to find his own words right, he decided to quote the words of a certain poet named Tony Morrison.
The blue-eyed female crow, hearing this little poem, softened like a little lamb.
Iceberg-cold eyes have become warm and tender, the iron composure is gone, being replaced by the tender demeanor of a puppy.
Carmen began to rub her head against Bruce's cheek.
"If Carmen doesn't want to argue with me anymore, we can get out of the Vault," Bruce said, taking advantage of Carmen's loving reaction to put an end to the argument.
The white-haired sorcerer starts walking towards the golden dragon waiting to receive his orders, followed by the rest of the group who only earn more questions about Bruce.
Especially on the relationship between Master and Familiar Raven.
XXX
In less than fifteen minutes the entire group made up of two girls from Los Angeles, an anthropomorphic frog, a white-haired sorcerer and a blue-eyed raven.
The grooves on Ferrus' rump are designed as super-tech saddles, so they aren't uncomfortable at all.
Bruce is showing his near friends and Sprig how to hook their feet to the scales of the armor, like stirrups, and how to use the leather safety bridles cleverly hidden under the surface plates.
"Are you ready to fly?" Bruce asks, finding himself in the driver's seat near Ferrus's head.
Marcy looks at the bronze dragon, with great wings that glistened in the sky and those claws that could have torn it to shreds.
"You can bet, I'm waiting for this moment from my first fairy tale!" Marcy responds, feeling her stomach full of butterflies from the thrill of riding a dragon.
"Are you sure the mechanical dragon can fly, doesn't it weigh five tons or something?" Question Anne, quite anxious to fly on Ferrus' back.
If it had been a more traditional mecha with a cockpit, equipped with a seat and seat belts, it wouldn't have been such a big problem.
But riding a saddle-less metal beast, high with birds, is pretty scary for Anne.
"This will be the greatest adventure of my life!" Sprig states that he is on the same wavelength as Marcy.
"Anne, don't worry, maybe I don't like flying, but I'm an expert with a lot of experience.
If I can guide Ferrus through a storm of the Boiling Isles or a shower of flaming arrows, I can take two girls and a frog for a ride on a clear day. "Bruce said, with a slight note of pride, wanting to reassure Anne that he will be at the confident with her holding the reins.
"What happens in case in case here?" Anne asked, wanting to hear Bruce's plan for a similar scenario.
"It's not obvious, I throw myself after you, take you in my arms, then they spit silver angelic wings from my back and take you back on Ferrus' back." Bruce said, in a lighthearted tone, as if he were telling something boring that happened hundreds of times.
"Are you kidding or are you serious?" Anne asks, raising an eyebrow, not knowing if Bruce is serious or not.
"There is only one way to find out, get on Ferrus' back, once we get to touch the clouds, jump in and see what happens." Bruce said, with a mischievous grin, finding Anne's first flight anxiety amusing.
Before the athletic girl could say anything else, Bruce fooled Ferrus' fingers and tail snapped.
Ferrus's golden tail binds around Anne, lifting her into the air, then she puts it on top of her back.
"Marcy and pink frog, hurry up before Anne tries to go down!" Bruce declares, with an authoritarian tone that does not allow to hear discussions.
The nerdy girl and the adventurous frog just get on Ferrus' back with no problem.
"Excelsior!" Bruce yells, flaps the reins and throws a heel strike at Ferrus, giving the go-ahead.
The mechanical automata begins to run in a straight line as if it were a Ferrari, leaving behind it small craters with every step.
"Ahhhhhhhh!" Ferrus emits a screeching, mechanical roar as he spreads his wings and takes off.
A certain blue-eyed crow is also flying close to Ferrus.
XXX
In less than a minute, Ferrus is flying over the entire forest, allowing his passengers to see the wonders of Amphibia.
"I can see my house from up here!" Sprig said, pointing to a farm-like place on the outskirts of Wartwood.
"Flying on the back of a dragon is the most extraordinary experience in the world!" Marcy declares, almost crying tears of happiness to be able to fulfill this childhood dream.
Above, the air is freezing; but Ferrus's metallic skin generates so much heat that it's like flying into a protective bubble.
"Other than heated seats!" Anne jokes to soothe her nerves, greatly appreciating the comfortable warmth emitted by Ferrus.
The four of them are seated in single file: Bruce in front, then Marcy, followed by Anne and finally Spirg.
Marcy is very sensitive to Anne's presence behind her. He hopes she would hold on to her, perhaps putting her hands on her hips; but Anne did not.
Bruce used the reins to guide the dragon into the sky as if he had done it all his life.
Meanwhile Anne, Marcy and Sprig are enjoying the flight, talking to each other about the landscape and the strange shapes of the clouds.
Bruce remains silent and guides, observing events carefully.
'Getting Ferrus out of the Morgan Vault wasn't a necessary move.
In the Vault of my morally questionable ancestors, along with the sections added by me, are more powerful and easier to hide artifacts and inventions than Ferrus. ' Bruce said, imagining a certain cursed sword, recovered from a hidden island populated exclusively by Bloodwrack Medusae.
Another equally fearsome weapon that has popped up in Bruce's mind is Add - Grim Reaper, a super-weapon created by Morgan le Fay herself, if used in the wrong way it could cause disaster worse than a cataclysm.
'While carrying Ferrus isn't the best war move, it allows me to make so much progress with a single move.
Ferrus is large, chunky, bulky, with a bronze-gold-like carcass. Ferrus will easily be remarked upon by any intelligent life form.
Rumors of a golden dragon ridden by a strange creature will reach every corner of this world. ' Think Bruce, completely certain that nothing can draw attention like a fire-breathing golden dragon.
'In addition to promoting the goal of spreading the word across the realm and getting girls' attention, I don't have to worry about Ferrus.
Ultimately, Ferrus is a mechanical, replaceable and repairable creation. Unlike more powerful artifacts which are very rare and dangerous.
If Ferrus "dies" he becomes a pile of junk that cannot harm anyone.
While certain artifacts that if you destroy, explode quite violently. ' Thinks Bruce, trembling slightly at the memory of an artifact destroyed during a conflict, creating a beautiful explosion that almost buried her alive, as well as vaporising a good part of a mine.
'Finally the girls are having fun, this is a good thing in both the short and long term.' Bruce thinks, smiling faintly at Marcanne's good humor.
After nine days in the forest facing wild animals and predators, this carefree moment must be a long-awaited vacation for them.
'People don't just need medicine, food and a change of clothes. The heart and mind must also be nourished. Flying on the back of a golden dragon, seeing an unparalleled panorama, is an excellent medicine for the weary spirit. ' Think Bruce, knowing what to do to raise the morale of the 'troops'.
Suddenly Bruce's reflections were interrupted by a blue-eyed crow flying around defiantly.
"Marcanne is not the only one who has the right to have fun." Bruce murmurs, tightening his grip on the bridle, willing to do a little speed race.
Ferrus' metal wings worked perfectly, and soon, with a simple maneuver, the advanced automata gained more speed.
"Bruce, slow down, slow down!" Anne screams, frightened by Ferrus' acceleration.
Without thinking much, Anne clung to the closest thing to her, Marcy.
'Now I can die with no regrets!' Marcy thinks, enjoying the feel of Anne's assets pressed against her back too much, she will follow the warmth emanating from Anne's toned hands, held around her waist.
"Bruce, slow down, please slow down!" Anne screams, starting to tighten her grip around Marcy, starting to make it hard to breathe.
"Bruce, this is the best time of my life, don't stop, accelerate!" Marcy yells, acting on impulse, with red cheeks, wanting this moment to last forever.
"Do I slow down or speed up?" Bruce asks, slightly amused by the discord between Anne and Marcy.
"Slow down / Accelerate!" I answer Anne and Marcy at the same time, each wanting the opposite of their respective friend.
Bruce completely on the sidelines, is considering flipping a coin to decide what to do.
"I think I'm going to throw up!" Sprig shouts, starting to turn greener than pink in the face.
These words were enough to force Bruce to stop Ferrus, flying in place.
"Pink frog if your vomit touches Ferrus' armor, I'll throw you overboard!" Bruce yells, in a menacing tone that promises severe punishment.
The white-haired sorcerer is no ordinary person, but that means he doesn't have one or two traits in common with mere mortals.
For example, throwing up in a man's car is a one-wave ticket for punching in the face and being left in the middle of the street, with no clothes or money.
In Bruce's case, throwing up on his creations can end badly on multiple levels of evil, it all depends on who committed the accusation. Like casting a nuisance curse for a week or throwing them over the edge of the boat.
"You won't, you are a benevolent spirit, right?" Sprig said, trembling, slightly frightened by Bruce's threat, not too sure of this spirit's momentary benevolence.
"Look down." Bruce said, in an authoritative tone, pointing to a place below them.
Sprig did as he was instructed, looks down to see a certain lake.
"I don't kill innocent people, but that doesn't mean I can't harm an innocent under the right circumstances.
A fall from this height into a lake won't kill you, but it sure hurts dog. "Bruce said, in a calm, quiet tone, having no trouble giving Sprig a hard punishment.
Anne and Marcy changing a look Between them, they decided to help Sprig, without putting themselves on the ugly side of Bruce.
"Speig, I advise you not to throw up on Ferrus, from my readings I can tell you don't mess with a person's car. The only person to get away with it was Jason Tood, years later he died in such a bad way." Marcy tells of the only case she knows in which a little boy manages to get away with ruining the fantastic vehicle of a mythical person.
"True, my mother once put me in punishment for a week just for spilling fruit juice in the car, ruining the upholstery." Anne said in a bittersweet tone, not appreciating her mother's sternness about what you can and can't do in the car.
"Spirit who pretends to be a humble beast, if he doesn't bother you you can take me home.
I think Hop Pop has finished shopping and may start to worry or go mad about my disappearance. "Sprig said, in a polite tone, starting to sweat a lot from fear of being thrown into a lake from such a height.
"I'll take you home, pink frog, but we have to take the long way.
I can't land Ferrus in the middle of the city. "Bruce said, pulling the reins in the opposite direction, making Ferrus change course.
"Why can't we leave Sprig in the square?" Question Anne, not seeing what bad can happen in this scenario.
"Anne think about it for a second, what would happen if three aliens riding a monster-shaped machine fell from the sky in the middle of your neighborhood." Bruce answers Anne's question, with a question from her.
"Mass panic, followed by intervention from law enforcement and the military. If nothing worked, the local superheroes or the Avengers would come to save the day." As usual, Marcy responds perfectly in record time.
Anne looks down slightly ashamed of not having thought of the mass panic and the problems that encounter with "hostile aliens" can cause.
"I will land Ferrus at the edge of the forest, the pink frog will go back to where it came from, pretend to have lived a whimsical dream. Then the three of us can go to my newborn shelter and talk about our situation." Bruce said, giving a little rundown on what should ideally happen in the next hour or so.
"Before we put an end to this fun filled afternoon. Can you answer me a question?" Sprig asks, wanting to get an answer before being forced to return to his everyday life.
"If it's nothing too intrusive or personal." Marcy said, willing to have a little informative chat with Sprig.
"So, first question: what the hell are you and where are you from ?!" Spirg said, hoping to understand what exactly these ugly beasts are found are the protection of the strange spirit.
"We are human beings ..." Marcy stopped abruptly, casting a subtle glance at Bruce who is piloting Ferrus.
"Anne and I are human beings, warm-blooded, omnivorous mammals, capable of living around 80 years." Marcy said, giving a brief overview of her species.
"Bruce is ... a mystery to be solved later." Marcy said, trying not to offend her possible future brother-in-law, not knowing what exactly Bruce is.
"We see from another world or I'm in a coma and I'm dreaming of having an isekai adventure with my friends." Marcy said, trying not to think about the possibility that the world around her could be just a dream created by her vivid imagination and certain subconscious desires.
"Or a nightmare that's taking a good turn." Anne comments, in a bittersweet tone, hoping things will turn out well. They managed to meet Bruce, which means they will soon be able to find Adeline, Shasa, Luz, Amity, Miyu and the rest of the group.
"Do you have any idea how you got into Amphibia?" Question Sprig, pretty sure there must be an interesting story about how two human girls and ... a Bruce, appeared from the forest near Wartwood.
The faces of Anne and Marcy have turned sad and depressed, recalling the events that preceded the appearance of Gemini, the mysterious man dressed in gold armor.
How can Anne tell Bruce and Sprig, her new friends?
Doesn't Anne want to tell you how the golden Carillon that caught Gemini's attention was stolen?
"Me, I don't remember very well how it happened. One moment I'm in the park with my friends and Adeline's brother's friends, then I see a strong golden light and everything goes black.
When I woke up, I was by Anne's side in this new world. "Marcy said, not having had to lie at all.
Unlike Anne; Marcy was the first of the group to faint, thanks to Gemini's first shot, not having seen the start of the golden calamity.
Certainly Anne told Marcy what she saw, but it's not the same as testifying.
"Marcy and I, we don't know how to get home or if it was even possible to go home. So yeah, that's our sad story." Anne said, contributing to Marcy's tale, with the depressing ending.
'Ignorance and despair are enemies that must be killed on the spot.' Bruce thinks, feeling sorry for the two girls from Los Angeles who are completely unaware of their situation and what caused it.
"You are missing a piece of the puzzle, indeed you are missing most of the pieces of a huge puzzle." Declares Bruce, breaking his silence, decided to participate in the story of Anne and Marcy.
So morale will return to high.
"All of us have been manipulated to play the game of a powerful and skilled man." Bruce said, in a bitter tone, they despise being played by Gemini.
"Manipulated?" She asks Anne, raising an eyebrow, becoming quite interesting to Bruce's acquaintance.
"I'll tell you the details once we get Sprig to his house.
But doesn't it seem strange to you that three normal girls found an artifact with incredible powers by pure chance? "Bruce asks, trying to make the two girls from Los Angeles think.
What are the odds of finding an item comparable to Excalibur or a Saint Grail in a Los Angeles antiques shop?
Marcy's eyes widen all of a sudden, realizing that some things are too convenient in her situation.
'By pure chance when I was in the library with Adeline, I find a book about the Paranormal and Pseudo-scinza.
Shortly after an argument with my parents, I find the Calamity Box on display in a shop window. ' Marcy thinks, feeling like an idiot for not seeing the obvious.
Unfortunately, all the Manga and Anime that I saw in life, along with the uncontrollable feelings of the moment.
"During the fight that cost me my left eye, I was able to touch the box and analyze it with one of my skills, allowing me to learn some interesting things.
The Carillon is called the Calamity Box, an artifact created more or less three thousand years ago. "Bruce said, delivering the information he gained, sacrificing an eye.
"The Carillon itself is not important.
The Calamity Box is a casket, created from a metal alloy similar to Earth's gold, but with some properties of the Asgardian Uru.
Its purpose is to be a catalyst for controlling and harnessing the power of the [Four Gems of Calamity] . "Bruce said, entering the most interesting subject of his discoveries.
"Stones of Calamity?" They ask in running Anne, Marcy and Sprig, feeling a strange feeling when pronouncing this name, especially Marcanne.
"The [Four Gems of Calamity] are colored gems: yellow, blue, green, red.
Each of them represents an attribute that is in tune with a spiritual trait.
The Yellow Gem represents [Soul] , the Blue Gem represents [Heart] , the Green Gem represents [Wit] , the Red Gem represents [Strength] . "Bruce says, managing to perceive something inside himself that is reacting to the mention of these aspects of the [Four Gems of Calamity].
Bruce, Anne and Marcy's eyes changed color for not even a second.
"I personally believe that the [Gems of Calamity] are a combination of Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg's True Second Magic and a crystalline structure similar to the [Infinity Stones], with a particular affinity for an element and a concept.
The power to become a demi-deity and pave the way to the unexplored boundaries of the universe, all this without the danger of tampering with the forces that keep our universe running. "Bruce said, giving his opinion on the properties of the [Four Gems of calamity] they are: a gigantic amount of energy, phenomenal powers and the ability to open portals anywhere in the universe and perhaps even the Omniverse.
" [Infinity Stones] ?" Marcy asks, feeling she has found a much larger and more intriguing subject of study.
The white-haired wizard heaved a deep sigh, not wanting to touch this subject in the least.
"Marcy, let's limit ourselves to a single set of ancient stones for now." Bruce advises, not wanting to have to explain to Anne and Marcy about how you are stones as old as the universe can tamper with reality and allow those who bring them together to do whatever they can think of.
"I didn't understand everything you said, but I understand enough." Anne said, not knowing if she should feel relieved or worse that her situation is not the result of brutal Karma.
"A third party, probably the golden man, pulled the strings so that I, Marcy and Sasha, would take the Carillon or Calamity Box, knowing we would be reunited with Adeline." Anne said, clenching her fists, feeling a nascent anger towards Gemini, not only for sending her into this crazy world, but also for manipulating her.
"Where Adeline is, inevitably is Bruce, Gemini's main target." Marcy continues, ending the exposition of how the facts happened in the beginning.
"This looks like the beginning of a long story full of mysteries and twists." Sprig declares, deeply interested in this story, in his life I have never heard anything like it.
Anne, Marcy and Bruce cast a silent glance at the pink frog.
"I spoiled the dramatic mood, didn't I?" Sprig said, realizing that she spoiled the moment, it was up to Bruce to continue the dialogue.
"Here's a clue to open a way home. The mysterious Gemini, using the Calamity Box that holds the power of the [Four Calamity Gems] brought us here ..." Bruce stops speaking, glancing at Anne.
"If we find this Gemini and take the Calamity Box back, we can use it to get home!" Anne exclaims aloud, having found a solid goal to continue to return to her family.
"Main mission, Finding the [Four Gems of Calamity], accepted!" Marcy declares, raising her fist to the sky, they love this atmosphere of Creatures and Caverns.
"I like your spirit of adventure. We have a final destination for our journey, we just need the path to get there." Bruce said, not wanting to spoil Anne and Marcy's good mood, but they must understand that it won't be something easy, probably finding Gemini will take months, not counting the time to heal from her spiritual wounds and find the girls.
"I'm not under the illusion of going back to Los Angeles in a week. I learned one thing from Adeline and Marcy's DnD Games, the main mission is something very long and complicated." Anne said, deciding to be realistic and not have false hopes of returning to Los Angeles before the end of the school year.
Spending Saturday nights playing Creatures and Caverns with 2/3 of her friends is not the ideal scenario.
But strangely in this new world, it is coming in handy to know a few things about DnD.
'If this adventure is anything like Vagabondia Chronicles, we could spend a whole year traveling and experiencing dreamy fantasy adventures. Enough time to see if Adeline and / or Anne are open to a relationship with a girl like me. ' Marcy thinks, feeling like she's gotten the biggest chance of her life.
Maybe she was played by a mysterious antagonist in gold armor, but if that allows her to make her nerdy and romantic fantasies come true.
Gemini can fool Marcy as many times as she wants as long as she always carries cute girls with her.
All of a sudden the blue-eyed crow flies in front of Bruce, as if adverse seen something important.
"Cra Cra Cra!" She yells Carmen, giving some kind of warning before swooping in.
Bruce's good eye begins to glow fluorescent, a sign that he is feeling strong emotions.
"Girls and pink frog, hold on tight, Carmen says she revealed an energy signature nearby!" She warns Bruce with a fierce look, causing Ferrus to change course immediately.
The metal dragon begins to swoop, following the blue-eyed female raven.
XXX
In less than ten seconds, Ferrus, strongly spreads his wings, to be able to land in the forest, without having to create a crater or drop his pilot and passengers.
"He disappeared, just before there was something here, he can feel the residual energy. Could it have been a demon or something close?" Bruce murmurs in a low voice, sniffing the air as if he were a hound, smelling death, blood and ... damp earth.
Carmen flies in a circle from above, she is trying to find that energy signature that she perceived a few seconds ago.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Ferrus was surrounded by an angry mob of frogs armed with pitchforks and torches.
'I'm cursed. I try to find a possible Gemini agent or an inhuman monster from this world. Instead, I find peasant frogs. ' She thinks Bruce, with a tired and irritated, finding the whole situation a nuisance and a waste of time.
'Maybe for once I could be a bad boy?
Infamy or fame, are they the same thing? ' Bruce thinks, trying to decide whether to change his approach to the natives of this world.
Simultaneously an inhuman being is hiding right under Bruce's nose, waiting for the best moment to attack.
Keep on ...