Rays from the fire burning in the sky force my eyes open. Moon has taken Zoey's place by my side in bed as she often does. I've taken a small respite from adventuring to manage materials at my base.
My hands rub through Moon's soft fur as she purrs gently. All seems peaceful until I hear the pals at my base making a commotion. My window shatters as a flaming bolt pierces it. Moon wakes as I jump out of bed.
The cabin is near engulfed in flames when me and Moon escape it. A familiar group of men approach my base. Shit, it's those guys again.
"Sir, there he is," one of the men says.
"And that poor brainwashed Lunaris is following behind him," another soldier says.
"He's degenerate scum, don't leave nothing, burn it all," a young girl says stepping forward.
Who the hell is this chick? I pull my Paldeck pointing it at her.
Lily Everhart
Leader of the free pal alliance Lily is a nature loving fanatic. She loves Pals, worships them, and shuns the eating of pals.
The girl kicks Cattiva out of her way with her bare feet as she approaches.
"A breeding farm, pathetic, you're the lowest of scum," she says stepping up to me.
I look into her angry violet eyes and smile. She doesn't know who she's messing with. I go to grab a sphere and she slaps me.
"Don't pull your balls out yet I'm not done scorning you for being a pathetic human being, look at all these Pals subjugated to your will," she yells squinting her eyes.
I go to draw my pistol but Sam appears between us like a flash of light.
"Don't, she's far more powerful than you," Sam says over his shoulder.
"So what, I just let her destroy my base and hurt my Pals?" I say angrily.
"Whatever we must do to survive," Sam says gripping his sword.
"You defend him samurai, you disappoint me, when you learn how to handle yourselves come find me in the Frostbound Mountains, and sorry about your base, I wouldn't have destroyed it if you weren't so weak, pervert," she says as she leaves.
"I have an extra pair of shoes if you need them," I say as she steps away.
She stops for a moment and raises her middle finger as she leaves.
I sift through the ashes that used to be my base as our enemy retreats. Sam pulls a nearly pristine comfy palbed from the ruins and helps himself onto it.
"I know you aren't going to take a nap while the ladies do all the heavy lifting," Carmen says rubbing her soft fur against the bed.
Sambushi yawns making himself more comfortable. Carmen grows irritable. Minx steps up and pats Carmen on the head.
"Don't worry, I'll put this fucker to work," she says with a smile.
Minx climbs onto the bed and looks down at Sam with a smile.
"Let's be rational here," Sam says raising his hand.
There's a quick gust of wind as Minx's foot makes contact with Sam's groin. He curls up in the fetal position and Minx proceeds to pick him up lifting him over her head.
"How gentlemanly of you to give up your bed to a lady," Minx says tossing Sam into the embers of my base.
Carmen curls up on the bed and Minx pets her gently as Sam writhes in agony crawling toward me.
"So, mijo, let's rebuild the base," Sam says coughing as he holds his stomach.
It's a good few days of farming materials before I can rebuild. I make it out of stone this time.
I prep my gear to head out for the Frost Bound Mountains. It's time to spank this Lily chick. Not in an inappropriate way though. Literal, non perverse violence.
Jessica gets me there in a near instant. It almost takes all the fun out of the trip. I look down at Chillet's sphere and rub it.
"I know you wanted to run buddy, but Jessica is faster," I say with a smile.
The sphere vibrates as if Chillet can hear me through it. My eyes return to our current objective. Another massive tower piercing the sky.
A bold confidence comes over me as I step up to the doors. The handle clicks as I try to turn it. No use, it's locked. You've got to be kidding me. There's a note on the pillar to my left. My heart races and I feel a wave of frustration as I grab the note.
Welcome to Lily and Lyleen's salon. We aren't here right now but the key is under the mat, feel free to let yourself in.
I can't think of a more obvious trap than this. Sambushi lifts the mat revealing a key.
"After you Mijo," he says tossing it to me.
The doors creek as I step into a large hallway. It comprises of large cubicles filled with makeup and hair supplies. Is this really a salon?
A small Tanzee grabs my wrist dragging me toward a large chair. It's a barber's chair, but it resembles a king's throne. I try to resist Tanzee but it flashes a machine gun at me and I decide to comply.
Sitting upon the barber's throne I kick my feet like a child as I wait for Lily. Sam lounges below me lighting his pipe. He raises it up to me.
"Fancy a puff mijo?" He asks.
"Why not," I reply inhaling whatever strange leaves he's packed into it.
Bad idea. I lose all sense of myself almost immediately. My head is cloudy but I'm so high I'm flying above them. I've hit some strange nirvana, awoken in Valhalla. Sam's turned to a near naked man lying about my feet.
I'm so baked I just sit there with Sam at my feet as the door to the tower opens. Is that her? I need to snap out of... I black out but feel like I'm fully aware of my surroundings. I can hear everything.
"Wow that's just, hell just make yourself at home, Lyleen, who the hell does this guy think he is, and why is he so unkempt, quick bring the scissors and something to rid this odor," Lily yells.
She steps up to me and removes my Chillet headband.
"This simply won't do, when was the last time you had a make over mister carnivore?" Lily says with a hungry smile.
I wake the following morning with my wrists and ankles tied to bed posts. What the hell happened? Did I get a haircut? I struggle against the bindings as Lily steps up to the bed holding a large knife.
"Hi, my name is Morado," I say with a forced smile.
"Shut up pervert, I didn't pretty you up just to kill you, I need some pics for my salon album, sorry about the binding, I couldn't have you running off on me, and maybe I got a small amount of enjoyment out of tying you up," she says freeing me.
I rub my wrist as Lily tosses the knife into the wall behind her. She crawls up the bed onto me and shoves me against her pillow.
"Meow, I've made you so cute, I can't help but envy my creation, perhaps I should indulge myself," she says sniffing my neck.
The hairs on my arm raise as I feel her tongue against my neck. This is a new level of intimacy for me. I'm not sure what to do.
"Sambushi-Sam!"
There's a loud bang down the hall. Is there a fight going on? Wait, is Sam fighting Lyleen alone while I lie around with Lily? I use the only solution I can find to rectify this situation. The Saitama gauntlet.
Paldeck equipment: Saitama Gauntlet
A gauntlet imbued with the power of a great hero who only punches his foes once before taking a 24 hour rest. Excessive use results in premature hair loss.
Lily's pupils widen as my fist goes rocketing toward her. At the last moment I point my index finger and boop her on the nose.
"Hehe, that tickles," she giggles falling onto the bed completely paralyzed from my attack.
Leaving Lily I join Sambushi in the center of the tower as he battles Lyleen.
The air fills with a poison and I cough as Sam cuts through the smoke. He's wounded dragging branches covered in thorns by his calves. I run to him and toss Chillet's sphere. Huh, Chillet didn't come out, and Sambushi didn't go back.
"Morado, if I lose you must flee," Sam says readying his blade.
"What if I use Moon?" I ask.
"Don't, she won't fight Lily," Sam replies.
Lyleen sends in two swirling leaf tornadoes and Sam burns them. He's weak, and he's outmatched. Why won't he return to his sphere?
"Sam, what the hell are you doing!" I yell.
Lyleen floats up to him and slaps him to the ground. Sam struggles to grip his sword as Lyleen whips him with a thorny vine. I pull my pistol and feel a hand on my shoulder.
"You should have taken the pics, you were so cute," Lily says.
Her foot sweeps my ankles as she pulls on my shoulder. There's a loud thud as I hit the ground. Lily climbs on top of me and grips my chin turning my head as she inspects her work.
"Nevermind, I used too much blush, well goodnight carnivore," she says punching me in the nose.
There's a loud cracking noise like the sound of splintering wood as her knuckles twist against my nose. I feel warm blood wash over my lips and reach for my face. The pain is too great and I pass out. Blood pours down my cheek onto the floor as Sam crawls over toward me.
"Don't worry mijo, your pals have got your back," he says tossing Chillet's sphere.
Chillet bursts from the sphere and immediately forces me onto its back. Sam climbs on securing me with his body. Chillet runs back to my base as fast as his little paws will take him.
He reaches the plateau of new beginnings and stumbles into my base before collapsing from exhaustion. Large scaly arms embrace me as Sally grabs me cradling me in her arms. She's surprisingly gentle and smells like lavender.
A day passes and I wake in my little stone cabin. Sambushi is lazing about in the floor. No doubt using my illness as an excuse not to work.
"Brace yourself mijo," Sambushi says as the door swings open.
"What were you thinking dumbass! Do you even think? What would I have... I mean, what would your pals have done if you died!" Zoey yells.
I sit up dangling my feet off the bed.
"You're un-fucking believable, how could you just go after her like it's nothing, after she destroyed your whole base, do you even know how much work we put in to rebuild, she's probably going to send rabid pals to destroy your base again, why do you have to be so infuriating!" Zoey yells approaching me.
I look up at her and our eyes meet. The worry in her eyes answers any questions I might have. She was afraid of losing me. I need to show her I care about her too.
"Zoey, can I have a hug?" I ask.
Zoey leans in suspiciously before embracing me so tight I can hardly breathe. I gasp for air when she releases me. She pauses at the door before taking her leave.
"Be more careful stupid, even if you don't care about yourself, some of us do," she says exiting the room.
Sambushi stands and pats my head.
"I'm glad you didn't send out Moon, don't treat her like she's some ultimate weapon, remember, she's your Pal, and I shouldn't tell you this, but you're more to her than just that," Sambushi says stepping away.
I move a bit, everything is sore. Trying to step out of bed is a mistake. My feet hit the floor, and so does the rest of my body. Owe.
"Morado, you hurt, don't leave."
I look up as Moon floats toward me. Her feet meet the ground and she seems unstable. I feel her arms under me, cradling me. She lifts me onto the bed and steps around to the other side.
"Master Morado, might I join you," she says with a bow.
"You didn't need to ask before," I say trying to move around.
"Moon soft, you pet Moon," Moon says grabbing my hand.
Her fur is softer than usual. Perhaps there is more between her and Lily than I realize.