Post by Tug on Aug 22, 2019 17:31:49 GMT -5
At Blue faction Headquarters, Those assembled were getting a briefing from Man In White. The faction was getting updated on the plans going forward.
"As we all know, two shards have been confirmed in location by Kendarboo, and we are going to retrieve them at once. Teams are being assembled to retrieve the first one... on Ordos, if you'll believe that" Man In White explained.
"What? But surely you can't mean..." Woman In Blue began.
"No, not the Great Hall. We're still having trouble locating that. Between the fact that our ancestors forgot the damn maps when they came here and it's perception filter went haywire some time after the shattering it's impossible for anyone, Blue or Black, to locate it" Man In White explained.
"So what shard are we looking for?" Woman In Silver asked.
"I'll fill you in on all the details shortly. As for the second... Daniel, I believe you'll be able to handle this one" Man In White said as he handed Daniel an address.
"What? Are you sure? This is..." Daniel began.
"Truth be told we've always known about this, but it was good to know that Kendarboo's information is reliable" winked Man In White.
"Well, all right... it's about time I go see him anyway" Daniel noted.
"As for defense of the base... Man In Bole, is it complete?" Man In White asked.
"Yes; after what happened I prioritized making substantial improvements to the Base's perception Filter. Now that I've upgraded the power source's efficiency and improved the Cooldown systems we now only need to turn it off for brief periods at a time for maintenance" Man In Bole declared.
"Good; now it is impossible for anyone outside of the Blue Faction to perceive our base, let alone enter it" Man In Gold noted.
"Eh, not quite. I had to make an exception for Majika Supremus Paladins for obvious reasons" Man In Bole admitted.
"Fair enough" now regarding the plan, here's how its going down" Man In White began briefing the team that would be going to the unspecified Ordos location.
"Say, I have a question... does anyone know what the KNUCKLEHEADS have been up to as of late? For noble defenders they sure have been rather inactive lately" Man In Blue asked. Everyone suddenly was dumbfounded at that rather significant revelation.
......
(Flashback; New Furness Police Headquarters)
"Officers, please, I don't understand, what is going on?" Arkwright said; though Noir Knight was notably absent, everyone else was there, albeit in modern civillian clothes now, in a holding cell.
"Good thing Noir Knight had business elsewhere at the time. Call it a hunch but I don't think he would be in a good position here" Arkwright whispered to the others.
"But why are we under arrest?" Maguire asked the officer
"You're under arrest for an assortment of charges. Is this them, sir?" The officer as the gentleman next to him.
"That's them, officers! The lady over there in particular. These are the knuckleheads who keep trespassing on my lands and try to attack my windmill!" He said angrily.
"There is no law against protecting this land from attacks on vile monsters!" Don Delia stated passionately.
"No, but there are laws against trespassing, attempted destruction of private property, and failing to clean up after a horse" the officer pointed out.
"Hey, we can't control when he goes" Rose pointed out.
"But you can keep your horse on your own damn land!" The windmill owner stated angrily.
"Look, I'm sorry about this Mr..."
"Miller. Donald Miller. And yes, I am aware of the coincidence in my name. I also have no intention of dropping the charges against you; I am so sick of you always trying to destroy my property, you damn bunch of KNUCKLEHEADS!" Miller said angrily.
"Why thank you" Alexandre said, pleased.
"That was an insult" Miller pointed out.
"We are proud to be KNUCKLEHEADS!" Castlemore boasted
"You're not helping your case..." the officer pointed out.
The KNUCKLEHEADS gulped.
.........
(present day)
"Court is now in session. The honorable Judge Arthur Goodhall presiding over the case of Arthur Miller and the City of New Furness vs. Arkwright Edogog, William Maguire, Charles Winstead, Delia Mancha, Rose Gonzalez, Eren Day, Jaune Moreau, Alexandre Dubois, Calvin Castlemore, Pierre Bastille, Arnott Williamson and Ulrich Von Lechenault" the bailiff said as the judge began the trial.
"Now then, Mr. Edogog, Mr. Maguire, Mr. Winstead, Ms. Mancha, Ms. Gonzalez, Mr. Day, Mr. Moreau, Mr. Dubois, Mr. Castlemore, Mr. Bastille, Mr. Williamson and Mr. Von Lechenault, you have all been charged with trespassing on private land, attempted destruction of private property, failure to clean up after an animal, attempted assault with a deadly weapon and reckless endangerment. How do you plea?" the judge began.
Man In Infrared and Man In Amber Apricot had spent the past few days hanging out in Man In Infrared's house, a run-down one-story shack on the edge of the town of Silverwood.
"When are we gonna hear from Hikos?" Man In Infrared asked.
"I dunno... I don't trust him though. I swear he's a colorfolk."
"Oh please, he's too powerful to be one."
"Yeah, well, there are powerful colorfolk out there."
Man In Infrared scoffed. "Name one."
As if on cue, Man In Black burst through the ceiling. He looked quite a bit different from the last time these two had seen him. His hair was unkempt, the tattoo on his cheek was more visible than ever, and there was a deranged look in his eyes, like an addict going through withdrawal.
"WHERE IS IT!"
"What's going on?" Man In Infrared squealed.
"I KNOW YOU TWO SUMMONED THAT CYCLOPS AND STOLE A SHARD! WHERE IS IT?!?!" Man In Black's voice shook the house to its foundation.
"We gave it to the caravan crew! Don't hurt us!" Man In Infrared squealed.
"YOU DID WHAT?"
There was a sudden gust of wind in the room. Man In Infrared looked down at his sleeves, only to find that they weren't there.
"What did you do to me?"
Man In Black hissed through gritted teeth. "Infrared isn't a real color... it's not visible to human eyes. I just made your uniform reflect that."
"Oh god! I need to put some clothes on!" Man In Infrared turned to leave, and was suddenly pulled against the wall by Man In Black. His head hit the brick wall of the chimney, and there was a crack that sounded like a bone in his skull/neck region shattering.
"You monster!" Man In Amber Apricot yelled. He shot gobs of honey at Man In Black, who dodged them with ease. "I think you killed him!"
"No, you're the monster! I need those shards! I'm losing my mind!"
"Man In Black, listen to me! You've changed!" Man In Amber Apricot yelled. "I remember when your father was still alive. You were such a quiet, nice man, who was embarrassed by your father's shard obsession! But ever since you became the Man In Black, you've become more and more like him! You even have the same tattoo!"
"Don't you know anything, fool? The shards are the only thing that matters anymore! You sure have a big head, don't you, smartass? We'll see just how big your head can get. Grelk naka bik chov pula granknis..."
***********
"I present... the Black Faction dirigible!" Man In Black said proudly.
Woman In Orange looked disgusted. "That's clearly just Man In Amber Apricot's head expanded to massive size, with a bunch of rickety wood platforms nailed to his face."
"Yes, well, we need a new base of operations, so why not a mobile one?" Man In Baby Blue put in.
"Woman In Orange sighed. "We talked about this... let's go over the plan again, shall we? Our intel suggests that there are at least two shards somewhere on Ordos. So we're going to take the... uh... dirigible... to Ordos. From there, we will split into three groups. Man In Black will-"
"I'm not going with." Man In Black said.
"What?"
"There are fourteen shards on New Furness. I can easily take down the caravan crew with the powers of my lineage," Man In Black rubbed his anchor tattoo as he said this, "and combined with the shards you recover, we'll have nearly two-thirds of the prism."
"But we need you to lead the expedition to-"
"Listen to me, woman! I'm going insane here! I can't live without those shards! Don't try and stop me!" Man In Black snapped.
"Jeez, okay, okay. Alright, change of plans, I guess. Alright. Group 3 is everyone who isn't picked for groups one and two, who will stay on the dirigible under the command of Man In Egyptian Blue. Group one will be led by me, and will consist of Man In Off-white, Man In Ghost White, Man In Green, Woman In Green, Man In Yellow, Woman In Yellow, Woman In Red, Woman In Alice Blue, Man In Cornflower Blue, Man In Heliotrope, Man In Gamboge, Man In Salmon, and Man In Baby Blue. Group 2 will consist of the red warriors-"
"Aw HECK yeah!" Man In Red yelled, giving high-fives to the Men In Scarlet, Cardinal, Crimson, Brick, Ruby, and Rose.
"...and the Pink Battalion."
"The what now?"
"That's us!" A voice yelled. "I am Woman In Pink, leader of the Pink Battalion, the most powerful group of seven colorfolk ever assembled! Tremble before the might of the women in Pink, Fuschia, Magenta, Mauve, Lavender, Lilac, and Rose!"
"Rose isn't a shade of pink! It's red!" The Man In Rose yelled.
"Then explain me?" The Woman In Rose yelled back.
"This is gonna go great! Absolutely no power struggles are gonna ensue in group 2! Am I right, Morris?" Man In Heliotrope whispered to Man In Gamboge.
"Yeah, Mack, I'm sure it's gonna turn out phenomenal..."
Down in the Magic Underground, a certain black armored knight walked nobly down the street, with a strong, chivalrous stride in tow. This figure soon approached the all too familiar Greedy American Pub, passing by some heavily hungover cowboys(?) as he made his way to the entrance. The Bouncer Shear was about to stop the knight and ask for his arrival, but the knight waved a familiar bag of jingling coin that Shear left the noble warrior inside the establishment...
As the armored figure walked towards the bar, Lien greeted him with a warm, familiar smile, "Ah, Noir Knight! It's been a while since your last job posting! The Director values a reliable client such as yourself! What will it be this time?"
As Noir Knight approached the counter, he answered the woman with, "Normally my jobs are similar item fetch quests for my, 'condition', but this time, I need a specialist to aid me in my quest. This time, I need someone who utilizes abilities of the 'spirit' variety..."
"I think I got just the individual to help you... Hey, Ghost Puncher! You awake back there?" shouted Lien as a biker looking man in black leather chugged his bottle of whiskey and left it on the table of the booth he had been reclining in...
Ghost Puncher approached the duo and said, "Well I just woke up from that drinking binge with Vanil and his crew a little while ago, so I'm just about ready to begin making an honest days work... Sorry I haven't introduced my self yet, I'm the B Ranked Slayer Ghost Puncher, at your service, Sir..."
"Noir Knight is fine, and I guess you want to further discuss the job then?" added Noir
"I'll just leave you two alone in the conference room, don't worry Noir, since you're a regular client I'm certain you brought the right amount for a specialty quest like this..." said Lien as she led the duo to the discussion table...
"So to make sure I'm right for this job, I specialize in Spectral Magic, being able to command over 'phantom limbs' and allow myself to physically touch the incorporeal spirits... Does that work for the endeavor?" asked Ghost Puncher
"That's perfect actually, I actually need you to come with me to retrieve a certain object, that, from what I can gather, has phantom guards too many for me to tackle by my lonesome..." replied Noir Knight
"Alright, and where are we going to exactly to deal with these 'ghosts then?" wondered Ghost Puncher
"Have you ever heard of an island called Ordos?"
.....
Three individuals soon approached a black gunk soaked shack near Silverwood...
"I can definitely feel the irksome Prism Magic in the air, even if it's so corrupted..." said one of the figures
"Hey, watch it newbie, that stuff can be dangerous, we don't want you to be done in on your first mission now, do we?" said the figure next to him
"Grr! Nothing will stop me from having my revenge on those blasted Colorfolk!" growled back the first figure
"Gerard! Sal! Cool it! Especially you Salamander! We're only out here due to a favor I owe to Blood, so let's examine this place and head back..." said the third figure as he supervised the duo
"Yes Archbishop... Hey, is that... A guy in there?" pointed out the Salamander as he carefully walked inside the building
"Don't blame me if your body starts to deteriorate!" yelled Gerard
"Shut it! Hey, this guy has black crack like scars across his body... And his pupils are pure white... Archbishop Chaos, I think you should see this!" yelled the Salamander
Chaos soon approached the building, snapping his figures as the black gunk would disappear in odd or mysterious ways, as if almost by accident, to clear a safe path for him to walk through...
"Whatever happened to him, the Higher Ups will be interested in whatever abilities he has to offer, come on, we'll take him back with us to see if we can make a new recruit out of him yet..."
.....
The Blue Faction Headquarters was tense. Man In Blue waited with Woman In Blue, Man In White, Man In Gold, Woman In Silver, Woman In Gold, Woman In White, and Man In Silver, guarding the entrance. The Audit team from the Magic Underground had just arrived, after some brief trouble with their magic barrier.
"You've made your protective ward far too strong." The Optometrist noted. "You can just set it to block the Black Faction and Caravan crew, you know. What if you urgently need Icetouched healing in here?"
"I didn't realize anyone else would be coming for the audit." Woman In Blue explained. "We expected just Majika Supremus."
"Oh no, all audit teams contain two representatives from each of the six major factions." Sergei Meerov explained. "Majika Supremus needs oversight too, after all."
Fard and My, the Majika Supremus representatives, stepped forward.
"For the next week, we require full access to your lair, all documentation, and all personnel. We will be interviewing everyone closely to make sure no violations of magical law were committed. If we find that any violations were committed, well... let's just say that Majika Supremus prisons are the perfect place to be alone with your thoughts."
Woman In Blue swallowed nervously.
Man In Blue, on the other hand, was baffled by one of the Guild Of Damoni representatives, The Beyonder. She looked exactly like a student he had had in his magic studies class. Had they been observing him even then?
*********
The most expensive hotel in the Magic Underground is the Hakaris Magiohotel, a massive 15-story tower with 540 rooms maintained by the Hakaris Faction. The food is exquisite, the magical amenities are second-to-none, and skeletons controlled by Hakaris necromancers perform room service better than any human could.
Two hooded figures checked in to a room on the top floor that day. They were very suspicious looking, with their black-and-bronze uniforms and horned badges, but they also happened to be under the effects of a spell that made them less memorable to those who saw them.
After setting their bags down, the taller of the two figures turned to his companion.
"Alright, Silent Night, before I can begin training you, I have a task for you that will test the extent of your stealth magic. On the ground floor of the building across the street, Coropimi Rare Text Emporium, there is a display case containing the Gift Of Carrot. It is watched 24/7 by both magic and mundane security. A set of Enchanto-Armor created by Magika Supremus watches over it at all times. I want you to steal the Gift Of Carrot and bring it back here without being seen.
"Easy. I won't let you down, Mister Blood Alchemist." Silent Night said. "Just one question... what is the Gift Of Carrot?"
"Well it's... you know the Tale Of Tail?"
"The what?"
"Oh, forget it..."
The Blue faction Audit proceeded as expected- uneventful. Not only did the inspectors find no violation of Magic Law of any kind, but, as the Majika Supremus representatives indicated to the others, "The matter of Mr. Erdagovern's class has already been investigated and resolved... because it was framed as mythology, in the context of knowledge that already exists in the non-magic world, it presented no threat to the magic world and as such, does not compromise the security of the magic world" Fard explained.
As for the teams being dispatched to retrieve the shards while other members were being interviewed, they were also protected under the magic law. "As I am sure you are already aware" Woman In Blue began, "We have had not one, but two groups of mages attack us in some capacity in the past few weeks. For all intents and purposes these are Declarations of War, and per the Constantinople Accords we have the power to take action as reasonably necessary, even while under audit. The Black Faction will no doubt try to steal our shards for their purposes, and the caravan almost certainly has their reasons for doing so as well. We will cooperate with the audit as best as we can, but as I'm sure you are aware, because this is a time of war, we are obligated to act before they cause more damage than they already have. We need to retrieve these shards before they fall into the wrong hands. The shards are our property and we have an obligation to ensure their safe return before... well, I don't even want to imagine what could happen. All of these acts which we are taking fall well within the guidelines set in the Constantinople Accords, and we hope, just as much as you do, for a swift conclusion to these conflicts."
The auditing members could not find fault in her explanation and understood that, as a faction currently embroiled in war, the Blue Faction had an obligation to act accordingly without interference.
......
Man In White's team arrived on Ordos, with a single destination in mind, one that had not been touched in centuries. The eight member team with Man In White in the lead knew their mission and intended to be quick about it: retrieve the shard and get out of there. Fortunately, unlike the Great Hall, this location did not have a perception filter that went crazy. After a brief trek through woods, they found their destination. Despite the centuries of not having human visitors, it was in relatively good shape. A mostly plain, barren area, with a series of small obelisks shooting out of the ground, names engraved on each obelisk indicating who they honored. In the center of it all was a stone slab, flat and rectangular, about the size of... well, a coffin.
"Ah, the traditional Colorman death ritual" Man In White noted. "The bodies are laid, wrapped in cloth, on the slab, and overnight, the body disappeared, and the name appeared on its respective obelisk" he observed.
"So, the shard is here?" Man In Light Blue asked.
"Yes... it is near. The tingling grows stronger in... that direction" Man In White said as he lead the party in said direction. All the while, a figure appeared to be watching them from the distance.
The group of eight found themselves near the obelisk of the Man In White lineage, when the namesake wielder looked down to the ground, and appeared to see glowing in the dirt.
"At last, returned to its rightful owners" Man In White said, but as he reached out towards it, a voice declared "Halt! What is your purpose?" The group of eight looked up to see a ghostly figure present before them. His clothes indicative of a warrior of a past era, and yet, that face...
"Hey Jeffrey... he looks somewhat like you..." Man In Teal observed.
Man In White thought about it for a moment before stepping forward, "Alteria of Cronbough, I presume?" He asked.
"You are correct. That voice and those clothes can only mean one thing... my descendant, perhaps?" he asked.
"Yes. We have come to retrieve this shard so that it may be reunited with the others. But how do I know that you are truly my ancestor? The spirits of Colormen past only returned when the prism was whole" Man In White pointed out.
"Indeed. However, this land is the only exception to that rule. For reasons not even we of the first generation could understand, the magic contained within these lands allows us to return for brief periods of time within them. Alas, the weakened state prevents me from doing much, but I can ensure this shard never falls into the wrong hands" Alteria explained.
"You've done a noble thing, grandfather. But you can return to being at peace now, for now this shard has a greater purpose to fulfill" Man In White explained.
"I am glad that is so. But before you go, I must insist you do one task for... yourselves, really" Alteria said.
"Which is?" Man In White asked.
"Find each of your respective family's obelisks, and pay your respects to the ones who came before you. If you listen hard enough, you will find something just as valuable as any prism shard" Alteria explained.
The assembled group didn't quite understand what Alteria was getting at, but did so anyway. Coming towards each obelisk, they kneeled and bowed their heads. Nothing happened at first, until each individual member began seeing a vision become clearer and clearer...
......
"... and you had no knowledge of your magic heritage until that day?" The representative from the Order of Gerade asked Man In Blue.
"Yes; I'm quite confused myself, but I'm sure my father had his reasons. Heck, wouldn't be surprised if he kept it from my mother as well" Man In Blue noted
The member wrote down the final notes before wrapping up with, "Well, you can't be faulted for the actions of your father. All right, that does it for your questioning; you're clear, Mr. Erdagovern" the mage said as he proceeded to move on to another member.
"All right, now that you are in the clear, its time for you to head out Daniel" Woman In Blue explained.
......
Daniel found himself teleported to Long Island, New York. He stood just outside a house in the Hamptons, at an address he was quite familiar with.
"I don't get it; I've been here so many times, how could a shard be here?" Daniel asked himself. He rang the door bell, and after a brief wait, an older gentleman answered the door. Wallace Erdagovern, Daniel's grandfather and, now that he knew, the only other Man In Blue alive.
"Daniel, it's been too long! How have you been?" Wallace asked.
"Hello grandpa. I've been better. Haven't really seen you since Dad's death, you know" Daniel realized.
"Well, I can't travel as much as I used to, you know. So what brings you here? Figured you'd call ahead at least" Wallace asked, confused.
Daniel sighed before admitting, "Grandpa, I know the family secret. Not only am I the current title holder but Man In White said you had a..."
"SHHHH!!!!" Wallace suddenly said frantically before pulling Daniel in the house and locking the door. "Not so loud!" he said in nearly a whisper.
"No one... can hear us..." Daniel said, confused.
"You can't be too careful. Now, what did they tell you exactly?" Wallace asked.
"Well... all our shards were stolen and they told me that you had one... I don't get what's going on really, and quite frankly it's rather..."
"Stop. Follow me" Wallace said as Daniel was instructed to follow Grandpa to the basement.
"You know... in retrospect I figured there was something magical about you grandpa, even as a kid" Daniel noted. "I mean seriously, mid nineties and not even needing a cane and no arthritis?" Daniel pointed out.
"Magic-enhanced Elbow and knee pads" Wallace grinned as he rolled up his sleeve, "I may be old, but my mind hasn't gone yet"
Then Daniel realized, "Of course, the First Law of Magic- even in old age one can still be a great mage. No wonder the iconic image of the mage is an old man" Daniel observed
"Indeed" Wallace said as they came to a bookcase at a wall in the basement.
"But... then why not use magic to eliminate the aging process all together? You could still be Man In Blue" Daniel argued.
"No Daniel... the fourth law of magic" Wallace reminded him.
"But... you aren't sick" Daniel said, confused.
"That's not what it means. "Magic can heal, but it cannot cure" may sound like it refers to disease, but its really more nuanced than that" Wallace said, walking over to the basement window and picking up two flower pots. One had a beautiful flower in full bloom, while the other was wilting, and in the process of dying.
"We'd all love to think that we can remain in the prime of our life forever. But not even magic can stop the march of time. We can heal our physical ailments. But in the end, we cannot cure death itself. For like how the flower must eventually wilt... the body must eventually die" Wallace said, putting the flower pots down again. "I can remain in a healthy state thanks to magic... but I know death is coming, and my time will come, just like everyone else's" Wallace finished.
"So when it was said magic cannot cure... what it actually meant was magic cannot cure the human condition" Daniel said in realization.
"Exactly. So remember Daniel- magic is an extraordinary power, but even it cannot prevent nature from running its course" Wallace finished. Holding his hand over the book case, he made a gesture and the case slid to one side, revealing a secret passage. The two of them stepped inside and there, on a pedestal... was a prism shard.
"It was long suspected a day would come when the Blue factions shards would be stolen by forces beyond our control. This shard was kept secret to all except a select few. The idea was in the event the main collection was ever stolen, this shard was to be held in reserve until it needed to be returned. Like right now" Wallace explained
Daniel picked up the shard, and allowed the familiar power to flow through him, like last time. He secured it and then hugged his grandfather. "Thank you, grandpa. But I need to return now... this shard must be returned to base at once" Daniel explained.
"I understand... until next time, Daniel" Wallace said as Daniel proceeded to make the call. "All right, shard secured, get me out of here" Man In Blue messaged as the teleportation process began.
......
In another part of Ordos, the Dirigible had come to its determined location, and Woman In Orange was giving orders. If the information was accurate, then there was, in fact, another shard or two to be found here.
"Soon those shard will be ours... Prepare to land!" ordered Woman in Orange
"Aye Aye Madam!" replied Man in Baby Blue
"Stop talking like a sailor idiot!" yelled Woman in Orange as she hit her associate over the head
"Sorry..." answered the now throbbing Man in Baby Blue
.....
"Thank you Gentlemen, your bill for this and the return trip will be sent to the mailing address left with the ticket counter. Your return service will arrive whenever you blow that whistle. The Transport Conductor Railley Union appreciates your patronage. We look forward to your future business!" said a man in a blue suit and billed cap as he blew on a whistle and disappeared, scattered into the air through a golden ether...
"I can never get use to that service... Especially with their ticket prices nowadays... Also, who pays extra for a sleeper cabin? The travel's instantaneous!" lamented Ghost Puncher
"It's fine, I'm paying for it anyway so you shouldn't be so hung up about it, anyway we have a long trek ahead of us, so we better start now..." replied Noir Knight
"Alright, though where are we going again?" asked Ghost Puncher
"What I told you before, the ruins of Castle Dullheaden, the ancestral home of the KNUCKLEHEADS... More specifically its catacombs... There's something I left down there it's time I got back..." answered Noir Knight as he bgean to take the lead on the duo's journey...
.....
The dirigible landed on a deserted patch of beach. The two groups got off, and Woman In Orange gave her orders.
"Alright, Woman In Pink, your team will be searching for the location of the Great Hall Of The Colorfolk. We don't know where it is, other than that it is somewhere near the city of Saint Arthur's Bridge, but your shard-sensing ability should act as a beacon to take you right to it."
"Wait hang on, why is she in charge and not me?" Man In Red asked, but was ignored.
"As for us, we'll need to rely on the old legends of Magykka from days of old, before this land was known as Ordos. The Shard is likely in an area with a lot of old magic, so we'll need to search for old magic." Woman In Orange ordered her group.
As it happened, at that very moment, a tour guide was giving some relevant exposition.
"This doorway is said to lead to the sacred tomb of Damoni Silverfinger, a legendary figure who is said to have inhabited these lands two thousand years ago. Of course, local tradition means no one has been inside for nearly that long. But the legends of Damoni Silverfinger are many. It is said that he was a companion of a legendary warrior known only as "Heph", and once, in the area that is now Lost City Regional Park today, he proved his mettle when he slew a great foe while defending the titular lost city. Of course, this is clearly a legend. The lost city was said to be in a desert, there is no evidence that a city ever was here, the citizens were said to be animal-human hybrids, and Damoni's feats are clearly magical, but to this day devout believers of Damoni still regularly come to the shrine, claiming they can still feel his magical energy..."
In a few short posts, Woman In Orange and her companions would find this location, but before that, we should touch on a member of this tour group. He was a man we've seen before, a man often called by the name of "The Optometrist", but known to others by the far stranger name of Fark Devonshire. Fark was a high-ranking member of the Guild Of Damoni, but rarely thought much about the guild's namesake. However, he had a strange sense that very soon, his presence at this crypt would be vitally necessary...
Back with Noir Knight and Ghost Puncher the duo soon approached the ruins, finding it mostly abandoned, with the occasional tourists with their phones talking selfies near crumbling walls off near non-important parts of the stronghold...
"So on the walk over here I googled this place and maps, pictures, and records of the place show no indication of catacombs being anyway around here, so where are we really going?" asked Ghost Puncher
"The catacombs, as I said, just in the past I've hidden the physical entrance from outsiders due to not wanting them to find out what I left down there...Plus, what's inside haunting those hallow tombs would expose the magical world, and I don't want to fill out all of that damn Majika Supremus 'Sanctioned Haunting' location paperwork... Which would never be approved anyway due to their malicious nature... Anyways, when the KNUCKLEHEADS were, well 'exorcised' from Ordos they erased most historical traces here even this castle... Most don't even know this is our ancestral home, even some of the Newer generation didn't know when they joined..." answered Noir Knight
"Alright, but why are their malevolent beings haunting the crypts of what I can only assume are members of your order buried down there..." wondered Ghost Puncher
"Well it's simple really..."
"Oh cool an Armored Statue! This would be great for the gram!"
Five American college kid tourists soon approached the duo, with Noir Knight quickly striking dignified pose of placing his blade to the ground and resting his hands on top of the hilt, resembling similar statues found in their base back home and Ghost Puncher pulled out his phone to 'continue' his conversation with the first person who came to mind...
"Yeah Vanil it's simple, really..."
Noir Knight stood motionless as the College Kids started examining his armored body...
"Wow! I didn't realize they kept armored statues in dumpy places like this!"
"Yeah dude this is totally going on my story! Hey guys it's the Daily Chad here bringing you another update on my European Tour! Look at this sickass Knight dude! i wonder if this armor comes in Home Team colors! Lol!"
"Hey Morgan, come over here! 1... 2... Duckface!"
"Duckface!
"Yo bra I wonder if I can remove the helmet... I could totally hit trending if I do some stunts wearing that kickass headgear!"
"Yeah Vanil I really wish that KNUKLEHEAD would do something already!"
Just then the 'Armored Statue' suddenly face-planted after one of the College Kids gently rubbed against the armor plate...
"Oh hell nah bra I can't pay damages for this piece of crap... I'm already in debt for my English Degree!"
"Yeah, my Sports Scholarship won't cover this one dude!"
"let's get out of here dudes!"
The Five College Kids bolted away towards the entrance of the ruins...
Noir Knight began getting off the ground and said, "I don't want that happening again, plus I don't want to have to scuff out my armor anymore than I have too so let's continue our discussion in the catacombs then, shall we?"
"Right, lead the way..." answered Ghost Puncher as the duo headed towards the secret entrance...
.....
Woman In Orange, Man In Off-white, Man In Ghost White, Man In Green, Woman In Green, Man In Yellow, Woman In Yellow, Woman In Red, Woman In Alice Blue, Man In Cornflower Blue, Man In Heliotrope, Man In Gamboge, Man In Salmon, and Man In Baby Blue left, leaving the Red Warriors and Pink battalion in the center of town in Saint Arthur's Bridge. Formerly known as Cordann, this town has been continuously inhabited for 3000 years, but nowadays its only residents were tourists and sheep farmers.
"Alright, let's see if we can ask someone for directions." Woman In Pink said. "Hey sir! Can we ask you something?"
"Beat it lassie! Och, ye tourists ken nevar give me old head a moment's peace!" shouted an oddly short man with a bushy beard. One who knew a lot about the history of this island might have guessed that he had Dwarven ancestors in his family tree.
"Alright, the locals aren't going to be much help." Woman In Pink muttered.
"You're going about this all wrong." Man In Red snapped. "After the prism shattered, the perception filter went haywire. None of the locals are going to know where it is. We just need to use our ability to sense prism shards to figure out which way to go."
"Wait a second, how did we even know that there are shards here anyway? Our shard-sensing abilities aren't strong enough to span oceans, after all."
"Well actually, we have a-" Man In Red shrugged, before jumping as a truck from Farmer Glyve's Custom Lampshades honked at him to get out of the road.
"Bloody tourists! Ken ye not watch where yer goin?"
"What is that accent anyway? Scottish? Welsh?" Man In Cardinal asked.
"I'll have ye know I speak fluent Ordonian jes like everyone on this godforsaken rock!"
"As I was saying..." Man In Red said once they'd gotten out of the road, "we have some contacts here on Ordos... they're supposed to meet us at Saint Arthur's Church at noon. If you'd bothered to talk to Man In Black at all, you'd know that. Now, shall we?"
Saint Arthur's church was an old stone building built by christian missionaries nearly 1400 years ago, making it one of the newest buildings in town. The pastor, an elderly man in cherry-colored robes, greeted them at the door.
"Ah, my children, what brings you to our humble house of god today? Come for confession?"
"Man In Cherry, it's us! Man In Black sent us!"
"Ah yes... come in, come in..."
When the red warriors and pink battalion entered the room, they were surprised to see a handful of colorfolk they had never seen before.
"I am the Man In Cherry, and these are the Man In Jade, Man In Ochre, Woman In Olive, Woman In Pale Silver, Man In Vermillion, Man In Forest Green, Woman In Ghost White, and of course, our leader, the Man In Dark Blue."
Man In Dark Blue, a tattooed, buff man, stepped forward. "We are the descendants of the colorfolk who stayed behind on this island after the shattering. We have long suspected a shard was hidden in the great hall, but it has long since been lost to us. With your help, however, we will be able to finally find it."
"In that case, let's get going. Woman In Lilac, stay behind so we can communicate with the others." Man In Red said. Woman In Pink opened her mouth to object, but was shushed by Man In Brick.
Soon, the group left, leaving Woman In Lilac behind with Man In Cherry. But Woman In Lilac was suspicious. She had had a strong headache ever since arriving on Ordos, but after the others left, she realized what it was. There were shards here... and they were close. She began non-chalantly poking among the pews, but finally found what she was looking for when she looked behind the pulpit and saw a small lever. She pulled the lever, and a hidden door in the floor slid open, revealing a small lead-lined compartment in the floor. And inside... two shards.
"Oh crap! They already have shards! But that can only mean... the Dark Blue faction is going to double-cross us!" She realized. She stood up, only to see Man In Cherry standing in front of her.
"Very perceptive, my child. A pity you won't be able to warn your friends. Long live the Dark Blue Faction!" A burst of water shot out of Man In Cherry's palm, smacking Woman In Lilac against the far wall, unconscious.
"By the time you wake up, foolish girl, it will be too late..."
At the Colormen burial grounds, the visiting Colormen each had their respective visions ended, and they reclaimed the shard.
"Farewell... remember what you saw here today, for they will help you in the future" Alteria said before disappearing.
"All right, let's return to Headquarters" Man In White said as the rest of the team nodded.
......
It had taken a while, but at last the Man In White team and Man In Blue returned to base.
"Man In Bole's teleportation pads worked perfectly; pretty much every mage out there has some variation of teleportation magic available, magic tech, spell or otherwise, so I am glad that he was able to refine magitech that works as well as this" Man In White said.
"Just be warned though" Man In Bole began, "you can only teleport relatively small quantities, like your body, clothes and whatever you have on your person. If you were to teleport, say, several hundred pounds worth of goods, that can overwhelm the device in its current state" he explained.
"That's fair; we wouldn't want it to become a deus ex machina anyway" Man In Silver replied.
With the two shards now in their possession, Man In Silver was given both of them, and proceeded to make direct contact with them. Focusing, he seemed to enter a sort of trance as he began sensing the souls of those on New Furness. Steadily increasing the focus of where the Caravan crew was, the few minutes that past felt like an eternity, until...
"Yes! I found them. They tried cloaking their location, but even they cannot mask the presence of their souls" Man In Silver explained.
"But after the damage they inflicted on us; can we take them?" Man In Blue asked.
"They may have stole our shards, but they can never steal our resolve" Woman In Blue declared.
"Plus, they made one critical error in attacking us... by attacking us in such a way, with almost all of the members of their faction as Man In Silver determined, they have pretty much "put all their cards on the table" and now they will learn why attacking the Ordosian Colorfolk is a gamble one never wins" Man In White said, determined.
Everyone assembled nodded, and proceeded to listen to the plan that came into fruition. The Colorfolk weren't usually ones to go forward with all-out assaults, but this was an emergency situation and all hands needed to be on deck. What was about to happen would not be an easy fight, but for the future of not just the Colorfolk, but these new lands which they defended, they had to get the shards back.
......
On Ordos, the team designated by Woman In Orange was searching for the remnants of the Great Hall... although the exact circumstances of the even were uncertain, it is known that at some point in the years following the shattering, the Great Hall's perception filter went haywire, and it was clear just how bad the situation was.
"I don't understand what is going on? I feel like I am sensing the shards but at the same time I'm not sensing the shards? I'm feeling something but I can't pinpoint a location, almost as if... oh, of course" One Colorwoman palmed in realization.
"Is it possible that the magic given off by the prism is weaker than the perception filter?" One of the Colormen asked, concerned.
"I wouldn't rule it out. Just keep following the signal" this colorwoman declared.
And thus, minutes turned to hours... hours turned to days... days turned to weeks...weeks turned to months... months turned to years... years turned to decades... and still no sign of the Great Hall.
(Cut to: Assembled team gathered around campfire at night. They all look extremely old, with dirty and very worn out clothing, and everyone, even the females, have long, white beards)
"Still no sign of the Great Hall. How long has it been?" The Colorwoman said in a raspy voice.
"f-fifty three years" The Colorman managed to say in between coughs.
"How could we have spent so much of our lives searching for one damn shard?!" a second colorman declared angrily before going into a coughing fit.
"At least it can't get any worse" a second Colorwoman assured.
But it did. Suddenly, a skeleton in a black cloak, wielding a scythe appeared. "Ah, there you are. I have come for thee!" it said as it raised the scythe.
"AAAAHHH!!" The assembled colorfolk screamed.
"Wait a sec! We're not looking for the great hall, that's the Red Warrior's job! This is just a dream!" Man In Green realized, waking up with a start. Him and his group were camped out in a field somewhere, using colorfolk magic to make sure the sheep farmers didn't notice.
"Wait... I feel a tingling! I bet I know where that shard is!"
Back on New Furness, however, Man In Silver was preparing to get ready to go when a member of Icetouched and a member of the Order Of Gerade stopped him.
"Hello, Man In Silver, we understand you're married with three kids, correct?"
"Yes, my wife and I have been married for eighteen years now and-"
"Irrelevant." The Icetouched member interrupted. "Magical law forbids any non-magic citizens from finding out about the existence of magic, and you've been entirely too honest with your wife regarding your, ah, career. I'm afraid this constitutes a violation of magical law."
"What? That's not fair! I didn't know about my magic when I got married, and my wife was with my when my father told me on his deathbed!"
"Oh really? I had hoped you were the only bad apple, but clearly there is a pattern of carelessness with regards to personal relationships in this faction. We will need to re-open the audit to check for other such violations. We've already determined that Woman In Gold has a non-magic girlfriend, but at least she had the good sense to lie about her job."
"But... you can't do this! It's not right!"
"Now listen, pardner," the Order Of Gerade member drawled in a southern accent, "I get it. When I joined the Order Of Gerade, I had to part ways with my cousin. Just had to stop speakin' to her entirely. She would have made a fine wife... but that's the price we pay for our powers."
"This is ridiculous! I'm gonna tell Man In Gold!"
"You mean the man who's wife and child died because of magic cultists? I suspect he'll take our side." The Icetouched member replied coldly.
Meanwhile, the men and women in gold, white, and blue, as well as the woman in silver, were armoring up. The eight of them were going to take down the Caravan crew and recover those shards as soon as Man In Silver arrived, and nothing was going to stop them.
"This is preposterous! You may have the authority to take part in audits, but you and I both know that only Majika Supremus has the authority to arrest!" Man In Silver pointed out.
Having gotten word of commotion out front, the seven ran up to join Man In Silver, and already Woman In Blue knew something was amiss.
"What on earth is going on here?!" Woman In Blue shouted as the situation was explained to her. "Now wait just a minute, that is NOT what the law refers to!" She pointed out.
"What are you talking about? It is illegal for anyone from the magic world to reveal the secret of magic to the non-magic world!" The Order of Gerade member said, with a slight bit of nervousness at the end of the sentence.
"No, what the law says is that it is illegal for anyone to reveal the existence of the *magic world* to non-magic users... an important clarification that was put in place to account for the fact that many aspects of the world of magic are popular mythology in the non-magic world. While we cannot reveal the secret of the world of magic, revealing our knowledge in the context of the mythology is perfectly acceptable. Not to mention as I'm sure you are aware most mages maintain a life in the non-magic world as well as the magic world, so the idea that we have to cut off all contact with the non-magic world and any family we have is preposterous. Hell, I run a business here on New Furness that's quite popular and the Paladins never raised a fuss since I didn't even mention my secret. Yes, granted it is just a cover, but I still conduct actual business and have employees, associates and connections" Woman In Blue pointed out.
"Well... that's a different scenario..." The order of Gerade member said, trying to form an argument.
"And another thing, if there really was an audit being reopened here today why aren't representatives from all six factions? Majika Supremus isn't one to beat around the bush and would want to get on this right away. But perhaps most suspicious of all... if this was such an issue, why did Majika Supremus not bring it up with Man In Silver all those years ago? Strictly speaking, your factions have no obligation to enforcing Magic Law, Majika Supremus' duty is the responsible and ethical enforcement of Magic Law. If there was even an issue to begin with, the marriage would have been stopped before it even started. Don't forget, even if we had minimal contact with your factions, we of the Blue Faction have always maintained our respectful relation with them. You are correct, Majika Supremus does need oversight, but not so much so that outside influence causes a conflict of interest or abuse of power for personal gain" Woman In Blue finished.
"So... so what are you going to do about it then?" The Order of Gerade member stated.
"Me personally? Nothing. But I can't say the same thing about them" Woman In Blue said, indicating a small group that had just arrived. Four Majika Supremus Paladins arrived, lead by Paladin Ricketts.
"I got a call from Man In Gray about a couple mages saying an audit was being reopened against you, that correct?" Ricketts asked.
"Yes; and I wanted to hear it from a source I could trust. Since you are in charge of the safety of magic users on this island, something of this nature no doubt would have been brought to your attention" Woman In Blue explained.
"As a matter of fact... no word came in about an audit being reopened. What I'd like to know is why you two are so eager to bypass chain of command... if I didn't know better I'd say a conflict of Interest was present" Ricketts said as he indicated the two members.
"What?! Why would have anything like that?" The Order of Gerade member said nervously as he started sweating. "How do WE know you aren't playing favorites with the Blue Faction?" he pointed out, trying to turn the tables.
"Simple- I'm not. The Colorfolk and I may be on good terms but we have a strictly professional relationship; we don't interact on the personal level to get me all "buttered up" as you would say, and I am recused from audits against them. I know them well enough to say this: if they had violated magic law at any point, I'd have been the first to know about it. As for you two... turn around so I can see your faces" Ricketts stated.
"Uh... we'd rather not" the icetouched mage said nervously.
"If you're embarrassed about your appearance, I'm not exactly a model myself" Rickets quipped.
"No, its not that" The Gerade mage added. But the choice was made for them; from inside the base Man In Aero Blue shot air magic in such a way that only the two mages were affected. They found themselves turned around 180 degrees by a force they didn't know how to describe. Suddenly Ricketts was angry, "Wait a minute, I know you two! Arrest them, they're wanted for illegal distribution of Mezonite!" Ricketts ordered his Paladins.
"What? No, you have the..." was all the icetouched mage could say before the two found themselves restrained with magic handcuffs.
"Ok, now I'M confused! What is going on here!?" Man In Blue blurted out.
"What is going on here is that you just helped me catch two of the most wanted magic fugitives in the America sector" Ricketts explained.
"What?" Man In Silver asked, confused.
"Until a few weeks ago, these two were indeed members of the Order of Gerade and Icetouched, until their "business venture" was discovered" Ricketts explained.
"huh?"
"Given the relative rarity of Light mages and by extension healing magic compared to other disciplines, potion making was developed to cover certain things when mages weren't readily available. In the case of healing potions the key ingredient is Mezonite, a refined powder of the Mezonia herb; a plant grown in the magic world which, when refined and its powder added to solution in the right potion mixture, creates a rather potent healing potion. Now normally the Icetouched control distribution of Mezonite because the problem is if the potions are improperly prepared they can actually do more harm than good when ingested. So, they either make the potions themselves and sell them to factions and mages who don't have healing magic at their disposal, or they source the Mezonite to smaller factions whose primary business is potion making. These two here, ahem, wanted to make a quick buck. The icetouched mage here had a lot of access to the Mezonite manufacturing, while the Gerade member here had connections to many factions and mages. So they set up a plan- they made their own potions and sold them to said factions at much lower prices. However these two were so intent on getting rich they overlooked many of the steps the Icetouched take in the proper preparation of their potions, resulting in a substantially lower quality product" Ricketts said, looking at them with a frown.
"Hey! For all the work I did I wasn't getting my fair share! The Icetouched didn't give me what I was worth so I took what was mine!" He boomed, giving himself away.
"I know nothing of this!" The Gerade mage stated in denial.
"You're not throwing me under the bus! We were close friends in the Academy of Magic, so when I reached out to him and confided my frustrations, he told me he had the connections to create a customer base I could get rich off of, given Light Magic in America has exceptionally low rates of practice. So I took MY share of Mezonite and made the potions myself. And if the customers didn't complain to Majika Supremus about "weird side effects" we would have gotten away with it" he finished.
"Need I remind you your actions were so reprehensible your respective factions expelled you two" Ricketts informed them. "Then you took advantage of a lapse in security during a shift change to escape. Never thought you'd be this brazen" Ricketts observed.
"But that still doesn't explain how we got involved?" Man In Blue asked, confused.
"Clearly they needed a distraction; they wanted the opportunity to get running again so they tried pulling off this little stunt, hoping that by having our attention focused on you they would get away unnoticed and be free to restart business unopposed" Ricketts concluded.
"We would've gotten away with it too if this lady wasn't so caught up on Magic Law" The former Gerade mage admitted in defeat
As the two were taken away, Ricketts explained the looming question... was Man In Silver in trouble.
"Given that Magic can be inherited by children, and we aren't so heartless as to say who people can and can't fall in love with, there is a reason we did implement the Progeny exemption in recent decades" he explained.
"Progeny exception?" Man In Blue asked, confused.
"It's a fairly complicated issue, but here's the gist of it: After the discovery of genetics there was concern that in the magic world staying completely separate from the non-magic world was creating a genetic bottleneck and in a matter of generations the magic population would have the same problems as purebred dogs. So a compromise was reached that if a magic user married a non-magic user, and their children showed magic potential as they grew up, the spouse could be "let in" to the world of magic provided they were of good moral standing and understood the secret that needed to be kept. And if they didn't... well, memory manipulation and/or wiping is a spell that comes in handy" Ricketts explained.
"That seems like an abuse of power" Man In Blue noted.
"On the contrary- only select paladins are permitted to wield this class of spells and even then can only use them on people who have been found guilty in a court of magic law. Luckily its use on non-magic spouses in these situations has been extremely rare. But anyway, Man In Silver, I understand two of your children have already shown potential for magic?" Ricketts asked.
"Oh yes, you should have seen the way their faces lit up when they levitated those apples" Man In Silver said brightly, "and rest assured, they know not to tell anyone; its a family secret" he added.
"Very good. Though I do need to explain my other reason for coming here" Ricketts explained.
"Yes?" Woman In Silver asked.
"As you know, Majika Supremus cannot interfere in a war between two factions unless "the condition" is met. However, we have been investigating the going's on since the attack here... and have concluded that the actions of this caravan crew were an exponentially greater threat to the revelation of the secret of magic than any actions you have possibly done. It's a miracle that oversized fireball didn't end up on the internet" Ricketts said as he wiped his forehead with a handkerchief.
"What are you saying?" Woman In Blue asked.
"I'm say that... if you can, try to leave them alive; they have a lot to answer for and outright killing them would be retribution, not true justice" the paladin finished.
We understand" Man In Silver said as the others nodded.
With the matter resolved for now, the 8 Colorfolk assembled with other members of the faction. It was then they realized planning would take a good while, so much so that the attack would have to wait until the right moment... which was probably coming up after the resolution of a couple other plot points ( ). But for now, the Blue faction knew that it wasn't just a question of how to attack, but when, and the time wasn't quite right... not yet, at least.
......
Seeing everything from a plane beyond the dimension everything was taking place in, a lone figure watched as everything unfolded. The room was devoid most colors, though there was also a hint of the light blueish color he was wearing. He was very frustrated... he knew he had the power to help out, but circumstances prevented him from doing anything in the dimension. Soon, he was joined by another figure.
"This will be a most interesting event; won't it?" He pointed out.
"Yes, Teacher. And for my sake, I do hope the Colorfolk win this fight. They... they are my only hope of being able to escape this... this imprisonment and allowing for me returning to my normal plane of existence."
"Forgive me, student. I gave you the secrets to the inner workings of reality, only for you to become unstable when you returned to your home dimension" he said, bowing apologetically.
"It isn't your fault; I was the one with an open mind. But damn it all... I sent that text for them to open paths to existing dimensions, not create new ones all together! I... I just want to go home, is that to much to ask?" The man said as he practically began crying.
"Don't worry, it will happen soon enough, Man In Bright Turquoise" Teacher assured, patting BT's head.
......
On Ordos, Man In Red's team were feeling rather dizzy and nauseous. And the feeling was only getting worse as they headed in a particular direction. This could only mean one thing... they were forcing themselves through deeper into the perception filter, and were getting closer to its "origin point" and by extension, the Great Hall.
"Alright, gang, we're getting close." Woman In Pink said. "Once we get inside, we should be able to find a way to reduce the perception filter."
"Wait! I see something!" Man In Cardinal yelled. The group ran to see a stone door built into the side of a hill.
"That's it... the entrance to the great hall. If only there were a way inside..." Man In Dark Blue said.
************
Woman In Orange's group found themselves at the entrance to the Crypt of Damoni.
"So you're saying the shard ended up inside this tomb? How is that even possible? It's been sealed for longer than the organization has existed!" Man In Yellow said.
"We believe it was transported inside by some powerful source of magic within the tomb. Which means this is gonna be dangerous." Woman In Yellow replied.
"I got it open!" Man In Cornflower Blue said triumphantly.
"Alright, into the tomb, everyone!" Woman In Orange said. "Man In Baby Blue, you go first. We don't know what dangers lie ahead and we need someone expendable up front."
"Hey!"
But unbeknownst to them, the Optometrist was watching...
**************
In the Magic Underground, a shadowy arm reached through a display case and grabbed the Gift Of Carrot. No one noticed.
"Very impressive." The Blood Alchemist told his apprentice when she returned. "You are the most talented magical thief I've seen in some time. Oh, we'll have use of your talent for sure..."
**************
The Caravan Crew were on high alert after their stunt. Hikos, Mark, Ruth, and Adriana were examining their shards. Vasilisa and Erun were cleaning Volun, whose joints were beginning to fill with rubble, as tends to happen to stone golems. Gilford had taken Bask the dog and any members I forgot on a mission, and was not due back for several days. That left Lauren and Shiju on guard duty.
"I've been in touch with Shear, it sounds like the Magic Underground is starting to view us as a threat." Ruth announced to the group.
"Bah, screw those Magic Underground goons and their laws." Mark said.
"You're just bitter because of your "history" with the TCRU..." said Ruth with a smirk.
"Guys... I don't think this plan is going to work after all." Hikos said.
"Why not?"
"Well, these pieces don't all go together. I mean, none of these pieces seem to connect to this one, three of them seem to be interior pieces... this "super-shard" idea is a bust."
"Well, I mean, there are plenty of other things those shards could be used for, like-"
But the group was interrupted by a massive explosion from outside of the cart
"What the hell?"
Mark, Ruth, and Hikes ran outside while Adriana gathered the shards into a box. What they saw was a horrific sight. Lauren and Shiju were on the ground, unconscious and bleeding. Erun and Vasilisa were hiding behind Volun as an ominous figure approached. The figure was probably human, but was so covered in dark energy pooling around its body that it was impossible to tell. Only a blue glowing mark on its face, resembling a ship's anchor, gave any clue to its identity.
"SHARDS!" it croaked, in a voice that made it clear the figure hadn't so much as drank water in days.
"Volun! Destroy the intruder like you took out those red warriors!" Vasilisa whispered.
"HA!" shouted the figure. "I CONTROL- EVERYTHING!"
A burst of darkness shot out of the figure's hand and wrapped itself around Volun. The golem's eyes flickered, and it suddenly turned on Erun and Vasilisa.
"NOW SHARDS!" the figure croaked.
"Go to hell, Man In Black!" Hikos yelled, having recognized the tattoo at once. He shot a powerful blast of ice at the attacker, but a wall of darkness blocked it.
"I AM... STRONGER... THAN YOU!" A burst of darkness shot from his tattoo, blasting the cart into a pile of wooden splinters. Most of the treasures inside were miraculously unharmed, but the box containing the shards was wrenched from Adriana's grasp by a dark tendril.
"YES... SHARDS..." The tendrils retreated back to the figure, who opened the box and pulled out two shards, rubbing them on his face in desperation. The darkness surrounding him seemed to retreat back inside of him as he did this, until the normal form of Man In Black, although a bit emaciated, appeared.
"Finally... so many shards... all mine!" Man In Black said.
"What do we do?" Ruth hissed.
"I don't know what we can do!" Mark whispered back. "That man's eyes... he looks like Erun back when his alcohol problem was really bad. I think something is making him reliant on those shards, and being separated from them just made him more dangerous and less human. Now that he's physically holding them... I don't think any of us stand a chance against him."
But Hikos wasn't about to give up so easily.
"Hey Man In Black! Nice trick you got there! I see the legend of the Curse Of The Anchor is true!"
"The what now?"
"It's said that when the prism shattered, the one who shattered it was cursed. All the dark impulses that centuries of color folk had ever had were held by the prism, and flowed into him and his descendants. You've been turned into an irredeemable monster who only cares about corrupting the Prism and purging the good from it." Hikos shot another ice blast at Man In Black, which froze his left leg in place.
"Cute story. Might even be true. Let me tell you another story." Man In Black shattered the ice with a darkness blast. "It is said that after the prism shattered, the colorfolk were reduced to a fraction of their power. Other than the anchor, the only way to gain power in our weakened state was through clearly evil means. Pacts with devils, soul sacrifices, vampirism." Man In Black shot another darkness bolt, which Hikos blocked. "You're quite powerful... who did you sacrifice to gain your power, Man In Steel?"
Hikos was so shocked that he didn't see Volun's fist coming until it was too late. What happened next was a confusing blur, and the next thing Hikos remembered was waking up in a hospital bed. A strange blue figure stood over him.
"Where am I?"
"You're in Siberia, in the headquarters of the Icetouched, the most powerful healers in existence." A voice said. Hikos recognized the voice of Mark, but couldn't tell where it was coming from.
"What happened? Why are we here?"
"Man In Black got away with all 14 shards. And we're under arrest."
DUN DUN DUN!!!!!
.....
Back to when Man in Steel was knocked out, the Caravan Crew decided it was time to attack...
"Everyone! It's time to earn your keep!" yelled Adriana as she stared down the Colorman menancingly...
"Intimated by a 'Soothsayer' and her cronies? As if..." mocked Man in Black as he clutched the box ever so tighter
"Chrys! Ari! мама needs you to save her friends!" whistled Vasilisa as two sheep ran out from the brush, headedbutted Lauren and Shiju onto their backs, and ran towards their shepherd with their injured in tow...
"Alright now that we know those two are safe...And sine who knows when Gilford and Bask will be back with the groceries... Mark! Take Ruth, Granisey, the sheep and the injured to the Underground! They need treatment and Ruth can't apply it here with that 'beast' lurking about! Plus, I have some unfinished business with it..." scowled Adriana
"Really Mistress? But I can be of assist..." replied Mark but was interrupted
"Please Mark... I leave their lives in your hands..." pleaded Adriana
"Alright Mistress!" triumphantly responded Mark as his whistle blew and the two injured, two sheep, an eight legged horse, a disapproving Ruth, and himself disappeared into a golden ether...
"It's good you sent them away, but what about Vince?" asked Vasilisa
"Crap... Well, that punch shouldn't keep him down too long... You two don't might being left to fight alongside someone like me?: asked Adriana
"Da, it would be an honor my lady... Plus, I don't know how much useful this drunken fool would be anyway..." answered Vasilisa
"I heard that... Anyway, I'll handle Volun, you too focus on that goo spitter and we should be able to hold out until one of heavy hitters shows up..." added Erun as he took a swig of his flask and readied his Runecraft Pen
"Fine... I want to test out these new powers, so I'll humor you lot... Though when word gets round I crushed the fools who made quick work of the Blue Bastards, people will know who the true Colorfolk are..." laughed Man in Black
"Sorry Vol, this is going to hurt!" yelled Erun as a rune he wrote in the air went flying towards the Golem, impacted it's chest, electrocuted the core with a magic overlord, and the eyes turned off for a time, signifying the core shut down...
"Yes!" celebrated Erun
But, Volun's normally white eyes and glowing blue core, didn't return, but the black eyes remerged and continued to aim punches at the Runecrafter
"Oh come on!"
"Because of you, now our only girls shopping day will have to be postponed until Lauren recovers... So Ублюдок, learn why the clothed should learn to fear the weaver!" yelled Vasilisa as Man in Black felt his clothes cling tighter and tighter to his emaciated body...
"What... The hell... Is this?!" growled Man in Black as he lost his grip on the box and dropped it...
"All strings are mine to manipulate... And since we've been staying here for awhile, I've been able to establish my web!" replied Vasilisa as translucent strings shot out of the trees and rapidly coiled around the Man in Black. One string even leaped out of Vasilisa's sleeve and wrapped aroudn the box pulling it towards her...
"NOT... MY... SHARDS!" screamed Man in Black as the black ooze shot out of his body, destroying the tightly wound strings and flew towards Vasilisa, sending her towards the treeline and buried under the black gunk...
"Vasilisa!" yelled Adriana
"Ugh... I'm... Stuck... And my powers... Are draining..." replied a struggling Vasilisa
"You destroyed my cart... Bring evil into my home... And worst of, injured my family... I'm going to show you why Magika Supremus fears me..." spoke Adriana with a furious glare in her eye
"What are you going to do? Predict my future? I know about the legendary Soothsayer, what kind of use is that power now?" mocked Man in Black
"I do have the ability of futuresight... But there is another title I own that makes men cower when they hear it... 'The Strongest Esper in the World'..." replied Adriana as a green glow appeared around her and she began to float off the ground a bit. Just then, as her arm extended out, Man in Black was surrounded in a similar green glow and now levitating in the air, with his limbs forced into extension, helplessly hovering in the air...
"Grrh! You Can't stop me!" groaned the Colorman as he fought his metaphysical restraints
"I'll be taking that back then..." said Adriana as she extended her other hand and levitated the box of shards back toward her
"NOOOO!!!!" screamed Man in Black as through sheer force of will a black goo tentacle shot out of his torso and grappled around the box, now locked into a stalemate with the Esper Woman
"Gah... I've never seen a curse with such drastic side effects... His drive must be going mad with the shards in such close proximity..." groaned Adriana as she focused all her might on retrieving the box, as well as restraining Man in Black, giving her severe mental strain...
Just then...
"It seems my services are needed once again my Lady! Bask! The Golem!"
Gilford leaped over the restrained Man in Black from the back of enlarged Bask as he swung his sword down, cutting the tentacle in half, grabbing the box, and combat rolling over towards the unconscious Man in Steel. Bask meanwhile used his leap to land on the puppeteered Volun and restrain the rampaging Golem using his massive size and body weight...
"Gilford!" yelled Adriana as she held her head in pain
"Sorry it took so long my Lady but they were out of Basilisk Venom at the Underground, so I had to look around the stalls for a bit to make sure... Seems I missed quite a lot..." spoke Gilford as he sheathed his sword and placed his tower shield on his gauntlet...
"Gilford! Protect Steel and that box whatever the cost!" shouted Adriana
"As my Lady permits! I'll put my life on the line if I have too!" replied Gilford as he dropped his tower shield to the ground, placed Hikos inside his armor, and got into an defensive pose...
"Your life won't be enough for the hell I'm about to put you through! GIVE. ME. THOSE. SHARDS!!!!!!" screamed Man in Black as eight black icker tentacles shot out of his body and came flying towards the Knight...
Sorry my liege, but I'm going to have to borrow your powers for a bit!" yelled Gilford as the rapidly approaching tentacles sped up and Gilford created an ice wall from the ground to stop them. The wall stopped most of them, but three began to work their way around it and continued towards Gilford.
Gilford, seeing no other option, reached for the box and said, "These aren't safe out here, I'll put them someplace they'll never easily reach!"
"Gilford don't!" shouted Adriana but she was too late.
The Armored Knight opened his chestplate, shoved the box in quickly, then just as fast closed his chest back up. A violent tremor shook the air around everyone and causally started shaking up Gilford, the knight let out an "Uh oh" as a bright white light flashed from within him and blinded everyone present for a few seconds. When everyone's vision came to, they didn't see the dark grey armored Gilford, but a sparkling white polished Knight with Icicle Spikes jutting from his shoulders and an icy white, almost glass like, hammer in his grasp...
The Prismatic Knight was born...
"WHAT DID YOU DO?" The Man In Black screeched. The darkness flowed back out of him again, and he struck at the Prismatic Knight with his tendrils. "GIVE... ME... THOSE... SHARDS!"
"You'll never take them from us!" Shouted the Prismatic Knight, in a voice that sounded like a strange mix of Gilford and Hikos.
"THEN I'LL TAKE... YOU!" The Man In Black's tendrils wrapped around the Prismatic Knight. But they had no effect. His hammer shattered his tentacles like glass.
"NOOOOOOOOO... I NEED THOSE SHARDS!" Man In Black reached into the deepest evil reaches of his soul. The ground began to crack as if an earthquake was occuring, and a dozen zombies suddenly lurched out of the ground.
"No one here is worthy of wielding the power of the Shards! I must leave this place now!" The Prismatic Knight shouted. A portal appeared in the air in front of him and he jumped through.
This was too much for poor Man In Black. He screamed in agony. Tendrils of darkness shot out of the ground, entangling the various remaining members of the caravan crew. Then, just as suddenly as they appeared, they disappeared. The zombies crumbled to dust, and the cracks in the ground repaired themselves. Man In Black was gone.
"What happened? What did Gilford do?" Ruth asked.
"I fear he may have doomed us all..." Adriana muttered.
Suddenly, from atop the hill, eight armored figures appeared. Woman In Blue and Man In White led, with Man In Silver, Man In Gold, Woman In White, and Woman In Gold behind them, and Man In Blue and Woman In Silver taking up the rear.
"Caravan Crew!" Woman In Blue boomed. "Your reign of terror is over! Blue faction... ATTACK!!"
***************
Meanwhile, on Ordos, the group inside the Great Hall was having some trouble.
"This damn perception filter is making me feel sick... surely there is a way to turn it off?" Man In Rose whined.
"Legend says that the Prism Vault had some sort of control panel that controlled the perception filter, but I can't take another step..." Woman In Pink groaned.
"I got it." Man In Navy Blue marched past, grimacing as he pushed through the ill effects of the perception filter. A few moments later, the group could feel their headaches lessening.
"Oh thank god..." Man In Red muttered.
"Alright," Man In Navy Blue said, emerging. "The shard is in here somewhere. We should split up to cover more ground. I'll check the old colorfolk laboratory."
************
Woman In Orange's group was making their way through the crypt.
"We're getting close, I can feel it." Woman In Green whispered.
"There!" Man In Heliotrope shouted. The glimmering form of the shard appeared atop a stone coffin. The group could tell by the shape that this piece was the top of the pyramid part of the prism.
"Finally..." Woman In Orange grabbed the shard and wrapped it in cloth.
Suddenly, a voice boomed from the darkness. "WHO DARES DISTURB MY SLUMBER!!!"
"Oh crap! It's undead!" Man In Green said. "God I wish I could have worn brown pants..."
"Everybody out! Go! GO!" Woman In Orange yelled, as the crowd of colorfolk fled.
But just as everyone but Woman In Orange, Man In Green, Man In Yellow, Man In Baby Blue, and Man In Off-White had gotten out, the stone door slid back into place, trapping the five of them in the darkness. Man In Yellow cast a lamp spell, and what they saw terrified them...
A figure clad in tattered robes seemed to be sucking the light towards it. Not just the light, though; Man In Baby Blue noted with a start that the color was being sucked from his robes.
"Oh crap! It's the ghost of Damoni!" He screamed.
Of course, that wasn't who their attacker was, but it was no less dangerous a foe...
At the Caravan site, the eight charged upon Adriana, Vasilisa, Erun, Volun, and Bask... but this was only the tip of the iceberg for the Colorfolk's attack.
"Buy time for team 2 to do their thing everyone" Man In White reminded them before they went on the offensive. Though frustrated at the recent developments (having watched the battle unfold in silence from afar), they were determined at least ensure the Caravan crew was held accountable for their awful act.
Woman In White and Woman In Silver went straight for Volun and applied the magic dissipators to his body; the fact that he was in a damaged state made it not too difficult to approach him. As with last time, the magic dispersed and his body was rendered inert stone.
"You still have to deal with me!" Erun stood up as he seemed to be preparing some sort of rune.
"Like hell I'm falling for your tricks twice!" Man In Silver said as he and Man In Gold and Woman In Blue threw insta-spells at him. Erun suddenly found himself encased in a sarcophagus of sorts; his body completely encased in hardened earth with only his face visible.
"No matter, my ruins will nullify the effect of the magic cast upon me" Erun stated. And yet, nothing happened. "Why am I not free?" He asked aloud.
"Because, we didn't cast the magic on you... we cast it on the environment around you" Man In Silver revealed.
"Curses! Undone by a damn quibble!" Erun shouted.
As for Bask... well, he was hit with insta-spells and fell for the same trick as before, his body relaxing as the extract made contact with him.
"Get's them every time" Man In Gold smirked.
Vasilisa, effectively crippled from Man In Black's attack, found herself unable to do anything, and could only watch as Adriana became surrounded by the eight.
"Do you dare take on the strongest Esper in the world? You may not have destroyed my caravan, but I will teach you for harming my children" Adriana said as she went to go into all out attack mode again.
"I don't think so!" Man In White said as he prepared a cluster of three insta-spells and threw them right at Adriana. Adriana suddenly fell down into the fetal position, covering her ears in agony as it felt like she was being bombarded by loud, high-pitched noise.
The noise was in her head... literally. A "sound generation" spell only she could hear, Man In White grinned as he offered exposition, "funny thing about Esper-type magic, you need to be in a state of clear concentration to use it properly. Break the concentration, and one is basically reduced to... this" he finished.
"I'm... not... done!" Adriana screamed. But no matter how hard she tried she couldn't block out the noise, and it was affecting her concentration.
Woman In Blue turned to Man In Blue, "Get Paladin Ricketts; tell him the Caravan crew is all his"
"Right" Man In Blue said as he retreated. "Knowing them he shouldn't be far; was probably observing this battle with other paladins" Man In Blue noted.
From a distance, Prismatic knight looked on, "There are the ones worthy of the shards" he noted. "But, there is a massive target on my back right now; I cannot reveal myself... yet. I must wait until the time is right... things are too chaotic now" he said as he remained unseen and unheard to everyone else.
Meanwhile, on Ordos.........................................................................................................
Man In Dark Blue and Man In Jade entered the colorfolk laboratory. The room had been abandoned for hundreds of years, and was filled with cobwebs, but evidence of the past greatness of the colorfolk was visible everywhere. A massive forge stood in one corner, with a variety of Viktrium weapons next to it. Schematics for what appeared to be a prototype steam engine and some sort of "wingsuit" were pinned to the wall. A magic torch that constantly emitted light was still functioning all those years later. But the duo ignored all of that and walked over to a bag full of black stones.
"Ah, Colidon Stones." Man In Dark Blue laughed. "This'll make our goals so much easier... and keep any narcs from finding out what we're up to..."
In another room, Man In Red and Woman In Pink were searching the shelves of the Colorfolk Archives. Although mold and cobwebs had done a decent job of claiming the various documents in the archive, neither of them cared much about history anyway. They were focused on something else entirely... a blue grow in the far end of the room.
Both of them grabbed the shard at the same time, then saw each other and began fighting over it. Woman In Pink tackled Man In Red, and the two of them became a flurry of limbs and the occasional burst of magic. Suddenly, the Prism went flying to a far end of the room, and a loud scream was heard.
"That sounded like Man In Brick..." Man In Red said.
Suddenly, they heard shouting from the main hallway.
"My fellow members of the Dark Blue Faction! We have acquired the Colidon Stones thanks to the help of these foolish American Colorfolk! With these, we will be able to disguise our magical attacks as normal mundane stuff, and our biker gang will finally be recognized for what it is!"
"Biker gang? The Dark Blue Faction is just a biker gang?" Woman In Pink muttered incredulously.
"They never cared about the shards..." Man In Red muttered. "They just wanted a way to use their magic against normals without the magic feds stopping them. Normally I'd admire that kind of underhandedness, but they hurt my teammates, and I won't stand for that."
"I'm afraid we need to team up if we want to take on the Dark Blue faction..." Woman In Pink said. "But I think I might have a plan..."
**********
Shear was the bouncer at the Greedy American Pub, and an unofficial member of the Caravan Crew. He hadn't heard much from his companions in the past few days, and was starting to get nervous. But tonight, as he stood at his post, things were about to change forever for the man...
"Oi you! Man In Black! I recognize you! You still owe the GOD a whole lot of money... I hope you're here to pay up!"
Man In Black snarled. An explosion of dark tentacles shot out of him and wrapped around Shear.
A few seconds later, Shear walked into the bar with a glazed expression. "Whoever the strongest slayers here are, you've been hired to take out someone called the Prismatic Knight. Apparently there is a 15000 Brick Reward."
Everyone's eyes widened. 15000 bricks was more money than most mages saw in a lifetime. It would by a lot of Falgrian Wine. Many top-ranked slayers burst out of the door. And following them, invisibly, Man In Black and his new thrall, Shear.
At the caravan fight, eventually Adriana was able to fight through the noise and began lashing out at the Colorfolk.
"I'll admit the shock of everything happening has me off my game, but now I will show you why I am feared as an esper!" Adriana declared as she managed to grapple Woman In Gold, Woman In White, Man In Gold and Woman In Silver.
"You're not the first esper the Colorfolk have dealt with Adriana!" Man In White informed the soothsayer as he threw stones at her, other for her to stop them and send them back at Man In White. Unfortunately for Adriana though, they failed to detonate.
"Nice try but we're not stupid; they're charmed to not go off when thrown at a Blue Faction Colorman or Colorwoman; fail safe in case we throw them without enough force and enemies throw them back" Man In White revealed.
"Even if I can't use your weapons against you, I will show you what I'm capable of!" Adriana stated as she began throwing around the Colorfolk she had a grip on. Man In White had one thing going for him though... Adriana was running out of magic, and it was showing. Had she been at full capacity, she would have grabbed all of them.
Man In White proceeded to dodge like crazy as Adriana used the four as clubs more or less and was swinging them all around Man In White. With her attention at the Colormen Tactician, she didn't see what was right behind her.
"You will pay for attacking my childr... gaaaahhhhh!!!" She screamed. From behind, Man In Silver cast spirit magic "spirit bullets" and was attacking her soul directly... not even an esper could counter damage done to her soul.
"As powerful as you are eve you can't defend against my magic!" Man In Silver declared as the torrent continued to fly at her.
"But even you can't survive this!" Adriana said as she threw Woman In Silver at Man In Silver, flinging them a fair distance away. But the damage had been done; it was becoming harder for her to properly utilize her magic and her limbs were starting to occasionally "slip" from her body.
"I need to end this quickly" she realized. Now going all out as she attacked Man In White, eventually it paid off as she was able to pin him under a dogpile of the now unconscious Colorfolk clubs.
"Any last words?" Adriana asked as she pressed down harder.
"You know... I thought I understood you. Really, I did" Man In White began. "I thought of you as a good person at heart; you see your fellow faction members as more than team mates, as family, really. You really are a caring person... at least, I thought you were. Now, I don't know what to believe. I can tell from your demeanor alone that since you're the leader, you sent your "children" to steal our shards. OUR property, and for what? We never had to fight, you know. We have our duty and you have yours. If you had just let us be and let us work on reobtaining our property, we wouldn't be in this mess! I wanted to sympathize with you, but you did a terrible, terrible act against us and... ugh, you are such a pain in the neck!" Man In White said, though he muttered at the last part.
"What?" Adriana said, trying to hear him.
"I said, you are such a PAIN IN THE NECK!" Man In White boomed. As if on queue, something fast and hard slammed into Adriana and wrapped around her neck. In that moment, her green "tentacles" disappeared, and The Colorfolk were freed from her grip.
"As if a metal collar will stop me" she stated. But no matter how hard she tried, she could not utilize magic. As if the entire pool within her had evaporated. Then, a twinge of fear painted her face. "No.. don't tell me..." She began.
Man In White stood up, triumphant, "that's right... vallerium. It's over Adriana, just surrender" he finished. He then looked over at the distance, team 2 had finished with Man In Bole's device and it worked just as planned.
"Not only can it launch charms that turn into magic disipators, but vallerium shackles as well!" he declared, proud of himself.
Adriana fell to her knees, realizing that they had played their trump card. "My children... I am so sorry" she said to herself. Man In Blue soon came with Paladin Ricketts and other Majika Supremus Paladins. Volun's golem core was seized as evidence, and Bask was secured in a cage composed of Radmiium and Avrenium. Adriana, Erun and Vasilisa were gathered as Paladin Ricketts addressed them. The Paladins had just finished drawing marks on their arms, and after some pain from the sizzling, the curses were in place.
"You can take your vallerium back now; all three have the Curse of Anterfis so it's moot" Ricketts said as a gloved Man In Blue removed the collar from Adriana.
"Curse of what?" Man In Blue asked, confused.
"Majika Supremus developed it as an alternative to always wearing a Vallerium shackle; prevents magic from pooling up in oneself, effectively rendering them a non-magic" he explained.
"This isn't right!" Vasilisa said strongly.
"Don't worry; if found innocent a Majika Supremus mage will remove the curse. And before you try to develop a rune to remove this curse, you" Ricketts said, indicating Erun, "know that if anyone other than a Majika Supremus paladin attempts to remove the curse, it will cause a lightning magic countermeasure to activate" he warned.
"But that still doesn't explain what's going on here?" Vasilisa asked, confused. Ricketts went into the formalities...
"Adriana, Erun and Vasilisa... by order of Majika Supremus, you are under arrest for theft of magic artifacts, endangering non-magic innocents, and most heinously of all, violation of Constantinople Accords Article 2: waging an illegal Magic War" he finished
"How did did we wage war... let alone an illegal war?" Vasilisa asked, confused.
"Well, not only did you openly attack another magic faction, you didn't formally declare war on them, you failed to take your fight into neutral territory, referring of course, to land that can allow a fight to take place without endangering parties not part of the conflict, and most heinously, your acts not only risked the lives of non-magic innocents, but risked exposing magic to the non-magic world when we aren't ready for magics mainstream return just yet" Ricketts finished.
"As if you'll send us to prison just because we didn't formally declare war" Erun grumbled
"You're right... that charge probably won't be given much attention. The High Council, however, won't be as merciful regarding the others though" Ricketts explained.
"As if I'm nervous about... wait, what?" Erun asked in confusion.
"You heard me... your actions were too great for a regular court. You're going before the High Council for this" Ricketts declared.
"TH-TH-TH-THE HIGH COUNCIL!?!?" Erun and Vasilisa said in terror. Only mages who committed the most heinous crimes were sent before them. "But surely this wasn't a war crime..." Erun began.
"That is for the High Council to decide" Ricketts pointed out.
"Then... then arrest the blue faction! They openly fought the KNUCKLEHEADS!" Vasilisa pointed out.
"Their fight was in an almost empty park and the scale of their magic was no where near what you used. Paladins were able to turn away the only seven witnesses in time and as such, the Colorfolk's fight is considered a valid defensive battle" Ricketts clarified. Then Ricketts turned to the Colorfolk.
"Let's get something clear here though... we are not baby sitters, we are not the bosses, and we are not omnipresent Gods. This was an exception, not a rule. Don't expect us to always swoop in and clean up the mess. In the event of a magic war that falls within the Constantinople Accords... you're on your own unless "the condition" is met" Ricketts explained.
"Understood" Man In White and Man In Blue replied. The Colorfolk then went back to base. Chances were, once this "War of the Shards" was over, they would see a lot less of Majika Supremus
......
In a holding cell, in a Majika Supremus jail in the Magic Underground, Adriana, Vasilisa and Erun were joined by most of their crew. The only ones not accounted for- Volun, whose core had been seized as evidence, the animals, who were taken elsewhere and treated humanely and with respect, Gilford and Hikos for obvious reasons, and Mark, who had teleported away when the rest of his group were arrested.
"I'm sorry; I should have known that Majika Supremus had your faces by now; sending you here only put you in the open" Adriana said.
"It's not your fault; if it weren't for the no combat rule here we would have gotten away with Mark. But all of us, the Curse of Anterfis? They must really not approve of what happened" a partially recovered but still injured Shiju observed.
"And this cell is lined with Radmiium, so Mark can't help us" one of the crew observed as their head looked around.
"What do we do now, mistress?" Ruth asked.
"I'm not sure... we'll have to wait and see" Adriana sighed.
Man In Green, Man In Yellow, Man In Baby Blue, Man In Off-White, and Woman In Orange beheld the ominous figure that they believed to be an undead reincarnation of Damoni Silverfinger. The figure pointed at Man In Yellow, and the color flowed from his robes as if they'd been bleached.
"My powers are being stolen!" He shouted.
So far, the figure had ignored Woman In Orange, Man In Green, and Man In Off-White. Which was good news for them. Despite the narrow corridor, Man In Green was able to get onto Man In Off-White's shoulders, taunting the figure while Woman In Orange crept into position. Suddenly, with a shout, she tackled the figure, pulling the hood off his face to reveal a very alive face.
"Wait... you aren't Damoni..."
"You're right. I represent the Guild Of Damoni." The Optometrist said. "And I'm going to bring you in for failing to pay your debts-"
"Guys!"
It was Man In Salmon! The other colorfolk had managed to reopen the crypt. "Let's get out of here!" And so they ran out of the crypt and down the hill, with The Optometrist in pursuit.
**********
Man In Dark Blue and his fellow faction members gathered at a predetermined spot near the great hall.
"Tonight... we ride."
**********
Man In Red and Woman In Pink gathered their injured comrades in front of the great hall.
"Alright, I'll go retrieve Woman In Lilac from the church while you heal everyone." Man In Red said. "Keep the shard, it'll make your healing magic stronger."
"See you soon." Woman In Pink said.
The former animosity between the Reds and Pinks seemed to have evaporated in the face of their common enemy.
*********
Back on New Furness, the Prismatic Knight had set up a camp on the north end of the island. He was hungry. Hungry enough for two men being drained by magic energy.
"I must find some food..." he groaned.
Unbeknownst to him, two A-ranked slayers, Moltana The Alchemist and Koonav The Archer, were watching him.
"Our poison arrows never fail to take down an enemy... now shoot true, Koonav..."
As Koonav was about to strike, he and Moltana were hit on the back of the head by a blue armored Gauntlet, knocking them out. The blue armored figure threw the Slayers towards the Prismatic Knight and walked out of the brush. The blue figure looked to be an almost identical figure to the Prismatic Knight, except only blue and not white, it then disappated into light and flew back into the Prismatic Knight...
"It's weird how I can sense my surroundings and creatures... Even weirder that I can make copies of myself... Also, why am I hungry? Can I even eat, I'm a suit of armor! Actually what is hungry anyway?" the Prismatic Knight asked to himself, known with a singular voice...
As he sat in utter confusion, his torso started to violently shake...
"Quick Gilford! While he's distracted, help me try to take back control!"
"I'm trying my Liege! There's just... Too Many!"
Just then, a white light flashed in the helmet's "eye" and the Prismatic Knight was back in control...
"I don't know what that was but 'hunger' is pointing me towards that direction, so let's go that way..." decided the Prismatic Knight as a turned into a column of light and headed towards the Atlantic Ocean...
.....
At Paladin Headquarters, Paladin Samson, the Paladin in charge of the Caravan Crew, was informing his commanding officer, Paladin Gideon, the status of their case...
"Sir, we currently have six of the known members of their little gang in custody. We have also seized their four animals, a Sleipnir, a Basker Hound, and two Golden Fleeced Rams, a Golem core of Masteri origin, as well as all of the objects remaining of their destroyed former residence, a 'cart'..." spoke Paladin Samson
"Alright, so who do we have in custody then?" questioned Paladin Gideon
"We have the 'Soothsayer' Adriana, one of the Strongest Espers in the world and a criminal who can see the future, her apprentice Ruth, another criminal who seems capable of predicting the future, the 'Drunken Mystic' Erun, a runecraftsman known for his anger and destruction, the 'Garrote Beauty' Vasilisa, a magical Russian Seamstress of dangerous capabilities, 'Lost Ronin' Nanachi Shiju, an infamous wandering Samurai known for cutting fire, and lastly, the 'Demonic Flame' Lauren, a Cambion..." answered Samson
"Alright, so who are we missing then?" asked Gideon
"The 'Steel Heir' Vincent Hikos and the 'Forgotten Knight' Gilford are both unaccounted for, and the Renegade Son of the Allcroft Family, Mark Allcroft, has been captured and taken into custody by the Allcroft Family saying this is a familial matter and the Majika Supremus has no duty to interfere..." replied Samson
"Damn the TCRU! Their political sway in both the Underground and Supremus is more annoying than helpful, but I guess it's out of our hands then... So what are we going to do with the accounted lot then?" inquired Gideon
"Five of them will be tried before the High Council for their crimes, including their current and past records, and for the 'Demonic Flame' Lauren, as defined in the Faust Bylaws of 1565, she will automatically be given the death sentence for being of demonic descent, since all beings from or descended from individuals from the Demon Realm are a danger of being a case of demonic meddling in this realm..." responded Samson
"Everything seems in order, seems this will be a quick and speedy trial then..." said Gideon as Samson excsued himself and Gideon went back to his paperwork...
.....
With the the Curse of Anterfis applied, a red skinned girl with a single horn, though seemingly off center, like it belonged to a pair, sat against the wall of the prison cell with her companions either sat or stood in defeat around her...
"I'm sorry Lauren, it seems the future changed before we could see the alterations... It seems the Good Colorfolk are not as 'open' as Vince thought they would be..." solemnly answered Adriana
"It's fine, I always knew they would come one day for me ever since I was a child and knew this was a possible outcome when I agreed to help, but I guess it's time to pay the piper..."
.....
Man In Black was frustrated when he saw that Moltana and Koonav had failed.
"Damn it! I NEED THOSE SHARDS!"
*****************************************************
Man In Red approached the church that the Dark Blue Faction had been inhabiting. The Man In Cherry was guarding the door.
"Ah, hello, my child-"
"Can it, Man In Cherry." Man In Red said. "I know you guys tried to doublecross us. Now, tell me where Woman In Lilac is."
"She's taking a little nap... I'm afraid she's not going to- HEY!"
Man In Red had been around enough evil maniacs to know that the best time to act is during the evil monologue. Strangely, he had not figured out yet that he should stop doing evil monologues of his own. He dove in through the window, shooting a healing spell at Woman In Lilac mid-jump.
"Woman In Lilac! The Dark Blue Faction has betrayed us! Come with me!"
"Wait!" Woman In Lilac opened the secret compartment and grabbed the two shards. Man In Red's eyes widened, but he said nothing.
"Let's get out of here!" Woman In Lilac yelled as Man In Cherry burst in. The two leapt through a 600 year old stained glass window and sprinted away to rejoin the others.
Over in the Catacombs of Castle Dullheaden, Noir Knight, with torch in hand, and Ghost Puncher made their way downwards into the forgotten crypts...
"So back to my earlier question, why do angry ghosts haunting your sacred tombs?" asked Ghost Puncher
"It's because many of the ghosts are ones of KNUCKLEHEADS who died away from home and were angered of no longer being tied to their ancestral home, so their spirits tied them down here from sheer anger... They vanquished my old friends who I tasked to guard the object, and now haunted these hallowed catacombs seeking vengeance for our ancient punishment... I locked the catacombs to protect outsiders, and to be frank, they were better guards for the object than the last group... Though now it is time to reclaim the object and properly save their souls..." answered Noir Knight
"On the artifact subject... What is it?" questioned Ghost Puncher
"It's something someone entrusted to me long ago... Thinking it would be save hidden in the last place people would look... But it's needed now more than ever..." replied Noir Knight
"Alright... Hey, I think I can see some specters up ahead..." whispered Ghost Puncher
"Then my Fair Ghost Puncher... TO ARMS!"
"Why are you shouting? We had the element of surprise!"
"Sorry, old habit... Chivalry and all that..."
.....
As the Prismatic Knight flew over the Atlantic Ocean, within him, various spirits were gathering together...
Inside the Armored Vessel, two spirits were currently imprisoned in crystal-like cages, with fourteen spirits of light gathered around a 'discussion table'...
"Hey let us out!" rattled the Man in Steel
"And give me back my body you hooligans!" added Gilford
"Silence fools! For it is your doing we were awoken in the states we are! So we are punishing you the activator and you the vessel for your crimes, stay their for eternity and don't pull a stunt like you just did or next time it will be worst than cages! Anyway, First had the floor..." said one of the spirits
First replied, "Thank you Fifth, and as you all know, we've been awoken from a slumber of unknown origins, and we all have an latent connection to one another and as Twelve has said, their are 11 more similar energies emitting in the world outside this vessel we've seized... Now, the first vote we had was whether or not unite into one being and fully become one with this vessel, but that vote was split down the middle, due to some wanting to keep their individuality, so we tabled that vote after we discovered their were more like us out there. So, all in favor of gathering our remaining siblings so we can finish this vote?"
"Yes"
"Aye!"
"Of course..."
"SURE!"
Definitely"
"I'm in, seems fun..."
"I have doubts, but why not..."
"We have nothing to lose either way, so yes..."
"I'm for it all the way! Woohoo!"
"From my analysis of the odds of success, I concur with the majority..."
"Unlike fancypants and his big words, my simple 'yes' is my vote of approval..."
"Uh... Whatever those guys said... That's my vote..."
"I don't care, yes I guess..."
"Um... I have some doubts, but if you guys say so, I'll vote yes..."
"Then it is unanimous... Our target is, if the memories of our prisoners is correct, the island known as Ordos!"
.....
Hot on the Prismatic Knight's trail, however, was Man In Black. Pure hunger was driving him on, magically propelling himself through darkness magic. He wasn't going to let this nutcase get away...
**********
As the band of colorfolk fled the Crypt of Damoni with The Optometrist in pursuit, they approached a road where gunshots could be heard.
"Oh crap, muggles!" And the Optometrist fled the scene.
What Woman In Orange and her companions saw was chaos. Two rival biker gangs were clashing, but one of them was clearly obliterating the other.
"I didn't even know Ordos had biker gangs!" Man In Green muttered.
As the triumphant biker gang chased away the last of their defeated comrades, a shout was suddenly heard and the Red Warriors and Pink Battalion popped up from behind a hedgerow. Suddenly, every biker gang member but the leader was wrapped in vines. The Red Warriors ran and took the Colidon Stones from them, and suddenly Woman In Orange's team could see what the stones had hidden: the biker gang was a band of mages, and they were using magic instead of bullets.
But Man In Dark Blue had other ideas. "You may have captured my gang, but you can never stop the Man In Dark Blue!"
And he sped away.
Woman In Orange, Man In Red, and Woman In Pink quickly filled each other in on the situation.
"We can use those Colidon Stones to better improve our dirigible, I reckon. Make it at least look normal so we can travel more openly." Woman In Orange said. "I'll put these four shards somewhere secure on the dirigible."
"What about the bikers?" Man In Red asked.
"Only the leader has any Colidon stones, and I doubt they'll pose much of a threat. We're heading back to New Furness soon anyway, so let's just leave the poor fools behind."
Little did they know that Man In Dark Blue was not far away, and was listening in on the whole thing.
"New Furness, eh? Our little troupe is about to go international..." He laughed as he rubbed the spikes on his leather jacket.
Having regrouped at headquarters, after treating their injuries The Blue Faction membership reflected upon the most recent developments.
"This "Prismatic Knight" could be problematic; if my suspicions are correct, and no doubt about it, the Knight could become another player in this fight for shards" Man In White deduced.
"Darn it; why do these things have to be more complicated than they need to be. I'd rather be dealing with, I don't know, sentient diesel engines with claws right about now" Man In Blue said in frustration.
"Daniel, this isn't some poorly focused fanfiction, this is real life" Woman In Blue reminded him.
"I can't make sense of it... when I looked at him I sensed something... there was something alive about it, but it wasn't "life" in the traditional sense" Man In Silver said.
"We have to fulfill the will of the spirit; we are the rightful guardians and wielders of the shards, and as such we must protect them at all costs" Man In Gold explained.
"Majika Supremus isn't some Deus Ex Machina that will rear its head at every turn though; from here on out We should probably anticipate a tough fight" Woman In White reminded everyone.
"I'm primarily concerned about the other players in this fight... granted there is no one outside of the Colormen who have any use for the shards, but that doesn't mean there is any less risk" Woman In Blue thought.
"The Black Faction's moves on Ordos are what concern me" Man In Blue explained. "If they are moving to take the shards also... damn it all, why do things have to go this way" he said in frustration.
"Well it's not like anyone's life depends on the Prism getting put back together. Sure, it is an important goal, but it's not like somebody's very existence depends on the reunion of the Prism, so we can be strategic in our planning" Man In White said as he began going over plans for their next move.
......
In the plane between dimensions, Man In Bright Turquoise was looking terrified at the recent developments, "No! No! NO! That wasn't supposed to happen! The shards weren't supposed to take a life of their own! This problem just became a million times worse!" He said in frustration as he based about his plane, looking over his window into the regular world.
"It surely isn't that bad" Teacher tried assuring him.
"You don't understand! The Blue Colorfolk are MY ONLY HOPE!" BT said, now in tears. "I just want to go home, and from what I can figure, reassembling the Prism is the first step in my being able to safely return home. It's power is the only thing that can save me!" He said, sounding desperate.
"Then do something about it! There's got to be something you can do" Teacher declared
"No... I can't... not after what happened... last time"
"Oh... right" Teacher nodded, affirming what BT was referring to.
"It's not fair... it's just not fair..." BT said in defeat, as he collapsed onto his knees
The Black Faction had boarded the dirigible and were just about to leave when Man In Black materialized on the bridge (which was situated on the bridge of Man In Amber Apricot's massive nose).
"Man In Black! What are you doing here?" Woman In Orange asked.
"PRISMATIC KNIGHT."
"What?" Woman In Pink asked.
"HE ATE- ALL THE SHARDS. ALL 14- ABSORBED THEIR POWER. WE NEED TO- KILL HIM."
"Kill who?" Man In Green asked
"We found four more shards, my lord!" Man In Yellow shouted weakly.
"SHARDS?"
A tentacle reached out and caressed the newly found shards.
"Yessssssss..." Man In Black seemed to visibly become more human as he fondled the shards. "Thanks guys. Sometimes it feels like I need these shards to live... now then, let's go obliterate that Prismatic Knight..."
Where was the Prismatic Knight? Well, at this very moment, he was at Castle Dullheaden, hot on the trail of the same thing as the KNUCKLEHEADS...
Deep in the Catacombs, the duo continued their fight through the knightly specters, Noir Knight's dark laden sword sliced through the devious apparitions while GHost Puncher manifested giant ghostly fists and rapidly punched down onto the wrathful wraiths...
"This should just about finish their numbers!" yelled Noir Knight as the last ghostly shriek left from the disappointing foe and finally the halls were no longer filled with eerie howling...
"So where did you hide this object then?" asked Ghost Puncher
"Oh, I put in my tomb, since... Well it will be a long time until I face death himself..." shrugged Noir Knight as he opened the stone mausoleum...
As if on cue, once the Stygian Soldier picked up the box of containing the artifact, a beam of light flew towards them. As the duo dodged out of the way, the beam bounced off the stony wall and materialized in its place is a shining white knight...
"Know him?" questioned Ghost Puncher
"Knights may be less frequent in this world, but most I know by name, even the ones in the world beyond... You sir, no such Knight..." answered Noir Knight as a crystal like sword appeared within the shining knight's hands...
"You foolish beings who keep me from my goal, hand over that box and I may spare your lives..." ordered the shining knight as he pointed his similarly shining sword at the duo
"Sir Knight, I made an oath long ago to protect this object to a dear friend of mine if even the Reaper came to take it from me... My life was long forfeit when I made that promise..." replied Noir Knight as he drew his ebony coated blade towards the shining knight
The two knights flew towards each other, as sparks flew once their blades clashed. Evenly matched, neither could gain ground on the other. Seeing no other option, the shining knight sent out a red and green knight to catch Noir Knight off guard, but two spectral fists destroyed them instantly...
"Like hell I'll let you catch him off guard! He still owes me for this job!" yelled Ghost Puncher as he got into a fighting stance
The shining knight could only huff as the duo began an onslaught against him, forcing him to materialize another blade to defend against the additional fighter. Fighting against multiple opponents was a first for this entity, so he got sloppy, allowing Ghost Puncher to hit his armored body. The phantom vanquishing biker reeled back his fist in pain...
"The hell? I thought this thing was a ghost, but it's physical?" questioned the Slayer
The shining knight couldn't believe this kerfuffle and shattered one of the swords to knock the box out of Noir Knight's hand, splitting it's contents onto the catacomb's floor, revealing itself to be none other than a shard of the prism...
"That was a lucky blow... I won't let that happen again. That shard is mine!" shouted the knight as he quickly sped towards the fallen shard, but a ghostly hand snatched it at the last second and threw it towards the jet colored knight, catching it in his newly free hand...
"It's ours!" laughed Noir Knight
"And we're out of here!" added Ghost Puncher as he grabbed his ally and the duo disappeared into a golden ether...
The Prismatic Knight couldn't believe what had occurred, but the fight against the duo had certainly made him stronger. Plus, he sensed they had headed towards his point of origin, so no matter what he would stop and retrieve it once he returned. But now, it was time to retrieve the ones he could sense flying overhead him currently. The pearl colored knight dissipated into light once more and shot off towards the exit of this dark crypt...
.....
High overhead, the dirigible was hovering in place, trying to detect the Prismatic Knight.
"I know it's down there..." Man In Black muttered.
Suddenly, the Prismatic Knight shot up into the air, flying towards the dirigible.
"Now!"
Man In Green shouted "Grok tel nitka brunes barflok furp!" And the Prismatic Knight found himself flying off course as his pants turned into rockets.
But he didn't go far. In fact, he quickly found himself entangled in a magic net, unable to move. He was hoisted onto the deck of the dirigible.
"Alright, we've got him, now what?" Man In Egyptian Blue asked.
"We've gotta get the shards out. The knight can store stuff inside his chest, so we should be able to open his chest and remove the shards." Woman In Green explained.
"Or..." Once again, Man In Black's tendril magic was activated and he easily pried open the chest plate and pulled out three shards, placing them with the other four.
But this turned out to be a mistake. The Prismatic Knight screamed and melted the magic net, then shot a magic bolt at Man In Amber Apricot, who made up the center of the dirigible. Man In Amber Apricot suddenly felt himself shrinking back to normal sized.
The Prismatic Knight, meanwhile, was engaged in close quarters combat with Man In Black, who held the shards out of reach with a tentacle. But the other color folk were panicking. Without the massive head of Man In Amber Apricot to support it, the color folk dirigible was just a collection of wooden platforms falling towards the ocean. Every color person on the ship was trying to avoid the crash, except for Man In Black.
With a sudden sucking noise, Man In Black vanished, with the seven shards. The Prismatic Knight howled in frustration. Clearly it had underestimated Man In Black. But this would not be their last encounter. It too, teleported away, to the headquarters of the Blue Faction.
"Man In Black abandoned us!" Woman In Yellow yelled.
"Hang on!" Woman In Orange yelled. She carefully manipulated the wooden planks with her magic, calling on transmutation powers her lineage had always specialized in.
Suddenly, where there had been a wooden mess, a sleek metal vehicle, like a flying submarine with two mechanical arms, materialized. The falling color folk found themselves safely on a bunk in the new craft. And Woman In Orange found herself at the helm of this mechanical monstrosity.
"Oh yeah... watch out Blue Faction, we have a flying submarine now..."
*****
Inside the Prismatic Knight, Hikos and Gilford were discussing what had happened.
"For a second there I thought I saw a way out... and this thing is clearly weaker than before... we may not be as doomed as we feared..."
When the Prismatic Knight teleported into the Blue Faction Headquarters, a tense situation began as the forces found themselves in very nearly a stand-off. The Blue faction did their best to deescalate the situation.
"There is no need to fight; we are not enemies, knight. We are on the same side" Woman In Blue began. The rest of the colorfolk complied and ensured no weapons were drawn, and they were not in battle stances.
The Knight tried to make sense of the situation, "I did observe before that you are the ones actually worthy of the power. Even though there is something right about you... I cannot say for certain that we are on the same side" the knight declared. "Let me ask you this... how do you see the shards?" The knight asked.
"To us, the shards are not just "treasures to be taken," and they are not merely artifacts or things. They are sacred objects to be protected and cared for" Man In Silver began. "I know this is hard to believe, but we never wanted this situation to happen. Many years ago, we were entrusted with guarding and protecting the shards. And we did just that; regretfully there were selfish parties that thought otherwise. Forces beyond our control stole the shards from us and we have done our best to get them back. It is clear that our missions are the same, so there is no reason to be at odds with one another. After all, if the shards are within you, then we are your custodians and guardians" he finished.
Although the shards of the mental conference conceded that they could tell the Blue faction was not lying, ultimately it was decided that they would not join with the Blue Faction... at least, not until they were certain this was what "everyone" wanted.
"I do not think we can be called allies yet. Even if you are not motivated by selfish gain to obtain the shards, I have more pressing matters to attend to. That accursed black one is clearly after me, and must be stopped" the knight said.
"Then why don't we work together for now; we both have the same goal in mind and our objectives are mutual" Man In White proposed.
"We are not under the same banner. However... I concede that the Black one has strength that must not be discounted. Even alone he was able to harm me quite a bit. If I am ever to be reunited with the shards he has... perhaps you may prove useful. We shall work together... for now" he stated, indicating he still did not fully trust them.
"As our goal is the same, it ultimately comes down to this: it's not just stopping Man In Black, but ensuring that he doesn't come after the shards again" Man In White said.
"And I suppose you have a plan for this?" The knight said, gauging the value of the faction.
"Yes; it won't be easy, but it just might work if we plan it right" Man In White said.
The assembled group tried to make a plan. Even if they didn't completely trust each other... the mutual goal of stopping Man In Black was too great for fighting between them could at least show they were capable of cooperation. Whether or not it would result in an alliance, only time would tell.
As the good colorfolk spoke to the Prismatic Knight, Man In Black spoke to his troops. For the first time in several days, he looked healthy. In fact, he looked healthier than he had in a long time. But the tattoo was still there, glowing as strong as ever.
"We've had a rough few days, friends. Our home was destroyed, we had to travel around in that joke of a dirigible, and I understand we had an encounter with an undead biker gang or something? It's hard to keep track of everything that's happening."
There was an uneasy chuckle.
"But when you think about it, things aren't so bad. We have seven shards. The Prismatic Knight has eleven. I don't know where those last seven shards are yet, but I have a sneaking feeling they're back on New Furness. And best of all, we have a sexy new flying vehicle to use in our quest. Once we have reunited the shards, my anchor powers can be used to turn them to my will. Then, us colorfolk will be freed from the limitations placed on the colorfolk of old, and we will finally be able to access our true power. And you all, for being loyal to me throughout, will be rewarded."
There was a cheer.
"Now let's go get those shards!"
****************************************
Silent Night was sitting in the Diablo Tower reading room when a boy in his late teens ran in.
"Hey, you're new! I'm Percy Silver! Everyone calls me Silvestron for some reason, but you can just call me Percy."
"Do not call him Percy." a voice boomed. Silent Night looked over to see a tall, bearded man. He was old, but his beard was still a dirty blonde rather than grey. He wore bronze robes, and a pointy hat, looking every bit the stereotypical wizard. He wasn't particularly physically imposing, but all the same he carried a certain presence. Silent Night knew immediately who this must be.
"You must be the Bronze Mage! I'm Silent Night! It's an honor, sir, truly-"
"Settle down, silly." The Bronze Mage chuckled. "I'm not the pope... not yet, anyway. Now, I understand you've been training with the Blood Alchemist?"
"Yes sir."
"Good man, that Blood Alchemist. Far too ambitious though. Anyway, you've got a certain mastery of thievery, yes? I have a task for you."
Silent Night nodded, and the Bronze Mage drew an object out of his cloak.
"This is what is known as a Prism Shard. We have a number of them already, but we will need one more in order for our... plans... to come to fruition. And for that to happen, I need a master thief to steal them."
"Where can I find a shard, then, sir?" She asked.
"I've got an operative who has a lead on a whole bunch of them. In the meantime, though, keep training. This'll be a dangerous mission, but if you do well we just might promote you to the inner circle."
Silent Night's eyes widened. Her excitement was cut short by a sudden yelp. Behind her, Percy Silver had managed to catch the carpet on fire, and in trying to put it out had frozen his feet in ice.
"Oops..."
"I don't care what the ancient prophecies say, he's never going to consume all the good in the world at this rate... come along, Silvestron..."
"As we all know, two shards have been confirmed in location by Kendarboo, and we are going to retrieve them at once. Teams are being assembled to retrieve the first one... on Ordos, if you'll believe that" Man In White explained.
"What? But surely you can't mean..." Woman In Blue began.
"No, not the Great Hall. We're still having trouble locating that. Between the fact that our ancestors forgot the damn maps when they came here and it's perception filter went haywire some time after the shattering it's impossible for anyone, Blue or Black, to locate it" Man In White explained.
"So what shard are we looking for?" Woman In Silver asked.
"I'll fill you in on all the details shortly. As for the second... Daniel, I believe you'll be able to handle this one" Man In White said as he handed Daniel an address.
"What? Are you sure? This is..." Daniel began.
"Truth be told we've always known about this, but it was good to know that Kendarboo's information is reliable" winked Man In White.
"Well, all right... it's about time I go see him anyway" Daniel noted.
"As for defense of the base... Man In Bole, is it complete?" Man In White asked.
"Yes; after what happened I prioritized making substantial improvements to the Base's perception Filter. Now that I've upgraded the power source's efficiency and improved the Cooldown systems we now only need to turn it off for brief periods at a time for maintenance" Man In Bole declared.
"Good; now it is impossible for anyone outside of the Blue Faction to perceive our base, let alone enter it" Man In Gold noted.
"Eh, not quite. I had to make an exception for Majika Supremus Paladins for obvious reasons" Man In Bole admitted.
"Fair enough" now regarding the plan, here's how its going down" Man In White began briefing the team that would be going to the unspecified Ordos location.
"Say, I have a question... does anyone know what the KNUCKLEHEADS have been up to as of late? For noble defenders they sure have been rather inactive lately" Man In Blue asked. Everyone suddenly was dumbfounded at that rather significant revelation.
......
(Flashback; New Furness Police Headquarters)
"Officers, please, I don't understand, what is going on?" Arkwright said; though Noir Knight was notably absent, everyone else was there, albeit in modern civillian clothes now, in a holding cell.
"Good thing Noir Knight had business elsewhere at the time. Call it a hunch but I don't think he would be in a good position here" Arkwright whispered to the others.
"But why are we under arrest?" Maguire asked the officer
"You're under arrest for an assortment of charges. Is this them, sir?" The officer as the gentleman next to him.
"That's them, officers! The lady over there in particular. These are the knuckleheads who keep trespassing on my lands and try to attack my windmill!" He said angrily.
"There is no law against protecting this land from attacks on vile monsters!" Don Delia stated passionately.
"No, but there are laws against trespassing, attempted destruction of private property, and failing to clean up after a horse" the officer pointed out.
"Hey, we can't control when he goes" Rose pointed out.
"But you can keep your horse on your own damn land!" The windmill owner stated angrily.
"Look, I'm sorry about this Mr..."
"Miller. Donald Miller. And yes, I am aware of the coincidence in my name. I also have no intention of dropping the charges against you; I am so sick of you always trying to destroy my property, you damn bunch of KNUCKLEHEADS!" Miller said angrily.
"Why thank you" Alexandre said, pleased.
"That was an insult" Miller pointed out.
"We are proud to be KNUCKLEHEADS!" Castlemore boasted
"You're not helping your case..." the officer pointed out.
The KNUCKLEHEADS gulped.
.........
(present day)
"Court is now in session. The honorable Judge Arthur Goodhall presiding over the case of Arthur Miller and the City of New Furness vs. Arkwright Edogog, William Maguire, Charles Winstead, Delia Mancha, Rose Gonzalez, Eren Day, Jaune Moreau, Alexandre Dubois, Calvin Castlemore, Pierre Bastille, Arnott Williamson and Ulrich Von Lechenault" the bailiff said as the judge began the trial.
"Now then, Mr. Edogog, Mr. Maguire, Mr. Winstead, Ms. Mancha, Ms. Gonzalez, Mr. Day, Mr. Moreau, Mr. Dubois, Mr. Castlemore, Mr. Bastille, Mr. Williamson and Mr. Von Lechenault, you have all been charged with trespassing on private land, attempted destruction of private property, failure to clean up after an animal, attempted assault with a deadly weapon and reckless endangerment. How do you plea?" the judge began.
Man In Infrared and Man In Amber Apricot had spent the past few days hanging out in Man In Infrared's house, a run-down one-story shack on the edge of the town of Silverwood.
"When are we gonna hear from Hikos?" Man In Infrared asked.
"I dunno... I don't trust him though. I swear he's a colorfolk."
"Oh please, he's too powerful to be one."
"Yeah, well, there are powerful colorfolk out there."
Man In Infrared scoffed. "Name one."
As if on cue, Man In Black burst through the ceiling. He looked quite a bit different from the last time these two had seen him. His hair was unkempt, the tattoo on his cheek was more visible than ever, and there was a deranged look in his eyes, like an addict going through withdrawal.
"WHERE IS IT!"
"What's going on?" Man In Infrared squealed.
"I KNOW YOU TWO SUMMONED THAT CYCLOPS AND STOLE A SHARD! WHERE IS IT?!?!" Man In Black's voice shook the house to its foundation.
"We gave it to the caravan crew! Don't hurt us!" Man In Infrared squealed.
"YOU DID WHAT?"
There was a sudden gust of wind in the room. Man In Infrared looked down at his sleeves, only to find that they weren't there.
"What did you do to me?"
Man In Black hissed through gritted teeth. "Infrared isn't a real color... it's not visible to human eyes. I just made your uniform reflect that."
"Oh god! I need to put some clothes on!" Man In Infrared turned to leave, and was suddenly pulled against the wall by Man In Black. His head hit the brick wall of the chimney, and there was a crack that sounded like a bone in his skull/neck region shattering.
"You monster!" Man In Amber Apricot yelled. He shot gobs of honey at Man In Black, who dodged them with ease. "I think you killed him!"
"No, you're the monster! I need those shards! I'm losing my mind!"
"Man In Black, listen to me! You've changed!" Man In Amber Apricot yelled. "I remember when your father was still alive. You were such a quiet, nice man, who was embarrassed by your father's shard obsession! But ever since you became the Man In Black, you've become more and more like him! You even have the same tattoo!"
"Don't you know anything, fool? The shards are the only thing that matters anymore! You sure have a big head, don't you, smartass? We'll see just how big your head can get. Grelk naka bik chov pula granknis..."
***********
"I present... the Black Faction dirigible!" Man In Black said proudly.
Woman In Orange looked disgusted. "That's clearly just Man In Amber Apricot's head expanded to massive size, with a bunch of rickety wood platforms nailed to his face."
"Yes, well, we need a new base of operations, so why not a mobile one?" Man In Baby Blue put in.
"Woman In Orange sighed. "We talked about this... let's go over the plan again, shall we? Our intel suggests that there are at least two shards somewhere on Ordos. So we're going to take the... uh... dirigible... to Ordos. From there, we will split into three groups. Man In Black will-"
"I'm not going with." Man In Black said.
"What?"
"There are fourteen shards on New Furness. I can easily take down the caravan crew with the powers of my lineage," Man In Black rubbed his anchor tattoo as he said this, "and combined with the shards you recover, we'll have nearly two-thirds of the prism."
"But we need you to lead the expedition to-"
"Listen to me, woman! I'm going insane here! I can't live without those shards! Don't try and stop me!" Man In Black snapped.
"Jeez, okay, okay. Alright, change of plans, I guess. Alright. Group 3 is everyone who isn't picked for groups one and two, who will stay on the dirigible under the command of Man In Egyptian Blue. Group one will be led by me, and will consist of Man In Off-white, Man In Ghost White, Man In Green, Woman In Green, Man In Yellow, Woman In Yellow, Woman In Red, Woman In Alice Blue, Man In Cornflower Blue, Man In Heliotrope, Man In Gamboge, Man In Salmon, and Man In Baby Blue. Group 2 will consist of the red warriors-"
"Aw HECK yeah!" Man In Red yelled, giving high-fives to the Men In Scarlet, Cardinal, Crimson, Brick, Ruby, and Rose.
"...and the Pink Battalion."
"The what now?"
"That's us!" A voice yelled. "I am Woman In Pink, leader of the Pink Battalion, the most powerful group of seven colorfolk ever assembled! Tremble before the might of the women in Pink, Fuschia, Magenta, Mauve, Lavender, Lilac, and Rose!"
"Rose isn't a shade of pink! It's red!" The Man In Rose yelled.
"Then explain me?" The Woman In Rose yelled back.
"This is gonna go great! Absolutely no power struggles are gonna ensue in group 2! Am I right, Morris?" Man In Heliotrope whispered to Man In Gamboge.
"Yeah, Mack, I'm sure it's gonna turn out phenomenal..."
Down in the Magic Underground, a certain black armored knight walked nobly down the street, with a strong, chivalrous stride in tow. This figure soon approached the all too familiar Greedy American Pub, passing by some heavily hungover cowboys(?) as he made his way to the entrance. The Bouncer Shear was about to stop the knight and ask for his arrival, but the knight waved a familiar bag of jingling coin that Shear left the noble warrior inside the establishment...
As the armored figure walked towards the bar, Lien greeted him with a warm, familiar smile, "Ah, Noir Knight! It's been a while since your last job posting! The Director values a reliable client such as yourself! What will it be this time?"
As Noir Knight approached the counter, he answered the woman with, "Normally my jobs are similar item fetch quests for my, 'condition', but this time, I need a specialist to aid me in my quest. This time, I need someone who utilizes abilities of the 'spirit' variety..."
"I think I got just the individual to help you... Hey, Ghost Puncher! You awake back there?" shouted Lien as a biker looking man in black leather chugged his bottle of whiskey and left it on the table of the booth he had been reclining in...
Ghost Puncher approached the duo and said, "Well I just woke up from that drinking binge with Vanil and his crew a little while ago, so I'm just about ready to begin making an honest days work... Sorry I haven't introduced my self yet, I'm the B Ranked Slayer Ghost Puncher, at your service, Sir..."
"Noir Knight is fine, and I guess you want to further discuss the job then?" added Noir
"I'll just leave you two alone in the conference room, don't worry Noir, since you're a regular client I'm certain you brought the right amount for a specialty quest like this..." said Lien as she led the duo to the discussion table...
"So to make sure I'm right for this job, I specialize in Spectral Magic, being able to command over 'phantom limbs' and allow myself to physically touch the incorporeal spirits... Does that work for the endeavor?" asked Ghost Puncher
"That's perfect actually, I actually need you to come with me to retrieve a certain object, that, from what I can gather, has phantom guards too many for me to tackle by my lonesome..." replied Noir Knight
"Alright, and where are we going to exactly to deal with these 'ghosts then?" wondered Ghost Puncher
"Have you ever heard of an island called Ordos?"
.....
Three individuals soon approached a black gunk soaked shack near Silverwood...
"I can definitely feel the irksome Prism Magic in the air, even if it's so corrupted..." said one of the figures
"Hey, watch it newbie, that stuff can be dangerous, we don't want you to be done in on your first mission now, do we?" said the figure next to him
"Grr! Nothing will stop me from having my revenge on those blasted Colorfolk!" growled back the first figure
"Gerard! Sal! Cool it! Especially you Salamander! We're only out here due to a favor I owe to Blood, so let's examine this place and head back..." said the third figure as he supervised the duo
"Yes Archbishop... Hey, is that... A guy in there?" pointed out the Salamander as he carefully walked inside the building
"Don't blame me if your body starts to deteriorate!" yelled Gerard
"Shut it! Hey, this guy has black crack like scars across his body... And his pupils are pure white... Archbishop Chaos, I think you should see this!" yelled the Salamander
Chaos soon approached the building, snapping his figures as the black gunk would disappear in odd or mysterious ways, as if almost by accident, to clear a safe path for him to walk through...
"Whatever happened to him, the Higher Ups will be interested in whatever abilities he has to offer, come on, we'll take him back with us to see if we can make a new recruit out of him yet..."
.....
The Blue Faction Headquarters was tense. Man In Blue waited with Woman In Blue, Man In White, Man In Gold, Woman In Silver, Woman In Gold, Woman In White, and Man In Silver, guarding the entrance. The Audit team from the Magic Underground had just arrived, after some brief trouble with their magic barrier.
"You've made your protective ward far too strong." The Optometrist noted. "You can just set it to block the Black Faction and Caravan crew, you know. What if you urgently need Icetouched healing in here?"
"I didn't realize anyone else would be coming for the audit." Woman In Blue explained. "We expected just Majika Supremus."
"Oh no, all audit teams contain two representatives from each of the six major factions." Sergei Meerov explained. "Majika Supremus needs oversight too, after all."
Fard and My, the Majika Supremus representatives, stepped forward.
"For the next week, we require full access to your lair, all documentation, and all personnel. We will be interviewing everyone closely to make sure no violations of magical law were committed. If we find that any violations were committed, well... let's just say that Majika Supremus prisons are the perfect place to be alone with your thoughts."
Woman In Blue swallowed nervously.
Man In Blue, on the other hand, was baffled by one of the Guild Of Damoni representatives, The Beyonder. She looked exactly like a student he had had in his magic studies class. Had they been observing him even then?
*********
The most expensive hotel in the Magic Underground is the Hakaris Magiohotel, a massive 15-story tower with 540 rooms maintained by the Hakaris Faction. The food is exquisite, the magical amenities are second-to-none, and skeletons controlled by Hakaris necromancers perform room service better than any human could.
Two hooded figures checked in to a room on the top floor that day. They were very suspicious looking, with their black-and-bronze uniforms and horned badges, but they also happened to be under the effects of a spell that made them less memorable to those who saw them.
After setting their bags down, the taller of the two figures turned to his companion.
"Alright, Silent Night, before I can begin training you, I have a task for you that will test the extent of your stealth magic. On the ground floor of the building across the street, Coropimi Rare Text Emporium, there is a display case containing the Gift Of Carrot. It is watched 24/7 by both magic and mundane security. A set of Enchanto-Armor created by Magika Supremus watches over it at all times. I want you to steal the Gift Of Carrot and bring it back here without being seen.
"Easy. I won't let you down, Mister Blood Alchemist." Silent Night said. "Just one question... what is the Gift Of Carrot?"
"Well it's... you know the Tale Of Tail?"
"The what?"
"Oh, forget it..."
The Blue faction Audit proceeded as expected- uneventful. Not only did the inspectors find no violation of Magic Law of any kind, but, as the Majika Supremus representatives indicated to the others, "The matter of Mr. Erdagovern's class has already been investigated and resolved... because it was framed as mythology, in the context of knowledge that already exists in the non-magic world, it presented no threat to the magic world and as such, does not compromise the security of the magic world" Fard explained.
As for the teams being dispatched to retrieve the shards while other members were being interviewed, they were also protected under the magic law. "As I am sure you are already aware" Woman In Blue began, "We have had not one, but two groups of mages attack us in some capacity in the past few weeks. For all intents and purposes these are Declarations of War, and per the Constantinople Accords we have the power to take action as reasonably necessary, even while under audit. The Black Faction will no doubt try to steal our shards for their purposes, and the caravan almost certainly has their reasons for doing so as well. We will cooperate with the audit as best as we can, but as I'm sure you are aware, because this is a time of war, we are obligated to act before they cause more damage than they already have. We need to retrieve these shards before they fall into the wrong hands. The shards are our property and we have an obligation to ensure their safe return before... well, I don't even want to imagine what could happen. All of these acts which we are taking fall well within the guidelines set in the Constantinople Accords, and we hope, just as much as you do, for a swift conclusion to these conflicts."
The auditing members could not find fault in her explanation and understood that, as a faction currently embroiled in war, the Blue Faction had an obligation to act accordingly without interference.
......
Man In White's team arrived on Ordos, with a single destination in mind, one that had not been touched in centuries. The eight member team with Man In White in the lead knew their mission and intended to be quick about it: retrieve the shard and get out of there. Fortunately, unlike the Great Hall, this location did not have a perception filter that went crazy. After a brief trek through woods, they found their destination. Despite the centuries of not having human visitors, it was in relatively good shape. A mostly plain, barren area, with a series of small obelisks shooting out of the ground, names engraved on each obelisk indicating who they honored. In the center of it all was a stone slab, flat and rectangular, about the size of... well, a coffin.
"Ah, the traditional Colorman death ritual" Man In White noted. "The bodies are laid, wrapped in cloth, on the slab, and overnight, the body disappeared, and the name appeared on its respective obelisk" he observed.
"So, the shard is here?" Man In Light Blue asked.
"Yes... it is near. The tingling grows stronger in... that direction" Man In White said as he lead the party in said direction. All the while, a figure appeared to be watching them from the distance.
The group of eight found themselves near the obelisk of the Man In White lineage, when the namesake wielder looked down to the ground, and appeared to see glowing in the dirt.
"At last, returned to its rightful owners" Man In White said, but as he reached out towards it, a voice declared "Halt! What is your purpose?" The group of eight looked up to see a ghostly figure present before them. His clothes indicative of a warrior of a past era, and yet, that face...
"Hey Jeffrey... he looks somewhat like you..." Man In Teal observed.
Man In White thought about it for a moment before stepping forward, "Alteria of Cronbough, I presume?" He asked.
"You are correct. That voice and those clothes can only mean one thing... my descendant, perhaps?" he asked.
"Yes. We have come to retrieve this shard so that it may be reunited with the others. But how do I know that you are truly my ancestor? The spirits of Colormen past only returned when the prism was whole" Man In White pointed out.
"Indeed. However, this land is the only exception to that rule. For reasons not even we of the first generation could understand, the magic contained within these lands allows us to return for brief periods of time within them. Alas, the weakened state prevents me from doing much, but I can ensure this shard never falls into the wrong hands" Alteria explained.
"You've done a noble thing, grandfather. But you can return to being at peace now, for now this shard has a greater purpose to fulfill" Man In White explained.
"I am glad that is so. But before you go, I must insist you do one task for... yourselves, really" Alteria said.
"Which is?" Man In White asked.
"Find each of your respective family's obelisks, and pay your respects to the ones who came before you. If you listen hard enough, you will find something just as valuable as any prism shard" Alteria explained.
The assembled group didn't quite understand what Alteria was getting at, but did so anyway. Coming towards each obelisk, they kneeled and bowed their heads. Nothing happened at first, until each individual member began seeing a vision become clearer and clearer...
......
"... and you had no knowledge of your magic heritage until that day?" The representative from the Order of Gerade asked Man In Blue.
"Yes; I'm quite confused myself, but I'm sure my father had his reasons. Heck, wouldn't be surprised if he kept it from my mother as well" Man In Blue noted
The member wrote down the final notes before wrapping up with, "Well, you can't be faulted for the actions of your father. All right, that does it for your questioning; you're clear, Mr. Erdagovern" the mage said as he proceeded to move on to another member.
"All right, now that you are in the clear, its time for you to head out Daniel" Woman In Blue explained.
......
Daniel found himself teleported to Long Island, New York. He stood just outside a house in the Hamptons, at an address he was quite familiar with.
"I don't get it; I've been here so many times, how could a shard be here?" Daniel asked himself. He rang the door bell, and after a brief wait, an older gentleman answered the door. Wallace Erdagovern, Daniel's grandfather and, now that he knew, the only other Man In Blue alive.
"Daniel, it's been too long! How have you been?" Wallace asked.
"Hello grandpa. I've been better. Haven't really seen you since Dad's death, you know" Daniel realized.
"Well, I can't travel as much as I used to, you know. So what brings you here? Figured you'd call ahead at least" Wallace asked, confused.
Daniel sighed before admitting, "Grandpa, I know the family secret. Not only am I the current title holder but Man In White said you had a..."
"SHHHH!!!!" Wallace suddenly said frantically before pulling Daniel in the house and locking the door. "Not so loud!" he said in nearly a whisper.
"No one... can hear us..." Daniel said, confused.
"You can't be too careful. Now, what did they tell you exactly?" Wallace asked.
"Well... all our shards were stolen and they told me that you had one... I don't get what's going on really, and quite frankly it's rather..."
"Stop. Follow me" Wallace said as Daniel was instructed to follow Grandpa to the basement.
"You know... in retrospect I figured there was something magical about you grandpa, even as a kid" Daniel noted. "I mean seriously, mid nineties and not even needing a cane and no arthritis?" Daniel pointed out.
"Magic-enhanced Elbow and knee pads" Wallace grinned as he rolled up his sleeve, "I may be old, but my mind hasn't gone yet"
Then Daniel realized, "Of course, the First Law of Magic- even in old age one can still be a great mage. No wonder the iconic image of the mage is an old man" Daniel observed
"Indeed" Wallace said as they came to a bookcase at a wall in the basement.
"But... then why not use magic to eliminate the aging process all together? You could still be Man In Blue" Daniel argued.
"No Daniel... the fourth law of magic" Wallace reminded him.
"But... you aren't sick" Daniel said, confused.
"That's not what it means. "Magic can heal, but it cannot cure" may sound like it refers to disease, but its really more nuanced than that" Wallace said, walking over to the basement window and picking up two flower pots. One had a beautiful flower in full bloom, while the other was wilting, and in the process of dying.
"We'd all love to think that we can remain in the prime of our life forever. But not even magic can stop the march of time. We can heal our physical ailments. But in the end, we cannot cure death itself. For like how the flower must eventually wilt... the body must eventually die" Wallace said, putting the flower pots down again. "I can remain in a healthy state thanks to magic... but I know death is coming, and my time will come, just like everyone else's" Wallace finished.
"So when it was said magic cannot cure... what it actually meant was magic cannot cure the human condition" Daniel said in realization.
"Exactly. So remember Daniel- magic is an extraordinary power, but even it cannot prevent nature from running its course" Wallace finished. Holding his hand over the book case, he made a gesture and the case slid to one side, revealing a secret passage. The two of them stepped inside and there, on a pedestal... was a prism shard.
"It was long suspected a day would come when the Blue factions shards would be stolen by forces beyond our control. This shard was kept secret to all except a select few. The idea was in the event the main collection was ever stolen, this shard was to be held in reserve until it needed to be returned. Like right now" Wallace explained
Daniel picked up the shard, and allowed the familiar power to flow through him, like last time. He secured it and then hugged his grandfather. "Thank you, grandpa. But I need to return now... this shard must be returned to base at once" Daniel explained.
"I understand... until next time, Daniel" Wallace said as Daniel proceeded to make the call. "All right, shard secured, get me out of here" Man In Blue messaged as the teleportation process began.
......
In another part of Ordos, the Dirigible had come to its determined location, and Woman In Orange was giving orders. If the information was accurate, then there was, in fact, another shard or two to be found here.
"Soon those shard will be ours... Prepare to land!" ordered Woman in Orange
"Aye Aye Madam!" replied Man in Baby Blue
"Stop talking like a sailor idiot!" yelled Woman in Orange as she hit her associate over the head
"Sorry..." answered the now throbbing Man in Baby Blue
.....
"Thank you Gentlemen, your bill for this and the return trip will be sent to the mailing address left with the ticket counter. Your return service will arrive whenever you blow that whistle. The Transport Conductor Railley Union appreciates your patronage. We look forward to your future business!" said a man in a blue suit and billed cap as he blew on a whistle and disappeared, scattered into the air through a golden ether...
"I can never get use to that service... Especially with their ticket prices nowadays... Also, who pays extra for a sleeper cabin? The travel's instantaneous!" lamented Ghost Puncher
"It's fine, I'm paying for it anyway so you shouldn't be so hung up about it, anyway we have a long trek ahead of us, so we better start now..." replied Noir Knight
"Alright, though where are we going again?" asked Ghost Puncher
"What I told you before, the ruins of Castle Dullheaden, the ancestral home of the KNUCKLEHEADS... More specifically its catacombs... There's something I left down there it's time I got back..." answered Noir Knight as he bgean to take the lead on the duo's journey...
.....
The dirigible landed on a deserted patch of beach. The two groups got off, and Woman In Orange gave her orders.
"Alright, Woman In Pink, your team will be searching for the location of the Great Hall Of The Colorfolk. We don't know where it is, other than that it is somewhere near the city of Saint Arthur's Bridge, but your shard-sensing ability should act as a beacon to take you right to it."
"Wait hang on, why is she in charge and not me?" Man In Red asked, but was ignored.
"As for us, we'll need to rely on the old legends of Magykka from days of old, before this land was known as Ordos. The Shard is likely in an area with a lot of old magic, so we'll need to search for old magic." Woman In Orange ordered her group.
As it happened, at that very moment, a tour guide was giving some relevant exposition.
"This doorway is said to lead to the sacred tomb of Damoni Silverfinger, a legendary figure who is said to have inhabited these lands two thousand years ago. Of course, local tradition means no one has been inside for nearly that long. But the legends of Damoni Silverfinger are many. It is said that he was a companion of a legendary warrior known only as "Heph", and once, in the area that is now Lost City Regional Park today, he proved his mettle when he slew a great foe while defending the titular lost city. Of course, this is clearly a legend. The lost city was said to be in a desert, there is no evidence that a city ever was here, the citizens were said to be animal-human hybrids, and Damoni's feats are clearly magical, but to this day devout believers of Damoni still regularly come to the shrine, claiming they can still feel his magical energy..."
In a few short posts, Woman In Orange and her companions would find this location, but before that, we should touch on a member of this tour group. He was a man we've seen before, a man often called by the name of "The Optometrist", but known to others by the far stranger name of Fark Devonshire. Fark was a high-ranking member of the Guild Of Damoni, but rarely thought much about the guild's namesake. However, he had a strange sense that very soon, his presence at this crypt would be vitally necessary...
Back with Noir Knight and Ghost Puncher the duo soon approached the ruins, finding it mostly abandoned, with the occasional tourists with their phones talking selfies near crumbling walls off near non-important parts of the stronghold...
"So on the walk over here I googled this place and maps, pictures, and records of the place show no indication of catacombs being anyway around here, so where are we really going?" asked Ghost Puncher
"The catacombs, as I said, just in the past I've hidden the physical entrance from outsiders due to not wanting them to find out what I left down there...Plus, what's inside haunting those hallow tombs would expose the magical world, and I don't want to fill out all of that damn Majika Supremus 'Sanctioned Haunting' location paperwork... Which would never be approved anyway due to their malicious nature... Anyways, when the KNUCKLEHEADS were, well 'exorcised' from Ordos they erased most historical traces here even this castle... Most don't even know this is our ancestral home, even some of the Newer generation didn't know when they joined..." answered Noir Knight
"Alright, but why are their malevolent beings haunting the crypts of what I can only assume are members of your order buried down there..." wondered Ghost Puncher
"Well it's simple really..."
"Oh cool an Armored Statue! This would be great for the gram!"
Five American college kid tourists soon approached the duo, with Noir Knight quickly striking dignified pose of placing his blade to the ground and resting his hands on top of the hilt, resembling similar statues found in their base back home and Ghost Puncher pulled out his phone to 'continue' his conversation with the first person who came to mind...
"Yeah Vanil it's simple, really..."
Noir Knight stood motionless as the College Kids started examining his armored body...
"Wow! I didn't realize they kept armored statues in dumpy places like this!"
"Yeah dude this is totally going on my story! Hey guys it's the Daily Chad here bringing you another update on my European Tour! Look at this sickass Knight dude! i wonder if this armor comes in Home Team colors! Lol!"
"Hey Morgan, come over here! 1... 2... Duckface!"
"Duckface!
"Yo bra I wonder if I can remove the helmet... I could totally hit trending if I do some stunts wearing that kickass headgear!"
"Yeah Vanil I really wish that KNUKLEHEAD would do something already!"
Just then the 'Armored Statue' suddenly face-planted after one of the College Kids gently rubbed against the armor plate...
"Oh hell nah bra I can't pay damages for this piece of crap... I'm already in debt for my English Degree!"
"Yeah, my Sports Scholarship won't cover this one dude!"
"let's get out of here dudes!"
The Five College Kids bolted away towards the entrance of the ruins...
Noir Knight began getting off the ground and said, "I don't want that happening again, plus I don't want to have to scuff out my armor anymore than I have too so let's continue our discussion in the catacombs then, shall we?"
"Right, lead the way..." answered Ghost Puncher as the duo headed towards the secret entrance...
.....
Woman In Orange, Man In Off-white, Man In Ghost White, Man In Green, Woman In Green, Man In Yellow, Woman In Yellow, Woman In Red, Woman In Alice Blue, Man In Cornflower Blue, Man In Heliotrope, Man In Gamboge, Man In Salmon, and Man In Baby Blue left, leaving the Red Warriors and Pink battalion in the center of town in Saint Arthur's Bridge. Formerly known as Cordann, this town has been continuously inhabited for 3000 years, but nowadays its only residents were tourists and sheep farmers.
"Alright, let's see if we can ask someone for directions." Woman In Pink said. "Hey sir! Can we ask you something?"
"Beat it lassie! Och, ye tourists ken nevar give me old head a moment's peace!" shouted an oddly short man with a bushy beard. One who knew a lot about the history of this island might have guessed that he had Dwarven ancestors in his family tree.
"Alright, the locals aren't going to be much help." Woman In Pink muttered.
"You're going about this all wrong." Man In Red snapped. "After the prism shattered, the perception filter went haywire. None of the locals are going to know where it is. We just need to use our ability to sense prism shards to figure out which way to go."
"Wait a second, how did we even know that there are shards here anyway? Our shard-sensing abilities aren't strong enough to span oceans, after all."
"Well actually, we have a-" Man In Red shrugged, before jumping as a truck from Farmer Glyve's Custom Lampshades honked at him to get out of the road.
"Bloody tourists! Ken ye not watch where yer goin?"
"What is that accent anyway? Scottish? Welsh?" Man In Cardinal asked.
"I'll have ye know I speak fluent Ordonian jes like everyone on this godforsaken rock!"
"As I was saying..." Man In Red said once they'd gotten out of the road, "we have some contacts here on Ordos... they're supposed to meet us at Saint Arthur's Church at noon. If you'd bothered to talk to Man In Black at all, you'd know that. Now, shall we?"
Saint Arthur's church was an old stone building built by christian missionaries nearly 1400 years ago, making it one of the newest buildings in town. The pastor, an elderly man in cherry-colored robes, greeted them at the door.
"Ah, my children, what brings you to our humble house of god today? Come for confession?"
"Man In Cherry, it's us! Man In Black sent us!"
"Ah yes... come in, come in..."
When the red warriors and pink battalion entered the room, they were surprised to see a handful of colorfolk they had never seen before.
"I am the Man In Cherry, and these are the Man In Jade, Man In Ochre, Woman In Olive, Woman In Pale Silver, Man In Vermillion, Man In Forest Green, Woman In Ghost White, and of course, our leader, the Man In Dark Blue."
Man In Dark Blue, a tattooed, buff man, stepped forward. "We are the descendants of the colorfolk who stayed behind on this island after the shattering. We have long suspected a shard was hidden in the great hall, but it has long since been lost to us. With your help, however, we will be able to finally find it."
"In that case, let's get going. Woman In Lilac, stay behind so we can communicate with the others." Man In Red said. Woman In Pink opened her mouth to object, but was shushed by Man In Brick.
Soon, the group left, leaving Woman In Lilac behind with Man In Cherry. But Woman In Lilac was suspicious. She had had a strong headache ever since arriving on Ordos, but after the others left, she realized what it was. There were shards here... and they were close. She began non-chalantly poking among the pews, but finally found what she was looking for when she looked behind the pulpit and saw a small lever. She pulled the lever, and a hidden door in the floor slid open, revealing a small lead-lined compartment in the floor. And inside... two shards.
"Oh crap! They already have shards! But that can only mean... the Dark Blue faction is going to double-cross us!" She realized. She stood up, only to see Man In Cherry standing in front of her.
"Very perceptive, my child. A pity you won't be able to warn your friends. Long live the Dark Blue Faction!" A burst of water shot out of Man In Cherry's palm, smacking Woman In Lilac against the far wall, unconscious.
"By the time you wake up, foolish girl, it will be too late..."
At the Colormen burial grounds, the visiting Colormen each had their respective visions ended, and they reclaimed the shard.
"Farewell... remember what you saw here today, for they will help you in the future" Alteria said before disappearing.
"All right, let's return to Headquarters" Man In White said as the rest of the team nodded.
......
It had taken a while, but at last the Man In White team and Man In Blue returned to base.
"Man In Bole's teleportation pads worked perfectly; pretty much every mage out there has some variation of teleportation magic available, magic tech, spell or otherwise, so I am glad that he was able to refine magitech that works as well as this" Man In White said.
"Just be warned though" Man In Bole began, "you can only teleport relatively small quantities, like your body, clothes and whatever you have on your person. If you were to teleport, say, several hundred pounds worth of goods, that can overwhelm the device in its current state" he explained.
"That's fair; we wouldn't want it to become a deus ex machina anyway" Man In Silver replied.
With the two shards now in their possession, Man In Silver was given both of them, and proceeded to make direct contact with them. Focusing, he seemed to enter a sort of trance as he began sensing the souls of those on New Furness. Steadily increasing the focus of where the Caravan crew was, the few minutes that past felt like an eternity, until...
"Yes! I found them. They tried cloaking their location, but even they cannot mask the presence of their souls" Man In Silver explained.
"But after the damage they inflicted on us; can we take them?" Man In Blue asked.
"They may have stole our shards, but they can never steal our resolve" Woman In Blue declared.
"Plus, they made one critical error in attacking us... by attacking us in such a way, with almost all of the members of their faction as Man In Silver determined, they have pretty much "put all their cards on the table" and now they will learn why attacking the Ordosian Colorfolk is a gamble one never wins" Man In White said, determined.
Everyone assembled nodded, and proceeded to listen to the plan that came into fruition. The Colorfolk weren't usually ones to go forward with all-out assaults, but this was an emergency situation and all hands needed to be on deck. What was about to happen would not be an easy fight, but for the future of not just the Colorfolk, but these new lands which they defended, they had to get the shards back.
......
On Ordos, the team designated by Woman In Orange was searching for the remnants of the Great Hall... although the exact circumstances of the even were uncertain, it is known that at some point in the years following the shattering, the Great Hall's perception filter went haywire, and it was clear just how bad the situation was.
"I don't understand what is going on? I feel like I am sensing the shards but at the same time I'm not sensing the shards? I'm feeling something but I can't pinpoint a location, almost as if... oh, of course" One Colorwoman palmed in realization.
"Is it possible that the magic given off by the prism is weaker than the perception filter?" One of the Colormen asked, concerned.
"I wouldn't rule it out. Just keep following the signal" this colorwoman declared.
And thus, minutes turned to hours... hours turned to days... days turned to weeks...weeks turned to months... months turned to years... years turned to decades... and still no sign of the Great Hall.
(Cut to: Assembled team gathered around campfire at night. They all look extremely old, with dirty and very worn out clothing, and everyone, even the females, have long, white beards)
"Still no sign of the Great Hall. How long has it been?" The Colorwoman said in a raspy voice.
"f-fifty three years" The Colorman managed to say in between coughs.
"How could we have spent so much of our lives searching for one damn shard?!" a second colorman declared angrily before going into a coughing fit.
"At least it can't get any worse" a second Colorwoman assured.
But it did. Suddenly, a skeleton in a black cloak, wielding a scythe appeared. "Ah, there you are. I have come for thee!" it said as it raised the scythe.
"AAAAHHH!!" The assembled colorfolk screamed.
"Wait a sec! We're not looking for the great hall, that's the Red Warrior's job! This is just a dream!" Man In Green realized, waking up with a start. Him and his group were camped out in a field somewhere, using colorfolk magic to make sure the sheep farmers didn't notice.
"Wait... I feel a tingling! I bet I know where that shard is!"
Back on New Furness, however, Man In Silver was preparing to get ready to go when a member of Icetouched and a member of the Order Of Gerade stopped him.
"Hello, Man In Silver, we understand you're married with three kids, correct?"
"Yes, my wife and I have been married for eighteen years now and-"
"Irrelevant." The Icetouched member interrupted. "Magical law forbids any non-magic citizens from finding out about the existence of magic, and you've been entirely too honest with your wife regarding your, ah, career. I'm afraid this constitutes a violation of magical law."
"What? That's not fair! I didn't know about my magic when I got married, and my wife was with my when my father told me on his deathbed!"
"Oh really? I had hoped you were the only bad apple, but clearly there is a pattern of carelessness with regards to personal relationships in this faction. We will need to re-open the audit to check for other such violations. We've already determined that Woman In Gold has a non-magic girlfriend, but at least she had the good sense to lie about her job."
"But... you can't do this! It's not right!"
"Now listen, pardner," the Order Of Gerade member drawled in a southern accent, "I get it. When I joined the Order Of Gerade, I had to part ways with my cousin. Just had to stop speakin' to her entirely. She would have made a fine wife... but that's the price we pay for our powers."
"This is ridiculous! I'm gonna tell Man In Gold!"
"You mean the man who's wife and child died because of magic cultists? I suspect he'll take our side." The Icetouched member replied coldly.
Meanwhile, the men and women in gold, white, and blue, as well as the woman in silver, were armoring up. The eight of them were going to take down the Caravan crew and recover those shards as soon as Man In Silver arrived, and nothing was going to stop them.
"This is preposterous! You may have the authority to take part in audits, but you and I both know that only Majika Supremus has the authority to arrest!" Man In Silver pointed out.
Having gotten word of commotion out front, the seven ran up to join Man In Silver, and already Woman In Blue knew something was amiss.
"What on earth is going on here?!" Woman In Blue shouted as the situation was explained to her. "Now wait just a minute, that is NOT what the law refers to!" She pointed out.
"What are you talking about? It is illegal for anyone from the magic world to reveal the secret of magic to the non-magic world!" The Order of Gerade member said, with a slight bit of nervousness at the end of the sentence.
"No, what the law says is that it is illegal for anyone to reveal the existence of the *magic world* to non-magic users... an important clarification that was put in place to account for the fact that many aspects of the world of magic are popular mythology in the non-magic world. While we cannot reveal the secret of the world of magic, revealing our knowledge in the context of the mythology is perfectly acceptable. Not to mention as I'm sure you are aware most mages maintain a life in the non-magic world as well as the magic world, so the idea that we have to cut off all contact with the non-magic world and any family we have is preposterous. Hell, I run a business here on New Furness that's quite popular and the Paladins never raised a fuss since I didn't even mention my secret. Yes, granted it is just a cover, but I still conduct actual business and have employees, associates and connections" Woman In Blue pointed out.
"Well... that's a different scenario..." The order of Gerade member said, trying to form an argument.
"And another thing, if there really was an audit being reopened here today why aren't representatives from all six factions? Majika Supremus isn't one to beat around the bush and would want to get on this right away. But perhaps most suspicious of all... if this was such an issue, why did Majika Supremus not bring it up with Man In Silver all those years ago? Strictly speaking, your factions have no obligation to enforcing Magic Law, Majika Supremus' duty is the responsible and ethical enforcement of Magic Law. If there was even an issue to begin with, the marriage would have been stopped before it even started. Don't forget, even if we had minimal contact with your factions, we of the Blue Faction have always maintained our respectful relation with them. You are correct, Majika Supremus does need oversight, but not so much so that outside influence causes a conflict of interest or abuse of power for personal gain" Woman In Blue finished.
"So... so what are you going to do about it then?" The Order of Gerade member stated.
"Me personally? Nothing. But I can't say the same thing about them" Woman In Blue said, indicating a small group that had just arrived. Four Majika Supremus Paladins arrived, lead by Paladin Ricketts.
"I got a call from Man In Gray about a couple mages saying an audit was being reopened against you, that correct?" Ricketts asked.
"Yes; and I wanted to hear it from a source I could trust. Since you are in charge of the safety of magic users on this island, something of this nature no doubt would have been brought to your attention" Woman In Blue explained.
"As a matter of fact... no word came in about an audit being reopened. What I'd like to know is why you two are so eager to bypass chain of command... if I didn't know better I'd say a conflict of Interest was present" Ricketts said as he indicated the two members.
"What?! Why would have anything like that?" The Order of Gerade member said nervously as he started sweating. "How do WE know you aren't playing favorites with the Blue Faction?" he pointed out, trying to turn the tables.
"Simple- I'm not. The Colorfolk and I may be on good terms but we have a strictly professional relationship; we don't interact on the personal level to get me all "buttered up" as you would say, and I am recused from audits against them. I know them well enough to say this: if they had violated magic law at any point, I'd have been the first to know about it. As for you two... turn around so I can see your faces" Ricketts stated.
"Uh... we'd rather not" the icetouched mage said nervously.
"If you're embarrassed about your appearance, I'm not exactly a model myself" Rickets quipped.
"No, its not that" The Gerade mage added. But the choice was made for them; from inside the base Man In Aero Blue shot air magic in such a way that only the two mages were affected. They found themselves turned around 180 degrees by a force they didn't know how to describe. Suddenly Ricketts was angry, "Wait a minute, I know you two! Arrest them, they're wanted for illegal distribution of Mezonite!" Ricketts ordered his Paladins.
"What? No, you have the..." was all the icetouched mage could say before the two found themselves restrained with magic handcuffs.
"Ok, now I'M confused! What is going on here!?" Man In Blue blurted out.
"What is going on here is that you just helped me catch two of the most wanted magic fugitives in the America sector" Ricketts explained.
"What?" Man In Silver asked, confused.
"Until a few weeks ago, these two were indeed members of the Order of Gerade and Icetouched, until their "business venture" was discovered" Ricketts explained.
"huh?"
"Given the relative rarity of Light mages and by extension healing magic compared to other disciplines, potion making was developed to cover certain things when mages weren't readily available. In the case of healing potions the key ingredient is Mezonite, a refined powder of the Mezonia herb; a plant grown in the magic world which, when refined and its powder added to solution in the right potion mixture, creates a rather potent healing potion. Now normally the Icetouched control distribution of Mezonite because the problem is if the potions are improperly prepared they can actually do more harm than good when ingested. So, they either make the potions themselves and sell them to factions and mages who don't have healing magic at their disposal, or they source the Mezonite to smaller factions whose primary business is potion making. These two here, ahem, wanted to make a quick buck. The icetouched mage here had a lot of access to the Mezonite manufacturing, while the Gerade member here had connections to many factions and mages. So they set up a plan- they made their own potions and sold them to said factions at much lower prices. However these two were so intent on getting rich they overlooked many of the steps the Icetouched take in the proper preparation of their potions, resulting in a substantially lower quality product" Ricketts said, looking at them with a frown.
"Hey! For all the work I did I wasn't getting my fair share! The Icetouched didn't give me what I was worth so I took what was mine!" He boomed, giving himself away.
"I know nothing of this!" The Gerade mage stated in denial.
"You're not throwing me under the bus! We were close friends in the Academy of Magic, so when I reached out to him and confided my frustrations, he told me he had the connections to create a customer base I could get rich off of, given Light Magic in America has exceptionally low rates of practice. So I took MY share of Mezonite and made the potions myself. And if the customers didn't complain to Majika Supremus about "weird side effects" we would have gotten away with it" he finished.
"Need I remind you your actions were so reprehensible your respective factions expelled you two" Ricketts informed them. "Then you took advantage of a lapse in security during a shift change to escape. Never thought you'd be this brazen" Ricketts observed.
"But that still doesn't explain how we got involved?" Man In Blue asked, confused.
"Clearly they needed a distraction; they wanted the opportunity to get running again so they tried pulling off this little stunt, hoping that by having our attention focused on you they would get away unnoticed and be free to restart business unopposed" Ricketts concluded.
"We would've gotten away with it too if this lady wasn't so caught up on Magic Law" The former Gerade mage admitted in defeat
As the two were taken away, Ricketts explained the looming question... was Man In Silver in trouble.
"Given that Magic can be inherited by children, and we aren't so heartless as to say who people can and can't fall in love with, there is a reason we did implement the Progeny exemption in recent decades" he explained.
"Progeny exception?" Man In Blue asked, confused.
"It's a fairly complicated issue, but here's the gist of it: After the discovery of genetics there was concern that in the magic world staying completely separate from the non-magic world was creating a genetic bottleneck and in a matter of generations the magic population would have the same problems as purebred dogs. So a compromise was reached that if a magic user married a non-magic user, and their children showed magic potential as they grew up, the spouse could be "let in" to the world of magic provided they were of good moral standing and understood the secret that needed to be kept. And if they didn't... well, memory manipulation and/or wiping is a spell that comes in handy" Ricketts explained.
"That seems like an abuse of power" Man In Blue noted.
"On the contrary- only select paladins are permitted to wield this class of spells and even then can only use them on people who have been found guilty in a court of magic law. Luckily its use on non-magic spouses in these situations has been extremely rare. But anyway, Man In Silver, I understand two of your children have already shown potential for magic?" Ricketts asked.
"Oh yes, you should have seen the way their faces lit up when they levitated those apples" Man In Silver said brightly, "and rest assured, they know not to tell anyone; its a family secret" he added.
"Very good. Though I do need to explain my other reason for coming here" Ricketts explained.
"Yes?" Woman In Silver asked.
"As you know, Majika Supremus cannot interfere in a war between two factions unless "the condition" is met. However, we have been investigating the going's on since the attack here... and have concluded that the actions of this caravan crew were an exponentially greater threat to the revelation of the secret of magic than any actions you have possibly done. It's a miracle that oversized fireball didn't end up on the internet" Ricketts said as he wiped his forehead with a handkerchief.
"What are you saying?" Woman In Blue asked.
"I'm say that... if you can, try to leave them alive; they have a lot to answer for and outright killing them would be retribution, not true justice" the paladin finished.
We understand" Man In Silver said as the others nodded.
With the matter resolved for now, the 8 Colorfolk assembled with other members of the faction. It was then they realized planning would take a good while, so much so that the attack would have to wait until the right moment... which was probably coming up after the resolution of a couple other plot points ( ). But for now, the Blue faction knew that it wasn't just a question of how to attack, but when, and the time wasn't quite right... not yet, at least.
......
Seeing everything from a plane beyond the dimension everything was taking place in, a lone figure watched as everything unfolded. The room was devoid most colors, though there was also a hint of the light blueish color he was wearing. He was very frustrated... he knew he had the power to help out, but circumstances prevented him from doing anything in the dimension. Soon, he was joined by another figure.
"This will be a most interesting event; won't it?" He pointed out.
"Yes, Teacher. And for my sake, I do hope the Colorfolk win this fight. They... they are my only hope of being able to escape this... this imprisonment and allowing for me returning to my normal plane of existence."
"Forgive me, student. I gave you the secrets to the inner workings of reality, only for you to become unstable when you returned to your home dimension" he said, bowing apologetically.
"It isn't your fault; I was the one with an open mind. But damn it all... I sent that text for them to open paths to existing dimensions, not create new ones all together! I... I just want to go home, is that to much to ask?" The man said as he practically began crying.
"Don't worry, it will happen soon enough, Man In Bright Turquoise" Teacher assured, patting BT's head.
......
On Ordos, Man In Red's team were feeling rather dizzy and nauseous. And the feeling was only getting worse as they headed in a particular direction. This could only mean one thing... they were forcing themselves through deeper into the perception filter, and were getting closer to its "origin point" and by extension, the Great Hall.
"Alright, gang, we're getting close." Woman In Pink said. "Once we get inside, we should be able to find a way to reduce the perception filter."
"Wait! I see something!" Man In Cardinal yelled. The group ran to see a stone door built into the side of a hill.
"That's it... the entrance to the great hall. If only there were a way inside..." Man In Dark Blue said.
************
Woman In Orange's group found themselves at the entrance to the Crypt of Damoni.
"So you're saying the shard ended up inside this tomb? How is that even possible? It's been sealed for longer than the organization has existed!" Man In Yellow said.
"We believe it was transported inside by some powerful source of magic within the tomb. Which means this is gonna be dangerous." Woman In Yellow replied.
"I got it open!" Man In Cornflower Blue said triumphantly.
"Alright, into the tomb, everyone!" Woman In Orange said. "Man In Baby Blue, you go first. We don't know what dangers lie ahead and we need someone expendable up front."
"Hey!"
But unbeknownst to them, the Optometrist was watching...
**************
In the Magic Underground, a shadowy arm reached through a display case and grabbed the Gift Of Carrot. No one noticed.
"Very impressive." The Blood Alchemist told his apprentice when she returned. "You are the most talented magical thief I've seen in some time. Oh, we'll have use of your talent for sure..."
**************
The Caravan Crew were on high alert after their stunt. Hikos, Mark, Ruth, and Adriana were examining their shards. Vasilisa and Erun were cleaning Volun, whose joints were beginning to fill with rubble, as tends to happen to stone golems. Gilford had taken Bask the dog and any members I forgot on a mission, and was not due back for several days. That left Lauren and Shiju on guard duty.
"I've been in touch with Shear, it sounds like the Magic Underground is starting to view us as a threat." Ruth announced to the group.
"Bah, screw those Magic Underground goons and their laws." Mark said.
"You're just bitter because of your "history" with the TCRU..." said Ruth with a smirk.
"Guys... I don't think this plan is going to work after all." Hikos said.
"Why not?"
"Well, these pieces don't all go together. I mean, none of these pieces seem to connect to this one, three of them seem to be interior pieces... this "super-shard" idea is a bust."
"Well, I mean, there are plenty of other things those shards could be used for, like-"
But the group was interrupted by a massive explosion from outside of the cart
"What the hell?"
Mark, Ruth, and Hikes ran outside while Adriana gathered the shards into a box. What they saw was a horrific sight. Lauren and Shiju were on the ground, unconscious and bleeding. Erun and Vasilisa were hiding behind Volun as an ominous figure approached. The figure was probably human, but was so covered in dark energy pooling around its body that it was impossible to tell. Only a blue glowing mark on its face, resembling a ship's anchor, gave any clue to its identity.
"SHARDS!" it croaked, in a voice that made it clear the figure hadn't so much as drank water in days.
"Volun! Destroy the intruder like you took out those red warriors!" Vasilisa whispered.
"HA!" shouted the figure. "I CONTROL- EVERYTHING!"
A burst of darkness shot out of the figure's hand and wrapped itself around Volun. The golem's eyes flickered, and it suddenly turned on Erun and Vasilisa.
"NOW SHARDS!" the figure croaked.
"Go to hell, Man In Black!" Hikos yelled, having recognized the tattoo at once. He shot a powerful blast of ice at the attacker, but a wall of darkness blocked it.
"I AM... STRONGER... THAN YOU!" A burst of darkness shot from his tattoo, blasting the cart into a pile of wooden splinters. Most of the treasures inside were miraculously unharmed, but the box containing the shards was wrenched from Adriana's grasp by a dark tendril.
"YES... SHARDS..." The tendrils retreated back to the figure, who opened the box and pulled out two shards, rubbing them on his face in desperation. The darkness surrounding him seemed to retreat back inside of him as he did this, until the normal form of Man In Black, although a bit emaciated, appeared.
"Finally... so many shards... all mine!" Man In Black said.
"What do we do?" Ruth hissed.
"I don't know what we can do!" Mark whispered back. "That man's eyes... he looks like Erun back when his alcohol problem was really bad. I think something is making him reliant on those shards, and being separated from them just made him more dangerous and less human. Now that he's physically holding them... I don't think any of us stand a chance against him."
But Hikos wasn't about to give up so easily.
"Hey Man In Black! Nice trick you got there! I see the legend of the Curse Of The Anchor is true!"
"The what now?"
"It's said that when the prism shattered, the one who shattered it was cursed. All the dark impulses that centuries of color folk had ever had were held by the prism, and flowed into him and his descendants. You've been turned into an irredeemable monster who only cares about corrupting the Prism and purging the good from it." Hikos shot another ice blast at Man In Black, which froze his left leg in place.
"Cute story. Might even be true. Let me tell you another story." Man In Black shattered the ice with a darkness blast. "It is said that after the prism shattered, the colorfolk were reduced to a fraction of their power. Other than the anchor, the only way to gain power in our weakened state was through clearly evil means. Pacts with devils, soul sacrifices, vampirism." Man In Black shot another darkness bolt, which Hikos blocked. "You're quite powerful... who did you sacrifice to gain your power, Man In Steel?"
Hikos was so shocked that he didn't see Volun's fist coming until it was too late. What happened next was a confusing blur, and the next thing Hikos remembered was waking up in a hospital bed. A strange blue figure stood over him.
"Where am I?"
"You're in Siberia, in the headquarters of the Icetouched, the most powerful healers in existence." A voice said. Hikos recognized the voice of Mark, but couldn't tell where it was coming from.
"What happened? Why are we here?"
"Man In Black got away with all 14 shards. And we're under arrest."
DUN DUN DUN!!!!!
.....
Back to when Man in Steel was knocked out, the Caravan Crew decided it was time to attack...
"Everyone! It's time to earn your keep!" yelled Adriana as she stared down the Colorman menancingly...
"Intimated by a 'Soothsayer' and her cronies? As if..." mocked Man in Black as he clutched the box ever so tighter
"Chrys! Ari! мама needs you to save her friends!" whistled Vasilisa as two sheep ran out from the brush, headedbutted Lauren and Shiju onto their backs, and ran towards their shepherd with their injured in tow...
"Alright now that we know those two are safe...And sine who knows when Gilford and Bask will be back with the groceries... Mark! Take Ruth, Granisey, the sheep and the injured to the Underground! They need treatment and Ruth can't apply it here with that 'beast' lurking about! Plus, I have some unfinished business with it..." scowled Adriana
"Really Mistress? But I can be of assist..." replied Mark but was interrupted
"Please Mark... I leave their lives in your hands..." pleaded Adriana
"Alright Mistress!" triumphantly responded Mark as his whistle blew and the two injured, two sheep, an eight legged horse, a disapproving Ruth, and himself disappeared into a golden ether...
"It's good you sent them away, but what about Vince?" asked Vasilisa
"Crap... Well, that punch shouldn't keep him down too long... You two don't might being left to fight alongside someone like me?: asked Adriana
"Da, it would be an honor my lady... Plus, I don't know how much useful this drunken fool would be anyway..." answered Vasilisa
"I heard that... Anyway, I'll handle Volun, you too focus on that goo spitter and we should be able to hold out until one of heavy hitters shows up..." added Erun as he took a swig of his flask and readied his Runecraft Pen
"Fine... I want to test out these new powers, so I'll humor you lot... Though when word gets round I crushed the fools who made quick work of the Blue Bastards, people will know who the true Colorfolk are..." laughed Man in Black
"Sorry Vol, this is going to hurt!" yelled Erun as a rune he wrote in the air went flying towards the Golem, impacted it's chest, electrocuted the core with a magic overlord, and the eyes turned off for a time, signifying the core shut down...
"Yes!" celebrated Erun
But, Volun's normally white eyes and glowing blue core, didn't return, but the black eyes remerged and continued to aim punches at the Runecrafter
"Oh come on!"
"Because of you, now our only girls shopping day will have to be postponed until Lauren recovers... So Ублюдок, learn why the clothed should learn to fear the weaver!" yelled Vasilisa as Man in Black felt his clothes cling tighter and tighter to his emaciated body...
"What... The hell... Is this?!" growled Man in Black as he lost his grip on the box and dropped it...
"All strings are mine to manipulate... And since we've been staying here for awhile, I've been able to establish my web!" replied Vasilisa as translucent strings shot out of the trees and rapidly coiled around the Man in Black. One string even leaped out of Vasilisa's sleeve and wrapped aroudn the box pulling it towards her...
"NOT... MY... SHARDS!" screamed Man in Black as the black ooze shot out of his body, destroying the tightly wound strings and flew towards Vasilisa, sending her towards the treeline and buried under the black gunk...
"Vasilisa!" yelled Adriana
"Ugh... I'm... Stuck... And my powers... Are draining..." replied a struggling Vasilisa
"You destroyed my cart... Bring evil into my home... And worst of, injured my family... I'm going to show you why Magika Supremus fears me..." spoke Adriana with a furious glare in her eye
"What are you going to do? Predict my future? I know about the legendary Soothsayer, what kind of use is that power now?" mocked Man in Black
"I do have the ability of futuresight... But there is another title I own that makes men cower when they hear it... 'The Strongest Esper in the World'..." replied Adriana as a green glow appeared around her and she began to float off the ground a bit. Just then, as her arm extended out, Man in Black was surrounded in a similar green glow and now levitating in the air, with his limbs forced into extension, helplessly hovering in the air...
"Grrh! You Can't stop me!" groaned the Colorman as he fought his metaphysical restraints
"I'll be taking that back then..." said Adriana as she extended her other hand and levitated the box of shards back toward her
"NOOOO!!!!" screamed Man in Black as through sheer force of will a black goo tentacle shot out of his torso and grappled around the box, now locked into a stalemate with the Esper Woman
"Gah... I've never seen a curse with such drastic side effects... His drive must be going mad with the shards in such close proximity..." groaned Adriana as she focused all her might on retrieving the box, as well as restraining Man in Black, giving her severe mental strain...
Just then...
"It seems my services are needed once again my Lady! Bask! The Golem!"
Gilford leaped over the restrained Man in Black from the back of enlarged Bask as he swung his sword down, cutting the tentacle in half, grabbing the box, and combat rolling over towards the unconscious Man in Steel. Bask meanwhile used his leap to land on the puppeteered Volun and restrain the rampaging Golem using his massive size and body weight...
"Gilford!" yelled Adriana as she held her head in pain
"Sorry it took so long my Lady but they were out of Basilisk Venom at the Underground, so I had to look around the stalls for a bit to make sure... Seems I missed quite a lot..." spoke Gilford as he sheathed his sword and placed his tower shield on his gauntlet...
"Gilford! Protect Steel and that box whatever the cost!" shouted Adriana
"As my Lady permits! I'll put my life on the line if I have too!" replied Gilford as he dropped his tower shield to the ground, placed Hikos inside his armor, and got into an defensive pose...
"Your life won't be enough for the hell I'm about to put you through! GIVE. ME. THOSE. SHARDS!!!!!!" screamed Man in Black as eight black icker tentacles shot out of his body and came flying towards the Knight...
Sorry my liege, but I'm going to have to borrow your powers for a bit!" yelled Gilford as the rapidly approaching tentacles sped up and Gilford created an ice wall from the ground to stop them. The wall stopped most of them, but three began to work their way around it and continued towards Gilford.
Gilford, seeing no other option, reached for the box and said, "These aren't safe out here, I'll put them someplace they'll never easily reach!"
"Gilford don't!" shouted Adriana but she was too late.
The Armored Knight opened his chestplate, shoved the box in quickly, then just as fast closed his chest back up. A violent tremor shook the air around everyone and causally started shaking up Gilford, the knight let out an "Uh oh" as a bright white light flashed from within him and blinded everyone present for a few seconds. When everyone's vision came to, they didn't see the dark grey armored Gilford, but a sparkling white polished Knight with Icicle Spikes jutting from his shoulders and an icy white, almost glass like, hammer in his grasp...
The Prismatic Knight was born...
"WHAT DID YOU DO?" The Man In Black screeched. The darkness flowed back out of him again, and he struck at the Prismatic Knight with his tendrils. "GIVE... ME... THOSE... SHARDS!"
"You'll never take them from us!" Shouted the Prismatic Knight, in a voice that sounded like a strange mix of Gilford and Hikos.
"THEN I'LL TAKE... YOU!" The Man In Black's tendrils wrapped around the Prismatic Knight. But they had no effect. His hammer shattered his tentacles like glass.
"NOOOOOOOOO... I NEED THOSE SHARDS!" Man In Black reached into the deepest evil reaches of his soul. The ground began to crack as if an earthquake was occuring, and a dozen zombies suddenly lurched out of the ground.
"No one here is worthy of wielding the power of the Shards! I must leave this place now!" The Prismatic Knight shouted. A portal appeared in the air in front of him and he jumped through.
This was too much for poor Man In Black. He screamed in agony. Tendrils of darkness shot out of the ground, entangling the various remaining members of the caravan crew. Then, just as suddenly as they appeared, they disappeared. The zombies crumbled to dust, and the cracks in the ground repaired themselves. Man In Black was gone.
"What happened? What did Gilford do?" Ruth asked.
"I fear he may have doomed us all..." Adriana muttered.
Suddenly, from atop the hill, eight armored figures appeared. Woman In Blue and Man In White led, with Man In Silver, Man In Gold, Woman In White, and Woman In Gold behind them, and Man In Blue and Woman In Silver taking up the rear.
"Caravan Crew!" Woman In Blue boomed. "Your reign of terror is over! Blue faction... ATTACK!!"
***************
Meanwhile, on Ordos, the group inside the Great Hall was having some trouble.
"This damn perception filter is making me feel sick... surely there is a way to turn it off?" Man In Rose whined.
"Legend says that the Prism Vault had some sort of control panel that controlled the perception filter, but I can't take another step..." Woman In Pink groaned.
"I got it." Man In Navy Blue marched past, grimacing as he pushed through the ill effects of the perception filter. A few moments later, the group could feel their headaches lessening.
"Oh thank god..." Man In Red muttered.
"Alright," Man In Navy Blue said, emerging. "The shard is in here somewhere. We should split up to cover more ground. I'll check the old colorfolk laboratory."
************
Woman In Orange's group was making their way through the crypt.
"We're getting close, I can feel it." Woman In Green whispered.
"There!" Man In Heliotrope shouted. The glimmering form of the shard appeared atop a stone coffin. The group could tell by the shape that this piece was the top of the pyramid part of the prism.
"Finally..." Woman In Orange grabbed the shard and wrapped it in cloth.
Suddenly, a voice boomed from the darkness. "WHO DARES DISTURB MY SLUMBER!!!"
"Oh crap! It's undead!" Man In Green said. "God I wish I could have worn brown pants..."
"Everybody out! Go! GO!" Woman In Orange yelled, as the crowd of colorfolk fled.
But just as everyone but Woman In Orange, Man In Green, Man In Yellow, Man In Baby Blue, and Man In Off-White had gotten out, the stone door slid back into place, trapping the five of them in the darkness. Man In Yellow cast a lamp spell, and what they saw terrified them...
A figure clad in tattered robes seemed to be sucking the light towards it. Not just the light, though; Man In Baby Blue noted with a start that the color was being sucked from his robes.
"Oh crap! It's the ghost of Damoni!" He screamed.
Of course, that wasn't who their attacker was, but it was no less dangerous a foe...
At the Caravan site, the eight charged upon Adriana, Vasilisa, Erun, Volun, and Bask... but this was only the tip of the iceberg for the Colorfolk's attack.
"Buy time for team 2 to do their thing everyone" Man In White reminded them before they went on the offensive. Though frustrated at the recent developments (having watched the battle unfold in silence from afar), they were determined at least ensure the Caravan crew was held accountable for their awful act.
Woman In White and Woman In Silver went straight for Volun and applied the magic dissipators to his body; the fact that he was in a damaged state made it not too difficult to approach him. As with last time, the magic dispersed and his body was rendered inert stone.
"You still have to deal with me!" Erun stood up as he seemed to be preparing some sort of rune.
"Like hell I'm falling for your tricks twice!" Man In Silver said as he and Man In Gold and Woman In Blue threw insta-spells at him. Erun suddenly found himself encased in a sarcophagus of sorts; his body completely encased in hardened earth with only his face visible.
"No matter, my ruins will nullify the effect of the magic cast upon me" Erun stated. And yet, nothing happened. "Why am I not free?" He asked aloud.
"Because, we didn't cast the magic on you... we cast it on the environment around you" Man In Silver revealed.
"Curses! Undone by a damn quibble!" Erun shouted.
As for Bask... well, he was hit with insta-spells and fell for the same trick as before, his body relaxing as the extract made contact with him.
"Get's them every time" Man In Gold smirked.
Vasilisa, effectively crippled from Man In Black's attack, found herself unable to do anything, and could only watch as Adriana became surrounded by the eight.
"Do you dare take on the strongest Esper in the world? You may not have destroyed my caravan, but I will teach you for harming my children" Adriana said as she went to go into all out attack mode again.
"I don't think so!" Man In White said as he prepared a cluster of three insta-spells and threw them right at Adriana. Adriana suddenly fell down into the fetal position, covering her ears in agony as it felt like she was being bombarded by loud, high-pitched noise.
The noise was in her head... literally. A "sound generation" spell only she could hear, Man In White grinned as he offered exposition, "funny thing about Esper-type magic, you need to be in a state of clear concentration to use it properly. Break the concentration, and one is basically reduced to... this" he finished.
"I'm... not... done!" Adriana screamed. But no matter how hard she tried she couldn't block out the noise, and it was affecting her concentration.
Woman In Blue turned to Man In Blue, "Get Paladin Ricketts; tell him the Caravan crew is all his"
"Right" Man In Blue said as he retreated. "Knowing them he shouldn't be far; was probably observing this battle with other paladins" Man In Blue noted.
From a distance, Prismatic knight looked on, "There are the ones worthy of the shards" he noted. "But, there is a massive target on my back right now; I cannot reveal myself... yet. I must wait until the time is right... things are too chaotic now" he said as he remained unseen and unheard to everyone else.
Meanwhile, on Ordos.........................................................................................................
Man In Dark Blue and Man In Jade entered the colorfolk laboratory. The room had been abandoned for hundreds of years, and was filled with cobwebs, but evidence of the past greatness of the colorfolk was visible everywhere. A massive forge stood in one corner, with a variety of Viktrium weapons next to it. Schematics for what appeared to be a prototype steam engine and some sort of "wingsuit" were pinned to the wall. A magic torch that constantly emitted light was still functioning all those years later. But the duo ignored all of that and walked over to a bag full of black stones.
"Ah, Colidon Stones." Man In Dark Blue laughed. "This'll make our goals so much easier... and keep any narcs from finding out what we're up to..."
In another room, Man In Red and Woman In Pink were searching the shelves of the Colorfolk Archives. Although mold and cobwebs had done a decent job of claiming the various documents in the archive, neither of them cared much about history anyway. They were focused on something else entirely... a blue grow in the far end of the room.
Both of them grabbed the shard at the same time, then saw each other and began fighting over it. Woman In Pink tackled Man In Red, and the two of them became a flurry of limbs and the occasional burst of magic. Suddenly, the Prism went flying to a far end of the room, and a loud scream was heard.
"That sounded like Man In Brick..." Man In Red said.
Suddenly, they heard shouting from the main hallway.
"My fellow members of the Dark Blue Faction! We have acquired the Colidon Stones thanks to the help of these foolish American Colorfolk! With these, we will be able to disguise our magical attacks as normal mundane stuff, and our biker gang will finally be recognized for what it is!"
"Biker gang? The Dark Blue Faction is just a biker gang?" Woman In Pink muttered incredulously.
"They never cared about the shards..." Man In Red muttered. "They just wanted a way to use their magic against normals without the magic feds stopping them. Normally I'd admire that kind of underhandedness, but they hurt my teammates, and I won't stand for that."
"I'm afraid we need to team up if we want to take on the Dark Blue faction..." Woman In Pink said. "But I think I might have a plan..."
**********
Shear was the bouncer at the Greedy American Pub, and an unofficial member of the Caravan Crew. He hadn't heard much from his companions in the past few days, and was starting to get nervous. But tonight, as he stood at his post, things were about to change forever for the man...
"Oi you! Man In Black! I recognize you! You still owe the GOD a whole lot of money... I hope you're here to pay up!"
Man In Black snarled. An explosion of dark tentacles shot out of him and wrapped around Shear.
A few seconds later, Shear walked into the bar with a glazed expression. "Whoever the strongest slayers here are, you've been hired to take out someone called the Prismatic Knight. Apparently there is a 15000 Brick Reward."
Everyone's eyes widened. 15000 bricks was more money than most mages saw in a lifetime. It would by a lot of Falgrian Wine. Many top-ranked slayers burst out of the door. And following them, invisibly, Man In Black and his new thrall, Shear.
At the caravan fight, eventually Adriana was able to fight through the noise and began lashing out at the Colorfolk.
"I'll admit the shock of everything happening has me off my game, but now I will show you why I am feared as an esper!" Adriana declared as she managed to grapple Woman In Gold, Woman In White, Man In Gold and Woman In Silver.
"You're not the first esper the Colorfolk have dealt with Adriana!" Man In White informed the soothsayer as he threw stones at her, other for her to stop them and send them back at Man In White. Unfortunately for Adriana though, they failed to detonate.
"Nice try but we're not stupid; they're charmed to not go off when thrown at a Blue Faction Colorman or Colorwoman; fail safe in case we throw them without enough force and enemies throw them back" Man In White revealed.
"Even if I can't use your weapons against you, I will show you what I'm capable of!" Adriana stated as she began throwing around the Colorfolk she had a grip on. Man In White had one thing going for him though... Adriana was running out of magic, and it was showing. Had she been at full capacity, she would have grabbed all of them.
Man In White proceeded to dodge like crazy as Adriana used the four as clubs more or less and was swinging them all around Man In White. With her attention at the Colormen Tactician, she didn't see what was right behind her.
"You will pay for attacking my childr... gaaaahhhhh!!!" She screamed. From behind, Man In Silver cast spirit magic "spirit bullets" and was attacking her soul directly... not even an esper could counter damage done to her soul.
"As powerful as you are eve you can't defend against my magic!" Man In Silver declared as the torrent continued to fly at her.
"But even you can't survive this!" Adriana said as she threw Woman In Silver at Man In Silver, flinging them a fair distance away. But the damage had been done; it was becoming harder for her to properly utilize her magic and her limbs were starting to occasionally "slip" from her body.
"I need to end this quickly" she realized. Now going all out as she attacked Man In White, eventually it paid off as she was able to pin him under a dogpile of the now unconscious Colorfolk clubs.
"Any last words?" Adriana asked as she pressed down harder.
"You know... I thought I understood you. Really, I did" Man In White began. "I thought of you as a good person at heart; you see your fellow faction members as more than team mates, as family, really. You really are a caring person... at least, I thought you were. Now, I don't know what to believe. I can tell from your demeanor alone that since you're the leader, you sent your "children" to steal our shards. OUR property, and for what? We never had to fight, you know. We have our duty and you have yours. If you had just let us be and let us work on reobtaining our property, we wouldn't be in this mess! I wanted to sympathize with you, but you did a terrible, terrible act against us and... ugh, you are such a pain in the neck!" Man In White said, though he muttered at the last part.
"What?" Adriana said, trying to hear him.
"I said, you are such a PAIN IN THE NECK!" Man In White boomed. As if on queue, something fast and hard slammed into Adriana and wrapped around her neck. In that moment, her green "tentacles" disappeared, and The Colorfolk were freed from her grip.
"As if a metal collar will stop me" she stated. But no matter how hard she tried, she could not utilize magic. As if the entire pool within her had evaporated. Then, a twinge of fear painted her face. "No.. don't tell me..." She began.
Man In White stood up, triumphant, "that's right... vallerium. It's over Adriana, just surrender" he finished. He then looked over at the distance, team 2 had finished with Man In Bole's device and it worked just as planned.
"Not only can it launch charms that turn into magic disipators, but vallerium shackles as well!" he declared, proud of himself.
Adriana fell to her knees, realizing that they had played their trump card. "My children... I am so sorry" she said to herself. Man In Blue soon came with Paladin Ricketts and other Majika Supremus Paladins. Volun's golem core was seized as evidence, and Bask was secured in a cage composed of Radmiium and Avrenium. Adriana, Erun and Vasilisa were gathered as Paladin Ricketts addressed them. The Paladins had just finished drawing marks on their arms, and after some pain from the sizzling, the curses were in place.
"You can take your vallerium back now; all three have the Curse of Anterfis so it's moot" Ricketts said as a gloved Man In Blue removed the collar from Adriana.
"Curse of what?" Man In Blue asked, confused.
"Majika Supremus developed it as an alternative to always wearing a Vallerium shackle; prevents magic from pooling up in oneself, effectively rendering them a non-magic" he explained.
"This isn't right!" Vasilisa said strongly.
"Don't worry; if found innocent a Majika Supremus mage will remove the curse. And before you try to develop a rune to remove this curse, you" Ricketts said, indicating Erun, "know that if anyone other than a Majika Supremus paladin attempts to remove the curse, it will cause a lightning magic countermeasure to activate" he warned.
"But that still doesn't explain what's going on here?" Vasilisa asked, confused. Ricketts went into the formalities...
"Adriana, Erun and Vasilisa... by order of Majika Supremus, you are under arrest for theft of magic artifacts, endangering non-magic innocents, and most heinously of all, violation of Constantinople Accords Article 2: waging an illegal Magic War" he finished
"How did did we wage war... let alone an illegal war?" Vasilisa asked, confused.
"Well, not only did you openly attack another magic faction, you didn't formally declare war on them, you failed to take your fight into neutral territory, referring of course, to land that can allow a fight to take place without endangering parties not part of the conflict, and most heinously, your acts not only risked the lives of non-magic innocents, but risked exposing magic to the non-magic world when we aren't ready for magics mainstream return just yet" Ricketts finished.
"As if you'll send us to prison just because we didn't formally declare war" Erun grumbled
"You're right... that charge probably won't be given much attention. The High Council, however, won't be as merciful regarding the others though" Ricketts explained.
"As if I'm nervous about... wait, what?" Erun asked in confusion.
"You heard me... your actions were too great for a regular court. You're going before the High Council for this" Ricketts declared.
"TH-TH-TH-THE HIGH COUNCIL!?!?" Erun and Vasilisa said in terror. Only mages who committed the most heinous crimes were sent before them. "But surely this wasn't a war crime..." Erun began.
"That is for the High Council to decide" Ricketts pointed out.
"Then... then arrest the blue faction! They openly fought the KNUCKLEHEADS!" Vasilisa pointed out.
"Their fight was in an almost empty park and the scale of their magic was no where near what you used. Paladins were able to turn away the only seven witnesses in time and as such, the Colorfolk's fight is considered a valid defensive battle" Ricketts clarified. Then Ricketts turned to the Colorfolk.
"Let's get something clear here though... we are not baby sitters, we are not the bosses, and we are not omnipresent Gods. This was an exception, not a rule. Don't expect us to always swoop in and clean up the mess. In the event of a magic war that falls within the Constantinople Accords... you're on your own unless "the condition" is met" Ricketts explained.
"Understood" Man In White and Man In Blue replied. The Colorfolk then went back to base. Chances were, once this "War of the Shards" was over, they would see a lot less of Majika Supremus
......
In a holding cell, in a Majika Supremus jail in the Magic Underground, Adriana, Vasilisa and Erun were joined by most of their crew. The only ones not accounted for- Volun, whose core had been seized as evidence, the animals, who were taken elsewhere and treated humanely and with respect, Gilford and Hikos for obvious reasons, and Mark, who had teleported away when the rest of his group were arrested.
"I'm sorry; I should have known that Majika Supremus had your faces by now; sending you here only put you in the open" Adriana said.
"It's not your fault; if it weren't for the no combat rule here we would have gotten away with Mark. But all of us, the Curse of Anterfis? They must really not approve of what happened" a partially recovered but still injured Shiju observed.
"And this cell is lined with Radmiium, so Mark can't help us" one of the crew observed as their head looked around.
"What do we do now, mistress?" Ruth asked.
"I'm not sure... we'll have to wait and see" Adriana sighed.
Man In Green, Man In Yellow, Man In Baby Blue, Man In Off-White, and Woman In Orange beheld the ominous figure that they believed to be an undead reincarnation of Damoni Silverfinger. The figure pointed at Man In Yellow, and the color flowed from his robes as if they'd been bleached.
"My powers are being stolen!" He shouted.
So far, the figure had ignored Woman In Orange, Man In Green, and Man In Off-White. Which was good news for them. Despite the narrow corridor, Man In Green was able to get onto Man In Off-White's shoulders, taunting the figure while Woman In Orange crept into position. Suddenly, with a shout, she tackled the figure, pulling the hood off his face to reveal a very alive face.
"Wait... you aren't Damoni..."
"You're right. I represent the Guild Of Damoni." The Optometrist said. "And I'm going to bring you in for failing to pay your debts-"
"Guys!"
It was Man In Salmon! The other colorfolk had managed to reopen the crypt. "Let's get out of here!" And so they ran out of the crypt and down the hill, with The Optometrist in pursuit.
**********
Man In Dark Blue and his fellow faction members gathered at a predetermined spot near the great hall.
"Tonight... we ride."
**********
Man In Red and Woman In Pink gathered their injured comrades in front of the great hall.
"Alright, I'll go retrieve Woman In Lilac from the church while you heal everyone." Man In Red said. "Keep the shard, it'll make your healing magic stronger."
"See you soon." Woman In Pink said.
The former animosity between the Reds and Pinks seemed to have evaporated in the face of their common enemy.
*********
Back on New Furness, the Prismatic Knight had set up a camp on the north end of the island. He was hungry. Hungry enough for two men being drained by magic energy.
"I must find some food..." he groaned.
Unbeknownst to him, two A-ranked slayers, Moltana The Alchemist and Koonav The Archer, were watching him.
"Our poison arrows never fail to take down an enemy... now shoot true, Koonav..."
As Koonav was about to strike, he and Moltana were hit on the back of the head by a blue armored Gauntlet, knocking them out. The blue armored figure threw the Slayers towards the Prismatic Knight and walked out of the brush. The blue figure looked to be an almost identical figure to the Prismatic Knight, except only blue and not white, it then disappated into light and flew back into the Prismatic Knight...
"It's weird how I can sense my surroundings and creatures... Even weirder that I can make copies of myself... Also, why am I hungry? Can I even eat, I'm a suit of armor! Actually what is hungry anyway?" the Prismatic Knight asked to himself, known with a singular voice...
As he sat in utter confusion, his torso started to violently shake...
"Quick Gilford! While he's distracted, help me try to take back control!"
"I'm trying my Liege! There's just... Too Many!"
Just then, a white light flashed in the helmet's "eye" and the Prismatic Knight was back in control...
"I don't know what that was but 'hunger' is pointing me towards that direction, so let's go that way..." decided the Prismatic Knight as a turned into a column of light and headed towards the Atlantic Ocean...
.....
At Paladin Headquarters, Paladin Samson, the Paladin in charge of the Caravan Crew, was informing his commanding officer, Paladin Gideon, the status of their case...
"Sir, we currently have six of the known members of their little gang in custody. We have also seized their four animals, a Sleipnir, a Basker Hound, and two Golden Fleeced Rams, a Golem core of Masteri origin, as well as all of the objects remaining of their destroyed former residence, a 'cart'..." spoke Paladin Samson
"Alright, so who do we have in custody then?" questioned Paladin Gideon
"We have the 'Soothsayer' Adriana, one of the Strongest Espers in the world and a criminal who can see the future, her apprentice Ruth, another criminal who seems capable of predicting the future, the 'Drunken Mystic' Erun, a runecraftsman known for his anger and destruction, the 'Garrote Beauty' Vasilisa, a magical Russian Seamstress of dangerous capabilities, 'Lost Ronin' Nanachi Shiju, an infamous wandering Samurai known for cutting fire, and lastly, the 'Demonic Flame' Lauren, a Cambion..." answered Samson
"Alright, so who are we missing then?" asked Gideon
"The 'Steel Heir' Vincent Hikos and the 'Forgotten Knight' Gilford are both unaccounted for, and the Renegade Son of the Allcroft Family, Mark Allcroft, has been captured and taken into custody by the Allcroft Family saying this is a familial matter and the Majika Supremus has no duty to interfere..." replied Samson
"Damn the TCRU! Their political sway in both the Underground and Supremus is more annoying than helpful, but I guess it's out of our hands then... So what are we going to do with the accounted lot then?" inquired Gideon
"Five of them will be tried before the High Council for their crimes, including their current and past records, and for the 'Demonic Flame' Lauren, as defined in the Faust Bylaws of 1565, she will automatically be given the death sentence for being of demonic descent, since all beings from or descended from individuals from the Demon Realm are a danger of being a case of demonic meddling in this realm..." responded Samson
"Everything seems in order, seems this will be a quick and speedy trial then..." said Gideon as Samson excsued himself and Gideon went back to his paperwork...
.....
With the the Curse of Anterfis applied, a red skinned girl with a single horn, though seemingly off center, like it belonged to a pair, sat against the wall of the prison cell with her companions either sat or stood in defeat around her...
"I'm sorry Lauren, it seems the future changed before we could see the alterations... It seems the Good Colorfolk are not as 'open' as Vince thought they would be..." solemnly answered Adriana
"It's fine, I always knew they would come one day for me ever since I was a child and knew this was a possible outcome when I agreed to help, but I guess it's time to pay the piper..."
.....
Man In Black was frustrated when he saw that Moltana and Koonav had failed.
"Damn it! I NEED THOSE SHARDS!"
*****************************************************
Man In Red approached the church that the Dark Blue Faction had been inhabiting. The Man In Cherry was guarding the door.
"Ah, hello, my child-"
"Can it, Man In Cherry." Man In Red said. "I know you guys tried to doublecross us. Now, tell me where Woman In Lilac is."
"She's taking a little nap... I'm afraid she's not going to- HEY!"
Man In Red had been around enough evil maniacs to know that the best time to act is during the evil monologue. Strangely, he had not figured out yet that he should stop doing evil monologues of his own. He dove in through the window, shooting a healing spell at Woman In Lilac mid-jump.
"Woman In Lilac! The Dark Blue Faction has betrayed us! Come with me!"
"Wait!" Woman In Lilac opened the secret compartment and grabbed the two shards. Man In Red's eyes widened, but he said nothing.
"Let's get out of here!" Woman In Lilac yelled as Man In Cherry burst in. The two leapt through a 600 year old stained glass window and sprinted away to rejoin the others.
Over in the Catacombs of Castle Dullheaden, Noir Knight, with torch in hand, and Ghost Puncher made their way downwards into the forgotten crypts...
"So back to my earlier question, why do angry ghosts haunting your sacred tombs?" asked Ghost Puncher
"It's because many of the ghosts are ones of KNUCKLEHEADS who died away from home and were angered of no longer being tied to their ancestral home, so their spirits tied them down here from sheer anger... They vanquished my old friends who I tasked to guard the object, and now haunted these hallowed catacombs seeking vengeance for our ancient punishment... I locked the catacombs to protect outsiders, and to be frank, they were better guards for the object than the last group... Though now it is time to reclaim the object and properly save their souls..." answered Noir Knight
"On the artifact subject... What is it?" questioned Ghost Puncher
"It's something someone entrusted to me long ago... Thinking it would be save hidden in the last place people would look... But it's needed now more than ever..." replied Noir Knight
"Alright... Hey, I think I can see some specters up ahead..." whispered Ghost Puncher
"Then my Fair Ghost Puncher... TO ARMS!"
"Why are you shouting? We had the element of surprise!"
"Sorry, old habit... Chivalry and all that..."
.....
As the Prismatic Knight flew over the Atlantic Ocean, within him, various spirits were gathering together...
Inside the Armored Vessel, two spirits were currently imprisoned in crystal-like cages, with fourteen spirits of light gathered around a 'discussion table'...
"Hey let us out!" rattled the Man in Steel
"And give me back my body you hooligans!" added Gilford
"Silence fools! For it is your doing we were awoken in the states we are! So we are punishing you the activator and you the vessel for your crimes, stay their for eternity and don't pull a stunt like you just did or next time it will be worst than cages! Anyway, First had the floor..." said one of the spirits
First replied, "Thank you Fifth, and as you all know, we've been awoken from a slumber of unknown origins, and we all have an latent connection to one another and as Twelve has said, their are 11 more similar energies emitting in the world outside this vessel we've seized... Now, the first vote we had was whether or not unite into one being and fully become one with this vessel, but that vote was split down the middle, due to some wanting to keep their individuality, so we tabled that vote after we discovered their were more like us out there. So, all in favor of gathering our remaining siblings so we can finish this vote?"
"Yes"
"Aye!"
"Of course..."
"SURE!"
Definitely"
"I'm in, seems fun..."
"I have doubts, but why not..."
"We have nothing to lose either way, so yes..."
"I'm for it all the way! Woohoo!"
"From my analysis of the odds of success, I concur with the majority..."
"Unlike fancypants and his big words, my simple 'yes' is my vote of approval..."
"Uh... Whatever those guys said... That's my vote..."
"I don't care, yes I guess..."
"Um... I have some doubts, but if you guys say so, I'll vote yes..."
"Then it is unanimous... Our target is, if the memories of our prisoners is correct, the island known as Ordos!"
.....
Hot on the Prismatic Knight's trail, however, was Man In Black. Pure hunger was driving him on, magically propelling himself through darkness magic. He wasn't going to let this nutcase get away...
**********
As the band of colorfolk fled the Crypt of Damoni with The Optometrist in pursuit, they approached a road where gunshots could be heard.
"Oh crap, muggles!" And the Optometrist fled the scene.
What Woman In Orange and her companions saw was chaos. Two rival biker gangs were clashing, but one of them was clearly obliterating the other.
"I didn't even know Ordos had biker gangs!" Man In Green muttered.
As the triumphant biker gang chased away the last of their defeated comrades, a shout was suddenly heard and the Red Warriors and Pink Battalion popped up from behind a hedgerow. Suddenly, every biker gang member but the leader was wrapped in vines. The Red Warriors ran and took the Colidon Stones from them, and suddenly Woman In Orange's team could see what the stones had hidden: the biker gang was a band of mages, and they were using magic instead of bullets.
But Man In Dark Blue had other ideas. "You may have captured my gang, but you can never stop the Man In Dark Blue!"
And he sped away.
Woman In Orange, Man In Red, and Woman In Pink quickly filled each other in on the situation.
"We can use those Colidon Stones to better improve our dirigible, I reckon. Make it at least look normal so we can travel more openly." Woman In Orange said. "I'll put these four shards somewhere secure on the dirigible."
"What about the bikers?" Man In Red asked.
"Only the leader has any Colidon stones, and I doubt they'll pose much of a threat. We're heading back to New Furness soon anyway, so let's just leave the poor fools behind."
Little did they know that Man In Dark Blue was not far away, and was listening in on the whole thing.
"New Furness, eh? Our little troupe is about to go international..." He laughed as he rubbed the spikes on his leather jacket.
Having regrouped at headquarters, after treating their injuries The Blue Faction membership reflected upon the most recent developments.
"This "Prismatic Knight" could be problematic; if my suspicions are correct, and no doubt about it, the Knight could become another player in this fight for shards" Man In White deduced.
"Darn it; why do these things have to be more complicated than they need to be. I'd rather be dealing with, I don't know, sentient diesel engines with claws right about now" Man In Blue said in frustration.
"Daniel, this isn't some poorly focused fanfiction, this is real life" Woman In Blue reminded him.
"I can't make sense of it... when I looked at him I sensed something... there was something alive about it, but it wasn't "life" in the traditional sense" Man In Silver said.
"We have to fulfill the will of the spirit; we are the rightful guardians and wielders of the shards, and as such we must protect them at all costs" Man In Gold explained.
"Majika Supremus isn't some Deus Ex Machina that will rear its head at every turn though; from here on out We should probably anticipate a tough fight" Woman In White reminded everyone.
"I'm primarily concerned about the other players in this fight... granted there is no one outside of the Colormen who have any use for the shards, but that doesn't mean there is any less risk" Woman In Blue thought.
"The Black Faction's moves on Ordos are what concern me" Man In Blue explained. "If they are moving to take the shards also... damn it all, why do things have to go this way" he said in frustration.
"Well it's not like anyone's life depends on the Prism getting put back together. Sure, it is an important goal, but it's not like somebody's very existence depends on the reunion of the Prism, so we can be strategic in our planning" Man In White said as he began going over plans for their next move.
......
In the plane between dimensions, Man In Bright Turquoise was looking terrified at the recent developments, "No! No! NO! That wasn't supposed to happen! The shards weren't supposed to take a life of their own! This problem just became a million times worse!" He said in frustration as he based about his plane, looking over his window into the regular world.
"It surely isn't that bad" Teacher tried assuring him.
"You don't understand! The Blue Colorfolk are MY ONLY HOPE!" BT said, now in tears. "I just want to go home, and from what I can figure, reassembling the Prism is the first step in my being able to safely return home. It's power is the only thing that can save me!" He said, sounding desperate.
"Then do something about it! There's got to be something you can do" Teacher declared
"No... I can't... not after what happened... last time"
"Oh... right" Teacher nodded, affirming what BT was referring to.
"It's not fair... it's just not fair..." BT said in defeat, as he collapsed onto his knees
The Black Faction had boarded the dirigible and were just about to leave when Man In Black materialized on the bridge (which was situated on the bridge of Man In Amber Apricot's massive nose).
"Man In Black! What are you doing here?" Woman In Orange asked.
"PRISMATIC KNIGHT."
"What?" Woman In Pink asked.
"HE ATE- ALL THE SHARDS. ALL 14- ABSORBED THEIR POWER. WE NEED TO- KILL HIM."
"Kill who?" Man In Green asked
"We found four more shards, my lord!" Man In Yellow shouted weakly.
"SHARDS?"
A tentacle reached out and caressed the newly found shards.
"Yessssssss..." Man In Black seemed to visibly become more human as he fondled the shards. "Thanks guys. Sometimes it feels like I need these shards to live... now then, let's go obliterate that Prismatic Knight..."
Where was the Prismatic Knight? Well, at this very moment, he was at Castle Dullheaden, hot on the trail of the same thing as the KNUCKLEHEADS...
Deep in the Catacombs, the duo continued their fight through the knightly specters, Noir Knight's dark laden sword sliced through the devious apparitions while GHost Puncher manifested giant ghostly fists and rapidly punched down onto the wrathful wraiths...
"This should just about finish their numbers!" yelled Noir Knight as the last ghostly shriek left from the disappointing foe and finally the halls were no longer filled with eerie howling...
"So where did you hide this object then?" asked Ghost Puncher
"Oh, I put in my tomb, since... Well it will be a long time until I face death himself..." shrugged Noir Knight as he opened the stone mausoleum...
As if on cue, once the Stygian Soldier picked up the box of containing the artifact, a beam of light flew towards them. As the duo dodged out of the way, the beam bounced off the stony wall and materialized in its place is a shining white knight...
"Know him?" questioned Ghost Puncher
"Knights may be less frequent in this world, but most I know by name, even the ones in the world beyond... You sir, no such Knight..." answered Noir Knight as a crystal like sword appeared within the shining knight's hands...
"You foolish beings who keep me from my goal, hand over that box and I may spare your lives..." ordered the shining knight as he pointed his similarly shining sword at the duo
"Sir Knight, I made an oath long ago to protect this object to a dear friend of mine if even the Reaper came to take it from me... My life was long forfeit when I made that promise..." replied Noir Knight as he drew his ebony coated blade towards the shining knight
The two knights flew towards each other, as sparks flew once their blades clashed. Evenly matched, neither could gain ground on the other. Seeing no other option, the shining knight sent out a red and green knight to catch Noir Knight off guard, but two spectral fists destroyed them instantly...
"Like hell I'll let you catch him off guard! He still owes me for this job!" yelled Ghost Puncher as he got into a fighting stance
The shining knight could only huff as the duo began an onslaught against him, forcing him to materialize another blade to defend against the additional fighter. Fighting against multiple opponents was a first for this entity, so he got sloppy, allowing Ghost Puncher to hit his armored body. The phantom vanquishing biker reeled back his fist in pain...
"The hell? I thought this thing was a ghost, but it's physical?" questioned the Slayer
The shining knight couldn't believe this kerfuffle and shattered one of the swords to knock the box out of Noir Knight's hand, splitting it's contents onto the catacomb's floor, revealing itself to be none other than a shard of the prism...
"That was a lucky blow... I won't let that happen again. That shard is mine!" shouted the knight as he quickly sped towards the fallen shard, but a ghostly hand snatched it at the last second and threw it towards the jet colored knight, catching it in his newly free hand...
"It's ours!" laughed Noir Knight
"And we're out of here!" added Ghost Puncher as he grabbed his ally and the duo disappeared into a golden ether...
The Prismatic Knight couldn't believe what had occurred, but the fight against the duo had certainly made him stronger. Plus, he sensed they had headed towards his point of origin, so no matter what he would stop and retrieve it once he returned. But now, it was time to retrieve the ones he could sense flying overhead him currently. The pearl colored knight dissipated into light once more and shot off towards the exit of this dark crypt...
.....
High overhead, the dirigible was hovering in place, trying to detect the Prismatic Knight.
"I know it's down there..." Man In Black muttered.
Suddenly, the Prismatic Knight shot up into the air, flying towards the dirigible.
"Now!"
Man In Green shouted "Grok tel nitka brunes barflok furp!" And the Prismatic Knight found himself flying off course as his pants turned into rockets.
But he didn't go far. In fact, he quickly found himself entangled in a magic net, unable to move. He was hoisted onto the deck of the dirigible.
"Alright, we've got him, now what?" Man In Egyptian Blue asked.
"We've gotta get the shards out. The knight can store stuff inside his chest, so we should be able to open his chest and remove the shards." Woman In Green explained.
"Or..." Once again, Man In Black's tendril magic was activated and he easily pried open the chest plate and pulled out three shards, placing them with the other four.
But this turned out to be a mistake. The Prismatic Knight screamed and melted the magic net, then shot a magic bolt at Man In Amber Apricot, who made up the center of the dirigible. Man In Amber Apricot suddenly felt himself shrinking back to normal sized.
The Prismatic Knight, meanwhile, was engaged in close quarters combat with Man In Black, who held the shards out of reach with a tentacle. But the other color folk were panicking. Without the massive head of Man In Amber Apricot to support it, the color folk dirigible was just a collection of wooden platforms falling towards the ocean. Every color person on the ship was trying to avoid the crash, except for Man In Black.
With a sudden sucking noise, Man In Black vanished, with the seven shards. The Prismatic Knight howled in frustration. Clearly it had underestimated Man In Black. But this would not be their last encounter. It too, teleported away, to the headquarters of the Blue Faction.
"Man In Black abandoned us!" Woman In Yellow yelled.
"Hang on!" Woman In Orange yelled. She carefully manipulated the wooden planks with her magic, calling on transmutation powers her lineage had always specialized in.
Suddenly, where there had been a wooden mess, a sleek metal vehicle, like a flying submarine with two mechanical arms, materialized. The falling color folk found themselves safely on a bunk in the new craft. And Woman In Orange found herself at the helm of this mechanical monstrosity.
"Oh yeah... watch out Blue Faction, we have a flying submarine now..."
*****
Inside the Prismatic Knight, Hikos and Gilford were discussing what had happened.
"For a second there I thought I saw a way out... and this thing is clearly weaker than before... we may not be as doomed as we feared..."
When the Prismatic Knight teleported into the Blue Faction Headquarters, a tense situation began as the forces found themselves in very nearly a stand-off. The Blue faction did their best to deescalate the situation.
"There is no need to fight; we are not enemies, knight. We are on the same side" Woman In Blue began. The rest of the colorfolk complied and ensured no weapons were drawn, and they were not in battle stances.
The Knight tried to make sense of the situation, "I did observe before that you are the ones actually worthy of the power. Even though there is something right about you... I cannot say for certain that we are on the same side" the knight declared. "Let me ask you this... how do you see the shards?" The knight asked.
"To us, the shards are not just "treasures to be taken," and they are not merely artifacts or things. They are sacred objects to be protected and cared for" Man In Silver began. "I know this is hard to believe, but we never wanted this situation to happen. Many years ago, we were entrusted with guarding and protecting the shards. And we did just that; regretfully there were selfish parties that thought otherwise. Forces beyond our control stole the shards from us and we have done our best to get them back. It is clear that our missions are the same, so there is no reason to be at odds with one another. After all, if the shards are within you, then we are your custodians and guardians" he finished.
Although the shards of the mental conference conceded that they could tell the Blue faction was not lying, ultimately it was decided that they would not join with the Blue Faction... at least, not until they were certain this was what "everyone" wanted.
"I do not think we can be called allies yet. Even if you are not motivated by selfish gain to obtain the shards, I have more pressing matters to attend to. That accursed black one is clearly after me, and must be stopped" the knight said.
"Then why don't we work together for now; we both have the same goal in mind and our objectives are mutual" Man In White proposed.
"We are not under the same banner. However... I concede that the Black one has strength that must not be discounted. Even alone he was able to harm me quite a bit. If I am ever to be reunited with the shards he has... perhaps you may prove useful. We shall work together... for now" he stated, indicating he still did not fully trust them.
"As our goal is the same, it ultimately comes down to this: it's not just stopping Man In Black, but ensuring that he doesn't come after the shards again" Man In White said.
"And I suppose you have a plan for this?" The knight said, gauging the value of the faction.
"Yes; it won't be easy, but it just might work if we plan it right" Man In White said.
The assembled group tried to make a plan. Even if they didn't completely trust each other... the mutual goal of stopping Man In Black was too great for fighting between them could at least show they were capable of cooperation. Whether or not it would result in an alliance, only time would tell.
As the good colorfolk spoke to the Prismatic Knight, Man In Black spoke to his troops. For the first time in several days, he looked healthy. In fact, he looked healthier than he had in a long time. But the tattoo was still there, glowing as strong as ever.
"We've had a rough few days, friends. Our home was destroyed, we had to travel around in that joke of a dirigible, and I understand we had an encounter with an undead biker gang or something? It's hard to keep track of everything that's happening."
There was an uneasy chuckle.
"But when you think about it, things aren't so bad. We have seven shards. The Prismatic Knight has eleven. I don't know where those last seven shards are yet, but I have a sneaking feeling they're back on New Furness. And best of all, we have a sexy new flying vehicle to use in our quest. Once we have reunited the shards, my anchor powers can be used to turn them to my will. Then, us colorfolk will be freed from the limitations placed on the colorfolk of old, and we will finally be able to access our true power. And you all, for being loyal to me throughout, will be rewarded."
There was a cheer.
"Now let's go get those shards!"
****************************************
Silent Night was sitting in the Diablo Tower reading room when a boy in his late teens ran in.
"Hey, you're new! I'm Percy Silver! Everyone calls me Silvestron for some reason, but you can just call me Percy."
"Do not call him Percy." a voice boomed. Silent Night looked over to see a tall, bearded man. He was old, but his beard was still a dirty blonde rather than grey. He wore bronze robes, and a pointy hat, looking every bit the stereotypical wizard. He wasn't particularly physically imposing, but all the same he carried a certain presence. Silent Night knew immediately who this must be.
"You must be the Bronze Mage! I'm Silent Night! It's an honor, sir, truly-"
"Settle down, silly." The Bronze Mage chuckled. "I'm not the pope... not yet, anyway. Now, I understand you've been training with the Blood Alchemist?"
"Yes sir."
"Good man, that Blood Alchemist. Far too ambitious though. Anyway, you've got a certain mastery of thievery, yes? I have a task for you."
Silent Night nodded, and the Bronze Mage drew an object out of his cloak.
"This is what is known as a Prism Shard. We have a number of them already, but we will need one more in order for our... plans... to come to fruition. And for that to happen, I need a master thief to steal them."
"Where can I find a shard, then, sir?" She asked.
"I've got an operative who has a lead on a whole bunch of them. In the meantime, though, keep training. This'll be a dangerous mission, but if you do well we just might promote you to the inner circle."
Silent Night's eyes widened. Her excitement was cut short by a sudden yelp. Behind her, Percy Silver had managed to catch the carpet on fire, and in trying to put it out had frozen his feet in ice.
"Oops..."
"I don't care what the ancient prophecies say, he's never going to consume all the good in the world at this rate... come along, Silvestron..."
.....
END OF ACT 4
END OF ACT 4