PoV:
1: Rachel Park (our Lunar Hare!)
2: Cahira (Chapter 69 … shakes head … Cahira … she really needs to let off some steam)
Recap: Rachel tried to do everything in her power to trick her ‘real’ self after figuring out she was the imposter. She gets so close, and then—she discovers they were both imposters? That didn’t make sense—Where’s her real body then? The understanding that the Labyrinth was pitting them against themselves, and for multiple runs, is too much, Lunar Pride activates and both Rachel destroy the item that would end the whole thing.
Pissed, the group makes it to the bottom of the maze, where Cahira found a floating turtle boat! On the other hand, Rachel went toward their last task … finding a creature so powerful that Rachel instinctively wanted to run. There’s no possible way she can even think of attacking this creature, even if he were completely bound.
How will this quest end?
I want to thank my patrons for continuing to support me:
Dangling_Participles, Alex I, Owen, Etly Lindman, Cedric Isaac, Life Savior, and my other Patrons!
Rachel would have thought the colossal monster looming above them was a CGI movie prop had its overwhelming pressure been removed.
She wasn’t sure what was more unbelievable, that linked wooden chains as thick as her fist restrained it or the fact they were going to help it because had Cahira not told them that there were two methods of completing this trial, she would have said screw it.
The ripping and mending of its barky-flesh and unearthly growls, translated into words, was enough to make her bones tremble; it literally looked like an undead abomination, sealed away behind layers of preventative measures to stop them from doing what they were just about to do.
The horrific creature lowered itself as best it could, freeing a pungent odor she couldn’t hope to place from its half-rotten mouths. “Thhheee wwwardenn will chase uponnn my attempt tooo be freeee. Escape … I will guuuide the wayyy.”
Scarlet leaned over to her with a forced chuckle. “Eh … should we really set it loose or take something from this thing? It looks like something an audience would be screaming at us for … I’m screaming at myself right now…”
The sword in Ohan’s death grip relaxed a bit as he studied the fiendish abomination. “… Who locked you here; who’s manipulating these trials?”
Rachel suppressed a low groan. He’s still on that? The creature’s response changed her perspective entirely.
“… Forces move unseeen … powwwerful … not as powerfullll as the jailorrrr. I dooo nooooot sense the jailor!” It bellowed a laugh that caused Rachel’s mind to blank, stumbling to the side. “Hahaha! Moongmor plays…”
Someone is manipulating the Legend’s Quest! Ohan was right the whole time … could he sense it in the changing energy around us? Gods … Twilight did mention the possibility. If…
A shiver ran through Scarlet, Ohan, and Rachel’s frames; without a hint of warning, the monster’s animal skull-like heads fractured, and what appeared to be eight invisible claws tore the impossible to defeat horror apart, sending car-sized chunks of wooden flesh and sap-like blood cascading around them. Orange flames ignited across every piece, ensuring their demise.
The group scattered with panicked shouts, dodging the flaming debris, but the lit sections that fell by Rachel were icy cold, not hot, yet the flesh burned, and the unseen claws bit into the stony ground; Rachel jumped right to outpace the collateral damage, activating Rapid Mental Acceleration II. Taking in every moment of the event, Rachel discovered nothing.
The undead abomination could have easily handled any of the forces guarding it that Rachel had seen, and she instinctively knew her party couldn’t so much as scratch the creature’s skin; no, there would have been some insane adverse effect from even going closer to the thing. Scarlet, with Scarlet’s Blessing granting her maxed Proficiencies to her scythe penetration could only slightly cut the Nightmare they’d encountered.
That was the terrifying part about this whole trial. Everything in this labyrinth was scaled back and had a power limit from their real counterparts, according to Twilight, which meant whatever this abomination is in reality, it knew secrets this manipulator didn’t want to be shared.
Crap…
Worse was the red liquid beginning to run out of the gash the invisible assailant had made in the floor, orange flames refusing to go out as it annihilated what she could only believe was blood; sure enough, quakes rippled across the stony ground, progressing in slow motion to Rachel’s enhanced vision and mind. The warden was now clear.
We’re in a gigantic sea turtle, aren’t we? Dang it … There’s going to be an island-sized turtle snapping at my tail soon. The airship makes sense now. Oh, lovely…
Emotional Detachment had broken in the previous trial, so it was still on the 1 day cooldown, causing her queasy stomach to act up. Rachel was forced to react while actively trying to keep the panic in her chest from escalating with the alarming information assaulting her mind.
Miles away, seawater began pouring down the walls to fill the colossal space with hundreds of bony snapping ocean turtles floating down to attack them, acting as the island’s internal defense system. Their twitching jaws, thick claws, and armored bodies varied in size, but each one rivaled the Nightmare in the strength Rachel instinctively sensed.
They rocketed toward them, but their focus wasn’t on her group. Jets of water expelled from their mouths, powerful enough to likely split Cahira’s boat in half, aimed at the orange flames continuing to burn their way across the thick stony gray skin of the island turtle. Still, even a nick from the aqua blasts could have ripped off part of her arm.
Her stiff ears scanned the area, compiling what she’d need before touching ground to take the proper action; although, her excited mind was conflicted by the shocking turn of events.
Scarlet’s blood had shot toward Ohan, creating a blood portal to throw him away while searching for her, after she’d leaped into the air. Cahira was just getting her new turtle ship into action with Selvaria, which couldn’t have been better; they needed to get out of here. The quest was supposed to be over; the escort target was dead. However, the island was in defensive mode.
The cold orange flames burned everything they touched to smoke while the radial frosty atmosphere it generated instantly froze all that surrounded it; once the orange flames licked the ice, orange fog exploded upwards, and the cycle continued with the exception of one area, as if taunting Rachel. A path had opened up, just for her.
Jaw locked with frustration, Rachel didn’t have a lot of time to decide, even with her accelerated mental state; she doubted it was a trap. No, whoever had manipulated their Legend’s Quest’s motive was fairly obvious from the items dropped; they were interested in her.
Rachel’s legs lowered herself to the ground as she landed, thighs tensing and ears folding back as she shot into a dash, cold fire bypassing her resistances to send a chilling wave through her body as jets of water rained down on the flames to minimal effect.
The turtle’s rough skin had excellent grip for her bare feet, and she made it to the horror’s dropped items within moments. Her narrowed 4-clovered eyes centered on the three colorful bouncing creations with elated, cute zig-zag smiles and big eyes; she didn’t have time to ponder the rabbit-eared blobs.
When she touched them, they vanished with small pops of light, leaving sparkles matching their colors. A Branch grew on Rachel’s Tree, providing a possible answer to her question.
Moongmor’s Branch: Eostre’s mercurial pet bird that she turned into a rabbit, providing gifts of joy.
Rabbit Gang I: (Cooldown: 1 Day; Cost: N/A; Duration: 1 Hour; Range: N/A) Active Cluster Skill, Lunar-Type, Level One, Novice Grade, Rank Zero; call upon three moonchild helpers to cheer you up or destroy your enemies. Each helper will level up as a unit and gain similar abilities corresponding with their unique type; Proficiencies Levels are negated. All Rabbits’ damage and life force is reduced by half in sunlight; doubled if under their respective moon.
White Rabbit: Absorbs any type of moonlight and converts it into White Moon energy.
Lunar Step II: (Cooldown: 40 Seconds; Cost: N/A; Duration: 3 Seconds Between Steps; Range: N/A) Create three lunar disks to use as platforms.
Lunar Tackle I: (Cooldown: 30 Seconds; Cost: N/A; Duration: N/A; Range: Contact) Uses 1/4th of Rachel’s current Stats, including enhancements, to calculate damage. Enhanced to 1/2th if under a White Moon.
Lunar Boost I: (Cooldown: 5 Minutes; Cost: Destroys Rabbit, setting them on cooldown if used 2 times; Duration: N/A; Range: Contact) Grants up to 10% of its unique Lunar Energy type per use.
Flush Rabbit: Absorbs any type of moonlight and converts it into Flush Moon energy.
Lunar Step III: (Cooldown: 30 Seconds; Cost: N/A; Duration: 3.5 Seconds Between Steps; Range: N/A) Create three lunar disks to use as platforms.
Lunar Tackle II: (Cooldown: 25 Seconds; Cost: N/A; Duration: N/A; Range: Contact) Uses 1/4th of Rachel’s current Stats, including enhancements, to calculate damage. Enhanced to 1/2 if under a Flush Moon.
Lunar Boost II: (Cooldown: 5 Minutes; Cost: Destroys Rabbit, setting them on cooldown if used 2 times; Duration: N/A; Range: Contact) Grants up to 12.5% of its unique Lunar Energy type per use.
Coral Rabbit: Absorbs any type of moonlight and converts it into Coral Moon energy.
Cursed Lunar Step II: (Cooldown: 40 Seconds; Cost: N/A; Duration: 3 Seconds Between Steps; Range: N/A) Create three fiery lunar disks to use as platforms, able to burn anything that touches the barrier with Ice, Fire, and Lunar Elemental Damage.
Cursed Lunar Tackle I: (Cooldown: 30 Seconds; Cost: N/A; Duration: N/A; Range: Contact) Uses 1/4th of Rachel’s current Stats, including enhancements, to calculate damage; adds Cursed Ice and Fire Elemental Damage to the attack. Enhanced to 1/2th if under a Coral Moon.
Cursed Lunar Boost I: (Cooldown: 5 Minutes; Cost: Destroys Rabbit, setting them on cooldown if used 2 times; Duration: 1 Minute Lunar Cloak; Range: Contact) Grants up to 10% of its unique Lunar Energy type per use. Adds a Cursed Ice and Fire Lunar Cloak to the user.
The information instantly popped into her mind, and she briskly wrapped the map and two shimmering crystals into an oddly designed coat before running back to Scarlet; the little Vampire girl had discovered her location after transporting Ohan away, and Cahira’s turtle was beginning to make its way toward them.
Rachel dodged around the pressurized jets of deadly water the turtles sprayed at the flames, but their liquid was simply freezing before being turned to steam by the orange fire.
Scarlet vanished in shadows to appear several meters in front of her to save time, and Rachel practically tackled her to the girls surprise, carrying them out of the flaming path and lethal streams of water. They soared high into the air, reaching their peak before Scarlet could teleport them far away from the battle.
“W-What was that?” Scarlet gasped as they glanced back at the circling turtles, converging on the growing inferno of cursed elemental energy; the wicked orange flames looked something out of a misty Halloween night as the ice and fire combined to generate a sinister fog that was rising to meet the turtles defense squad.
Rachel saw the rushing seawater converging on their location as liquid continued to cascade down the distant walls to fill the space, picked a confused Scarlet up into a princess carry, and raced for the ship heading their way. “We need to get out of here!”
“O-Okay,” Scarlet stammered, vampiric eyes squinting a little as air gushed past them with Rachel’s accelerated pace. “Umm … there…”
Shadows surrounded them again and they were now running on the deck at the same breakneck pace, causing the Vespertine Reaper to squeak in panic. Reacting in a split second, Rachel shifted her posture and position, both girl’s hair mixing as she allowed them to be flipped into a backflip while gripping Scarlet close to her chest.
She landed on the back railing, legs taking the bulk of the stress before hopping to the wood. Rachel released a slow puff of air through her full lips to rid her breast of stress, shifting the coat a bit to set Scarlet down. The black-haired girl stumbled a little, eyes spinning from being spun and jerked around, but swiftly regained her senses.
“Aye,” Cahira called, running over to meet them, “what in the bloody ‘ell be happenin’?”
Rachel’s gaze fell to the coat with a glare, but unfolded it to hand the Pirate Queen the crinkled map. “Let’s get out of here first; I’m pretty sure we’re diving into the ocean, and I don’t know how deep this thing goes.”
“Oof, I see yer point,” Cahira mumbled, focus moving to the filling up space. A grin lifted the fiery-haired woman’s face as she unfolded the parchment to study it. “Mi lil’ boy here is a bit green ‘round the ears, but we’ll see what the lad can handle.”
Her reddish-orange eyebrows lifted. “Hmm … a rather odd map … it be changing as we go … ah…”
Scarlet and Rachel barely got a look at the map before their ride tilted into the air, heading right for the folding and twisting maze above.
Selvaria was currently all the way off the deck, hugging the turtle’s head while cooing how cute he was; her pet seal was resting contently beside her, now rocking a new faintly glowing blue collar. Both were utterly oblivious to what was happening around them.
Rachel directed a suspicious glance toward Gisele; somehow her pet bird and Selvaria’s pet seal had made it to this massive turtle ship before them. They’d been onboard to greet Cahira when they arrived.
Ohan was still taking in the area, searching for danger, and probably pondering the undead abomination’s response and demise. He had one hand on the railing to stabilize himself and another on his sword, following the army of snapping turtles. Their living ship was coming up to the battle, but none of them focused on their little vessel.
The orange cursed flames and fog continued to rise, causing the deadly ocean turtles to drop out of the sky one after another, turning into piles of treasure. Cahira hadn’t missed the gems and gold raining into the rising seawater below; the rushing in liquid was turning to ice before being converted to mist faster than it could overtake the flames.
“Gah, too bad…” The woman grumbled, vision returning to the map. “Our exit be up in that there button; strap down, mi lad an’ lasses, we be enterin’ the thick of her!”
A lump dropped down Rachel’s dry throat; after their flying turtle weaved around the shifting mass of black wooden triangles, symbols flaring with life; they were diving right for a wide opening in the shell, currently dumping waves of water into the area. The wooden triangles of the maze must have been plugging it up before but after the attack and them finishing the quest, they appeared to have shifted positions.
Swiftly finding a storage box built into the deck near her, Rachel unlatched it to deposit the coat and crystals into it. She locked it back up before opening a nearby door and directing her little disgruntled Sky Reaver into it for her own protection, noticing the gemstone anklet around Gisele’s left leg. Once her bird and items were safe, she barred the door.
Accepting the rope Cahira created out of blue flames, Rachel tied herself and retied Scarlet’s horrible knot to the nearby rail; the Vespertine Reaper looked a bit crestfallen after comparing her previous knot to the one Rachel fashioned.
“Well … I wasn’t in Girl Scouts…” She defended with a low grumble. The comment made Rachel’s stomach shake a little with laughter; she needed to since the thoughts rolling around her gut and brain were anything but comforting.
The Pirate Queen sent several lines shot out of the front of her ship to secure an oblivious Selvaria and Galatea safely to the turtle’s neck; not that they might die in the sea, but if they were seperated the lost time could be costly.
“Brace!” Cahira yelled as her map vanished into wisps of flames, stored for safety. Everyone took a deep breath, and with a loud cheer, the Pirate Queen directed her living ship into the waterfall.
Liquid surged around Rachel, but she held firm to the wooden railing, eyes squinting to see what was happening around them. Their ride was powering through the downward gushing seawater. It took a minute to finally make it out of the thick shell, and the strong tides eased.
They were still in the ocean, hundreds of meters below the sea level, but rising swiftly; some kind of ability the sea turtle possessed must have helped ease the pressure because they weren’t having any issues acclimating with the rapid race to the surface.
Sadly, Scarlet’s ripped shirt had mostly been torn off from the rushing waters, leaving her clinging to the scraps, face red with frustration. Rachel felt a little bad with how hard she’d had it with clothes on the quest, noting that extra pairs might be a good idea for future adventures.
Out of curiosity, Rachel positioned herself to peer over the edge, and saw they’d only seen a fraction of the colossal living creature they’d been on; its head could have easily gobbled up their entire ship. It soon disappeared into the depths of the sea, releasing such low frequency roars that it was even difficult for her to hear.
Turning her gaze above, Rachel could make out Cahira’s first ship and the darkening sky; it was reaching nightfall, proving they’d been gone for more time than she thought.
Anthony was in the water, swimming down to chase after the floating away island, but appeared to have changed directions upon seeing them. Pointing him out to Cahira, she somehow telepathically directed her turtle to pick him up.
Reaching the surface, Rachel filled her lungs with fresh air, chest heaving; water was dripping off everything as their motley crew pulled their hair out of their faces and surveyed the area they’d landed.
Cahira’s sailing boat with everyone on it was thirty meters away. The occupants’ notice was swiftly drawn their way by Molly; Rachel could imagine her mother nearly having a heart attack when the island started to sink, and a twinge of guilt filled her chest.
How is Mom going to survive the crystal news?
Anthony’s bare chest was heaving while rushing over to meet them. “Rachel, what … what happened? You were…”
Cahira interrupted him as her turtle swam toward the other ship. “Aye, aye, mi lovers, we best be gettin’ on the move before the big beastie be comin’ up in a tizzy! Ohan, mi lad, can ye ‘elp bring the rest o’ the crew over?”
“… Yeah, I’ll get on that,” he mumbled, still looking somewhat preoccupied with his thoughts.
“… Mmh,” Anthony’s lips fell a little, but after a moment he nodded, trying to give Rachel a reassuring smile. “I’m glad you’re okay; your mother looked like she wanted to strangle someone when the island was sinking.”
“I can imagine,” Rachel chuckled.
Scarlet cut her rope with her blood out of frustration when she couldn’t untie it. “Why does my shirt keep getting destroyed!” She yelled; only a small part of the front of her PJs was left after most had been torn away.
Anthony’s smile turned forced, green eyes shifting to her. “Sorry to hear that … umm, I’ll head over and help get your family across.”
He ran off as Rachel opened the chest to extract the overcoat and handed it to Scarlet to use; the crystals tumbled out into the chest.
Scarlet’s eyes widened with surprise upon seeing it. “Grrgrmm … wait, uh … this is what that monster dropped when it died, right?” With both men now jumping over to the other ship to help bring people over, she removed what was left of her PJ top to examine the coat. “… Doesn’t this look like it’s meant for you, Rachel? It’s got a big bunny paw-print on it … so cute,” she mumbled.
“Mmh,” Rachel glared at the piece of clothing. “I don’t know what it does or if it does anything at all, but I’m thinking about it … I’ll let you know when I work it out in my mind. Until then, you can use it.”
“Thanks!” Scarlet chimed, examining how to put it on.
The article was mainly white with what appeared to be fluffy rabbit or mink fur around bottom hem; the coat was backless and shoulderless, showing orange trim, bunny-ear button designs, and string that wrapped around the back and under the bust to hold it in place.
It by no means looked practical or as if it would hold its position to Rachel, but who it was intended for was obvious. The back had a fold-over area with a bow a few inches above where her tail was, allowing a place for it. The pink bunny paw-print on the left side all but confirmed the connection.
Cahira inspected the outfit as Scarlet fiddled with the buttons and tie. “Eh … hol’-up, lass … where’d ya get this godly thing?”
Scarlet’s small smirk screamed victory as she managed to get the front knot undone, and her blue irises lifted to the woman. “Oh, you can see the stuff we get since it’s loot from the dungeon, right?!” She asked with excitement before slipping it around her body.
“What’s up with this … wait, Rachel … I don’t think I’ll fit this. Aww, look,” she grumbled, tying the knot into a small simple knot underneath her bra, “my bust is too small … no I’m just small in general,” she whispered; the item was clearly designed for Rachel at 5”9, not Scarlet at 5”1.
Rachel and Scarlet jumped as the outfit suddenly shone with white light before shrinking to the Vespertine Reaper’s size. Scarlet’s belly thrust forward in surprise as the fold-over orange ribbon tied itself firmly wrapping the mid-section around the girl’s figure, and at the same time, the front string tightened underneath her bust, front framing her breasts while securing them in a comfortable position.
Her bra vanished, showing a small black outlined strip of a strapless and backless replacement just above the coat’s semi-sweetheart neckline; a carrot shape was cut out of the middle of the bust, just above the ribbon. The bottom flared out from her sides to mid-thighs with a reverse-V cut at the front, starting just above her belly button.
Scarlet began to panic when her PJs bottoms were suddenly replaced by white shorty-shorts with an orange bow and trim; the same pink bunny paw-print could be seen on the sides in miniature fashion, as if the tiny creatures had made their way down the shorts, and a bunny poof belt wrapped around her hips.
Black tights followed with similar pink bunny paw-prints running down the sides that ended at her upper-thighs, showing a section of skin. White, ankle cross-strap ballerina ballet flats with orange ribbons weaving up to her shins with a pink bow tying them off on opposite sides. Two pink bunny head outlines were imprinted on the two cross-sections the straps met.
To top it all off, accessories began shining into existence across Scarlet’s body. A cute pink strap choker with a carrot centerpiece and poofy anklets, and a left thigh strap. It finally finished with skin-tight black gloves with frizzy wrist warmers and a leaf-design rhinestone upper-armband on her left arm.
It had transformed her entire appearance, and Rachel had no doubt it would probably add some kind of fashion to her ears had she worn it.
“Woah!” Scarlet stepped back, turning and twisting to see all the changes. “I’ve … never changed faster in my life,” she said with a forced chuckle. “Umm … I can take this off, right? It’s not gonna … you know…” She tailed off before tentatively hopping on her toes. “Uh … why do I feel so light?”
Cahira giggled, studying her with a critical eye. “Aye, the long-eared lass might not look half-bad in it, ya know? So … it’s definitely meant fer Rach, as ya might ‘ave guessed. As ta the light in yer step, it be enhancin’ yer Stats by 10%, and she’s got a lot’ah perks besides that up her skirt.”
“Like?” Rachel asked frowning a little while moving around Scarlet to see her backside; there was a small gap that would be shown just above her tail, displaying her skin, but if she lifted it up, the spot would be covered. The gloves were decent, but she wasn’t sold on all the puff the outfit carried with it.
“Ah, well, she’ll level with ya, for one,” Cahira grinned, causing both Scarlet and Rachel to give her a questioning glance. “Aye, that’s right, mi lasses … seems if ya choose to wear it, Rach, you’ll be stuck with it for a while … although, maybe it’ll change a bit each level, huh? It could be doin’ it with your desire, like many of the other things. Ya already seen it can reshape itself. Pretty cool, huh?”
This is definitely not the design I’d go with … something tells me it’s Moongmor’s whims that will change it. God, demigod, or whatever creature he may be … what does he want for all these gifts?
“I mean, it’s not that bad,” Scarlet mumbled with a small smile once getting a full view of herself. “I mean, a bit open at the top, but it’s cute … looks like something out of an anime or something,” she giggled.
Rachel took a long breath. “I suppose I’ll have to see what it does for me when we get you some decent clothes … did it eat what was left of your others?”
Scarlet’s lips fell a little. “Hmm … I mean, I’d trade those scraps for this any day, but … yeah, that is a good question.”
Their attention moved to the plank that the Legendkin had set up, helping the others onto the new ship; her mother cried out their names, rushing over to give them both a smothering hug.
“Rachel, Scarlet! I … I was so worried!” She cried, forcing them into both her arms. “What happened? What … are you wearing?” She asked, probably wondering if her cute Scarlet had been forced into a stripper outfit for some ungodly reason; she hadn’t seen fantasy clothing designs, and anything close to this was from passing Korean Instagram pictures, so, of course, her mind would go there.
The Vespertine Reaper’s cheeks darkened a little. “Umm … well, my other clothes kind of got ruined … this is actually Rachel’s. We’re fine, though!”
“Huh?” Molly’s unsure gaze shifted between them, probably trying to imagine her wearing the outfit.
Rachel swiftly stepped in. “It’s a long story, Mom; we just escaped a gigantic island turtle. Once everyone’s on, we’ll…”
She cut off as the ship went into motion, wind picking up its pace. “Already on it!” Cahira chimed, snapping her fingers; her previous ship burst into flames. Everyone else was preoccupied with the massive moving turtle head at the front of the ship.
Selvaria was sitting on the front, long blue-highlighted black hair weaving in the wind behind her as she cheered, her baby seal in her lap; they were leaving the water, rising higher and higher into the sky.
“We should be good,” Cahira grinned, putting her hands on her wide hips. “My little boy can keep an altitude of 100 meters for two hours before having to drop back down. Should be good to mingle now.”
Rachel caught her dad looking around for her, moving past the small crowd while mumbling in Korean, “Now we’re flying on a gigantic Hyunmoo…”
She met up with everyone and did her best to quiet their worries, swiftly taking control of the conversation to deliver it in the least frightening way possible for her parents’ hearts. They went below deck to get away from the wind.
Apparently, the creature they were on was a Floating Turtle, and it couldn’t technically fly, but use its large fins to propel and glide for a certain distance. Cahira gave a passing comment about the reason there wasn’t a steering wheel was because she communicated with the turtle through thought, and since she called him her baby, he was apparently pretty young.
Alexa wasn’t buying the smooth story Rachel glossed over, petting the baby Sky Reaver that was standing on the table in front of her, but Scarlet leaned in to whisper she’d tell her about the details later. The important part for everyone was that the Legend’s Quest was over; they just had to stop off on an island to pick up Cahira’s reward.
Cahira gave everyone around the comfy gathering area a bright smile and thumbs up. “Yup, it be smooth sailin’ from here on out! Oh, I can’t believe I got mi first flyin’ ship so soon; he be a real beaut’!”
Molly slumped across the table with a weak groan. “I … don’t know how much more I can take, Rachel, Scarlet … why is everything so dangerous?”
“No, no,” Scarlet pleaded, “this was just a really unusual one. This isn’t normal.”
Clay released a low rumble in his throat. “Rachel, do we have time for you to discuss it at length with me? For military purposes, that is,” he added, noticing Sam and Molly’s looks. “There may be a few things I need to bring up to my superiors.”
This was actually a perfect opportunity; Rachel’s gaze shifted to Cahira. “Is there a private room a few of us can use. There are some things I’d like to discuss that would be covered under the NDA we signed.”
Her parents didn’t like that she was moving to discuss things without their attendance, but her father ran interference to respect her wishes. “Molly, I wanted to talk with you, too. We can find a secluded place.”
Molly’s eyes watered a bit. “Really? Thanks, Gwon,” she sniffed, using her father’s Korean name. She shifted to give Rachel and Scarlet one last look before getting up and hugging them. “You two mean the world to me … I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
Scarlet began to choke up, hugging her back. “T-Thanks … Mom,” she whispered, causing Molly to break down even more.
“The Park family has another daughter … you’re always welcome in our home, okay?”
“Mhm…”
Rachel’s own heart burned at the emotions, but she reigned them in to discuss what had been bugging her. They all split up.
Zoe and Felix moved off to explore the ship more, but according to their whispers, Felix wanted to find a room where they could talk more; they seemed to be developing a cute relationship.
Reed and brother seemed to have developed a closer friendship with one another since they were gone, talking about how The Oscillation might change the sport’s scene.
Her parents bustled off for her father to let her mother cry on his shoulder and tell him all her fears.
Alexa was a little miffed she was being excluded from the conversation, taking Rachel’s Sky Reaver to the upper-deck to check around more; by the expression on Elena’s face, she really wanted to join, too, and after some careful thought, figured Zoe and the Honey Badger would hear anyways with their enhanced hearing. However, knowing it was the simple act of being left out that was bothering the girl, Rachel allowed it.
Clay didn’t seem sure about the 16-year-old girl into the meeting, but didn’t push the topic, likely figuring she had her reasons, and Maria seemed to catch on since she had enhanced hearing, as well.
Rachel directed the individuals she wanted to be present to follow her. Clay, Maria, Anthony, Ohan, Scarlet, Cahira, Elena, and Selvaria into the ship’s meeting room. It was built for ten people, which meant they had a seat open.
“So, what was it really like?” Elena asked with an eager smile; she was looking at Rachel like she was a superstar.
Of course, after seeing how everyone fought the Werebats and Sky Reavers, it wasn’t that big of a surprise that her eyes would be locked on them; she was a Honey Badger Beastkin. The teenager had grown up around gangsters, where being tough was a big part of her life, and who could compete with the figures in this room?
Rachel’s demeanor cooled dramatically as she retold the tale. Ohan stepped in to describe the Primal Energy shifts that were too focused to be random acts, leading him in certain areas, and the other four girls added their own small inputs, Selvaria letting her seal sleep on her lap during the conversation. The only part she manipulated was the information about Twilight.
Once Rachel finished discussing the undead abomination, she paused, activating her ability to reveal the Bunny Gang. Selvaria, Scarlet, and Elena’s eyes shone like stars while observing the adorable little buns, each one a different color to represent the various lunar energies.
They were squishy balls with zig-zag mouths that didn’t open; the only features they had were two long bunny ears, currently flopped over in a cute manner, three colorful whiskers, big, shiny black eyes, a polished button nose, and a puffy tail.
The three hopped around, cheeks puffed up in a cute manner, and they seemed to be drawn to the three girls that were fonning over them.
Rachel’s tone wasn’t cheerful, though. “… These creatures come from a skill called Bunny Gang, and I received them from the abomination that was killed by an invisible attacker. The last thing it said was Moongmor, which just so happens to be the same name of the Branch this Skill is linked to. It names Moongmor as Eostre’s pet bird, turned into a rabbit…”
“Oh, now that’s somethin’,” Cahira mused. “Eostre be an Anglo-Saxon goddess … don’t know much more than that, but it be interestin’, nonetheless, huh? Think it be Eostre’s doin’ or the pet?”
Rachel shook her head. “I can’t be sure. I’m pointing to it being Moongmor himself, but he could be on orders from Eostre. The only thing that really is certain … there are real creatures out there that have the power to mess with The System. I don’t know why, but what I do know is that they didn’t create The System.”
Clay’s dark skin creased. “How do you know that?”
“I can’t say,” Rachel sighed. “I am almost 100% certain that these powerful creatures … call them demigods or gods, it doesn’t matter, but they did not create The System. However, they can manipulate it to a degree. I do believe there are things vastly more powerful than Moongmor or even Eostre … I only know a small sliver the size of wood shavings compared to an entire iceberg … I really don’t know a lot when it comes to this System or the forces surrounding it, but what I do know is that we can draw the attention of these deities or creatures.”
Ohan was leaning forward, a hard glare in his dark eyes, and even if it was aimed at Rachel, she knew it wasn’t for her. “You’re saying a creature called Moongmor was likely the one manipulating us and this quest?”
Rachel slowly shook her head. “Parts, possibly, but for all I know, there could have been others. The one lead I do have is Moongmor, and judging by the gifts he manipulated The System to give me, I’d say I’ve drawn his attention.”
“What about the Crystals?” Clay growled, his vision narrowing from the implication.
“It’s a possibility,” Rachel sighed. “I couldn’t get any information about that. In the end, we need to really reevaluate the kinds of enemies we could be stepping into the ring with … we need to utilize everything we have to get stronger, and that includes the U.S. as a nation,” Rachel concluded.
Clay leaned back, sucking on his lower lip. “… I’ll pass it on … there are enemies gathering everywhere.”
Maria snickered, reaching over to punch Clay’s shoulder. “Aww, c’mon, chino, we got this, yo! Aye, we just gotta keep lookin’, huh? Good thing we got Rachel on the case, she might as well be a hound, my man. Oh, and let me heal y’all,” she huffed, glaring around the table, “yeah, ya can’t hide crap from me.”
Her horn flared and all of Rachel’s stressed muscles eased. The five labyrinth runners gave the Unicorn a thankful smile, giving her thanks.
After the meeting, they parted ways; Selvaria wanted her to name her ‘bun-buns’, as she called them, but she wanted to think on it for a while before deciding on anything. She wasn’t sure if Moongmor had any ulterior motives, but expected there must be. In time, perhaps he’d show himself. The whole event had thrown her for a loop, but the competitive side in her wanted to get strong enough to handle the monsters they’d barely come out alive from.
Rachel returned to the box where her crystals were; one shimmered a bright pink while the other was orange. Scooping them up, she went to Cahira.
The woman was standing at the front of her ship with a small smile on her full lips, staring down at the sea; the wind had calmed dramatically with the skills the turtle was exercising, giving them a smoother voyage.
Without even asking, Cahira glanced back with a small chuckle. “Ah, takin’ ‘em out, eh? Guess ya be lookin’ for some answers ‘bout ‘em.”
Rachel hummed, leaning back against the railing to twirl the four-inch long diamond-shaped objects. “You could sense them in the box?”
“It’s mi ship,” the Pirate Queen replied.
“Right … I’m guessing they contain Flush Moon and Coral Moon Energy … I’m beginning to think that’s what Moongmor primarily focuses on. Their purpose is unclear, though.”
Cahira nodded. “Hmm … well, ta me, they be materials. There be this ugly ol’ dwarf Legendkin back in L.A. that can turn those types of things into stuff; if I were ta take a guess, ya be needin’ someone like ‘im, but I wouldn’t recommend the fella,” she mused.
“… An Artificer,” Rachel whispered. “Hmm … okay, that makes sense. Thanks, Cahira … you know, you really have been a pleasure to have around.”
“Aye,” she giggled. “I be useful in a pinch,” she said with a sad smile, pulling back her hair to stare up at the puffy white clouds.
“Heh,” Rachel tapped her bare shoulder with the back of her hand, “you’re more than just a convenient ride.”
“Ho? A good singer, eh?” She snickered, referencing the maze, “No, no, I get yer point … it be nice havin’ people that accept ya, and Maria be a good one. Ya seem ta be one, too … how’d a lass get so lucky?” She asked with a softening smile. “Perhaps … it wouldn’t be so bad ta stick around a while, ya know?”
“We’d be glad to have you,” Rachel replied, patting her shoulder while going off to visit with her mom. She needed some one-on-one time, and mother-daughter bonding sounded nice while she had the time; she hadn’t had much of it recently.
The rest of the trip to the island didn’t take more than five hours; when they finally took to the air again on their last hour, the group spotted flying fish and crocodile-like monsters the size of penguins chasing them through the sky, but other than that, they didn’t see much life along their journey.
However, Cahira’s map led them to a big rocky island cave, and inside was a whole underground town filled with pirates and dunkards. The cove was more spooky than enchanting, but that turned a 180 if you went to the island beaches; the Pirate’s Cove was the hidden secret of the travel point. They could see dozens of ships moving to and from port on the sunny-side.
They left Cahira to her own devices, seeing as she wanted everything to be a surprise once she’d gone over her options. Rachel and the rest of the gang were dropped off on the nice-side of the island to have fun for the next six hours of nighttime exploring since it would take that long by the Pirate Queen’s estimations for everything to be completed.
* * *
Cahira left Largo, her baby Floating Turtle, on the rickety docks of the hidden cove; the map had said to come alone, and so she did. She grinned, sword and gun holsters appearing with her belt as she walked down the creaking planks, catching the eyes of hard men and women working on their vessels nearby.
This was everything in the gut churning adventure she’d been hoping for; exploration, danger, treasure, and most of all, it was just so much fun. The girls and guys she’d met were exactly what she expected from the trip’s roller coaster. Plus, she had the added eye candy of Anthony and Ohan to satisfy her imagination.
Although, a touch of guilt stabbed her heart about the fantasies she had at one point; Anthony and Rachel seemed to be an item in the making, and she’d never want to harm something so raw, especially when the hare-girl could rip her apart with her bare hands. That wasn’t even getting into her mental gymnastics; the girl was a bubbling caldron of paranoia and strategic genius … not a mix to be jumping into if you wanted to keep your legs.
Ohan was pretty enough, though, and she was always on the lookout for more mouth watering candidates to sink her teeth into. It all was looking up since Maria’s appearance; she reminded herself to thank the Unicorn again when this was done.
She whistled and winked at a few muscular men as they passed; she knew they weren’t real since this was just a copied reality, but Cahira couldn’t help herself. They grinned and waved, but the gruff man with a long brown beard they were with just grunted and barked for them to get the crates they were carrying to the ship.
Cahira snickered, glancing down at the map to find the place she needed to go two streets over; it gave her a little time to reflect. If she’d tried that when she was fat, skin-scared, and sickly, they would have probably given her a disgusted look and hurried away.
Beauty really does give you a pass in this life … the luck of the draw with genetics.
The Pirate Queen’s glowing green eyes lifted to stare at the half broken down shack that seemed the last place you’d want to do business. The map lit with blue flames as she stored it, chest thumping with anticipation.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
Entering the bar, she noted only two men in the room; the bartender was behind the counter, jaw working around suspiciously while eyeing his new patron.
Cahira gave him a bright wave before heading to the man at the back of the room. His tangled black beard was flecked with gray and sunken eyes told the seas he’d seen; the man’s wrinkles moved with his half toothless grin as she sat across from him, kicking her booted feet up on the table.
His gaze slid down her tight leather pants, admiring her legs and up her body. “What be a lass like ya be doin’ ‘her, huh? Ya seem ta be the type ta be spendin’ ‘er time chasin’ ‘ore … pretty lads than I … which means ya got business with ol’ Raguna.”
Raguna’s heavy red eyes shifted to the bartender. “Gennaro, a bottle of yer worst for the lass.”
The man behind the bar chuckled, taking out a filthy glass to fill it up with a dark liquor. “Got’cha, Boss.”
Cahira just gave him a pleasant smile. “Ah, it be true … ya got mi curious, Raguna.”
“Mmh?” The man gave her a lifted eyebrow. “A thing a many be true … what be yer pretty lil’ eyes on mi poor soul, ‘dough?”
Gennaro was quick with the drink, slapping the thick glass on the table with a hard thump that sent a quarter of the liquid splashing to the table. “The worst, mi lady,” he chuckled before retreating.
Cahira’s gleaming teeth shown while leaning forward to grab the cup, showing her flexibility, and without hesitation, downed the content in one go. The liquid burned her throat, but the thrill was better than any foul drink that coated her throat.
Smacking the empty glass back on the table, she smacked her lips. “Heh, it be the worst drink I ‘er did taste, aye. Ye weren’t pullin’ mi leg, Gennaro. Another!”
The two men chuckled and he returned with the bottle, replacing her glass with it. “‘Ave at it, lil’ missy.”
So Cahira did. She took two more swigs before dropping the empty bottle beside her chair. “Aye, it be just as I thought,” she laughed, puffing out a hot breath; it was stronger than anything she’d tasted on Earth. “So … down ta business.”
She dropped her legs to the floor to slam the map down on the table, appearing from blue at her fingertips. “How’d the great Raguna manage ta leave ‘dis in such a dangerous island, eh?”
The man’s lips fell a bit upon seeing the map. “… Ah … now how’d a pretty lass like yerself come by mi greatest treasure?”
Cahira’s smile widened. “A map ta show you to yer heart’s desire; it truly be the treasure of treasures.”
“… Heh … heahahaha! Aye, ya got mi. So, mi fire-haired sweet … what can ol’ Raguna do to swipe mi treasure back?”
Cahira’s eyes sparkled. “I be lookin’ for a few crewmates; the best yer cove has ta offer, and I’ll pay top ‘o the berrel for ‘em. Fer yer map?” She licked her lips with anticipation. “I want ya to upgrade mi ship as best ye be able!”
“Aye … yer a genuine seeker, uh? Lookin’ fer bigger clouds to catch … what ship we be havin’?” Raguna asked with a devilish grin as a shadowy aura began frothing off his skin and the room began to darken; his red eyes only grew brighter. “As best I can, eh … yeh got mi good with me map, so I be feelin’ charitable. Tell ol’ Raguna yer desires.”
Cahira’s stomach squirmed at the fathomless void in front of her that seemed to be pulling in the very light of the room, and she could see a man like this braving the labyrinth they’d just escaped with a capable crew.
“I’ve got a Floating Turtle … a babe…”
“Hehehe … ah, the gem crushers … yes, I have what ya want, but it be takin’ me a minute to fetch the proper food ta really make ‘im fly. Eh … it be rare, though … quite rare … how ‘bout ya sweeten the pot a bit, mi lass?”
She suppressed her instincts to run at the man’s dark presence and flaming eyes, thanking her Legendkin Passive and Skills that kept her nerves just within the line to answer. “Which be?”
“Ah, but another drink with ol’ Raguna to lighten a mood!” He finished as the threatening atmosphere popped like a bubble and he roared with laughter.
Sunken eyes and shabby appearance returning, he gestured at her, looking to the bartender. “Another, mi man! We got a lil’ Pirate Queen takin’ her steps ta greatness!”
“Aye!” Gennaro cheered, taking out the most expensive looking bottle from behind him and bringing it over. “Seems ya found the right lass for finishin’ yer tale. Aye, Boss?”
“Aye … it be lookin’ that way, mi man,” a small glow lit in the man’s sunken red eyes again while gazing at her. “There be a task ye gotta do fer the Pirate Lord’s Token … remember, red be mi color fer life … but green … green be grantin’ ya somethin’ eternal.”
Cahira nodded, committing the advice to memory. Once finished, they had a few more laughs and drinks before he went off to some unknown location to get his end of the bargain; of course, she kept the map until it was finished.
Gennaro brought her to another establishment with enough muscular and gorgeous men to make her knees weak, or it might have been the powerful alcohol she’d ingested because for the first time since she’d changed, Chaira was wasted. A man offered her another drink, and that was the tipping point, she passed out.
When she awoke, she was on her ship; she could feel it, but something had changed. Her room she was in was something fancy, with a massive, comfortable bed, and many places to store clothes or other items.
Looking down, she found herself half undressed; her head was in a foggy mess, but it was swiftly clearing. She pulled her one free hand back through her shirt, adjusted her bra, and tightened her leather pants before walking outside her quarters to be greeted by four very muscular, and might she add, handsome men.
“Wilkins, at yer service, Captain!” The largest and most juicy piece of meat she wanted to sink her claws into said in a bright tone. “I hope ye had a good rest.”
Giving him a charming smile, she hummed, leaning against the door frame. “Ye can always come in and make sure yer Captain be gettin’ some proper sleep. Aye? Tuck me in a little?”
He laughed it off. “Haha! Again with the jokes, Captain! Right, to business; your Dragon Turtle has finished evolving; which direction shall we sail, and be we takin’ de Dreadnought or Dragon Turtle, Captain?”
Cahira blinked. “Dragon … Turtle … Dreadnought?”
The information flashed across her foggy mind; her little baby Floating Turtle had eaten something that made him evolve into a High Vessel Class, a baby Dragon Turtle that would continue to grow as she leveled it through Points and battle experience.
These very succulent pieces of piping hot meat in front of her was a drunken purchase that she’d made with all her treasure, and the bonus had been a shipwright that had upgraded her sailing boat to a Dreadnought Class vessel; she was once again broke, but at least she had a Transcendent-Grade 1st Mate, two Epic-Grade Deckhands, and a Legendary-Grade Caretaker to handle her Dragon Turtle’s needs and maintenance.
The problem … they required pay, and weekly. It seemed she had a lot of ‘privateering’ to do.
“Eh?!”
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