“Bring it down! Bring it down! Bring it down!” Kai shouted across the arena sands in Vocath’s floating citadel.
Qiekamis glowed from Kildo’s bless spell as the quarterstaff smashed into the end section of the megapede, a dangerous creature of immense size. The tip pierced between two scales, and sand entered, a sign of the battle's ferocity. The creature flipped into the air to keep the gritty material from irritating it, effectively prone. Satisfied, Guo Gan darted across the sand toward the head. The monk smashed his quarterstaff into Queen Gorma and performed a swift round kick, crashing into its left eye.
The megapede’s midsection thrust its legs like spears. Guo Gan dodged the attack.
Kildo threw up his magical kite shield, blocking it. He commanded his spectral war hammer to bash into the creature’s prone end. Casting Toll the Dead, dolorous bells rung around the beast.
Scomatch began casting, Steel Wind Strike. Power accumulated around his Staff of Fire. The halfling became a blur of speed and motion, as he hopped, flipped, jumped, and flung himself at Queen Gorma. As he struck each section of the megapede, his staff’s end burst into unimaginable power. The creature's entire frame shuddered from the three impacts. Landing on the arena sand in a superhero fashion, feet wide apart. He supported his weight with his fist, smashing into the floor, while his other hand was out with his weapon away from his body, pointing diagonally upwards. Taking a mote of light orbiting his head, the halfling flung the crown of the star. It burst as the radiant damage burned a section of the megapede.
Recoiling from the pain, Queen Gorma’s head lashed out, and its jaws latched onto Guo Gan. Reacting, the monk bashed the snout of the insect with Qiekamis. The megapede let go off its bite. A thrumming of necrotic energy radiated from the creature.
Kildo felt drained from the effect.
Pushing through, Kai lunged with Wave. The paladin’s aim was off as the points slid off the megapede’s carapace. Shaking his head clear from the necrotic blast, he lunged again. The trident pierced the insect’s armor. Radiant damage coursed down the weapon’s length and blasted into the creature.
Queen Gorma’s head snapped to Kai. A psychic bomb blasted into the triton. The paladin stood stunned, effectively incapacitated by the blast. The centipede's jaw clamped down on Kai’s leg. Poisonous juices seeped from its mouth. Queen Gorma’s body’s length quivered as a baby weedle was flung into the air and landed next to Charmander. The immediate area around the two Pokémon ignited with power as a small arena surrounded them. The two prepared for battle!
“Char! Char!”
“Weedle! Weedle!”
Shrugging his shoulders at the odd event, Guo Gan returned to the immediate threat. Bringing Qiekamis crashing down, the quarterstaff smashed into Queen Gorma’s head. Bringing up the other end, bashed into its jaw. It let go of its grip on Kai. The monk’s blood fury tattoos ignited in power and drained some of the megapede’s energy.
Queen Gorma lashed out with his spear-like legs. Kildo threw up his shield and blocked the blow as Kai parried it with Wave.
Power accumulated around Scomatch as he again cast, Steel Wind Strike. His Staff of Fire glowed a crimson-red. As before, the halfling became a blur of speed and motion and he hopped, flipped, jumped, and flung himself at Queen Gorma. As he struck each section of the megapede, his staff’s end sliced with unimaginable power. The creature's entire frame shuddered from the three impacts. Landing on the arena sand in a superhero fashion, feet wide apart. He supported his weight with his fist, smashing into the floor, while his other hand was out with his weapon away from his body, pointing diagonally upwards. Taking a mote of light orbiting his head, the halfling flung the crown of the star. Impacting between Queen Gorma’s eyes, it split down the middle. Clear juices burst outward. The head section slumped dead.
“The force be strong with that one,” Kildo breathed out. Channeling divinity, Rigga’s healing energy washed over Kai and Kildo. He then commanded his spectral war hammer to attack. It smashed into the weakened carapace of the megapede. The tail end slumped lifeless.
However, the middle section failed to realize it was already dead. It thrashed outward, missing Kai and Kildo, as they backed away from its death throws.
Forming a mote of fire in his hands, Scomatch said, “Stupid creature.” It sent the flame bolt into the section. Ichor exploded outwards as it slumped onto the arena sands dead. Dusting his hands free of the megapede, Scomatch turned toward Charmander and Weedle, who circled each other.
Charmander lunged, trying to bite the maggot-like Pokémon, but failed to latch on.
Scomatch called out, “Hey dwarf! Do you have bless on Charmander?”
“Nay, I only be blessing you, Kai, and Guo Gan,” Kildo replied.
Shaking his head, Scomatch said, “Even the gods don’t like you Charmander.”
“Char…” Charmander lamented, hearing its master’s voice.
Distracted, Weedle charged and smashed its horn into Scomatch’s familiar, flinging him backward. He landed hard on the arena sand.
Slowly rising, Charmander’s tail ignited as he ran at Weedle. The little flame dragon bit and latched onto the centipede.
Weedle twisted and escaped from Charmander’s jaws.
The fire familiar whipped its tail. A mote of flame splashed along the length of the millipede.
Weedle lunged with its head horn. However, hurt, its movements were slowed as Charmander was able to dodge out of the way of the attack.
Emboldened, Charmander shouted, “Char!” The familiar’s jaws clamped down on Weedle. There was a sickening crunch as Charmander bit the tail end off. Weedle juices and ichor burst out. The centipede thrashed for a moment before dying on the arena sands.
The arena erupted with shouts and cheers at Charmander’s victory. Flowers and coins were thrown from the stands. Chants of “Char…Char…Char!” echoed across the arena.
“Where did they come from?” Guo Gan asked, scratching his head.
Kai shrugged his shoulders.
“Why didn’t they cheer me when I slew Queen Gorma,” Scomatch questioned.
“We all be helping,” Kildo scoffed as his spectral war hammer emerged from the tail section of the megapede.
The crowd was excited and working itself up in a frenzy. An audible crack echoed throughout the rounded arena. The top section of the dome shattered. Razor-sharp crystal shards fell like rain. Several pieces of debris sliced into the defeated Queen Gorma. One even chopped and cut the space-guppy into two pieces. A serpentine dragon, similar to a red dragon in color, with scintillating scales and nebulous wings slithered through the opening. Mounded on the dragon’s back was an armored figure with a visor hiding his face.
The figure called out, “I’m Prince Xeleth of the Xaryxian Empire! I’ve come for my sister, Xedalli. Surrender her to me, you rats, or be annihilated!”
The people in the arena stands began to flee and scream in panic. Many ran for their spelljammer ships docked outside. As the massive doors were flung open, in the distance, astral elves spelljammer ships, star moths with enormous and decorative wings made of shimmering crystal, were surrounding the station.
“Rats?” Scomatch question. “This guy can go fuc-”
Interrupting the beginning of the halfling’s curse-infused rant, Kildo placed a hand on the mage. Turning to the arena stands, he could see Vocath’s fear but also anger. Two githyanki stood in front of Vocath, protecting him. They were tall and had a muscular body. Their skin was pale yellow with greenish and brownish tones. Their skulls were long and angular, with deep-set eyes, a flattened nose, and long pointed ears. They wore their black hair in braids and wielded thick, massive two-handed swords.
Gripping his war hammer and shield, Kildo turned his head toward the arena stands and asked, “Lass, do ye be wanting to go with yer brother?”
The dragon rider, Prince Xeleth, followed the dwarven cleric’s gaze. “Ah, there you are. I’ve been so, so worried. Our father is finally dead. He was in so much pain. It’s a good thing. So, when I become emperor, I want my most precious sister present at my coronation.”
Princess Xedalli sighed heavily from the news of her father’s death. Breathing deeply, she spoke, “Not everyone in the Xaryxian Empire supports your claim to the throne, Xeleth. I know you need me to legitimize it and prevent any unrest that might otherwise occur. No matter. I see I have no choice but to return home with my brother.”
As Prince Xeleth shrugged with indifference at her reply, seemingly acknowledging her words were true, Princess Xedalli turned toward the party and continued. “Thank you for rescuing me from those disgusting vampirates’ prison, who surely would have been my demise. Your valor in defeating the false hydra was heroic in every sense of the word. You are to be lauded, and your victory turned into an epic tale. However, your duty to me, for the moment, has ended. You can now continue on your way and fulfill your journey among the stars. I hope your travels bring you prosperity and wealth. You have a fine ship and crew, and have no doubt each and every one of you will find success in whatever endeavors you deem worthy.”
As Kildo listened to Princess Xedalli’s monologue, he heard her voice say the following in his mind.
“You’ll need my ring to save your world. I’ve dropped the ring in the sand. Keep it safe. I’ll be waiting for you in Xaryxispace. Help me Kildo Hammerhand. You’re my only hope.”
“Fine, fine, fine. You’ve said your goodbyes to these rats. My coronation awaits,” Prince Xeleth scoffed.
“Again, with the rats,” Scomatch scoffed. Waves of heat emanated from the halfling.
“Oi! Prince Xeleth. We would be honored to be witnesses at yer coronation as Emperor of the Xaryxian Empire.”
Prince Xeleth looked down haughtily at the dwarf and said emphatically and slowly, “No…can you imagine vermin such as your party, or anyone here, at a royal coronation? It’d be a scandal! My image would be forever tarnished, let alone getting your stink out of the Temple of Light. No, go scurry along and do whatever rats do.” Kicking the hindquarters of his dragon, it dove and carefully snatched Princess Xedalli from the arena master’s platform. They all then flew out of the dome’s opening.
“Arse,” Kildo muttered and moved over toward the eastern edge of the arena. There was a glint. Bending down and pushing aside sand, an elaborate ring lay. Glancing where Prince Xeleth and Princess Xedalli left, he picked up the ring.
Vocath appeared above and roared. “Outrageous! Impertinent! Rude! Summon the captains!” The blue giant turned his head toward the party. “You lot. Come to my chambers. There is much to discuss.”
The two githyanki guards escorted the party from the arena sands to Vocth’s audience chamber. Circular and giant-sized, it was quite large and could easily fit a number of people comfortably. The room was adorned with rich-looking tapestries and marble statues of what appeared to be the finest gladiator warriors ever to step foot on the sands. An artesian was intently studying Charmander and had already begun to carve his image in a blue-white marble slab of stone. In addition, there were eight slightly raised platforms with a magical image of a spelljammer vessel slowly spinning. As the party approached Vocath, multiple people materialized on the ship platforms. Stepping off, additional members appeared. Each had their own singular motif and idioms.
Vocath paced with hands clasped behind his back. His footfalls were hard and loud. “So, Prince Xeleth of the Xaryxian Empire thinks he can get away with insulting my domain? You gentlemen wanted to speak with the ship captains. Here they are. We all have a grievance with the Xaryxian Empire. However, why should they follow you and risk everything? Make your case to them. Why should you lead the armada into the Xaryxian sphere?”
Guo Gan moved to a chair and sat. He pulled out his erhu, a two-stringed, bowed instrument. It had a small body, long neck, and wooden sound box shaped like a drum and attached to a pole. The strings were stretched over the sound box and supported by a vertical post. The monk played the erhu vertically and rested on his lap, with the neck pointing up. He used his left hand to move along the neck and their right hand to pluck the strings with the bow. A melancholy tune began to play. The sound, like weeping, uttered a sad and vulnerable tune. It seemed to cause all of the captains and commanders to remember the atrocities perpetrated on them by the Xaryxian Empire.
As Guo Gan played, Scomatch brought to life images and illusions of the party’s accomplishments and heroic past deeds and the current plight of their planet, in magical form.
One of the captains, who looked like he was made of marshmallows, stepped up and said, “Commendable. You’ve displayed your past tribulations and how you overcame each, but what authority grants you the right to lead an armada against the Xaryxian Empire?”
Kildo stepped up and stated, “Oi! We’re on a mission from god.”
The captains mumbled among themselves. Kai stepped up, placed a hand on Kildo, and nodded in appreciation.
“Captains, I’m the dread pirate Kai. My wrath is as massive and treacherous as the sea. I’ve traveled through space and time. We are looking to form a coalition of the willing and build an armada to aggressively negotiate with the Xaryxian Empire to reverse the crystalline seeds and vines they planted, which are draining the energy of our world and freeing our planet from their blight.”
One of the captains said. “I’ve heard of the Dread Pirate Kai. Burns and melts monsters by the hundreds with fire and acid.”
“Hey, that’s me!” Scomatch lamented.
“Shh. He’s on a roll,” Kildo said.
“I am the Dread Pirate Kai. I see fellow captains here in defiance of the astral elves' tyranny. You have come to fight as free pirates, and free pirates you are,” Kai encouraged.
“Fight? Against the astral elves and the Xaryxian Empire? Suicide!” a captain shouted.
“Aye, I’ll be leading you to the fight of your lives to an elusive victory. However, we, happy few, a band of brothers, will stand against an existential crisis and a threat that has destroyed many worlds. Claimed too many innocent lives and will continue to do so. And whether or not we prevail matters little. What matters is that we stood up and resisted the Xaryxian Empire. The few who stood against many. Regardless of the outcome, they will speak of us through the ages that we lived sacred and honored lives. And even if they take our lives, they will never take our freedom!” Kai expounded.
All the captains in the room erupted in cheers and adulation at Kai’s speech. Vocath rose from his throne, clapped, and nodded in respect toward the paladin.
“Never have I heard a more inspired speech. You are the chosen one. Take command of the armada forces and lead us to the Xaryxian sphere. For you are no longer Captain Kai, but Admiral Kai!”
Treasure
· Kai’s promotion to Admiral.
Comments