Alexander picked up Pengu as he looked her over. She responded by nestling up against his face. Satisfied with her response, he looked up to Nidra. “She is definitely just a normal penguin. I don’t think she intended to do anything.”
The dragon extended a stream of water to tickle Pengu. “This is a baby. How would it lead you to me, stupid?” The dragon chuckled. “King Penguins, her species, are the descendants of one of my closest friends. I would go so far as calling her my niece. My bonds with the penguins have made it so that I bring any stragglers who stumble unto my storm into my kingdom without a need for a key. No matter their talent, I offer them the strength to protect themselves along with the choice of staying here or returning home. I suppose if I’m opening my training grounds for the little missy here, I’ll allow the penguin and the scummy one to enter.”
“What about me? I’m here, too!” A disgruntled Alexander called out.
“You? You do not have a key, nor do you belong to any race I am particularly fond of. Your ability to use magic in my domain shows your status as an invader. Why should I allow you in?”
“I’m raising your niece! And I’m sure if she could talk, she would be raving about how great of a person I’ve been.” Pengu added a timely squawk.
Nidra’s multi-colored eyes emitted a white light as he gazed into Alexander. The dragon’s eyes pulsated 9 times before they returned to normal. “I see how it is. Fine, I will accept you as the custodian of the dear penguin. You may complete the challenges together.”
Mana rumbled through the dragon’s body. Rocks crumbled down from the cave’s ceiling, disintegrating away into sand, as the mountain seemed to respond to Nidra’s magic. The sand whisked into a twister sending a pulse through the lake as it reached the surface of the water. A faint brilliance emanated from the water which had gained an ethereal attribute.
Nidra’s voice reverberated throughout the cave. “Jump into the lake whenever you are ready to undergo the challenges.”
Thomas yelled back at the dragon. “Wait! But I still have questions I want to ask you!”
“And I’m not interested in answering any of them. I’m gonna go take a nap.” Nidra lifted his head as he prepared to dive into the lake before coming to a stop. “Oh, right. That human girl can’t enter. She’s not an Elementalist, and I have no interest in helping something else get stronger.” Particles of sand from the dragon’s whisker flew over to Pola, teleporting her away. “She’ll be waiting for you when you get out.” Finished with his business, Nidra dove underwater.
Alexander bent by the edge of the platform and poked his finger into the water. “Wow, this feels pretty odd. I guess we jump in, and it’ll transport us somewhere else?”
“Aren’t you worried about Pola?! She just got taken away. What if something happens to her? What if her disease progresses too much while we’re completing the challenges?!”
Raising his hands, Alexander calmed Thomas down. “Take it easy. You really think a dragon would teleport a child away just to kill her? I’m positive Pola will be perfectly fine wherever she got moved to. “
Taking a deep breath, the tension left Thomas’ shoulders. “You’re right. You’re totally right. Pola will be okay.”
Alexander slapped Thomas’ back hard. “Hehe, I knew you were a softie for Pola. So much for your tough exterior.” Before Thomas could react, he cannon-balled into the lake, Pengu waddling into the water beside him.
“Owww!” Falling through the portal, Alexander had jumped into the ground, hard. Rolling back and forth, he rubbed his back hoping to ease the pain. It was only after a few seconds he remembered he could just heal himself.
Landing lightly beside him, Thomas scoffed. “Serves you right.”
The two found themselves within a swamp. The ground Alexander had landed on was the broken off log of a bald cypress. Many other intact ones emerged from the murky waters of the swamp all around them, and a thin veil of fog hovered neatly above the water, muddying their vision.
As Alexander looked around, he voiced his thoughts. “What even are the challenges? This whole time you’ve never actually mentioned what these ruins contain. All you would talk about was the strength the heroes would gain AFTER they completed the challenges.”
Thomas laughed nervously. “I didn’t care too much for a buildup when I was younger. If I’m being honest, I always asked my grandmother to skip straight to when the heroes were already strong and received their rewards.”
A penguin’s yelp stopped Alexander in his tracks before he could berate Thomas. “Pengu! Where is she? I thought she was standing next to us!”
Pointing to the treetop foliage, Thomas shouted. “Over there!”
His baby in danger, Alexander ran like death was behind him. Sloshing through the swamp’s water, he reached the tree where Thomas had spotted Pengu. He saw Pengu slowly floating up, desperately flapping her wings as she tried to control her flight. She was making her way deeper into the swamp. “Pengu, come back! Why must you leave me as soon as you learn how to fly! I promise I’ll make you a cake again if you come back!!” Alexander pleaded at the fluff ball’s retreating figure.
A light squawk was heard as a teary-eyed Pengu managed to spin towards Alexander. Evidently, she was being whisked away against her will.
Catching up to him, Thomas yelled. “It’s not Pengu! Look back there, behind those trees. There’ some turtles there.”
Alexander looked around the swamp’s trees until he finally noticed three long necked turtles surrounded by a pink, transparent gas. Two of them were doing acrobatics in the air, backflipping and spinning around, as they gestured to the floating penguin. A third floated upright pointing its front legs towards Pengu.
Incredulous, Thomas stuttered out. “Are- are those psychic turtles? I think they might be grabbing Pengu because they think she’s like a giant turtle egg.”
Irritated by the situation, Alexander snapped back. “How does that make any sense, Thomas? She is covered in feathers!” Covering his face with his hands, Alexander slowly ran his hands through his hair as he exhaled. “Look this situation is giving me anxiety. Maybe we bring her back to safety before dealing with anything else.”
“I’m on it. I can feel it! My mana is finally back.” A burst of ice arced around Thomas as the swamp water rose to propel him towards the penguin. Grabbing Pengu in midair, he bounced off a tree and landed back in the swamp beside Alexander.
The sound of splashing water caught the attention of the two playful turtles as they stopped their acrobatics and extended their necks forward. Meanwhile, the third turtle, who had been pulling Pengu, began to wave his legs about angrily. The first two turtles flew to the angry one in an attempt to appease him, but he clicked loudly at them and slapped them away.
Inspecting her for any injuries, Alexander hugged Pengu tightly. The chubby penguin squawked angrily as she began to lecture Alexander for letting her come so close to danger. Over the past week, Pengu had developed some understanding of communication due to the time spent with the group. Trying to appease Pengu, Alexander proceeded to bribe her, “I’m very sorry for not realizing you were being taken sooner. How about I make you a brownie tonight?”
Pengu’s eyes widened before she attempted to look disinterested. Waving her flipper up, she asked for another.
Pretending to think long and hard about it, Alexander finally gave in and tickled Pengu. Finished dealing with Pengu, he turned to Thomas and asked. “So are those turtles dangerous? I mean I can’t imagine psychic affinity beasts are common in Kedra. They aren’t even common in Anima.”
Alexander remembered the excerpt the doctor had included in his glossary: Beasts populated all 8 planets in the solar system, usually of the same element as the noble clan ruling over the planet. The only two exceptions were in Anima, the psychic planet, and Derapen. The Thoth clan’s divine treasure was a gem that not only provided its inheritors with a technique, but also helped the planet maintain the only connection in the galaxy to the Spirit World. Thus, the beasts inhabiting Anima were spectral in nature as opposed to true beasts. Derapen, on the other hand, had no elemental affinities. All manner of beasts called the planet their home, but due to the scarcity of psychic attributed animals, spotting them anywhere in the galaxy was unlikely.
Bringing his hands together, Thomas began tapping his fingers against each other rhythmically. “They look just like the ones in the mural from the dragon’s tunnel.” A long pause followed before he grew frustrated at trying to analyze the turtles. “Agh it doesn’t matter! They’re just turtles. I can freeze, kick, punch or even wash them away. Maybe they’re a little special since they were in the mural and have an affinity for the psychic element, but there’s no need to waste time on them.” Alexander stared down Thomas before the latter innocently raised his hands. “I’m just saying… they’re just a bunch of stupid turtles. What’s the big deal?
“You dare call the Turtbros stupid?” A sonorous voice filled the group’s mind. Without them realizing it, the three turtles had flown to the branches of a tree, right beside them.
“We should just knock them out and release our brother in arms. Look at how they defile her by clawing at her belly.”
“If we’re throwing paws against the pesky humans. I want to fight the weak looking one with the brooding look. I saw his power just now. All he can do is splash some water. He’s just a water balloon.”
All three began projecting their laughter as Thomas flung himself at the last turtle who spoke. Cheekily using its shell to block the punch, the turtle laughed. “BROTHERS, I’M DYING. I didn’t even have to point at the human, but he already knew he was the water balloon. AHAHAHAHA”
Another round of laughter erupted in everyone’s mind. Alexander begged Thomas not to fall for the provocations of some random turtles, but he only saw red. Summoning his crystalline armor, Thomas stabbed at the turtles. “Tonight, we eat turtle meat!”
The pink gas surrounding each of the turtles became solid as a thick barrier appeared in front of Thomas. The turtles had placed the barrier such that his spear and arms were caught in the barrier, but his head banged heavily against it. Bleeding from his nose, Thomas heard the turtles taunt him again. Please, water balloon. You’re gonna have to try harder than that if you want to step up to me, the Boss turtle.
"Come try to eat us."
"I’ve heard we have the most mouth-watering meat in existence."
"Wait, Clyde, don’t say that. The mysterious dragon tamer over there and the baby dragon we tried to steal might decide to eat us." One of the turtles smacked the other in the head as he rebuked him.
Clyde formed a giant thumbs down with his mist as he sent a new message. "I’d like to make a correction. Our meat is absolutely disgusting. You’ll throw up for 7 days and 7 nights if you so much as lick us."
Boss turtle slapped his chest. "Bah, we are honorable turtles; we shouldn’t have to lie to these intruders. We all know our meat tastes delicious."
Still stuck in the barrier, an angry Thomas yelled back. “If you’re so honorable, then how do you know what turtle tastes like? It sounds to me like you eat your brethren.”
Baffled, all three turtles left their mouths wide open.
"Is that how Denise died? The Patriarch said she went to turtle heaven, but maybe the Boss just ate her." Clyde looked accusingly at the boss.
Attempting to correct his mistake, Boss turtle backtracked. "No, no. I only inferred the taste of my species from how lustrous our skin is. I mean just look at us. Anyone would say we are delicious."
Alexander stared dumbfounded at how silly the turtles were. Thomas had provoked them, and they had fallen for it so easily. Moving towards the frozen Thomas, he whispered. “We should probably de-escalate the situation. These turtles seem a little daft, and they didn’t really cause any damage.”
With a mischievous grin, Thomas shook his head and kept prodding. “It just sounds very odd how you keep talking about how delicious your fellow turtles are. I mean, I’m a human, and I have NEVER thought about eating another human. Why’d you eat Denise, Boss Turtle?”
The two turtles began to back away from the boss turtle. "Could it be…. you brought us here to eat us!!!"
The boss turtle was on the verge of tears. "No, Evan. I am no turtle eater. We were just playing in the forest and happened to chance upon the baby dragon. It was all an accident."
Clyde wrapped boss turtle in a barrier. "How can we trust your words anymore when you feasted on Denise’s flesh! For all we know, you brought us out here to replace us with the dragon baby."
Lightly sobbing, Evan called out to the boss. "Why would you change us like this? Was it just because all I am is just a normal turtle and not a cool dragon? I’ll have you know, if I am to be eaten, I won’t go down without a fight."
Witnessing the chaos enfolding, the boss turtle began to cry. This unlocked the floodgates, and the other two turtles also began to cry. Openly weeping, the Boss Turtle begged for forgiveness. "I would never leave you guys. You are my brothers. I swear to the holy turtle I have never dined on turtle meat."
A brokenhearted Clyde responded lamentingly. "How I wish to believe you, but these stalwart humans have opened our eyes to the truth. You know as well as I do that dragon’s choose only the most upstanding humans as partners. How can you still claim to be innocent? Evan, battle position!" Evan floated over to Clyde’s raised front leg and retreated into his shell. Both Clyde and Evan’s mist concentrated into Evan’s shell forming a turtle shuriken as he began to spin.
Facing the deadly turtle attack, the boss did not mount a defense. Instead, he opened his arms invitingly and closed his eyes. "If my death is what you need to believe me, then by all means, I accept."
Alexander elbowed Thomas and angrily told him to not bully the turtles anymore. Feeling guilty about the mess he caused, he quickly interrupted. “Before any turtle blood is spilled, I have a way in which we can tell whether or not the Boss has ever eaten turtle meat. It’s the perfect way to resolve this situation.”
Seeing a possibility to regain his friends’ trust, the Boss Turtle pleaded with Thomas. "Oh ye great companion of the dragon. Please bless us with the mighty way by which we can prove my innocence."
Thomas put on a sagely face as he nudged his head to Alexander. “We happen to bring with us a turtle prophet. One of the most legendary professions in the human world.”
"A turtle prophet?!"
"Could such a noble sounding profession be real?"
"How could it not? The dragon’s chosen wouldn’t lie to us. The Boss Turtle made a deep bow. I greet you, oh, Turtle Prophet. Please bequeath us with your wisdom. Am I guilty of eating my brothers?"
Feeling embarrassed by the situation, Alexander tried to quickly get it over with. “Umm, no.” Activating scan in his eyes to play the part of a mysterious ability, Alexander focused deeply on the Boss Turtle. “With my Turtle Prophet abilities, I decree this turtle here is an upstanding citizen. Never has he even thought about consuming turtle meat.”
"Yayyyyy!"
"Friends for life!"
"I’m so happy everything can go back to normal now. Wait, brothers, we must thank the Prophet properly for helping us so much." All three turtles profusely expressed their gratitude as they dissolved the barrier around Thomas.
Eager to help their saviors, Clyde floated towards the duo. "What brings you noble beings into our swamps? Is there perhaps something we can help you with?"
Indulging in their fawning tone, Thomas smiled. “You know what? There is something you can help us with. The Turtle Prophet here is actually here to take part in the dragon’s challenges. We all are, in fact. Do you know how to do that? Or what we need to do?”
"Hehe"
"You are lucky you ran into us, the Turtbros!"
"Of course we can help you."
Evan explained more thoroughly. "Usually, challengers are forced to wander the Swamp of Illusions. Only once your mind has grown powerful enough to see through the essence of the swamp, may you exit this place and reach Turtle HQ, our village."
Laughing haughtily, Clyde added. "The elders in the clan tell us it was a happy tradition back in the day. Many of our clan members would hide in the shadows of the illusions and attack the challengers, bringing them to the verge of death. All to help them improve their mind’s strength."
Boss Turtle looked to the horizon longingly. "We just came out here to play, but I bet most of our comrades got the signal challengers have entered the swamp and are rushing over to mess, I mean, to help train them. It’s a beautiful tradition set by the Turtle Saint and Lord Nidra. Well, no matter, because you are the glorious Turtle Prophet and helped us so much. We can just guide you straight to our clan."
Evan stared at the two with worship in his eyes. "Someone who devoted their lives to a just vocation like the Turtle Prophet deserves to skip straight to the second part of the challenge!"
Turning to Thomas, Alexander whispered. “I think we may have sold this a bit too much. I didn't mean to skip an entire section of the challenge!”
