Melly’s eyes widened as she stared at Skittle’s magical enclosure. It was glowing red hot and suddenly burst open. She flinched shielding her eyes from the blinding surge. When she opened them again, she noticed that her father had stood in front of the Queen to protect her. Everyone looked shaken up and baffled.

Even Skittles was caught off guard, not believing its own luck. Sudden realisation dawned as Skittles made its escape. Flying out of the castle, the fairy shouted, “Later bitches!”

“Damn it!” Clemiticus shouted back.

“That can’t be good,” said Melly.

Clemiticus swore under his breath, muttering something that sounded like, “I’m never going to trust another bloody parrot again!”

He turned to the assembled party. Melly recognised that the bard’s planning mode had been engaged once more. Clemiticus then directed his attention first to the arrogant youth.

“Junior! Answer something for me,” he said.

The young mage bobbed his head, “Um, Sure.”

Melly was amazed at the recent change in the youth. No longer was he sneering at them and treating them like inferior beings. She guessed that battle had the ability to harden even the slimiest of weasels.

“Do you have a way to teleport some of us to Skull City?” Clemiticus asked.

The mage nodded and produced a finely crafted apparatus. Melly recognised it as being an ornament that decorated the head mage’s office. Concern fluttered her thoughts, hoping that Jim was okay. Judging by the state of Junior, Skull City’s outlook didn’t look so good.

“This device should be able to make one last trip,” Junior said.

“Can it teleport something big?” he asked.

“Yes, but only one thing,” replied Junior

Clemiticus visibly counted the members of the party, then walked outside. They all followed him, spotting Dog who was waiting patiently outside in the courtyard. He was staring off into the sky, transfixed by pretty lights above. The sun had fallen past the horizon and an orange glow emanated from the north. The air was strangely hot, and it looked as if it was snowing.

Melly opened her hand to catch the snow and found ash instead.

“That definitely can’t be good!” Melly said.

Golden wings flapped above as the Mistress astride a now conscious Andy, soared towards them and settled beside Dog. An instant later, Brian landed with Wendy. Both the animal companions looked fresh and revitalised from their quick power nap. Their riders however, not so much.

“Something huge is coming this way,” Mistress Maim reported. “It’s hot and slow but it will get here within the hour.”

“The God of Fire is on his way,” said Fairy.

“Why would a god of fire want to attack the city?” asked Melly.

The Queen held out her arm and said, “I think I can answer that. He wants what is imprisoned inside the city.”

They turned to the recently neutralised monarch.

The Queen looked above the bards head and said, “Clemiticus, you have been given a quest I presume.”

The bard nodded.

“Well so have I,” she said. “One quest and one quest only. Underneath Ashenstone City is a prison for the evil Gods. My quest is to safeguard the prison or the entire world of Fanswald will fall.”

“Oh damn, that sucks,” Clemiticus said. “A hard quest right out of the gates.”

The Queen nodded, then continued.

“Luckily I was able to control my surrounding and build armies to fortify the area.”

“Ooh! Like an RTS?” Thea asked excitedly.

The Queen nodded.

“What’s an RTS?” Melly asked.

“Real Time Strategy game. A play style where you build generic buildings and army bases,” said Clemiticus.

The Queen sighed then said, “All my defences here are specifically designed to defend against attacks from Gods. That’s why I was surprised that you all ran through them like they were nothing. Now that most of my army is destroyed it’s going to be almost impossible to defend the prison.”

They all looked into the orange glowing sky and saw wings on the horizon. It appeared that a black dragon accompanied the god.

“I, Is that?” Melly said, stammering. “M, my damn mother!”

Derrick squinted at the harbinger of fire and grumbled.

Clemiticus cleared his throat. “Okay gang, plan time.”

They stared at Clemiticus standing before them cast in the orange glow of the incoming doom. He waved his arms and posed as the eccentric bard he was, holding aloft two fingers.

“We are splitting into two teams again.”

Melly nodded, then thought, it worked last time.

“The captain for the team called the Skull City Saviours will be Thea!” he said.

The town planner’s face brightened as she stood forward, clearly pleased with the new turn of events.

“Thea, take the hunters, Nuecus and the ship with Junior’s magic thingy to Skull City! Find Eddy and keep them all safe!”

Thea nodded, understanding.

“Helen!” Clemiticus turned to the queen.

She flinched, replying, “Um, yes?”

“Sorry that we busted up your army. Do you have any troops left?”

She nodded. “Few though,” she replied.

“Okay, try to defend the walls. I’m guessing the god fella is not alone!” he said.

The Queen looked uncomfortable after being barked a series of orders in her own domain but she begrudgingly followed them, anyway.

“Derrick!” Clemiticus continued.

The dwarf stepped forwards and pounded his chest with his Multi-tool. Melly looked over at her father and noticed that he had taken the time when they were all distracted with Clemiticus to neaten up his red hair and beard.

Clemiticus returned a salute and said, “Protect the Queen!”

“Aye! Aye!”

“Melly and Dog!” the bard said cheerfully. “Fancy tagging along to spank a rebellious dragon?”

Melly grinned, then nodded. “Two in one day might be fun!”

“Naughty lizard!” Dog added.

A shadow loomed over the party as Rupert piloted the magical ship into position and lowered the rope ladder.

“Oh my,” the Queen said. “Not bad.”

“You should see the blasted inside!” Nuecus said.

“Before you go, Thea!” Clemiticus quickly said. “Let me cast some buffs!”

The bard whipped out his magical weapon of choice and strummed the strings.

Fly, fly, fly your boat quickly through the portal!

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily!

Time to kill the immortal!

A yellow glow filled Thea and her team.

“Seriously?” the Queen asked.

Thea smirked. “See you on the other side!” she said cheerfully.

Within moments the boat was filled with the Skull City Saviours team, leaving only Melly Clemiticus, Derrick and Dog to protect the Queen. A strange light flashed above as the portal gizmo engulfed the entire vessel and the ship vanished from sight.

“Bye, bye!” said Dog.

Clemiticus inspected the modified whale and grinned.

“Looks like you’ve evolved nicely!” he said.

Dog wiggled his tail in pride and flashed his big white teeth.

“It was that seed you ate, wasn’t it?” he asked.

Dog looked back at the bard, confused. “I ate something?”

A flicker of movement flashed behind Dog’s eyes.

“Um, what was that?” Melly asked.

“What was what?” the whale asked back.

Clem and Melly looked at one another as the Whale abruptly vomited a pool of blue sticky liquid and the contents of the green seed.

“Ew, yuck!” Melly said, stepping back from the whale.

Luckily, the gooey mixture missed hitting them by a foot. Melly gasped as she spotted what was laying within the muck. A tanned middle-aged man wearing nothing but torn up shorts. He sat up, wringing the blue gunk from his long brown hair and beard.

“Hey! What’s hanging?” greeted the stranger.

“Sup,” replied Clemiticus.

“And who are you?” Melly asked.

“Friend!” shouted Dog. “It’s my friend!”

Melly thought back to the time they had met the whale and at how Dog said he was sad that he lost his friend.

“Did you come out of the seed?” Clemiticus asked.

The stranger looked at his feet, noticing the green membrane of the seed then nodded. His demeanour was both calm and jovial. Standing up strait the stranger looked up at the sky and shook his head. “Man, what a bummer!”

“I don’t want to sound rude and all,” Clemiticus said quickly. “But we got to go fight whatever is out there!”

“Yeah, no worries!” he said cheerfully. “Let me join you!”

“And who are you exactly? You didn’t reply earlier,” Melly said.

“Ah, where are my manners!” the stranger chuckled then said, “The name is Dylan, the God of the Sea!”