CHAPTER SEVENTY SEVEN

Sometimes volcanic monsters are a much simpler problem

~

The five adults and Pebble read the message quietly

Scared at first but then they realized something slowly

Leaf’s mother was the first to articulate her thought

“It took a while for the Systems attention to be caught

And I can only assume “Automated” means something

Perhaps it’s preoccupied, just passively watching

As I thought, there’s something wrong with the System right now

It’s as if it’s struggling to keep up with things somehow”

~ Name: Belle ~

Title: Apparition

Class: Speedster [lv87]

HP

[93]

MANA

[241]

ATK

[142]

INT

[68]

DEF

[92]

SPD

[680]

You really think that you can outrun anything it seems

But outrunning the System might not be the stuff of dreams

In all the chaos that you’ve caused in kingdoms here and there

What you’re getting into now will give the gods a scare

And so the six decided that the risk was not too great

And they would try to find young Twig, before it was too late

Their children would be safe enough left in the care of Max

Who would continue their training and guard them in attacks

Twig’s five sisters wished that they could come but understood

If anybody could save Twig, their mighty parents could

Boulder thought it best to have young Pebble tag along

Fearing that his urge to leave the village was too strong

Log, Delilah, Boulder, Crystal, and Pebble all packed

While Belle did laps, assessing the town which was just attacked

Content that she’d acquired what information she could find

She felt at ease leaving he town and family behind

The six were finally about to leave on their mission

Not expecting, though prepared for, an interruption

It was Pebble who first noticed it and quickly said

“Why’s the sunrise over there, and why is it so red?”

The five adults looked to the dark horizon in surprise

And sure enough, an out of place sunrise greeted their eyes

But when Crystal used a skill which greatly enhanced her sight

She found that Pebbles description was not exactly right

“That’s no sunrise, Pebble, but it’s something that I know

I may be a little strange, but that’s a Volcano

Those appear sometimes, but something’s off about that one

From so far away, how could it glow just like the sun?’”

The portals in the sky and all around were still glowing

Remaining long after monsters had stopped overflowing

Still their dirty clouds were blotting out the midday’s sky

but though it now glowed redder, they were still not quite sure why

Pebble asked his mother, since he’d heard of them before

“Are volcanoes natural, what are you worried for?”

“Son, do you think it’s coincidence that it appeared?

To appear so suddenly today is just too weird”

Delilah grew impatient but Log fell deep into thought

“By now I reckon the capital’s attention has been caught

We should try and inspect it before King Beam’s bunch do

I’d rather not meet them, if it’s all the same to you”

“What about finding Twig, let that stupid mountain burn

If we go there, what is it that you could hope to learn?”

Delilah screamed and started marching into the forest

Compared to seeing Twig, volcanoes were of no interest

“Calm down dear, I want to find our son as much as you

but what if that single volcano were suddenly two?”

Delilah stopped and looked down in frustration at her feet

Thinking only of the injured son she longed to meet

Boulder looked with understanding at his grieving friend

But his wife’s advice was something on which he’d depend

“I can tell you with certainty, if volcanoes appear

Monsters will be the last thing that your son has to fear

We must find the cause of it and stop it if we can

Finding your son must be the second part of our plan

I’ve destroyed a city or two with a volcano

Those created with magic can very quickly grow

By my calculations, which may be a little rough

That one there could reach our town if it grows fast enough”

Delilah finally accepted what her friends explained

Looking like all of the happiness in her had drained

“We deal with the volcano situation, then my son

I’m warning you though, if I find him, I’ll take him and run

I’ve had enough of System Messages and politics

The problems of the whole world are not this mother’s to fix”

~