For the first time this group finally seems to be able to spend some time together as just pure enjoyment, This is usually the part of a early parties life where the members truly decide if these are the ones they wish to travel the globe, universe and dimensions with for what could be the last years of their lives, While I like to think I am good at guessing the feelings most have towards each other when I have been watching for a while but with these False Heroes it has a cloud around their individual emotions that makes me trying to even fathom a guess on their future pointless when I can just look, Alas they will stay together for a short time more at least until they leave this 'City'...Still fills me with disgust calling it that…Burgh...Pardon me anyway with all the enemies they have made together and also with their individual actions they might find staying bunched up in their little pack could prove to be most useful as they travel the festival stalls...That candle their did you see it? That was a Banshee tears oak wicked candle!! Go back Go back!!''
The street was still filled with joy until they were past by the group, walking and pursuing the stalls, all taking their time to look and barter with the people but found that not only were the prices not being dropped but most were trying to charge over double what the signs say, Willabaar called over everyone to a small open bar laying in the street only covered by a bright red gazebo covering its patterns, The crew all sits as a bottle of Sand Storm was passed to everyone before the prince gave them all a small bag that contained fifteen Dragons and thirty Titans and spoke,
''Go on then find some things ya want, for the next trail or just for yourselves but I will be waiting here at the bar when your all done.''
Wilt turned and asked,
''Don't you have anything you need to get?''
''No I did my shopping yesterday right Otto?''
The goliath was still staring at the bag before responding,
''Makes sense...We should all meet back in around two hours? Gives everyone plenty of time to do what they want''
Willabaar raised his bottle to the goliath before Bee spoke,
''Well I will stay with him, I fancy a drink myself!''
The demon sat clinking his bottle with the princes, Orelia turned and ran off before shouting back to them all,
''I know what I want to get!! See ya in a couple hours!''
Otto looked confused but decided to walk the same way at least ,looking at the things for sale, Wilt was grabbed by Kyu before the Azamaar sprouted his wings flying up to the higher stands with the goblin in arms before he shouted
''What are you doing you stupid bird?!''
Kyu spoke soft as if the speed did not affect him,
''I will take you to the better ingredients at the top, It will be better believe me''
They soar into the higher banks and out of sight now with just Willabaar and Bee drinking and laughing to everybody around their tables dismay as the crew all goes out their own ways in the last six hours. Bee sips his drink before turning to Willabaar,
''So...You notice it yet or?''
''Obviously...I assume that is why you stayed?''
''That and the free drink of course...Should we do anything now or?''
Willabaar waved the bartender down while finishing his bottle and putting two fingers up to the bar man then pointing at the bottle of Sand Storm before speaking,
''No...Let them make the first move so they will be breaking the law...Let's just enjoy our drinks.''
After only thirty minutes Orelia looked like a child jumping back and forth between sides of the stalls not sure what she wanted most, Otto was about twenty feet behind and taking his time, noticing a stand that was smaller than him in both height and girth and the small red skinned goblin with one eye visible, a shade of orange being muddied with a crimson red coughing before speaking to him,
''Hello there giant one...Would you like to see your future?''
'''Why would I do that?''
The goblin smiled, turning his gaze to the young elf down the street and spoke back,
''Who said your future does not hold clues to others?"
Otto looked at the girl and then sat legs crossed just outside the stall, handing a silver Titan over before saying firm,
''No more...tell me about her future.''
The little goblin smiled and twisted his head back quickly to the goliath,
''Her fate…''
He pulls a card from under his table that was blank, starting to catch fire, letting out a hiss that resembles a young girls screams of terror,
''Has been decided since earlier...LONG LIVE THE HOLLYWINS!''
Otto looked over to Orelia to see that from the stall across from her, four pikes, bladed with a giants dagger on the end shootout, Orelia turned to see the onslaught as there was no time left and in a splash of murky crimson painting the sky, blood now splatting her jerking head as the sound of the four pikes impaling their target.
After only fifteen minutes Wilt was now happier than he was when being dragged at great speeds by the angel, soon realising that this floor did have the best ingredients he had seen so far making the goblin struggle to not want to grab everything he saw from the Barkium, the world's most natural material with the properties of multiple metals of the realm to a crypt scythe, a weapon used by the most masterful of Soul Sorcerers to increase their power but Wilt knew after what had happened in the last trail what he needed, Enough of taking the others blades and time to get his own, He walked over to the stand that held the Crypt Scythe and asked the young and scarred Elf behind the counter,
''Anything a little smaller?''
The man looked over and spat past Wilt's face and made a gesture for him to move along, knowing that this was not his place to make a scene he decided to smile and walk on before hearing an all too familiar voice of the cleric shouting loudly.
''Heresy is all you people know and I will not be lead by your examples!!''
Wilt sighed, assuming it to be the Aazamaar arguing with some trader when they tried to sell him alcohol or something stupid like that, thinking all this and more now approaching Kyu,
"What's wrong birdy? He said something you didn't understand or some other slight?"
Wilt said, standing before Kyu smirking at the angel's antics,
"No this man...no this thing is trying to sell Azamaar feathers. There is no such thing it's just living cloth.. kinda..that's Not the point he is trying to make money off a fake products"
These comments made Wilt laugh as he tapped the Azamaar's arm.
"Leave the idiot behind Probably bought them off some swindler leave him be"
Wilt then grabbed the Azamaar's hand like a child and dragged him along away from the trades people, then hearing a loud scream echoing soon followed by crashing and running fear filling the air around them before a blade is heard entering flesh in the bustle of the crowd.
After only ten minutes Willabaar and Kyu were now standing from the bar and both stretching before we see around ten men, cladded with Armor but all out cold as Bee laughs and spoke,
''That was seven for me ya know so I win''
Willabaar looked uninterested in the demons game and responded,
''Yes yes you win nothing...bet you're overjoyed with it. Now if they came after us they will have went after the rest you know?''
Bee stamped the head of one of the men who was trying to slowly crawl away before responding,
''True...Well Otto and Orelia went of that way''
Pointing past Willabaar as the half-mix was looking up, noticing bits of debris falling down from one of the highest floors before sighing with his response,
''Looks like they are already at it up there...I will go help the bird and brain, you go find your family.''
He grabbed Bee tight making a face of pure passion,
''They are your kin after all.''
The demon nodded and ran off in the direction they went as Willabaar looked up and began jumping up layer by layer, spiralling and avoiding the falling debris, much larger the higher up he got realising that a serious fight had already broke out and thought to himself,
''Don't be dead...You can beat these guys!''
Willabaar arrives on the tallest layer of the stalls, wrapped around one of the older trees in the city, scanning for his comrades only for his eyes to be widened by what he saw, Kyu and Wilt were back to back with a body laying limp between them, sliced at the neck and now with five men wearing armor made of Barkium and hiding their faces but on their mask's back was a sigil not known to the prince, A shield of autumn red with five dropping vines all of a emerald grey, one guard spoke to the two, still not noticing the presence of the prince,
''You travel with the wench who destroyed our vows of servitude to the all great Hollywins! You will pay for her crimes against the fami-''
''What foulness do you bring to my house?!''
The surrounding men all seemed to drop their weapons at what they saw, Vagnoman Hollywin standing in the flesh with a look of scorn on his face as he approached,
''You will surrender all rights to serve for what you do to my family! Hand over your weapons!!
As the men all tried to pull off their belts holding the weapons one by one the blood was sent flying from them as Kyu and Wilt hacked at everyone they saw, now aiming their weapons at the young elf in front of them before Wilt spoke,
''What are you doing here?! Orelia killed ya whole clan!!''
The young elf smiled and waved his hand over his face revealing it to be Willabaar, now smiling at Wilt holding a scythe of pure black in his hands.
''Crypt Scythe? Was it black when you picked it up?''
Wilt looked confused looking it over then staring into the sky,
''No...It was red...You know about these things I see...all I know is that Soul Sorcerers love them''
Willabaar started smiling once more,
''Uhmm..When it changes colour like that it means you are bonded..The soul of every enemy you slay will reside in that and will be able to be summoned forth to help...but when you die...your soul also enters and is trapped for all time...Dracul would love it...Shame I didn't see it first...Well it's done now so go ahead and ask it's name.''
Wilt seemed more and more confused before accepting what the half-mix stated,
''Hello...I'm Wilt Grove...What's your name?''
The prince laughed at the goblin, speaking to the weapon the man held in a language that sounded twisted to hear, burning its way into his mind as he spoke it and heard a response back in dark underlying tones laid over each other slight off,
''Finally. I will speak common to you but you should at least introduce yourself in my tongue. My name is unpronounceable in your language but the phrase that will activate me is Shaad.''
Wilt still confused but nodded as he looked at Kyu seemingly shivering with the closer the weapon got to him before he spoke,
''We...We should find the others!! Keep that weapon of evil away from my pure ladies messenger! Her will has not been spread yet!''
Willabaar grabbed them both and told Kyu to try and fly around to find them before grabbing Wit to his dismay and jumping off the edge back down below now hoping the rest were just as safe.
After another almost twenty minutes, Bee still ran through the crowds looking for his friends and finally hearing the sound of Orelia, turning to see Otto sat at a small tent and her looking at a stand, he felt relief seeing her smile before starting to walk towards them, thinking how they would have been fine even if these idiots did turn up, Looking at Otto he saw the man he spoke to hold a card that burnt black before hearing it,
''LONG LIVE THE HOLLYWINS!!''
His eyes burst open, looking at Otto raise quicker than a man half his size trying to get to Orelia who was shoot at from the booth across where she stood staring, Bee moved fast taking over the goliath and stood in front of the barrage that was oncoming, closing his eyes and accepting he was at his putrid life's end he could not help but smile as he thought,
''At least I saved the people I care about...I mean there are less hero like ways to die I suppose.''
His thoughts interrupted seconds from impact , his leg was grabbed by the now in position Otto to swing him back towards where he stood, using the momentum of it to thrust himself in front of Orelia, Bee's eyes swelled up seeing the man he saw as a brother be pierced through by four pikes that would have been used by his race, two through the chest, one through his lower shoulder and one downwards through his kneecap, spilling blood on the two watching before pulling out his war hammers and throwing them, one to Orelia and one to Bee before speaking with a forced breath,
''Oi...Bumble Bee...Take care of yourself...You ain't a kid...Unlike her...Pro..tect...he..''
The man fell forward fully pushing the blades though his body, taking his lung with one of them, spouting blood out like that of a rich man's fountain now lying flat, no movements, eyes open but the flare of his reserves seemed to be snuffed.
For only a moment time for Bee and Orelia seemed to stop, all their surroundings turning to white, looking at the body of their former leader not believing what they see, Bee's cheeks were steaming from his red hot skin, dissipating the tears as they formed while Orelia waived loud, clasping her hands together reciting a incantation at the maximum her lungs would let her,
''OTTO GAAR-EEK! YOUR FALL WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN AS I WILL SURRENDER MY SOUL TO THE GREAT LADY OF NAMES VOCARBURIS HERSELF! TURN ALL THOSE THAT PLANNED THIS FALL, KNEW IN ANY WAY OF IT OR EVEN HEARD THIS RUMOR! STRIKE THEM DOWN!! MY BODY CAN BE BROKEN BUT ONLY AFTER HIS REVENGE HAS BEEN MADE!''
Orelia raged her incantation, ripping her vocal cords to ribbons as the arcane power radiated off her white and grey power into the air, her eyes burned into the stall of the man who murdered her best friend before eyes all around here started shining bright, being burned to nothing like a candle in a storm, their light whipped from reality. The demon did not notice any off this slowly walking towards the body of his fallen friend, swaying as much as the goliath was before this moment, he kneeled before his body and started crying a loud wail, bringing a fist into the bark by the body before his broken voice came through,
''You stupid bastard...You were meant to...meant to lead us till the end weren't ya?''
The demon had now noticed that Orelia was now sat next to him, slowly crying but no tears were falling, as if she had prepared for this moment but still was not expected for it to happen, she placed her hands over his eyes and closed them, from her hand trying to spark a flame into existence but struggling before Bee did it, sharing it with her before she prays with the demon,
''Firendir...Your greatest follower has entered you great bonfire...We ask you look over him still in his journey through your flaming gardens.''
As the prey finishes his chest lights up, a single golden wisp rises up through one of the holes in the body before taking Otto's shape making Bee smile before Orelia put her hand across him and shook her head,
''No Bumble Bee...It's his flaming will...he spent his reserves in those few seconds to leave a message for us...We should listen well.''
Bee's eyes started steaming again as he nodded and looked at the visage in front of him before it spoke.
''Well...If ya seeing this then I've died, Orelia has sent me on my way to the great bonfire...Bee is probably doing that funny thing where when he cries it turns into steam...but yeah I need to tell ya something girl...I know that I would have turned soon but I made a deal with the prince...He wanted to release me of the Tyflos oath but I said no to it...I asked him to watch over you with me...And yes I mean with me little one...Him and birdy have the power to make my new beast body follow one person...You...Apparently ya will have to train me like some mutt...sorry for the bites in advance kid...I love ya.''
Orelia now could not hold back the tears as they flooded out, words not coherent enough to be understood while Bee still looked on as the visage turned to him,
''Ah yes...Bumble Bee...I'm actually glad we didn't get to sell ya...One hell of a way to go out right? Ya still got family to protect...and new family too...Hey make sure to tell Birdy goodbye in bird for me? Tell his royal asshole it was a pain serving him, bet his servants at home hate him...Tell Wilt he might actually find something he is good at...But you...take my hammers and give them some names...some good ones and give them a legacy for me...Orelia...Become the Grand Caster ya always wanted to be..''
Now both were now wailing like new born at the image they saw, both nodded and reached out to him and in unison were able to at least get through some words that matters,
''WE WILL...WE LOVE YOU!''
The visage smiled and reached out before starting to fade out from the feet, he looked up to see the prince and others standing back all with tears running down their faces, Kyu not being able to stand it and tapping his foot trying to look happy through the tears with Wilt showing a smile of sincerity before bowing and Willabaar with tears rolling down put out his thumb to the fire, Otto knew he had done what he needed before seeing Willabaar's eyes light up once more and thought
''Oh no...What is he planning''
He then heard the rest of the groups voices all clear in his head,
''Good meeting you my friend...I hope this damnation is to your pleasing.''
''Asshole...why you leaving me with the babysitting...take care.''
''Well if this is goodbye for your soul...make sure to enjoy your retirement for us all won't you?''
A single shard shaped like a tear fell from the flaming figure before in all the crews head one phrase in his voice was heard before the final parts of his fire moved on,
''This lot...A group of False Heroes trying to be soapy?...I'm glad we all meet...I'll be watching...Don't disappoint me.''
The final fire faded as the crew continued to cry, Willabaar smiled though and spoke out loud,
''We won't….Let's start with this pitiful dreg of a city shall we?''
The others around heard and nodded through the sadness before moving into the group, all hugging and letting out their feelings for their now fallen friend and preparing to take his unholy revenge.
Well the diverse party just lost one of its shining lights and to what a bunch of filthy second-rate 'royal knights' discussing what passes for a warrior in these lands. Slaying a true Goliath for the supposed honour of their state. pathetic. What would the pack do now one of the elders there has passed to a better place; should they run? Flee this wretched place back to whatever homes they might have? No I believe they will burn the cursed place to the damned ground leaving it to the annals of history. But alas that choice, If you can even call it that is up to are precious remaining False Heroes.