Everyone came out of the portal as the portal just disappeared the next second. The ground was empty ahead, whoever was there before, had run away after Morpheus probably.
Varun caught sight of Morpheus walking far away into the bigger ground. Everyone sneaked towards him to see what was going to happen. Everything got covered with fog right then as everyone was blinded now.
They made towards the way Morpheus went, slowly and cautiously. They reached the bigger ground and there was no fog there. It was just all empty but with a machine in between the ground and Morpheus was looking straight up at it. The machine seemed like the one controlling the weather change. It was huge, reaching up above, but not to the sky… or that'd just be filmy.
"Ok, he will kill us if we let him," Jay said.
"Oh he will do a lot of things if you let him," Varun said. "That sounds wrong… I just meant life-taking related you know, like he choked Somnus. Ok, still sounds wrong. I'll stop."
"We need to stop him," Flint said.
"He killed his own father," Jiant said.
"Don't we all?" Varun asked. "I'm going the wrong direction in dark humour."
"Yeah, and in leader-ing too man," Jiant said.
"We need a plan alright. What we did in the dream realm, if we did that by planning beforehand, we can kick his ass," Flint said.
"Oh and more," Fara added. "Me too, got it."
"Can you people hear me?" a voice echoed inside Varun's mind.
"Did you guys hear that?" Varun asked.
"Was going to ask the same, so good to know," Aria said.
"Ditto," Jiant said.
"It's me, you favourite teacher… possibly, I don't know," Sandeep sir's voice came clearly in their mind now.
"Sure, I'm not just imagining this?" Varun asked.
"No Varun, it's really me," Sandeep sir said.
"That is what even my mind would say," Varun said.
"Ok… now getting to business already," Sandeep sir said.
"I thought communications were blocked," Flint said.
"Yeah, but I haven't connected to your comms. I even connected to Varun's mind before, remember? Unless it was actually some dream," Sandeep sir said.
"No sir, it was all true, though still a dream," Varun said.
"Then I'm happy you guys made it out. Though unknown to how, but you are here, that is what matters," Sandeep sir said.
"Well, that ticks for reality check then," Varun said.
"So, what are you guys doing now?" Sandeep sir asked.
"Planning on defeating the villain of this story," Varun said.
"Oh big bad is still alive I'll consider. You sure you can take him?" Sandeep sir asked.
"I'm, but they can't," Varun said.
"Not this again," Aria sighed.
"Yes, this again," Varun said.
***
"A plan for beating Psycho now you say. He's just killable and we got confirmation just a minute ago," Nightrale said.
Kara and the others were in the same room as before.
"Yeah he is. Not Larynx-mite," Kara said.
"Yeah, what is that thing even?" Nightrale asked.
"I don't know too," Magpie said.
"Same," Alias and Nemesis said.
"Wow, so uncultured you people are," Kara scoffed.
"Hello, lost her memories, trained to fight all their lives and unknown to many things somehow, here," Nightrale said.
"Not really the label I like or prefer," Magpie said.
"Sorry about that," Nightrale said.
"Larynx-mite is a beast which feeds on people's voices and grows. When all they are is soundless in the end, it gains full control on them and there are two ways that goes. It uses them as a beacon to gain more victims or eats them up, to fill its physical hunger. If this thing has caught onto Tacy's voice, it will find her one or the other way. And I think I filled your minds with what would happen next," Kara said.
"Then we need to go find Psycho and end this," Nightrale said.
"If the beast is as strong as the tales say. We need more than just blades, ice, lightning and weapons," Kara said.
"Yeah, even Manasie is not here. Or she could have helped us a lot dude," Magpie said.
"We are enough to deal with this," Nightrale said.
"No, we need backup. Primevel warriors and Varun are our backup available. That way even Earth can be helped. Varun meets the Primevel warriors, gets his team armour and they stop the things on Earth," Kara said.
"We don't have time and we can handle," Nightrale said.
"We need a plan too," Kara said.
"Who cares? If me going will help Tacy, then I will do it. Come on, it's about Tacy!" Nightrale said.
"We can't just be reckless," Kara said.
"May I suggest splitting?" Harun asked.
"Go on and fast," Nightrale and Kara said.
"Ok, so me and Lady Kara will go get Varun. Magpie and Nightrale, I'll give you the location of Psycho, you go and do your best, you are our best. Alias and Nemesis contact the Primevel warriors and any help you can get as quickly as you can. This way we wouldn't be wasting time fighting here and still be doing our best," Harun said.
"Fair," everyone said.
"Slerek will help, I'm sure he's around," Alias said.
"I already took on an army, I think I can manage even Psycho and hold off Larynx-mite as much as I can," Magpie said.
"Yeah and I'll help," Nightrale said.
"Can't we just bring Varun and join the others?" Kara asked.
"Oh but the mirror-gem is in the castle, last I remember," Harun said.
"Well, let's get moving then people," Kara said.
***
Morpheus was checking something on the machine and he heard footsteps approaching. Even when he could hear it, he didn't turn, as if he knew what would happen and waited for this.
"Hey man, time for our second duel," Varun said.
"Yeah, round two baby," Aria said.
"Don't," Varun said under his breath.
"What's the point?" Morpheus asked without turning back. "We fight, you lose. We fight, I lose. We fight, some die, some run away in the hopes for avenging. We fight, you kill me, Phobetor or someone else avenges me. War-war-war, that is all and constant. Lives won't end, war won't end. Until proper lives are the only ones left," Morpheus said.
"Yeah… and I don't know what to say. Anyone want to trade the talking work?" Varun asked.
"You hope to cause chaos. But monologue like some dictator when it comes to fight. There aren't proper lives yet. Maybe not now but there will be a time. That is what we fight and aim for," Aria said. "Yeah, I do some very good talking too, ok?"
"Well done, you beat me there. I guess the reason for war is something we expect to happen deep down. If that is your motive, then let's war," Morpheus said and turned back.
"Oh this won't be war," Varun said.
Everyone was ready with their swords up in front of them.
"And… I'm losing my grip on my puns. Is this what end tastes like?" Varun asked.
"He's got armour. Did we really consider armour?" Aria asked, as her worrying side kicked in.
"Only a hundred times… that too, just by you," Varun said.
Morpheus lifted his hand and taunted Team Anti-Christmas to come at him.
Maaz and Adam rushed forward towards Morpheus with their swords. They caught him on his two sides and slashed towards his armour. The armour was impenetrable as expected and Morpheus just tried to catch hold of at least one of them. They both kept slipping away from him and kept him occupied.
Jiant came from Morpheus' blind spot with a huge stone plate which he possibly found around the ground in the meantime. He pounced at Morpheus with the stone plate and broke it upon Morpheus' helm, causing no damage at all.
"The crane has dropped the stone," Varun said.
"The buzzing's started guys," Jiant said.
"We really needed to work on what to say," Varun said.
Flint came with the guitar and smashed it on the front of the helm, but seemingly even that was tough to break. Aria and Jay had a huge log, which could be said as a tree by itself because of its size, in their hands; they threw it upon Morpheus, backing him away as he shielded himself with his hands.
"Not really my idea," Varun pointed out.
"Additional buzzing," Aria and Flint said, and gave each other a Hi-Fi.
"Very few things left around as options. Weapons all left," Varun said.
"We better get slashing then," Jay said.
Now everyone rushed ahead with their swords in hand and pounced at Morpheus at once. Morpheus looked somehow overwhelmed by all this and just protected himself. The swords clashing towards him was just buzzing to him and did no harm, but that wasn't the plan. Jiant and Flint tried to open his armour up but failed.
Jay held Morpheus' head and bent it down to his knee. Morpheus caught hold of Jay and pushed him away but Jay's grip being tight on him, they both stumbled on each other and fell. Morpheus got up grumpily.
"Dent on waist," Aria said running to Morpheus.
Aria kicked into the armour dent and Morpheus groaned.
"Can't cut through the armour," Varun said.
"No point trying to remove," Jiant and Flint said.
"As awkward as that part sounded to me. Go reckless Varun," Aria said turning to Varun and backing away.
"Roger that," Varun said grasping upon the small stone-gem in his hand.
Varun transformed into his reckless form, the Attear. Morpheus just backed off as everyone else moved away from the two. It was a one-on-one now.