Danny Phantom inside a Role Playing Game! VII
A Mess Up with a fossilThe kids' caravan was on a cliff, one mountain short of their destination; they might reach for noon and have lunch before seeking their parents. So far, they didn't encounter any problems. That is until a rock avalanche block the way from both side of the caravan.
Danny: Clockwork? Is it normal that a game master traps us like that?
Clockwork: No… they used more wild and unfocused forces for their trial, that's definitely others players doing.
As if on cue to the purple mage remark: "Give it up, Whelps! Your loot is ours!"
Valerie: Wait a sec'! That's…
Tucker: Skulker!
All the teens head peek in their back to see the scary undead hunter in front of the rising sun; three more shapes stand by his side. Danny managed to decipher Technus wild hairs, Ember obvious flaming ponytail, and….
Sam: that's Desiree right?
Jazz: Desiree?... who is she?
Sam: She was a ghost genie that grant any wish she hear and twist them only to cause havoc and make people do more wishes. Better think twice about what you say against her, she certainly can twist it to her advantage!
Jazz: ho!... but what does she do now? Joy probably strips her from her wish granting powers!
The conversation was cut short by Technus:
Technus: HEY! Pay to the others some attention too!
Ember: I hate you Des! Your dress is totally stealing the spotlight!
Desiree: Sorry to have a more exotic dress! Not like I could have chosen it… nor dislike it too.
Skulker: Girls, please don't tease yourselves too much, it's the whelps the targets here.
The four ghosts jump in, ready to strike the unprepared teens. Ember was standing behind, probably for support, Technus and Desiree where preparing some electric spells and Skulker was in front ready to strike with his two swords. The hunter charges with a big jump, Desiree turn herself into thunder and fallow him nearby, powering his blade in deadly electricity. In an unsuspected flash an even bigger electric bolt pass forward of the hunter, slamming right into the caravan.
Except that Clockwork had reacted first and use an illusion time spell to make the enemy team believe they were rooted in place, while he rained the horse away of the battlefield. Once the illusion dispelled, the teens toke their formation: Danny in front, Valerie just behind, Sam, Tucker and Jazz line up behind. Clockwork was watching form even further, guarding the caravan.
Jazz: We do as we plan this morning!
All nod and Danny charge, forming a grotesque ice shield and helmet. Valerie was just behind him, her silver knife ready to be thrown. Skulker was slam by the shield and Desiree had reformed herself, and the red huntress didn't waste the opportunity and stab the genie leg!
Tucker had materialized a long stick of metal and throws it away from his friend in front. And just on time as Technus was ready to throw another thunderous bolt, but his attack was attracted by Tucker's stick in magnetic effects, like a lightning rod.
Sam: Nice one Tuck! You still beat Technus at what he does!
Tucker: Yeah I know, I'm great! But the dude is clearly more powerful than me, and if ever his class is similar to his ghost powers, it might get real ugly for us!
Thankfully, the thunder mage didn't pick up that his spells are canceled by the lightning rod. Meanwhile, Ember plays her sitar (a more medieval guitar) and managed to boost up Skulker into a blade duel with Danny. Desiree turns again into thunder and charge toward Valerie, but she was also attract by Tucker's rod, thus making her miss the huntresses countless time.
Ember: Arg! Technitwit had it again! Time to speed up this chorus!
In one violent swing of her instrument string, she made a glass-breaking sound that had shatter Danny ice armor and sword, even worse it made Valerie and Danny knee with their ears in pain. Skulker managed to pierce Danny with his sword and Desiree had almost Valerie, if it wasn't for Sam protective earth spirits that block/knock her out cold with a Stonehenge rock.
Skulker: FINALLY! I HAD YOU NOW WELP! If only it was outside of the game.
The hunter rise the limp body of the boy high in the air to show his victory, but then was knock out by the said limp boy with a foot kick, and ice boot.
Danny: No Skulker! You still didn't have me yet!
Skulker: WHAAAAT?! I stab your heart! How?
Danny: Now Skulker! You know I always was hard to get before, why did you think it would be easier now?
Ember used dark music to attack the boy in her boyfriend clutches, but it healed him instead of wounding him. Both bard and hunter where focused on the seemingly immortal boy. And now Valerie was attacking Ember. Meanwhile Technus was wasting all his spells on the lighting rod, Desiree unconscious at his feet. Tucker was happy his little rod trick work so well, but now he was asking himself what the thunder mage was doing.
Tucker: Sam, Jazz… I think Technus is up to something with my lighting rod!
Jazz: You're on your own Tucker! Sam, look who is about to attacks us in the back.
The summoner turns around to see in the opposite rock rumble Paulina and her team. Their dress had changed, Paulina wear a green, feminine Robin Hood dress with a bow of her size. Star was in a pink, red and white cleric dress with a big cross staff. Dash and Kwan whore leather armor with multiples axes and swords on their back and belts.
Paulina: Kwan, Dash charged them, Star and I cover you!
The orcs slide down to caravan and were about too raid it, but it was again an illusion thanks to Clockwork trick. Barely surprised, the orcs charge again and this time the purple mage had to leave his driver seat to avoid arrows from Paulina.
Clockwork: Shame she's so sly and vain, she really is smart girl!
Jazz: The situation his getting bad, the others needs us against Ghost-X and Ember. And we have another team on our back.
Sam: Ghost-X?
Clockwork: She means Skulker. We can't let the caravan out of sight if they get away with it, we lose! Jazz, I think you can handle two orc bullies! Sam try to get me rid of that archer (dodges an arrow) she's really smart and dangerous.
Sam: With pleasure.
The main problem Sam had is that Paulina is off limits of her attack ranges thanks for the avalanches rumbled she's on. That and Star would certainly shield her if she attack, then again the priestess is busy healing her group, Jazz had lunch all mother nature wrath upon the bullies, she just need to wait the right time.
Back to Danny and Valerie, they tried to focus on one of their foe, but Skulker was always keeping Danny busy and he was too heavily armored for Valerie knife. As for Ember she was supporting Skulker with all she had while dodging the huntress. That and her screeching attack that paralyses both teen proves to be efficient. Technus was definitely planning something with the lighting rod but Tucker couldn't see what. Clockwork could see they were slowly losing the battle even with their good teamwork…. Wait he wasn't been attack right now by the archer…
Clockwork: SAM!
Too late, the summoner was hit on her leg while charging the duo. Paulina smirk says lyrics of her satisfaction. Jazz was keeping the orc busy, but both reveal to be pretty resilient to her spells, even those that blow them away. If one of them falls right now, they'll lose very soon.
Technus had finally stop shooting at the lighting rod, see and please with his handy work. He grabs Desiree and slaps her hard to wake her, which did shock Tucker who watches the whole scene. Desiree woke up completely dazed.
Technus: Okay listen, I overcharged up the lighting rod over there, your job is to use your powers over there and summon for me a thunderstorm! Can you do that? (She groggily nod) Good!
The thunder mage throw her like a spear toward the rod, the genie turn once again into thunder and is absorb by the rode. Tucker didn't like this at all, and even hate his plan when the rod exploded, sending all the stored electricity skyward.
Nocturne, who was recording the battle from his position with a camera, had to move in extremis before being pierce by the blast. Once it explode in the sky, clouds forms in spinning motion, they merges into a dark storm where Desiree form could be seen dancing, her foot cackling with electricity.
Nocturne: HOOOOOOO! That's pretty well done!
Then thunder struck the mage, who absorb it into his palm. With wild laugh, he shoot then an over powered bolt. In a flash it passes between Tucker, Ember, Valerie, Skulker, Danny, Dash, Kwan and Jazz… And hit head on Clockwork who's burned body fly under Star and Paulina wide eyes to land in front of Sam. And the last illusion caravan dispel, revealing that the time mage wasn't anymore protecting it.
Danny turns to watch the new scenery, and he couldn't believe it, Clockwork was beaten dead! That was a shock. The battle was interrupt; all gazes going from the purple mage's burned body to the Thunder sorcerer who did it.
Technus: Ho yeah baby! Now we're in business! Give me more, LET'S BLAST THEM ALL!
The situation couldn't get worst, he was about to shot everyone like that! Tucker's rods won't be enough, not for long anyway. If only he could get rid of Skulker, or send someone to knock out cold that blasted Technus. Then Danny had an illumination, he should use an undead minions, he'll raise it every time it fall and as long as Jazz, who had his phylactery, is safe he can worn all of them out!
Danny didn't wasted time, even while Skulker re-stab him painfully with two sword, the boy's hands glow a dark aura and with it he made a dramatic rising moves…. And nothing happen.
Skulker: hahaha… what's the matter kid, you lose it? Wait till my friend fry the rest of your little group!
Tucker was yapping in fear, his rods where exploding for each absorbed bolts, and the energy jump high in the sky to be absorbed by the storm who send it tenfold bigger to Technus. Valerie was dominated by Ember, no way to out run her. Sam was whimpering, from her wounded leg. Jazz just join her to heal her.
Paulina groups was retreating, too scared by Technus show of power. And he, Danny Phantom, didn't know what to do anymore.
Technus: Victory is mine! It's just a matter of time, soon you'll all be ashes!...Is it me or the ground is trembling?
Indeed the ground shakes, and it was getting stronger. Skulker let go of the boy, pulling his blades ready to defend himself from any form of danger. This was not natural; Desiree and Nocturne could see it from their clouds, something underground was raising, and something big.
Jazz: What's going on?
Danny: I don't know, run to the caravan, everyone!
The teenagers all obey, Danny quickly run to Clockwork corps, and drag him back with the rest of the group. The entire ground crack like an egg shell, Paulina and Star had fall down the rock pile, the orcs under them barely smooth their fall.
Ember: Skulker! What's going on? Is it the Game master tricks?
Skulker: No, we were doing fine! We can't let the whelps run away with it, where almost done.
Technus: No problem, just one last thunderbolt into the caravan and we're good.
Something pierces through the ground and one giant bone block the thunder mage devastating attack. Technus hairs fall down, limp in terror. The bone was a giant horn, a dragon horn. Danny had reanimated a fossilized bone dragon and their caravan was stuck between the horns of it!
All the ground between the two rock avalanche of Skulker trap, crumble into a bigger one falling along the cliff both Paulina team and Skulker's one was buried under it at the bottom in an agonizing scream. All except Technus who was sent skyward with the dragon's tail. He was catches by Desiree in her cloud. In an effortless jump, the giant bone monster raise up in the sky, clouds dispelled by the skeleton flapping wings. Leaving the two villainous undead falling in frantic screams.
Nocturne was eyeing the beast, who stares back at him now. The night clad spirit couldn't even comprehend what just happen in the last minutes. He was about to beat up the ghost boy by the rules and this dragon pop out of nowhere! The monster blew a giant, underworldly green giant fire ball at him. He teleports just on time and runs away to safe distance, then call for Joy.
Nocturne: JOY! COME HERE RIGHT NOW!
Joy: (in puff of starry night smoke) Boo-morning! What is it?
The ghost of dream points toward the skeletal dragon.
Nocturne: HOW IS IT POSSIBLE?!
Joy: Hmmm… it seems someone had tried to raise a corps with necromancy and end up raising a fossilized dragon! That's still valid in the rulebooks.
Nocturne: But that make some players over cheated!
Joy: not really, if a rat corps was closer to the summoner it would have being the rat and nothing else!
Nocturne: ….. Okay, that does rebalance the spell a little bit, since there's no way to know where are fossils.. But still, I can't say that to beaten players that it's valid, they were winning! And now they are all dead for that totally unexpected undead dragon summon by the ghost boy!
Joy: but the boy himself doesn't know either about the dragon, heck, no one ever managed that by accident before! Plus, he has no control over summoning higher levels than his, witch mean they might flow far away from their destination!
Nocturne: Arg! All that because they choose this particular cliff and not another! And since when fossils count as for corps! Even if it is logic you can't valid that? Can you?
Joy: Of course I can, I just did and didn't the enemy team managed to summon a storm to boost him up the same way?
Nocturne: Garr….G…Guess your right! Danny had well played his cards, so has Technus! The odds were even in the end.
Nocturne was sour about this, everything went smoothly and well. Scratch that, it was awesome how Paulina spread the groups with her fire arrow, how the adults where having the worst this forest could offer, how Skulker trap the teen's and assault them without mercy. And then a dragon pop out and totally crash it all! Worse, the kids can still win the prize if the dragon goes in the right direction!
Joy: huho! He spotted us!
Nocturne turns back to see the giant bone dragon charges them.
Nocturne: Don't think I'm done with it.
Both game masters teleport away from the mighty beast way. The dragon was now ravaging the forest with is sickening green flames. And the teenagers stuck on their caravan between the horns of the beast where in VIP sits of the drama.
Jazz: ….. Danny…. Is that… you're doing?
Danny: Yeah….. Didn't know fossilized dragon count as a raisable corps. And no I can't control it.
Tucker: Well…. We're doomed but at least we have a nice view…. Until it burns.
Sam: Tucker…. Never mind. I have an idea! Jazz, as a mage you can teleport us right?
Jazz seek on her book, anything but thinking about the bone dragon, but she sight.
Jazz: no I can't,, I only got a self teleport. I didn't learn group teleport yet, can only learn it randomly at level 20.
Sam: great, well let's hope our parents are doing better.
Meanwhile, in an underground river:
Jack: haha! Finally found you! Why did you run strait to that cliff and fall under those soaked caves? Was there an attack? I took us all yesterday, all night and all morning to find you!
Vlad: Why did you fallow? Ho forgets it, Jack.
Maurice: Well I won't! I took the rain now! Because of that mad man, we are lost I have no idea where our child's are and we are in the worst place possible to die!
Jeremy: now, now, Maurice! I know things are pretty gloomy right now. But since the waters flows us, pretty hard may I say, we must be going somewhere.
The adult's caravans where flowing over an underground river, both improvised ships clash together and stitched together so none sink. On board was Jack, Maddie, Vlad, Damon, Jeremy, Pamela, Angela, Maurice and the two horses from Jack's group. A pretty crowded raft might you says.
Angela: now that I think of it, Pamela dear, you can teleport us out of here right? With the raft?
Pamela: (sight)I wish I could, but as you just said, where now on a raft! Meaning we can only sail until we found a new caravan. Plus, the teleportation would teleport us randomly in the Beginner Valley with a high chance back where we started!
Maddie: (look her agenda's map) and if I read this right we are going in the right direction, I suspect that been the game master doing!
Damon: can you tell where the children are? I'm pretty worried after that earthquake underground.
Maddie: I don't think it was a real earthquake, but by what I see, our child's are now moving….. Way to fast! It's like their flying?!
Vlad peek over her shoulders, eyes going as wide as his favorite footballs. Same goes for Jack who cheerfully beams:
Jack: Ho! Didn't know their horses could fly! (Turning toward the horse)Can you two fly?
Both horse look at each other, then:
Horse1: Do weeee look liiike Pegasus for you?
Maddie/Vlad/Jeremy/Pamela: He can talk?!
Horse2: And brag about it! Anyway, no we can't fly and it's not what's the game master had plan for this quest! Heck! Why did you ride us over a cliff! We're horses! We just run, not think for you!
The Mansons faint catch by the still stunned Foleys. Damon pinches himself to see if he's not dreaming, Maddie had a cryptic glint in her eyes, Jack's had childish ones and Vlad was….in poker face mode.
Vlad: not be rude but… how come you can talk?
Horse1: hiiihiiihiiiihiii! We are old ghost horses, engaged by force iiin the game as background characters, aliiias the horse you mount iiiin the game!
Horse2: We learned to speak eons ago when we realize it was practical, although it did take some centuries to be able to speak!
Vlad: riiiiight…. This quest is getting worst by every minute!
Back to our teenagers:
Danny: is it me or are we getting back to the village?
Jazz: (calmer now that it's clear the dragon will never notice theme) hmmm… you're right… wait. You're right! The dragon is going to attack the village!
Valerie: we can't let that happen right?
Danny: Yes, but how? I have no control of the beast, if our attacks don't even tickle him, it would make him angry for sure!
Sam: Clockwork could have been really useful right now.
In a flash of light and mystic heavenly song, the purple body in the caravans back stands up, Clockwork has finally self-resurrected, thanks to one of his special class skill!
Clockwork: ok…WHO HAD SUMMON A DRAGON!
Danny: (shamefully) me… I was just hoping for a wild wolf or something that size.
Clockwork: Ok…( breathing, calming) now, we need to redirect this dragon to our destination, we should be there in minutes with it.
Valerie: not to be rude, but I rather find a safe way off the dragon first.
Tucker: Me too!
Clockwork: (having a light bulb idea) Tucker, Valerie, you two work on transforming the caravan into a plane, just so we can land smoothly! Jazz help them as you can! Sam, Danny you come with me we need to change this dragon course!
Clockwork was leading both teenagers in front of the beast, just between his eyes, yet out of his peripheral vision.
Clockwork: Ok! Danny, you are the summoner of this beast, if it goes far away from you, it'll crumble, what's your radius?
Danny: (flipping his agenda) let's see… My summoning will go around thirty meters radius, out of it, the summoned will crumble and disappear.
Sam: Neat, you have a bigger radius than me!
Clockwork: But it should be okay. Sam, use one of your spirits to drags his attention, keep the spirit under his vision and close enough to distract him. He will try to eat it; it's in his bestial nature!
Sam uses an air spirit, Cloud, to get the dragon attention. The second it was spotted, the dragon chase it, making the spirit run for its life! The abrupt moves had made Sam almost fall if Danny didn't catch her on time.
Now in the direction his mistress had demand, the spirit run out of her range on purpose to escape the dragon. Now the beast was zigzagging to the teen's destination, which was a port in a bay.
Clockwork: Where moving even faster than I thought! Where are Tucker and his crew?
Danny: He's trying to call for us, I think?
The trio joined back, slowly do to the dragon dangerous head moves. Tucker wasn't pleased by this plan at all.
Tucker: In hope that the improvise paraglide holds up: we are still stuck, tightly may I add, between those horns.
Jazz: My spells has more chance to break the engine than to push it out! Sorry.
The purple clad teenager though for a while…. Taping his chin, looking around, spotting something at his foot, it was a rope, a long rope more than thirty meters. He pulls it up and raises it in front of Danny:
Clockwork: Danny…
Danny: I refuse! No way I'm Ski-Flying!
Clockwork: Sorry but you are the summoner of this mess, so you will do this! Hold him on!
Valerie and Tucker obeyed right away, understanding the plan without explanation. Jazz and Sam where less obedient:
Jazz: Wait! You can't do this, it wasn't his fault!
Sam: And we would all be dead if it wasn't for his dragon!
Clockwork: true! (Tying Danny waist with the rope) he saves us and the quest. But now, we had an equivalent of the hang fairy tree, if not worse, (knotting the rope on a heavy package) and we are all in great danger none the less (guide Danny to the back of the skull) So sorry Danny, nothing personal.
Clockwork push Danny off the skull of the dragon and the boy was sky gliding as intend. Valerie and The purple clad time mage holding the rope, while giving rope to distance the screaming boy from his creation.
Tucker: Girls, help them while I toke the pilot seat to be ready the moment this thing crumble. Then pull Danny back as fast as you can.
This time, Jazz and Sam obeyed and help their teammates. Danny was almost like a fly in distance when the bone beast starts to crumble.
Jazz: Now, we can pull him back hurry!
While the others were getting their friend back, Tucker stare at the crumbling horns, waiting for the right moment, the caravan horses where tied firmly to a mechanism that will drag them inside the caravan cabin with the others for safety. Then they will be drag out for the landing in gallop.
When he was almost back in Danny saw the skull crumble into a cloud of bone dust, the bone dragon was turned into a fuming green meteor that explode on a lower cliff creating an avalanche of rocks and start of green fire wood. But the avalanche had revealed underground river to spurt out a big craft holding his and friends parents with two horse. When finally he was back in, Danny said with a shacking voice:
Danny: (breathless)I think….. I saw …our parents… on a raft ….down there!
Sam/Valerie: WHAT?! (Pushes Danny away) They are on a river!
Jazz: (joining them) what the… is that their caravan merged into an improvised raft? All that underground?
But they couldn't pounder anymore about it because Tucker activates the mechanism to drag the stunned horses back into the front on roughly land on the road while still running.
Tucker: Ladies and gentlemen, by unknown prodigy, we have safely land nearby our quest destination and settle the dragon issue. Thank you for trusting air Tuck.
Later on, in Blueport…
The quest was done, all the parents were hugging to death their children and Vlad was squeeze Inside the Fenton hug. They all won full sets of dresses equipment dedicated to their classes because even if their caravans where.. well not anymore caravan, their crates inside was perfectly fine and that was the quest purpose and goal.
Nocturne: Well… you gave me quite a show all of you. I know Joy games have a tendency to go overboard, but you pretty much held the record here.
Maddie, Jeremy and Pamela turn their heads toward the game master.
Maddie: A SHOW?!
Jeremy: YOU MEAN ….. THAT ENTIRE QUEST UNDERGROUND WASN'T YOUR DOING?!
Pamela: THAT'S WAS COMMON IN THE GAMES?
Nocturne: (Sight) No, usually this quest was easy, you rarely have that much trouble at once. But it happen that your rivals had done an exceedingly good work. I even give them a bonus.
This time Vlad push away Maddie and the Manson adults with his hire:
Vlad: HO NO YOU DIDN'T! I'm ordering you take back anything you offer to those teenaged brats as a reward for attacking us. As a mayor I cannot accept this!
Nocturne fixe Vlad furious eyes, bored. They keep it like that for a minute, and then Vlad blink it away, sulking.
Vlad: Damn you all! Game masters!
Damon: …. Okay… mister Nocturne. Is it possible to ask you something?
Nocturne: (raising an eyebrow)…I can only answer questions about the rules of the game and resume or rephrase some quest guide. So what is your question mister Grey?
Damon: Okay then, my main quest is to arrest a thief master by the name of Silver Finger. Where can I found him?
Nocturne: Well… sorry I can't say right away where to find your main target, nor do I know about it. You see, main quests are handling only by Joy and even us others a game master knows nothing about them. So you best go listen to rumors around you, especially in this port that is a high transaction point. Even if they are all NPC's and have not relation to real humans or ghosts, they do spread rumors and info on each of your main quests, so give an ear to the game's lore.
Maurice: What are planning Damon? The main quest probably going to be worse than the one we just finished! Or is that …
Damon: Hear me well…I hate being suck up into someone wild fantasies, even if it's we're now stronger and with superheroes powers. But this 'standard' quest proves me we really need to get out of this game and our only lead to the way out is Joy and his 'M' quests! So the sooner someone accomplish one main quest, the better.
Nocturne: (Clap at Damon speech) Bravo sir, you are finally accepting the games rules, but bear in mind that the more people are on the same quest, the harder it gets! Actually, consider that the more players there is on the same spot, the higher are the chances are you get an impossible task. Joy loves and thrives through the ideal of pushing people to their best! He won't hold up anything for this goal.
And just to illustrate his quote a giant meteor struck behind the mountains they crossed for their quest. Ground rumble harshly, misbalancing everyone except Nocturne who was floating. The sky behind the mountains was hidden by a menacingly large column of smoke, like a volcano has just exploded.
Nocturne: (not waiting for people to gather themselves up) This, dear players means I'm asked elsewhere. Avoid sticking too long to the same place like most players just did here, it bores Joy and he's not one you want to be bored!
Danny: Is the… (standing up) Beginners Valley is fine? Are people safe?!
Nocturne & Clockwork: (in unison while the purple mage stand up) The meteor probably killed all those who were hiding in the village!
Clockwork: I know it sound awful, but Joy had establish that you can come back from death in this game. They are not really dead but transport, painfully might I add, to another plane! Much like the relation between the living world and the ghost world.
Nocturne discreetly disappears in smog, leaving Clockwork sort things for them. Maddie finally managed to rise off her crushing husband and stand up to ask:
Maddie: You mean…. That we are turn into ghost but can resurrect back to human? How is even possible?!
Clockwork: Joy has a power that allows him to bind order and rules of the reality, rules such as gravity, chemical reaction, astronomical forces or microscopic ones. He does so by writing rules and detailing case by case.
Jack: Sound very sketchy… and how can we trust what you say?
Clocwork: You can always ask other players, after that meteor you are bound to found someone who had 'died' in the Game terms! Or… ho forget it, suicide is always a bad thing I do not approve!
Maddie: Thank for not proposing such absurd thing! But I agree with Damon, at this point it's clear we'll go nuts surviving this insane world if we stay for too long.
Vlad: I propose we found someplace to rest and plan our next move around dinner… we had all a hard journey!
Sam: (outraged) HOW can you talk about rest when it's clear people needs us back to the Beginners Valley! There must be survivor!
Vlad: (Getting more sleepy) 'Yawn' Because Nocturn said he was needed somewhere else, I'm deducing he preparing quests for the survivors. I'm not falling into his trick twice, no way am I doing another of his quest! I speak for all the adults here.
They all nod, Sam was furious but decide to only sulk it under her parents loving/restraining arms, Vlad point was quite valid and they hardly have enough energy to much more today. So they start looking for a place to rest tonight.
Back to Skulker team, in the game death planes….
Ember: What took them so long! Their body can't have fallen that far away!
Skulker: (sitting on the pile of rock that buried his body) We need them to unbury our corps so we can finally resurrect! What was our luck that our body be out of reach for a resurrection? The human brats had resurrected already!
Both undead players where stuck, their body too far in the avalanche rumble for their reach. So they are hoping their teammate's bodies weren't too far and that they come back to help. Thought luck so far, Technus body was a few miles away stuck in a tree branch and Desiree body had fallen into a river and been drag by it. The finishing touch, the death plane had a really annoying buzzing that is driving them mad!
Skulker: (focusing not on the buzz) by the way did you understand what happen during the battle? The ghost brat lunch in a dramatic pose an earthquake spell?
Ember: (effortless trying to move the rock but she had no strength to move it) HMMMPPPPPPFFFF! No! But I think the dipstick was trying to summon an ally! Whatever it was, it can't be what Technus said: a skeleton drake is way too strong for our current level!
Skulker: listen babe, I can't stand that buzzing anymore so lets go back to the graveyard and accept that insufferable Gravekeeper deal's.
Ember: I am listening and no way are we coming back to the village with a malus of minus seventy per cent on all our stats!
Skulker: We'll camp in the graveyard until he wears off! At this point it's all we can do!
Ember: We'll have to wait for HALF A DAY for that! We will totally lose our head start over the other players!
And they yell at each other for five minutes until they heard a ominous bell sound and feel they are pull out! The foggy grey plane of death was gradually dispelling for the more colorful game world. They were surrounded by half a dozen of Vlad's bats and Plasmius was standing in front of them, perfoming a dark magic ceremony.
Skulker: (relived) Vlad! Thank you we were losing it in this place!
Ember: Hum… look at that Skulker…
The hunter turns his head to his girlfriend's direction to see a huge fire forest spreading to no end in the horizon. The hunter was baffled by the scenery, it was like the end of the world!
Skulker: (terrorized) What's going on?!
Plasmius: To make it short: Joy was bored by the other players!
Ember:… and that's it? He throws Armageddon on the Beginners Valley because he was bored?! And I thought I was vain!
Plasmius: Where are Technus and Desiree? We need to move our base of operation since the previous one has been pulverized!
Ember: Dunno, they are probably looking for their corps somewhere in the death planes.
Plasmius: I'll look for their soul. You guys go save whatever can be saved and don't hesitate to dorm new alliances we'll need everyone to finish this game.
Somewhere in a foggy swirl of dark night and stars:
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Joy was puzzled by this scream, he knows that being a ghost and all make him scary but not that badly.
Joy: What's the matter? We're about to have fun!
The wailing person was a tall and muscular ghost, dressed in a white and black jumpsuit added with a super villain cape. He had a blue skin, red eyes, flaming white hair and a matching goatee. Last bits to be sure you can't guess wrong, he had the DP emblem on his chest.
Dan was wailing, not out of fear but misery. He had played, once in his on timeline, at Joy's game before. It was the most humiliating experience he ever had. Heck, it even drove him mad enough to lunch his destruction spree that he was so well known for.
Dan: I don't want to be in another of your games! I refuse! Last one had make want to slaughters puppies and tear kitties, slap grandmothers! YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING ME STUPIDLY EVIL! Before, was just hell bent and conquering the world and rape through humanity a superior race of half-ghosts! Then lunch a galactic conquest of the milky way, and maybe more if I didn't bore off before that. I was bad, because only of being a mutant freak…..
Joy: Can't remember you at all. How well I was probably trying to teach ya love this time around. But since you say it failed pettily… I'm making you a dark hero in my RPG game!
Dan stop, stare at him wide eye and then…
Dan: Guess I can't run away from you he?
Joy: Nope!
Dan: Ok… what will I be as a 'dark hero'?
Joy: Well, I choose you this class for your dark goals and violent nature. Basically you will be some sort of dark knight using forbidden dark magic in its fight. To end the game you must accomplish your Main Quest, aka M quest. I choose for you that your main quest will be 'to have your own kingdom'!
Dan: How do I do that?
Joy: You'll have to discover this by yourself! This quest is quite a hard one; you might need to read really carefully about the rules. But I gave a head start of fifty levels! Everyone else had to start at level one.
Without further delay, Dan was swallowed by the night fog.