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Chapter 9: Unexpected Heroics.

Eddie ‘Bones’ Malone walked along the corridor of his dungeon; his skeleton crew lined up along the wall facing toward him with water buckets in hand.

Eddie rubbed his boney forehead in embarrassment as he looked at his newly acquired title:

[Status Screen]

Name: Eddie 'Bones' Malone

Title: The Accidental Skeleton, Arsonist

Rank: Skeleton (Advancements Available)

Health: 100% (Note: Healthy skeleton!)

Special Skill: Bone-rattling, Intimidating Presence, Novice Magic: Fire (Note: Very sparky!)

Current Objective: Survive (Note: Good luck with that)

“Alright, boys. Welcome to fire safety with Fire Marshal Bones.” Eddie declared his new nickname as he walked along the line of skeletons, his boney feet clacking as he walked along the cobblestone ground.

“It has become apparent to me that fire and rain forest do not mix.” He stated calmly, standing tall while staring at the unmoving skeletons. “Now, I won’t name any names. But recent fire magic events have caused me to realize there may be need for this course.”

Eddie glares at a skeleton at the end of the marching line, it wasn’t that skeleton’s fault, however. Eddie felt it was right for him as a superior to shift the blame.

“Now for educational purposes, I will light a fire and you all will put it out.” Declaring confidently as he shot a spark into a pile of wood, he had the skeletons gathered from just outside of the dungeon a moment ago.

Unfortunately, it seemed that the wood was completely waterlogged as it was still raining inside of the dungeon.

“Alright boys, let’s try this outside.”

Eddie 'Bones' Malone, newly self-dubbed Fire Marshal Bones, led his skeleton crew outside the dungeon. The damp air of the forest mingled with the earthy scent of rain-soaked soil. In front of them, a pile of logs waited, hopefully less waterlogged than those within the dungeon's confines.

"Alright, let's light 'em up, boys! Show 'em how it's done, Fire Marshal Bones style!" Eddie declared, aiming his hands at the logs. With a flick of his skeletal fingers, a jet of flame shot forth, igniting the wood in a burst of fire.

The skeletons, buckets at the ready, shuffled awkwardly, clearly unsure of when to douse the flames. Eddie was about to give the command when a commotion in the forest caught his attention.

Through the trees, Eddie saw a figure being chased by a group of adventurers. The figure was smaller, its movements erratic and desperate.

"Causin' trouble in my land? I don't think so. Let's go settle this, boys," Eddie said, a determined clatter in his voice. He started towards the commotion, his skeleton crew trailing behind, buckets still in hand, completely forgetting the fire they had just started.

As Eddie and his crew approached, the demon stumbled and fell. The adventurers, brandishing weapons, closed in on the creature.

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"Hold it right there!" Eddie shouted, stepping into the clearing. "This here is my neck of the woods, and I don't take kindly to bullies."

The adventurers turned, surprised to see a skeleton mage and a group of skeletons armed with... buckets. One of them, a burly man with a scarred face, scoffed. "Step aside, bonehead. This doesn't concern you."

Eddie stood his ground, the flames of the unattended fire reflecting in his eye sockets. "The name's Eddie 'Bones' Malone, Fire Marshal and Mage-King of this here dungeon. And everything in these woods concerns me."

The standoff was tense. The man, seizing the opportunity, scurried behind Eddie and his skeletons for protection.

"Look, we don't want any trouble with a... whatever you are," the adventurer said, eyeing Eddie warily. "We're after this demon. It's been causing chaos in the nearby villages."

Eddie glanced at the demon, who shook its head fervently. "This little guy? Causing chaos? He looks more scared than a cat in a room full of rocking chairs."

A young woman in the adventurer's group stepped forward. "He's deceiving you. Demons are tricksters by nature."

Eddie pondered for a moment, then turned to the demon. "Alright, spill it. You been causin' trouble out there?"

The demon, in a series of gestures and broken speech, explained that it had fled the deeper forest to escape a more powerful demon, inadvertently causing disturbances in the human villages.

Eddie nodded, turning back to the adventurers. "Seems like there's a bigger fish to fry. How 'bout you leave this one to me and go after the real troublemaker? Cause if you want this demon, you gotta go through me and my crew," he declared, motioning to the skeletons behind him, still awkwardly holding their buckets.

The leader of the adventurers, a tall woman with piercing eyes, smirked. "Fine. If you insist on protecting a demon, then you leave us no choice."

Battle lines were drawn in the damp forest clearing. On one side, Eddie and his ragtag skeleton crew, armed with buckets and newfound fire magic; on the other, the adventurers, seasoned and well-armed.

"Alright, boys, let's show 'em what we're made of! Which is... mostly bones and... buckets, but you get the idea!" Eddie shouted, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

The skirmish began with Eddie casting a burst of fire towards the adventurers, who scattered to avoid the flames. The skeletons, unsure of how to be helpful, started swinging their buckets like makeshift weapons, creating a bizarre but somehow effective defense.

The adventurers regrouped and charged, swords and spells at the ready. Eddie, dodging an arrow, shot another fireball, accidentally setting a bush ablaze. "Oops! Watch out for that," he yelled, momentarily distracted by the need to control his own fires.

In the midst of the chaos, one skeleton, perhaps a bit too enthusiastic, hurled its bucket like a discus, missing the adventurers completely and sending it clanging into the woods. "A for effort, F for aim!" Eddie called out, casting another spell.

The fight was a whirlwind of fire, clanging buckets, and the occasional yelp from an adventurer surprised by a skeleton's unorthodox attack method. Eddie, ducking a swipe from the burly adventurer, tripped over a root but managed to turn his fall into a roll, coming up with a dramatic flourish and sending a wave of fire towards his assailants.

"Didn't see that coming, did ya?" he quipped, a skeletal grin on his face.

Despite their initial surprise at the skeletons' bucket-wielding tactics and Eddie's erratic fire magic, the adventurers began to gain the upper hand. But just as they were closing in, the demon, who had been watching from the sidelines, intervened.

With a series of screeches and gestures, it summoned a cloud of dense smoke, enveloping the clearing. The adventurers coughed and waved their hands, trying to clear the air.

Seizing the opportunity, Eddie rallied his crew. "Retreat! Back to the crypt!" he ordered, grabbing the demon and leading his skeletons back to the safety of The Forsaken Crypt.

The adventurers, emerging from the smoke, found themselves alone in the clearing. "What just happened?" one of them asked, bewildered."