The next hour was spent organizing a search party and sending groups into the city. Many castle guards were rallied and marched across Lover’s Bridge, with the Fiona Fanclub heading the group. Some citizens made odd looks at the force coming out, but Colton waved and shouted back to the others. His hopes were to make it look like a standard exercise. It seemed to work as the crowd grew disinterested and continued their day.
Once across, the larger group split into small sets and fanned out across the city. The fan club trio followed close after Colton as they made their way through the shiny Aqueenian streets.
“Is he trying to run?” Simeon asked from behind the group. Colton sighed and shook his head, keeping his eyes trained on anything out of the ordinary.
From his side, walking shoulder to shoulder, Sinatra spoke up. “We won’t know until we find him.”
“He’s been locked away for so long; perhaps being in that state for so long finally got to him?” Siegfried added.
“But he could have left at any time!” Simeon said with a laugh.
Colton shook his head and directed the group into a garage, where they shuffled into a Vehakul—Colton driving, Sinatra in the passenger seat, and the other two in the back—and headed out onto the road. He hadn’t known the Nonpareil for long, but he felt they got along well enough that the green guard worried about his wellbeing. Hopefully everything would be well once they caught up with him. There was no telling what was going on; they just had to find him.
“Do you think Princess Fiona will reward us if we find him?” Simeon asked.
Sinatra sighed, “We should focus on the task at hand.”
“I’m sure she will! She’s a kind princess!” Siegfried said.
Colton rolled his eyes.
“What are you rolling your eyes about!” Simeon suddenly said from behind—apparently seeing the reaction in the rear-view mirror.
“You three. You’re a little too focused on Fiona.”
“Well, we did start the Fiona Fan Club,” Sinatra chuckled.
“That kind of talk is liable to get you kicked out!” Simeon added.
“Or demoted,” Siegfried added.
“Please do!” Colton shot back. The two behind him didn’t offer any reply.
Sinatra suddenly spoke with urgency in his voice. “Colton, turn back; that last street looked… melted.”
The vehakul made a loud hum as it drifted above the road in a ‘U’ and back to the street. Just before running into a deformed husk of another transport, Colton brought it to a sudden halt. Down the road, a line of malformed road, vehakuls, and objects lead to the back of Gwyn, who stumbled further away with every shaky step. Things all around him, including the ground, deformed with every step.
Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!
Colton was the first out, sword in hand; he ran to the deformed vehakul and looked in the window. A blue Aqueenian man banged on the glass and shouted something muffled. Apparently, the deformation had sealed him in, but seemed otherwise unhurt. The green guard broke the glass and helped the man out as the fan club approached from behind.
Simeon held up his blade and twisted it so the flat side was ready for a strike.
“Let’s just knock him out and get this over with!”
“Don’t!” Colton shouted, but his words came too late. As he helped the formerly trapped man, the youngest fan club member charged at the stumbling Nonpareil. Simeon shouted as he swung his blade through the air, Gwyn’s head being the clear target.
The sword liquefied first, leaking out of Simeon’s hand and splashing across the ground and Gwyn’s back. As the fan club member’s momentum carried him forward, his clothes began to melt off his body. Colton shouted a curse as he directed the citizen away. He readied his blade and ran ahead with the other two fan club members.
Gwyn turned to look at Simeon, and the man let out a cry of fear. The Nonpareil’s skin from his left arm to the left side of his face was covered in stone. On his right, blue metal was beginning to grow and dig into his neck. Sharp teeth ground together as scarlet eyes looked Simeon up and down—like a beast considering where to start eating. Runs of liquid from his own clothes ran down his body, but he was largely still dressed. The fan club member did his best to cover his nakedness while holding his clothes. The front had melted off, leaving the back loosely hanging on.
A metal fist was driven into Simeon's stomach, and the fan club member only managed a grunt before falling to the ground.
“Thirsty.” Colton thought he heard Gwyn say before turning away and restarting his shamble.
“Don’t think we’ll let you get away with that!” Siegfried shouted. He charged closer, stopping just outside of the apparent range of liquidation. Colton carefully eyed the trench formed in the ground at Gwyn’s feet and imagined the shape above; it would be a small sphere if his guess was correct, likely with a radius at least three-quarters Gwyn’s height.
Siegfried didn’t waste any time, as he likely made the same guesses Colton did. He stared at the ground, set his sword at his feet, and readied his fists. With a shout, Siegfried charged forward, paying no mind as his clothes splattered on the ground, and drove a blue fist into the back of Gwyn’s head. The Nonpareil stumbled but stayed standing. He stood still momentarily; Colton took the chance to creep a little closer before whipping around and smashing a rocky left arm into Siegfried. The naked fan club member was thrust into the wall of a nearby building—cracking it slightly—before he slid down and slumped over on the street below.
Gwyn growled, and his red eyes flashed back and forth between Sinatra and Colton. The red fan club member looked at Colton with an expression of uncertainty.
“That was more strength than a Needaimus usually gives, right?” Sinatra asked as he made a solemn glance at the unconscious Siegfried.
“They usually only boost defense; strength is minimal unless the ability grants it,” Colton replied. He gripped his blade tightly as he looked at Gwyn. Whatever condition transformed his body, it was not due to his Needaimus. It reminded Colton more of something he heard as a child—in an old legend—but he couldn’t recall the details clearly.
“Nonpareil… Gwyn. I don’t know what’s going on, but,” before Colton could finish, Gwyn turned away and shambled through a building, liquefying the wall as he walked through. They watched with bated breath until he was gone.
Colton, realizing he held his breath, gasped. He shook his head and assessed the situation. There were a couple more trapped in cars, and two of the fan club members were injured. Given Gwyn's state, he was sure he couldn’t take him down. Not without the use of life-threatening methods, at least.
“Sinatra, help the other trapped citizens and check on the other two; I’ll follow Gwyn at a distance and call in for backup.
Sinatra saluted, and Colton ran to the hole before he could get a reply. Gwyn had already carved down through the building and was out on the next street. Passerby’s screamed as their clothes suddenly slipped off them. The green guard shook his head and pulled out his radio.
Backup couldn’t come quickly enough.