Onward we walked with our, small, white tipped, green bodied, yellow petalled newfound friend. Can’t believe this thing talks and talks better than any of us… I thought

  “Dillee, how exactly did you know where we were, it’s quite a distance between here and the tavern, and it’s several days travel.” Dillee had the most marvellous of grins in response to Lucy’s curious inquiring.

  “A fine question fair Hankae maiden. One that requires a suitable answer for certain.”

  “Well, what was it?” Rhua asked following up.

  “What a cracking area we’ve ended up in chaps and chapettes, my buds are tingling with delight from the sun.”

  “Dillee, why are you acting like a politician and avoiding the question?” I said to …him? Her? It…Im as lost as you kind folk with this one.

  “Sorry your lordship, forgive my avoidance. I’ve no idea to be frank, I simply sensed your presence return to the world and rushed here, on the backs of riders and running as fast as my roots would carry me… I sensed your trouble, and I found a side of me revealed itself in that ghastly form and I began rampaging across the lands of Maliterr to reach you.”

  “Dillee, do not be so rude. Me and Lucy, both asked you a question and you sidelined us!”

  “Ah fair clementine Terrahuum, do not worry yourself over such trivial matters, let us make haste to Isaac’s Shanti.” Hmm, seems Dillee can’t help but be honest if I ask…let’s test that theory I thought.

  “Dillee, tell Rhua the truth.”

  “Forgive me Rhua, I’m bound to protect his lordship at all costs, friend or foe, I will not reveal any information that may affect his journey!” He bowed to her.

  “I’m not going to ask you to repeat everything I bloody say when I want to talk. Fix it!” Rhua angrily said at me

  “Hey, leave my subject alone, look at him, he’s so precious aren’t you my little Di~” I touched his tips and Dillee transformed into his ‘alter ego’ roaring like the deenosaur again, the loudness pierced through all of us he transformed into a slobbering hulking mass of an Organic-Vegeta flower-meat shield.

  "Dillee behave!" I said, taking notice and sulking. I followed up by saying “I don’t think he’s able to speak in that form, is that right Dillee” Nodding in response to me.

  He calmed down and returned to normal size again.

  “Terribly sorry your lordship it seems touching the tips are a bit of touchy subject for me it seems. Rest assured! You’re safe to do so anytime you wish, however. Eternally in your debt forever, for giving me life!”

  “Let’s just get going already, Edge may come back and I’m not up for round 3!” Wardi said annoyed at all of us.

  Isaac’s Shanti was literally just that. A single large shanti-like structure of interweaving homes and stores run and inhabited by some of the less fortunate or outcasted members of Maliterr society. It was originally an area from old Terra, noted for its homelessness. They called it the skivvies back then because nobody that lived there wanted to work. But the merger of worlds was still not enough to give some looking for an escape to rise out of the breadlines.

  It is a far cry from its early days, however. And whilst it suffers from a lack of modernisation like other towns, there’s things here you can get hold of with less questions asked if you catch my narcotic drift. Weapons and things like it to.

  “That’s a right PONG.” Piped Horace. His Huundhan senses are on fire, and he tries to block the smell out sticking some cloth up his nose.

  "Cheer up Horace, im sure we won't linger around for too long. Said Wardi, pulling clumps of grass from his pockets and shoving them up his own nose.

  "Thanks for sharing, mate." Holding my hand out but no grass passed to my hands. “I feel my heart crack.” I muttered under my breath.

  Looking around trying to spot anyone or anything. It had been while since we last been here. there was an uneasy feeling as if something was not quite right.

  Horace fighting through the gnarly smells, managed to pick up something and activated his gift. symbols emerging and transforming him. He darted off the direction we came.

  "Where the fook is he off to!? We just bloody got here." Rhua moans to us.

  "I'm sure he's picked up something, whether it's any use is the real question." Wardi replied to her.

  "I say chaps and chapettes - What the devil just happened with our fine old boy Horace?" Dillee rubbing his petal chin inquisitively having never encountered gifts before. Wardi showed him Libratas gift and how it works.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  "Fascinating, truly fascinating I must note these observations down." He plucked a root and tore a chunk off himself and began writing. “And our fine old chap Horace?”

  I explained to him how that worked. He tore another chunk of himself off. When I looked at the stem he wrote on, I couldn’t see any ink though.

  Thats a bit weird I thought and asked Dillee why that was.

  "Oh sir, so sorry, here it should be visible now." he had blown upon the green paper and the most phenomenal handwriting any of us had ever seen was there.

  "Dillee where did you learn to write like that?" mind blown at what I just witnessed.

  "Thank you, sir, I read a book about it. whilst I was still but a mutely Vegetaflower. Of course, none of this would have been possible without your wonderful gift, which helped the most.

  Dillee asked Rhua if she had a gift herself.

  "Yes, but it's not normal. We've tried a few things over the years, nothing seems to get it to activate. Rhua told Dillee a bit more about it, and the specific instructions required.

  "Leave this with me Auburn princess, I shall see to it that it becomes yours to command I promise you." He took her gauntlet to kiss, only to get a smacked out of the way and to the floor.

  "Love evades me yet again, how I yearn for it's warm touch." I shook my head looking at it. and gave him a hand back.

  He always seems to go back to normal when I intervene.

  "Terribly sorry sir, emotions got the better of this old boy. Shall we press on?"

  I placed my hand to the side gesturing 'after you'.

  “Dillee, you forgot about me! Lucy huffed and Rhua smacked him to the floor again for his vegysogeny behaviour.

  “Terribly sorry Ms Lucy, wh~” she huffed at him in annoyance.

  “I don’t have a gift, but it’s nice to know you skipped over me you meanie!” Dillee crawled onto his rooty knees, begging her for mercy. Good on Lucy for putting him in place.

  “Dillee go get them something to say sorry, or your out of the group.” I’m curious how my threat will come across to him.

  He stood there mouth agape with horror

  “I will bring back only the finest thing sir, I swear by it~!” his voice trailed off as he disappeared.

  Horace returned to us shortly after. Two things appeared to be in his mouth. Some sort of broken pot and a young girl kicking and screaming.

  “Put me down stupid mutt!” she punched at Horace’s side, and he spat both things out of his mouth. Slowly beginning to return to his normal self.

  “Horace why did you take someone’s child. Take them back!” Lucy said panicking it would alert the authorities.

  “She was being attacked BY RANDOM THINGS out in the forest, WHAT ELSE was I gonna do?" He piped out.

  “He’s got a point Luce.” Said Wardi.

  “What if her parents or siblings are looking for her.”

  “Well, you could ask me instead of talking amongst yourselves, I can talk you know.” The girl spoke back to us.

  "Sorry lass – What’s your name?"

  “I ain’t telling you my name weirdo.”

  “Fair enough.” I replied. Wardi quickly chimed in

  “You just got burned lad.” He said despite me trying to be the adult in this situation. Cheeky sod I thought.

  “I’m going back before I get kidnapped or something, this place is doomed since the Gobhead’s took it over.”

  “Gobheads out here? How did they get in?" She already walked off and just left us all hanging with more questions.

  “What’s changed for Gobheads to have gained access? Lucy asked aloud.

  “Good question, I thought only Impies could get access to settlements, her grace’s permission and all that nonsense.” I said back

  “They’re still here, I can detect traces…but I can’t for the life of me pin point where.” Said Wardi.

  “We should travel together, don’t want to get separated it’ll be a tough fight that w~”

  Below Rhua’s feet an arts trap activated. And a net enveloped her. “Hva i helvete!?” she shouted out.

  “Welcome to Johnno’s town, who gave you permission to enter?” a squeaky voiced Gobshite appeared at the top what was once the convenience store in town and glared at us. Something was off. Confidence was oozing out of him, he was well geared, and unusually for that lot, managing to keep the big head upright.

  “Best not try anything blondie, I see you eyeing me up.” the Gobhead flung a Gorthen infused projectile at the ground near my feet. Much to our surprise.

  Lucy whispered for us to hear “Since when they could gain access to the system!?”

  “Ah damn, this thing’s got me paralysed, someone want to try and get me out.”

  Horace fired a crossbow bolt at the net, but it didn’t break. He threw a canister at Rhua afterwards the yellow gas spread out and she began being able to move again.

  Lucy began readying an art, green colour symbols began appearing around her as she whispered “Ostrze Wiatru.”

  I pulled out the Squitos Daggers and Wardi readied his regular rapier.

  “You made the first move mate; it’s on you what happens from here.” Wardi said readying to step into the darkness.

  Only, Dillee had returned with what appeared to some sort of shiny ore.

  Lucy and I had recognised it was quite valuable Chabag ore. Something of a precious commodity to the Dornam’s up north. It would seem the Gobheads were all too familiar with the stuff themselves. As the Gobhead spotted it and reacted.

  “Oi, you…thing, hand that over, this is Gobhead territory it belongs to Johnno.”

  “Don’t you threaten our boy over here.” I said pointing a finger at the gobshite who flung another projectile at me again, hitting me in the arm, I felt the impact and it caused me a little bit of damage but nothing to worry about.

  “Sir, I’m honoured you think of me so…” Dillee said wiping away a tear from his eye, only to make it worse since he’s part of the Allium family of species and his own natural oils burned it further. His eyes now red raw with tears was surprisingly reflective of his current state.

  We all stared at the Gobhead, and I gave Dillee a pat on the head whilst we did so.

  “Well, we did warn him.” Wardi vanished into the shadows and lucy flung blades of wind at the goblin. A barrier appeared around him and a group of art users appeared behind them.

  “Heh, they can’t STOP BOTH of us ey Luce.” Horace said and the turret appeared and three of them began viciously attacking the Gobhead and his group. Explosions and clanging screeching rang out as they made quick work of it.

  “THERE’S WAY MORE HERE GANG WA~” Wardi shouted in the distance somewhere trying to warn us but several arrows in the back of the legs and I keeled over groaning in pain not able to hear the rest of his words.

  “Damn it you little gobshites that tickled!”

  Trying to dismiss the pain but that hurt I can’t lie. Dillee was outraged at the sight of me on the ground and began roaring just like he did when we first met him.

  “How dare you harm the young master, I’LL SHOW YOU WHAT’S WH~” Dillee grew and grew more. Gone were his pleasant and somewhat cute features. This version of him is just a vegeflotrosity. Gross, I thought.