Dawn. The first rays of sunlight stretching over the horizon.

  Bear, flanked by Jackal, Chameleon, and a dozen battered soldiers, rowed back to the shores of Niceland. Their bodies bore the marks of last night’s battle, but they had returned—not to fight, but to negotiate.

  Yet, no one was there to greet them.

  The boats scraped against the shore, the soldiers stepping onto the sand with wary glances. They waited. Silence stretched between them, uneasy and thick. Bear cleared his throat, his voice cautious.

  “Excuse me... is someone awake?”

  No response.

  His men shifted, tense. The memories of yesterday’s battle still clung to them, raw and painful. If another monster horde attacked this early, they wouldn’t stand a chance.

  Bear raised his voice. “Hello? Is someone here?”

  Jackal frowned. “Where else would they be?”

  Chameleon nudged him and gestured ahead. “Hey, Jackal, check this out.”

  Then, with a flicker of his skill, Chameleon’s body twisted and morphed—taking on Bear’s beast form. He pranced on tiptoes near the barrier, voice lilting and exaggeratedly sweet.

  “Excuse me, pretty please, is someone there? Especially someone who’s awake?”

  Jackal snorted. Bear did not.

  His open palm cracked across Chameleon’s face, hard enough to break the transformation, forcing him back into his usual form. He said nothing, but Chameleon, rubbing his cheek, muttered under his breath, “That’s how you sound like.”

  Before Bear could respond, movement caught his eye.

  Winston approached, dressed in casual courtly robes, his stride unhurried. Even without the rigid schedule of castle life, old habits woke him early. He raised a hand in greeting.

  “Good morning,” he called, his voice smooth yet laced with drowsiness. He stopped a few paces away, nodding to Bear. “Sir Bear.” A yawn escaped him, muffled by his hand.

  Bear ignored the pleasantries. “Where are my soldiers?”

  “I believe Sir Elephant, Sir Wolf, and Lady Rose are still sleeping,” Winston replied.

  Bear’s gaze darkened. “They’re still alive, right?” He was on the verge of a threat when Elephant appeared in the distance, striding toward them.

  The tension eased. A few of the Xargian soldiers let out small murmurs of relief. Bear exhaled, shoulders relaxing slightly.

  “Elephant,” he said, scrutinizing him. “I see you’re well.”

  Elephant gave a simple nod. “Bear. Good morning.”

  Bear didn’t waste time. He turned back to Winston. “I need to speak with Niles. We intend to search for the holy crystal inside the barrier.”

  Winston dipped his head. “I’ll wake him.”

  Elephant stepped forward. “Would you mind if I came along?”

  Winston gave a faint smile. “Not at all. You’re most welcome.”

  Together, the two made their way toward the tent where Niles slept. Before lifting the entrance flap, Winston called out.

  “Sir Niles.”

  Niles groaned in his sleep, rolling onto his side.

  "Sir Bear is at the beach," Winston informed him. "He wishes to negotiate."

  Niles mumbled, barely coherent, "No meetings before ten a.m. That’s prime grind-time—when I’m at my most productive."

  Winston frowned. "But you’re just sleeping."

  Niles burrowed deeper under his blanket. "Strategic reflection time," he corrected, already drifting back.

  Winston sighed. "May we at least allow Sir Elephant, Sir Wolf, and Lady Rose to search for the holy crystal?"

  Niles waved a lazy hand. "Let them waste their time, sure. It’s important we maintain good relations. And Winston?"

  "Yes?"

  "You handle the negotiations. I trust you." With that, Niles surrendered to sleep, his snoring filling the tent.

  Winston left the tent. He exhaled and turned to Elephant. "Sir Elephant?"

  "Yes?"

  Winston pointed at the tent. "Would you kindly shake the tent as hard as possible please?"

  Elephant, having heard that Winston had just been given authority over negotiations, nodded without question. "Iron Fortress," he muttered, his body shifting into solid iron. Gripping the tent’s edges, he dug deep, seized hold of the bed inside, and lifted the entire structure before shaking it like a desperate man trying to get the last coin from a piggy bank.

  A high-pitched scream tore through the air—unmistakably Niles.

  He was flung from the tent, hitting the ground with an unceremonious thud.

  "Good morning, Sir Niles," Winston greeted smoothly.

  Niles squinted up at him, disoriented and betrayed. "I should've made Niceland’s first law prohibit all forms of violence against me."

  Winston folded his arms beneath his robes. "Yes, well, you didn’t. Now, our guests are waiting. They expect you to participate."

  Niles groaned. "But I don’t want to!"

  Winston turned to Elephant. "Would you consider shaking some sense into him?"

  Niles bolted upright. "OKAY, OKAY, I’M GOING!" He scrambled back into the tent, furiously searching for his boots and clothes. "What have I ever done to deserve this?" he grumbled.

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  "Is that a rhetorical question, or would you like me to list them for you?" Winston asked dryly.

  Niles stilled, then let out a nervous chuckle. "Winston, you joker."

  Winston’s expression remained utterly deadpan.

  Niles looked away. "Right. No need to list anything."

  Elephant stood silently, watching them both with mild amusement.

  Once dressed, Niles stretched. "Alright, let’s go meet up with the furry."

  Winston and Elephant exchanged glances.

  "...The what?"

  "You know," Niles said, already walking. "Bear. The rude guy who tried to kill us yesterday? That guy. Remember?"

  As Niles strode off toward the barrier, Elephant turned to Winston. "What’s a furry?"

  Winston shrugged. "Must be something from his old world."

  As they walked toward the beach, Winston muttered, “I should probably mention to him that we don’t measure time the same way. We have no idea what ‘10 a.m.’ even means.”

  Elephant hummed in agreement as they joined Niles, trailing just behind him.

  At the shoreline, Bear greeted them with a deep, courteous bow. Niles, however, simply sighed and plopped down onto the sand, remaining safely inside the barrier. He didn’t speak. He didn’t even acknowledge Bear beyond a tired, indifferent stare.

  Bear, just as silent, sat down across from him. He began polishing his snarling beast helmet. Niles leaned in, inspecting the craftsmanship. Bear leaned in too, mirroring him.

  They adjusted slightly. Niles rested his chin on his hand. Bear did the same.

  The soldiers stood by in complete silence, watching the bizarre, wordless exchange. Elephant and Winston exchanged looks—neither sure what exactly was happening.

  Niles leaned back. Bear followed suit.

  Then Niles twisted slightly to the side. Bear mirrored him again.

  No words. Just tension thick enough to slice with a blade.

  Finally, Niles extended a hand, palm up, as if expecting something. He waited. Seconds passed.

  Bear didn’t move. Didn’t speak.

  Niles slowly lowered his hand, glanced at the ship behind Bear, then at the woods behind him. More silence.

  Until—

  “SAY SOMETHING!” Winston finally erupted.

  Niles shot back, “WITHOUT ANY COFFEE?!”

  Winston threw up his arms. “IF YOU WANT TO PLAY KING, THEN ACT LIKE ONE!”

  Niles groaned dramatically, then turned his gaze back to Bear. “Alright. What do you want to talk about?”

  Bear finally spoke. “We would like to search inside the barrier for the holy crysta—”

  “Yes, yes, I already know that,” Niles interrupted. “Elephant, Wolf, and Rose are free to look for it. But what more do you want to discuss?”

  Bear hesitated. “What more? What do you mean?”

  Niles folded his arms. “We need to find solutions together for the future.” He said it as if it were obvious, common knowledge.

  Bear still looked unsure. “Our only goal was to find the crystal and take you back to Xandria.”

  Niles exhaled. “You’re only thinking about what you know—maybe even what you know you don’t know—but you’re certainly not thinking about the things you don’t know that you don’t know.”

  Bear just stared at him. The words washed over him like a foreign language.

  Niles sighed. “Fine. I’ll help you.” He shifted forward slightly. “How do you think you’ll be greeted when you return?”

  Bear considered this, then rumbled, “Not well.”

  The other Xandrian soldiers subtly nodded in agreement.

  Niles continued, “Your holy crystal isn’t here. Your army is in shambles. And remind me, Bear—how merciful is your king when it comes to failure?”

  Bear didn’t even have to think. “Not much.”

  “Exactly,” Niles said, leaning in slightly. “So… what are we going to do about it?”

  Bear’s eyes narrowed from inside his helmet. “We? What more is there to do?”

  “We need to make something happen.”

  Bear studied him carefully. “And what would that be?”

  Niles gestured behind him. “First, collect your fallen soldiers from the battlefield. They deserve a proper funeral.”

  Bear nodded solemnly. “The journey home is too far. Would you allow us to use some of the palisades as lumber for a funeral pyre?”

  Niles nodded without hesitation. “Deal.”

  Bear blinked, slightly taken aback. “And… you want nothing in return?”

  “It’s in our interest too,” Niles replied. “Wolf will remain here as a recruited member, honoring the terms of your surrender. These are his fallen brothers and sisters, and this is also our way of paying respect to Elephant.”

  Elephant, standing beside Niles, bowed his head slightly. “Thank you, Sir Niles.”

  Not wanting to dwell on Wolf any longer, Niles pressed on. “Second—we accept trade with Xandria. Your merchants may come here, and your injured soldiers can recover within our barrier. But for now, we can only accommodate two at a time.”

  Bear considered this. “And what do you have to trade?”

  “Good question,” Niles said, turning to Winston with a grin. “Minister of Trade and Commerce, would you like to answer?”

  Winston shot him a glare.

  Niles leaned closer to Bear, chuckling under his breath. “I’ve given him, like, ten different promotions already.”

  Winston ignored the remark and answered seriously. “We have monster parts. I’m not sure how much they’re worth, but your guilds could probably appraise them. More importantly, this is the first time in history that humans have settled on Monster Island. It’s rumored to be rich in resources. A good relationship with us now could mean massive opportunities for Xandria in the future.”

  Bear thought it over, then nodded. “That’s true… but there’s a problem. The waters between here and Xandria aren’t safe. Pirates roam freely—especially one in particular…”

  Niles cut in immediately. “Gingerbeard?”

  Bear nodded. “Yes. Worst name I’ve ever heard.”

  “RIGHT?!” Niles practically shouted. “IT’S THE WORST NAME EVER!”

  Bear sighed. “Regardless, the Crown has never been able to catch him. His hideout remains unknown.”

  Niles smirked and turned his gaze toward the watchtower. “Squeaky!”

  In a blur, his tiny familiar bolted down, perching on his outstretched hand. The little bird nuzzled against Niles, chirping happily.

  Niles turned back to Bear, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I think I can help with that. And if I do, you might just have a shot at restoring some of your honor before returning home.”

  Bear studied him warily. “And what do you want in return?”

  Niles’s smirk widened into something sinister. “My shoes.”

  Then he threw his head back and cackled—his laughter swelling into a monstrous, villainous crescendo that could make even the most hardened warlord break into a cold sweat.

  A few days later, somewhere on the open ocean, the first light of dawn crept over the horizon.

  A small island jutted out from the sea, its towering cliffs shielding the hidden cove within. From the mouth of a massive cave, a half-drunken pirate staggered out, stretching as he made his way to the water’s edge. Their ship lay concealed in the darkness behind him, tucked safely within the cavern. He planted his feet on the damp stones, rolling down his pants to relieve himself into the sea, undisturbed and half-asleep.

  He yawned, one hand steadying himself, the other rubbing the exhaustion from his eyes. Then, something in the sky caught his attention. A bird—unusual in behavior—circled high above the hideout.

  And then he saw it.

  A mighty warship, its sails unfurling, cutting through the waves like a blade. The flag of Xandria whipped violently in the salty wind. His breath hitched. He stumbled, his drunken haze vanishing in an instant as terror took its place.

  Blinding metal caught his eye next. Beastly helmets gleaming in the morning sun. His voice cracked as he fumbled for words.

  “XARGIAN GUARDS!” he shrieked, stumbling backward, pants still half-down. His panic spilled across the cove. “XANDRIA IS COMING!”

  His cry echoed over the water.

  At the bow of the approaching ship, Bear stood, a mountain of muscle and menace. Beside him, Chameleon and Jackal awaited the inevitable battle, their hands steady on their weapons.

  Above them, Squeaky swooped down, darting toward Elephant. The tiny bird perched on his armored arm, chirping excitedly. Elephant scratched the familiar’s head in thanks. “Good work, Squeaky.” He offered a small bowl of grilled fish, which Squeaky devoured happily.

  Then, without another word, Elephant turned and strode toward his fellow Xargian guards. He reached for his helmet and locked it into place.

  Behind them, the remnants of the Xandrian army had gathered—battle-scarred but unbroken. A lookout called from the ship’s mast, “They’ve spotted us!”

  Bear exhaled sharply. His lips curled into a wicked grin. “Finally.”

  With a sickening crack, his body began to shift, bones snapping as he morphed into his beast form. His claws flexed, digging into the ship’s railing.

  “I’ve got a lot of frustration to take out.”

  Elephant moved through the ranks, his voice steady, commanding.

  “BREATHE IN CONFIDENCE. EXHALE FEAR!”

  The soldiers straightened.

  “BREATHE IN FAITH. EXHALE DOUBT!”

  A battle cry rumbled through the air.

  Bear’s voice boomed across the deck. “PREPARE FOR COMBAT! TAKE NO PRISONERS!”

  Steel hissed from scabbards as weapons were drawn. Shields locked. Muscles tensed.

  Elephant raised his fist. “GLORY TO XANDRIA!”

  A deafening roar erupted from the soldiers.

  And then—impact.

  The warship slammed into the pirate cove, splintering wood and sending waves crashing into the rocky shore. The invasion had begun.

  Niles: Yes.

  Bear: Ok.