Chronicles of the Imperium II

Rated PG 13

Three months after Chapter I...

Characters
KARSAAN – YELLOW PIKMIN ZEALOT, UNIT COMMANDER OF GLOWCAP SQUAD

FARONZO – WHITE PIKMIN BATTLEMAGE, 2nd OFFICER OF GLOWCAP SQUAD

GALAAE – YELLOW PIKMIN COUNCIL MEMBER

FAEOR – BLUE PIKMIN COUNCIL LEADER

PETER – GRAY PIKMIN COURT GUARD

ZHAO – RED PIKMIN COURT GUARD

Act I
“Honestly, Faeor, a new dark time is upon us! Feral Imps talking and using Dark Magic? There could be hundreds more!”, said a concerned Yellow Pikmin Council member named Galaae. The council shifted uncomfortably as thought of a new menace mulled in their preoccupied minds.

“Galaae, be at ease. The Light will not allow these heathens to continue to cause mischief. This is but a passing time of evil.”, said the Blue Pikmin Council Leader Faeor.

“Permission to interrupt, my lords.”, said Karsaan, weary as ever.

The Council leader gave a curious look. “For what purpose? This isn't a petty squad meeting, this is the outcome of the entire Imperium at stake.”

“I just wanted to give my opinion on the Bone Chieftain, as I was the one to slay him.”, said Karsaan.

“Bah! Him? We're talking about a brutish imp here! What is it, Commander?”

Karsaan carefully shifted his glance to the rest of the council. “This imp is not some brute to be trifled with. He is capable of damaging my armor, only those with a stronger will than I are capable of. No mere imp has been able to damage my armor ever before now, so I suggest we treat this new breed of imps with caution.”

Faeor gave a look of disapproval. “This may be true, Commander, but I personally know that this new imp pales in comparison to the might of the Way of Light. We will smite these heathens, even if it means one at a time.”

Karsaan squinted his eyes. “Would you like to know the first and only casualty in Glowcap Squad to the Bone Chieftain? Our healer, the Way of Light Acolyte...” The council shifted around and a clamor started, Pikmin arguing and discussing.

“Enough! That is a mere coincidence! Guards, escort the Commander out of here. I will not tolerate him making a scene.” Peter and Zhao grabbed the Yellow Pikmin by the underarms and carried him to the central courtyard, making sure to make extra noise. Outside Faronzo was waiting for his Commander. “Ah, Commander! How did it go?”, said Glowcap Squad's 2nd officer.

“The Council Leader is an intolerant Blue Pikmin who refuses to listen to reason.”, remarked Karsaan.

Faronzo smirked. “So, business as usual, eh?”

The two chatted as they walked through the courtyard's botanical gardens. Occasionally Faronzo picked a posy or two, remarking that it was “what he'd been looking for”. They, as old friends, talked until the sun was setting. Storm clouds were forming, and Karsaan made an adamant look into the inclement weather.

“A storm is headed, Commander. I used some dew drops to attempt a calming of its core, but it seems very strong. Might even be a hurricane...” Faronzo looked up at the gray maelstrom of a storm forming in the distance. “Odd, we aren't in the stormy season for the Terrol Province. It's not for another four months! I'm going to find some skyberries, perhaps I can detect just what is happening.”

Karsaan looked grimly at the sky, barely noticing a black blur soar past. “2nd Officer! What was that?”

Faronzo returned and they looked up into the sky until they saw it: an approaching vulture, black as night. “What the Jikkū is going on?”, Faronzo yelled. He signaled to the Commander that he was going to find some Court Guards. Karsaan glanced back at the sky to find the vulture missing. He spun around to find the large avian swooping down to the fountain. It knocked over the stone fountain, making a mess of cobble and water, and thwacked as it settled on the ground.

A large figure emerged from behind the ruined fountain, laughing with an evil solace. “Hello, little min. My name is Fe. But you may call me Avalord. I see that you are alone. Pitiful, I would have enjoyed killing multiple of you tiny little things, but this will have to do.”

Avalord yelled with a bird-like squawk and the storm centered over the courtyard. Karsaan grimaced as rain began to pelt his armor, thumping away. He knew that the elements temporarily weakened his rune configuration. Even in light of that, he charged the imp with a fervor unlike any Zealot had before. Avalord smirked a toothy grin and morphed into a flock of crows, pecking and diving at the Yellow Pikmin. Karsaan was overwhelmed, his armor receiving a number of dents and even a few holes. He knew he had no other choice: he'd use his special power...

Act II
Faronzo was rushing through the Noble Court halls as the storm worsened, crackling lightning around outside. He hurried faster as he pushed Blue Pikmin out of the way on his route to the Council chambers. He heard a loud bird-like sound and continued down the corridors. When he finally reached the Council chambers he was stopped by the guards.

“Halt! Only those with permission are allowed entry!”, said one of the guards.

“You don't understand, the courtyard is under attack by another powerful imp!”

The two guards exchanged glances and one entered the chambers. The Council Leader Faeor and the guard returned out of the doors. Faeor had a grim look on his face. “What are we waiting for? Let's investigate your claim.”

Faeor, escorted by his two guards, followed in Faronzo's wake. They rushed by many doorways, what seemed for hours, until they reached the courtyard doors. Faronzo stopped the three before allowing them through.

“Just hear me out first. These imps are dangerous, I wouldn't want someone of your talent getting hurt...”, Faronzo tried to explain.

“Oh shut it. I just want to see it. Open this door now!”

Faronzo facepalmed in his mind as he slammed the two doors open. Revealed was a massive crowd of crows barraging the Unit Commander helpless. He yelled and raised his sword, lightning striking down its blade. He glowed yellow and his armor's rune configuration shone white. He began to yell, “By the maker of storms, hear my call!”, and was surrounded by a stormcloud. Electricity coursed through his veins as he struck each crow to the ground with his sword, shrouded in black stormclouds. He slashed almost every crow into pieces before they regrouped as Avalord.

“Good work, you've just annoyed me!”, screamed Avalord as he snapped his fingers. An eagle soared to meet the imp's hand and morphed into a sword engraved with hieroglyphs of birds. Avalord roared and charged the raging Karsaan, still shrouded in a stormy might.

Their swords met as they clashed over and over again. Each time they parried blades, it seemed that lighting crackled in the sky. They were locked in a sword parry when Karsaan swung his bud around, slamming into Avalord's cranium. Karsaan was fortunate he still had his mace armor over his bud.

Avalord reared back and planted his feet firmly on the ground. He laughed as he morphed into a vulture, swooping at Karsaan. But the Zealot had no patience for Avalord's games. He slashed his left wing almost off and the bird enthusiast fell to the ground, reverting his form to normal. He then morphed into an armored ostrich, and charged the unsuspecting Yellow Pikmin. He slammed into Karsaan's chest and knocked him out cold. Turning back into his imp form, he smirked.

“What's the matter, min? Already done playing? I'm not even sure you were worth‒” SLAM. He was jabbed by a shield and staggered back. Zhao, one of the Court Guards, readied his sword. Peter ran to assist him and they both stood firm in opposition to the perilous imp.

Faronzo, still near the door, readied a spell that would lock Avalord in one of his forms. He fortunately had slowbug thorax and noxious nectar. Those combined would disallow Avalord to transform for at least five minutes. He placed the ingredients in the glass chamber in his staff and waited for the right moment to unleash his spell.

The imp swung his sword and bashed both guards' shields, unrelenting and cold. He lobbed a fist at Peter and successfully made contact with his face, but was swung at by Zhao. He leaped backwards and dashed over to the staggered Peter. He slammed his sword down into his shield, breaking it. Zhao sheared some of the imp's left arm skin off, and he howled in horror. Avalord sent a fury of strikes in retaliation and managed to crack the guard's shield and cut his cheek. Zhao reared back and raised his shield, ready for another assault. But Avalord took the moment to transform into a vulture so he could quickly maneuver around the defending guard, and before he could transform back, he received a jolt of energy that shook him around. He fell to the ground and flailed until he became airborne again, flying back to meet the guard.

Faronzo clenched his fist in success. He quickly put together a fireball spell, using red ashes as his ingredient. Then he lobbed fireballs at the maneuvering vulture, setting it on fire. Avalord panicked until the rain put out the fire, but was continually barraged by fireballs. The battlemage ran out of red ashes and switched to golden ashes. He sent a beam of magma at the vulture, hoping it would disable the bird once and for all.

Avalord was covered in molten lava, singeing his feathers and causing him to become terrified. He squawked around and fell to the ground, then rising up again. The rain slowly caused the magma to cool into rock. And the magma was seeping into the vulture's body, so he was covered in rock from his neck to his lower tail feathers. His added weight caused him to beakplant on the cobblestone courtyard, breaking his beak. He flailed until he lost most of his stamina, and ceased.

The two guards shook off their pain and walked over to the helpless vulture, covered in rock and magma. Peter slammed his fist into the bird's skull with a loud crack. Zhao motioned for Peter to stop, but the Gray Pikmin was enraged. He continued to bash Avalord's head in with his bloodied knuckles as brutal as ever.

The Council Leader yelled, “Stop it, guards!”, and he stalked over to the flailing vulture. He looked over the imp in disapproval and motioned for the guards to disengage. “I will take in this vile imp for dissection!”

A loud cracking noise was heard as thunder pierced the sky. The Pikmin all turned to the noise as they saw Faeor being grabbed by the imp, back in his original form. The rock crusted over his skin broke into pieces when he became larger. He was picked up by a large vulture, and rode on its back with the Council Leader Faeor in a vice-grip. “I will take in this vile min for dissection”, said Avalord as he bellowed a mocking laugh. The vulture soared as it avoided a stream of lava sent out by the frustrated Faronzo. He let out a swear as he watched the vulture fly away with the Avalord and the Council Leader.