"..." = Speech
<...> = Thought
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"-then I was all like "get ready for your lumps" them bam, I transformed into an elephant, planting a powerful blow right in his kisser. An honourable battle with a lot of dodging and stuff then happened before I finally won and he gifted me the golem stone on his last grave-bound breath." Wagging her finger as she regaled the older girl with the heroic tale of her trip through the golem mine labyrinth.
The two of them were just in Sky's hatchery as the girl in question had pulled up two simple wooden chairs as she nodded along. Though the raised brow revealed she wasn't wholly on board. "Well you certainly have the ancient relic to prove you at least beat up that oversized rock."
Lifting her hands with a shake of the head; deciding it wasn't her place to question the truth of how the barely five foot half-genie managed to take out a big bad boss.
Meanwhile Shantae couldn't help having her gaze linger on something else.
Unconsciously finding herself lingering on those plump lips.
Gulping with her neck visibly bobbing as a certain thought seeped in from out of nowhere.
Quickly shaking her head at impressive speeds - trying to shake that rogue thought away.
"Are you alright?" That abrupt question (even if Shantae spent a bit too long staring) certainly helped the half-genie throw away any weird thoughts. Quickly trying to formulate a reply with a big smile on her face only to see the expression on Sky's face and quickly planning against it.
At first she had assumed it was just their usual witty banter, likely due to Sky noticing her friends' obviously pervy thoughts, but the worry on Sky's face quickly made that impossible. "I can't help notice how you avoided talking about the guardian genie. Especially when you were so ready to slag off the other one while this one you summarised as just teaching you the "most powerful" transformation."
Eyes never left Shantae as she focused in order to catch the smallest sign that the always cheery girl was hiding something; so of course she immediately noticed the faint tremble.
"D-Don't know what you mean, we just talked a little, nothing you need to worry about!" She didn't sound very convincing and it seemed even she knew it as she soon gave up any pretense of being fine. Letting her shoulders sag with a long drawn out sigh.
Still she kept a rather forced smile. "I… I can deal with this after I finish this quest."
"... Are you sure?" Sky didn't seem happy with the reply, her worry clearly going nowhere, however it was clear she also wasn't going to force the topic.
Seeing what her friend was doing brought actual warmth to her smile as she gave a small nod.
"Yeah it isn't something I can let get in the way when I'm facing someone like Risky Boots; also not like there is a time limit on feelings." Awkwardly rubbing the back of her head.
Of course Sky was not exactly satisfied with that answer - made very obvious with how her face contorted as she bit her lip - still she soon shook her head. "Fine, I'll drop it for now, but we will be returning to this topic when we've kicked that pirate out of sequin land. I have also found where you'll want to go next."
That second announcement caused the genie girl's bright light to explode out.
"Really?!" Almost falling off her chair as she lunged forwards with a big smile on her face; latching onto the older girl's shoulders with both hands.
Now it was Sky's turn to give a wry smile as she tried peeling Shantae off herself. "Yes, you underestimate just how good I am at getting information, it wasn't too hard. With Risky wanting to make an upgraded steam engine she'll need a source of heat to make the steam in question. So it was as easy as just finding what ancient relic would be best for that."
"Wow~ you really are smart!" Those sparkling eyes made Sky wince as she struggled to meet eye to eye with that overtly hyperactive best friend of hers. "Indeed I am… More specifically you need to head towards the Zombie Swamp to get into the Crackle Mound Labyrinth."
A silence remained between the two; until Shantae eventually had her head fall to one side as she asked a very good question. "It's going to be locked like the rest so how do I…?"
"Don't have a clue, the place is an ancient burial ground from a civilisation so far in the past there is no information on them, so we'd need to find someone with that knowledge. What I do know is that there is only one place that would have that information…" Saying with a smile as she looked at Shantae.
A knowing look on her face only for that to lead into a silence - making it quite clear that Shantae didn't actually know what she was alluding to. A sigh escaped as she held her forehead. "Well I suppose I should have expected that; I'm talking about the zombie caravan as they have been about for ages."
"So~ since those zombies have been about for ages while collecting all sorts of stuff including information, they'd no doubt have something about Crackle Mound!" Pounding her fist into her palm.
"Indeed; though you need to be careful around them. Even if they are merchants who honestly have great prices, if difficult to find without Wrench's help, they are still brain-eating zombies." This time she was the one holding Shantae who seemed ready to run off as soon as Sky told her where those undead were.
… Or maybe even before Sky told her.
"Eh~ but I remember them being very friendly when they came to the palace that one time; mind you most my memories of the royal palace are me hugging some giant pillar…" Tapping her chin as she tried to remember everything about the palace. "Even back with the zombies I was hugging that pillar but there shouldn't be pillars outside… Guess my memories aren't exactly reliable."
"Well… You were indeed hugging a pillar of Sequin Land I guess, that is besides the point, those zombies are still zombies no matter how great their deals on bird feed is." Crossing her hands under her chest.
That distracted Shantae for a moment.
The girl's eyes obviously fell down on that ample chest that bounced a little at the movement.
Sky couldn't stop the slight smirk that formed on her lips as she had no shame or anger at the attention she was getting from her friend.
Shantae once again shook the distracting thoughts from her hormonal body before resting her knuckles on her hips as she jumped out the chair. "You say that they are brain eating zombies but have you ever thought that they may be vegetarian or even vegan zombies! The only way to know for sure is to go there myself and find out if they have the information I need; so where is the caravan?"
"... Your lack of bigotry is usually endearing but that has got to me the dumbest thing you have ever said which is honestly impressive. Also can't stop you so I suppose I can only let you go - funnily enough you are quite lucky as those undead are actually in the zombie swamp right now." Throwing her hands up.
She knew it was best to give up when Shantae got like that.
When she got determined or excited; there was nothing that could stop her from charging forward and so she'd have likely just ran in a random direction if Sky kept that information a secret.
"So I imagine you'll be running over there immediately?" Sky asked as she slowly got up from the chair to begin heading towards the backroom while Shantae's eyes followed that shaky rump; jumping a bit as she was asked that question. "W-Well I plan to take care of something at the Waterfalls but after that…"
That caused Sky to momentarily pause as she pushed aside the cloth over the rear door - though she quickly decided it wasn't worth it. Soon heading back out with a small box in hand. "Thought you might want this little relic that Wrench found in a dungeon, seems like a weapon for a monkey, but I suppose you wouldn't want it now that you have a new favourite transformation."
Shrugging her shoulders while carelessly holding that box off in one hand; seeing it slip from her hands made the half-genie panic.
Said girl literally jumped from her chair to dive for the catch.
Letting out an "oof" as she held that weapon's vessel within the open palms of her hands which were just in front of her face. "B-Be careful you don't know if a relic like this is dainty like a lady!"
"Number one, we are both ladies but neither dainty, number two if a weapon is so fragile that a little bump on the wooden floor is enough to break it? Well then it isn't a very good weapon." A mocking smirk on her face as she looked down on the powerful half-genie who had bullied a certain king golem just hours ago.
Both those points hit Shantae like a knife in the back; making her groan as she could hardly refute either despite desperately wanting to. A familiar situation when she argued with Sky. So instead she decided to focus on the present she had been gifted at the cost of her dignity.
Opening up the box revealed two cute little gloves with clawed fingers.
Seeing them made Shantae's eyes glow as a big excitement filled grin found its way on her face. "Oh I am going to love trying these things out on my little monkey self… After a little revenge!"
---
The water dragon was just living life as it usually did - without a worry in the world - it was the apex of defence that not even a sword could hurt.
Even if that monster wasn't the strongest… The strongest couldn't hurt it.
Therefore there was nothing to fear.
That was why it didn't even flinch when a veritable pound of raw meat fell down in front of its watery home with a bloody thud. Reaching out of the water with its maw wide open before snapping down. Gobbling up that offering with the confidence of a king waltzing through his own grand garden.
Although the sound of the air rushing overhead caused the dragon to momentarily raise its gaze in curiosity at what was creating such a noise. What it saw was a gigantic lilac elephant hurtling down toward the monster. Its eyes bulged out its head with an alarmed roar.
A gigantic explosion rocketted through the Waterfall Lake as what was once a water dragon became a flood of ash & smoke.
Additionally the cackle of that elephant also exploded out.
"Take that you shitty gecko - let this be known to all that this is the day that the half-genie hero put a shitty race in their place - may it be celebrated for centuries to come!" She announced proudly before tooting her own horn. Quite literally as she threw her trunk into the air then blew it.
Unfortunately no living people could hear what she was saying this far into monster infested territory.
All those in Water Town could hear was the tooting of a certain trunk.
A very confusing noise for those people; considering most of them didn't even know what an elephant was let alone what one sounded like.
It also wasn't the last time they heard that sound.
At first all of them were frightened that some unknown powerful monster had awakened - although their tune changed when the next day came. After all, it was not hard to notice the significant drop in the water dragon population. As such they came to a new conclusion on all their own.
That is where the legend of the mythical Dragon Eater came from; a powerful beast that comes whenever the dragon population grows too plentiful.
Though that is a story for another day
---
"Does it always have to rain here… Though I guess it wouldn't be the Rain Storm River if there wasn't a constant rain storm." Mumbling in annoyance as she danced around a trio of fireballs that attempted to turn her into a crispy treat. Of course they didn't even get close to actually hitting her.
She slipped a little given the soaked, thus slippery, stone that made up the ground but this was nowhere near as bad as the shifting sands of the desert duo or the Dribble Fountain labyrinth.
Safe to say she quickly closed the distance before whipping her head forward.
The little round creature didn't even have time to close the mouth spewing out the fireballs before her pony tail skewered it through said orifice.
That creature popped into a cloud of smoke with Shantae quickly sending her foot forward to catch the gem as it began to fall. Kicking the change upwards and swiping it out the air. Promptly bringing it between her breasts at which point it vanished like usual into her chest's magical storage chest.
"Now time to figure out how to take care of you… You like a… Spectre I think?" Tapping her chin as she glanced up the cliff face where a purple flame flued undead was looming - or at least part of one as it hovered without anything but flames below the ribs and without arms. Looking down at her from within its hood with dismissal before it floated off with those flames at its wrist & waist unaffected by the rain.
Seeing that only brightened the smile on her face; even if it was far more frightening. "Looks like I'll have the opportunity to try out these~!"
Reaching into her boobs to pull out her recently gained gift.
Holding them in her hands as she began a very familiar monkey inspired dance - quickly transforming into light before becoming a little brown Montae. Quickly pulling her gloves over her monkey digits. That grin only looked more menacing when on the face of a cute little animal.
"Time to showcase why you fear the creature able to use tools~." Not waiting a second more; flying not just towards the cliff face but straight up, well, up it. The sound of the claws scratching against the stone wall caught even the attention of a certain undead who turned around instinctively.
Just to see the shimmering metal of the monkey claws approaching its skull.
Immediately throwing its own remembered hand out to punt the little beast away - though not before the claws raked across its face. The other hand even moved down towards the floating limb. Meeting it then pushing to send herself away before it could actually wound her.
Specifically using its own attack to push her towards the floor at which point she sprang back up to this time rake both claws across its face in tandem. Leaving the undead to wail as it turned to dust like so many monsters before. Leaving that monkey quite proud of herself.
"Looks like even the undead need to fear me hahaha!"
---
Sequin land, by order of the Sutlana's palace, actually recognised two types of undead.
The first was the type that Shantae was hoping to meet; friendly enough with little chance of them attacking on sight. There was actually an uptick in monsters gaining intelligence though the undead were by far the earliest perhaps due to their immortal existence. Most famous of which belongs to the zombie caravan that had apparently been selling clothes since before the sultana's late husband's family ruled.
What really mattered at the moment - however - was the wild undead who gained their name due to their nature as well as their actions. Living out in the monster infested spaces while spawning in magic dense locations just like every other type of monster. Attacking everything they came across.
Although the rate at which they spawned often depended on the strength of the creature along with the density of the magic in the air.
That was to say…
"I TAKE IT BACK; I FEAR THE UNDEAD!"
… Shantae was running from a literal army of hundreds of wild zombies.
To be fair to her - they were hardly catching up.
In fact they stood no chance as she was still in her monkey form due to there being little reason to utilize her human form when it was easier to avoid fights and ambush while a monkey. Using her superior jumping power she cleared a large gap in the mossy grass. One those zombies either didn't notice or didn't care about… Or perhaps a lack of communication just resulted in them bumping into one another?
Either way those zombies soon found themselves splashing below yet what was more frightening, as the adorable monkey face peered over the edge, was the speed at which those fish worked. In a matter of seconds those near full corpses floated atop the swamp. Now more reminiscent of the spectre.
"Good thing I didn't fall in or I'd be a little fuzzy brown snack… Like a kiwi." Shiver working all the way down from her large round ears to that long flexible tail.
Turning back around she saw an eerie wooden arch with a flickering lantern on either side.
Above that was written the simple title of "zombie caravan" which brought a smile back to that currently fuzzy face of hers. "Looks like Sky was right after all… Time to find me a vegan zombie!"