Oga paused with contemplation on her brow. She sized up the waterfall before she uttered “I’m not sure if my bubble can hold all of you.”

“Is the world’s roughtest, toughest, biggest, smelliest orc really going to back down from a challenge?” Archibald ribbed.

“The world’s roughtest, toughest, biggest, smelliest orc just lost an innocent village of elves to a dark queen of cataclysmic evil; cut me some slack,” Oga shot back.

Archibald was silent and only Van’s voice prompted a response from him. “Archibald it’s not like you to be silent.”

“I know knighty,” Archibald said. “I’m just impressed a 10 year old knows how to use the word cataclysmic properly. Not even master Cyrus knows a word that big.”

“Hey!” Cyrus exclaimed, with flushed cheeks.

“Shush, Big Orc Prince,” Oga said. “I think I’m just going to make a really big bubble!”

The falls rushed down in the summer heat, creating a rainbow through the flying mist. In other situations, Cyrus would have lazed in the sunshine, enjoying the paradise, but he knew soon the river of blood would connect with this beautiful work of nature.

Everyone stepped aside as Oga strained herself, letting the dark fish tattoos swim along her skin as she cast her hand at the falls. Slowly water gathered at the bottom creating a big bubble large enough to fit every member of the team. “Quick, jump in,” she exclaimed.

“See,” Cyrus said to Oga patting her on the back. “I knew you could do it. You’re an essential part of my team!”

Oga gave a proud smirk, showing off her single fanged overbite. “You got one thing wrong, Big Orc Prince.”

“What?!”

“It’s my Orc pillaging team!” She said with a raspy snarl.

Everyone jumped into the top of the bubble and poked their heads out. Cyrus found himself getting quite used to being trapped in one of Oga’s bubbles. To him, it felt like being suspended in gelatin-- a pleasant dream he once had after eating too much of that gelatinous dessert.

Oga raised her hand and the bubble quickly traveled the great heights of Hynest Ridge. Cyrus watched in amazement as the ground quickly shrank away and the temperature changed with the elevation. Cyrus shivered and gasped as they traveled through a low cloud; the height had taken his breath away.

They were almost at the top when suddenly the bubble turned white and crackled with frost. It slowed down and started to shake.

“Quick!” Oga exclaimed “It’s freezing! Jump out!”

Antonio was the first out, leaping onto the snow covered ridge with a loud crunch. Van followed, then Archibald. Cyrus looked cautiously at Oga who was holding the bubble in place.

“Go Big Orc Prince!”

“Oga we’ll jump out together. Take my hand!”

Oga took Cyrus’ hand and without any provocation, jumped before Cyrus did. She pulled a screaming Cyrus through the air just as the big bubble froze into a globe of ice.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as they watched the frozen bubble fall back to earth.

“Let me cross off bubbles as a method of preferred travel,” Van muttered.

Getting to their feet, the five found themselves on a snowy tundra. Grassy plains were reduced to a pale yellow by the unceasing battery of frost. Everything was silent and still, except for the wind, howling from the ravine behind them. Before anyone took a step, they heard the flapping of tiny wings.

A miniature creature the size of Cyrus’ knee caps soared through the air with small bat wings before landing on its claws. Its body was circular and puffy, wrapped in a tuxedo. It lacked a neck but had a large, circular pair of yellow and black eyes that observed the party with distrust. It cleared its throat with a tiny cough, pulling out a sheet of parchment and prepared to speak form its fanged mouth. Before it could, Van seized it with blushing cheeks.

Pulling it close to her body in a tight hug, Van exclaimed, “This is the most adorable creature I’ve ever seen!

“Unhand me human,” the creature squeaked as its big eyes bulged from Van’s vice hug.

“Gee Vanessa,” Antonio said with a chuckle. “Who knew you’d get all soft after losing your sword. I like this version of you very mucho!”

Vanessa’s eyes glared and she quickly dropped the stunned creature headfirst into the snow. “After all that stress from fighting my sworn enemy, I just needed something to hug… And I don’t see any suitable candidates here!”

Archibald’s nasally voice interrupted the quarrel with great concern. “It’s a good thing you dropped that critter, knighty. It’s an Everspawn.”

“An Everspawn?” Vanessa said with wide eyes. “What’s that?”

“It’s the spawn of an Everblood.”

“Yes,” the creature said, trying to straighten up its frayed outfit. “I merely come to announce the coming of the greatest gala in all the land. Hosted by the most nefarious criminals in the Dark Realm, the Everbloods. The 6th Red Moon Banquet rises in two days!”

The tiny Everspawn’s eyes observed the mortified faces of the fiver heroes before speaking again. “Hosted by Princess Trinity Tocatta, the four guests in attendance are demonic chef extraordinaire, Bunting Dupree…”

Cyrus could see anger surge in Antonio’s eyes when he heard that name mentioned.

The creature continued, “A mysterious masked everblood who asked for his name to be redacted.”

Cyrus turned to Van who displayed the face of vengeance.

“The worst, and by worst, we mean best, Aquarian ruler, Queen Ayne!”

Cyrus saw fear in Oga’s eyes, but they quickly changed to a look of resolve.

“And lastly, my fabulous, lovely and a little bit creepy baby mama, Rosemary…”

“Hang on,” Cyrus said, cutting off the Everspawn. “You’re Rosemary’s baby? Rosemary has children?!”

Van rolled her eyes and muttered in her accented voice. “Cyrus are you really surprised?”

Everyone laughed until they were startled by a hissing noise coming from the Everspawn who had thrown away the list. Its eyes were cracked with blood red veins and it screamed in a deep, agitated voice, “What did you say about my mama, hussy?”

Seeing the tiny creature in a tizzy made Van giggle. It continued to hiss and gave a look of you-better-not-cross-me before it grunted and its tiny stubby hand exploded into large ripping red muscles. Its legs followed suit, growing bright red and full of bulging veins. The creature doubled and then tripled in size until it reached the height of a small mountain. With a large barreled chest, abs the size of several houses and large leathery wings that spread across the sun, it stomped and caused a small tremor.

“Who knew Rosemary bedded a crimson titan?” Archibald remarked as the ground shook around him.

With a lumbering roar the titan aimed its hand right at Van. “Look out knighty!” Archibald screamed as he shoved Van out of the way. Taking the full brunt of the hit, Archibald’s body spiraled unconscious into the abyss below.

“Archibald!” Cyrus cried but quickly turned to face his new and powerful opponent. They had lost their most valuable ally and Van no longer had a sword, but they had to win. Princess Trinity and the whole kingdom depended on it.