#jnoque

From a small cabin on the beach steps out a tall goblin with blue and purple eyes with a gray nose ring and long ears wearing a green hoodie with brown shorts and blue boots their hair is purple and pink with a hair tie with two bone-like things sticking out of it holding up a green and blue ponytail. 

They breathe in the salty air and step out into the sand looking out onto the water. 

“Fifo!” Yells a voice from the water as they look to see a red mermaid waving to them.

They smile and walk over sitting on the edge of the calm water. “Hey Moonga.” Fifo smiles.

“ How is the water today?”

“ It's a bit colder than usual but fine.” She swims closer to them. 

“Oh, how are the others?”

“Still as lively as always” she smiles as five others pop their heads out of the water.

They then hear flapping and look up to see Dponá and co flying above them.

Shocked Fifo stands up and watches them land near their cabin. Moonga looks at them and back at Fifo “You should go meet with them.” She encourages.

“But they could be bad…” Fifo hesitates backing closer to her as they see the group look around and spot them. “It would be rude not to,” Moonga says. “We’ll be here if they are bad!” Said a yellow mermaid smiling. 

Shyly Fifo slowly goes to the group. 

Dyani waves “Hello we are just stopping to rest for a bit after our flight.” 

“Oh um that’s ok..” They look at them. “ I-I’m Fifo.”

Dyani introduces everyone to them.

Moonga waves at them “ welcome.”

“Woah you are a-“ 

“Mermaid yes”

The blue mermaid speaks up “are you all hungry we were just about to go get ingredients for a seashell stew” 

Fifo perks up “ oo that one is my favorite!”

Aurora stares at the water not really paying attention. 

Dyani notices. 

Slor smiles “ yeah we’re hungry” 

“Well you better help get ingredients” the green mermaid folds her arms.

“Jade most of the ingredients are under water” Moonga corrects 

“So we have seaweed for them”

Jnoque tilts his head “seaweed?”

“It’s a special seaweed that lets you breathe underwater when you eat it.” Fifo explains. 

W-wait we have to go in the water…” Aurora backs up a little. 

“ You don't have to, you can collect some driftwood and mushrooms.”

Aurora quickly nods “I’ll stay too.” Dyani says. 

Moonga gets them the seaweed.

“Anyway I’m Moonga and that’s Amber, Madtenra, Jade, Chakra, and Acoral

“ Nice to meet you all” Dyani smiles. 

Jnoque butts in “ how long does the seaweed last for?” 

Chakra the blue mermaid speaks up “until you come back up to the surface.”

Fifo Jnoque Dponá and Slor eat it and jump in the water. Aurora and Dyani watch them leave as Solaris pops out and looks around conflicted. 

“This used to be Blaze’s town.. and now there’s just the ocean…” he sits with them sad.

Dyani looks at him “ He’s the Blaze stone right?” He just nods “ Scoria Blaze, his physical strength was very impressive, don't know what powers you would get from his stone.” 

Aurora just looks at the waters.

“Can’t swim?” Dyani asks.

“Something like that…” she looks away. 

Dyani decides not to pry and pulls out the map “ maybe they'll find the stone in the water.” 

“We need to collect stuff right?” Aurora says changing the subject. 

“ Oh yeah mushrooms and driftwood.”

“ Lets get looking then”

They get up and start searching while Solaris watches.

They swim for a while.

“ This is soo cool!” Slor squeals swimming around. Jnoque smiles watching her and holding onto Dponá’s wing having trouble keeping up with everyone else.

Moonga tells them what they need to collect stuff like clams and mussels and regular seaweed. Amber, the orange one and Jade race to see who gets the most.

“That looks like enough, we just need one more thing.” 

Jnoque looks at her “ what?”

“It's volcanic salt, it's really good for seasoning” Fifo smiles “ It’s found really deep tho.”

“This way.”

They follow the mermaids deep down to some very old ruins.

Jnoque looks around “ woah..” 

“This used to be a town we think. The salt should be around here,” Amber explains. 

Jn and Dponá explore a bit on their own 

Ignis pops out and looks around stunned 

“N-No this.. can’t be Blaze’s town..”

Jn perks up at that “ do you think there could be a piece here.?”  “ Wasn’t Zomkì the one to hide all the pieces so maybe she brought him to his hometown?” Dponá points out. 

“Maybe we could find where his house used to be?” Ignis ponders. 

They swim around for a bit exploring the empty underwater ruins till they come across what is left of a structure in the back where they see the others there.

“There you guys are!” Slor waves. 

Emberion is out too and he and Ignis share a sad look.

“He’s here somewhere I can feel it,” Emberion says, looking at the remnants.

“This is where we get the volcanic salt,” Madtenra the yellow mermaid explains.

They find a rough, glowing stone that pulses with heat creating red yellow and orange salt from the sand it’s sitting on.

Acoral the purple mermaid scoops some up and puts it in a clam to carry it in.

Ignis and Emberion get nervous when Slor and Jnoque get closer to it and the blaze stone starts to glow more with the other artifacts.

A tall, muscular figure with skin that resembles molten rock with cracks glowing with inner fire. His hair is short and coal-black, with embers flickering at the tips. He wears heavy, obsidian-colored armor with a massive shield in the shape of a cracked volcanic stone spirit shoots out.

Everyone is startled when his eyes immediately snap open in a rage looking around as soon as he locks his gaze on Ignis he lunges at him.

He holds him up by the chest “YOU!” He growls.

“Blaze!-“

“WHERE IS SHE??!” He shouts, shaking him.

Emberion breaks them up. “ We don’t know yet Blaze!”

He folds his arms, scowling. Then he sees the others “children?” He looks around at the ruins “My home!” He growls and Emberion has to hold him back from jumping on Ingis again.

Then suddenly a large tentacle breaks in and snatches the blaze stone forcing Blaze to go back into it.

They then hear a low squeal and see giant bioluminescent eyes staring at them.

“ An Abyssal Krin!” Moonga shouts as the other mermaids try to flee. 

They see a streamlined body that resembles that of a shark, with smooth, glistening skin that ranges from deep cobalt to shadowy black, helping it blend into the ocean depths. The head is pointed and angular, with rows of razor-sharp teeth lining its powerful jaws. Emerging from its back and sides are four large, flexible tentacles and two smaller ones near its pectoral fins. They are lined with serrated suckers, the tentacles coil and unfurl with fluid, serpentine grace.

Everyone has to dodge the tentacles trying to grab them as the krin keeps knocking rocks from the structures over.

Moonga, Fifo, Jnoque, and Dponá find a place to hide near some rubble.

“What is that thing!” Slor says panicking.

“ It's an abyssal krin. They get attracted to shiny objects. It must have seen all of the glowing and come over.” Moonga explains.

“We have to get Blaze. I don't want to find out what happens to us if an Emberstar piece is destroyed!” Ingis says freaking out.

They hear the sound of the other mermaids getting hurt. “Sisters!” Moonga rushes back out.

“What do we do? Our dragon breath doesn’t work underwater and I’m sure any other fire abilities won’t either!”

Jnoque tries to summon a fire sword but it’s smothered by the water so are Slor’s wings when she tries to activate them.

Fifo is shaken and thinking they look around and see a water cave and get an idea “ Slor. Jnoque. Your artifact things are shiny right?” They both nod “ You two can distract it and lead it to that cave.” They point to it.

 They nod and Jn holds onto Dponá as they swim out and they swim in separate directions as the krin tries to grab them. 

They lead it to the cave but it ends up knocking a rock above the cave and is about to land on Slor.

Fifo without thinking ends up pushing her out of the way and ends up trapped in the cave with the tentacle holding the blaze stone in there with them.

Panting and panicking they look at the blaze stone as Blaze pops back out dizzy. He shakes his head and looks at them, sighs and kneels down to them. 

“Hey kid.” He says reassuringly. “ It’s going to be ok.” Fifo looks up at him.

They pick up the blaze stone and gasp from the sudden strength that flows through them. They then hear noises of the others getting hurt and stand up.

“ You have people you want to protect, right? I did too..” Blaze sighs “ let’s go save them!” Fifo smiles a little at him and he shows them how to summon a sharp  wall of molten rock to smash the boulder covering the entrance of the cave out of the way. 

Once out they see the Abyssal Krin has grabbed Slor and Jnoque while the others have injuries and Dponá trying to get to them. Quickly Fifo swims up to it as it sees them and swings a tentacle at them.

They brace for impact making another wall around them which absorbs the Krin’s attack and burns it.

It screeches, dropping Slor and Jnoque as Dponá grabs them and quickly takes them to the mermaids. “We’re not going to be able to defeat it, we need to flee!” Moonga hurries.

Fifo tricks the Krin into running into another wall and they swim as fast as they can away.

Aurora and Dyani have collected a lot of drift wood and mushrooms.

“ Welp, that looks like enough.” Dyani smiles looking at the pile.

“ Good job you two.” Solaris smiles.

Aurora nods.

“Do you want to try playing in the water till everyone gets back?” He offers Aurora looks at the sea, the thought of it making her feel sick. She shakes her head as Dyani steps into the water letting it touch his feet. 

Aurora watches him play, smiling a little not realizing she’s blushing at his smile at this laughter. When suddenly she sees a flash of two winter fawns near a frozen lake with Aurora reaching out to them as she is held back.

“Aurora?! You ok?..” Aurora blinks and realizes that she had pulled Dyani away from the water. Solaris looks concerned as she quickly lets go of him stuttering as the others come back. 

“Woah guys what happened?!”

“Long story we can tell it while we make the seashell stew.” Fifo sighs tired holding the blaze stone.

“ Blaze!” Solaris smiles as he and the others pop out. 

Blaze just huffs and folds his arms. 

As they eat, Fifo and the others share what happened in the water and they fill them in on the frostbite. The seashell stew tasted briny and earthy with a hint of smokiness as it was cooked in a cauldron over a driftwood fire, using a conch shell as a ladle.

“This is really good!” Slor smiles slurping.

“Right, so worth it!” Fifo says.

“ How are you guys healing?” Aurora asks.

“We’ll be fine.” Slor reassures.

“Says the one who can heal immediately.” Jnoque smirks as Slor sticks her tongue out at him playfully. 

Dyani takes out the map. “Hmm there seems to be multiple pieces over here.”

Aurora looks and looks nervous. “That’s near the arctic…” 

Solaris looks at the map. “ Isn’t there a closer piece here?”

Dyani looks “ um.. well it’s probably better to get the farther ones first right we can get that one anytime.” He says a little on edge.

“Well I’m a fast flyer so I think it’ll be fine.” Dponá says. 

“I guess we just need to get all the pieces as fast as possible.” Aurora argues.  “ Exactly which is why getting 3 will be better.” 

Blaze butts in “ it doesn’t matter the order you get them in as long as you get them all.” 

Aurora hesitates but decides to drop it.

They finished eating. 

Fifo looks at the mermaids. “ I’m going to go with them..” They confess. 

The mermaid sisters nod “ We will wait for your return.” Moonga reassures. 

Fifo sighs as they join the others hoping onto Dponá.

They watch them take off.

“ We should prepare in case the ocean freezes over…” Amber encourages.

Moonga sighs. “ Be safe Fifo….”

Watching the beach leaving their sight Fifo stays quiet. Slor looks at them “ so how’d you end up living with mermaids?” 

Fifo looks up “Huh oh um I just..needed a place to live on my own and I found that beach and while I was trying to build the cabin I kept finding that supplies would end up washing ashore.” 

They smile. “Eventually I saw something moving in the water so I went to check it out and Moonga was trying to get away while trying to leave some fish for me to find wash up later.”

“ We got to talking and I met the rest and we became friends.” 

Aurora is quiet 

“You ok?” Jnoque asks.

Aurora sighs “ I’m just worried about my home if Iceal decides to use that sword they will be the first ones affected..” Blaze looks away as the other spirits just look guilty.

“So how did this Glacius turn into a sword?” Fifo questions.

“It was a spell in a book that he stole from Ignitia’s library. It was a spell that could turn someone into a weapon and used his new form to spread his icy hatred all over..” Ignis tries to explain but Blaze butts in. “Grr Ignitia! He had the bright idea to use the same spell to stop him!…to kill Jan-Glacius with our combined abilities!”

“For the spell to work for whatever weapon we turned into to be at full strength everyone had to be on the same page..” Emberion adds.

“It was a group decision-“

“The hell it was!!” Blaze growls “Ignitia literally forced me and Lav to do it and none of you stopped him! Then in the Emberstar he literally forced us to use our energy to fight and try to kill Glacius!”

“ I don’t understand,” Slor says, “ why wouldn’t you want to fight him after what he was trying to do..”

The spirits go quiet Blaze scowls and says bitterly.

 “ He’s my son..”

Glacius watches Iceal train for a while feeling drained from all of the energy that he gives to the Frostbite to give it its power. “ We’ve been here all day. I say you take a break for the both of us.” Glacius encourages.   

“No.” Iceal spat. “ The only way to get as powerful as possible is to keep going!” “ If you don’t I’ll stop you from using the Frostbites abilities!” Glacius bluffs. “ Ugh fine!” Iceal huffs and goes to walk back to his hut. 

Glacius sighs as they go through the village. Winter fawn quickly getting out of the way, giving him a sense of unease. 

One little Winter Fawn wasn’t looking where she was going and ended up bumping into Iceal.

“ Hey! Watch where you're going brat!” Iceal shoves her aside scowling. “It was an accident, Iceal, no need for unnecessary-” “Shut it! Weapon!” he snaps, catching Glacius off guard by swinging the sword to his side, yanking Glacius with it causing him to yelp.

Iceal then shoves the child away, hurting her as he walks off dragging a now more timid Glacius with him. 

“What!” The group yells surprised. 

“Yes, Glacius is my son.” Blaze confirms.

“So how did all of this happen?” Aurora explains.

“Before everything our group was known for traveling around and having adventures.” He sighs. “ When me and Lav had Janie we decided to stop adventuring and settle down to raise him.” 

“At that time we were all thinking of setting down and retiring.” Emberion comments. 

Ignis butts in. “After a few years Ignitia suggested one last big adventure Blaze and Lavara were hesitant to leave Janie but Ignitia was insistent and they eventually agreed and since Janie was old enough to be left alone at the time.” 

Blaze scowls distastefully, folding his arms “ We should have never gone…”

Solaris continues. “The trip took longer than we thought and the letters they sent to Jaine never made it to him.”

“When we got back he was so..bitter…and hurt…. He wouldn’t look at us or talk to us..” Blaze glares to the ground as Dponá lands, tears threatening to come out but ends up evaporationing. “He thought we abandoned him….”

Aurora and co didn’t know what to think. 

“So..” Dyani says somberly “ what happened..?”

Blaze looks away searching for how to explain when Dponá speaks up.

“Hey sorry to interrupt… but I see a village…”

Jnoque freezes looking up.

It was the human village.

The temple is filled with treasure. Slor looks around trying to find what she is looking for. “Hmmm, where would a phoenix feather be?” she asks herself. She sits resting and rubbing her still hurting leg, looking around. Something catches her eye: sticking out on a tall wall is a glowing feather with fiery red and gold hues. Feeling drawn to it, she gets up and tries to reach it but is way too short. 

Frustrated and looking around for something for her to stand on, she piles random treasure together and makes a high enough mountain to jump and grab the feather. 

When she touches it, Slor feels a wave of warm energy and stumbles back; the feeling goes into her hurt leg, and it suddenly feels better. 

Surprised, she stands up and feels no pain; all her cuts and bruises are healed as well. She looks at the glowing feather in her hand. “Cool!” is all she could say about that. 

She gets back to the entrance and looks at the trials and gowns. “Don’t tell me I have to do all of that again,” she pouts. “Man, I wish I could fly like those parrots.” The feather flutters from her hands, creating a glow that engulfs her back. She covers her eyes, only peeking out once the glowing seemed to disappear. To her amazement, a pair of blue-and-red Phoenix wings had sprouted from her back.

Shocked Slor stares at the wings in disbelief she moves them around to get a feel of them and to make sure they were real she tries to fly with them but ends up landing on her face she feels the bruise on her head heal right away. 

She keeps trying until she flies up and away.

“ She is taking forever!” Aurora gowns. Inocta has taken them to a restaurant in the village “Well the trials are supposed to be hard right?” Dyani asks.

 Inocta nods “Hard.” 

“ I just wish we could help her.” Jnoque huffs.

Inocta orders rainbow fruit platters and a side of leaf chips with flower tea for everyone.

The food comes.

 They get jungle fruits such as passionfruit, papaya, dragonfruit, starfruit, and bananas sliced and arranged in intricate, colorful patterns and drizzled in nectar and thin slices of edible leaves, brushed with jungle oil and sprinkled with crushed spices.

They eat. 

The leaf chips taste crunchy and slightly bitter with a spicy kick. And the fruit platter tastes like a medley of sweet, tangy, and juicy flavors.

They get the tea and they each get a different flower to put in it. 

Aurora gets a rain lily; it makes her tea sweet and light with notes of melon. Dyani gets a jungle jasmine that makes his tea sweet, floral, and lightly perfumed. Jnoque gets a hibiscus that makes his tea tart, slightly citrusy, with a deep red color. Dponá gets a fireblossom, which makes her tea spicy and warm with a hint of cinnamon.

“Mmmmm” Dponá smiles and looks at Jnoque who hasn’t really touched his food “ You ok Jn?” 

“I want to wait for Slor to get here so she can have some..” He sighs. 

“Oh. Well you need to eat to” she pushes her plate to him “ we can share mine.” she smiles. Jnoque smiles back.

They then see the Core and the Solar Crest glow confused; they look around and see Slor flying to them.

“Guys! Guys!” 

“Slor! You're flying!” Jnoque smiles as she lands near them.

Her wings turn back into the Phoenix Feather and go in her hair still glowing. Dyani smiles “ You found it!”

“Yup it was not easy to get.” She sits down with them.

Jnoque pushes the plate of food to her “ I saved you some food.” “ooo thanks!” Slor smiles and eats. Slor gets her own tea; she puts a fireblossom, wild marigold, and starry bellflower that gives her a warm, spiced, and slightly fruity with a golden-red tint flavor. 

Popping out of the Phoenix Feather is a lean and agile man with short, spiked hair that’s a mix of red and black, like burning cinders caught in the wind. His skin is tanned, with red patterns running across it like wildfire trails. He wears lightweight armor, and a bow with flaming arrows on his back.

The other spirits pop out too.

He opens his eyes and is in an instant panic “Wha-! Where-!” He looks at himself and then sees the others. 

“Emberion! It’s ok, you're safe!” Ignis says going next to him.

“I-Ignis..?” He looks at him still a bit dazed as Solaris joins them. “Emberion, what is the last thing you remember?” “ T-The spell, the fight.. and sealing the sword away..” he says calming down. 

He then sees the kids. “ hello!” Slor waves to him. Emberion waves back still a bit confused Aurora chimes in “ Ok long story short you’ve been asleep for two thousand years and the Frostbite is back and my chief is going to use it to freeze everything so that’s why we are trying to find all of the pieces of the Emberstar.” 

His eyes widened and he is freaking out again. “We should get going now!” Aurora says impatiently “Wait Aurora let him process everything!” Dyani butts in Aurora stays quiet.

Inocta pays for their food as Dyani pulls out the map “ it looks like the next piece is just across the big river.” That leaves Aurora with a worried expression.  

Inocta squeaks and points in a direction “ Is that the way to the river from here?” Dponá asks. Inocta nods “Here to the river!” she confermes.   

They thank her and she leads them through the village. 

Emberion looks around “ This place is very different now…” 

“ It has been two thousand years, friend..” Ignis says, looking at him.

“ So our homes are gone..? Friends and family are gone..?”

Solaris nods sadly.

The kids stay quiet. 

Emberion sighs “ the others are not going to take this well either.” Dyani looks at him “ you're talking about the other pieces right?” He nods “ I don’t see how anyone could take this well..” Aurora replies. 

Inocta leads them to the edge of the jungle and points. “Thank you so much for your help” Dyani smiles as they get on Dponá.

Inocta chirps and waves as they take off.