Arnkatla's Semi Heroic Quest(s)

I'm No Wuss

"How?" Arnkatla asked inquisitively.

"With the Wicked Awesome Giga Epic Dragon" He said in a stern tone, as if it's name wasn't to be uttered.

"Are you pulling my leg? What a dumb sounding name" Arnkatla replied "If it's no joke, you'd better explain yourself..." she added, Radioactive Mind placed the paragon of magic within Arnkatla's satchel "well firstly, you must collect the others like me, then venture to the Hard Ass Gauntlet in which you must collect 100 souls with each of us, then you-" he said.

"Hold on, hold on, I won't remember all that, here, write it down" Arnkatla interrupted, withdrawing a tattered paper and a shard of charcoal from her satchel. Radioactive Mind took hold of the paper and coal, beginning to slowly write a list of directives "done" he said after about a minute of writing, handing the paper and coal back to Arnkatla, it read:

Defeat Elec-Trick and Screwface in the Tower of Magic

Go to Hard Ass Gauntlet and collect 300 souls (divided 3 ways between Radioactive Mind, Screwface and Elec-Trick). A boss will spawn with every 100 souls you collect and defeating the boss will grant you a soul thingamabob.

Use the Soul Thingamabobs obtained in step 2 to temporarily transform the Paragon of Magic into the Chest of Epicness by attaching them to the exterior.

Remove the soul thingamabobs from the chest's exterior and take them to the Forge of Badassery to smelt them into the Key of Epicness.

Use the key to open the chest and complete the puzzle within, W.A.G.E.D will emerge and follow the same ruleset as me, Radioactive Mind.

"Christ sakes, that sounds hard...Well let's start with the tower" Arnkatla said, casting a sparkly vortex which led back to Scotland.

"Not necessary, it's been more than a month since Iceland's tower of magic was destroyed so it should be back there" Radioactive Mind pointed out insightfully to which Arnkatla replied: "how in Odin's name did you know that!?"

Radioactive Mind shook his head as if it was something Arnkatla should have known, yet he uttered no answer to the inquiry. She used her alchemist's knife to withdraw the vortex and manifest another in the same place, this time, leading to Iceland's tower of magic. "Kat!" a somewhat familiar voice called out from Westminster's entrance, Arnkatla turned to face the source and there stood Neb, her former classmate. He looked more or less the same as when they had last spoken sparing only a scruffy looking soul patch, an abnormality for a boy his age.

I can't believe Neb's here! I didn't think I'd ever see him again since I left Westminster but I'm glad I did, who knows, he might even help with W.A.G.E.D, I need as much help as I can get. He told me he thought of me everyday since I left which made my blood rush in a way it never had before, I told him I too missed his company but my voice cracked, felt pretty stupid after that. He asked what I was up to and after I told him about W.A.G.E.D "that's totally metal!" is what he said, I've never heard someone use that phrase before but it sounds cool, I'll probably use it from now on. I think Radioactive Mind could tell Neb wanted to join our quest because he asked "what's stopping you from coming?" Neb then told us that his parents probably wouldn't let him come. "Tell your dad, he'll let you, trust me" is what Radioactive Mind said to finally convince him, we waited a few minutes before he finally came back with a huge smile and told us his dad said yes. I had never been inside any of the towers of magic so I'm pretty nervous about it, I'll expect Radioactive Mind to tank most of the damage since if he gets hurt, I can heal him but can't do the same for myself if I take a hit. "Don't be nervous, Screwface is weak and easy to kill" is what Radioactive Mind said to try and ease my nerves, it didn't do much though so I'll avoid writing in this until what's done is done.

"Hold on, isn't he the one who divides every time he's hit? In what world is that easy!" Arnkatla said in rebuttal as they set off in the direction of Iceland's tower of magic.

"Yes but fear not, there's a simple tactic that is used to defeat him" Radioactive Mind reassured.

"Tell me"

"No, it's against the rules"

"What flippin' rules? Just tell me"

"No, the rules CAN'T be broken, no matter WHAT!"

Arnkatla rolled her eyes, she hadn't the patience for any further discrepancies. Once the trio had left Funkytown's walls, Arnkatla drew her knife from its designated holster and cast a luminescent blue vortex onto the dewy grass afront her feet. "Neb, have they taught you how to heal?" Arnkatla said inquisitively in hopes of gageing her recently reunited freind's abilities "yep" he said before Arnkatla stepped into the vortex, followed by Radioactive Mind. Neb checked his surroundings before hesitantly setting foot within the vortex, he emerged on the other end to find himself just in front of the tower's main entrance, its peak nearly touching the clouds. "Here goes" Arnkatla said before swinging the imposing black door ajar and setting foot within.

"What are you here for?" a naked elf said upon noticing Arnkatla in the front foyer, she jerked in surprise "uh, to fight Screwface" Arnkatla said, finally breaking the silence.

"You should get Taraji" Radioactive Mind advised

"Oh, right!" Arnkatla replied, casting yet another vortex behind herself and stepping back into it. After nearly forty seconds of waiting, she re-emerged from the whirling vortex along with Taraji whose hair was littered with snowflakes "where's your helm?" Radioactive Mind inquired.

"In the smithy getting buffed out, I was jumped by a company of highlanders" Taraji said, taking note of her surroundings, the elf had vanished and the room had been enshrouded by white. Taraji gestured for Arnkatla to use the paragon of magic to replenish her gauntlet's magical juice reservoirs, she complied "I presume you're still fit to fight?" Radioactive Mind said in an inquisitive tone.

"Of course, I'm no wuss," Taraji said matter of factly. A split second later, Screwface spontaneously manifested himself only one foot from Taraji, she quickly clasped her own wrists with her hands and elbowed Srewface's jaw. He didn't flinch and an identical copy of himself emerged from what seemed to be nothing, the copy dropped to one knee and threw a nasty uppercut into Taraji's gut, sending her tumbling to the floor. In an act of defence, Arnkatla cast a stream of life-replenishing magic onto Taraji via her own knife; meanwhile , Neb conjured a hefty fireball and sent it hurtling towards Screwface. Once again he remained unscathed and yet another copy formed, this time to his right "sunuva bitch" Neb said under his breath as the three Screwfaces charged towards him, tackling him on impact. "Paragon of magic, unleash the defensive inferno!" Arnkatla exclaimed, tossing the paragon into the air, it began humming ominously and the quartet of heroes slowly levitated into the air. Upon reaching the relatively low ceiling, the floor spontaneously erupted into a blazing flurry of heat, engulfing Screwface and his doppelgangers in flames. They began to divide alarmingly quickly amidst the fire and eventually, they slowly merged and fused to form yet another copy of Screwface, roughly 30 feet tall. "This didn't happen last time! What devilry is this!" Taraji called out as the flames subsided and they were slowly lowered to the ground once again. Neb conjured all the energy he could muster and used his wizardly powers to fire a jet of scalding hot water onto Screwface's head, it had nearly no effect "sunuva bitch! He's indestructible!" he hollered.

"Not if this has anything to say about it" Arnkatla said, pointing to the paragon of magic which had begun to softly whir with steadily climbing volume before firing a tightly concentrated pale orange laser aimed at Screwface's head. He ducked and weaved to little avail, the laser had pierced the flesh on his right shoulder, severing his arm. Spontaneously, Screwface burst into cinders, he was finished.

Yeah, a lot happened in this chapter but I thought it was good to pick up the pace now cuz we're getting to the main conflict. Think that was the right choice?