"JUST! FUCKING! RESTART! YOU! GIANT! HUNK! OF! CRYSTAL!" I yelled at the King's Glaive's central control nexus. Each word was accentuated with a punch to what I hoped was the mana train equivalent of a neural cortex.
Grandpa Seamus grabbed me from behind and dragged me away from the hunk of crystal and wire tubing. I struggled against him, not that it amounted to much. I kept forgetting how strong my Grandpa is.
"Starlight, stop punching shite 'fore ya damage it ya idjit!" Grandpa barked.
"I'll do more than damage it! I'll send this bucket of bolts to Hel and then Hades!" I growled. A notification chimed over the intercom system which instantly made my blood pressure rise to stroke levels.
"Would you like to restart the King's Glaive's main system?" A voice belonging to the King's Glaive's administrative system asked.
"YES! FOR THE THOUSANDTH TIME YES!" I roared and tried to kick the control nexus again but got reeled in by Grandpa Seamus. A loud error noise sounded and I nearly channeled void and incinerate attribute mana and burned the entire engine car to ash.
"Error! Unable to execute command!"
"I'LL EXECUTE YOU!" I screamed as Grandpa Seamus dragged me out of the car.
He pulled me into the navigation car kicking, screaming, and promising painful and inhumane deaths that would make war criminals blush. I was still yelling curses long after the door to the closed. Once I finally calmed down I realized that the entire bridge crew was at their stations and watching mg breakdown.
"Problem Master Kingston?" Yanis casually asked, like she hadn't just seen me have a high speed come apart.
"We might have a problem restarting the main system…" I said calmly.
"The bloody thing is fucked nine ways from Sunday." Grandpa Seamus corrected. Earning a frown from me. "That damn woman damaged more than I thought when she drained the train's mana. Hafta tow it back ta Andromeda."
"Umm….how are we going to tow a massive mana train?" Zane asked. Grandpa Seamus shivered slightly then looked to me.
"Can ya have that abomination of yers come and pick up the train?" Grandpa asked.
"By abomination do you mean Grimm-Guard?" I asked.
"Yes, that freak of nature!" Grandpa replied enthusiastically. I groaned and ran my hand down my face.
"Grimm-Guard is not a freak, he's a sensitive and caring Skull-lord Militanto." I said.
"Ya know I can't stand feckin' creepy crawlin's!" Grandpa Seamus said with a slight shiver. I frowned then shook my head.
I turned my attention back to my grandfather who was now addressing Yanis about the change of plans. Grandpa outlined his plan to have Grimm-Guard carry the King's Glaive back to Andromeda with the crew as well while a small group made the trek to Tolapo Village once knight falls. However he wanted to take the corpse of the spacian with us since the villagers couldn't catch the plague.
"Well Grimm-Guard is on his way. Better go gather the others so you can get as far away from here before he does and gives you a heart attack."
***
"See! Told you it would be easy to carry!" I yelled up at Grimm-Guard. He had the King's Glaive grasped tightly in his legs while his wings flapped frantically while channeling mana to keep both him and the mana train afloat.
"Heavier than it thought, Star Boss! But I will deliver it and everyone back safely." Grimm-Guard replied resolutely. I nodded and smiled back up at him.
"I'll be sure to give you plenty of head scratches when I get back to Andromeda. Okay!" I told the massive evo. He chittered happily, his massive pincers clinked together rapidly while I was sure somewhere down his three mile long body his tail was wagging frantically like a overstimulated dog.
"Thank you! Thank you Star Boss!" Grimm-Guard exclaimed.
"Take off." I ordered and Grimm-Guard immediately flew off. He flew high into the night sky, passing in front of the full moon before heading back towards Egypt and Andromeda city. I watched him until his massive form disappeared in the night sky.
'Well that's dealt with…' I thought with a sigh then turned and looked around the sprawling desert around me. There were a large dune a couple dozen meters away that I knew everyone that wasn't on the King's Glaive was waiting behind with my Grandpa Seamus.
I started to channel float attribute mana then stopped and decided to just walk the short distance. The chill of the desert's night air make me feel refreshed and grounded for the first time in months. As I reached the top of the dune however I could already hear several voices yelling and screaming breaking the small moment of peace I had.
"…For the last time Bo! We can't walk to the village without Chase leading us because none of us are direct descendants of Tolapo Village!" Jane growled.
"But you and your parents got snatched up by that teleporting tablet thingy along with Chase which indicates you're descendants from a legendary village." Bo retorted.
"That doesn't mean that we are descendants of Tolapo village. And while we are descendants of a prior star farm crystal bearer, that was several thousand years ago." Jane said.
I peered over the top of the dune and saw Grandpa Seamus, Baset, Jane, Astrid, Alberto, Bo, Colossus, and Kennedy all huddled around a small fire. Jane looked like she was about to pull her hair out while Baset and Grandpa Seamus looked greatly amused, using the sleeping Hell-Hog's body as a pillow. Laying a few meters away from the small camp was the spacian woman's corpse, wrapped in linen cloths. I stood at the top of the dune and watched everyone for a few moments.
Kennedy was watching everyone, looking unsure how he should react to the little argument. Alberto looked done with the entire thing, having probably heard the same argument a dozen times over in the last couple days. Astrid wasn't paying attention to them at all, instead acting as a sentinel and keeping and eye to the vast desert around us.
"Well you two can stop arguing now…I'm here." I said finally deciding to walk down the dune. Everyone turned to look at me, expression of relief and impatience on everyone's faces. Most notably on Grandpa Seamus face, his was a battlefield of emotion. Expectation, hope, fear, uncertainty, all were visible on his face in shifting patterns.
"About time Kingston." Baset said then stood.
"Well if you wanted to get there sooner I'm sure your boyfriend would have come and got you." I said cheekily. Baset blinked a few times, her expression remaining neutral and unchanging.
"I have no idea who you are referring to." Baset said simply.
I slid down the rest of the dune, coming to a stop just before the campfire. Colossus chose right then to wake up and yawned. Grandpa Seamus stood up, everyone else following suit. They looked to me for instruction on how to proceed.
I closed my eyes letting my mind go blank as I raised my arm, I felt a small tug on my soul. Calling to me like a mother calls her children home just before dark. I turned my body and lowered my arm to point in the direction I felt the tug.
"That way, we're not far actually." I declared.
"Then we can use our evos to fly the rest of the way." Bo said.
"Except we can't laddie." Grandpa Seamus said then pointed to Colossus.
"Crap…forgot he's bonded to a normie…" Bo grumbled. Grandpa Seamus climbed on Colossus back, his flaming mohawk didn't burn him at all as he sat.
"Don't worry! Lil' lossus can carry me." Grandpa Seamus proclaimed proudly. Colossus snorted proudly, flames and ash spewing from his snout.
"I'm strong!" He exclaimed.
"And adorable…" I said, walking over and scratching the Hell-Hog under his chin. Colossus did not like that and nipped at my hand.
"I'm not cute, Star Shaper! I'm strong, ferocious warrior!" Colossus exclaimed.
"Sure you are…" I replied sarcastically then turned to address the others. "Jane, Astrid, and Alberto you three can ride on Coyote's back and follow from above. Baset you can ride with Grandpa."
"What about us?" Bo asked, pointing to himself and Kennedy. I smiled devilishly and started to roll my shoulders until they popped.
"I'm going to see how fast you two can run using volt attribute mana."