ART BY:
 aricub

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A pause ensued as everyone thought about what to do.
“Obviously they are expecting the two of us,” stated Filbert as he glared at the tower’s front door.
Emino nodded and replied, “Yes. If only one of us shows they may become suspicious and uncover our plan to beat them at their own game.”
“We could do it.” suggested Lucky.

Emino and Filbert abruptly ended their discussion and faced the blue-eyed yellow Haposaur.
“It’s dangerous.” warned Emino.
“Perhaps,” added Filbert. “However, it may be our only chance.”
Emino thought for a moment before saying, “You certainly do have a lot of faith in these children.”
“I do,” the green haposaur replied. “In our battle against Deus, it was our youngest who first took up arms beside me to drive the dragons out of our land.”
Scuttle felt energized by Filbert’s statement and added, “I’m always up for a challenge!”
“Count me in!” chimed Bubble.
Lucky moved forward and said “I’d do anything to save my dad and mom.”
“Me too!” cried Cappy who was clearly getting into the spirit.
“Yay!” Fritter exclaimed with a leap. “Count me in too!”

Emino grew a smile on his face before facing the kids and saying, “I am truly impressed with your bravery children.”
“We may be little!” proclaimed Bubble. “But we sure can do a lot!”
Filbert twirled the staff and pumped his fist saying, “I am glad to see the spirit of our people has only continued to grow over the years.”
“Well then,” stated Emino while taking a few steps closer to the runes he had created. “I kind of figured you children would be up to such a task. It is for this reason I asked you to do what you did for me.”

Scuttle ran forward and grabbed at the object that looked like a boat with arrows going through it.
“Ungh!” he groaned as he tried to lift it. “It’s too heavy!”
“This one too,” Lucky gasped after attempting to lift the other stone symbol from the ground.
“Hmm,” pondered Filbert as he put his hand to his chin. “This does pose a bit of a problem.”
“Filbert,” Emino asked. “Is it possible for you to conjure us up some fog?
“I can do that,” he replied. “Why?”
Emino nodded and stated, “Its all part of the plan.”

The green Haposaur shrugged his shoulders as he again accepted that he would have to take the psychic at his word. He then began to wave the Saurral Staff in the air as he cried, “Elemental magic, Enshrouding Mist!”

PFOO

“Ooh,” awed Cappy as he watched and felt the mist form around him. “I’m starting to feel sticky.”
“Makes sense,” commented Bubble. “After all, fog is a form of water.”
“Warm sticky water.” Scuttle added as he watched the area around him seem to disappear in the mist.
“Don’t be alarmed by what you shall soon see,” said Emino as he used his psychic powers. He then combined the collected thoughts of the children, along with his own, before sending them all out in a burst of blue light towards the stone symbols.

FA-POOF
FA-POOF

“Hi!” cried a high-pitched, young, female voice.
“Hello!” exclaimed a similar sounding, male voice.
“Ungh!” moaned Emino falling to the ground and grabbing his head.

Looking toward where they had heard the voices, everyone was surprised to see that the two runes had somehow been replaced by two uniquely colored little Haposaurs.
“Hi, Lucky, Cappy, and Fritter!” greeted the little girl pleasantly, as she waved her purple hand toward the trio. “My name’s Wavy!”
The boy, who was green in color, ran toward where Bubble and Scuttle were standing and shouted, “Let’s get started guys!”
“Who are you?” asked Scuttle as he admired all the star shapes that appeared on the Haposaur before him.
“Why,” the boy began while scampering in place. “I’m Starry!”
“Makes sense,” said Bubble in a thoughtful tone as she observed how Starry’s green body was covered in little black star-shapes.

Emino slowly took to his feet and moaned as he said “Problem solved.”
“How so?” asked Filbert as he watched the children interact with the two, bizarre looking youngsters.
“Well,” Emino replied. “By implanting my thoughts along with those of the children, I was able to create what some may call a pair of avatars.”
“Avatars?” questioned Filbert. “So thou have created copies of yourself?”
Emino laughed a bit before saying, “Not quite. I merely used the children’s thoughts to create an images around the runes that share similar thinking capacities to them. They also know where they need to go to complete the mission.”
“Fascinating.” Filbert awed.
Emino nodded as he called out “To me children!”

All of the kids, including Starry and Wavy, quickly gathered around the blue bird-like man.
“Excellent,” Emino said. “We don’t have much time and there’s much to know before we each set out to fulfill our respective objectives.”