Twisted Wonderland

Two Days Remain

Your back in the Savanaclaw dorm lounge. The light from the waterfall glowing in the dark night. You sit on one of the large chairs with a blanket wrapped around you. Jack sits next to you with an arm wrapped around you to help you warm up.

"What?" Ruggie asks. "You guys actually went to the Coral Sea?"

Leona laughs from his chair in front of you. "How stupid can you get?"

"Mrah?" Grim looks to the lion in shock. "But you're the guy who said to get the ball rolling right now!"

Leona folds his arms. "I never said anything about diving headlong into the sea. Your time's limited. What I was suggestin' was that you use your head and find a worthwhile use of your time. Challenging merfolk head-on in the water is a losing proposition no matter how you slice it. It's like walking into a carnivore's mouth."

Jack's ear twitches. "Wait. Did you guys know the twins were actually mermen this whole time?"

Leona shrugs. "Maybe."

"I saw Floyd in his natural form at a joint swimming class last summer, and boy, let me tell you..." Ruggie shivers. "If that guy came after me in the water, I'd be done for. End of story."

Jack narrows his eyes. "It woulda been nice to know that beforehand!"

"Last I checked," Leona says coolly. "you were the guys who ran off half-cocked without bothering to gather any intel. I would've been happy to share it all in detail if you'd asked."

"Yeah! You gotta cover your bases before you start pickin' fights, y'know?" Ruggie laughs. "Back at the Savanna, you gotta tread carefully if you don't wanna end up as someone's dinner."

Grim growls. "You're the same couple of scheming jerks as always!"

"Does this mean Azul was planning on interfering from the start when he made the offer?" Jack asks.

Leona rolls his eyes, leaning back in the chair. "Uh, duh? Obviously."

Ruggie folds his arms, leaning on the arm of Leona's chair. "The Leech brothers are Azul's top men. They're known for collecting all collateral and compensation from his contractors. And rumor has it they run interference to make sure the contract terms can't be met."

"What a bunch of low-down, dirty cheaters!" Grim groans. "If Y/N loses, am I gonna be stuck workin' day and night for Azul forever?"

You pick up the cat and hold him close. "I'm sure we'll manage something. Pretty sure, at least..."

You feel less confident than you were this morning though. How could you possibly make it past the twins if they're constantly going to get in your way?

Leona stares at your sad eyes. He doesn't know why but he hates to see that bright smile of yours gone. Leona also can't stand the thought you'd be stuck with that cephlo-punk.

Ruggie tilts his head questioningly at the lion. "Leona?"

Leona closes his eyes and sighs. "Azul's signature spell is a golden contract scroll called It's a Deal. It enables the caster to take one power from a target if that target signs the scroll. In addition, in the event of a contract breach, the breacher is compelled to obey Azul's every command to a T."

"They say spells with tricky activation requirements are especially potent, but man..." Ruggie shakes his head. "Isn't that messed up?"

"When the power gets taken, it's sealed inside the contract and made available for Azul to use as it suits him." Leona continues.