Cobalt and The Five Stars

Chapter 8

We walked for hours, and hours, as I continuously admired the purple crystals that shimmered, left right, and center, then, however, something caught my eye. I picked it up to show the others.

"Guys, look! Someone dropped a belt here!"

Lucio's pupils shrunk. The very object in my hands, caused him to have a recognition. In panic, he lay down on the ground with the belt laying on his abdomen, as he whimpered. I didn't know how to stop him, so I just stood there and left him with it. After three and a half hours, of not being able to speak, Lucio told us the situation.

"Lamonte... that's his belt!

"You mean, your rival?" I asked, after connecting the dots. Lucio growled.

"That bully! If he ever tries to mess with us, he's barking up the wrong—!"

"Shh, look over there!" Winnona exclaimed as she pointed to a sparkling lime-green star, shimmering above a pedestal covered in vines, and roses.

"This is it," I said," the first elemental star!"

Lucio sprinted forward.

"I'll get it!" He said as he rushed for the pedestal. Winnona reached for him.

"Lucio, no! You'll wake the—"

Just when Lucio was about to grab the star, the snapdragon surrounded the star between his teeth and swallowed it. Lucio gasped.

"Bad snapdragon, bad!" He said, throwing a nearby stone at it, causing the carnivorous abomination to give chase.

Swiftly, we found ourselves in a frenzied escape from a colossal Snapdragon plant, its once docile appearance now transformed into a menacing threat. Regrettably, it was Lucio who had triggered this chaotic pursuit, and to make matters worse, the power of the first star had bestowed the plant with muscles and sharp teeth, rendering it hungry for our demise.

"Is it always gonna be like this?" I gasped, struggling for breath.

"We're talking dimensional monsters trying to stop you from getting the stars, Cobalt! What do you expect?!" Lucio explained matter-of-factly.

The Snapdragon lunged, aiming for Lucio, who skillfully dodged with a nimble jump. Spotting a perfect hiding spot—a tiny but spacious refuge—we hurried toward it, escaping the beast's piercing gaze.

"Quick, guys, in here!" Winnona instructed. "We can't run from the Snapdragon forever, but we can strategize from here!"

"Nobody told me we're playing a game," Lucio panted, only to be reassured by Winnona, who took his hand and guided him to safety.

Inside our temporary haven, I felt a pang in my chest, my heart swelling with worry. The last thing I wanted was for Lucio to collapse under the weight of his own decisions, which had led us into this flowery fiasco. Eventually, he buried his face in the ground, groaning quietly. Winnona, once again, stepped in to soothe his distress. My attention then shifted to RPG-like potion bottles attached to Lucio's mysterious rival's belt.

"How are these not broken...?" I wondered aloud to Winnona, who appeared puzzled.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

I pulled out one of the glowing lime substances, presenting it to my companions. "I don't know what they are, but I have a hunch they can be useful."

Recognition flashed in Lucio's eyes as he glanced at the bottle. "These... are Springwater bombs," he explained, recovering from his earlier panic.

With newfound hope, Winnona devised a cunning strategy, leading us into battle with a well-formulated plan. Unfortunately, my role in this scenario was to be the enemy's distraction.

"Whatever you guys are planning has to work," I whispered to them as we watched the confused mutant plant prowling around, looking for prey. The plan was to lure the Snapdragon closer to Winnona and Lucio for them to strike. Knowing the plant's easily offended nature, I made a gesture with my finger sticking out—a gesture that worked a little too well.

The Snapdragon, once again on the prowl, left me running for my life. My brain raced with thoughts of survival, my only goal to avoid turning into human glucose if I ended up being digested.

"I'll save you, buddy!" Lucio yelled. "Dive over here!"

My luck led me to save myself with the help of the very person who initiated this mess. Yet, my unease intensified when I heard Winona cock her gun.

"Let's see you photosynthesize THIS!!!"

The plant roared in fury, unaware that it was Winona's cue to defeat the viny villain. One shot was all it took for the Snapdragon to succumb to an overdose of the Springwater bomb. Lucio and I could only watch in horror as the plant's once-slim body swelled to a whopping quarter ton, exploding into oblivion with a blood-curdling shriek that echoed beyond the cave walls.

After the battle, we rushed to Winnona, jubilant at our victory. The star we sought descended in front of us, much to our relief.

"Wanna get the star for us this time, hon?" Winnona asked.

Lucio blushed like a plump tomato. "I think you should take it."

Winnona touched the star, and a green glow illuminated the entire cavern.

"What happened?" I asked. "Are we alive?"

"We sure are, Cobalt!" Winnona answered, gesturing for me to look around. It didn't take long to realize that the star we had collected was a comet, and now we were riding on its tail. Though unafraid of flight in my world, I now clung to Lucio, eyes sealed shut, hoping for a safe landing.

"You can hold on to me if you like," Lucio offered.

I did just that. To this day, I can't believe I had the chance to ride an actual comet tail. As we soared through the Ostarian skies, the magic of the star showered down, curing all the residents affected by the Snapdragon's pollen.

Ostaria flourished once more, and news of our victory reached unexpected corners. A young cocoa-skinned upstart, his face veiled in the shadows of his forge, grinned as he spoke.

"So the prodigal son returns, huh? How original..."