Kingdom of Loathing

Chapter 20: Talisman Time

Hey, Kiwi here!
Just a small heads up that the next few chapters including this one WILL contain spoilers to the actual plot of the game, with a couple alterations and changes. If you don't mind, then read on.

***

You want to use Mysticality? Interesting... From here, you have two choices.

***

It was a completely normal day inside the squad's house, complete with screaming, plates breaking, and a very angry Cassidy.

"Can you all just shut the FUCK up?!" she demanded, sitting on the couch and trying to read a book in peace.

Allison and Ava stopped smashing plates around the house and sat down, because they knew how scary Cassidy could get when she was angry.

"Soup time, bitches," Teresa walked out the kitchen, lifting a giant pot of soup with her powers. "This time, it's clam chowder."

"Ew, clams," Tori grimaced. "They sound gross."

"You're telling me you've NEVER tried clams before?" Allison said with a mouthful of soup. "It's delicious!"

"Nope, but it sounds gross."

"Get your picky ass over here," Teresa snapped as she poured the soup into a bowl. "It was cute as a little kid, but it ain't cute being picky now."

"Fine."

Tori scooted onto the stool and reluctantly tried a spoonful of soup. She swallowed and said, "Huh, this isn't too bad."

"Told you."

Beside them, David sighed in discontent.

"When will we get our next quest?" he thought out loud. "It's been over a week and doing boring stuff isn't really working out for me."

"Speak of the devil," Cassidy remarked as the phone rang. She moved over to it and picked up the phone. "This could be the Council calling."

"Hello, who is this?" asked the voice of Councilor Five.

"Cassidy speaking, what's up?"

"Oh, good. Listen up. We've got a new quest for you guys."

"A new quest?!" Cassidy exclaimed. The rest of the group turned to her excitedly. "What is it?"

"Well, you'd have to come here first to know about it! We'll be expecting you in ten."

Then, he hung up.

"Well then, gang," Cassidy snatched her cloak from the clothes hanger. "Looks like we gotta bounce."

"Aw come on, but I like this soup!" Tori groaned as Ava pulled her away from the seat.

"Serves you right for not eating it earlier!" Ava scolded as she dragged a complaining Tori out the door.

***

The six arrived in front of the Council.

"Wonderful!" Councilor Three exclaimed. "We can proceed directly to the quest you will be given."

With a snap of his fingers, a booklet dropped into David's palms.

"The diary of... hold on, this is my father's name!" David gasped as he read the cover. "Why have I never seen this before?"

"Your father was a great explorer in his days," Councilor One explained. "He left your household on a search for the Holy Magmuffin."

Intrigued, David flipped through the pages filled with symbols and infuriatingly tiny handwriting.

"This is definitely Father's handwriting," David concluded. "But what happened to him? The diary just stops abruptly."

"While he was searching, something... horrible happened to him," Councilor Four brought up. "This is why he never discovered the truth of the Magmuffin."

"I-uh, don't wanna sound rude, but what's the Holy Magmuffin?" Tori questioned.

"The Magmuffin will be a crucial weapon to our war," Councilor Two explained. "It is important that we have it."

"War?" Cassidy glared suspiciously at the Council. "What war?"

Councilor Four tensed up.

"I suppose we should tell you now."

She held up her wand, and waved it in the air, creating an image of the Kingdom... except it looked much more different. There was a giant castle in the shot, adorned with beautiful plants and flowers.

"Six years ago, this kingdom still had a king. He had a happy reign reign over the citizens, and life was well."

The image shifted to a picture of Seaside Town, except there were no guards or monsters waiting outside the small town.

"There were no monsters. At least not ones that were hostile."

Then, the image suddenly changed into something Cassidy found very familiar- the man and two girls she saw from her dream in the past.

"But the Naughty Sorceress came and took all of that away. She overthrew the king and his daughters were forced to hide. From her reign, monsters began to rise and we were all forced out of the royal castle."

"We all used to be a part of the palace," Councilor One sighed. "I was the gardener."

"I was one of the knights," Councilor Three frowned. "I couldn't even stop her from intruding the castle."

"And I'm Father's- I mean, the King's second daughter," Councilor Five added in.

No way, I saw her in my dream! Cassidy thought. But she didn't dare bring that up.

"Our goal is to assist you in defeating the Naughty Sorceress," Councilor Two joined in. "As the former Royal Advisor, it's my job to make sure you guys are all successful."

"Read through your father's diary, Dandydoo," Councilor Three commanded. "You will now begin the journey he was not able to complete."

With that, the doors shut again, closing the squad off from the Council once more.

***

"David, I'm sorry to hear about your dad," Cassidy said. "Are you okay?"

"Honestly, I was too young to remember Father," David laughed lightly. "The only thing he left behind for me were handwritten stories, which Mother would read to me all the time."

"Hey, sorry to break the moment, but where do we need to go?" Ava asked, craning her neck trying to read the diary.

"We've got several possible destinations we could check out," David pointed out, flipping through the pages. "There's the Hidden Temple, if you guys wanna check that out first..."

"I mean, we did get a strange map many chapters ago," Tori mentioned. "I took one look at that thing and got a headache from how complex it was. And besides, it says the 'Talisman o' Namsilat' is required to get through, which we don't have."

"You're right about that," David flipped to another page. "We can also go to the Spookyraven manor."

"Oh HELL naw," Cassidy exclaimed as she had flashbacks to Chapter Five. "I ain't going back in there."

"Well, it looks like the last on the list is the two locations for the Copperhead Charms," David remarked, flipping to that page. "The two charms make up the Talisman o' Namsilat, which is required to get into the Hidden Temple."

"And...?" Teresa muttered. "Where can we find them?"

"It days here they're in the hands of Shen and Ron Copperhead," David explained. "We have to get both halves to complete the Talisman."

"Then let's go with that," Cassidy decided. "Now, where do we begin?"