The New Paladin

59: Trouble In The Dark

"Queen Luxia, we have been unsuccessful in our hunt for the paladin." The guard said sourly. "We lost them in the currents."

Queen Luxia growled lowly to herself. "Prepare for an attack, if they manage to convince a paladin to join them then we shall be in trouble."

"What of the yellow paladin?" The guard asked.

"He is still with us, he has promised to help us permanently remove these rebels." Queen Luxia smiled. "In fact bring him here."

~~~

"So you couldn't have grabbed us both?" Lance asked blocking Plaxum to have her full attention.

The squid covered mer sighed. "No, we only had enough time to grab you."

Lance sighed. "Shame, Hunk's the better paladin."

"Aren't you the blue paladin, the paladin of water?"

Lance shrugged. "I pilot a giant lion, she's the one with the powers. Speaking of I need to go and get her."

"The lions were moved and now they're being guarded." Blumfump stated making Lance groan his head dropping.

"I can handle a couple of guards." He grumbled as his Bayard came to his hand. "I'll shoot to disable not kill."

"Once you have the queen bring her here." Swirn encouraged as they neared the castle. "There we can stop her hypnotism."

"Hypnotism, are you guys sure? That doesn't sound like the Galran's go to plan." Lance admitted with a frown.

"I was under the queen's spell," Florona explained gently, "I was sent by the queen to the garden, the place where the mer go missing. Swirn saved me."

"And you're sure about all this?" Lance asked glancing towards the castle. "What if you're wrong?"

"We're not." Blumfump stated sharply.

Lance sighed.

"Please paladin, trust us as we trust you."

Lance sighed heavier but nodded eventually. He eyed the guards who surrounded his lion. This wasn't going to be easy.

Maybe it would be easier without his lion?

"Change of plans." Lance said grabbing one of the large rocks in front of him. He used his jetpack to move quite high above the castle.

"What are you doing?!" Plaxum hissed grabbing his arm.

"They want me to get my lion, let me just grab the queen then we'll be out of here." Lance explained with a smile. "Trust me."

"You'll need your lion in order to get away."

"Then that's your job." Lance nodded. "Just be careful."

Before she could stop him, Lance used the weight of the stone and the power of his jetpack to crash through the castle wall.

He let it go once he was in to find himself in the throne room.

"Nice." He nodded as the guards came to life. "Not so nice."

"Paladin." Queen Luxia said rising to her full height. "I ask you to stand down and return to us. Surely you must see that these rebels are wrong."

"You ever heard them out?" Lance asked eyes flickering. "I mean-"

A body slammed into him and Lance had to activate his jetpack in order to escape.

He turned to find Hunk glaring at him.

"Great." Lance grumbled.

Hunk came right at him, his Bayard forming in his hand as he did.

Lance narrowly dodged the shots aimed his way before firing his own.

He watched Hunk's Bayard fall to land on the sea bed before he was pinned to the castle wall with Hunk's arm going across his throat.

"Well this proves one thing to me." He gasped eyes locking with Hunk's. "Hunk would never hurt me."

Hunk blinked.

"Finish him!" Queen Luxia ordered.

In his moment of uncertainty Lance lifted his legs, he planted his feet on Hunk's chest before kicking him back.

He reached for his belt to use one of the bubble fish that Plaxum had given him earlier. He went to throw it at Hunk when a guard grabbed his arm.

Instead Lance basically punched the fish into the guards face then kicked him back too.

An arm caught him and Lance was ready to fight all over again.

"What do you need me to do?" Hunk asked quietly.

Lance relaxed marginally, Hunk was here, Hunk was back.

"We gotta get the queen out of here." Lance explained quickly before he was twisting to blast two of the guards coming towards them.

Hunk nodded then moved towards the queen, with power and speed Lance envied. Hunk had her in his hold and was then dragging her to the exit hole that Lance had made while Lance covered their backs.

"Paladin?" Plaxum asked from where she was holding a guards spear by his lion.

Lance just patted her arm and helped Hunk get the queen inside his lion before draining all the water.

"Why do you have a jelly on your head?" Hunk winced looking concerned.

"Apparently it helps." Lance said weakly. "Queen Luxia I want you to meet your rebels."

Plaxum basically pinned the queen to the wall as she growled. "Release our people, tell them that you've been working with the Galra and that they are under your spell."

"What?" Queen Luxia frowned.

Swirn squeezed a bubble fish in Luxia's face and then the queen gasped eyes flying wide.

"Let me go!" She demanded. "My people, they're in danger! Let me go!"

"Let her go." Lance said nudging Plaxum. "What do you mean they're in danger?"

"Is it the Galra?" Hunk asked.

"They came yes, but they left when the creature arrived."

"Creature?" Lance asked, shoulders tensing. "That never sounds good."

Hunk shook his head. "What creature?"

"Baku."

Everyone except Lance seemed to have a bad reaction to the name.

"Anyone want to clue me in on this one?" Lance asked glancing around.

"It's a giant creature that is incredible vicious." Plaxum sighed. "So that's where our people are going."

Lance glanced around. "Well, I'm not gonna sit around and do nothing, you guys work to get everyone out of whatever hypno-jumbo they're under, Hunk we're going fishing."

"Fishing?" Hunk frowned. "What's fishing?"