The carriage rolled along the dirt path once more, wheels creaking and dust rising in the morning sun. Everyone had packed up, recharged, and—
most importantly—Ember had recovered her dignity.
Barely.
Inside the carriage, the mood was calm. Nyxar sat with his usual unreadable face, flipping his grimmoire. Vespera stretched lazily. Spirit and Bug lounged, arguing over who would win in a fight: "a shadow dragon with migraines" or "a coffee-powered gremlin."
Meanwhile, in the corner, mini Bella and the mini Jaguar were at it again.
The two tiny beasts growled in squeaky fury, pawing at each other like angry plush toys.
Mini Bella's armor clinked like little bells, and Mini Jaguar's eyes glowed with intense toddler rage.
Bug: "...You know, I think we could make this interesting."
Spirit: "Oh no. What now?"
Bug: "Trust me. I have an idea."
Cut to… later that day.
The driver had stopped at a small village to rest and find lodging.
Sebastian, Ember, and Sylas all got down to handle the rooms and supplies.
Narrator: "Wait… wait wait wait—
they left Nyxar, Vespera, Bug, Spirit, and a kid alone with their summons?
Oh gods.
What horror—no—what cinematic masterpiece is about to unfold?"
Transition: The grass sways… the camera tilts down… then snaps up into—
THE BATTLEFIELD.
Orange sunset.
Black smoke rising.
Ash falling like snow.
On one side: Bella, the Iron Queen herself, leading two armored Steel Bears and a regal Deer mount, her armor gleaming in the dying light.
On the other: The Umber Jaguar, sleek, dark, flanked by three deadly Mantis warriors, their blades humming like steel cicadas.
The air trembled.
The music swelled.
Tiny flags waved dramatically.
Narrator (whisper): "Two titans.
Bound by fate.
Separated by fur color."
The war cry echoed—
"RRAAAGHHH!"
Both sides charged.
Bella roared and dove into the ground, tunneling beneath the battlefield in a blur of dust and bells.
The Umber Jaguar snarled, its eyes narrowing—then leapt back as the earth exploded where it had stood.
Bella erupted from below, claws first, slamming into open air as the Jaguar dodged.
She landed heavily, the ground cracking under her weight, then dove again, disappearing beneath the soil.
The two Steel Bears roared and swung their massive paws at the oncoming Mantises—but the insect warriors were fast, slicing the air in dazzling arcs.
One Mantis was launched aside by the Deer, which charged in a flash of grace and fury, antlers gleaming.
The Deer struck a Mantis so hard it cartwheeled into a tree.
Narrator: "That Mantis didn't even have a health bar. It just despawned."
But victory was brief—
two other Mantises pounced, slicing into the Deer. It fell gracefully, defeated but noble to the end.
The Bears roared in retaliation, smashing one Mantis to pieces—
but not without being torn down themselves in the process.
Now only one Bear remained, injured but burning with rage.
Facing it: two battered Mantises, wings torn, blades dripping.
They darted around it like blurs, striking fast, chipping armor, slashing again and again.
The Bear swung wildly—miss—miss—HIT.
One Mantis was caught mid-air, its tiny face pure panic.
Narrator: "It was at that moment, Mantis #2 knew… he'd messed up."
The Bear crushed it—
but not before the Mantis sliced through its paw, severing the claws.
Both creatures stumbled, bleeding, broken.
Then came the final standoff:
One-eyed, one-armed Steel Bear vs. half-dead Mantis.
They charged.
Claws met blades.
Dust and sparks filled the air.
The Mantis slashed faster, driven by fury.
The Bear swung slower, heavier.
Each strike echoed like drums.
Finally, the Bear caught a hit to its jaw—staggered—collapsed.
The Mantis leapt high, silhouetted against the sunset, and plunged down—
SLASH!
The Bear's head fell.
The Mantis turned weakly, bowed toward its commander—
and fell, lifeless, beside its fallen foe.
Narrator (somber): "Victory… at what cost?"
Now, only Bella and the Umber Jaguar remained.
The two giants circled one another.
The ground trembled.
The sky darkened.
Bella vanished underground once more, her bell-tones echoing faintly through the earth.
The Jaguar crouched, eyes scanning—
then looked up, realizing—
she was above.
Narrator (whisper): "Oh… you sneaky feline."
The Jaguar leapt from the canopy, crashing down onto Bella's shell!
A thunderous impact—dust and debris exploded outward.
But Bella's armor didn't crack.
Narrator: "Plot armor: Level 100."
The Jaguar hissed and sprinted off, darting through trees, devising a plan.
It feigned fatigue—limping slightly—baiting the beast.
Bella followed, cautious, chimes ringing softly, scanning the earth.
The Jaguar's tail flicked. It leapt again—slashing down a massive tree.
CRRRRACK!
The trunk fell, smashing the ground.
Bella barely rolled aside.
Smoke and dust covered the field.
The Jaguar stopped, panting, staring at the fallen tree.
No movement.
Silence.
Jaguar (panting): "...It's over."
But then—
the ground shook.
The soil burst open—
Bella soared out of the dirt behind it, bellowing, bells screaming in a metallic roar!
The Jaguar turned, eyes wide—no time to run.
They charged each other one last time.
The camera zoomed into the Jaguar's eye.
Reflected within it: Bella descending like a comet.
Both leapt.
Both struck.
Then—
BLACK.
Silence.
When the world faded back in, the battlefield was still.
Smoke drifted.
The setting sun cast long shadows over the wreckage.
The Jaguar stirred, trembling, coughing blood.
It turned, staring at Bella's unmoving form.
Both scarred.
Both broken.
Both heroes of their own story.
Then the Jaguar collapsed beside her.
Narrator (quietly): "And thus ended the Great Mini War… fought bravely, by creatures the size of sandwiches."
Sad, heroic music swelled as the "camera" panned up over the destroyed field — fallen Deer, crushed Bears, shredded Mantises, and finally… the two champions, side by side.
Cut back to reality.
Everyone was gathered in the grass, staring.
All the mini summons were dramatically playing dead, frozen mid-pose like little actors finishing a tragedy.
There was a long pause.
Then—
Vespera and Belos erupted in applause.
Vespera: "That was… that was amazing!"
Belos: "So cinematic!"
Nyxar, Bug, and Spirit just nodded smugly.
Nyxar: "Told you."
Bug: "Oscar-worthy."
Spirit: "We call it… art."
Narrator: "And somewhere in the distance, Ember felt a sudden chill—like someone was making chaos unsupervised."
End Scene: "The Mini War of Legends."