Author's Note: Happy 35th Dragon Quest!

Chapter 3: Caravel of Heart

Hiding amongst a nearby copse of trees, Sir Mervyn and I watched interestedly as what appeared to be a pirate ship full of monsters weighed anchor in the distance and sent a dingy over, with a few extra monsters in flight nearby.

"Gooh...I don't like the looks of this," Goolia grosed, "King Goolian prefers goo keep us out of the affairs of the outside world."

"I can understand that," I replied, "It has certainly worked out in our favor that you try to hold neutral in the affairs of darkness and light."

Which would indeed become a problem if these monster pirates pressed the issue, because King Goolian would be within every right to if threatened with invasion simply give us up.

And without a chimera wing or the Zoom spell we were pretty effectively trapped here.

The monsters beached their dingy and I watched as what appeared to be a clothed anthropomorphic canine wearing an eye-patch and wielding a saber leapt out of the boat, flanked by two flapping robotic birds, and a floating...demonic mouse? Alright, I needed to learn the types of monsters in this world, as I did not recognize a single one of these.

"Sea Dog, Mecah-Mynahs, and a Sanguini. Not particularly powerful, the merman that wounded me on our way in was stronger. But if they've got that ship back there full...it could be bad." Sir Mervyn helpfully provided, having seen my puzzled expression most likely. Thankfully he probably attributed it to my relatively sheltered life so far here on this island.

The discussion down on the beach did not appear to be going very well. While I could not make out distinct words King Goolian was looking rather more purple than blue and Sir Goowain was definitely yelling something back at the Sea Dog.

Then the Sea Dog smacked Sir Goowain upside the helmet with the flat of his blade.

I was in motion before I could even process a thought. I had not realized how ingrained leaping to the defense of my friends and comrades had become in me in my past life.

Nor had I realized it had carried over just as strongly to this one.

Four long bounding strides and I was in range with my sword drawn, I raised my left hand, "SIZZ!" I cried out, firing off a thin line of flame that scorched the Sea Dog and the two mecha-mynahs. The fluffy little sanguini had floated backwards when its boss moved to strike, likely as a support party member.

"Rowr! What?" The Sea Dog called out, turning to face me, "Humans? Here? You traitorous slimes! When my crew gets here we'll gut ye all!"

"Not today, mutt!" I cried as I leapt boot first and crunched his muzzle right in, knocking him flat to the ground.

I whirled around, looking for the sanguini, and noticed that Sir Goowain and Dragoony had engaged the birds already. Leaving those to them I honed in on the sanguini which had just finished a spell, all four of my foes glowed green for a moment and I noticed the birds immediately begin moving more quickly.

Cursing under my breath I fired another Sizz off, missing the speedy little devil.

"Gooh no you don't! Woosh!" It appeared that Goolia had joined the fight, and likely Sir Mervyn too, as a burst of wind buffeted the creature and allowed me to leap upwards and let out a furious combination attack with my sword.

The creature screamed in agony as it fell to the ground, out of the combat one way or another.

"I've got this scurvy dog!" My faithful knight called out as he engaged the Sea Dog, finally back upon his feet, "Help Goowain!"

"On it!" I called back and rushed towards the other portion of the battle, Goolia hot on my heels as backup.

"Sizz!" Another burst of fire scorched the two distracted birds, allowing Dragoony to get his own fire breath in as well.

"Ha!" Goodwin screamed as he took off one wing of a mynah with a vicious hack of his blade.

"Jump, Kain!" Goolia cried out and trusting my friend I leapt, "Woosh!" She called out and I felt the wind of the spell actually lift me up further and send me straight at the final mecha-mynah.

"Hi-ya!" I yelled as my blade cleaved straight through the creature, splitting it in twain.

As I landed I turned and saw Sir Mervyn finish off his opponent as well.

"That was bracing," I commented sardonically, "What do we do about the ship?"

King Goolian's massive form bounced forth and his gooey rumbling voice let out, "Goo-ho-ho, the Shells will likely already have drilled a few holes in it, once they saw a fight break out they would have known to goo on the offensive!"

Sure enough the ship was definitely attempting and struggling to turn and flee.

"I guess that settles that, huh?" However as I said this an odd silence fell over the group, all of the surrounding slimes staring at something behind me.

"Uh…" I turned to look and saw an odd metallic looking heart-shaped object on the ground where the mecha-mynah I had slain had been.

"What's that?" I questioned, turning back around hoping for an explanation.

"A monster heart! How rare!" King Goolian exclaimed.

Sir Goowain bounced forward, "Under rare circumstances a monster upon defeat can drop a crystallized piece of essence, called a monster heart! Other monsters can absorb these to gain strength and even aspects of the defeated monster. This is outside of personal training and evolution monsters undergo and it's how you get completely unique monsters!"

"Uh...I can't do anything with that, can I?"

"Goh no, I goo not believe so, my lord." Goowain responded.

"Okay, well then in that case…" I bent down and picked it up and then turned around and offered it to Goolia, "I could not have made that final strike without you, Goolia! You should take it!"

Eyes shining in surprise and admiration the little slime glanced over to her superiors, searching for approval. Sir Goowain nodded and King Goolian let out a belly laugh of approval.

Greedily her mouth opened wide and she chomped down and slurped it up straight out of my grasp.

"Uh...so does that happen immediately or?"

"No, my lord, she'll adapt to it over the next few nights I would imagine."

"Thank goo so much, Prince Kain!" Goolia gushed, "I owe you one!"