"HURRY!!" Minoc yelled and began running across the bridge towards the building where the civilians were hiding. At the site of the Scorpion, where Jabberwocky ran too, a net sticky web shot out of the ground from underneath the roof tangling the man/monster, there were no Tinkertown soldiers manning the Scorpion. The web was designed specifically for individuals who could phase through matter, it has a coagulation effect that bunched and stuck to the person caught in it. If they tried to phase through it it would bunch up in the person's center of mass and not allow them to unphase.
Minoc ran into the building while the other soldiers tried to fire their crossbows at Jabberwocky. Minoc closed the door and barred it tightly. Once he was inside he tried to organize the people inside and lead them towards a back door that would take them down the mountain.
He roars, turning back into his dragon form, and tears his claws through the sticky mesh, shredding great chunks of it with his talons. Jets of fire gush from his jaws, burning the net slowly but surely away from his scales. "INSOLENT MORTALS!" A wave of flame blasts towards the houses, setting them ablaze. "DRAYGON WILL WIPE YOUR RACE OFF THE FACE OF THIS PLANET! ONCE HE HAS THE WEAPON, THIS WORLD WILL BE CLEANSED OF YOUR PATHETIC PEOPLE!'
The Manta Rays approached the Castle from the North. From her perch on the back of the Manta Sarah could see Bandersnatch as a little dot on the south side of the castle shooting balls of fire over the outer wall and hitting the stone of the towers. Directly underneath her she could see the top of a large square parapet lined pavilion built atop one of the towers. There were maybe twenty guards standing on the pavilion looking up at the Manta's. "It appears we are expected," Asra's voice chimed in Sarah's ear.
The Manta's landed and the soldiers began to unload their goods. One of them walked up to Sarah and helped her down. "Miss," he said chivalrously, "we weren't expecting a lady in attendance. Welcome, to Castle Solace! From whence do you come?"
"Oh," Sarah gasps as they approach the castle. "That's a bit surprising... I don't think Master Thunderfist had time to mention me to anyone..."
Stepping off the Manta, she straightens her cloak, pulling back the hood, and gives a polite bow.
"Forgive my sudden intrusion," she speaks up. "My name is Sarah, and I've come from Master Thunderfist's island. The villagers were kind enough to allow me onto these majestic sky-mantas, so forgive my sudden appearance.
"However, I have... sad news. M-Master Kensu Th-Thunderfist... is dead. He was slain by an agent of Draygon. I... I'm sorry."
King Kovar looked out the window from his study. He could hear Bandersnatch yelling a challenge. Give up the Oracle and Wizard and no one has to die. Over and over again he yelled before blasting the castle again. Kovar felt sad, he didn't know what to do. There was no Oracle at the Castle, it had been sent away as a gift for some cousin or another's wedding. Tornel had told the king that they weren't valuable, just decoration. But now one of Draygon's lieutenants was banging down his door looking for one. Why now? he thought, why after all this time we've been left alone do they now harass us? And why do they want the Oracles? The King was at a lost.
The door banged loudly. "Your Highness!" A Paladin's voice called though the thick door, "The Rays from the Islands have brought their load, and they brought a passenger sir." The King motioned for his attendant to open the door.
When the Knight saw the King he fell to his knee. "And why is that my concern?" The King asked.
"She has Pink hair sir," The Paladin said, looking down.
The King stroked his long beard. He remembered that one of the Oracle renderings had pink hair, maybe the Rays had brought them a way out of this mess. "Bring her to me, and good work young Knight. What is your name?"
"Sir Brunch, Your Highness." The knight said. He snapped up at the King's command and went to fetch the young girl to see the King.
Sorry, I had to write this out quick, so there may be errors. Sarah has landed at Solace and the King has requested an Audience. Not bad, waking up one day and seeing a King shortly after. You just landed, I hope you're not overwhelmed :)
Sarah is quite surprised by the stares and the gawking; she suspects something about her appearance isn't very common around these parts. It's probably the pink hair; none of the villagers on the island had pink hair either.
"L-look, Master Kensu wanted to dispose of these cannisters, whom should I talk to about-"
She then realizes they're leading her... somewhere. She takes the opportunity to look around. The place is certainly a lot bigger and grander than the village she was in, and it has a lot more people. Still, after the claustrophobia of the caverns, it's welcome, even if the size can be a bit intimidating. Meanwhile, Pip kept trotting along, panting happily at being able to walk around after being forced to stay in one spot during the long flight to the castle.
She finds herself in front of an old man with a dignified air and commanding presence, someone she realizes is the King - though partially because Sir Brunch announced him to her, making her do a double take.
"Ah! Forgive me, m- your majesty!" she says hurriedly, giving an equally hurried bow. "M-my name is Sarah, and I'm most honored to meet you! I... I've come from the island where the Wizard Thunderfist lives... or rather... where he lived..."
Sir Brunch brought before the King the young girl with the pink hair. The King was sitting in one of the large, comfortable chairs in the room facing the doorway. "Your Royal Highness, may I present Lady Sarah, from the Islands of Kensu Thunderfist." King Kovar regarded the girl as she came into his study and kneeled. She was accompanied by a small, blue dog that seemed very happy and very attached to her.
*BOOM!* another fiery volley crashed into the castle wall. Purposefully the fireballs weren't doing a great amount of damage, Bandersnatch seemed to be shooting at stone walls and wasn't aiming at any flammable or populated areas. Most likely the beast was letting them know he had the power to bring death to them and was choosing not to. As long as he was content to be threatening they had time to come up with a plan for how to defeat him.
The girl was definitely the spitting image of painting in the main hall, she had to be one of the Oracles, or she was a brutally effective mimic. "We expected the Rays to arrive from the Islands, but we did not expect them to bring us a visitor. Tell me, who are you?"
"Ah! Forgive me, m- your majesty!" she says hurriedly, giving an equally hurried bow. "M-my name is Sarah, and I'm most honored to meet you! I... I've come from the island where the Wizard Thunderfist lives... or rather... where he lived..."
"You're saying that Master Kensu is dead?" The King's heart raced but he didn't let his face express any emotions, as Royalty he was expected to learn the discipline of controlling his expressions since he was a child. "Please child, be at ease. Sir Brunch!" He commanded, "get us some food, wine, and water for our Guest, we will eat here." Pip let out a soft bark, the King smiled, "and some food and water for the dog." The Knight bowed and left the room.
"Now child, come, sit." The King motioned for Sarah to sit at the desk close to his own chair. "Do not be afraid of me, I may be a King but I am not a tyrant," he smiled warmly, "Please tell me your tale. Where did you come from, and what happened to Master Thunderfist?"
Time to tell your story. This is both a good opportunity to talk about what you think of yourself as well as what you think of the things you've experienced and learned. Don't be afraid to express your doubts and fears, oh, and you can see Bandersnatch out the window, though he appears to have stopped firing upon the castle for the moment.
As Minoc led the people to the hatch at the back of the room he found it wasn't budging! For a moment he wasn't sure what to do, there was no escape. He wasn't a fighter, he was a thinker, but now he would have to fight. He looked into the eyes of the people around him, people whom he saw as family though none of there were direct relations. "Be brave good people," he said, trying to be reassuring, "we will lead the beast away." He smiled bravely, knowing that this would be his last trip.
He took a moment to communicate telepathically with Tornel and let him know that he was probably about to die, then he turned to the door way and walked through. As he stepped into the open air he could see Jabberwocky blowing off the net he was stuck in, his scales were riddled with bolts and arrows from the soldiers firing into him, though any wounds appeared to be superficial. Taking his moment he ran across the bridge to the room under where Jabber was stuck and started pulling levers and turning cranks. "You're not going to get our people," he said, "I'll make sure of that," as the room turned on it's axis and broke the bridge connecting it to the civilians.
He hisses and growls, biting out the weapons, and tossing them aside. He folds his wings in, and folds into himself, his wings turning into a cape, and he draws a long scythe. "I only want the girl. Give me the Oracle, and I'll let you and your people live. Refuse, and you all die."
"I don't know what you're talking about, there is no girl. We killed the harpy, report that to your boss!" Minoc yelled as he threw a last lever and the hut they were in broke free from its supports and began plunging down the mountain!
When Minoc designed the buildings of Tinkertown he put in a system to be able to easily move and disassemble some of the structures in case of a fire or landslide. It was originally a safety feature, he never expected that he'd be in one of the buildings as he threw the lever to send it racing to its destruction. He looked into the eyes of Jabberwocky as he felt the building begin to fall, "I'll see you in hell!" He slammed another button and the hurricane shutters of the building closed, sealing the two of them into the falling room.
He snarls, and jumps over the falling building, sprouting wings, and taking to the sky for a moment, his feet just brushing over the falling building. "You think simple tricks will slay one such as I? I've never lost a target I set my eyes on. I'll hunt it to the ends of the earth!"
Steph was utterly stunned as Tornel locked them inside the chamber and made his accusations.
Servants of Draygon?! What the hell?! I thought this guy was supposed to help us, not imprison us!
“W-Wait!” Peter cried franticly. “We don’t serve Draygon! There’s been a terrible mistake!”
“Don’t waste your breath, Peter,” Steph advised. “I doubt he can hear you.”
“B-But he has to let us out!” the apprentice protested. “With the castle under attack, he needs our help! Well, your help,” he added after a moment. “A-And why does he think we work for Draygon, anyway?! Master Minoc always talked of how wise and powerful Master Tornel was. How could he not know who we really are?!”
“You know how I said I wasn’t anything supernatural, just a normal person? Well, I kinda think that applies double to him.”
“S-So, what are we going to do?” Peter asked.
“Escape, obviously,” Steph replied.
“B-But the door is booby trapped!”
“Somehow, I doubt that will be much of a problem for my nanites,” Steph noted with a small grin, before focusing her attention on the package Tornel had so carelessly dismissed. “But first, I’d like to see if my suspicions are right about this thing.”
Picking it up from where Peter had dropped it on the floor, Steph held it in her hands for a moment, feeling its weight.
“Huh. I don’t see what Tornel was complaining about. I mean, it doesn’t feel all that heavy…” she observed, before smiling and shaking her head. “That’s right… I keep forgetting that I’m a lot stronger than I used to be…”
Carefully unfastening the wrapping, she allowed it to fall to the ground, revealing what Minoc had tasked her with delivering…
Sir Brunch brought before the King the young girl with the pink hair. The King was sitting in one of the large, comfortable chairs in the room facing the doorway. "Your Royal Highness, may I present Lady Sarah, from the Islands of Kensu Thunderfist." King Kovar regarded the girl as she came into his study and kneeled. She was accompanied by a small, blue dog that seemed very happy and very attached to her.
*BOOM!* another fiery volley crashed into the castle wall. Purposefully the fireballs weren't doing a great amount of damage, Bandersnatch seemed to be shooting at stone walls and wasn't aiming at any flammable or populated areas. Most likely the beast was letting them know he had the power to bring death to them and was choosing not to. As long as he was content to be threatening they had time to come up with a plan for how to defeat him.
Sarah startles at the sound of the fireball crashing into the walls. She remembers what Asra said about one of Draygon's minions assaulting the castle, and her fair, soft features harden as she glares out the window angrily. She's seen what one of these monsters could do, and she barely beat that one back. Asra was hesitant to let her engage this one, meaning he must be equally dangerous.
It's only the king's calm reaction that calms her down in return. She sighs and turns back to the King.
"How long has this one been assaulting the castle, Your Majesty?" she asks. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"You're saying that Master Kensu is dead?" The King's heart raced but he didn't let his face express any emotions, as Royalty he was expected to learn the discipline of controlling his expressions since he was a child. "Please child, be at ease. Sir Brunch!" He commanded, "get us some food, wine, and water for our Guest, we will eat here." Pip let out a soft bark, the King smiled, "and some food and water for the dog." The Knight bowed and left the room.
"Now child, come, sit." The King motioned for Sarah to sit at the desk close to his own chair. "Do not be afraid of me, I may be a King but I am not a tyrant," he smiled warmly, "Please tell me your tale. Where did you come from, and what happened to Master Thunderfist?"
Sarah sits down, and takes a deep breath.
"Well, you see Your Majesty," she begins, "it began with waking up from my capsule in a cave. I... I have no recollections before that, just knowledge implanted during my long sleep, which is why I'm able to talk to people and understand things, but beyond that, I was just... sleeping. All I know was I had to find someone, and not because I had woken up with nobody around..."
She decides to keep Asra to herself for now. She's not entirely sure the King would believe her about a flying fairy that was actually the holosense avatar of an artificial intelligence living in orbital space platforms. She's not entirely sure she believes it herself, despite her own implanted knowledge.
"When I walked to the village... there was nobody there. It was... strange. Eerie. I had to explore some more before I found anyone - Master Kensu Thunderfist. He had been exploring a cave on the island, one shaped like a skull, so he missed my awakening and whatever had happened at the village. He greeted me, told me more about my purpose, and that I had to retrieve a sword from the cave. He had tried to find it, but never could, so it was up to me."
She pauses to take a sip of wine to wet her throat, but flinches at the sharp taste of alcohol, despite the wine's overall sweetness.
"Sorry, is wine supposed to taste like that, Your Majesty?" she asks. "It's sweet, but there's this sharp, strong flavor underneath. I've... I've never had wine before, to be honest. Sorry if I've offended in any way.
"Anyways, as I explored the cave, however, I found out what had happened to the villagers." she says with a shudder at the memory. "Turns out a monstrous spider-queen... thing had settled in the cave, and had had her children use a poison gas to incapacitate the villagers and took them into the cave as... as food. The gas made my journey into the cave more difficult, as it was impairing my progress. If Pip weren't with me... well, I don't know what would have happened. I managed to find the villagers, find the sword and fight the spider-queen. The queen had somehow closed the cave entrance, so her death meant Master Thunderfist could finally help me with getting the villagers out, but then..."
She silent for a bit, trying to gather the strength to continue. She's on the verge of tears, hands clenched tightly into fists.
"T-then a giant, flying monster arrived, and began smashing into the cliffside," she says, her voice trembling. "I... I managed to get most of the v-villagers out, b-but some... some still got crushed under the rocks... I... I couldn't help them, all I could do was try and get the others to safety, get the monster away from...
"I-I managed to draw its attention, intending to throw off its attention, but then I s-saw a hooded man in a cloak. I didn't realize it at first b-but that may have been the monster in disguise. I tried to fight him, but he was too strong... then Master K-Kensu tried to help me b-but... but he..."
She stopped, and started sobbing quietly, tears dripping onto the table.
"I'm s-sorry, M-Master Kensu," she cries softly into her brunch. "I c-couldn't save you..."
When Stephanie took out the sword of stone she felt a pulse of energy vibrate up her spine. The runic symbols on the sword glowed blue as if with electric light. Stephanie turned the sword over in her hand as she examined it.
"OOhhh," Peter let out with wide eyes, "It never did that before?!"
Suddenly something sparked in Stephanie's peripheral vision and Asra appeared with a flutter. "Oh My!" she said in her sweet voice, "Stephanie! I'm so happy to talk to you again! I didn't know what happened! Are you okay?" The fairy fluttered around her vision excitedly. "Wait, scratch that, I don't have much time before I run out of power again. There is another in the castle, her name is Sarah, you must find her! She is with the King, and she will tell you much. You will be the first of those who have awoken to... KZ!JC%... ogeth... BRR^&$ZZT!!" and suddenly the fairy vanished.
"What? What is it?" Peter asked tentively after seeing Stephanie appear to zone out and look off into nothing. "Are you okay Miss?" Steph nodded that she was okay, "Oh good, you looked like you saw a ghost or something for a second and I was worried. Young Mistress, Steph, I don't know if you realized but Master Minoc was able to use this sword to move stone. I.. I don't know how he did it, but maybe you could.." his voice trailed off.
“So it is a sword…” Steph said softly as she examined the weapon.
She had only held it for a few seconds, before the fairy that had appeared to her just after she’d awoken winked into existence. The tiny creature talked at a rapid pace as it excitedly fluttered around her. Steph tried her best to make sense of what it was saying. Something about finding a girl named Sarah who was currently with the king. She supposed she could do that. After all, she was already planning on paying the king a visit. But who was this girl anyway? And who, or what, was this fairy? Before she could ask, the fairy winked out of existence as swiftly as it had arrived.
She mentioned running out of power… Steph thought to herself. Maybe she’s an AI of some sort?
Peter’s voice dissolved her musings. He was asking if she was okay.
He went on to tell her how Minoc had used the sword to move stone, and suggested that she might be able to do the same.
“Move stone, huh?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. “Well, let’s give it a shot.”
Pointing the sword at the wall next to the door, Steph closed her eyes and concentrated, focusing on linking her mind to the weapon and visualizing the wall opening to create a passage for them to walk through, before sealing back up again.
“O-Oh my goodness!” she heard Peter exclaim after a moment. “Y-You’re actually doing it!”
Opening her eyes, Steph saw that the apprentice was right. The sword had caused an opening to form in the wall just as she had envisioned.
“Come on, Peter,” she instructed, while slinging her backpack over her shoulder. “Let’s get out of here!”
After the two had passed through the opening, it swiftly sealed itself, so that no one would realize they had escaped, unless they checked inside the room itself. Wishing to avoid suspicion, Steph retuned the sword to her backpack.
The king reached over and put a reassuring hand on Sarah's shoulder. "It's alright child," the king said warmly, "It's alright." He sat back in his chair, "You've had quite the adventure haven't you? Spider-queens and flying mo... AHH!" he said as the food arrived. "Here is our repast! Please, don't be modest, I'm sure you are famished." The attendant put the food down on the table between the two of them. The King picked at one of the pieces of bread nearest him. "Try the cheese with the wine, it'll help with the strong flavor, and sip the drink child, don't gulp it." He looked at her as one would look at a grand daughter.
"I've visited Kensu's island when I was younger, though it has been sometime," the King smiled, "I know of the cave you speak of, it did look most dangerous, I'd not send one as young as you to such a place, but Kensu must have known what he was doing. You say you found the sword?" Sarah nodded and produced the sword for examination.
"My what a beautiful peace," the King said forlornly. He handed the sword back to Sarah, "It is good that you were able to save some of the people of the islands. They have always been a peaceful group, and they have always been very generous with their gifts to the castle. Master Kensu always said it was the will of the ancients that we be good to each other. What was that he used to say, oh yes it was that we 'love the way we look at others, and love the way others look at us.' It is a queer expression from those old archives he used to study." The King shook his head nostalgically, "It is a shame he has passed, especially in these times." The King drained his wined glass in a single swallow and poured himself another.
"William," he called to his attendant, "bring me the Tome of Memories," he commanded. The attendant, who was standing by the door, nodded and began to search the many shelves for the book. The King ate some bread and took a sip of his wine.
"The flying creature that disguised itself as a man was most likely one of Draygon's underlings. They somehow have the perverse magic to do such things." He looked out the window at the small, moving figures camped out in front of the castle moat. "Out there is one of them," he said, "His name is Bandersnatch, and he is a truly awful creature. He can change form between a beast and a man as well. As a beast he stands taller than three men head to shoulder, and he exhales an awful green sludge that poisons the water and burns the flesh." The King chewed his food while he talked and did not take his eyes from the window, "and now we've given him our own Sword of the Fire. I knew the weapon had power, it never dulled, never chipped, but we thought it was mostly decorative. Whatever infernal magic lets him use it to shoot fire I don't care to know."
The King turned to face Sarah again and smiled, "Don't worry though child. He will not morph into his horrid monster form and eat us all," he talked to her like he was telling a story to his grand child and not like there was a threat immediately out the window. "All he wants is a tribute, and to try and make us frightened. We will... OH Yes! Thank you William." The attendant put a heavy book on the table by the food, bowed, and retreated back to his spot by the door. The King moved the tray and flipped through the book to a marked page. There, drawn in beautiful detail, was a perfect drawing of Sarah, pink hair and all, laying peacefully in her cryostasis pod.
"There," the King said, pointing as if that explained everything, "There.. you.. are, child." He smiled and looked into her face, reading her reaction. "This book has been prepared by our wise men over the last 200 years. It catalogs all that we know from the world of the ancients, and it also tells the story of who we are and where we came from." The old King turned to a page closer to the beginning of the book, "Here it tells of the great Cataclysm that destroyed the world," he said pointing to a picture of castle in the sky floating over a burning landscape.
"After the Cataclysm it teaches us that there was a dark age as the world tried to heal. But then look at all the pretty animals and plants that bloomed." The King carefully turned through pages and pages of animals and plants which included descriptions and notations naming them as edible or medicinal.
He stopped at a page with a drawing of a young man sleeping in a pod, "...and here are the chapters devoted to the Oracles. According to our histories we found the first Oracle about 300 years ago. They, er.. I mean you, were never made public knowledge. A Brotherhood of Wizards were formalized to study you and protect you. They began a crusade to search the world studying the artifacts of the ancients and tend to what Oracles they find. As to your purpose or function I don't know. Tornel never seemed to credit you as any more than empty shells useful for decoration and testaments of the ancients." The King smiled into his mustache and carefully turned the pages of the book, there were not many pictures of Oracles, and their locations were not recorded. "It's surprising that you've woken up, and it's strange that the agent of Draygon wan....." A loud rapping sounded at the King's door.
"Your Most Royal Highness!" Came a familiar voice, "It is I, Tornel, I seek an audience." The King motioned for the attendant to open the door. Tornel came in, wiping his hands on a cloth as if he just washed them, "Your Highness I have excellent news! We have captured one of Dra... Who is that!?" He exclaimed, pointing at Sarah.
"Do you not recognize her Tornel? She is one of your beloved Oracles come to life and sitting in our presence. Her name is Sarah." The King said.
"Your Highness step away from her! She's a servant of Evil!!" With a flick of his wrist a small vial hurled towards Sarah's feet and when it hit the ground it exploded jolting Sarah and Pip against the wall....
Ain't no summin this all up, you just gonna hafta read it. BTW, our good friend Tornel just threw a firecracker at you and it blew up at your feet, I hope you're okay.
The king reached over and put a reassuring hand on Sarah's shoulder. "It's alright child," the king said warmly, "It's alright." He sat back in his chair, "You've had quite the adventure haven't you? Spider-queens and flying mo... AHH!" he said as the food arrived. "Here is our repast! Please, don't be modest, I'm sure you are famished." The attendant put the food down on the table between the two of them. The King picked at one of the pieces of bread nearest him. "Try the cheese with the wine, it'll help with the strong flavor, and sip the drink child, don't gulp it." He looked at her as one would look at a grand daughter.
Sarah nods at his kindness and cheers up a bit more. When it's time to eat, she first starts digging in; she's pretty hungry, even though it's only been a day spent riding sky-mantas. However, she soon takes note of the King's table manners, and begins to copy them accordingly. It's not that she's been eating sloppily or has poor table manners; rather, it's a fascination of studying the quiet dignity of someone eating in a more refined manner, all the while trying not to be obvious about her observation, which made her feel embarrassed and awkward whenever she feels the king catches her watching him. However, she quickly gets the gist of 'higher table manners', and privately feels elated at the achievement.
Pip, meanwhile, eats like a dog should; happy the food is here, and managing not to spill a drop, which is surprisingly polite by dog standards.
"I've visited Kensu's island when I was younger, though it has been sometime," the King smiled, "I know of the cave you speak of, it did look most dangerous, I'd not send one as young as you to such a place, but Kensu must have known what he was doing. You say you found the sword?"
Sarah nods.
"I have, Your Majesty," she says, pulling out the sword from her belt and handing it over carefully. "It's... well, it's as I felt the sword, rather than found it. I just followed a strong sense... it was though the sword was pulling me towards it in the cave, even in the darkness and miasma."
"My what a beautiful peace," the King said forlornly. He handed the sword back to Sarah, "It is good that you were able to save some of the people of the islands. They have always been a peaceful group, and they have always been very generous with their gifts to the castle. Master Kensu always said it was the will of the ancients that we be good to each other. What was that he used to say, oh yes it was that we 'love the way we look at others, and love the way others look at us.' It is a queer expression from those old archives he used to study." The King shook his head nostalgically, "It is a shame he has passed, especially in these times." The King drained his wined glass in a single swallow and poured himself another.
"Those are some really wise words, Your Majesty," she says. "Makes me wish I had had more than a day to get to know Master Thunderfist."
"The flying creature that disguised itself as a man was most likely one of Draygon's underlings. They somehow have the perverse magic to do such things." He looked out the window at the small, moving figures camped out in front of the castle moat. "Out there is one of them," he said, "His name is Bandersnatch, and he is a truly awful creature. He can change form between a beast and a man as well. As a beast he stands taller than three men head to shoulder, and he exhales an awful green sludge that poisons the water and burns the flesh." The King chewed his food while he talked and did not take his eyes from the window, "and now we've given him our own Sword of the Fire. I knew the weapon had power, it never dulled, never chipped, but we thought it was mostly decorative. Whatever infernal magic lets him use it to shoot fire I don't care to know."
"So that's how there was a beast and a man there," Sarah muses softly. "They change forms? That's... that's an interesting power, though it's also rather terrifying, especially what they transform into."
Sarah listens intently to the information about Bandersnatch. That there were more people like the one who slew Master Thunderfist clearly upset her, but she decides to pay attention so that she could be better prepared against Bandersnatch, should she ever face him too.
"Wait, he uses the sword to channel energies of fire?" she asks curiously. "Where exactly did the sword come from? And did it have a strange pommel attached, like mine?"
She pauses, lost in thought. If Bandersnatch was using an Oracle's sword, would that mean he's an Oracle too? Or has Draygon found a way to use the power of biogenic energy and given it to his servants? Either possibility was disturbing; the former that Oracles, chosen to help the world, would cast it aside and become monsters, or that their abilities could be used for evil - and indeed already have been.
The King turned to face Sarah again and smiled, "Don't worry though child. He will not morph into his horrid monster form and eat us all," he talked to her like he was telling a story to his grand child and not like there was a threat immediately out the window. "All he wants is a tribute, and to try and make us frightened. We will... OH Yes! Thank you William." The attendant put a heavy book on the table by the food, bowed, and retreated back to his spot by the door. The King moved the tray and flipped through the book to a marked page. There, drawn in beautiful detail, was a perfect drawing of Sarah, pink hair and all, laying peacefully in her cryostasis pod.
"There," the King said, pointing as if that explained everything, "There.. you.. are, child." He smiled and looked into her face, reading her reaction. "This book has been prepared by our wise men over the last 200 years. It catalogs all that we know from the world of the ancients, and it also tells the story of who we are and where we came from." The old King turned to a page closer to the beginning of the book, "Here it tells of the great Cataclysm that destroyed the world," he said pointing to a picture of castle in the sky floating over a burning landscape.
"After the Cataclysm it teaches us that there was a dark age as the world tried to heal. But then look at all the pretty animals and plants that bloomed." The King carefully turned through pages and pages of animals and plants which included descriptions and notations naming them as edible or medicinal.
He stopped at a page with a drawing of a young man sleeping in a pod, "...and here are the chapters devoted to the Oracles. According to our histories we found the first Oracle about 300 years ago. They, er.. I mean you, were never made public knowledge. A Brotherhood of Wizards were formalized to study you and protect you. They began a crusade to search the world studying the artifacts of the ancients and tend to what Oracles they find. As to your purpose or function I don't know. Tornel never seemed to credit you as any more than empty shells useful for decoration and testaments of the ancients." The King smiled into his mustache and carefully turned the pages of the book, there were not many pictures of Oracles, and their locations were not recorded. "It's surprising that you've woken up, and it's strange that the agent of Draygon wan....." A loud rapping sounded at the King's door.
Sarah eagerly reads through the book with King Kovar, drinking in the details and secrets within. It helps her form a more complete image of why Master Thunderfist had been watching over her, and why the King seems to know so much about her when she barely knows who she is.
But if the King and Master Thunderfist and the other Wizards all knew the Oracles were real, why did this Tornel regard them as mere decorations? That makes no sense; surely if the Ancients wanted to show off their power and abilities, they'd do better than creating lifeless mannequins in pods, right?
"Your Most Royal Highness!" Came a familiar voice, "It is I, Tornel, I seek an audience." The King motioned for the attendant to open the door. Tornel came in, wiping his hands on a cloth as if he just washed them, "Your Highness I have excellent news! We have captured one of Dra... Who is that!?" He exclaimed, pointing at Sarah.
"Do you not recognize her Tornel? She is one of your beloved Oracles come to life and sitting in our presence. Her name is Sarah." The King said.
"Your Highness step away from her! She's a servant of Evil!!" With a flick of his wrist a small vial hurled towards Sarah's feet and when it hit the ground it exploded jolting Sarah and Pip against the wall....
Tornel's loud and sudden arrival knocks her out of her thinking and reading, and she stands up, not sure who to expect. She certainly didn't expect Tornel, though he's not what she expected from a Wizard, especially after the calm but jovial presence of Kensu Thunderfist.
"Hello, Master Tornel," she says, introducing herself with a bow. "My name is Sarah, and I'm-"
His angry declaration cuts her off, shocking her with his hostility. What on earth was he ranting about? She then sees a small vial flying through the air towards her, and for a split second, it seems as though time itself crawls to a halt.
The explosion knocks her and Pip off their feet and knocked into a wall, their cries of pain and surprise drowned by the thunder of the explosion. Sarah feels the world spin around her, but she manages to shake off the stun and tries to get up, reaching for Pip to see if he's alright. The poor dog is badly wounded, but he'll live, so Sarah lays her hands on him and begins healing him as fast as she can. This allows Pip to get up, shake off the explosion, and start growling angrily at the man who tried to kill them both.
"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!" Sarah manages to cry out once she's regained her senses.
Moving through the castle halls, Steph and Peter were careful to avoid attracting undue attention. Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be many people around, probably due to the siege Tornel had mentioned. This did pose something of a problem, however, as neither Steph nor Peter had any idea of where the king’s chambers were located. They needed directions, and for that, they needed someone to provide them. After ascending a few flights of stairs, they came to a large central chamber, at the far end of which, a figure in fancy armor was giving instructions to a group of several men-at-arms.
Sir Gravy
“Pardon us, sir,” Steph said as she and Peter approached the group. “But would you be so kind as to tell us the way to the king’s chambers? We’re apprentices of Master Minoc of Tinkertown, and we have an urgent message for the king.”
“Do you now?” the knight who had been giving orders responded as he turned to face them. “In that case, it shall be my honor to take you to his majesty myself. I am Sir Gravy, a paladin in the king’s service, and you can rest assured that you shall be safe in my care, even in the midst of this deplorable siege! Sir Snack!” he called, and a knight in substantially less elaborate armor jumped to attention. “Continue overseeing the preparations in my stead.”
With that, the paladin began leading the way to the king’s chambers.
“I must say, I find myself somewhat perplexed as to how you made your way here with the dark forces of Draygon having thoroughly surrounded us,” Sir Gravy noted as they walked.
“We used a secret underground passage,” Steph explained. “It’s only known to a select few. In fact,” she added, “we didn’t even know of it until Master Minoc showed us.”
“Ah yes, wizards and their secrets,” Sir Gravy said with a chuckle.
“I know, right? Anyway, Master Tornel was supposed to meet us when we arrived, but we haven’t seen him anywhere.”
“That’s most likely due to the siege,” the paladin noted. “A wizard of his power is undoubtedly quite busy at a time like this, preparing mighty spells and crafting grand strategies.”
“Oh, of course,” Steph replied, while doing her best not to roll her eyes at the paladin’s high praise of Tornel. “We figured as much ourselves. That’s why we were looking for someone else who could show us the way to the king.”
“Speaking of his majesty, we have now arrived!” Sir Gravy declared as they stopped before an ornate gilded door. “Your Majesty,” he announced. “It is I, Sir Gravy! I have with me two envoys from Tinkertown, apprentices of Master Minoc! They say they carry an urgent message for you!”
A distant roar shakes the ground, and Jabber rises into the sky, eyes gleaming and hungry. He soars over the ground, the land vanishing beneath his shadow, his claws tearing apart trees and roofs. He opens his massive jaws, and roars so loudly and powerfully that animals drop dead from fright. His hungry eyes glow, and a wave of liquid-like fire bursts from his jaws, setting everything around him alight. He flies over the town hall, and lands on the tallest building, roaring, making the shingles rattle, and glass crack and shatter.
Locke walked out onto the small ledge that was the remnants of the bridge. He beheld the Jabberwocky and was afraid. Bravely he forced himself to step forward and look the beast in the eye. "Your Harpy is dead!" He yelled in his strongest voice, "We killed it. There's nobody else here. You got what you came for, now leave us be!" His heart was beating out of control, he had never been so scared in his life, but even though he was only 14 he was the only one left to tell the dragon beast to go.
He laughs, a deep, dark laugh, like a set of billows heating a blazing furnace. "What I came for? Listen to yourself, little boy. I don't care about the harpy. I'm here for the Oracle. Hand her over, or burn." He bares his sharp teeth, and grins at him, eyes glowing in hunger.
The King stood up at the explosion, slightly befuddled. His ears hurt from the noise and his eyes hurt from the bright light. "Tornel what are you..." Before he could answer Tornel pushed him to the wall and placed his body between the King and the girl. Sarah healed the dog who got up and stated barking.
"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!!" She screamed. For a moment Tornel questioned himself about who she was. Then his mind resolved. Too many strange goings on were happening; the girl in the dungeon, the girl before the king, the monster at the castle walls. The wizard didn't feel in control, and nothing made him angrier then not being in control. He loaded another vial into his gauntlet.
"Stay back Witch! I'll not have you murder out King!" He yelled.
The King had had enough. "You will stop this Tornel!" He commanded regally.
Tornel turned a weary eye back, "Yo... You Highness?"
"This girl is our guest, and under my Protection!" The King was furious, "you will NEVER use such weapons in my presence! I should have you beheaded!"
Tornel looked abashed, his face reddened, "Your Majesty I, I only mean to protect you. She is.."
"She is an Holy Oracle," The King proclaimed.
"a... a holy oracle." Tornel demured.
“Your Majesty,” a booming voice announced from the other side of the door leading out. “It is I, Sir Gravy! I have with me two envoys from Tinkertown, apprentices of Master Minoc! They say they carry an urgent message for you!”
Tornel's eyes widened in panic. "Your Highness! These individuals are precisely the reason I had to come to you to warn you about! They are monster's of Draygon, shapeshifters here to fool you. Do not..."
The King slapped the Wizard, *SMACK!* "Do not deign to tell me what I shall and shall not do," he said quietly, "I am your King! and it is I who command you." Tornel took to his knees and bowed his head.
"Forgive me Your Highness," he said, "I live only to serve." and I will dispatch of these wretches when I get the first chance. He thought privately.
"ENTER Knight!" The King yelled, "and come in with the messengers." The attendant, who had made himself scarce since Tornel entered the room, opened the door to reveal Sir Gravy and Stephanie.
“Greetings, your Majesty,” Steph said as she entered and bowed before the king. Her eyes hardened as she took note that Tornel was also present, along with a pink-haired girl. Presumably this was the “Sarah” the fairy had mentioned. “My name is Stephanie, and this is Peter,” she informed, gesturing to the young apprentice who was currently cowering behind her.
“H-Hello…” the apprentice said meekly, rather overwhelmed by his current situation. First an oracle, then the leader of the wizards, and now the king himself! This was certainly the most remarkable day of his young life, and it was getting to be a bit much for the poor young man.
“We came here at the request of Master Minoc,” Steph continued. “He told us that we would be met by the wise wizard Tornel, but when we arrived, Tornel locked us in a chamber and called us servants of Draygon! Minoc even told us to present this weapon to him,” she explained, while retrieving the sword from her backpack. “But he carelessly dismissed it without even looking at it! There’s one other thing,” she added in a more reserved tone. “I’m not an apprentice of Minoc. I’m actually what you people would call an oracle. I’m sorry, Sir Gravy,” she told the knight, trying not to laugh as she said his ridiculous name. “I didn’t want to lie to you, but we needed to see the king and explain the situation to him.”
“Gadzooks!” the paladin exclaimed. “Are you to tell me that I have been in the presence of one of the legendary oracles this entire time?! Truly extraordinary! It was my honor to be of service to you, my lady!” he declared, bowing to her in deference. Then, sobering, he added, “And though I bristle at your deception, I can see that it was for a worthy cause. Thus, it shall be my great pleasure to accept your apology!”
“Thank you,” Steph said while treating the paladin to a warm smile. “That really means a lot. Oh, and you don’t need to do the whole ‘my lady’ thing. Just call me Steph.”
“Very well, young Steph,” Sir Gravy acquiesced. “I shall respect your wish for modesty. And what of you young Peter,” the paladin inquired. “Are you also an oracle of legend?”
“N-No, sir,” Peter stammered. “I-I’m just an ordinary apprentice. I-In fact, I p-probably shouldn’t even be here…”
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