(Since we're pretty close to 200 at MP3, I figured it was time to start a new thread)
Inside the carriage of the King of Muu, sandwiched between the king himself & Meekal, Moon felt terribly uncomfortable. The mark of the dagger on her shoulder itched, yet she dare not scratch it. Instead, she stared ahead, hands clasped tightly in her lap & chin up, even as the air around her stifled her. A sidelong glance to her left told her that on some occassions the King of Muu sneered at her, his eyes roving over her body. She wanted to scream, or smack him as he regarded her as a prize for the kingdom, yet she did not. Instead, she sought Meekal's hand with her right, & held on tight.
"How very sweet," came the King's voice to her ear. "Tell me, how did all of this come about? The last time I saw you both, you seemed quite determined not to come together."
Meekal answered, to Moon's relief. "I wooed her, Father. Nothing more."
"Wonderful..." said the King. He paused for a moment before he said, "You know, son, it was very good of you to defend me when that nasty Swordsman person insulted me. The Muuvian crown's honor was at stake, you know. We cannot have commoners speaking to us in such a way."
"He doesn't speak to me that way, Father." Meekal looked at him above Moon's head. He raised his eyebrow, almost as a challenge for his father. "He respects me."
"Yes, yes...you have always been soft with those beneath us, like that Kliff Faldergraft..." the King said.
Moon felt Meekal stiffen beside him. She squeezed his hand & tried to whisper to him before he said, "What do you know of Kliff? He was there for me when you were not. And now he is dead."
"Dead, eh? Very interesting..." The king quieted, & settled back for the ride. Moon looked to Meekal, who ducked his head. But she saw what he was trying to hide before he turned...a tear.
Moon sighed. It would be a long, difficult visit.
__________________ "Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind."
They reached the castle of Muu in a relatively short time. Moon figured that the cave was closer than the Inn had been. She halfway felt relieved that this part of the journey was over, but she dreaded what could happen next. The King had not said anything else since his comment about Kliff. Instead, he settled back with what might have been a smirk on his face. She couldn't tell, as she willed herself not to look at him directly.
The carriage stopped at the main entrance to the castle keep. A footman appeared to help the king from the carriage, then put his hand out for Moon. "I will do that," the King of Muu said, to his servant's surprise. The man bowed, & backed away. "Come now, princess...let us get you inside." The king grinned. Without a choice, Moon took the king's hand, & allowed him to help her from the carriage. Meekal followed, watching his father carefully. Though she attempted to disentangle herself from him, the ailing man held tight to her as they walked into the castle. "It will be so good to have you visit, princess. It has been many, many years since Muu has had the pleasure of a daughter."
"I...thank you, Your Highness," Moon managed, still without looking at him.
"You will bring great joy to the people. We must have a banquet to celebrate," said the King of Muu.
Meekal raised an eyebrow at his father, then said, "You have never wanted to have a banquet before."
The king smiled, a little too fake for Moon's liking. "Yes, yes. But times do change, don't they?" He nodded to one of his servants, who waited by the door & bowed as they entered. "Besides, we have guests arriving soon. We should show them 'hospitality', correct?" The servant hurried to the king's side, & the king whispered in his ear. With a glance at Moon, the servant nodded, then ran off, making her all the more uncomfortable, & all the more suspicious of the king's plans.
__________________ "Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind."
The hair rose on the back of the Swordsman's neck as he led his small group of eleven deeper into Muu, following shortly behind the carriage. Not a guard appeared to challenge them, all the way up to the castle gates. Dismounting, they simply walked up to the main doors, and knocked. A servant opened the door and bowed. "My lord has been expecting you, if you are the Arconians. He says there is a banquet prepared, for you to attend. Please, please, come in."
_________________________________________________
What have you up your sleeve, Moon...?
__________________
It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who gives us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protestor to burn the flag. - Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, USMC
Rosaline had felt ill at ease the moment she saw the borders of Muu.
A little farther back, she had switched from Zelda's horse to her own. She was extremely greatfull for the queen's insistance that they ride together. It had provided a little rest, and left Rosaline to be more aware of everything that was going on. Something she valued when entering Muu.
From the moment they had dismounted infront of the castle's main entrance, she had 'casually' kept her hand on the hilt of her sword. They were under treaty sure, but that didn't keep her from being antsy.
After the servant had escorted them in, he showed them to their rooms so that they might freshen up a little before the banquet. They didn't get much time to do so however, it seemed they had seconds to change before the man returned to show them to the banquet hall.
As the group moved down the hallway, Rosaline's grip slowly tightened on her sword.
Talmour, who was walking next to her, glanced down to her hand. He gently reached over, and pried it loose.
She reluctantly let go, and flexed her hand. She nodded a small thank you, to which he nodded in return.
"Don't let them see your emotions. Enemies or shall I say now 'uncomfortable aquaintances' are like animals, they can always tell when you don't like them." Talmour spoke to her softly.
She nodded in agreement as a nother shiver went down her back. This place had always given her the creeps.
(Moon dear, if that needs editing to go with whatever you've 'got up your sleeve', just let me know. )
__________________
"Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory." - George S. Patton
Zelda was not happy. Not at all. Not only was she in what she considered "enemy" territory, she had to go to a diplomatic banquet. She was seperated from most of her entourage and it made her feel uneasy, very uneasy.
Uneasy was not a feeling Zelda reacted to well. It tended to make her irratable, sensitive and antsy. At the moment all she wanted to do was punch something, hard. Thankfully the pillow was robust and withstood her pummelling.
Scratching in her saddle bags she looked for something vaguely decent to wear. She briefly contemplated turning up naked, but dismissed the idea with a smile. As much as she would have enjoyed the shock value, sometimes causing a scene is not exactly the best move in the book.
Finally Zelda found some vaguely decent looking clothes, albeit they were trousers, but hey, what girl packed a banquet gown for a meeting in the middle of nowhere?
__________________ You may love me but you dont accept me. I dont want your love without your acceptance.
Two female servants immediately whisked the princess away, ignoring her protests as they clucked about how terrible she looked & how awful it must have been for someone of "her stature" to be trapped in a hole in the ground for so long. Her chamber, much better than the one that she had occupied the last time she was in Muu, appeared to belong to the former Queen of Muu (who, they later learned, had died in a freak shopping accident). The servants bathed her (thankfully not commenting on her cuts & bruises), & dressed her in one of the queen's old gowns - maroon & black. Though the color was not to her liking, & it was a gown, she did think it was nice to briefly return to the life of pampering she had known in Schoolcraftia. But even as they prepared her for dinner, they...looked at her in a way she could not describe. She seemed to be an object of awe, & perhaps some suspicion. Well, she thought, the feeling is mutual. Instead of considering what diabolical plot the king had in store, she tried to sit back & allow the women to tame her unruly hair.
Everyone had been seated by the time the princess was escorted downstairs. The tables were placed in a large "U" (hee hee...just realized that...mUU...oh well, better than an "M"). On the right side of the room, the Arconian group sat. On the other, the nobles of Muu. The head table held the King, Meekal (dressed in some of his older brothers old things) & an empty chair not next to Meekal, but on the King's other side. "Presenting, Princess Buffy," the herald announced. The men stood as she was ushered into the room, looking not unlike a frightened doe. She briefly caught sight of her friends & visibly exhaled. Perhaps dinner would not be so bad after all. She thought that until she realized that she would sit to the King's left, & Meekal to his right. Completely cut off from her support.
__________________ "Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind."
It was probably the finest meal that had ever been set before her, but Crin immediately felt repulsed by the food. "You have to eat something," Mitch reminded her under his breath. "The others don't suspect anything, and if you want to keep it that way, you have to eat."
"They'll know sooner or later," Crin muttered, but did as Mitch commanded anyway. Somewhere along the line, Mitch had picked up his wife's mothering habits. It would have been annoying had she spared it any more thought. "I can't keep a secret like this for very long."
"Probably not," Talmour said. He had managed to sit in between Lady Rosaline and Crin, his excuse being that both ladies needed to be looked after. Crin had come out of her reverie long enough to eye him suspiciously at that. He had been hovering around Lady Rosaline more than was prudent lately. Had he developed some kind of attraction to her? That would be interesting, to say the least.
Falcour sat on the other side of Mitch, silent as he moved food from the plate to his mouth. Surely somebody was bound to notice that something was not quite right with the gypsies. However, they had yet to do just that.
Perhaps it was the fact that they were eating with nobles of a country that might have been an enemy half a day before. Crin had eaten at such stately dinners in her position as bodyguard to Zarcon, a position she hadn't kept long. She found her hands going to the proper fork for each course. A little amusement cracked through her exterior when she noticed that Mitch, Talmour, and Falcour were all watching her and Miri for cues. Where would men be without women to guide them?
"Do you want to talk about it?" Talmour asked after Crin had managed to shove veal into her mouth. She chewed woodenly. "Get it out in the open?"
"Later, perhaps?" Falcour added, shooting a look at his brother.
"Later," Crin agreed dully, and pushed another bite of tasteless food into her mouth.
__________________ I've got a theory. It could be bunnies.
Proud to be serving as the Official Class Clown of the Seven.
Don't make me censor this entire scene for excessive boredom...
__________________________________________________ ____________________
The Swordsman reverted to his standard banquet mode: Eat food because it's there, and take the opportunity to observe.
Miri was quite obviously a princess, quite at home with elegant food and settings, and quite elegant herself now she was removed from the lower hospital wing of a castle, a swordsman's cottage, the battlefield, or a cave.
Senyik was quite obviously a standard guy not accustomed to anything more than perhaps Sunday dinner with family. He was also quite obviously smitten with the elf.
Darion was still tough to keep eyes on; something about him still compelled the halfling to simply look over him, as he nearly had at the first banquet, just before the tournament. He and Ken-Dall both looked rather smitten, if a bit nervous.
Rosaline simply looked like she was about to collapse between fatigue, blood loss, and pain. Zelda appeared in shock.
The gypsies were oddly silent. They spoke quietly amongst each other, mostly to Crin, who was the quietest at all - she seemed a robot as she ate. Additionally, she and Falcour had been the last two to catch up as they left the meeting; what had happened between them?
Moonitic simply looked awful. She was stuck between the odious king and some creepy-looking high official. Her waist would be noticeably thicker soon; her skin was pale and drawn, her food barely touched.
Meekal, on the other side, looked somewhere between desperate and furious. If not for the relatively sensitive diplomatic nature of this visit, Nękos would gladly have tossed him a sword to finish things off then and there.
The king himself...but wait. The Swordsman cocked his head a bit, listening. No, he hadn't been imagining things; there it was again. A quiet cry, barely audible over the clink of silverware and the murmur of conversation, from somewhere far off. Looking up confirmed the presence of an air shaft ending just above his head; that must be where the sound was coming from.
He briefly thanked his Maker for talents in remaining unnoticed as he slipped silently from his chair and out the door; it would be a minute or two, he guessed, before anyone noticed the empty seat and came to look for him. Plenty of time to get lost and do some scouting.
It took a few minutes to find a side passage, ending in a plain wooden door, behind which lay a maintenance closet. As expected, a ladder led up into the air ducts from there, to allow workers to periodically clean them, remove rats, the fungi when it started to develop written language, etc. Again, he could hear the cries; he only hoped they would last long enough for him to find the source.
Several more minutes were required scuttling through the passages, assuring the fungi he meant no harm, moving toward the source of the noise, before he finally felt a breath of cool, fresh air, and then sighted stars above. Crawling slowly from the vent and confirming the abscence of guards, he could now more freely move toward the source of the noise. A peek over the edge of the roof showed the source: A girl screaming and crying as a man and woman were dragged along by guards. Looking back, Nękos could guess their long path that had wound around the castle, the likely reason that the sound was audible to him for so long. "Make an example what happens, ye don't pay yer taxes," grumbled one of the guards.
As he watched, the girl caught up to the man being hauled along, reaching for his hand; he tried to reciprocate, but the guard slapped his hand away. The girl went next to the guard, kicking him in the foot, hitting him - a heavy backhand sent her rolling back, screaming all the way. Nękos' hand grabbed instantly at his sabre, teeth clenching hard. Cannot risk a battle. Wait and see, wait and see. There may be another way...
The group reached a stand of trees out near the rear castle wall, entered a few feet. A trap door opened from beneath the leaves and pine straw. Nękos began to move forward, readying to drop down and follow, then suddenly came up short. The guards each hauled their prisoners up, pulled out a dagger, and cut their throats, letting the bodies drop into the pit beneath the trap door. One final, bloodcurdling scream ripped from the girl as she jumped on the nearest guard, teeth and nails flying - the Swordsman was already halfway across the courtyard. She went sailing, landed, tumbling across the ground before a tree-trunk stopped her. The guard moved quickly to follow up. A shadow halted him. "Who the bloody hell are you?"
A strangely bright grin against the black. "Me? I'm your worst nightmare."
The second guard turned from relieving himself when he heard the voice, then promptly soiled himself when a loud crack made him jump. A shadow moved, a flash of green, and a blade was at his throat. A second later his body followed the previous two into the hole.
The girl was young, with short, dark hair, and a body that looked badly in need of food. Turning over to find a green-eyed shadow crouching over her, she quickly shrank back against the tree, then started trying to work her way around it. Her mouth opened, readying for a fresh scream, before a hand covered it. "Shhhh...quiet, little one. I mean no harm." She exhaled slowly, and he removed his hand, slipping it beneath her to lift her up.
Lights appeared in the courtyard, voices of men flooding out into the night as the Swordsman walked from the forest, child in his arms.
__________________
It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who gives us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protestor to burn the flag. - Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, USMC
Darion and Ken-Dall ate quietly at the table. They said very little, both simply glad that the other was near. Darions eyes kept glancing to the King of Muu. He had grown to hate the man in the past few days and he barely knew him. He tried most of the time to look for the best in people and Ken-Dall was a perfect example; but that man seemed of the purest evil.
His eyes glanced around him at the table. He kept an inconspicuous eye on certain people: Ken-Dall being one of them. The other two being Senyik and the Swordsman. In case quick action was to be taken he needed to know where his comrades were. Action such as this seemed highly unlikely but he still didnt trust the King of Muu as far as he could throw him.
Darion then noticed the Swordsman was gone. No one else seemed to realize this so Darion kept his mouth shut, figuring he was gone for a good reason. He waiting till Senyik glance at him then he motioned to the Swordsmans seat. Senyik lifted his eyebrows but he too said nothing. The two were more amazed that no one else realized he was gone.
It was then that they heard a loud, shrill scream from outside in the courtyard. In a flash Senyik and Darion were on their feet and rushing for the courtyard. The two were out the door before the others at the table even react.
__________________
"We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to understand." Hebrews 5:11
Last edited by Darion McNair; 01-30-2004 at 06:58 PM..
The king, a little perturbed that he didn't get to make his "welcome to the kingdom" speech, watched the remaining Arconian guests retreat. He stood. Immediately, two guards ran to his side. "Please see the princess to her room," he told them. As an afterthought, he added, "Then go see what all the commotion is about." One guard nodded & grabbed a very surprised Moon by the arm, hauling her to her feet. The king began to walk toward the nearest exit, the opposite direction of where the others had run. Meekal jumped to his feet.
"Father! Aren't you going to go see what happened?" Meekal asked, splitting his attention between the king & his princess.
"That's what we have soldiers & servants for, Son. You have a lot to learn about being a king. Come..." He put an arm around Meekal. "We will go to my chamber to talk, & wait for a report."
"But...Princess..." He strained to look at her as his father maneuvered him along.
"She needs her rest. And it would be safer for her to be there if there is an incident," returned the King. Meekal seemed to take this statement & nodded, to Moon's concern.
The guards took an arm each & "escorted" her back to her chamber. Once she stepped inside, the door slammed behind her, making her jump. She almost missed it, but could hear a soft click as a lock fell into place. Once again, the King of Muu had taken her prisoner.
__________________ "Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind."
Senyik and Darion were the first out the doors, followed closely by the remainder of the Arconian contingent, followed by several guards - every single person armed.
"Swordsman! What happened?" Senyik asked.
"Her parents were just murdered by two guards. I managed to save her."
"And what became of the two guards?" one of the Muuvians demanded.
"They joined her parents."
"Seize him!"
Approximately one quarter of a second later, the Muuvian men found themselves facing four gypsies, a queen, the head of an army, one pissed-looking elf, a blacksmith, and an exiled captain, and the business end of their respective weapons.
Nękos took quick stock of the group; eleven. "Where are Moonitic and Meekal?"
__________________
It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who gives us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protestor to burn the flag. - Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, USMC
"I think the King of Muu "removed" them when we rushed out," Zelda replied, thanking her stars she hadnt borrowed a gown off anyone. She was pissed off and looking for a fight, and one where the blood shed could potentially be Muuvian (does anyone else think it sounds like a posh cow sound?) was particularly apealing. " and Naekos, no I am not going to be diplomatic...." Zelda read the look Swordsman gave her at her previous comment as to where Moon and Meekal had gone.
__________________ You may love me but you dont accept me. I dont want your love without your acceptance.
(Don't forget the carbon copy of the princess who had been locked away...aka Ken-Dall. She's at the scene w/a weapon as well)
Moon immediately turned & began to pound on the door. "Hey! Let me out! You can't keep me here like this!" She tried the handle, but it was as she thought. Locked. More pounding, full of anger & panic. "Open this door at once!" When her calls went unnoticed, she simply gave up & stomped to the bed. She dropped onto it & looked miserably around. A terrible sense of deja vu overcame her. Last time, Meekal was her saving grace. This time, in his worry for her, he seemed under his father's thumb moreso than before. But her friends were out there somewhere, this time. They knew she was in the castle. Surely they'd help her.
She bitterly laughed at the thought. Why would Zelda help her? Moon had betrayed her, spell or not. And Ken-Dall? They only recently pledged a truce. Ken-Dall could be a loose cannon. Rosaline? She was injured. Never mind what Naekos thought of her. That seemed, to Moon, crystal clear. The others? She hardly knew them, & had no idea how they felt. For all she knew, they considered her nothing but a weak link in a strong chain.
The anger left her & she began to feel terribly sad...alone. Tears welled in her eyes at all that had happened, & all that would come. If the King of Muu didn't do anything to her, surely she'd end up dead when the war began. She was useless now. Moon crawled up to her pillow, & curled up to lay down. "I must just be tired," she tried to tell herself. With everything going on, & how little food she had taken in, she must have just been tired. So, while the fragile string that held Arconia & Muu together was about to be broken, Moon fell asleep.
__________________ "Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind."
The King of Muu walked his son to his study, where two guards waited to watch over the door. Once inside & uncomfortably seated, Meekal attempted to speak to his father once more. "Father, my friends are out there. I want to know what happened."
"You will know soon enough, Meekal. Sit down & be patient."
"I don't want to be patient," Meekal grumbled.
"It is in your best interest-& the princess's-that you do...We cannot have you risking your life at such a crucial time. You know I am ill, Meekal. There will be no one to run the country if both of us should die," explained the King of Muu.
The statement should have made sense. After all, Muu did need someone to take the throne when the current king died. But something did not set right with Meekal upon hearing the first words from his father's mouth. They seemed firmer. Almost threatening. "What did you mean...'& the princess's'?" Meekal asked.
"You know what I meant. That Swordsman fellow thinks he can just come in here & do as he pleases. Your little princess has wronged me. You have wronged me. If you do not do as I say, I will arrange for her to have a mysterious accident." The King grinned. "And if you tell anyone...both of you might."
Meekal jumped to his feet, hand on the hilt of his weapon. "How DARE you!" In a fury, he began to draw it on his father.
"Now, now...you don't have the 'stones' for that, do you? You aren't ready to be king, & you know it. And what is a king without his beautiful queen?" The King of Muu snickered at Meekal's look of horror. "That's right, my son. If you or any of your friends kill me, Princess Buffy goes too. Now, it will do you well to sit back down & listen to what your 'daddy' has to say."
Shocked & horrified, Meekal lowered himself into the chair he previously occupied. "How could you do this?"
"Easy," grinned his father. "I'm the king."
__________________ "Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind."
__________________
It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who gives us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protestor to burn the flag. - Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, USMC
Not long after Moon had fallen asleep, a knock came to the door. It jolted her awake & made her glance around, unsure of her surroundings. "Who is it?" she called. Then, she remembered that no one but Meekal had knocked when she was captive the first time. At that thought, she jumped to her feet & rushed to the door...
...to find one of the king's advisors. He walked in slowly, eyes fixed on her. "Resting well, Your Highness?" he said in a greasy voice.
"I...no. What is going on?" Moon demanded.
The advisor shrugged, shutting the door. The lock fell back into place. "In Muu, we guard our treasures well. And you, my dear, are our greatest treasure now." He began to walk into the room, backing her up until she sat on her bed. "We must protect you."
"Ridiculous. I don't need protection. My friends & Meekal are here."
"Ahh...but soon they won't be. They talk of leaving. And as for Meekal, accidents happen." The advisor put his fingers to his mouth & giggled.
"What?" She began to stand. "I am going out there to find them & put an end to this nonsense."
"It would be wise to do as His Highness tells you, princess. You & your lover are in quite a predicament. The king is angry with you. Do as he says, or there may be no heir to the Muuvian throne." The advisor took a step backward to appraise Moon. "You both are valuable to us, but every action has its price. Consider this yours. Your choice." He gave Moon a slight bow, then walked to the door. After a light rap, it opened, & he began to leave. "Consider it, my dear. You are far too young to become a widow...even before you wed." With that, he left.
And that was that. The reason for bringing them to Muu. The reason for pulling them apart. He couldn't control them when they were together, & he couldn't threaten them unless they were apart. And the Arconians?
They were easy enough to distract.
__________________ "Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind."
Nękos started yelling in a combination of Russic and Elvish; Miri could understand both, and the parts Senyik and the gypsies could understand were enough to make even them cringe. It took a moment or two before he ran out of oaths and profane, suggestive, and lewd phrases. Then: "Everybody, be ready. Stay with me; we must move extremely quickly. We are going to find Moonitic and Meekal, and then we are getting the hell out of here." He handed the girl to Ken-Dall. "No offense to you, m'lady, but I think you are the one to carry the child. You must stay close to us as well; I am holding you responsible right now for her life."
The four guards were quickly becoming nervous; this was not a group they wanted to deal with. One broke and ran, calling "I'm getting reinforcements!" over his shoulder; Talmour quickly dropped him with a well-aimed rock. Darion grabbed one, Senyik another, and Falcour the third; the gypsy and the smith applied pressure to the right part of the throat, and Darion simply thumped his on the back of the neck; all three dropped unconscious.
"Good work." The Swordsman was already moving. "The more we don't have to kill, the better. Same thing in the corridors; knock them out if you can, kill them if you can't or it's too dangerous. One way or another, do not take 'no' for an answer."
The man leaned back against the wall, pulled a piece of jerky out of his pocket. Guard duty over the dinner hour sucked. The dried meat got halfway to his mouth before it disappeared from his hand; before he could react, one arm circled around his neck, the other bracing the back of his head. He could hear chewing in his ear. "Good meat. Now, I've got three questions, and if I don't like your answers, I'm going to do this." The arms tightened around him, sending a shock of pain into his skull. "First, I want to know where they're keeping the Princess Buffy. Second, I want to know where your Prince Meekal is."
"The Daft, you mean?" the guard threw in. Another shock of pain into his skull.
"I mean Prince Meekal. And third, I want to know where your king is right now."
"I don't know!" Another shock of pain. "I swear, I don't know! I just guard the pantry!"
"Who would know?"
"The major!"
"And where do I find him?"
"Go up a floor - "
"Where are the stairs?"
"Down this hall, your next right. Go up, take a right, that's his office. He always knows what's going on."
"Thank you ever so much." One more shock of pain, but this one faded away into darkness...
"I had to get on his good side, right?" responded Miri.
Major Mero waited on edge in his office, just waiting for the next runner - the Arconians had disappeared, the princess had been taken to her chambers, and the king and the prince had retreated. He didn't like the idea of having Arconians, gypsies, and especially this Swordsman whom he'd heard a few too many tales of, running around his castle unchecked.
The door burst open, and a scrawny little man in Muuvian uniform flew in with a quick salute, panting. "M'lord - bodies found. Four, unconscious, near Bravo door. That is all."
"Good work."
And the man disappeared again, footsteps audible racing down the hall, back to his message post.
What Mero didn't hear was the sudden thump as an outstretched arm clotheslined the boy, dropping him suddenly on his back when his legs kept going as his upper body stopped. He also didn't hear the smack of fist on flesh as Darion knocked him out cold.
He did, however, hear the bang as his door burst open again. Unfortunately, however, it was not another runner - it was Senyik, followed by Nękos, followed by Darion, followed by Miri, followed by Zelda, followed by the four gypsies, followed by Rosaline and Ken-Dall, carrying the girl. Senyik reached across the desk, grabbing his wrist as the dagger came up, quickly twisting it around behind his back. The dagger dropped to the desk as the smith jumped up and over the same. "You're the major, I presume." A look at the shoulderboards confirmed this.
"Arconian filth. I won't do a thing for you."
"Oh, then I guess it's a good thing I'm not Arconian. But my friends are, so let's be a little more courteous." A twitch of Senyik's wrist and Mero thought his own was shattered. A hand clapped over his mouth prevented a scream. "Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, how about you let us know where Meekal, Buffy, and the king are? If you cooperate, we'll let you live. If you're real nice, I'll even let you keep your arm intact."
Two minutes later Nękos was sprinting down the hall, grateful that Moonitic's room was so close to the Major's office.
__________________
It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who gives us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protestor to burn the flag. - Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, USMC
"C'mon!" Crin, without thinking, hauled on Miri's arm and jerked her head at Falcour. The three took off after Nękos, but split off before reaching Lady Moon's room. They were quicker when they moved in small packs. The Swordsman could dispatch any guards that might be watching Princess Buffy, but the others would need to take on the king and whatever guards they had. Senyik and Darion caught Crin's idea before the others and charged ahead of the three, leaving the gypsies, Rosaline, and Ken-Dall to bring up the rear.
"Where'd he say the king's chambers were?"
"We're going to his STUDY, not the chambers!"
It was a ragtag group that assembled outside of the study, less than three minutes later. Senyik and Darion posted themselves on either side of the door, with Mitch and Falcour as back-up. Crin, Miri, and the queen would follow them in, leaving Talmour with Lady Rosaline and Ken-Dall to disembowel anybody that might try to escape.
"So--are we leaving any survivors?" Mitch asked Senyik in an undertone.
"Prince Meekal. Try to salvage the king if you must, but the others are fair game. I'm going in point. McNair's got my back."
"All right--Go!"
__________________ I've got a theory. It could be bunnies.
Proud to be serving as the Official Class Clown of the Seven.
The door to the King's study slammed open to reveal...nothing.
Not a person. Not a shred of evidence that a person had been there. Until they spotted a stone on the ground. In the midst of shouting that ensued, someone yelled, "Meekal's been here. It's one of his stones!" But where, now, remained to be seen.
------------------------
Moon heard the commotion out in the hall. It sounded as though they were being invaded. She searched around for something to use as a weapon, remembering that she had left her sword when she changed into her gown at the Holly Dayye Inn. As she frantically hunted, she did not notice a hand reach out from the wall until it covered her mouth & dragged her into a hidden corridor, lit by a single torch. A scream caught in her throat, Moon found herself face to face in the narrow area with...
"Meekal!" she exclaimed as she wrenched his hand away.
"Shh!"
"What are you doing?" Moon whispered.
"Something's happened. I don't know what. Father & I took to the secret passage, but we got split up somehow," he returned.
"What if the Russ are coming? Let's go back that way. Surely there's another way out."
Meekal shook his head. "There isn't. The guards are everywhere, & I really don't think they're in the mood for us. We'll have to stay & fight."
"But I don't have a weapon," she returned.
"That's okay. You do now." He produced her sword, & shrugged. "Old time's sake, I suppose."
Moon smiled as she accepted her steel. "All right. I'm ready if you are." He nodded. Together, & weapons at the ready, they stepped out of the passage & into her room as the door caved open.
__________________ "Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind."
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