In the world of Caera, as has been mentioned in these chronicles, there is a regrettable tendency for megalomaniacs, mad wizards, mad scientists, crazed lawayers and the like to attempt taking over the world. As has also been mentioned, there is a tendency for heroes to come along and overthrow the villain of the week. What hasn't yet been mentioned is the crime rate caused by these attempts at power. A madman (or, indeed, madwoman) attempting to take over the world causes a certain amount of chaos as people flee from battles and besieged villages. In such chaos, banditry is rife. Also, people do such things as loot recently-vacated houses, 'help' the woman next door in her times of loneliness, and the like. When the victims of bandits come back to civilisation, escapees come back from the hills to find their houses empty, and long-lost-supposed-dead soldiers come back to find that their wives had been unfaithful, things happen. Tempers rise, threats are made, heads sometimes roll... And when the subject of the victims have managed to escape, bounties have to be placed on their heads before they can roll. This happens so often that bounty hunters are not starved for work and the profession of bounty hunter is a viable option for a young lad or lass setting out to make a name for him or herself. In fact, when a bounty is strictly small potatoes, the person who placed it usually has to wait at least half a year before the object of their ire is brought back to them. But this bounty - an official request to bring in Our Heroes, posted by King Gallant himself - was not 'small potatoes'. It was *big* potatoes. Heroes who had saved the world before, being wanted for the kidnapping of a royal personage? This was even getting into the realm of *enourmous* potatoes. The news spread like wildfire. In just a few short days, everyone from Kussos to the Village of Summoned Monsters to Mercant to the secret location of the Dance of the Hundred Damanes and back again knew about the reward on the five Heroes. For the five of Our Heroes, it made life... interesting, at the very least. ------------------------------------------------------ Saving the World Again Chapter 21: Stormclouds gather as dark forces dance Started by Thomas Wilde This chapter by Steven Scougall ------------------------------------------------------ "That was the tenth bounty hunter *today*," complained Darrow. "And it's only *noon*. If the previous week has been any indication, we have another five to go at least. On top of all the random monsters that attack us, we'll be lucky if we've made forty miles by the time dusk falls. We're never going to make it at this rate." "Shut up, Darrow," said everyone. In the nearby bushes, Jason Stewart grumbled to himself. His original plan had been to wait until the group was travelling along at a fair clip, then swoop in, grab Darrow, and swoop out. In the time it took the other four to get their wits together and find him, he'd be able to have a little heart-to-heart with Darrow, and find out what was going on. Then he'd be able to and decide on his next move, and whether he would kill Julian and Arica, as the Heroes' Guild wanted, or not. It had been a week since he came up with that plan. However, whenever he thought the time was right, a group of monsters or a bounty hunter or two or something else would spring out from the bushes or trees. Jason did not particularly want to try grabbing Darrow and running off with him while the other four had their weapons out and ready for combat. The results could be dangerous. He'd also been eavesdropping on the five, seeing what he could learn of them and why the Heroes' Guild was after them, before he made his move. A week might seem a long time, but all the monsters and bounty hunters slowed their conversation down. Plus... that was his cousin out there. Despite any animosity that was between them, Jason really didn't want to end up fighting his cousin. Shooting two of Darrow's friends in the head was sure to get him and Jason fighting to the death. Based on what conversation he'd overheard, it seemed as if the five were off to save the world again. Jason was not particularly altruistic - you couldn't be, in his line of work - and as a member of the Heroes' Guild he knew just how many heroes tended to show up, but he rather liked the world. After all, there wasn't anywhere else to go. It all added up to quite a quandrary that Jason found himself in. The eleventh bounty hunter of the day and his band of merry elves sprang out of the bushes six metres to the left of Jason and accosted the Heroes, interrupting Jason's thoughts. As with all the other encounters thus far, the heroes got through with barely a scratch and in just a few minutes, but their momentum had been lost and the spooked horses had to be rounded up and calmed down. Again. "And that was the eleventh!" complained Darrow. "We're supposed to be in Taneil by now, but instead we're *thirty* miles away. We're not going to make it! We're not going to be able to stop this dance!" Jason sighed. Time to make his move. He strolled out of his hiding place in the bushes and asked, "Good god, Darrow, when did you start complaining so much?" Everyone groaned. "And zis iz ze twelfth," complained Hans. He'd just finished slinging his massive weapon back onto his back. With a frustrated sigh that sounded a bit like the rumblings of a volcano before it goes boom, he grabbed the hilt of his two-handed sword and brought his sword to bear. "Let us be getting on vith it," he said to Jason. Around him, the others were bringing their weapons to bear as well. Except for Darrow. He was goggling at the newest arrival. "...*Jason*?!" asked Darrow. "You are knowink this vun, Darrow?" asked Hans. "Of course I do," said Darrow. "He's my cousin." "Your *cousin*?!" was the general response. Julian looked from Jason to Darrow. He looked from Darrow to Jason. He had to admit, there was a hint of resemblance. The two had the same sort of always alert eyes, shifting around suspiciously. And they both wore black. Mind you, a lot of the bounty hunters they'd been fighting off had been wearing black. "Doesn't change the fact that he's got a weapon drawn," said Julian. Jason looked down at the gun in his hand. "I have? Why, what a surprise, me being a bounty hunter and you five having a massive reward on your heads and all." He put the gun back into the folds of his robe. "Now, Darrow, if you would be so kind, please explain why you have a price on your head." "Drop dead," grumbled Darrow. "Not anytime soon. And I don't want to see you dropping dead anytime soon, either, and certainly not on my account. I'd never be able to face Aunt Agnes again." Grudging explanations followed. They were interrupted by the real twelfth bounty hunter of the day and her loyal band of dwarves showing up. "Shove off, I got here first," said Jason. "Excuse me?" asked the newest adversary. Jason pulled out a badge and held it three inches from her face. Regrettably, it dislodged his other important badge and it fell to the ground at her feet. Her eyes crossed as she focused on the badge in front of her face, then she looked down at the badge at her feet. "SinBasInc, member #541? And a Heroes' Guild badge? What's a member of SinBasInc doing with the Heroes' Guild?" Jason heard the sharp intake of breath behind him and knew his goose was cooked. He still had this annoying bounty hunter to deal with, though. "Julian and Arica Kestrel, as members of the Heroes' Guild, are under its protection," Jason lied. "So shove off." The bounty hunter didn't look convinced. Jason pointed his gun at her. That convinced her, and she ran away, the dwarves following her. Jason turned around and discovered a sword, a sabre, a massive two-handed sword and a staff pointed at his face. Darrow, however, was abstaining from the show of hostility. "You're from the Heroes' Guild?" asked Darrow. "Well, yes. One of its Enforcers," admitted Jason. There was a time and place for everything, and a time and place for truth and honesty was when three blades were in close proximity to his face. "*And* from SinBasInc?" "For even longer." "How in the hells does a registered badge-carrying member of SinBasInc get into the Heroes' Guild?" yelled Darrow. "I just answered the ad," said Jason, and shrugged. "Being able to show a Heroes' Guild badge is sometimes *much* better than showing a SinBasInc one. Look... now that this is out in the open, what happened to the properly designated Heroes?" "If you mean Tyler, he was killed by Damane. In my *castle*," said Julian. "And the druids said nobody else would be able to save the world from Damane. Because a *chicken* told them," growled Arica, the memory still fresh and sore in her mind. "We did go talk to the Grand Druid in Kussos, though, and he said he'd leave things up to us as we were the heroes," said Julian. "So maybe we *are* the properly designated Heroes, now," finished Arica. "Now, are you going to stop us like everybody else from the other Heroes' Guild has?" "Alan didn't," Julian reminded her. "If you've finished bickering, then can I ask if you have any evidence that there aren't any other Heroes for the job?" "Just some chicken's guts," said Arica. "Check with the Grand Druid in Kussos," suggested Darrow. "Alright," said Jason. "This changes a few things. Once we reach Taneil, I will visit the Heroes' Guild outpost and have someone check in with the Grand Druid of Kussos about your story. Until I hear otherwise from the Grand Druid, I will assume you are the Designated Heroes for the job." "What's this 'we' business?" asked Julian. "All those bounty hunters are annoying and slow you down, hm? Having someone else around will speed things up a bit." And so it came to pass that Jason joined the party. --- Guided by Mewly, Catherine and Jerry had made it to the Village of Summoned Monsters in record time. Once the guards had gotten over the shock of two humans approaching the gates, they saw the condition of Mewly and hurried the two children to the village doctor. "Will he be alright? Huh? Huh? Will Mewly be okay?" "Mewly's a *she*," insisted Catherine. "No, Mewly's a *he*," protested Jerry. "I've lived with Mewly longer n' you, so I'd know!" "She definitely has a girl voice!" said Catherine. "He's just young!" "Will you two shut up?" roared the doctor. He roared because he was angry, but also because he was a bipedal lion and roaring comes easily to lions. "I can't do anything with you two brats squabbling like this! OUT!" "But Mewly-" "How's Mewly-" The doctor roared again, but quietly, so as not to disturb his patients. It was still scary enough for Catherine and Jerry to all but fall over each other in their rush to get out of the surgery. "This sucks," whined Jerry. "I hope Mewly's okay," said Catherine. Jerry glared at her. "Oh, hi Cathy!" "That's *Catherine*!" said Princess Catherine instinctively, turning around and stomping her foot. Then she paused, realising that she'd never met the bear composed of fire before in her life, so it shouldn't even know what her name was. "Hey, wait a second, how do you know my name?" "Oh, Sparky talks about the great Princess Catherine Gallant that calls him out *all* the time." There was another pause as both parties in the confused conversation figured something out. "The Fire Parrot is called Sparky?" "*The* Princess Catherine that was kidnapped? What are you doing here?" There was yet another pause as the two digested what the other had just said. "You mean *all* this time you've been calling on Sparky for help and you never asked him for his name?" "I wasn't kidnapped! Why do you say I was kidnapped?" "I can't believe how rude you are." "What's this about me being kidnapped? Where'd you hear that? Who said it?" "I mean, it's just common courtesy." Unfortunately for the conversation, Princess Catherine didn't have any siblings and was raised as a princess, and there are certain personality traits that are assocaited with single children and with royalty. She proceeded to go on and demonstrate one of them, and said, "Shut up about Sparky's name! It's not important! Tell me about the kidnapping that's supposed to have happened to me!" The bear felt intimidated for a moment, then realised that he was bigger, had sharp teeth, sharp claws, and was composed almost entirely of flames. "You seem to forget, *Cathy*," he growled, standing up on his hind legs, "that I'm quite dangerous. Don't piss me off." "Moron," Jerry said to Catherine. Catherine didn't hear Jerry's insult. Instead, she was far more interested by the bear rearing up in front of her. She looked at its sheer size, all of which was fire. She looked at its sharp claws and teeth. She gulped. "I'msorry!" she squeaked. "And so you should be," said Sparky. "Um... can I ask... what's this about me being kidnapped?" --- The town of Taneil was not a large town. It had sprung up around the crossing of the river Takwa and a couple of roads, and was a focus of a few farms. Nothing much ever happened in it; it was the kind of place that was still talking about the Heroes that had come from Taneil thirty years ago. Despite its lack of size and relative unimportance, the town still had an outpost of the Heroes' Guild. It was there mainly to monitor the group of Heroes that, thirty years ago, had saved the world from being drowned in vegetables. The three Heroes currently didn't do very much and lived a quiet life, so it came as quite a surprise to the sleepy official in charge when the door slammed open and Jason walked in. "Huh? Who are you? What's going on?" Jason pulled out his Heroes' Guild badge and slammed it down on the desk, being *very* careful not to accidentally pull out his SinBasInc badge or drop it on the floor or something silly like that. "Official business. We have a Potential Code Red Hero-less Villain Situation." "WHAT?" Of all the things that could have happened to him, a Potential Code Red Hero-less Villain Situation was amongst the worst. The only thing that could have been any worse was a Confirmed Code Red Hero-less Villain Situation. "You know Julian and Arica Kestrel?" "Of course I know of them. They're the hot topic in the Guild's weekly updates." The official stared at the Enforcer, suspicion dawning. "Wait a minute - you've eliminated them?" "No. I have found them, however." The official came fully alert at that. "What do you mean?" "Put out a Cease Hostilities on their account. They may be the only Heroes available for the Damane case, as the Designated Hero was killed months ago." "What?" "Also, send a delegation to the Grand Druid of Kussos. We need to confirm with him if Julian and Arica *are* the only Heroes for the job." "What what what? Look, you can't order all that. You're just an Enforcer. A Cease Hostilities can only come from the top brass!" "In the normal scheme of things, yes. However, we have a Potential Code Red Hero-less Villain Situation, remember, and I *can* ask for all that. Hop to it." --- Getting back to Mercant would have been quite a hike. But Sparky had a few tricks up his sleeves, and teleporting was one of them. "Otherwise," he'd squawked, "every time you summon me I'd have to fly all the way over, and that'd be quite tiring." In short order, Catherine and Jerry, with the help of Sparky, were standing outside King Gallant's castle. Jerry didn't really know why he was coming along. It just seemed more fun than sitting around in a village of weird summonable monsters. Catherine took a deep breath, calming herself. She was going to have to own up to her father, and explain where she'd been, and why... She wasn't looking forward to it. But the alternative was her friends being captured, possibly killed! She didn't want that! She took another deep breath, and went in. --- The image of Catherine talking earnestly to her father shimmered in the air above a group of shadowy figures. "Will this not make things difficult?" asked one. "Will not the King retract the bounty once he learns the truth?" "Not so," chuckled another. "Humans are so easily manipulable when it comes to their children. All I need do is plant some minor suggestions, and he'll be even angrier than before..." --- "No daughter of mine is going to be some common adventurer!" thundered King Gallant. To his amazement and growing ire, his daughter did not cower backwards and promise to be a good girl for the rest of her life. She did flinch though, a small part of him noticed with satisfaction. Another small part of him was proud that she was growing a backbone and was showing some of the fire he and his wife possessed. However, these small parts were consumed by the rest of him, which was a whole lot of apoplectic rage. He rose from his throne, his hands clenching and unclenching reflexively. "Catherine!" he roared, much louder than he'd intended, and this time the girl did cower backwards and clutch for the hand of the boy next to her. His wife leaned over and placed a calming hand on the back of his arm. King Edward Gallant looked down at it, at his wife's expression, and then back at his daughter and the boy with her. He composed himself. "Alright," he said. "It is clear to me, that even though those five," he spat, his face twisting into anger for a moment, "did not kidnap you, they have corrupted your young mind with thoughts of adventure and heroism. It is not a life for royalty. Your place is here." Catherine was looking down at the floor. "If... if I stay... will you at least leave my friends alone?" The king's face twisted in anger. "You seem to forget who the King is here, daughter! I can *order* you, as one of my subjects, to stay in your room for the rest of your life! I can place a guard outside your door until you're eighteen!" "Dear, please!" said the Queen. "You're just scaring her!" "Good! A bit less of this Heroic nonsense would be good for her." He turned back to Catherine. "As for those... friends of yours," he said venomously, "I am most definitely *not* leaving them alone. Some time in prison may stop them corrupting the young minds of today, and the Hero's Guild is sure to pay handsomely for their capture..." he grinned into his beard. --- "See?" said the shadowy figure. "Well done," said another. "A masterful save." --- A couple of hours later, Catherine was in her room, feeling miserable. True to her father's word, there were now guards outside her door. She didn't even know where Jerry was. Probably turned out onto the streets, she thought, or even in the dungeons. Her father had certainly been feeling mad enough. About the only good thing that had come out of all that was the King ordering a change. Now he wanted her friends alive, not dead or alive. Catherine supposed that was something. There was a knock on the door. "Dear?" came her mother's voice. "Yes, come in," Catherine said dully. Her mother had a few short words with the guards, then entered the room. She stood, regarding her daughter critically, then sat down on the edge of the bed, beside the princess. "Dear... do not be disheartened." "He hates me now!" Catherine wailed. "And it's so *boring* here!" "I agree," said the Queen. "I just want to get out there, experience the world, have a few adventures before I have to settle down, and - huh?" asked Catherine. "You *agree* that it's boring?" "The King gets to do everything and the Queen nothing." Her mother's mouth quirked. "Except ensure the royal line and sit around looking pretty. It is dull." The queen frowned. "Also, your father... he's been more and more erratic lately. As if he's not quite himself." "What do you mean?" "It's hard to tell. But he seems to get a lot more angry, and get angry quicker. Once, I am sure, he would have listened calmly to your story and firmly forbid from you doing anything further, but not get as angry as he did today. I don't know why it's happened, or what I can do about it..." The Queen looked downcast. "Why are you telling me all this?" "Other times, he's like his old self, and the way he talks about you... he still loves you, Catherine, even if it didn't seem like it. Also, that boy was put into the dungeons. I don't know what your father's planning to do with him, but with his recent anger, it's probably nothing good." The Queen stood up. "There is little I can do. I can suggest things to your father, but if he's not listening..." "You mean I *can* do something?" "Sparky will be able to help, won't he?" "How do you know about-" "I know many things. Follow me." The guards didn't like the idea of the Princess leaving her room. They'd had strict instructions from King Gallant not to let her out of her room under any circumstances. But the King wasn't there and the Queen, looking quite annoyed with their protests, was. Grumbling imprecations at the world and its unfairness in general, the guards stood aside and let the Queen and Princess past. Through the maze of the castle the two did go, as often going up stairs as going down them, and, in one case, sliding a picture aside and stepping through the hole in the wall. But eventually they came to the dungeons, and to the cell Jerry was in. "This place sucks," whined Jerry. "It stinks, it's dirty, it's cold, and it's no fun. Are you here to get me out?" "Er," said Catherine, looking at her mother. "She is," said the Queen firmly. "Go on, dear." "Okay Jerry, hold my hand." "Hold your hand? Ew!" "Well just my sleeve, or pull my hair or something!" snapped Catherine. "We need to be in contact for this to work!" Grudgingly, Jerry reached out and grabbed Catherine's hand through the bars of his cell. Catherine called for Sparky, requesting his aid. A few moments later, the only one present was the Queen. She carefully counted to three hundred, giving them time to get away. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" she screamed, running up the stairs and through the main floor. "HEEEEEEEEEELP! My daughter has disappeared! Consumed by fire! She's gone! Someone find her! AAAAAAAAAAAAA! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" A few minutes later, with the castle in uproar, guards rushing everywhere, and the King waving his hands frantically as he tried to restore order and find out what had happened to his daughter, the Queen grinned to herself. She'd pulled that one off quite well. --- Julian, Arica, Hans, Darrow, and Aquila set out from Taneil, followed by Jason, who was acting as their Designated Observer. To their amazement, they actually had Heroes' Guild badges on their sleeves. They had official orders stating they were until further notice on Official Business. They even had a piece of paper saying that any bounties such as the price currently on their heads were not claimable until their current Official Business was over. Quite what the Guild proper would think when the news reached its main headquarters, Julian had no idea, and wanted to be as far away as possible when it did. He had a feeling they wouldn't be happy. But until then, he and his friends had a stay of execution, as it were. "Quite a change, isn't it?" asked Arica. "To actually be official again..." "You said it," said Julian. "I just hope it lasts." --- One hundred loyal servants of Damane, wearing Damane masks, bells tied around their forearms, and little else, danced. Legs stomped, arms flailed, voices chanted "Da-mane, Da-mane" and sticks were crashed together. In a resounding crash, all the dancers stomped all at once, simultaneously slapping the sticks in the right hands against those in the left hands of the partners on their right, yelling "RISES!" as they did so. Papa Damane stood up. "That was absolutely awful. Five out of ten... no, *four* out of ten. I'd be surprised if Damane was rejoined with the body of an ant as a result of that terrible effort. Do it again, and do it better." There was lots of grumbling. "Otherwise..." the Dance Master said ominously, "I will have to have a little... *word* with the kitchens... "You have a week to go. If you fail, then you won't have to worry about Damane, you'll have to face *me*." The servants, sufficiently cowed, threw themselves into the next practice run. They got a six out of ten, the best for the day so far. The world was probably doomed. AUTHOR'S NOTES -------------- There. I'm done. Hopefully it wasn't *too* awful. As I have said many many times in the past week, my creativity and inspiration have been utterly dead lately. But I wasn't going to skip. Thanks for reading, Steven Scougall http://sscougall.crosswinds.net/ 30/1/2003