The Misadventure of Sir Lancelot



Lancelot's venture through the forest was not a comfortable one. With every three steps of his horse's hooves, he had to look over his shoulder to the sound of snapping twigs. Something was following him and it had been ever since he entered the deeper reaches of the woodland. Bringing his ride to a halt, he then dismounted and brought a hand to the hilt of his sword. "Show thyself, hidden rogue," he shouted. "Demon or Human thou be, neither my soul nor my gold shall fall prey to thy wicked ways!"

"You're kidding, right?" The leaves of a nearby tree rustled, then down dropped a boy who was in his early teens. His pale-grey skin and homely facial appearance suggested that he was kin to Trolls, but his scrawny body made him out to be Human. After coming to a hunched stand, the boy pushed a pair of goggles away from his face and into his mottled, brown hair, showing off the pea-green pupils of his yellowed eyes. A grin that revealed margarine-yellow teeth spread across his face, and his bare arms folded across his chest as he looked to the knight. "What's with all that 'thee,' 'thou' and 'thy' crap? Talking like that can get you killed in these parts, pal."

Lancelot sneered as he looked down his nose at the stranger. "A waif should not be venturing through the forests of Machusa. But you are a sign of civilization. Be there a town near here, and if so, which direction should I travel to reach it?"

The grin never left the boy's face. "There's one, yeah. But you don't wanna go there."

"Praytell why not," Lancelot inquired with an arched eyebrow.

"Because when I get through with you," the boy said as he uncrossed his arms, "the people of the nearby village will laugh you back into the forest." He reached into one of the many pockets of his tan, baggy pants, pulled out a makeshift knife, then poked it forward while taking an offensive stance. "Now hand over everything valuable or I'll gut ya like a fish."

Lancelot's eyes went wide at this, not because he was frightened, but because he was astounded at what he felt was the boy's idiocy. Here he was, a knight in light but noticeable armor, bearing the seal of the Terra Firma Guild--knights who were world renown for their skill in battle--and being challenged by a ragged thief who had yet to hit puberty? "Are you daft," he asked as his arms went to his sides with clenched fists. "I am a knight and you are a mere child! To drop my blade in your vicinity could spell death for you, boy, so I suggest you reconsider this!"

"Let me put it this way, Sir Talksalot," the rogue said as he twirled his knife in his fingers. "I've taken out warriors with bigger nuts than you, so either drop the gold or pick up your sword and fight!"

Lancelot realized then that the child's intentions were true, and he had no choice but to defend himself. Still, it was against his code to kill young Humans, and since he was uncertain as to wether or not this robber was otherwise, he kept his sword in his sheath and held up his hands. "Child, what you are truly in need of, I have no time to give. Now if you will simply tell me where the nearest village is I will pay you for the information and be on my way!"

Both the knight and the thief's attention was brought to the sound of the horse's distress, for out of the trees a young woman had dropped onto its saddled backside. The horse reared in an attempt to throw her but she skillfully gained control of it, then pointed an open palm towards Lancelot. "Why should he settle for a little gold for a lot of information when he can have a lot of gold for no information," she queried calmly. Her black lips were a contrast to her milky white skin, but went well with her jet black hair which was cut short in a masculine hairstyle. Lancelot noticed this most of all about her, and while it did intrigue him, the severity of his situation was enough to snap him out of his daze.

The young thief and his cohort circled the knight, one on foot and the other on the captured steed. Still, Lancelot did not bring a hand back to his sword. He made a silent apology to his faithful mount whose eyes met his, then he clenched his fists tighter than before and cried out. In that same instant the ground gave way under the feet of the horse and the boy. It swallowed them like quicksand and when the woman tried to escape, a wave of dirt rolled over her and engulfed her as well. The event was swift enough to catch Lancelot's assailants completely off guard, and when the ground settled again he was the only one left standing.

A sigh left the knight's lips as he fell to one knee, wearied by the effort. He rested for several minutes before he began crawling along the ground in search of something, or rather, someone. Once he found a proper spot in the dirt road, he plunged his arm straight through it as though it were water, then fished around. His chainmail glove latched onto his target, and in the next instant he hoisted the young thief halfway up out of the ground by his hair. The boy gasped for air and looked to Lancelot with fear in his eyes.

"Now," the knight began, "are you going to show me the way to the nearest village, or shall I put you back in the earth?"



Using rope he had earlier secured to the tuille of his armor, Lancelot bound the thief's arms to his body and his hands to his back. Afterwards, he pulled him the rest of the way out of the ground. "You know," the boy commented as he fidgeted in his bindings, "this is going to take us a while, since you don't have your horse anymore."

"Oh, I have my horse," Lancelot stated, then motioned towards a clear section of the road. The ground rippled and shook, and after a time it pushed up the light brown steed that belonged to him. The poor creature was shaken, but alive, and after it shook the dirt from its mane it returned to its master and lowered its head so he could easily take hold of its reigns.

The thief was awestruck. "How.... did you do that?"

"I am a knight of the Terra Firma Guild," Lancelot replied as he climbed onto his mount. "Just as you walk over the earth, I rule over it." He gave a harsh tug to the rope that held his captive. "Now start walking, and if you try anything, I will bury you once again."

"Whatever," the boy muttered, then started off. His first steps were awkward, then he began hopping along at short intervals. This act puzzled the knight who watched for a few meters before stopping his horse and prisoner.

"Just... what are you doing?"

The boy looked over his shoulder at him. "You get there your way, I'll get there mine. But you better speed up that horse or else we'll both be in the forest longer than we should."

Lancelot remained puzzled, but he complied, first by motivating his horse to a mild trot. To his surprise, the young thief kept ahead and he had to speed his horse considerably to keep up with him. Each hop the boy made launched him twelve feet in front, and whenever the horse's gallop brought it neck and neck he would leap ahead again. Now the knight was convinced that this boy was not Human, but he still didn't wish to do away with him. Mentally he decided to let the boy go once they reached the outskirts of civilization.



The sun was in the process of setting when Lancelot and his charge reached a sign that marked the fringes of Bavil, the village he was being led to. "Before I let you go," he said as he dismounted from his horse, "tell me something. How is it that you kept up with my steed so well? Are you Human, or something else?"

The boy smirked. "I'm of the Hoppera Tribe. We do that."

Lancelot took the tribe's name to heart while he busied himself with untying the bonds. "The Hoppera Tribe? I do not believe that I have ever heard of such creatures."

"That's because I'm the last one." Once his hands were free, the boy massaged his wrists while he squatted on the ground. "The Army of Magnus brushed through my hometown and wiped everyone out because they didn't want to join his crusade! Lucky for me, I was on a supply run to another village when it happened."

The Army of Magnus: It was the very thing Lancelot was venturing toward. Not long ago he was sent an invitation by Lord Magnus to be a part of his illustrious world order, and had decided to accept. But if this boy was telling him the truth, then it would make a complete change of his plans for the future.

"Are you certain it was the Army of Magnus," he kneeled down to inquire. "You said you weren't there; it could have been the Keepers of Humanity."

"The Keepers of Humanity were on the other side of the world when this happened," the boy snapped back with a frown. "Besides, when I came back to my crumbling home, there were a few people still on their last breath who told me as much of what happened as they could manage to get out!" He stopped to breathe, then continued. "The Army of Magnus is out to conquer the world, and they don't care who they step on in the process! Everyday Lord Magnus gets newer, more powerful recruits. Everyday he increases the army's strength! He's already nearly unstoppable, and pretty soon we'll all be bowing down to him!"

Lancelot's face went sour. This boy had too much discord with the Army of Magnus for all of it not to be true. The knight looked to his horse, then the distant gates of Bavil. It took him seven days to reach this distance from his guild, and he did not look forward to making the return trip. But what other choice did he have? Obviously the Army of Magnus was not the stalwart company that he thought it was, and continuing his journey would have been foolish.

With a heavy sigh, Lancelot rose to his feet and took hold of his horse's reigns. "What is your name, boy?"

"Toad," the thief replied, looking up at him with a smirk. "Everyone calls me Toad."

Lancelot gave a nod to acknowledge the name. "Well then, Toad. How would you like it if I bought you some food in town before we parted ways?"

Toad blinked in surprise. "Food? Me? After I tried to rob you?"

"The information you have bestowed upon me may have saved my conscience a great deal in the long run. And it teaches me that you are not as villainous as you seem. Truly I owe this to you."

The boy rose to his feet. "Well... I'm not one to turn down free food." His grin resurfaced. "Okay, Sir Trustsaplenty. Food it is!"

Amused by the nickname, Lancelot gave a smile and a nod to Toad before heading into town on foot.



A free meal quickly turned into free food and lodging that night, for once he had his fill from the Bowel Displacer Tavern, Toad followed Lancelot to the Seraph Inn and opted to share a room with him. The arrangement didn't please the knight but he put up with it, reveling in the knowledge that he would be leaving that area in the morning. His horse was left in the inn's stable, his armor was shed and he began to turn in for the night.

"Get OUT of my bed!"

Toad batted his eyelashes cutely as he sunk below a burgundy blanket. "But it's the only bed in the room! Can't we share it?"

With a growl, Lancelot snatched the cover away from him and motioned to the floor. "This was not part of the arrangement! Before I stated that I would purchase you one meal. That meal turned into three! You've almost emptied my pocket of gold, and now you're trying to take my living space for the night?" He latched onto the front of the boy's teal vest and yanked him out of the bed. "You truly are a master thief, aren't you? Now either sleep on the floor or get out of my quarters!"

"Oof!" Toad landed in a heap on the floor, and after Lancelot stepped over him to sit on the bed, the boy crawled to a nearby corner and sat with his back against it. "Gee, Lance, your speech loses its nobility the more pissed off you get!" He hunched his shoulders nonchalantly. "Fine, fine, be that way. I'll just sleep on the cold, hard floor. Don't mind my shivers or tussling in discomfort."

The knight's eyes rolled. "You prove me right in my decision never to have offspring." He sighed, then brought his back to rest against the headboard of the bed. With his hands propped behind his head, he took a glance out the room's only window. Groups of drunken fellows were touring the streets, in need of a good brawl. He had his fill for the day, and was too lost in thought over the Army of Magnus to care about anything else. After a while those thoughts lost favor in his mind, and he turned to the thief who was pretending to sleep. "You didn't seem very concerned when I buried your cohort earlier."

Toad's left eye opened and focused on him. "Who, her?" His other eye opened, then he turned to face the man. "Nah. She can take care of herself. In fact...." He leaned in a way that allowed him to see the sky out the window. "By the waxing and waning of the moon, I'd say that she'll be knocking on your door right about.... now."

Several, forceful raps at the room's door grabbed both their attention, but before either could act the door was kicked open and in stormed the young woman who tried to help Toad steal from Lancelot. Spots of dirt colored the visible parts of her skin as well as her black pants and maroon vest. Clumps of dirt roost in her hair, though everytime she moved another clump would fall out. Her black lips spread into an angry sneer as she breathed heavy and motioned a finger towards the knight. All he could do was yelp in surprise as a blue bolt struck him and froze him in place.

"Hey, Scarlet," Toad said with a wave and a smile as she approached him.

"Are you all right, Toad," the woman asked, looking him over. "Did he hurt you? And how come you're no longer bound?"

"Him?" The boy motioned towards the still knight. "Oh, hey, he's been nothing but good to me! Fed me, and is lettin' me stay here for the night. Though on the floor, which is kinda cold, but better than the forest, y'know?"

The woman blinked several times in disbelief. "You mean to tell me I rushed over here to save you and you're not even in any danger?" She reached down and slapped him in the back of the head. "You wartless troll! I thought this man was trying to collect a bounty on your head!" Placing her left hand on the corresponding hip, she snapped the fingers of her right hand and the spell that had been cast over Lancelot instantly subsided.

"Agh!" The man felt all parts of his body to make sure he was all there, then looked to her in surprise. "You... you're a witch!"

"The Scarlet Witch," she announced, keeping her right hand pointed towards him.

"How did you unearth yourself? And how did you find out where we were?"

"I have my ways." She motioned to the window. "And my help."

Lancelot turned to look to the streets below, but his view was blocked by a sizeable head. Outside, a dragon that stood almost as tall as the inn was perched on its hind legs and peering into the window. It grunted in the knight's direction, then turned sideways so the statuesque woman on the crook of its neck could get a look inside. "Shall we roast him," she called in to the Scarlet Witch.

"That won't be necessary, Sky Fire," the witch replied. "But thanks for locating him. You can go now."

"Anytime, Scarlet. Ht!" The dragon lit up the sky with an exhale of flames, then took to the air. Bavil's peasants were alarmed by this, but once the beast left seeing and hearing range, things calmed down.

As he turned to look back at the thief and the witch, Lancelot couldn't get his mouth to close without help from one of his hands. Once he managed to collect himself, he rose from his bed and moved to lean against the wall nearest to him. As a knight and a gentleman, he knew it was more polite to stand as long as a woman did. "So you have found him. Will you be taking him with you?" He could only pray; unfortunately, Toad was not so willing to leave.

"Come on, Scarlet, let's bunk here for the night," the boy pleaded as rose to his feet. "We haven't slept indoors in months, and the wind is doing a number on my bones!"

"Wait! I did not say--" Lancelot's objection was interrupted.

"I think it's a fine idea," The Scarlet Witch declared.

"But I--"

Toad jumped for joy. "Yeah!" He then leaped into the bed, slid under the covers and closed his eyes.

The knight gawked at this. "Now wait just a Demon-loving minute! That Toad infringed upon my good nature!"

"And now I'm doing it," the witch replied, holding up an index finger. "Shall we debate it?"

The blue glow that touched the tip of her finger was foreboding enough to overrule all of Lancelot's objections to the situation. While she took up the rest of the space in the bed he gave off a heavy sigh, then settled in a corner of the room for the night. "It'll all be over in the morning," he thought to himself as he closed his eyes. The lantern that lit the room burned out long before he found a comfortable position to sleep in.



The morning was little better for Lancelot. When he awoke, the Scarlet Witch wouldn't let him leave without answering a barrage of questions about himself and his reason for being in Machusa. Often times he tried to get his own questions in, but the witch was an expert at dodging issues. For the time being she remained an enigma to him, albeit one whose company he was starting to enjoy.

"So you were planning to join the Army of Magnus, but now you're not." The woman finished wiping the dirt from her body using the pillowcase from the bed. "What changed your mind?"

Lancelot motioned towards Toad, who was still fast asleep. "Is his story truthful? He claims he came home to his village and found it destroyed by the Army of Magnus."

The Scarlet Witch looked back at the boy with an arched brow. "Came home?" She shook her head as she sat on the edge of the bed. "He would lie like that. Toad was there when it happened. The Army of Magnus tore through the jungle village of the Hopperas. They killed all the elders and adults, then stole the children and put them in a camp to learn to be perfect soldiers." Her eyes narrowed. "Toad wasn't a very willing learner. He's bold, but a coward at heart. Eventually they would have killed him for being useless if I hadn't rescued him."

Lancelot's own brows arched at this. "You speak very negatively about your traveling companion."

"I speak very truthfully about him," she corrected him, then rose to her feet once again as the boy stirred. "Rise and shine, Toad. We have to get going soon."

"Finally," Lance thought to himself, "I'm almost free!" But he still had questions that he wanted answered. Going against his better judgement, he spoke out. "I still wish to know how you unearthed yourself."

The Scarlet Witch looked over her shoulder at him. "I told you, I have my ways."

"You should have been dead," he protested. "Or at the very least.... winded?"

She smirked, then moved to stand toe to toe with him. Lancelot was more than a few inches taller than the Scarlet Witch, but that didn't prevent her from trying to loom at him. "Didn't you know," she whispered softly. "You can't kill a witch unless you burn her." Their eyes met, and as he lost himself in her irises, she reached up a hand slowly to pluck him on the forehead. "Now quit asking," the Scarlet Witch commanded, then brought her arms to rest across her chest.

Lancelot gritted his teeth as he rubbed his forehead. "I'll keep that in mind," he grumbled, then turned towards the armoire where he had put his things. The lock was still secure, so he knew his supplies had not been touched. "I must confess," he said as he turned to face his guests, "this has been a rather interesting day. Far more interesting than the last six I spent traversing the lands. Whatever your quests, I pray they are successful." He was being as polite as he could muster to encourage them to leave quickly.

"What a polished boot," Toad cackled as he hopped on the windowsill. "Come on, Scarlet! I can smell the bread on the windowsill of the bakery."

"Coming," the woman called to him, then gave a nod to the knight. "Thanks for the hospitality. Have a safe journey."

Lancelot watched as the two leaped out of the second-story window. A loud and heavy sigh of relief left his mouth in the next moment, and he used the armoire to keep himself from collapsing to the ground. He considered staying at the inn for one more night to get some real rest, but Bavil no longer held any reverence for him, and the possibility of seeing those thieves again made it even less of a nice place to visit. In the back of his brown leather boot he reached for a key, then turned to, unlocked and opened the armoire. To his surprise, all he found inside of it was his suit of armor.

The knight tore from his room in a fury of motion, thumping noisily down the stairs to the first level, and almost tripping as he burst past the Seraph Inn's front door. Neither one of the thieves were in seeing or hearing distance. With his fists clenched, he raced into the inn's stable and looked to the stall where he had left his horse. It was gone! Not only had Toad and the Scarlet Witch taken his supplies, but they had also stolen his mount. The ground beneath the inn trembled as Lancelot's anger rose. "I've.... been.... ROOOOOOOOOOOOBBED!!!" All of Bavil felt the man's fury as an earthquake shook the village for as long as he yelled.



In the distant land of Asterum, only a crow dared to cross the sky that was blackened by unnatural clouds. On an uneasy wind it glided towards the towering keep that sat dead center in the valley, perched atop a charred mountain. The crow entered a window and traversed the twisting hallways until it came to a pair of tall, crimson doors. At the foot of these doors the crow landed, then changed shape. In its place stood a woman with skin that was deep blue in color, and hair that was ruby red. Her white eyes narrowed as she took hold of both doors and pulled them open to reveal a spacious throne room. The room's interior was made of black marble with swirls of grey and dull gold running the lengths of the floor like cracks. The thin heels of the woman's black leather boots struck the marble in a marching rhythm as she sauntered quickly between the support pillars, stopping a good distance in, but also a good distance away from the darkened figure who sat on the room's only throne.

"Sire," she began with a light inclination of her head, "I have found her."

The low rumble of shifting armor came from the shadow of the throne, followed by a deep and unfriendly voice. "Where is she?"

"Starting her own little crusade in Bavil of Machusa. Still traveling with that Hoppera she rescued from Sabretooth's training camp."

"He still lives? Impressive. But then again, my daughter has a way of keeping well the things she dedicates herself to." A velvet gauntlet crept out of the shadow and waved in the air. A portal with a purple hue appeared where the gauntlet waved, and in its face there showed the back of a thin young man with white hair that was cropped short. By the looks of it, he was enjoying himself at a party where dozens of young men and women were, and the sight of this made the dark figure growl. "QUICKSILVER!" The boom of his voice stopped all activity, and those guests that could be seen took one look at the portal, then ran away. The young man in question took a moment to straighten the collar of his turquoise robe before he turned a humble look to the portal.

"Yes, Lord Magnus?"

"Your sister has been located," the man stated in a calmer tone. "I want you to go to her. Use your cunning to win her back to our side."

Quicksilver brushed a few tufts of his hair out of his eyes before nodding to the portal. "Yes, Lord Magnus. Tell me where she is, and I will be there in the next instant."

"I have no doubt that you will. Go to Bavil; you should find her doing business there. Convince her to be one of us, and her friends will easily follow." A rumble echoed through the throne room. "Do not fail me, Quicksilver. This is the last chance I am allowing your sister for redemption."

"Yes, Lord Magnus." Before the portal closed, the young man took off in a blur of motion.

Though her input was not always welcome, the woman who stood waiting in Lord Magnus' throne room gave it anyway. "Quicksilver's cunning is often negated by his sister's angst."

"And amplified by her guilt," the lord threw back at her.

"True, but his love for her may prove to be a problem."

Another rumble echoed throughout the throne room. "If you have something to offer, Mystique, do not waste time mincing words," Lord Magnus bellowed. "Tell me. Now!"

The woman smirked as she reveled in how well she could annoy him without suffering any consequences. "Allow me to send a backup, just in case he does fall prey to his sister's preachings. She will keep watch over him, and lead him back to us if he goes astray."

An awkward silence reigned over the throne room for several moments. "Very well," the lord finally replied. "Send your spy. If all things fail, have my son brought back to me, and my daughter executed. I will have none of my lineage against me."

"As you wish, Lord Magnus." Mystique bent forward and took on the form of a raven once more, then flew away.



The forest surrounding Bavil held many abandoned buildings from old farms and plantations. One of which was a barn where the Scarlet Witch and her cohorts took residency. The overgrowth that surrounded the barn hid it well from eyes at a distance, making it the perfect place for them to keep their goods. Inside, the witch parked her stolen horse and watched Toad go through the things he had taken from the knight. In a corner of the barn, the dragon that had stood outside the inn was curled tightly and sleeping while Sky Fire--the woman who rode it--repeatedly stroked the crest of its head.

"I don't think you should have taken so much," Scarlet said as she turned to the boy.

"I left him his armor, didn't I," Toad replied while throwing aside some of the more useless items. Spying a sword still in its sheath he bent down to pick it up, but found it a bit difficult to lift; the sword was heavier than it looked. After a bit of trouble, he managed to get it into both his arms before he fell back on his rear from the effort. "Man. That knight must eat a lot of grain! You'd have to be strong as a horse to wield this thing!" He pulled it partway from its sheath and gasped at the design of the blade's base. A white diamond, ball of obsidian and knot of gold had been imbedded in the blade just above the steel handle. Each rock was the size of a child's fist and would have been worth a considerable amount of money if they could have been removed.

The Scarlet Witch noticed this from where she stood and quickly cleared the distance between herself and the thief. "Looks like that blade's been enchanted."

"Yeah," Toad cackled, taking a knife from the leg of his right boot. "But it won't be once I get those gems out of it."

"You won't be able to." The witch smirked. "But I know that won't stop you from trying." She brought her arms together slowly behind her back and bent forward to watch, but then a feeling hit her and she straightened once more. A chill raised the hairs on the back of her neck, telling her that the feeling was more of a premonition.

The dragon lifted its head suddenly as it too sensed something approaching. Sky Fire--who was tossed aside as the dragon awoke--pulled herself from a pile of hay and crawled back over to her mount. "It's moments like this when I hate being bare-legged," she stated as she climbed onto its neck. "I think Blooper senses something."

"So do I," the Scarlet Witch said in a distant tone, then turned to face the old barn doors. One door shivered soundlessly and in the next instant, Quicksilver came into view standing a few yards away from her. While Toad, Sky Fire and Blooper looked on questioningly, he and the Scarlet Witch maintained a staring contest for several moments. During this time, the sound of the barn door opening and closing, and the sound of pattering footsteps finally caught up with the young man--the dust also finally leaped from the barn floor in a cloud that spread around him.

Quicksilver's outfit had changed since he left Asterum: he traded his robe for a sleeveless, turquoise top with gold trim that stopped at the hips of his grey leggings which, in turn, disappeared into the calf-high legs of his black leather boots. Whenever a speck of dust dared to land on his outfit he reached a hand up in a blur of motion to brush it away, but his gaze never left the woman in front of him. The Scarlet Witch was his twin sister who he had not seen since they were children. They had both had time to change considerably, but just by looking into each other's eyes they could tell who one another were. Only his face seemed to soften as they stood there--hers remained as frigid as it would have if she were staring down a stranger.

When the awkward silence became too much, Quicksilver cleared his throat and began to speak. "Hey. Long time no see?"

"Shouldn't you be out conquering with him," the Scarlet Witch asked without emotion, her fingers curling into fists.

Her brother shrugged lightly. "What's to conquer? We own practically all of the world." He shook his head rapidly, then made an attempt to correct himself. "I mean... I really missed you." It wasn't one of his smoother moments, but trying to hide the emotion of seeing his sibling was throwing him off.

The witch chuffed, bringing her arms across her chest. "I bet."

"I'm serious!" Quicksilver rubbed the back of his head and brought his voice to a humble tone. "I... I didn't even know if you were still alive."

"Like you couldn't have found out. You can circle the globe in half an hour with a sore toe, and you couldn't get off your ass to find out what I was doing?"

"The circumstances prevented it!" He made a habit of constantly shifting his position out of adamant restlessness. "You know I wanted to. I just couldn't."

"And what circumstance prevented you from coming with me when you could have?" Scarlet's arms lowered so her hands could rest on her hips. "It would have been so easy. You and me, running away together, but no. You wanted to stay with him!"

In the background, Toad had managed to drag the jewel-encrusted sword over to Sky Fire, then the two started whispering speculations about the stranger in their midst. "Sounds like a past lover who left her for a man," the woman started.

"Maybe a suitor who decided following a king was better than marrying her," the boy suggested. "But he doesn't look like her type."

"I was just a child, Scarlet," Quicksilver said as he continued to argue his case to his sister. "So were you! I didn't think you were really going to leave; I thought you were just throwing another one of your tantrums!"

"My tantrums were my way of protesting our father's mistreatment of the world," she yelled back at him. "If you had any guts you would've done the same!"

"What, protested our father making a way for us?" Now he was getting tired of being genteel. "Newsflash, sister: I don't have to care about anything, and neither do you! We're immortal! We've inherited the Universe, and you're throwing that inheritance away by crying over a few, measly slaves!"

"The only people who deserve to be slaves are people like you and him," the witch continued to yell. "Always stepping over people, robbing them of their right to be free, and claiming that your way is best!"

"Oh, and what good have you wrought this era, huh?" Quicksilver motioned to the stolen items that were scattered around the barn. "Yes, stealing is such a noble act," he said with a hint of sarcasm. "Why pay for something honestly when you can apply the five finger discount skills of a worthless Hoppera?"

"I heard that," Toad shouted from the back of the barn.

"Oh, my apologies," the man shouted back. "A worthless Hoppera who can hear exceptionally well!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" His sister's voice echoed throughout the barn and some of the surrounding foliage. When he looked at her, both her hands were glowing blue and pointed open-palm in his direction. "Go, Quicksilver. Run home and tell that man that I will NOT be a part of his nightmarish world order! Tell him that the next time he sees me, it will be through the blood that rushes down his face after I've bashed his damn head in! And if you ever come looking for me again, I WILL blast you without hesitation!"

The threat of death snapped Quicksilver back into the severity of the moment. His sister was threatening to destroy him and she almost had every right to. But, his quick mind allowed him to think up a way out of this situation. While they stood there staring each other down, he extended his arms outward, then dropped to his knees. "Do it."

The expression on her face faltered momentarily. "What?"

"If it'll make up for what happened years ago, go ahead. Vaporize me on the spot." Quicksilver managed to hold this position, despite his restlessness. "Look, Scarlet, I'm sorry. When you ran away from Asterum, I wanted so much to go with you, but... I was scared. In spite of being immortal, I've never been brave like you or father. I've always been unsure about myself, wondering if I really have the power to do all the things he told us we could." His eyes glazed over with the tears he had tried to suppress. "All these years I've sat and wondered how it could have been different. How we could have gone away together, been a team, and started your crusade to end our father's tyranny. But everytime those thoughts entered my head he'd come loom over me like a shadow and remind me where my loyalties should lie. Where yours should have been. So overtime I just... took on the train of thought that you were the one who was in the wrong, not us. And now.... I'm at the end of my rope and about to be hung. Wether by you or him, it doesn't matter. It just looks like it's going to happen."

While he spoke, the glow to the Scarlet Witch's hands faded and her arms slowly lowered to her sides. A few times her face lost its cold expression but she regained enough concentration to replace it; however, by the end of his speech, both her eyebrows were raised high on her forehead and her jaw had become lax. When a tear dared to roll down the left side of her brother's face, a pain hit her in her chest like none other. All of a sudden she felt guilty for having inherited all of her father's strength and leaving her brother without anyone to be strong for him. In her mind it became clear to her that this situation was her fault, and if she killed her brother for following orders, she would be no better than the very man she despised. Quicksilver's plea succeeded in marginally softening her heart and, without thinking, she rushed forward to embrace him. The man knew he was in then, but he couldn't help but return the hug with as much sincerity as she was offering, if not more.



Having become a captive audience, Toad and Sky Fire looked on quietly as the twins held each other in silent reunion. Eventually the boy shook himself out of his daze and went back to trying to pry the jewels from the stolen sword, and the sound of metal clanging against stone caught Quicksilver's attention. "Hey, isn't that a blade of the Terra Firma Guild," he inquired as he gently pulled away from his sister's grasp.

Toad greedily wrapped his arms around the sword and its sheath. "Mine! I stole it fair and square, now I'm gonna strip it and sell it!"

The man laughed at this, taking a moment to wipe the moisture from his face and rise to his feet. "That's a good one. Okay, Hoppera, I'll let you in on a few things. First, you can't take apart one of those swords by prying at it. The sword was forged by magic, and can only be taken apart by the same magic. And second, you won't get far with that thing because the knight who it belongs to is on his way here as we speak."

Scarlet pulled herself to a stand and gave her brother a questioning look. "How do you know?"

"All knights belonging to a guild are given swords that they are magically in tune with," he replied with a smirk. "You could bury that thing in the center of the earth and he'd know exactly where to dig for it. And besides." His right thumb jerked and motioned towards the barn doors. "I saw a knight storming in this direction while I raced here." The barn began to tremble. "Yep, that should be him now."

"I told you to leave the sword," the witch barked in Toad's direction while positioning herself to meet the knight head-on. She lifted her hands and they glowed with energy waiting to be used.

Dust and hay fell from the rafters of the barn as its shaking increased in frequency. Sky Fire kept her dragon from panicking, but it still swayed with uneasiness. The doors of the barn gradually opened because of the constant trembling, but no figure stood outside. Everyone looked quizzically at this, then their attention was quickly brought to a splintering sound in the back of the barn. The backside of the barn ripped from its frame and slipped into the ground, and afterwards the hayloft came crashing down on top of Sky Fire and Blooper, burying them in wood and hay. Toad leaped away in time to avoid any damage and the twins quickly turned to face what was coming their way.

Stepping past the pile that trapped the dragon and its master, Lancelot stormed into the barn and motioned towards the remaining three with an outstretched hand. His eyes had lost all color and his teeth clenched so tight they looked ready to crack. A single vein bulged in his forehead, pulsing with every tremble of the world around them. "My sword, my horse, my things, or your LIFE," he barked, his angry gaze focusing on the Scarlet Witch.

At that moment, the fallen hayloft exploded in a spray of hay and splintered wood as the bronze drake known as Blooper freed itself from its prison. Its wings unfurled to reveal Sky Fire holding fast to its back, and when she saw that the coast was clear she motioned towards the knight and yelled, "Roast him!"

Blooper exhaled a cone of flames towards Lancelot, but before it could reach him the knight spun to face them and stomped his left foot. A thin spike of stone shot up from the ground in front of him and caused the spray of fire to split and divulge in opposing directions. He then flexed the fingers on his right hand and the dirt beneath the dragon's feet gained the consistency of quicksand.

While his sister powered up her energy to blast the knight, Quicksilver took a hard look at him, feeling that he knew him from somewhere. "That face... That hair," he muttered to himself. "I know I've seen it before." Without a second thought he raced out the barn doors and disappeared in the forest.

The Scarlet Witch sent a powerful burst of energy in Lancelot's direction, but a wall of dirt rose up behind him and absorbed it, crumbling after the impact. She started to power up again, but the knight stomped his foot and sent a wave of earth rolling in her direction, causing her to abandon her assault in order to leap away in time. Meanwhile, Toad crawled into a corner of the barn and cowered, hugging the stolen sword tightly.

With her dragon's feet stuck in the ground, Sky Fire leaped off its back and tried helping it by digging at the dirt. Strangely enough, every time she scooped up a handful of dirt the ground would shift to cover the hole as though it had never been there. "Dammit," she cried out in frustration, then turned and yelled at the knight, "Release my dragon you dirt clod!"

"Give me back what you stole from me and I will leave you all in peace," Lancelot yelled back, then turned in time to dodge another blast from the Scarlet Witch.

"You'll get your things back when you learn to calm down," the witch yelled as she charged her powers again.

Just then, Quicksilver returned to the barn and positioned himself between his sister and the knight. When the dust of his wake settled, he stood with his arms extended and a hand pointed towards either of them. "Whoa! Let's not kill each other just yet. We could all turn out to be friends in a minute."

Lancelot blinked his eyes back to normality and focused a sneer on him. "All chances of earning my friendship have been nullified by their act of thievery! And if you are in cahoots with their operation, then the same applies to you!"

Quicksilver shook his head in annoyance, then sped over to Toad. His left hand moved in a blur as he snatched the sword from the boy's grasp, then with his right hand he gave him a rapid smack on the cheek. "Stupid creature." In the next second he stood in front of the knight, holding the sheathed sword out to him with both hands. "Sir Lancelot, your weapon."

"Don't," the Scarlet Witch called to him, but it was too late. With his weapon in arm's length, the knight didn't hesitate to take it from the other man's grasp.

"I thank you for your assistance," he said in a thankless tone, "but how is it that you know my name?"

Once the sword was no longer in his grip, Quicksilver brought his hands to rest on his hips. "You're Sir Lancelot of the Terra Firma. One of the most impressive knights of their guild. Lord Magnus sent you an invitation to join his army!"

The knight unsheathed his weapon and checked it for damage while he talked. "That is precise, but I have declined his invitation. I plan on sending him word as soon as I reclaim my things."

Quicksilver was shocked. "Decline? You can't do that! No one declines an invitation from my father; he can make or break your meager existence!"

"Now wait just a minute." Sky Fire looked up from where she sat near Blooper. "This 'father' that you and Scarlet have been arguing about is Lord Magnus? The Lord Magnus?"

Toad leaped out into the open, still holding the cheek that was slapped. "But... but that means Scarlet's related to the scourge of the earth..." He looked to the witch with doubt building in his eyes.

She knew it was a mistake not telling them before. The Scarlet Witch let out a heavy sigh as she turned to face the boy. "Yes, Toad. He's my father."

Quicksilver's eyes sparkled as he realized what was going on and he decided to add fuel to the fire. "That's right," he said as he moved next to his sister and linked an arm around her shoulders. "Scarlet and I, are heirs to the Magnus world order. I've just come to bring her back home where she belongs." He barely managed to keep his balance as she shoved him away.

"I don't believe this." Toad shook his head several times as he backed away from the twins. "You're one of them!"

"Toad, it's not what you think," the Scarlet Witch said as she took one step towards him, but she could see that he was ready to leap away the moment she came within reaching distance. "Yes, I'm his daughter, but I don't want his legacy! I ran away from him so I could put a stop to what he was doing to people like you."

"You mean us cowards at heart who'd be killed if we weren't rescued by people like you?" The boy focused a hurt glare on her, then took off out the barn doors. What a turn of events for Quicksilver! He could see that winning his sister back to their father's side was all a matter of making her followers abandon her. This was kept in mind as he stood back to watch what other exchanges there might have been.

Since he found what he came for, Lancelot released his hold over the ground and allowed Blooper to free itself. So while the knight saddled his horse and prepared to leave, Sky Fire mounted her dragon and guided it towards the barn doors. "Should have told us, Scarlet," she called over her shoulder. "'Specially Toad. Don't worry, I'll bring him back safe."

When it was only the two of them, the Scarlet Witch turned a glare on her brother. "You are such an ass. How dare you come in here and disrupt my team like that!"

Quicksilver motioned to the remaining sides of the barn. "'In here' is slowly becoming a part of the great outdoors," he pointed out, taking a moment to listen to the sounds of splintering wood. "Come on, Scarlet. What're you doing out here besides holding onto your misery?"

"I'm trying to help people," she snapped back at him. "I may not be ready to take him on now, but when I am I'll march back to Asterum and do it without hesitation!"

"You're brooding and living in squalor!"

"It's better than building an empire on the backs of people who don't get to enjoy the end result!" The witch shook her head. "You've become accustomed to his way of doing things. If you spent time in the world that I have, your perspective would change drastically. And maybe, just maybe, you would gain some of that courage you were pretending to cry about earlier."

He was losing her trust! Quicksilver mentally cursed his arrogance before he thought of a new direction to take his plan in. "Fine, Scarlet. You think I'll learn something by 'roughing it?' Instead of running back home, I'll stay here and help your little crusade for a while. We'll see who's better off, and by the end of this thing if I'm not convinced that your cause is worth fighting for, you have to come back home with me."

His sister was in no way interested in making deals that might result in her having to go back and serve Lord Magnus; however, if she could win her brother back from her father's grasp, it would be a blow to him that she would be glad to deal. "Fine," she said after a moment of thought. "But, if it turns out that my cause is greater than his, you'll denounce your loyalty to our father and help me put an end to his reign."

Quicksilver winced visibly at this. Could he truly give up the comforts of his father's kingdom for a sibling he hadn't seen in almost a decade? To him, it was bad enough that he would be living in poor conditions for a while. Not only did he have to trick his sister, but he also had to keep her from tricking him. "Deal," he said after a moment of hesitation, "but don't expect me to be won over so easily."

"Nor me," the Scarlet Witch replied, then moved for the barn doors. "I'm going to go find Toad. You stay put. I'll return, and then we'll all find a new place to stay." She left her brother behind again, but this time she would come back for him.



Outside the barn, she found that she wasn't as alone as she thought she was. Sir Lancelot sat waiting on his horse, and when the witch emerged he guided the animal to walk alongside her. "So you descend from Lord Magnus," he noted. "Yet, you oppose him and all he stands for. Your brother seems to think you undergo a foolhardy venture."

"My brother's been living a sheltered life," Scarlet replied, keeping her gaze forward. "He'll learn the ways of the real world once he spends enough time with me."

"Are you certain he is willing to learn? Perhaps he is looking to educate you."

"If that is the case, he'll have one Hell of a student on his hands." She stopped and turned to face him. "Why are you still here? You got your stuff back; shouldn't you be off writing that letter?"

As his horse stopped, Lancelot leaned sideways and looked down at her. "Is your cause just, Scarlet Witch? Or are you simply competing with your father for power?"

"The only power I want is the power to put him in his place. I want to free every nation he has held in captivity, and get revenge for every race and civilization he's crushed for getting in his way." Her eyes narrowed. "After I've seen his empire crumble and watched the last slave break the chains that bind him, it would suit me to simply lay down and die."

The knight's brows raised high on his head for a moment. "Your words intrigue me, witch. And what's more, they inspire me to give you aid."

"You?" Scarlet eyed him suspiciously. "What aid could you possibly give to me? And why?"

"You have courage and determination," he replied as he sat up straight. "This is favorable. But with only a handful of followers and one... questionable sibling, you will be crushed before you form a proper plan of assault. Now, I am venturing back to my guild to give a report of my journey. If you wish it, I shall return with a few of my brothers who will be more than willing to assist you in your quest."

If it was in the capacity of her emotions, the Scarlet Witch would have burst out laughing at his suggestion. "You're kidding, right? I mean, why should I even trust you? I stole from you, and then you made it very clear that you were more than ready to kill me and my companions for a few tools and a heavy sword."

"My sword holds more power than you can imagine, fair witch." Lancelot smirked as he tightened his grip on the reigns of his mount. "You may not trust me now, but one day you shall come to. Soon enough, we will know for certain." He gave the horse a light tap with his heels and it started off in gallop. "Fairtheewell, Scarlet," the knight called over his shoulder. "Until we meet again!"

She watched as he rode off, and a small smirk etched its way into her facial expression--one she couldn't remove so easily. It would have led to a quick chuckle, but before the sound could leave her throat she caught sight of Blooper in a return flight and literally wiped the smile from her face. The dragon landed a few feet away from her and lowered to the ground so Sky Fire and Toad could leap down safely. "I see you found him. Good," the Scarlet Witch said as she made an approach. "Toad, I didn't mean to--"

"No need to apologize, Scarlet," the boy said as he sat on the ground. "Sky Fire an' me had a talk, an' she said that if you were really still working for your dad then you probably would have turned us both in or something by now. So..." He shirked his shoulders. "Sorry I ran off. I just don't even like hearing about the guy, y'know?"

"Neither do I, Toad. Neither do I."

"So what's going to happen now," Sky Fire asked while leaning against Blooper's neck. "The barn is trashed, girl. We need a new place to hang out."

"I know," Scarlet replied, "and we're going to find one now. Quicksilver is coming with us."

Toad leaped from where he sat. "What?! No way, Scarlet, he's a jerk!"

"He's also my brother, and he's going to learn what it's like to not be high and mighty for a while." She turned to head back into the barn. "Now come on. We'll gather what supplies we have left, then find another building in the forest to settle in. I think I saw a worn-out stable a few miles to the south." The others complied, and after packing their meager provisions, they caught a ride on Blooper and crossed the forest in search of new campgrounds.



The worn-out stable was made of stone and turned out to be sturdier than the barn they last took up residency in. Unfortunately its openings were too small for Blooper to fit in, so the dragon would have to spend its nights outside. Toad joined it that night so he could enjoy the air, but as he started to doze off, he heard the sound of swift footprints moving in the nearby woods. The boy moved slowly so he wouldn't wake the drake, then followed the sound to the edge of a circle of overgrowth. In the midst of the circle there stood an aged fountain and on it sat Quicksilver, staring sheepishly into a small portal. On the other side of the portal was Lord Magnus, and he seemed none too pleased about the progress report he was being given.

"I'm trying," the young man said to the portal, "but this is more difficult than I thought it would be! Her followers know her dirty little secret now, and they're still willing to back her up!"

"Then see to it that one by one they abandon her, giving her no choice but to come to me again," his father replied. "Let her see what thankless cretins these mortals truly are."

"Well, that won't be too hard. But your random portal calls are going to get me caught! You know, if she wasn't asleep and in a different section of the stable when you manifested this portal thing of yours next to me, it would have been all over!" Quicksilver feigned innocence as he looked to the portal out the corner of his eyes. "If I had the power to make these myself, I could just call you every now and then when I had a private moment to do so."

A low rumble echoed throughout the chamber where Lord Magnus sat. "Very well," he said. "When this conversation ends, the portal will enter your body and become the generating power for future portals. To create one, simply think of your target and waft your hand in midair. When your purpose for creating the portal has reached a climax, it will disappear automatically."

"Yes!" Quicksilver pumped his right fist in the air, then quickly regained composure. "Er, I mean... thank you, Lord Magnus."

"See to it that I am contacted once every three days at the latest. Otherwise, I will send one to see what you are doing."

"Yes, Lord Magnus. Thanks again! I won't fail you." The conversation came to a close and, just as the lord had said, the portal turned into a mist that entered the young man's body through his nasal passages. Quicksilver inhaled it without a moment's hesitation, then chuckled to himself over his new power. "'New perspective,' she says," he said in amusement to himself. "I just got a new power from father, and she's huddled in a dirty barn. Who's better off? I think, me." His attention was quickly brought to the sound of a twig snapping, and right away he knew that it couldn't have been an animal. Rising to his feet, he cast a glare in the direction of the sound, then started for it slowly.

Toad was stricken with panic when he saw the man coming in his direction and he turned to leap away fast; unfortunately, there was no way he could move faster than Quicksilver. By the time he faced the opposite direction, Toad found himself staring at the form-fitting leggings worn by the young man who now stood in his path of escape. "Going somewhere, Hoppera," he inquired of the boy as he folded his arms across his chest.

"I was jus--" Before he could finish his words, the poor boy found himself being pinned to a tree and held by the neck.

"Didn't think so." Quicksilver grinned as he tightened his grip around Toad's throat. "You may be a decent thief, but you're a lousy spy, so I'll go easy on you this time." His grin faded into a sneer. "Now listen up you amphibious freak. You croak to my sister and I'll snap your neck so fast you won't notice 'til your head's rolling off your shoulders! And you know I can do it before you even get your lips fixed to start a sentence." An idea struck him, restoring his devious expression. "But wait, I have a better plan." He let the boy drop to the ground and stepped a foot on his back as he bent forward to gasp for air. "Why don't you disappear? Wander off, don't give goodbyes, don't collect any supplies, and don't ever see my sister again? That way, I won't have to kill you for being a stool pigeon, and you don't have to sleep with one eye open. Huh? Huh? Sound like a plan?" His facial expression and tone became serious as he kicked the boy to the ground. "Get out of here, Hoppera. Be a good little boy and get lost. And if I or my sister ever lay eyes on you again, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

Toad didn't even have time to get out a proper response; he was so fearful of the threat that he simply took Quicksilver's advice and went away. Moving as fast as his legs could carry him, the Hoppera headed towards the northeast and didn't stop to look back at the stable where his friends were blissfully unaware of his plight. The sly speedster took this as another victory on his part, and after he was certain that the boy wouldn't try to sneak back, he raced back into the stable to get a good night's rest.