Don't own the book, musical, tv show, the other books or the comics or anything related to this story. Don't sue because I'm just using them for fun and not money. These characters and storylines are not my prostitutes and I'm not their pimp. So there. That's cleared.

Summary: I added new things to the second chapter timeline and this chap contains Hank lost in the Gillikin forrest, and Grejor stopping at the Traum Pass Village and in the end meets Hank Summers.

Chapter 3


He's been walking, for hours and still no town or civilization to be found. The bruises he sustained in the balloon crash were now bothering him but he daren't want to stop. He can't stop. Well he could but in his mind he knows that if he stops he won't be able to start again. At the moment he's willing his heavy legs to put one step in front of the other. Right leg forward, now left leg, right leg, left leg, right leg…it goes on. His focus and will are strong but his lungs are burning as are his muscles. He's trying and only whatever deity is looking down at him knows how much.

His mind starts reeling and his vision starts blurring, his lips are cracked and his throat dry. He can't seem to keep track of the time with his watch out of service; he doesn't dare glance at his surrounding or up to the heavens. If he moves his head he knows that vertigo will set in and he would drop to the ground; dead weight laying there useless and very much the last thing his body would ever do in this world.

His mind is now too focused, on keeping himself upright and putting a foot in front of the other. He had to make it to the nearest source of water or he'd die of dehydration or worse eaten by whatever scavenging animal that came upon him. He needed to- with a wince and a startled groan his left leg gave out and he saw the earth nearing as he dropped down with a clear thud. He cursed his cramped leg and now numb body that lay unmoving on the path, trying to lift his head to look ahead of him, his vision blurred a bit but he focused it enough to see what lay ahead of him.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!" he screamed out when he saw the clearing. Not even thirty feet ahead of him was the clearing he was searching for. Thirty feet from where he lay defeated, was the one thing needed to fuel his limbs with renewed strength, thirty feet ahead running proudly through a bank was a river.

"God Damn it! Move you god damn leg move!"

Removing his pack he turned himself on his back and started to beat his tired legs to maybe help the circulation flow. And yet they seemed paralyzed, no not paralyzed, no they seemed dead. Useless heavy limbs that didn't agree with their masters orders. He gave up; he started to resign himself to having the life in him slip further away from him until he ended in hell, being only able to relieve his last moments. It's silly but having the water so close yet not being able to touch it reminded him of the Greek myth featuring a man named Tantalus. Silly how he can see himself in 'Hades' reaching to the river to next to the Psychopathic man of myth reaching for that fateful sip of water to soothe his dry throat and parched lips and yet he would never be able to touch the water for it kept receding into the ground.

Sighing he tried telling himself that the fate that was cursed upon that man would never befall him. His hands were clean of blood; he never took another human life. At least not with his own to hands; in his line of work he didn't kill but if push came to shove he was always instructed to give the word that would end a life. Maybe he was a murderer, maybe this was his chance to repent, his chance to turn his life around and help humanity instead of helping the darkness veil what little goodness was left in the world.

The Sorcier had warned him, he told him to not leave what little soul he had left in the air. He needed to look inside his heart, he needed…

"Wait." He opened his eyes in revelation.

He reached a hand in his pack and retrieved the wooden box and opened it. Pulling out a green bottle he looks at the liquid inside. The Sorcier had told him; that he would need what the liquid the bottles held; could it be that the liquid inside was a magik healing elixir? What did he have to loose now? Nothing, that's what he had now, nothing.

"Though if it's not a healing elixir, but some poison. Then its better I tried it." He uncorks the bottle and raises it to his lips and takes a chug. "Argh…that was horrible."

He stares at the bottle and his legs begin to regain feeling. His body feels light, weightless. Turning on his stomach he pushes himself of the ground. And the trees that stand around him seem to be swaying from side to side. Everything feels slow, it feels like his whole body in on fire. And at the moment his worries of finding anyone leave his mind. He didn't care anymore and he knows that he should but whatever was in the bottle took away his inhibitions.

He bends down and places the half empty bottle with its family and sticks the box in his pack and slings it over his shoulders. The bag feels light just like his body so while he thinks that he starts walking to the river anyone looking at him saw him running, it was then that everything moved around him at the same normal speed. He bent down and took his fill of water, all the while tantalizing the protagonist of the Greek Myth in his mind. He washed his face and hands; the gentle breeze that blew past him made his warm skin cool a bit.

Straightening up he shook his limbs and after a few seconds he froze and then turned around to the left. Listening as best as he could he heard a faint rumble, it sounded like a herd of animals moving, not towards him or anywhere in particular. He doesn't feel the earth shaking beneath him or around him so it can't be something to close, and making up his mind he started to 'walk' left following the sound. There's a giant possibility that there's a town near him. And he's not going to waste the renewed energy running through his veins on doubt.


Traum, Oz – Aym 10, 1879

Grejor Arduenna of the Upper Uplands, a tall redheaded Gillikin man, arrived at the small train stop on his way to his home in the Pertha Hills; Wittica. The conductor told all the passengers in the different compartments that the train was stopping for a refuel. All passengers had two days of wait before they could start heading out. Frustrated by the delay, he decided to get of the train and find himself a warm room and hot meal. He descended the short three tiered steps with a small valise secured in his hand he turned to the right, where many of the other passengers headed.

Leaving the train stop, he continued walking to the center of the village to find the nicest hotel. You see Grejor Arduenna, comes from the North of Oz; Gillikin or more specifically, the small town of Wittica. Gillikin is the perfect city for those of great pedigree. Dozens of estates make one of the three richest towns located near the Pertha Hill. So with his home and his name you'll begin to understand why this man would seek a clean and expensive hotel. The name Arduenna is known for its connection with power and money they've made excavating emerald mines in the Glikkus. And this was where he had come from; he was examining the Mines and their work. The day in a half spent in the cramped confinement of his compartment had tightened his muscles and the walk through the Traum village was helping.

Stopping to stare at the only two only establishments of sleep that weren't run by tavern owners he decided on walking in to the bigger building of the two, located on the right.

The building he walked into was tall, about four stories tall, and it seemed to have the less paint chipping off. He crossed the wooden threshold and inside he found an eating establishment in the first floor; containing about a dozen tables placed throughout the floor and to either side of the room was two sets of doors. Each table contained about two chairs each and with two place settings on the top. The floor and tables were clean and the sparse vases of flowers and candles gave the quaint dinning room a simple air of home and familiarity that would even make the proud wealthy Gillikin feel more at home.

Since the place was almost deserted with only two other patrons eating and reading newspapers, and even they were scattered around. Since no one was at the door to help him to the admittance counter he made his own way there, and when he got there he put down his valise and took off his warm coat leaving him dressed in only an expensive suit made of the finest materials. Looking to either door for any sort of confirmation that any of the workers or owner had spotted him. When no one came out he decided to make himself heard, by using the bell that hung above the counter, which he believed it to be used for announcing the presence of new patrons to the owners. Ringing the bell, the door to his right swung open and a balding older gentleman walked out with a short limp. The man didn't look to old his hair still held various streaks of his natural light brown hair color and it seemed as if he was of good standing in society. The clothes the man wore were not rags nor were they as expensive; as the clothes Grejor wore or owned, and by the stature of the man he would have to guess his patron to have to be of munchkin descent. The man wasn't tall nor was he as short as normal munchkin were, this man must be of the northern families in Munchkinland; these Munchkins were vastly known for marrying taller Munchkins out of love or if by an arranged marriage into the less standing semi wealthy families of south Glikkus or even the southeastern Gillikin.

"Welcome, to my humble establishment, sir. Would you be requiring a room at the oldest family owned 'Traum Pass Hotel'?" the older owner asked the tall Gillikin.

With a smile at the owner he answered back, "Well, yes, I shall be acquiring a single room for the next two days."

"A passerby, I see, you must be heading to the Pertha Hills then. Yes, I can see you are a Gillikin. It's an honor to assist you in your short stay here in the Traum Station Village may I have your name to log it in, sir."

"Forgive me sir; the name is Grejor Arduenna of the Upper Uplands."

"Right Master Arduenna let me check my log and see which room would fit your needs."

Looking to his log book he noticed that one of his finest rooms was available and he made this known to Grejor who in turn accepted the room.

"Yes, well here is the key to your suite and today we shall be serving lunch and dinner at the strike of twelve and six of the time dragon's clock. Let me call my son and he will lead you to your room in the second floor and if you need any other assistance you may call for me, my son or my wife. My name is Palthir Traumsted, my son's name is Palthirson," he rang the bell and a younger man of maybe nineteen summers came out of the same door his father had come out of; his hair was a dirty sort of gold mixed with the color of the earth, he was his fathers image. He took out some gold coins and handed them to the older man behind the counter, which he accepted and then turned to his son. "Palthirson, my son, this here is Master Arduenna and he will be staying in the Second Floor Suite. Sir, my son here will take your valise and show you the suite you will be staying in. If you for any reason would enjoy any particular meal prepared then you may leave a note here at the front counter and my wife, Bertram, shall prepare your meal. Come to any one of us if necessary and we hope your stay will make you feel at home."

The son, Palthirson, picked up his valise and motioned for Grejor to follow him to the door located to the left of him. Following closely to his guide he walked through the door that led into a set of stairs lighted by a dozen candles resting on simple sconces. When they reached the top they turned to a hallway on their left; which led to five rooms scattered around the three halls, hallway. They walked straight and turned into the second hallway where the door to his suite was located. While the young man took out a key to open his room he took a moment to glance at the hallways and saw; that like dinning room in the first floor, the walls held some sparse tables along the walls, holding vases and fresh flowers. And the doors were made of heavy wood; maybe made of Quoxwood trees that lined the top of the Gillikin Forest. The doors had some numbers carved into them intricately in curvy hand writing. And by the look of the doors there were only four rooms in this floor and the last door was set aside to lead to the second floor staircase leading to the third floor.

The young man, Palthirson, broke him out of his studying gaze and held his door open for him.

"Well, Master Arduenna, this is your suite." Palthirson walked in after Grejor and moved to each door pointing out what each door held behind. "This door leads to the closet space to hang your coats and over here behind this door are the cleaning facilities. If you want to take a bath you should pull this rope and my father or I shall bring up the water to fill up the tub. If you would want warm water ring it twice and my mother will heat up the water. And the waste facility here gets cleaned every day at noon while the guest is eating their lunch. I don't know if you've stayed in this establishment before but within the last two years we had a newer system of 'flushing' out the waste. What you do here is once finished you will pull this lever and the waste held in the hole while fall down when the board in the bottom opens. And to fill it up all you have to do is pull the rope hanging here to the side once and some clean water, held in the small tank in the back, will take its place."

"Oh, what a quaint and wonderful idea, was it your fathers?"

"Yes, with running an establishment with only my mother and myself to work in he had to figure out ways to minimize our jobs to have more available time to help our guests with whatever it is they need." Palthirson exclaimed with a shine in his eyes indicating that he loved talking about his father's accomplishments.

"Well, my boy, you have a very talented father. I shall have to speak to him before I leave into maybe lending his idea to many of the inhabitants of Gillikin. He could be making a pretty coin installing these thrones into many of the homes in the north. And if not for the rest of the citizens' home's in Gillikin; then at least for my home. I wouldn't want to be falling behind in the new age of progress." A curious Grejor declared all the while studying the curious contraption.

"I'm sure my father would be happy to talk about expanding the marvel into the further northwest. Well if you follow me here into the next door over here." Palthirson walked out of the waste facility and straight to the door leading to the back of the sitting room, he opened the door and another room came into view. "This will be your sleeping room. There's a bed and a small sink where you could freshen up or shave. And over here is the armoire where you could put your valise and there are extra pillows and blankets inside. This concludes the walk and if there is not anything else you will need then I shall see you down for lunch. I believe we will be serving some meat stew with a side of fresh baked bread, cheese and water or wine."

"No, my dear boy, this will be all. And I shall be seeing you and your family for lunch were you can tell your father I would rather enjoy if he would accompany me and we could talk about his contraption, yes?" Grejor let out with a smile, the weariness he had felt less than an hour before melting away. Sticking his hand in his pocket he pulled out a few silver coins and handed them to the young man. "And for your generous and thorough job here take these."

Looking at the coins the older man dropped into his hands he smiled, bowed, said his goodbyes and walked out.

Grejor dropped his overcoat on the bed and then went over to where the young man set his valise down in the sitting room and took it into the bedroom to set aside a change of clothes for dinner. But before changing out of his traveling clothes he decided to take a short nap on an actual bed. He lay down and immediately his eyes shut and he was gone into slumber.

The sun began to set and the time dragon clock chimed 6 times indicating to everyone in town that it was evening. And in a large but quaint hotel in the first floor dinning room sat the tall red-headed Grejor waiting for dinner to be served. The nap he had taken had lasted longer, than expected and made him miss dinner, and had rejuvenated him and he began to feel as if he already was at home, but not by much.

That small part that would truly make it home was his lovely Gillikin Wife, Genav, and his young daughter of only thirteen summers; Grenavie. To him they both were his life and he would always miss them; be it he was at home in his office crunching out numbers, worrying about other people's monetary problems or if he was out on business as he was doing the previous week and right now. He always looked forward to the trip home when his young daughter would run to him, dropping all pretenses of her 'advance' age, and jumping into his arms with her mother hugging him and pecking his lips in a quick hello while their 'grown up' daughter made faces at the chaste kiss. How he longed for the train to fuel up quicker so he could get home sooner.

An older woman set a bowl in front of him filled with hot meat stew and another plate with a loaf of bread and some cheese to the side, which broke him out of his thoughts. Looking up at her she recognized some of her features on her son the young man who had helped him to his room.

"This smells wonderful, Madam Traumsted, thank you." He let out with a polite and warm smile.

"No need for your thanks. It's all the least we could do so our guest could eat a warm home cooked meal." She replied.

He took a slow mouthful after blowing on the portion to cool it a bit. "Oh, dear this stew is delicious. You must have great talent in the kitchen."

"Oh dear, sir, you flatter me so. Your wife is one lucky woman to have a kind and handsome husband as yourself. Now eat up and I shall go fetch my husband. My son told us you wanted to discuss some business with him."

"Yes, if he's not to busy. In the meanwhile I shall enjoy my full of this wonderful dish."

The Mistress of the abode left with a smile on her face to go and take over whatever her husband was doing in the kitchen so he could come out and talk with the gentleman she was leaving to his dinner. The father of the household came out and listened to the proposition of setting up the waste facilities around the north. It was at a chime of the time dragon clock later that a man burst through the doors of the establishment.

Jumping at the sound of the doors hitting the walls the patrons and owners stood up and looked at the man standing at the threshold looking wild, unkempt and out of breathe. The man walked about two steps further in when he collapsed; he was unconscious but he was wheezing as if he couldn't catch his breath. The Gillikin man and the owner and his son ran to the man checking to see if he was injured and to take him to a healer. Grejor who was closest to the fallen man got there first and began to check for any visible injury but with the amount of layers of clothes he wore he couldn't detect any, so he turned to Palthirson and asked him where the nearest healer was located. Palthirson in turn answered that the nearest one was about twenty meters away from the hotel. Taking in what Palthirson said he removed the pack the man had slung on his back and handed it to Bertram, for safe keeping and picked the unknown man and slung him over his shoulders and had Palthirson lead him to the healer.

They reached the healers home and he led them straight to the back where his emergency room was situated he made the two men help him remove the clothing the man was wrapped in, and without being told his wife brought in two pans of water one cool and the other warm. They removed the man's overcoat, vest and white button down shirt and the doctor was able to check his chest and listen to his heart. The doctor did a double take at the rate of the man's heart was beating. The heart rate was higher and faster than any other patient he had treated. He looked at the unconscious man and the way he was shaking, gasping and sweating; this man needed a shot to tranquilize the abnormal beating of his heart and a lot of water to keep the man stable. Turning to his wife and with a short look she left knowing what her husband needed. Years of being his nurse made it easier to communicate faster which in turn prolonged the lives of the patients they cared for. He finally removed the last white under-shirt and notices dark spots as well as cuts and dry blood. He turned the mans body from side to side where he only saw the bruising and maybe days old cuts, he need to clean some the bigger and deeper cuts to prevent any further infection from setting in. With the help of the two other men they removed the pants and boots he had on. The two men that brought in the man were now instructed to try to clean the wound that where visible with some water and so the doctor could follow in later and put some ointment that would effectively kill any bacteria from getting in further.

With the body of the unknown man now cleaned the wife came in holding an open case for her husband, who easily extracted a syringe filled with some light greenish liquid and went to the left side of the man while instructing the two men to hold the legs and part of the torso. He explained that the shot he was going to administer was going to counteract whatever raised the heartbeat to extreme and fast beats. He was going to use a muscle relaxant that would over power whatever it was that was almost giving him heart failure. The minute the needle penetrated the chest of the unconscious man and the lever pushed down the liquid into the body, the man opened his eyes and began thrashing about with almost preternatural strength. The small makeshift room that once was silent was now filled with the voices of the four occupants and the screams and grunts of the patient.

The time dragon clock chimed twelve times indicating that it was midnight and that those who had to wake up for work or chores should be in bed ready for another bland day, were you could be living your life following a schedule. But not everybody, sitting outside a room in the modest home of the healer Grejor and young Palthirson were waiting for news on the man they had brought over. They kept going in and out of consciousness. When one would fall asleep on the chair; the other would upright himself to keep themselves a bit more alert. The doctor and his wife worked through most of the early morning. And when the time dragon clock chimed in ten times indicating it was mid morn and many were already out and about the small town.

The healer whom his wife called Orliethson walked out of the room ready to ask some questions of his mysterious patient.

"Well, sirs, it seems that the tranquilizer I administered did its work and prevented the young man inside from having his heart burst out of its cage. The beat of it seemed to be highly irregular and but what ever it was that caused this abnormality seems to have left his body. I have also administered a simple capsule by mouth that was able to make him sleep and keep himself unconscious until his body finishes resting. The cuts and bruises, from what I can gather, were possibly from a fall; he may have fallen on his side landing on his right arm which is y his arm was swollen a bit of a sprain. The cuts on his face could have come from running through trees possibly from our neighboring forest." The healer tried to explain as best as he could.

"So he will make it then?" asked Grejor truly concerned for the life of the unknown young man that for some reason reminded him of his deceased younger brother.

"From what I've seen so far his body is reacting accordingly to the medication, so if it keeps up he could recover consciousness in a few hour by mid day." Replied the healer removing his coat and hat from a hook on the door and a small table resting against the wall where his wife had left them for him to find, so he could head out to his apothecary/clinic to check on any new patients and refill any medications.

"Thank you for your help, Master Orliethson, I don't know how we could express our gratitude." The young Palthirson told the retreating healer.

"Well, my wife shall hand you the bill for the visit young Traumsted." The healer turned to them and gave them a smile and left through the front door, while his wife walked towards the weary men carrying a tray holding a pot of tea and various sweet biscuits.

"Here are some biscuits and tea to fill up your stomachs. It seems that we have missed breakfast and it's too late to try and make any." She placed the tray on the same table her husband had taken the hat off of. "And young Traumsted don't listen to my husband, a few meals prepared by your mother should cover the debt, as always."

"You and your husband are always welcomed at our dinning room whenever you both are available. Mother keeps worrying about you both whenever you two get patients and overwork yourselves to the point of skipping meals like right now." Palthirson commented to the healer's wife and assistant.

"Well, Ma'am, you wont have to worry about this patients bill I'll be covering it." Grejor put in.

"Oh, well then I'll have the bill made up for you by this evening them." The woman told the Gillikin man and as a side note added, "I don't mean to pry but is this young man a family member or friend of your?"

Grejor looked to the woman and replied, "No, he's of no relation or a friend. Like the Traumsted family and some patrons of their hotel we just met him when he crashed through the front doors of the establishment in a panic. I don't know why I reacted so quickly to this unknown man's aid but it seems that he reminded me of my younger brother, who passed away ten summers past."

"Oh, you kind man, I didn't mean to pry. And my sincere condoles cense on your brother's passing."

"It's alright, ma'am, it happened so long ago that there's just the cherished memories left."

With the tea served the two conscious visitors sipped their tea and ate some of the biscuits when Palthirson stood up and let Grejor know that he had to make his way to the hotel to help with his parents with the cleaning. With Palthirson's departure and with the missus of the house retired to the kitchen to get water to change the unnamed patients bandage's did Grejor walk into the room; took a seat and had some time to reflect on the man laying in the makeshift hospital table. He was so deep in thought that he didn't see the man stir and open his eyes.


Author's note: here's another chap hope its good. review if you want more and thanks to the person who reviewed, kinda cool having this thing out in the open. Review.