Chapter 29:
The tension in the King's land-ship was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. They'd been trailing Tatsuo Nagumo's army for a couple of days now, slowly gaining ground. The closer they got, the closer the fight came, and everybody had a sense of the danger. The King had spent a lot of the time going back and forth between the observation deck on top of the transport machine and back down to the little meeting chamber up at the bow. He was feeling the tension. Bonnie could see the strain on him.
She stayed out of the way, listening and waiting on whatever her father would ask. While her father had taught her to ably defend herself, this wasn't a battle for a woman with a dagger, and Bonnie would be the first to say that wasn't a warrior. Her brother wandered in and out. Mostly he seemed to be checking up to see if anything was going to happen. He seemed restless and almost anxious for a fight to happen, which made little sense to Bonnie. Still, he didn't hector their dad, choosing to just hover around and wait.
The shapechanger mostly kept to herself, when Bonnie's father didn't need her. The King's secretary and mistress attended the meetings and fielded His Majesty's phone calls. When she wasn't about that, she stayed head-down with her phone. It was all very mysterious, though bits and pieces Bonnie heard suggested that there were problems with Jake's daughter. Bonnie's niece had some sort of illness. Much as she wanted to offer comfort, Bonnie didn't understand what was going on, and she was afraid to pry.
As the sun set on their third day on the trail, the army was still moving, suggesting that maybe they were angling to catch up to Nagumo and his men. After dinner, Bonnie hung around for a bit, bouncing between the observation deck upstairs and the meeting chamber on the bottom floor. Her father spent a lot of the time closeted with his phone, while Jake variously toyed with her phone or dozed in a chair. In the end, with sleep getting the better of her, the pillow-person headed for her bunk to catch a few hours sleep. If they were going to be going into a fight–and possibly depending on her powers–she ought to be rested.
Two hours after his daughter had gone down to sleep, reports from the lead elements of the King's army reported that the enemy had stopped for the night. With their location fixed and men watching them, Finn called a halt to things. He wanted to get up early, take stock of what Nagumo was doing, and figure out what his next move should be. It would be utterly disastrous to blunder up on those deadly machines in the dark, and the big man feared even Bonnie and Jay couldn't help them then.
It was one in the morning by the time the army was bedded down. The King of Ooo rose from his makeshift desk, scooped Jake out of her chair, and carried her up the spiral stairs to the cabins to put her to bed. After putting their clothes away, the big man checked his messages one last time before climbing in after her.
Jake Junior awoke with a start to find Finn gone. The dreams were back. She'd had two last night. Scrubbing her hand over her face, the shapechanger went back through what she'd seen, pondering at the meaning. Charlie was, as ever, better at that than she was. Jake was never quite sure if it were truly prophecy, or her subconscious nagging at her. Last night's dream made her terrified of both possibilities. She'd been at Finn's side–wearing her familiar jeans and tee-shirt. Only her belly was swollen like a gourd. She'd been pregnant. Very pregnant. The thought terrified her.
Liz was doing better. She was getting about her hospital room, and the staff in the palace clinic was talking about booting her out. Trouble was, the underlying problems were still there. Liz still had a hunger to take from others. She still had all her same bad habits–habits that seemed instinctual. And that meant that Jake herself was still a genetic time-bomb. Any kids she gave birth to were likely to be very messed up. At the same time, she hungered to be Finn's woman in all the ways that mattered.
Still, just as she'd done the day before, the shapechanger washed herself and pulled on something sexy that would make her boyfriend proud to have her as his woman. Exiting the little cabin, the slim women came down the spiral stairs under the gaze–and silent hunger–of everyone gathered there in the land-ship. Hips waggling, Jake Junior sauntered up to her boyfriend and stopped just behind him.
For his part, Finn had heard the shower going and heard the door upstairs open. He'd taken note of the way General Ultrich's eyes left the map and went to the stairs. That told him that his girlfriend was up and out of bed. Now, he could tell by where the general was looking that Jake was behind him. Straightening from the table, the King turned to find his mistress there in a knee-length pencil skirt in creamy yellow that emphasized her curves.
Jake wasn't thicc like her sister, Charlie, but she had a wondrous, curvy shape. All of Jake's daughters did. It made Finn wonder about his adoptive mother–if they'd inherited their curves from her the way Fi had inherited her shape from Simone. He couldn't, honestly, tell you what Margaret looked like. He hardly remembered. She'd been mom, and that was all that had mattered. Stepping forward, Jake murmured, "Your Majesty." "Jake," Finn greeted her, "you're just in time."
As he turned fully to face her, the shapechanger stepped into his space–toe-to-toe so they were sharing breath. She was wearing perfume today, and she smelled awfully nice. "What do you need me to do," JJ breathed? Red lipstick today. Her lips popped. Yeah, he had a hankering to bang the shit out of her. It was crazy because she wasn't really his type. "We're camped not far from the coast," Finn announced. "Scouts say there may be a town up ahead. I'd like you to wander over... take a look at what's there." Her expression turned pensive. She didn't want to go. She'd be leaving him alone.
The King brushed her cheek with the back of his hand and stroked her long, blonde hair. "I'm'a be surrounded by an army," he reminded her. "We know he hasn't got any ground troops. I'll be ok." "If the King wishes me to go," Jake burbled. She didn't sound happy about it, but that was par for the course. "I do," Finn replied, "but I wish one other thing as well." Her expression turned puzzled. "I wish that Ms. Rainicorn would exercise the utmost care," Finn said. The way he said that... She sooo wanted to snatch a kiss. "As the King wishes," said Jake, as she turned to go. Every face watched that wiggling ass as the shapechanger made the door and climbed down the ladder.
Sunrise in the Candy Kingdom found Simone preparing for the most important meeting of her life. The family had been meeting and discussing what to do about Odessa's actions almost since the attempt on Finn's life. With all that was weighing on Finn, Simone hadn't wanted to involve him. This was a matter for the King's wives to deal with, and she'd been wracking her brain to figure out how to defuse the situation. She felt she was running out of time. Dwelling in a burning house with a fireshield spell around her was no way for a young mother to live. Matters had come to this–a desperate plan to confront Odessa and intimidate her into backing down.
As she rehearsed in her mind what she was going to say, Simone found her reaching for the garnishes on the table once again. It was the fourth or fifth time the curvy wizard had rearranged the table, and it had Roselinen puzzled. What was the matter? She'd been doing odd things like that all morning. They were supposed to be getting ready for an unpleasant confrontation with the Princess Dowager, Odessa, and Simone was having a great deal of trouble staying on plot. It was one of the most serious matters Roselinen had seen here yet, and Simone's behavior was driving her to distraction.
Thankfully, Betty arrived, as Simone was rearranging the chessboard and its placement on the table. Why they even needed the board was something Rosie found puzzling too. They were supposed to be pointing out the dangers of what the Dowager Princess was doing and talking her down off the ledge. Why play around?
Spying Simone in one of her bouts of odd behavior, Betty turned to the pillow-person and asked, "how long?" Roselinen could see she meant the fiddling around. "An hour," the pillow-person replied. Betty sighed, heavily. It was bad today. "It's her Social Anxiety," the curvy wizard rumbled. It took a moment, but then Roselinen remembered Simone's handicap. "W-what do we do," she asked? "We can't meet Odessa with her in this shape." Betty had a simple answer for her. "When my daughter's like this, the best medicine is love," she said.
So saying, she went into the room and straight up to the Ice Queen. Sliding her arms around the tall wizard-woman, Betty hugged her tight. After a few moments, Simone began to tremble. And then, it was as if the ugly mood on her evaporated. Simone hugged her mother back, and the two stood there rocking back and forth, Betty stroking her long, pale hair. Kissing her cheek, Betty whispered, "you've got this. You've got this, honey. I'm so proud of you." Stepping back, the older woman said, "we'll be in the next room. We've got your back." So saying, she turned, took Roselinen by the arm, and steered her through the door, shutting it behind them.
It was not a moment too soon. Knocking at the door announced their unpleasant guest had arrived. "Come," Simone announced. Odessa opened the door and strode in, looking natty in a red dress that showed abundant cleavage. With her new, youthful body, the Dowager Princess was feeling her oats, showing off those impressive knockers with a cleavage-cut that went down to her belly-button. Hips wig-wagging sensually, the hostile monarch strode up to her in-law.
"Simone," Odessa greeted the Ice Queen. "Odessa," Simone replied. "I'm glad you could come. Please... have a seat." The Dowager Princess sat herself in the chair before the table, crossing her legs artfully. Simone bustled about, making up cups of coffee and gathering up a small tray with some muffins, like the good little hostess that she was. "I used to make these myself," the Ice Queen announced, as she put the tray before her guest. Odessa frowned down at the platter. "Don't much have the time anymore," Simone explained. "Business of rulership. You understand."
Odessa had never spent a moment in a kitchen. That was work for servants. It almost made her want to laugh. "We've much to talk on," Simone burbled. "I don't suppose you'd do me the honor..." Her hand indicated the chess set. Eyebrow climbing a notch, Odessa decided to humor the witch. She'd blocked off the time. She had nowhere to be at the moment. Taking a pawn, she place it almost carelessly on the board.
Sipping at coffee, Simone plucked her first pawn up and placed it in the Sicilian Opening. "So," Odessa murmured, as she placed her next piece, "what did you wish to speak about?" The placement of that pawn had her pondering what was going on behind those grey eyes. Sicilian was a strategy for chess masters, but she would hardly have expected this jumped-up housewife to be a master at anything. "Family matters," Simone replied. Odessa almost rolled her eyes. Had William put her up to this? She hadn't seen much of him–almost as if he were ducking her–and her idiot granddaughter was still hiding out in the elementals' house.
Considering her words carefully, the Dowager remarked, "I had thought family matters were preceding apace. You have a granddaughter. I have a great-granddaughter." Easy Peasy. Except said granddaughter was currently living in exile in the middle of a literal bonfire because this woman was threatening her mother's life. Roselinen would gleefully have opened her at the seams with a dull knife and scooped out her stuffing with wooden spoon.
"I'm quite delighted by my granddaughter," Simon responded, as she countered Odessa's move. "All my grandchildren are a blessing. I spend as much time as I can on them. Running Wizard City takes a great deal of my time... I'm sure you understand that." Odessa frowned at her. "The trappings of power are an unpleasant, yet necessary evil," Simone remarked. "I find I understand my husband's... more unpleasant acts."
The Dowager Princess's frown deepened. Was she being threatened? Was this woman daring to threaten her? While Odessa stared, the Ice Queen calmly snapped up one of her rooks, picking it off with a bishop. "I've been in that game a long, long time," Odessa responded, as she moved a pawn to block in that bishop. Nodding in acknowledgment of that, Simone said, "but there's still lessons to be learned." And are you the one to take me to school, Odessa thought? Is that it?
"The stakes have never been higher," Odessa responded, as she watched her adversary deploy a second bishop. "Yes," Simone agreed. "People are hungry. Rebellion seems to hide everywhere... even under the most pleasant faces." Yes, they were chatting about Odessa's moves within the government, weren't they? Even as she pondered a response to that crack, Odessa found herself pondering where to deploy her queen. The board was fractured, and there weren't a lot of good options. And where was this bitch headed with those comments? Clearly the Ice Queen knew about her maneuvers. What was her point? Was she suggesting she'd make war on Odessa? "I don't think your husband would appreciate his vassals coming to blows," she remarked, as she finally settled on a place to deploy her queen.
Calmly, Simone snatched up the white queen, depositing a bishop in its place, as she opined, "I imagine if the source of those attacks were visible, he would deploy all his resources... I mean... we're still not sure where all those zombies came from." Odessa went very pale just then. As she moved her bishop to defend her king, she very nearly dropped it.
Rumor's from Engagement Ring Kingdom held that the Vampire King had been behind the zombie assault on Muscle Kingdom. He'd destroyed the army sent into the Bee Kingdom and transformed them all into slavering undead before sending them against their own homeland. It was all but an open secret that Marshall Lee Abadeer, the King's bastard son, did favors for his father under the table. It was the King's subtle way of inflicting pain on those who crossed him without being seen to have his hands in things.
Calmly, the pale wizard set her queen down next to Odessa's king. It wasn't quite checkmate, but that was a mere formality. "I see your point," Odessa rumbled, as she conceded the game. Rising, the Dowager Princess thanked the Ice Queen for the visit and the game. "I'm sure we both have matters to attend to," she said, as she turned and strode out that door. When she was gone, Betty and Roselinen emerged from their hiding place. Both women embraced Simone. She instantly felt better.
As the Dowager Princess considered her options in the face of the Ice Queen's subtle threats, far to the east, Bonnie Mertens emerged from the transport machine feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep. They'd traveled all night, tracking the enemy army. Things had been pretty tense with reports coming in around the clock. Now they were apparently stopped, and her father's soldiers had put up a camp.
Around them were arrayed rows of tents, likely to house the fighting men of the army. And gathered in neat rows nearer to hand were the handful of war-machines her father had sent for. A large pavilion erected near the transport machine flew her father's flag, and that was the direction Bonnie chose to go.
Arriving at the tent, she found the shapechanger standing there in the entrance clad in a knee-length yellow skirt, stockings, and a pale blue shirt, somehow managing to look like a harlot in conservative dress. Bonnie was astonished at the variety of ways she managed to look slutty. The shapechanger worked. She was at Finn's side from the time she was dressed to the time they turned in for the night. When she wasn't fending off threats, she was deeply involved in helping the big man manage his far-flung empire–making phone calls and tracking down bits of information he needed. Today was no different.
The King was in the center of the space, leaning over a map, with the green-skinned giant who led the soldiers. Jay was loafing about in a chair off to Bonnie's right. "What's going on," Bonnie asked? "We're stopped," Jake replied. "Nagoono's army is up ahead. He's taken over a small town." That was bad news. The town of Sonbong had kept him at bay for days. They were looking at the reverse–being outside the town looking in, just as Tatsuo had been.
Glancing up to find his girlfriend standing there, Finn motioned for her to come over. As Bonnie watched, the shapechanger sauntered up to her dad, hips wig-wagging saucily. Everybody in the camp looked when Jake Junior walked by. It made the pillow-person green with envy. She wished that men would look at her that way. She had much nicer chest-cushions than Jake.
Striding up to the King, the shapechanger announced, "the town's name is Kun-som. Small fishing port. Walls around the city, including a couple of small forts. No forcefields." The Truth Kingdom hadn't seen a real need to invest in the place simply to buy some fish and rice off the locals. Finn couldn't help but wonder why Tatsuo suddenly found a need for such a nothing town. Their foe was here. They'd tracked him down to this place. Finn's scouts had seen two or three of those machines guarding the approaches from atop a couple of the forts.
It was apparent to Bonnie that they'd been waiting for this news. While she'd slept in, the army's scouts had gone in and looked around, and apparently so had Jake. Jay sat up and scratched, then turned to his father and asked, "what's the play, dad? Do we go in and get him?" It was a certainty that Tatsuo wasn't yet prepared to throw in the towel. They'd have to fight him to finish this, or he'd just start things up again when they'd left. "Not yet," Finn replied. His face was troubled, as if he were seeing traps that they couldn't. That was par for the course. With the depth of experience the big man had, Bonnie knew her father often saw things she didn't.
"How many peeps in the town, Jake," the big man asked? "Two, maybe three thousand," the shapechanger responded. Jay grimaced. No, simply burning those machines wasn't going to work. They risked hurting a lot of people who had nothing to do with this idiotic war. When Jake was at his side, the King rumbled, "I won't ask how close you got. Can you sketch out what you saw?" The shapechanger gave him a sweet smile. Calling for paper, she took up a pencil and started sketching out what she'd seen.
Moving up on Finn's other side, Jay took a good look at what she was drawing. "Why put the machines up on top of these castles," he asked? The enemy had placed a war-machine atop each tower of the two forts. General Ultrich responded, "they have better fields of fire, and my infantry can't reach them." Turning to the King, the green-skinned giant remarked, "we will take heavy casualties, Your Majesty. Their light-beams can smash our cannon and tanks from very long range. With their fields of fire, we won't be able to get close before they do heavy damage to our forces."
It was a helluva problem. It was just like Bonnie feared. Stalemate. She could see why her father was so uneasy. He didn't want to burn lives like that. Knowing how upset he'd been with the captured soldiers and the other unpleasant things he'd had to do the last few weeks, she really felt for him. This was asking quite a bit. "Let me think about it," the King announced. "The army's to remain camped here." And with that, he dismissed his general.
On the far side of the world, Randy Okonski returned to the engine room of the transport to find the Sky Witch still hard at it. The last few days had been a bit scary. The rest of the team had reached the supposed safe-haven in Tequila Kingdom only to find that nothing had gotten done. There was no camp and no facilities. Kara had raised hell, but in the end, she hadn't been able to come back for them.
So far, their living cargo was calm. Randy had kept them calm by organizing them to take care of things that maybe would see them out of here alive if the worst happened. They'd distributed blankets and extra clothing to everybody. He'd divided up the rations aboard the construct–just in case. He'd been toying with the idea of having the Sky Witch leave off with her efforts. It didn't seem to be helping, and he was concerned about her health. She was pregnant. She was in the closing stages of pregnancy. The last thing they needed was her going into labor here. Fortunately, he had a little good news for her today.
"Any luck," the elemental asked? "Where's Fionna when you need her," Maja muttered? She would dearly have liked to have the Bunny look at the construct's crystalline heart to see if a repair could be made. Maja was out of her depth on this one. "Well, since you asked," Fionna announced, as she dropped into the engine room. The Sky Witch goggled at her. The Bad Bunny wrapped her up in a bone-crushing hug. "Here to get you going again, Mmm's," she declared. Maja glanced away–the barest hint of emotion before the mask came down again.
Fionna brushed past her stepmom and up to the crystalline heart of the machine. "Mom called and said you had troubles," she explained. "I jumped on an airship and came as soon as I could." The leggy blonde ran her hands across the surface of the crystal heart, feeling a jolt of something. "That didn't feel good," she rumbled. Maja cussed her. "It's broken, Fionna," said Maja. "It's in a very dangerous state just now. Come away from there." You might have thought she was annoyed by her tone of voice, but Fionna could tell just how happy the Sky Witch was to see her. The Bad Bunny gave her a grin. It was time to get to work.
Took a bit to pull this one together. Work's been a little bit in the way. Nagoono is making his stand and Odessa gets BTFO'd. And what is up with JJ? Thinking dangerous thoughts already? It appears this thing has caught feelings...