Playerhood18: Seems she is.
South Down: Let's find out, shall we?
GBond007: Is she?
When Kenny opened his eyes, he found that he was chained to a wall inside a dark room that he figured quickly was a dungeon. His whole body was sore, and he could barely move without feeling a stinging pain shoot through his bones.
Despite his numbness, he managed to crane his neck to his left. By his side, Annie was similarly chained, her head slumped over. Despite this, he could tell she was conscious.
"(Wow,)" He whispered in awe, turning to stare ahead of him. "(I can't believe every single one of them punched you in the vag.)"
All Annie could muster in response was a tiny, pained whine.
Kenny took the time to examine their surroundings. "(Alright,)" He said after a thorough check. "(If I had to take a guess, we're probably in the Grand Wizard's Castle. To be specific, the dungeons.)"
"Oh, goody," Annie wheezed sarcastically, turning to face Kenny, letting him see her black eye. "Any reason why they'd want us imprisoned? It's not like we did anything to them."
"(I doubt we're the only ones they're doing this to,)" Kenny told her. "(Whatever the reason, I have a feeling we're about to find out soon.)"
Kenny's thoughts were confirmed as, mere moments later, the cell doors creaked open, allowing Kenny and Annie to see the silhouette of a squire at the door. "Ah, you're awake," He said with a smirk. "Good. Can't have soldiers sleeping on the job."
"Soldiers?" Annie groaned, staring at the squire with her one good eye. "What the Hell are you talking about? We're not soldiers."
"You're about to be," The squire informed them. "Grand Wizard Cartman is conscripting as many able-bodied players into his army for his upcoming war with Kyle, which is going down today."
"(Able-bodied?)" Kenny scoffed. "(I don't think he knows what that means, since he has his "soldiers" beaten up before they join.)"
"Well, that won't matter," The squire dismissed. "He just needs more bodies to throw than Kyle does."
"We didn't volunteer to be conscripts!" Annie protested, pulling against her chains. "You can't force us to join an army!"
"Honestly, your consent isn't needed," The squire retorted. "Either you can join now, or you can go throw some conditioning, which'll do nothing but waste all of our time, so you might as well join now."
Kenny and Annie glared at the squire. Eventually, however, both of them realized the futility off resistance, and they both sighed and hung their heads low, giving a slight nod.
"Good answer," The squire said, swinging the doors open fully. "Now let's get you to the healer! We need you all in good shape for the fight!" He gave a hand gesture, and several guards entered the dungeon, undoing Kenny and Annie's chains and leading them out the doors.
As they were led down the dank hallways, Annie turned to Kenny, her face grim. "I'm sorry, Ken," She whispered to him. "Looks like we won't get that key after all."
To her surprise, Kenny simply nodded to her. "(Don't worry, Annie,)" He whispered to her. "(I have a plan.)"
It hadn't taken long for Kyle and the others to catch up with the rest of their forces at the Elven Sanctuary. Once they had, they'd gone to work fortifying their position, more so than they'd done at Many Moon's Stronghold and the Ninjew Hideout. This wouldn't be like those other times. Unlike before, they had nowhere else to go after this.
This would be where the final battle would take place.
Several Castle Defenders had been set up around the sanctuary, giving them the high ground against Cartman's foot soldiers. Scouts had been placed around the surrounding forests, on the lookout for the slightest movement. Kyle's soldiers had been divided into several battalions, each led by a member of Stan and Kyle's inner circle as a field general of sorts, to direct them in battle. Kyle and his group had gone through great lengths to learn from their prior mistakes at Many Moon's Stronghold, to ensure that this stronghold wouldn't be so easily toppled.
And even still, Kyle and his group wondered if it would be enough.
"Kyle," Craig called out to him as he wandered down the fields. "Look, we've managed to catch someone I think we could use as a distraction for the Grand Wizard." He pointed up at a tower, causing Kyle to see none other than Liane Cartman, tied to a stake.
"I was thinking of using her as a bargaining chip," Craig explained. "When Cartman arrives, tell him that if he doesn't surrender, we'll burn her at the stake."
"Goodness, you kids have such an imagination," Liane Cartman said, oddly not bothered at being tied to a stake.
"Eh, I don't think that'll work," Kyle responded, shrugging his shoulders.
"Well it's not like we have a lot of options," Clyde, in his Dwarf King form, said as he strode up to him. "We still don't know what the Hell we're up against. How many players Cartman has on his side."
"I know," Kyle groaned, placing his hands on his hips and huffing. He'd come up with many strategies for how to fend off Cartman's soldiers, but he still hadn't thought up how he'd defeat the Grand Wizard himself. He'd thought of ganging up on Cartman with his allies, but that relied on Cartman not having just as many, if not more, followers on his side. Cartman would likely want to fight him personally, to make up for their last encounter, and Kyle wasn't sure if he could beat him this time.
A sudden loud chattering diverted Kyle's attention, and he turned to see Rogue Token, along with a band of their forces, shoving a small group of Cartman's squires and hunters down the field towards him. "One of the scouts found them wandering through the east side of the woods," Token informed him as he and his band shoved them to Kyle's feet.
Kyle stared down Cartman's small band of soldiers. "What are you doing here?" He asked forcefully as the rest of his army crowded around the band, glaring at them.
"We didn't come to fight," One of the squires reassured Kyle's army, raising his hands in surrender. "We defected from Cartman's army. We were looking to join you before he arrived."
There was truth to the boy's words. Kyle's features softened. The band looked utterly exhausted and worn out from their journey, and Kyle imagined successfully getting away from Cartman couldn't have been easy.
"What news do you bring?" Kyle asked. He hoped whatever information the band had would give him some little time to prepare for Cartman's arrival.
The squire, who Kyle recognized as Pete Melman, cleared his throat before answering. "Not good," He said sullenly. "Grand Wizard Cartman has announced he plans to march for battle in a few hours."
A surge of discomfort rippled through the crowd. Kyle himself felt his stomach tighten; he didn't have as much time as he thought. "How many soldiers does he have?" He asked quickly.
The squire's face scrunched up, as if he was wondering whether he should tell him. Finally, his face fell and he whispered, "We didn't get an exact count, but it'd have to be more than two hundred, mostly kids from our school."
Kyle winced. He hadn't done an exact count for his forces, but he knew it was less than Cartman's. Granted, the numbers gap wasn't as large as he'd feared, but it was still another disadvantage his side had.
"Over two hundred?" Paladin Butters whispered in awe, fear radiating off his body. "Oh hamburgers, that's way more than he had when we were playing the Stick of Truth. How can he get so many people on his side? I mean, we're the nice ones."
"It's not like they have a choice," One of the hunters said. "Few people want to side with him, but anyone who doesn't willingly join gets subjected to his torture, like his Super Fart."
Kyle cringed, knowing firsthand how horrific it was to be on the receiving end of one of Cartman's farts.
Stan, sensing Kyle's uneasiness, rushed to his side. "Kyle, don't get stressed," He reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We can still beat him, no matter how dire things may seem."
Kyle stared at the crowd, who looked back at him, eager for words of support from their leader. "I-I need to think," He said, turning around and heading back towards the castle. "All of you, get ready for battle." He shoved through the castle gates and stormed inside.
The rest of his inner circle followed after him. "Kyle, you can't get scared now," Stan told him. "We need you if we're going to stand a chance against Cartman."
"What can we do?" Kyle asked, turning to face the rest of the group. "We're outnumbered, and Cartman has all that magic bullshit on his side thanks to that Energy Staff."
"Cartman's not the only one with magic," Craig reminded him. "Your forms are some of the most badass in the game."
"But his totem-"
"Cartman needs that totem to stand a chance against you!" Stan interrupted. "Otherwise, you'd kick his ass and he knows it!"
Kyle looked away, still unsure, and Stan walked up to him. "Listen, Kyle," He said, placing his hands on his shoulders and looking him in the eyes. "Cartman might have that staff, but he's not invincible. You've always been the best at beating him. You've done it before, and you'll do it now, Energy Staff be damned!"
Stan's words reinvigorated Kyle. "Alright," He said, sucking in a deep breath. "I'll do it."
Kyle's inner circle erupted into cheers, but Jimmy raised his staff, silencing them. "Sorry to interrupt," He said. "But isn't there something else we should talk about?"
"What?" Wendy asked.
"The reason Cartman's this powerful at all," Jimmy said, and pulled out the metal band he'd taken from Nathan.
Kyls'e eyes landed on the band. In his hurry to prepare for battle against Cartman, he'd almost forgotten about the girl.
"Oh, yeah," He murmured, his face falling. "That."
"Kyle, what are you talking about?" Stan asked.
Kyle sighed. "Come on," He said, gesturing to the rest of the group. "There's something we need to discuss."
Kenny and Annie felt their stomachs dropped as they were led out of the castle and were given a full view of Cartman's forces.
They were innumerable, a seemingly endless mass of shiny helmets and sharp weapons. They were a diverse cast of players, but each of them had been forced to wear only a few different sets of armor, making them seem indistinct from one another, only adding to the effect; a homogeneity of soldiers, all of whom had entered the game either to find the key or just for fun, but now forced to fight and die for the sake of Cartman's grudge against Kyle.
One of the squires gave the two a shove, and they were led through the large crowd. The army split apart, allowing them to pass, and Kenny and Annie briefly wondered where they were being taken to. They soon got their answer.
At the end of the crowd was none other than Grand Wizard Cartman, standing atop a pedestal overlooking his army. Kenny and Annie froze when they saw him, and the squire behind them gave them one final shove, knocking them onto their hands and feet before the wizard.
"So, two final recruits before we march for war," Grand Wizard Cartman said as he stared down at the pair. "What have we got-"
He paused as Kenny raised his head to face him, and his jaw dropped. "K-Kenny?" He stuttered in disbelief. "How the Hell are you-"
"(Long story,)" Kenny interrupted, getting onto his hands and knees. "(So, uh, what are you doing?)"
"Oh," Cartman said, taking a moment to get over the initial surprise. "Well, me and my army are about to march to the Elven Sanctuary for our final battle against the sneaky snake Kyle and his cowardly forces. And you are to join me as my loyal soldiers."
"We'd rather die than join your army, you piece of shit!" Annie spat at the Grand Wizard. Kenny turned to her and shook his hands, gesturing for her to keep quiet.
"If you refuse, then perhaps you may need some persuasion," Cartman said, gesturing to a crusader by his side. The crusader raised a hand mirror, making sure Annie's face was reflected in it, then promptly shattered it with a single punch.
Annie gulped in fear, but Kenny held his head high. "(As charismatic as you are, I'm afraid that I'm simply not fit to be in your army,)" He said casually.
Cartman glared at him. "And why is that?" He asked, his staff glowing bright, sparks of energy flying off of it. The soldiers began to step back in fear.
Surprisingly, Kenny showed no fear. Instead, in spite of his chained hands, he pulled out his phone and and quickly changed costumes. Everyone recoiled as a flash of light enveloped Kenny.
When the light faded, the crowd looked back at where Kenny was standing, and promptly let out a collective gasp.
There, standing before the Grand Wizard, was Princess Kenny.
"Why, it's Princess Kenny," Scott Malkinson called out. "The fairest maiden in all of the kingdom."
"(Behold, your princess,)" Princess Kenny said, giving a feminine twirl with his dress. Around him, the crowd let out awed gasps.
Annie stared at Kenny, baffled. "What the Hell are you doing?" She asked. Kenny simply winked at her.
"(As much as I want to join your army, I'm afraid it's just not the place for a delicate princess like me,)" Princess Kenny said, raising the pitch of his voice. "(I would be absolutely devastated on the battlefield.)"
"Yeah, he's right," One of the hunters said. "The princess can't be in the army. Imagine what the enemy would do to her."
"She'd be slaughtered," A squire agreed.
Annie, upon realizing Kenny's plan, joined in. "Worse than that," She said, fanning the flames of the crowd. "Those beasts would probably ravish this fair maiden if they got their hands on her. They wouldn't be able to resist forcing themselves on the helpless princess, leaving her spoiled and impure."
An uproar rippled through the crowd. Even the Grand Wizard seemed to agree. "You're right," He said, stroking his chin. "We cannot allow the princess to fall into the clutches of Kyle's forces. She can stay back."
"(Oh, I'll come with you,)" Princess Kenny said. "(I'll be there to provide moral support for your army. But leave me on the outskirts of the battle.)"
"As you wish," Cartman said. "I'll even provide a small band to protect you."
"Can I be part of it?" Annie volunteered.
"Fine," Grand Wizard Cartman. "But enough of that! Now, it is time to march, and take revenge on Kyle for his transgressions against me! Onward, march!" He turned and raised his staff high, and set off, his army following close behind.
Kenny and Annie exchanged a relieved glance.
If Kenny's plan worked out accordingly, they might have a chance of getting the key after all.
After Kyle brought his group up into the tower of the castle, he'd come clean about everything. The mysterious masked girl, how she'd sent him to kill Cartman, and her involvement with Nathan and Mimsy. He also spoke of his suspicion that she may have been responsible for Cartman's resurrection.
"Kyle, why didn't you tell us sooner?" Stan asked, stunned at all that had happened during the time he and Kyle had been separated.
"I didn't think it was important," Kyle admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "Gah, I'm such an idiot! I thought if I killed Cartman, he wouldn't be a threat to the game, and yet here he is now, more dangerous than ever. And it's my fault."
"Come on, Kyle, you're being too hard on yourself," Dwarf King Clyde told him. "You couldn't have known that girl wanted you to kill Cartman just to bring him back to life."
"Wait, that doesn't make sense, though," Craig pointed out.
"Huh?" Clyde said.
"Cartman wasn't dead," Craig said. "When you die in the game, you just wake up back in the real world. Cartman didn't die, he just wasn't in the game anymore. How could she resurrect him?"
A cold silence washed over the group. Indeed, most of them had thought that if you were killed in the digital world, your consciousness would simply go back to your real body. But Cartman had been resurrected.
"How could she resurrect him. . ." Kyle whispered, his eyes going dark. ". . . Unless his consciousness never left the game."
A chill ran down everyone's spines. "Wait, you're saying that all this time, the people who died didn't return to the real world?" Red said. "Their consciousness remained in the game?"
"What sick person added that to the game's design?" Bebe asked, baffled.
That caused Kyle to snap to attention. "Wait a minute," He whispered, thinking back to Nathan's words before he was killed.
She came to me and Mimsy while the game was still in production.
"Who exactly created this game?" Kyle asked the others.
That caused the others to think. They'd been so excited at the game's existence that they hadn't considered who'd been behind its conception. They all shook their heads, not knowing the answer.
"Nathan said the girl came to him while the game was still in production," Kyle pointed out. "And she apparently had the Dark Resurrection card to revive Cartman, a spell that isn't even out yet."
"You think that girl was the one who made the game?" Butters suggested. "And she entered it in order to influence the players?"
"Yeah, but why?" Stan asked. "Who is she?"
"Wait a minute!" Kyle piped up. "We found that game on an ad, and when I met the girl, she said we knew each other. Holy shit, do you think-"
"No, Kyle," Jimmy interrupted, almost seeming to know what he was about to say. "Admittedly, me and the girl were only in the same room for a few moments, but I'm sure I would have detected if she were an ad."
Kyle's face fell, a potential lead instantly snuffed out.
"When we confronted Nathan and Mimsy, they were wearing this," Craig said, placing Nathan's metal band on the table. "Said it would spare them from the fate of everyone else."
"What fate?" Red asked.
"I dunno," Craig replied. "He got fried before he could spill."
"Maybe she meant spared from Cartman's army," Butters suggested. "She wants Cartman to take over the game, but those metal bands would spare them from that."
"That's stupid," Bebe scoffed. "Why would she want Cartman to take over?"
"Well then why'd she bring him back and give him that totem?" Stan retorted. "She must've had a reason for it."
"Perhaps we should find her and get some answers from her, then!" Craig suggested. "What's say we have ourselves a little witch hunt?"
Before anyone could respond, a scout appeared at the door, a panicked expression on his face. "Kyle, the Grand Wizard is on the move!" He informed them. "He's marching for the sanctuary, and he's brought his entire army with him!"
Panic washed over the group. Kyle turned to face Craig, considering his suggestion. He knew they had to find that girl and get answers on her true intent, but the knowledge that Cartman was on the move seemed so much more urgent...
"We'll worry about the girl later," He said, standing up. "For now, we have to take down Cartman once and for all!" He pulled out his phone and switched costumes, transforming into Kyle of the Drow Elves.
The rest of the group nodded in agreement, and immediately headed out of the tower to prepare their forces.
The battle between Kyle and Cartman's armies was at hand.
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