The four have traveled so far from Shrek's Swamp. The ogre and Donkey weren't tired of walking, but Madison was behind them. She was struggling as her legs started to hurt but she kept on going. Zor looked at his new friend in worry but Madison smile as a gesture that she's alright.
Unknown to her and the others, the necklace glow and Madison's legs feel fine from exhaustion. She knew what it was doing and it's a good thing the others didn't notice but it's not the right time to tell.
They came through a large field until Madison spotted a big castle that is not far.
"That's it. That's it, right there. That's Duloc. I told y'all I'd find it." said Donkey as they are at the other side of the field.
Shrek, Madison, and Zor were gazing up at the Duloc Castle, a building that towers over the rest of the kingdom.
"So, that must be Lord Farquaad's castle." the ogre spoke.
"Uh-huh. That's the place."
"Do you think maybe he's compensating for something?" he laughed but stared at Madison who has a look thinking that it wasn't funny and then Donkey and Zor who looked confused. He groans and then walks off along with Madison and Zor.
"Hey, wait. Wait up, guys." said Donkey as he was catching up with them.
From a small distance, two people went inside while a man in a Farquaad mascot was waving to them. The gang looked at each other and then Shrek hollered at the mascot.
"Hey! You!"
The mascot looked up and scream as he saw Shrek and starts running.
"Wait a second. Look, I'm not gonna eat you. I just... I just..."
All four looked at the mascot as he was running rough the rows of rope to get to the front gate to get away from Shrek. The ogre sighs and then begins walking straight through the rows. The mascot runs into a wall and then he fell down. All four just looked at him, seeing he was unconscious.
"He could have just run around instead running through." said Madison and Zor chirped in agreement.
Shrek went through the turnstile along with Madison, while Zor hopped over but the three turned to see Donkey, trying to get through but spun around with the turnstile and land on the ground, smiled sheepishly at them. Madison covered her hand as she was trying not to laugh while Shrek rolled his eyes.
The four looked around, seeing shops and diners.
"It's quiet. Too quiet. Where is everybody?" the ogre wondered.
"Hey, look at this!" said Donkey as he came to a wooden box that is attach to the wall and the sign says 'Information'.
Donkey pulled the lever down but went behind Shrek as it started. All four look at the box as it was ticking, winding up but as the box opened, music started, and wooden people came out and started to sing.
Wooden people: Welcome to Duloc such a perfect town
Here we have some rules let us lay them down
Don't make waves, stay in line and we'll get along fine
Duloc is perfect place
Please keep off of the grass
Shine your shoes, wipe your... face
Duloc is, Duloc is
Duloc is perfect place.
Suddenly a camera takes the group's picture, both of which are dumbfounded and cringe.
"Wow! Let's do that again!" said Donkey as he was ready to run over and pull the lever again.
"No. No. No, no, no!" Madison and Shrek exclaimed as the ogre grabs Donkey's tail and hold him still.
"No."
"I won't want to hear that again." said Madison until the group heard a fanfare that was coming from the arena.
"Brave knights. You are the best and brightest in all the land. Today one of you shall prove himself..." a man's voice echoed.
Madison knew who that voice was and that was Farquaad. As the four walked down the tunnel to get into the arena, Donkey is humming the Duloc theme song. That was getting Shrek aggravated.
"All right. You're going the right way for a smacked bottom." he said to him.
"Sorry about that." the donkey replied and then Shrek look at Madison and Zor.
"You two stay here." he said, and Madison and Zor nod their heads.
In the center of a stadium-like courtyard, Duloc Knights are gathered as a large crowd of citizens watches on from the stands. Horses, kegs of beer, arrow targets, and other equipment are scattered about. On atop of a high balcony was Farquaad himself, along with two guards, was addressing the crowd. Shrek and Donkey step out onto the courtyard but don't seem to be noticed.
"That champion shall have the honor... no, no... the privilege to go forth and rescue the lovely Princess Fiona from the fiery keep of the dragon. If for any reason the winner is unsuccessful, the first runner-up will take his place and so on and so forth. Some of you may die, but it's a sacrifice I am willing to make." the lord spoke.
The crowd starts cheering and applauded as they saw someone holding a sign saying 'Applause'.
"Let the tournament begin!" Farquaad announced.
Shrek just looked at him and then he along with Donkey marched through the Duloc Knights, who back away in disgust upon noticing him.
"What is that?" Farquaad spoke as he notices Shrek and the crowd gasped, "It's hideous!"
"Ah, that's not very nice." said Shrek as he looked at Donkey and look back at Farquaad. "It's just a donkey."
Donkey looks confused at him; the joke is once again lost on him. Madison just shook her head as she heard what he said.
"Indeed. Knights, new plan! The one who kills the ogre will be named champion! Have it him!" Farquaad pointed at him.
The knights draw their weapons and slowly approach Shrek as he backs up, the crowd cheering them on.
"Oh, hey! Now come on! Hang on now." said Shrek as he and Donkey moved back away.
Madison stayed in the shadow of the tunnel as she watched the knights moving towards Shrek but saw the ogre bumped into a table where there are mugs of beer.
"Get him! Go ahead! Get him!" the crowd cheered.
"Can't we just settle this over a pint?" Shrek asked as he held a mug in his hand and looked at the knights.
The knights spoke no replied as the move closer to the ogre with their weapons while the crowd kept cheering saying, 'Kill the beast'.
"No? Alright then!" Shrek drank the beer in one gulp and got closer to the huge barrel. "Come on!"
"Fight time." Madison spoke softly.
Shrek break the spigot off of the huge barrel of beer behind him. The beer comes rushing out, knocking the knights down and wetting the ground into mud. Shrek slides past the knights and uses a spear like a hockey stick to knock one of his feet. Donkey hops up onto one of the larger beer barrels. It broke free of its ropes and begins to roll. Donkey manages to squish two knights into the mud and rolls over another group of knights running after Shrek. Shrek uses the ropes of the wrestling ring to launch himself at two knights and knocks them over. The crowd booed at him but then Shrek jump kicks a knight, and then body slams another. A knight comes from behind Shrek with his spear ready to attack.
"Behind you, Shrek!" Madison hollered.
The crowd gasps to see what the knight's move was, but before he can make a move, Shrek puts him in a full-nelson hold.
"Go Shrek! Go!" Madison cheered and Zor chirped.
"Hey, Shrek, tag me! Tag me!" Donkey spoke as he was at the ring.
Shrek brings the knight over to Donkey, who leans on the ropes and headbutts the knight. Next, he gets up on the ropes and interacts with the crowd, who have now begun to cheer for Shrek and Donkey including Madison and Zor were cheering him. A knight tries to sneak up behind Shrek, but the ogre turns in time to see him and jumps on him.
"The chair! Give him the chair!" the woman cried out.
"Come on, Shrek! Use the chair!" Madison shouted.
Shrek used a folding chair to smack the knight lying on the ground. He dispatches a few more knights with ease. Picks up the last knight, spinning him over his head and then throwing him into the wrestling ring. Donkey kicks his helmet, and then a ding sounds the end of the match. Finally, all the knights were down. The audience went wild cheering for Shrek and Donkey.
Madison cheered for the two while Zor was jumping for joy.
"Thank you! Thank you very much! I'm here till Thursday. Try the veal!" the ogre laugh.
Farquaad was not liking at what he saw. Seeing that all the knights have defeated by the ogre. With his hand, he signals the guards, who then aim their crossbows at Shrek and Donkey. Causing the crowd to gasp and goes silent. Madison and Zor stopped cheering but then looked at Farquaad from the distance.
"People of Duloc, I give you, our champion!" the lord announced.
"What?" Shrek looked confused as he looked at the crowd cheering and a fanfare was playing.
"Congratulations, ogre. You're won the honor of embarking on a great and noble quest." said Farquaad.
"Quest? I'm already on a quest. A quest to get my swamp back."
"Your swamp?"
"Yeah, my swamp! Where you dumped those fairy tale creatures!"
"Indeed. All right, ogre. I'll make you a deal. Go on this quest for me, and I'll give you your swamp back."
"Exactly the way it was?"
"Down to the last slime-covered toadstool."
"And the squatters?"
"As good as gone."
Shrek looked at the crowd and then the knights, who were still armed with crossbows, and then looked back at Farquaad.
"What kind of quest?"
Moments later, the group were going through a field of sunflowers while Shrek was eating onion. They all heard about the quest that Farquaad has given to Shrek. Rescue Princess Fiona from the tower, stopped the dragon, and bring her to Farquaad. Donkey, however, was still confused.
"Okay, let me get this straight. You're gonna go fight a dragon and rescue a princess, just so Farquaad will give you back a swamp, which you only don't have because he filled it full of freaks in the first place. Is that about right?" the donkey asked.
"Those are his words." said Madison.
"You know, maybe there's a good reason donkeys shouldn't talk." said Shrek as he took another bite of the onion.
"I don't get it. Why don't you just pull some of that ogre stuff on him? Throttle him, lay siege to his fortress, grinds his bones to make your bread, the whole ogre trip."
"That grind bones to make bread is a giant thing." said Madison.
"Oh, I know what. Maybe I could have decapitated an entire village and put their heads on a pike, gotten a knife, cut open their spleen and drink their fluids. Does that sound good to you?"
"Uh, no, not really, no.," said Donkey.
"Definitely not." Madison shuddered with disgust but Zor tilts his head up in confusion.
"For your information, there's a lot more to ogres than people think." said Shrek.
"Example?" Donkey asked.
"Example? Okay, um, ogres are like onions." he answered as he held his onion and show it to him.
Madison knew what he means cause she has seen the movie while Donkey took a sniff at the onion.
"They stink?"
"Yes... no!"
"They make you cry?"
"No!"
"Oh, you leave them in the sun, they get all brown, start sproutin' little white hairs."
"No! Layers!" Shrek spoke as he shows the onion more to him, "Onions have layers. Ogres have layers! Onions have layers. You get it? We both have layers." he said and threw the onion away and walk off along with Madison and Zor.
"Oh, you both have layers. Oh." said Donkey as he sniffed the onion but look disgusted, "You know, not everybody likes onions. Cake! Everybody loves cakes! Cakes have layers." he said as he stood in front of everyone.
"I don't care... what everyone likes. Ogres are not like cakes." he said and walks off more.
"You know what else everybody likes? Parfaits. Have you ever met a person, you say, "Let's get some parfait," they say, "Heck no, I don't like no parfait"? Parfaits are delicious.
"No!" Shrek outburst which cause Madison and Zor to flinch and move back a bit, "You dense, irritating, miniature beast of burden! Ogres are like onions! End of story. Bye-bye. See ya later." he said continue to walk.
"Parfaits may be the most delicious thing on the whole darn planet."
"You know, I think I preferred your humming." said Shrek.
"Or maybe stay quiet, please." said Madison and Zor chirped.
"Do you have a tissue or something? I'm making a mess. Just the word parfait makes me start slobbering." said Donkey.
Madison was disgusted to hear Donkey say slobbering, but the group kept on going as they went off on a new quest.
To Be Continued...