Chapter 3
"I'm getting tired, and my ass is killing me."
"There has to be another portal." Pandora gritted her teeth.
"Look, why don't we go back to the hotel for a couple hours. We'll sleep, give them time to rejuice and come back later." Pandora slowed the horse, as she debated the idea.
"But my people-"
"Have Angel, and Landok and all of them. You did what you had to do."
"I suppose." Pandora greed.
"Come on. Let's go. I'd take you to my place but the landlord wouldn't dig the horse."
They went back to the hotel and Gunn showed Pandora to Fred's room, one of the few furnished. "We can watch TV." Gunn offered turning it on.
"It's like my mirror. Can they see us?" Pandora stared intently at the screen.
"Naw. It's prerecorded. And it's pretend."
"Pretend?"
"It's like if I told you I was king of Pylea."
"But you aren't."
"That's pretending." She furrowed her brow. "You don't get it."
"No. But TV seems very interesting."
"So what do you think of Earth?"
"Earth? Well, it is very kind to humans, but so loud and so crowded. I haven't even seen a tree in all the while I have been here." She smiled.
"I'm going to go sleep in the room across the hall." Gunn stood up. Pandora stood also, to walk to the door with him.
"Not very far." she said when he pointed.
"Close by."
"Barely left." They leaned in towards each other, something pulling them.
"Queen?"
"My lord?" Their hands brushed each other and their fingers wrapped around each other, both lost in worries and in need. Their lips met and they kissed softly. An image of Groo being angry with her popped into Pandora's head and she pulled away.
"Oh dear, what have I done."
"It's my fault."
"Goodnight Gunn." Pandora gave him a hesitant smile, full of sadness. He left the room with a heavy heart.
The next morning he went to retrieve Pandora and when she didn't answer his calls he went into the room and investigated. He went over to the bed and shook her.
"Hello." She murmured, sitting up. Her face was flushed and she didn't look well.
"You alright?" Gunn eyed her with concern.
"I'm sure I'm just having difficulty adjusting to your atmosphere or something." Pandora said, standing up with a wobble. She closed her eyes and looked slightly better. "I should try and contact Groo again. Tell him what has happened."
"How do you do that?"
"Like this." She went over to Fred's mirror and said her little spell. The surface misted then cleared.
"My lord." She whispered.
"I'm fine. It's nothing. I'll be up soon." Groo smiled at her through the mirror, when he saw how worried she was at his wounds. "How are you."
"Feeling a touch faint, but I don't think many Pyleans have been to earth so I can't say it isn't normal." Groo's brow knitted.
"No, not many have. And you need to get back because earth will make you sick. I was hoping this wouldn't happen. I'm so sorry my love for letting this happen."
"I'll be fine. We'll be there in no time. You have more pressing needs with the invasion. We're going right now to find a working portal." She waved her hand over the mirror and the king disappeared.
"You lied to him."
"You know?" Pandora looked at Gunn, slightly impressed with his intuition. "Well he has to much to worry about with the invasion rather than worrying about my death. I'm only one person." She hurried to the neatly folded pile of clothing Cordelia had shared with her and started getting dressed.
"Your death?" Gunn said at last.
"Come on. We should get going." Her tone was so firm he dared not bring up the subject again.
"Let's take my car. If we find a working portal we can come back for your horse."
"Ok." Pandora said. He could tell her sickness was causing her lack of energy and argument. He knew if she was feeling alright she would argue otherwise.
"So tell me about Pylea, and growing up there. Were you-"
"A slave? Yes. And Groo saved me during a riot. What about you?"
"Lived in LA all my life. I spent a couple years on the street."
"Without a home? I at least had a home."
"But you were a slave."
"It wasn't so bad really. Of course it is much better now."
******************************************************************
The king of Lower Pylea stroked his thick beard, beckoning in one of the old priests. The man bowed at the king.
"How are the plans unfolding?"
"Excellent my liege. All the portals are closed, although the warrior was able to get through."
"Just as long as the queen doesn't get through, the king won't be completely concentrated on us. This time we will conquer. Lower Pyleans will not be ignored." He pounded his fist on the table with a smug grin. Underestimate him? Never again.
"I'm getting tired, and my ass is killing me."
"There has to be another portal." Pandora gritted her teeth.
"Look, why don't we go back to the hotel for a couple hours. We'll sleep, give them time to rejuice and come back later." Pandora slowed the horse, as she debated the idea.
"But my people-"
"Have Angel, and Landok and all of them. You did what you had to do."
"I suppose." Pandora greed.
"Come on. Let's go. I'd take you to my place but the landlord wouldn't dig the horse."
They went back to the hotel and Gunn showed Pandora to Fred's room, one of the few furnished. "We can watch TV." Gunn offered turning it on.
"It's like my mirror. Can they see us?" Pandora stared intently at the screen.
"Naw. It's prerecorded. And it's pretend."
"Pretend?"
"It's like if I told you I was king of Pylea."
"But you aren't."
"That's pretending." She furrowed her brow. "You don't get it."
"No. But TV seems very interesting."
"So what do you think of Earth?"
"Earth? Well, it is very kind to humans, but so loud and so crowded. I haven't even seen a tree in all the while I have been here." She smiled.
"I'm going to go sleep in the room across the hall." Gunn stood up. Pandora stood also, to walk to the door with him.
"Not very far." she said when he pointed.
"Close by."
"Barely left." They leaned in towards each other, something pulling them.
"Queen?"
"My lord?" Their hands brushed each other and their fingers wrapped around each other, both lost in worries and in need. Their lips met and they kissed softly. An image of Groo being angry with her popped into Pandora's head and she pulled away.
"Oh dear, what have I done."
"It's my fault."
"Goodnight Gunn." Pandora gave him a hesitant smile, full of sadness. He left the room with a heavy heart.
The next morning he went to retrieve Pandora and when she didn't answer his calls he went into the room and investigated. He went over to the bed and shook her.
"Hello." She murmured, sitting up. Her face was flushed and she didn't look well.
"You alright?" Gunn eyed her with concern.
"I'm sure I'm just having difficulty adjusting to your atmosphere or something." Pandora said, standing up with a wobble. She closed her eyes and looked slightly better. "I should try and contact Groo again. Tell him what has happened."
"How do you do that?"
"Like this." She went over to Fred's mirror and said her little spell. The surface misted then cleared.
"My lord." She whispered.
"I'm fine. It's nothing. I'll be up soon." Groo smiled at her through the mirror, when he saw how worried she was at his wounds. "How are you."
"Feeling a touch faint, but I don't think many Pyleans have been to earth so I can't say it isn't normal." Groo's brow knitted.
"No, not many have. And you need to get back because earth will make you sick. I was hoping this wouldn't happen. I'm so sorry my love for letting this happen."
"I'll be fine. We'll be there in no time. You have more pressing needs with the invasion. We're going right now to find a working portal." She waved her hand over the mirror and the king disappeared.
"You lied to him."
"You know?" Pandora looked at Gunn, slightly impressed with his intuition. "Well he has to much to worry about with the invasion rather than worrying about my death. I'm only one person." She hurried to the neatly folded pile of clothing Cordelia had shared with her and started getting dressed.
"Your death?" Gunn said at last.
"Come on. We should get going." Her tone was so firm he dared not bring up the subject again.
"Let's take my car. If we find a working portal we can come back for your horse."
"Ok." Pandora said. He could tell her sickness was causing her lack of energy and argument. He knew if she was feeling alright she would argue otherwise.
"So tell me about Pylea, and growing up there. Were you-"
"A slave? Yes. And Groo saved me during a riot. What about you?"
"Lived in LA all my life. I spent a couple years on the street."
"Without a home? I at least had a home."
"But you were a slave."
"It wasn't so bad really. Of course it is much better now."
******************************************************************
The king of Lower Pylea stroked his thick beard, beckoning in one of the old priests. The man bowed at the king.
"How are the plans unfolding?"
"Excellent my liege. All the portals are closed, although the warrior was able to get through."
"Just as long as the queen doesn't get through, the king won't be completely concentrated on us. This time we will conquer. Lower Pyleans will not be ignored." He pounded his fist on the table with a smug grin. Underestimate him? Never again.