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Episode Twenty-Two
Drekmore
On the opposite side of the galaxy, far from the D-Star, was a planet known as Drekmore, the home of the villains and the location of Emperor Scar's castle. The sky was orange, and the area around the castle grounds was full of bones, like an elephant's graveyard. Near the castle grounds was Mount Thorn, a barren wasteland full of dead, fruitless, and leafless trees. The castle was patrolled by ogres, hyena soldiers and officers. The ogres had the strength and the hyenas had speed, making escaping them near impossible. Beyond the castle walls stood a village that resembled a junkyard where the Beagle Boys and their Ma lived.
In the distance from the castle was Mount Vesuvius, a mountain carved in Magica De Spell's image, where the great evil sorceress resides.
At the edge of Mount Thorn, the shadow portal rose from the ground, and out of it stepped the hooded fox teen known as Phantom. He lowered his hood and took off his Beagle Boy-style mask as the portal behind him faded away, dissolving into nothingness. He then started marching towards Emperor Scar's castle.
Halfway there, Phantom found a flock of rabbits in his path. But not just any rabbits. These rabbits had red eyes, matted fur, and a pair of long fangs—the saber-toothed rabbits. Phantom paused, looking down at the rabbits. The rabbits growled, getting ready to pounce.
"I don't have time for you munchers," Phantom stated coldly, then waved his hand with a cry of "GLACIUS!" A blast of icy waves washed over the rabbits, encasing them in ice and freezing them in place. "You guys should've stayed in your burrow… pests," he said in contempt as he continued walking towards the castle. "So I could hit those stupid rabbits, but not that annoying little blue duck?!" he muttered in frustration.
Further down the road, a Frugal tree came into view, and in its shadow, a wolf-like beast lay, slumbering. Phantom paused, looking around nervously as he continued slowly on his tiptoes.
CREAK!
Phantom cringed as he stepped on a twig and the Frugal Tree Beast snorted as it woke up and set its eyes on Phantom.
Fearfully, Phantom started walking at a slow pace backward as the beast stood up and slowly approached him menacingly, growling.
"Ohh… raspberries…" Phantom muttered, then let out a scream of terror and sprinted off in the opposite direction as the beast ran after him. Through the forest, he ran, dodging between the trees and jumping over fallen logs. Up ahead, he could see a field of vines and pods. He looked back and saw that the beast was gaining on him! "AAHHH! What should I do?! Get eaten by this guy, or risk getting blown up in this minefield?!" He chose the latter and ran swiftly into the pod field. As he ran past them, the pods exploded behind him. The Frugal Beast halted in its track as the pods blew up in front of it. It growled its displeasure and turned away. Meanwhile, Phantom was still running as fast as he could as the pods he passed by exploded. "Don't stop, don't stop!" he told himself in a panic.
He kept running and running with the pods exploding behind him. Finally, the edge of the minefield came into view. As he neared the border, a pod exploded at his heels, sending him screaming and flying through the air over the edge of the minefield. He landed headfirst into a bush with only his legs sticking out.
"Ugh, I hate this place," Phantom muttered as he kicked his legs around, struggling to get out of the bush. After he managed to extract himself from the bush, he continued on his way, plucking twigs and leaves from his hair and his fluffy tail. Until Phantom realized he was walking into the shadow of a giant rock face on the hill. It opened its eyes and grinned down at him, and as it did so, a rock rolled down its face, and Phantom had to leap out of the way to avoid it. "HEY, watch it, Rock Face!" he shouted. He brushed himself off before continuing and muttering: "Why couldn't I just appear closer to the castle instead of all the way out here?"
Finally, he stepped out onto the edge of villainy civilization. But to reach his destination, he had to cross through the Beagle Boys' junkyard.
"Ugh, I've forgotten how much this place stinks!" Phantom said, holding his nose. "Nice of Scar to let me live in the castle now."
And just then, five random Beagle Boys popped up from beneath the junks, startling him. He quickly readied himself for a fight.
"Well, well, well…what have we here?" one of the scoundrels sneered. "It's our old junkyard pal who thinks himself too good for our junkyard now."
"Yeah, how is that fancy new room of yours?
"Quite comfy, actually," Phantom replied smugly. "It's quiet and doesn't smell like a garbage can. Now, if you don't mind, I'm on my way to see Emperor Scar."
The Beagle Boys closed the gap between them, surrounding Phantom in a circle. "Not so fast. Now that you're no longer living with us, there's a toll for passing through our turf. So hand over yer loot."
Phantom glared up at them. "My "loot" is for Emperor Scar, and he will be so angry if you guys delay my delivery," he stated.
"Well now, if Emperor Scar wants it, that makes it valuable…" a Beagle Boy said with a look of greed. "Hand it over so that WE can deliver it to him, and you can avoid a black eye and bruises. It's a win-win."
Phantom bowed his head and grinned. He then put his fingers to his mouth and whistled.
A tiny bolt of lightning shot from the ground and zapped one of the Beagle Boys, and he collapsed to the ground, fast to sleep.
"What the—AAHH!"
ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! More bolts followed the first, striking the Beagle Boys one by one, and one by one, they fell to the ground, sleeping like a bunch of big babies.
Phantom smiled and looked down upon a tiny green pixie-like creature with a red mushroom top head known as a Slumber Sprite.
"Thanks, Zapper, you saved me," he said gratefully.
"No problem, kid!" the Slumber Sprite called Zapper responded. "It's the least I can do for ya. After all, ya moved my magic stone to a better spot!"
"Well, I gotta go to the castle," Phantom said. "I got something to give Emperor Scar. Wake these guys up in ten minutes. Otherwise, Ma Beagle will come looking for them."
"Sure thing, kid!" Zapper said with a salute. "And good luck on your business with Scar."
"Thanks, Zapper. See ya around," Phantom said as he walked on from that point and made his way toward the castle.
Upon reaching the outer wall, Phantom approached the gate, guarded by two giant ogres, one purple ogre and one green ogre.
"Hey, guys, I'm home." Phantom greeted them with a wave of his hand. "I need to see the Emperor. I got something for him.
"Duh, Scarry's been expecting you." the green ogre said dumbly as the two stood aside to allow him to pass.
Phantom walked past them through the gateway and into the entrance hall. The inside of the castle was lit by green flame torches and chandeliers, giving it a gloomy atmosphere. He walked across the hallway into the throne room. The throne room got lit by torches and chandeliers burning green fires.
Over in the ornate throne, with animal bones and skulls embedded into it, sat Scar. He opened his eyes and bared his teeth in the form of an evil grin as he looked down upon Phantom.
"Ah, Roger, come in, come in!" Scar said as he stood up from his throne and walked towards Phantom, whom he referred to by his real name of Roger. "How did it go? What have you got for me?"
"Mission accomplished, sir," Roger replied respectfully, rummaging into the pockets of his cloak. "I had to hold one Dedi brat hostage to get the other one to give it to me, but I got it right here!" he said, sounding eager to please as he withdrew the purple glowing crystal. He then got down on one knee and bowed his head as he presented Scar with the crystal.
Scar took the crystal and examined it closely and intensely.
"So… how did I do, sir?" Roger asked anxiously as his stomach gave a rumble.
For a moment, Scar ignored the teen as he continued his examination of the crystal. Finally, he looked down upon Roger.
"You have done well, Roger," Scar said finally, bringing a big happy smile to Roger's face. "Now run along to the dining hall and fill that belly of yours."
Roger bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you, sir!" he said before dashing from the throne room.
In the dining hall, Roger sat at the long dining table bearing so much food that it was difficult to choose what to select for consumption. But as he spotted a bowl of chicken broth, his eyes lit up with joy, and he eagerly grabbed the bowl and pulled it towards him. He picked up his spoon and began to eat.
As a mixture of ogre and hyena guards and soldiers came into the dining hall to eat their share of the food, Roger became more guarded about his chicken broth. He wrapped his arm around his bowl and continued eating with his face close to the bowl.
The guards and soldiers' lack of basic table manners drove Roger to remove himself from the table as they all grabbed at the food and proceeded to stuff their faces with it. He retreated to the corner of the dining hall, sat on the floor, and continued eating as bits of food flew everywhere.
After he finished his chicken broth, Roger set the bowl back onto the table, even as the chaotic face-stuffing continued. He walked out of the dining hall and strolled down the hallway toward the door of his room.
"Alohomora," Roger said, waving his hand over his door, and heard the magical click as the spell undid the locking spell he'd placed over it earlier that day. There was no doorknob, just an iron ring to pull the door close behind one's self. He pushed the door open and entered his room.
It was a simple bedroom lit by candlelight. There was a single bed in the center, a bedside table with a heap of books on it. On the wall was a bulletin board with dozens of notes and drawings about spells and magical creatures.
"Ahh, home sweet home…" he said happily, jumping backward onto his back upon his bed. He then reached for a book from the top of the stack of books on his bedside table and started to read.
The following morning, Roger was awakened by a loud explosion as the door of his room was blown to bits. Splintered pieces of wood flew across the room, some landing on top of Roger, who gave a yelp and sat bolt upright in bed, holding the sheet up to his face.
Framed in the doorway was a tall, thin lioness with thin black hair tied in a ponytail and dressed in a black combat suit designed for warrior witches.
"Wake up, brat!" she yelled. "Up before I turn your bed into a man-eating plant!"
"Oh, Bruja…" Roger groaned, lowering the sheet and rubbing his eyes. "Ever heard of knocking?"
"I did…with a blasting curse!" Bruja growled, wielding her staff in a threatening manner. "Get up! Master Scar wants you to continue your training. Now, pick your poison: Me or Magica De Spell as your trainer for the day."
Horrified at the idea of having Bruja as his trainer, Roger quickly made his choice: "I pick Magica."
Bruja chuckled with an evil grin. "A wise decision. Though, I wouldn't dream of disobeying Emperor Scar if he directly ordered me to train you. I hate children, except for my own, of course. So the less I see of you, the better!" she said, turning her back on Roger. "Now get going!" she ordered as she left the room.
"The feeling's mutual, you horrible witch!" Roger muttered under his breath as he lifted his hand and pointed at the door's remains. "Reparo!"
The splintered remains of the door flew back together and fitted themselves right into the doorframe, good as new. Roger then yawned and stretched before getting out of bed and began to get dressed.
Roger arrived at Mount Vesuvius and entered its inner chambers. As he walked into the main room of Magica's lair, a cloud of purple smoke suddenly erupted, filling the room.
"You have trespassed upon my lair!" cried a dramatic voice. "Now, prepare to endure terror beyond your imagination! I will make you tremble at my slightest scowl!"
"Hi, Magica…" Roger said, sounding bored and unimpressed, fanning away the smoke with his hand. "Nice smoke show. But do you have to do that every time I show up?"
"Ugh, not a dramatic bone in your entire body," Magica said in disappointment. "Oh well, let's get started. Show me how much you have improved with your spells since our last lesson."
"Okay, I've been practicing the locking and unlocking spell on my bedroom door," Roger said, walking up to a door to a closet. "Colloportus!" He then tried to open the door, only to find it locked. "Alohomora!" He tried again and found it unlocked as he opened the door. "Handy spells, it's been keeping nosy people out of my room… but Bruja was still able to blast my door off the hinges!"
"Hmm… What you need is the spell to make it unbreakable." Magica said.
"Oh, will you teach me that?" Roger asked eagerly.
"Maybe. But now let me see you cast fire upon that torch!" Magica ordered, gesturing to the unlit torch.
Roger sighed before facing the torch, reaching out to it with his hand. "Incendio!" Fire erupted in the torch, lighting it.
"Oh, bravo," Magica said. "Now try other versions of it."
"Other versions of it? How many fire spells are there?" Roger asked, bemused.
"Several, for example, the level-base fire spell that mages use. Observe." Magica said, turning her purple amulet into her staff. "FIRE!" she yelled, blasting fire from her magic staff at an unlit torch, lighting it. "FIRA!" a more powerful blast of fire lit a slightly bigger torch. "FIRAGA!" a huge fireball shot from her staff and ignited the largest in the place. "Now, you try."
"If Fire, Fira, and Firaga are what mages use, what magic-user uses Incendio?" Roger asked.
"Incendio derives from the Latin word Incendium, which means fire," Magica explained impatiently. "Incendio Duo and Incendio Tria are more-powerful variations of the spell. Incantations modified from Latin and Greek are the magic of sorcery."
"So, I'm a wizard?" Roger asked.
"Either that or a Druid," Magica replied. "Even though the magic of sorcery is the magic you seem to be the best at performing, it doesn't necessarily mean you're a wizard. Other magic users incorporate Latin into their spells as well."
"Then what am I?" Roger asked, sounding disappointed. "I thought I was just a normal kid before, but then I discovered that I can do magic. So I thought I might be a magician, but my research led me to think I was a wizard, but now, according to you, I might not even be that!" he said, sounding so frustrated. "Please, Miss Magica, if you know what I am, just tell me."
"Magicians are not what they used to be," Magica said. "Magicians used to practice real magic, but nowadays, magicians are optical illusionists who rely on smoke and mirrors to make things seem like magic. So if you want to associate yourself with real magic, go with the terms wizard, sorcerer, mage, or druid."
"I think I'll go by a wizard," Roger said. "I don't think I'm experienced enough to be a sorcerer."
Magica chuckled. "Speaking as a sorceress, you're correct. Here, have a cookie!" she conjured a bat-shaped cookie, which landed in Roger's hand. "Now, let's continue with your training."
Roger looked down at the cookie he had received and yelped as it flapped its wings and flew out of his hand. He watched it go with an expression of resentment, but he said nothing as he followed Magica.
Magica conjured a row of dummies for target practice that Roger could cast an array of spells on. Roger set one of them on fire, then put the blaze out with a water spell. He then chanted a rope-binding spell on the next one. And finally, the last dummy blew up due to Roger's blasting curse.
"Ooh, very good, you've improved since our last lesson," Magica said.
"Thanks…" Roger panted, wiping sweat from his face and looking pleased with himself. "D'you think you can teach me to turn Bruja into a pig?"
"Oh, how very Circe of you!" Magica said with glee, grinning evilly. "Unfortunately, that level of Transfiguration is far too advanced for you. It requires a great deal of focus and imagination to cast."
"Aw, but she is so annoying! Not to mention scary..." Roger said, muttering the last part under his breath.
"For the time being, do not trifle with her. You're no match for her," Magica warned, placing a hand on Roger's shoulder. "But stick with me and your training, practice in your spare time, and you'll be more than a match for her."
"Yes, Miss Magica," Roger said, bowing his head. "So, what's next?"
"I believe it's time I teach you the spell that is very useful if you ever get lost," Magica said, holding up her staff. "It is called the Compass spell. For this, you will need a staff or a wand. It is a charm that causes the caster's wand or staff to behave as if it were a compass and point north. Observe. Point me!" Her staff pulled her hand northward.
"Wow, lemme try!" Roger said excitedly, waving his hand over the purple shadow amulet on his belt, causing a smaller staff similar to Magica's to appear in his hand. He lifted his hand and exclaimed: "Point me!" His rod jerked his hand to the north. "Hey, I did it! Now I won't get lost much anymore!"
"Precisely," Magica chuckled.
Roger continued to practice every spell he knew until it was time for him to go. He bowed to Magica.
"Thank you for your lessons and training," he said before he made his departure.
The next day, Roger got summoned to the Emperor's throne room. He walked up to Scar's throne before kneeling before him.
"You wanted to see me, sir?" he asked respectfully.
"Yes," Scar confirmed, standing up as he started to pace ahead of his throne. "Roger, today's your lucky day! I'm assigning you to your first solo mission."
Roger looked both surprised and excited at the prospect of going on his first solo mission.
"You mean it, sir?! Where will I be sent to?" he asked.
"It's a special world known as the Kiddie Zone," Scar replied. "So-called because any adult who enters this realm forgets everything and all experiences upon exiting. Children are exempt from this rule. So you will be able to scout out this realm and be my eyes and ears from within. And if you find a shard or anything of value, bring it back to me."
"Yes, sir!" Roger saluted to Scar's command. "But how do I get there?"
"There is a special door that leads to this Kiddie Zone." Scar said. "It is located in the West tower. Bruja will escort you there."
"Um," Roger said in a nervous tone as Bruja approached. "That's alright, sir. I can find the West tower on my own. She doesn't have to come to see me off."
"He's right, sire," Bruja said, looking down on Roger with disgust. "He's a little old for me to hold his hand."
Roger glared at her but said nothing.
Scar strolled over to Bruja and whispered something in her ear.
"As you wish, sire," Bruja said respectfully, though she didn't look happy with the given order. She turned and marched towards the exit, grabbing Roger's arm on the way out. "Come on, you brat!" she growled as she dragged him from the throne room.
"H-hey! Let go of me!" Roger cried angrily, trying to pull his arm out of her grip. "You said yourself that I'm too old for you to hold my hand!"
"Fine!" Bruja snapped, releasing her hold on his arm. "But you stay with me, or I will hunt you down and make you wish you were never born! Got it?"
"Y-yes, ma'am!" Roger gulped as he followed her lead while rubbing his arm.
Bruja led Roger down several corridors and hallways before reaching the door to the chamber. She stood by and waited for a moment. When nothing happened, she cleared her throat pointedly. Roger looked around curiously, wondering to whom or what she was clearing her throat. She pretended to clear her throat, more loudly this time, and still, Roger looked up and down the hallway. Finally losing patience, she smacked Roger upside the head.
"OW!" Roger cried, rubbing the back of his head. "What was that for?"
"Open….the door….NOW!" Bruja hissed at him through gritted teeth with a tone of suppressed rage. "Where are your manners? Don't you open the doors for the ladies?"
"I don't see any ladies around here… just an old hag..." Roger muttered under his breath, looking annoyed as he rubbed the back of his head.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Bruja roared at him with a face full of rage.
"Nothing!" Roger yelped nervously, cringing at her outburst. "I'm opening the door now." He ran forward and pulled the door open. He stood aside and allowed Bruja to enter first.
"Hm, that's much better," Bruja said as she stepped into the chamber, and Roger followed distantly behind her. "Behold, the door to the Kiddie Zone. Beyond it is a special world that provides refuge to all survivors who lost their worlds and haven to the persecuted. Many would-be victims have entered this realm to flee from unjust authorities hunting them down. That's the legend behind it anyway."
In the center of the chamber was a stone archway with a wooden door inside of it.
"Why haven't we gone after them, then?" Roger asked as he walked around the door, examining the front and back of the door.
"We've found out that only children such as yourself can enter the realm beyond the door and return with their memories intact," Bruja said in a strained voice.
"Really? Is that why you kidnapped all those kids a few years ago?" Roger asked. "What happened to them anyway?"
"We do not know. We've sent those brats through here, and none of them has ever returned."
"And you want me to find them and bring them back?" Roger asked as he finished examining the door.
"No, they're no longer of use to us, just locate a shard or anything of value to Emperor Scar and bring it back here."
Roger gave Bruja a look of surprise, which then turned into one of disappointment. "Alright, I understand. So, how long do I have in there?"
Bruja gave him an evil grin. "You will know soon enough when we want you back here. Now go!"
Roger gulped as he did not like the sound of that. He turned to the door, reached for the doorknob, and opened it. Sealing the space in the doorframe was a bright light portal, so Roger could not see what lay beyond the door.
"Okay, wish me luck," Roger said as he stepped into the vortex and the door slammed shut behind him.
Roger opened his eyes and gasped as a beautiful forest burst into being around him. He admired the surrounding trees and green grass. He closed his eyes and listened to the chattering of critters around him, feeling at home and peaceful.
As he stepped forward, he spotted a large creature walking alone up the path. After observing the beast from a distance, he was shocked and amazed to realize that it was a centaur.
The centaur paused and turned to look over in Roger's direction, who quickly hid behind a tree. After a moment, Roger peered around the tree and saw that the centaur was still standing, looking right at him. Then the centaur turned, galloped away into the trees, and disappeared from view.
"That… was that…a centaur?" Roger asked as he stared in the direction where the centaur vanished from view. "What kind of place is this?"
Roger walked forward along the path in the direction where the centaur had galloped, wishing he had about eight more eyes to look at everything at once while keeping two on the way before him. He walked for what felt like hours before a village came into view. The kit remained behind the shadow of the trees, watching the villagers minding their business. In his observation, he noticed that the villagers were all badger people.
"So people live in this place, but where did that centaur go?" Roger said in a puzzled voice, scratching his head.
Roger walked into the village, looking around. In addition to a bunch of houses, he found a bakery, a general store, a food market, a bookstore, and an inn. As he walked further into the village, he also saw a post office, a library, and a pub.
Badgers of all ages bustled up and down the streets. Some of the children were working, while some of them were playing. In a village where everybody knew each other, Roger stood out as a sore thumb. As Roger neared the pub, it felt like walking under a bright spotlight. So he kept his head down and tried not to draw attention to himself. It was easier to blend in inside the city but much harder in a village.
As Roger walked a little further, he was approached by the village's sheriff. As far as Roger could imply, it was the only villager dressed as a cowboy sheriff with a white gallon cowboy hat.
"Howdy, stranger, what brings you into town?" the sheriff greeted him.
"Me? Oh, I, uh, just passing through." Roger said nervously.
"Alone? Where are your folks, boy?" the sheriff asked suspiciously with genuine concern.
"My folks? They're still at the ranch," Roger said, inventing a story on the spot. "I'm just here running errands for them."
"Alright, you stay outta trouble, you hear?"
"Yes, sir," Roger said in a compliant tone as the sheriff tipped his hat to him and walked on. Roger breathed a sigh of relief, feeling he had just dodged a trigger-happy bullet. "That was close. I need to blend in better." Roger looked around and saw that the rest of the village was very European of the middle ages. However, here and there, there were elements of eras from the fourteenth century to the eighteenth. "Uh…how am I supposed to blend in a place like this? I might as well just be myself."
"Being yourself is the best policy!" said a voice from out of sight, startling Roger as he looked around for the source of the strange voice.
"Who said that?" he yelped.
"I did!" a badger girl suddenly appeared upside down before him, hanging from a tree.
"AHH!" Roger yelled, falling backward onto his behind. "Who are you, and what are you doing up there?"
"Eh, y'know, just hanging around." Then she retreated into the tree. Roger got to his feet again when suddenly, the girl jumped down from the tree in front of him, causing him to yelp in surprise and fall backward again. "Oh wow, you're going to be sore after all that falling." She then offered Roger a hand.
"Ohh, I think I already am," Roger groaned, rubbing his backside. He then looked to see that the girl was offering him a hand.
"I'm Maggi, but people call me Nutmagg," she said.
Roger eyed her hand and then looked at her face, observing her appearance. She had a tall, slim, and flexible build. She wore colorful clothes, and her brown hair looked like a bird's nest since it had some leaves and twigs tangled in it.
"I'm Roger," he said finally, accepting her hand and allowing her to help him up to his feet. "Uh, why do they call you Nutmagg?" he asked, frowning.
"Because I'm INTOOOO nuts!" she said, howling a little at the word "into" and then laughing. "But in all honesty, I think they think I'm a bit odd," she said with unflinching honesty. "All because I'm not as clean and neat as other girls. I don't mind getting a little dirty as I bond with nature."
"You seem alright to me, if a bit energetic," Roger said, relaxing for a little bit. "Do you mind if I call you Magg instead?"
"Sure! You can call me that." Maggi said brightly. "So, where are you from?"
"Oh…um… y'know, from the nearby farmlands," Roger said nervously.
"You're from the outside world, aren't you?" Maggi said as a statement of fact, observing him.
That caught Roger by surprise, and he stammered wordlessly for a moment before he finally got one word out: "H-h-how…?"
"You don't know the layouts of Eleutheria," Maggi pointed out. "And normally, people can tell you exactly where they come from. Even if they're lying, they're still able to name a city or a village in this world. You couldn't name a city or village around here, so you must be from the outside."
"Okay, you caught me," Roger said, unable to think of a story or excuse. "I'm from the outside world. I found my way here and was curious enough to explore this place. So, could you tell me a little about this Eleutheria, was it called?"
"Yes, and you're going to love this place!" Maggi assures him. "It's full of wonders and long-forgotten cultures, lost to the outside world. Most of us were from the outside world, and the rest were born here."
"So, you.., you know this place well?" Roger asked.
"Like the back of my hand!" Maggi replied. "Fancy a tour of the village?"
"Yes, please!" Roger said, unable to conceal his eagerness.
"Alright, follow me!" Maggi said, turning around and leading the way.
She led the way, walking with a skip in her steps. Roger found her an enthusiastic yet helpful tour guide, and she introduced him to various aspects of the village with such energy and vigor.
"And here's my house!" she concluded after showing Roger everything, pointing out a house that looked similar to every other in the village. "Wanna come in for a drink?"
"Uh, I'd love a drink, but maybe some other time. I need to get back," Roger said politely.
"Back? But you've just got here." Maggi said, sounding disappointed.
"I know, but I need to pick up a few things and then head back," Roger said, taking a step back as he stated this.
"I can help!" she said brightly, but just then, a voice rang out across the yard from the house.
"Maggi, honey! Come help me with the laundry!"
Maggi sighed with disappointment and called back: "Coming, Mother!" She then turned back to Roger, taking a map from her pocket. "Here, take this," she said, handing the map to Roger. "And try not to get so hopelessly lost!"
"Really? You're giving me this?" Roger asked in surprise as he accepted the map. "Thank you, but won't you need it?"
"Nah, I can always get another one," Maggi said with a smile. "Besides, I was due for a new one anyway. That one's last year's map, but it can still help you find your way."
"Well, I gotta go," Roger said, pocketing the map. "I hope we see each other again. Bye."
Maggi waved her hand as Roger walked away from her. "Don't be a stranger, bye!" she said brightly before turning and skipping off towards her house.
"Nice girl," Roger commented to himself. "Now to find something to eat. I'm hungry."
He walked down the road from Maggi's house into the village, where he spotted a pub and went inside.
As it was lunchtime, the pub was filled with people from all kinds of backgrounds. Roger made his way to the bar, where he met the bartender, a dalmatian guy in a bartending outfit.
"Hey, kid! What can I get ya?" The bartender greeted him while cleaning a mug of glass.
"Um, I'm not sure what you have. I don't see a menu." Roger said.
"The menu's right next to the napkin dispenser," the bartender said, gesturing to it.
Roger sat at the bar, took a menu, and began to read.
"I think I'll have… the chicken sandwich and a root beer."
"Alright, that'll be five dollyens," the bartender said, jotting Roger's order on a notepad.
"Oh, raspberries…" Roger groaned, placing a hand on his forehead. "I'm sorry, I forgot I didn't have any money."
The bartender's warm expression vanished from his face. "Then get out! No money, no service!"
Roger hung his head, looking sad and ashamed.
Just then, an adult fox in a trench coat waved to the bartender from his table in the corner.
"Hey, there's no need to send the boy away hungry." the fox said in a calm voice.
"But he ain't got no money!" the bartender protested.
"So?" said the stranger. "Put it on my tab. Unless you want me to spread the word that you are a heartless bartender who sends this poor boy away hungry."
"Now, now, Aiden. I don't want any trouble…" the bartender said nervously.
"Then let the boy eat! And don't worry about the money. I'll pay for it," the fox called Aiden said gruffly.
As the bartender went to pin Roger's order to the line, Roger turned around in his seat and looked over at Aiden.
"Thank you, sir," he said gratefully.
"No problem, kid," Aiden said, taking a sip of his drink. "Next time, don't forget yer lunch money." He then stood up from his table and walked out of the pub.
Roger watched him go with a feeling of puzzlement as his order arrived. For an odd reason, he considered following him, so he drank as much of his root beer as possible in one gulp, grabbed his sandwich, jumped down from his seat, and ran out of the pub after Aiden.
On the streets, Roger looked around, trying to locate Aiden, and spotted him walking out of the village and into a wooded area. He took off running in the direction of the wooded area. The density of the trees was such that Roger lost sight of Aiden ahead of him. He continued, following the path in which Aiden vanished from sight, hoping to sight him again once he reached that area.
He came across a small clearing, in the middle of which sat a lonely cabin. Roger approached the hut cautiously, taking small bites of his sandwich as he went. He edged closer and closer to the place until Aiden landed in front of him, having jumped down from a tree. Roger yelped in surprise, his mostly-eaten sandwich flew from his hand, and Aiden grabbed him to prevent him from falling back.
"What're ya doin' out here, boy?" Aiden asked. "Didn't yer folks tell you about trespassing?"
"I… I'm sorry!" Roger cried. "I was just curious…about how a guy like you lived."
"Well then, take a look," Aiden said, gesturing to the cabin, "It ain't much, but it's peaceful and quiet. It's home."
As Roger looked over at the cabin, he felt a sense of calm and familiarity toward both Aiden and the area.
"Mr. Aiden."
"Oh, please, call me Aiden!"
"Ok, Aiden… have we met somewhere before?" Roger asked.
Aiden's face downcasted. "No, I don't think so. I'm the last of my kind. Why do you ask?"
"I don't know," Roger said, frowning. "It's weird…but I feel I saw you somewhere else. But I don't recall where."
Aiden bent down to Roger's level and stared intensely into his eyes, making Roger uncomfortable.
"What are you…?" Roger started to ask, but Aiden cut in.
"No, you are not my kin. You're not my kind," Aiden said, looking saddened. "But you and I are similar."
"Really? How are we similar?" Roger asked.
"You mean you don't know?"
"Know what?"
Aiden was looking uncomfortable now. "Look, kid, I don't know if I should be telling you this."
"If you won't, who will?" Roger asked, sounding frustrated. "I have no one else to ask!"
"No folks?"
"I… I don't know. Someone picked me up from the streets, and later, I found I could do magic! I don't know what I am!"
"You were kidnapped?" Aiden asked, looking concerned. "And you escaped?"'
"Not… exactly…" Roger admitted slowly. "But I can handle myself!" he added with a tough-guy demeanor.
"Sure you can," Aiden scoffed. "You say you can do magic? Show me."
"Um, okay…what do you want me to do?" Roger asked.
"I dunno… Lit my fire pit for me," Aiden said, sounding like he just said the first thing that came to his mind, gesturing to his fire pit.
Roger looked nervous in that direction. "Um… if I do, will you promise not to burn me with it?"
Aiden stared at him as if he was shocked at such an idea. "Do I look like a witch-hunter?"
"Um, no…?" Roger said uncertainly. "You look like a hunter, but I can't tell what kind of hunter."
"I promise you, I don't hunt witches," Aiden said firmly. "Now, are you gonna light my fire pit, or are we gonna have an uncooked meal?"
"Fine, but didn't we just have lunch?"
"Aye, but a fire must be burning for a couple o' hours before it's hot enough to cook on," Aiden explained. "Haven't you ever been camping?"
"Yes, I have, but magical fires are hot enough the moment it gets conjured," Roger replied, then turned to the fire pit and pointed at it with a finger. "Incendio!"
A roaring fire erupted in the center of the pit, and to Aiden's surprise, it had the heat of a flame that had burnt for hours.
"You ain't kidding! Just listen to how the fire creeps," Aiden said, quite surprised. "And you didn't burn the house," he added sarcastically.
Roger and Aiden then sat down on logs in front of the fire pit, Aiden adding wood and stroking the fire with a poker.
"Did you always live like you were camping?" Roger asked curiously, watching Aiden tend to the fire.
"Pretty much," Aiden replied. "I was a wanderer before settling here, traveling from place to place. If you live like that, you must learn how to camp."
"With all that traveling, you must be good at reading maps," Roger said, pulling out the map Maggi gave him from his pocket. "Would you teach me how to read this and locate my position on the map?"
"Yeah, I can read maps," Aiden said, helping Roger spread the map between them. "See these numbers across the top and side of the map? Those are coordinates. Put yer finger on four-o-one the side of the map and five-four-nine on the top. Now, move yer finger across from the side and yer other fingers down from the top until yer fingers meet each other. And there we are, right here!"
"So, if I were to look for a place I want to go, would I need to do the same thing?" Roger asked in puzzlement. "How do you make sure you follow the right way?"
"Yeah, you will need to use coordinates to find where you are and where you want to go," Aiden replied. "If you're in a village, town, or city, look for street and road signs. They're all marked on the map. Find a sign, and then find them on the map. Like here," He pointed to a road on the map. "If you follow the Walter D. Road to the east, you'll end up at the castle of the Magic Kingdom."
For the next hour, Aiden taught Roger all the basics of navigation, telling him how to find places on the map and measure distances between them. As Aiden instructed him, Roger was under the impression that Aiden was thoroughly enjoying himself and Roger's company. And he patiently answered Roger's questions about various aspects of map-reading.
"Got all of that?" Aiden finished with a smile.
"Yeah, thank you for teaching me," Roger said gratefully.
"Just remember, a map won't stop you from getting lost," Aiden said in a tone of caution. "But it does make you less likely to get lost and less likely to stay lost."
"I'll keep that in mind," Roger said. "So, where are you from? What happened to your people?" he asked curiously.
"That…" Aiden let out a huge yawn, stretching his arms. "...is a story for another time. Now run along. It's time for my afternoon nap." He then bowed his head and closed his eyes. Roger watched as Aiden eased into a pleasant sleep.
"Okay, see ya later, Aiden," Roger said, looking disappointed. He got up and walked from the cabin.
Later, just outside the village, Roger sat down under the shade of a tree, unfolded the map that Maggi had given him, took what he learned from Aiden, and began studying it. He saw that it was a map of the world and a little handwritten circle drawn on the map told him that he was currently in Cobblestone Village. Which was in the Magic Kingdom region of Eleutheria. Aside from the Magic Kingdom, he saw that there were four other kingdoms and six territories. Five of those regions had a realm in each. The sixth region seemed to be mostly forest, labeled: Dark Forest.
The four other kingdoms were: Animal Kingdom, Epcot Kingdom, Typhoon Lagoon (the Water Kingdom), and Blizzard Beach (the Ice Kingdom).
"Wow, this place is so great!" Roger exclaimed, still studying the map. "All these places sound amazing, and I'd love to visit them. Maybe I should explore the rest of this Magic Kingdom. OW!" he gasped, clutching his arm, feeling a burning sensation there. He pushed back his sleeve and saw a glowing handprint on his arm. "What's this? Oh, Bruja," he said as he remembered how Bruja grabbed his arm. "What does this do?"
Instantly he found out what it did as he suddenly stood up and started to walk in the direction where the door to Drekmore was. He could not stop himself. His legs were moving against his will as if they were on autopilot. As he walked, he tried everything he could think about to halt himself. He struggled against his own body and even grabbed onto every branch and tree. It slowed him down but ultimately did not stop his autopilot legs.
"No, stop! I want to explore a little longer!" Roger cried as he struggled with himself. "I don't even have anything for Scar!"
As the door came into view, he realized that the only thing he had from this world to give to Scar was the map he had gotten from Maggi. He did not want to give up the map, but he knew he had to do it to avoid losing favor with Scar.
Roger pocketed the map and withdrew the small Book of Spells. He flipped through the pages, trying to locate a way to counter the spell affecting his body.
"Let's see… where's the cancel spell?" he muttered as he scanned each page. "Nothing… It's not here. Wait, this spell may help! The Doubling Charm!" He took a few moments to study the charm. He then withdrew his map and tried the Doubling Charm. "Geminio!"
The map in his hand glowed momentarily and multiplied by one, so Roger was now holding two maps. The second map was a perfect copy of the first.
"Wow, it worked! Now I have one to give and one to keep!" he said happily, pocketing one of them with his small spellbook and resuming studying the map. As his body made the journey back to the door on autopilot.
Soon, Roger found himself at the doorway leading back into Drekmore. The spell operating on Roger did not allow him to slow down or stop, and he crashed into the door. Despite the crash, his legs would not stop walking to the door. As a result, he bumped into the door three times before he pocketed his map, grabbed the doorknob, and opened the door, walking out into Drekmore.
As the door slammed behind him, the spell stopped operating on Roger's body, and he came to a halt. Looking around, he found Bruja standing there, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Well, what did you see there?" she demanded.
"It's a whole new world in there," Roger stated. "I saw all kinds of things."
"Did you find anything to bring back?" Bruja asked impatiently.
"I did," Roger replied.
"Well? Where is it?"
"It's still there where I found it."
Bruja raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you take it?"
"Oh, I don't know, maybe someone cursed me with a Resummon spell that forced me to abandon everything and come here," Roger stated, giving her a pointed look.
Bruja's nostrils flared with rage, but then she took a deep breath and spoke calmly: "Believe me, nothing would thrill me more than for you to go back into that world and never return like the rest of 'em. As for the Resummon spell I put on you, that was on Emperor Scar's orders. If you have a problem with that, you'll have to take it up with the big man himself."
"I think I'll pass on that," Roger said, terrified at the thought of confronting Scar about his orders.
"A wise decision," Bruja said, though she looked disappointed at the lack of foolishness in Roger. "Now go. The Emperor wishes to speak to you about your adventure over dinner in his quarters."
Roger looked surprised at her. "Really? I've never dined with the Emperor before. What should I wear?"
"A funeral suit will do," Bruja said coldly with a murderous glare.
Roger gave her a nervous look as he took it as his cue to flee from her presence.
Later in Roger's room, the closet door was wide open, all the drawers in the dresser were out, and the small number of clothes that Roger had was spreading out on his bed. He stood in front of the full-length mirror and examined how the clothes were mismatched.
"Ugh, no way!" Roger said to his reflection as he took his clothes off and changed into a magician's tuxedo before returning to the mirror. "Hmm, this is better, but I feel overdressed for dinner."
Suddenly, Magica De Spell appeared in his mirror, and Roger yelped in surprise.
"There you are! Why haven't you come for training today?" Magica demanded.
"Because they assigned me a scouting mission," Roger replied, happy Magica did not find him undressed when she appeared in his mirror. "Now I'm trying to decide what to wear to dinner with Emperor Scar."
Magica observed Roger's magician suit for a moment and then said: "Are you sure you want to go to dinner in that monkey suit?"
"Well… I do feel overdressed. Bruja suggested a funeral suit, but I thought that'd be depressing…." Roger said, frowning at the unhelpful advice he got from Bruja. "Can you help me out here? What should I wear?"
"Ugh, child, you are fretting over nothing!" Magica said, annoyed, holding the bridge of her beak. "Just be yourself. Scar doesn't care how you dress!"
"Okay, I'll just wear my regular clothes then," Roger said, selecting his usual outfit from the pile of clothes. "Uh… could you turn around or get out of my mirror while I change?"
Magica rolled her eyes and turned her back to Roger. "Remind me to teach you the Dressup Spell later."
Roger paused in the act of putting on one of his brown gloves. "There's a spell for that? I want to learn that!" He put on his cape. "Well, I better go, can't keep the Emperor waiting," he said as he left the room.
Roger arrived at the royal dining hall and was greeted by a tiny green ogre.
"Roggy, the Emperor's been expecting you," he said, rushing over to Roger with a step stool. "Allow me." Standing on the chair, he unfastened and removed Roger's cape."Now take your seat, and the Emperor will be with you momentarily."
"Thanks, Toadie," Roger said as he took his seat at the dining table and looked around. An emerald green chandelier hung over the table with a white tablecloth beneath a ham and chicken style feast. His stomach rumbled, and his mouth drooled just looking at it.
As Roger sat there, he looked around at the royal dining hall, taking in every detail of the room. Aside from the excellent plates in front of him and the emerald chandelier above him. Off the side, along the walls, were emerald-tinted windows with artworks of a kingdom engraved on them, and one of the windows had an image of a big rock. Roger stared at the windows with interest, wondering what these images in the windows represented. They looked nothing like any place he recognized.
Toadwart reappeared in the hall. "Emperor Scar is here!"
Roger respectfully stood up as Scar entered. The Emperor walked over to his chair at the table and sat down.
"Sit," he said to Roger with a down gesture of his hand. Roger sat, and Scar then pointed to Toadwart. "You, leave!"
"Yes, your Scariness!" Toadwart said as he scampered out of the hall.
"We needn't be bothered by that little pest, don't you agree?" Scar said to Roger.
"Um… I didn't mind, sir," Roger said. "But, if he bothers you, I don't mind his absence either."
Scar surveyed Roger for a moment before he spoke: "You have had a busy day today. What did you see beyond the door? What was it like?"
Roger looked over at Scar with a thoughtful expression. "I'm not sure I can put this world into words…and I think the little I saw was just the tip of the iceberg. It seems to be a magical world as I saw a centaur there."
"And?" Scar said, looking excited as he rose a little from his seat, leaning over the table.
"And then I came back to this world against my will," Roger said, trying not to sound accusatory. "For some reason, my legs carried me back here before I could find out more about this world."
Scar slumped back down in his seat, looking thoroughly disappointed. "Ah, that's too bad… did you at least bring anything back with you?"
"I did, sir," Roger said, withdrawing the map that Maggie had given him from his pocket. He laid the map on the table, waved his hand, and said: "Wingardium Leviosa!" The map rose off the table and, in the direction of Roger's hand gestures, flew over to Scar's end of the table and landed neatly on Scar's empty plate.
"Hm, I see you've been improving upon your magic. Well done." Scar praised him, picking up the map, and without unfolding it, he asked: "And…what is this?"
"It's a map of Eleutheria," Roger replied. "One of the locals gave it to me."
"How very thoughtful, and Eleutheria?" Scar asked with an arched eyebrow.
"It's what they call their world beyond the door, sir.
"Ah, I see," Scar unfolded the map and studied it. After a moment, the dark lion glanced back up at Roger. "You have done well, my boy. I shall make good use of this!"
"Thank you, sir," Roger said, looking pleased with himself.
Scar pocketed the map and stood up from his seat, and as he did so, Roger started to rise from his chair as well, but Scar held up a hand.
"You sit. I'll take my leave. Enjoy your meal." Scar said as he started to walk away from the table.
"You're not going to eat, sir?" Roger asked, looking slightly concerned as he sat back down.
"Oh, don't you worry about me. I have already eaten." Scar said calmly, "Now eat up before it gets cold and ends up at the ogres' dining hall."
"I will, thank you, sir!" Roger said as he looked in awe at the food in front of him, which consisted of an assortment of meats he couldn't recognize, a variety of bread, and dishes of fresh fruits and vegetables. Amid this feast stood out a soup familiar to him against all the other food on the table like a heavenly dish.
"A little bird told me you like chicken broth. I hope you like it alongside mutton." Scar chuckled. "A delicacy for you tonight."
"I'm honored," Roger replied as he picked some bread from the table. "You don't mind if I... ?"
"Go ahead and enjoy," Scar said in approval as he headed out of the dining hall as Roger pulled the chicken broth towards himself.
Scar departed the dining hall and walked down the corridor, stopping before a blank wall. He reached with his right hand and pulled a torch down like a lever, and the wall split open before him, revealing a spiral staircase that went downward. He stepped onto the first step, making it move slowly down like an escalator, and the walls closed behind him.
When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he stepped off them and walked into what looked like a war room. It was covered with maps and plans all over the walls.
Seated at the round table in the center of the room were three vulture-like silhouettes with glowing white evil-looking eyes.
"Gentlemen," Scar greeted them, holding up the map. "Our scout had returned with a valuable asset!" He then spread the map out on the table. "Behold, the map of Eleutheria!"
The vultures looked at one another. The shapes of their eyes suggested puzzlement.
"I'm sorry, the map of what?" one of the vultures asked.
"Oh right, you wouldn't know—Eleutheria is what they call their world in the Kiddie Zone." Scar explained.
"Excellent," one of them chuckled. "With this, we can now learn the layouts of that world and design plans accordingly. Tell us, what did this scout learn while he was there?"
Scar shrugged. "Not much. On account of having the Resummon spell placed upon him."
"No matter, when we next send him there, we will be better prepared for our goal, and soon, we shall unravel all the mysteries that will lead us into total control of all the worlds!"
Scar and the three vultures shared a moment of evil laughter before getting down to business in planning and plotting their next move.
Author's Note:
Thank you for reading the latest episode of D.A. Hearts!
Eleutheria is kind of this universe's Narnia. Let me know what you think of it so far.
This is the first episode following Roger, Cyclone Blaze's character, as well as the first episode exploring the villains' homebase. I hope you enjoyed this episode. Stay tuned for more!
Special thanks to my editor, Cyclone Blaze, he deserves a round of applause for his work on this episode as he struggles with challenges in his own real life. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers that he overcomes his challenges.