Falling Water demanded another chapter, so I am trying to accomodate her
wishes. I've never written more than one chapter a day before....here
goes........
Having had quite a day, the five friends slept like rocks. Jaimie and Nicole shared a bed while Ashley and Cassie shared the other, since Abbe had insisted that she sleep on the floor. But the night was not meant to pass in peace. At about three in the morning, Cassie was awakened by a draft coming from the balcony. She looked up bleary eyed and all the breath left her body.
A stooped little figure draped in black stood before her. Although he was about half her size, the malice in his eyes told her that he was no one to be trifled with.
"Good morning fair Cascada," It rasped. There was a familiar note in the voice. A cocky note that had annoyed Cassie to no end.
"Knat!" She cried. Instantly, she was unable to speak. Something was stopping her. Some force. It was holding a baton to her throat, and if she had been any less open minded than she was, she would not have believed that fact that her voice had been stopped by some sort of magic.
"Now we'll have none of that," he cautioned. "and to answer your question, I am Knat Hale only by day. By night, I am loyal servant and lover to the all powerful Lord Darnoc. You know her as Mrs. Conrad. Cassie's eyes must have bugged, for Knat or Tank began to laugh. "Yes, you've been slaving for a dark sorceress for over six years! How do you feel?"
The loud voiced had awoken the rest of the party. Except for Abbe who could sleep through a nuclear explosion. Jaimie must have turned on the light, for brightness soon smarted All of their eyes. Including Tank who lowered his baton to rub his own eyes. Cassie used the first moment she had her voice back to scream bloody hell. This woke Abbe up.
"What the!" she cried. "Cassiekins are you ok? I dreamt Jaz cam into the room and...." Her voice was cut off too. The rest of the friends weren't saying too much either, so their voices had probably been eliminated.
If nothing else, somebody had heard Cassie's cry. Jaz came storming into the room, from the balcony. His room was right next to their's and he had climbed over the rail.
"Hey are you alright? Is Ashley okay? What the......Jaimie? Nicole?........" Boom, his voice was gone. Tank was grinning madly.
"It looks like I'll be travelling first class. Six people! My misstress will be pleased." He waved his baton, and they were all yanked to their feet, and had no control over their bodies as they walked single file out of the door.
Once they were outside, they had their voices back. And many questons needed to be answered.
"How did you force us to move like that?" Abbe asked. Tank laughed scathingly.
"You know those insane movements she does when she conducts crecendos? You didn"t think that was just for show did you?" Abbe stayed silent. "Every movement she does with this thing is stored in the core of the baton, and the energy from the movement can be expelled to control the movements of others.
"And the voice thing?" Jaimie asked.
"Same thing," Tank replied easily. "Sound. Key to music really. That's a more general thing, even you could make me shut up if you wanted to. If you could get ahold of the baton that is." Jaz was not for lack of trying, but almost before he had moved, his arms had snapped to his sides totally useless, and Tank was laughing again.
"What exactly do you intend for us?" Cassie asked timidly getting into the car.
"I am going to sell you into slavery, get money, go home, get the drum, come back, and take over the world."
"And how will a drum help you to take over the world?" Ashley asked sarcastically. Tank seemed to be losing his temper.
"Because it holds the ultimate power! The bass drum is what keeps the whole thing going! It is the most primal, the most ancient of beats, and it is desperately needed if Lord Darnoc is to achieve her goal to take over the whole music world!"
"And exactly why do you want to take over the world?" Abbe asked.
"THAT'S THE DUMBEST QUESTION I HAVE EVER HEARD!" Tank shouted. "Why do I want to take over the world??" he mimicked.
They were driving along now, Cassie unable to concentrate on anything but the little duckies on her jammie bottoms. She didn't know what the hell was going to happen to them, but so help her they would fight! A fierce power welled up inside her, and she realised that the instruments in this particular car had not been unloaded. Abbe, Ashley, and Cassie had put their instruments in this car. She smiled. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling that this nasty little sidekick would meet an untimely death, and evil lord whatever would fall.
Having had quite a day, the five friends slept like rocks. Jaimie and Nicole shared a bed while Ashley and Cassie shared the other, since Abbe had insisted that she sleep on the floor. But the night was not meant to pass in peace. At about three in the morning, Cassie was awakened by a draft coming from the balcony. She looked up bleary eyed and all the breath left her body.
A stooped little figure draped in black stood before her. Although he was about half her size, the malice in his eyes told her that he was no one to be trifled with.
"Good morning fair Cascada," It rasped. There was a familiar note in the voice. A cocky note that had annoyed Cassie to no end.
"Knat!" She cried. Instantly, she was unable to speak. Something was stopping her. Some force. It was holding a baton to her throat, and if she had been any less open minded than she was, she would not have believed that fact that her voice had been stopped by some sort of magic.
"Now we'll have none of that," he cautioned. "and to answer your question, I am Knat Hale only by day. By night, I am loyal servant and lover to the all powerful Lord Darnoc. You know her as Mrs. Conrad. Cassie's eyes must have bugged, for Knat or Tank began to laugh. "Yes, you've been slaving for a dark sorceress for over six years! How do you feel?"
The loud voiced had awoken the rest of the party. Except for Abbe who could sleep through a nuclear explosion. Jaimie must have turned on the light, for brightness soon smarted All of their eyes. Including Tank who lowered his baton to rub his own eyes. Cassie used the first moment she had her voice back to scream bloody hell. This woke Abbe up.
"What the!" she cried. "Cassiekins are you ok? I dreamt Jaz cam into the room and...." Her voice was cut off too. The rest of the friends weren't saying too much either, so their voices had probably been eliminated.
If nothing else, somebody had heard Cassie's cry. Jaz came storming into the room, from the balcony. His room was right next to their's and he had climbed over the rail.
"Hey are you alright? Is Ashley okay? What the......Jaimie? Nicole?........" Boom, his voice was gone. Tank was grinning madly.
"It looks like I'll be travelling first class. Six people! My misstress will be pleased." He waved his baton, and they were all yanked to their feet, and had no control over their bodies as they walked single file out of the door.
Once they were outside, they had their voices back. And many questons needed to be answered.
"How did you force us to move like that?" Abbe asked. Tank laughed scathingly.
"You know those insane movements she does when she conducts crecendos? You didn"t think that was just for show did you?" Abbe stayed silent. "Every movement she does with this thing is stored in the core of the baton, and the energy from the movement can be expelled to control the movements of others.
"And the voice thing?" Jaimie asked.
"Same thing," Tank replied easily. "Sound. Key to music really. That's a more general thing, even you could make me shut up if you wanted to. If you could get ahold of the baton that is." Jaz was not for lack of trying, but almost before he had moved, his arms had snapped to his sides totally useless, and Tank was laughing again.
"What exactly do you intend for us?" Cassie asked timidly getting into the car.
"I am going to sell you into slavery, get money, go home, get the drum, come back, and take over the world."
"And how will a drum help you to take over the world?" Ashley asked sarcastically. Tank seemed to be losing his temper.
"Because it holds the ultimate power! The bass drum is what keeps the whole thing going! It is the most primal, the most ancient of beats, and it is desperately needed if Lord Darnoc is to achieve her goal to take over the whole music world!"
"And exactly why do you want to take over the world?" Abbe asked.
"THAT'S THE DUMBEST QUESTION I HAVE EVER HEARD!" Tank shouted. "Why do I want to take over the world??" he mimicked.
They were driving along now, Cassie unable to concentrate on anything but the little duckies on her jammie bottoms. She didn't know what the hell was going to happen to them, but so help her they would fight! A fierce power welled up inside her, and she realised that the instruments in this particular car had not been unloaded. Abbe, Ashley, and Cassie had put their instruments in this car. She smiled. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling that this nasty little sidekick would meet an untimely death, and evil lord whatever would fall.