Drag
By Aislin Oriel & Kez Ramsey
Back at the castle, Miranda was nursing a multitude of minor injuries in one corner of the room while in the opposite Ceres sat doing the same. Emille sauntered in rather wobbly and took a seat in the nearest chair,
"What did . . . I miss?" She asked.
"Uh . ." Estell looked around, and gestured to the remnants of the room. "Well, you won your bet . . . you also lost it too, though."
"Ah, damn." The Queen looked distraught by the news, then just as quickly perked right up, "Oh well, who's up for another round of nectar?"
Estell cringed and Ceres groaned from her corner. Emille turned her sights to Miranda who as politely as she could, dismissed the offer for more moping.
"Well, then I guess it's all the more for me and you Shana. Shana?" Emille swung around, in her stupor and found no Shana where she once was, on the balcony.
Faintly, a small voice could be heard from that direction, "Help guys . . ."
"I hear voices!" Emille whispered back.
"No, really . . . I'm losing my strength . . ."
Estell groaned. "Oh please,"
"I'm getting weak, I'm going to fall! . . ."
Emille suddenly looked very reminiscent of a paranoid conspiracy theorist. Her eyes closed to become tight slits while her expression turned cold and calculating. "What is it you want? Are you here to overthrow me, steal Albert for your own?" she demanded, still whispering.
Estell chuckled to herself while Miranda and Ceres shared grimaces.
"Guys, this is serious . . . please . . . I don't want to die."
Miranda rolled her eyes and began the tedious task of picking herself up.
"Well, in such a case, there is only one thing I can do - " Estell declared, "I'll go get Dart and he can save you just like always." She stalked out the door, letting out a sigh of relief as she escaped the pandemonium of the 'girls night'.
'Ha ha, now I'm safe from that horrid nectar and no longer have to put up with that little snot.' Estell thought to herself as she headed out into the hallway. She vaguely felt some guilt for leaving Ceres behind, but quickly overcame that when an idea popped into her head.
"Maybe I should go find Ellis, he did seem quite lost earlier. The poor bloke has no sense of direction." It was quite true; he could be wandering around the village all day looking for the tavern, and end up at some remote house on the outskirts of Bale.
So, as a result of logical deduction, she decided the best course of action would be to start looking for some remote house on the outskirts of Bale. Estell wandered outside into the dimly lit atmosphere and got her bearings, trying to figure out just where the most remote location would be.
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. . . the belt, that usually kept his sword at his side, was the only thing keeping the mock-up toga on. Ellis' face contorted into a horrified, yet gaunt expression as Lloyd, grasped hold of it and flew upwards far out of reach. Inevitably, Ellis fell backwards on top of Albert and Dart, his garments sprawled everywhere except on him. (Save for a shred of the damned pettie coat that floated rather like a feather downwards, landing on part of Ellis that already had had too much public exposure in one night.)
Everyone scrambled to get away from the crash site but the silk blouse and a sudden scream of horror caused all to slip, slide and tumble rather unceremoniously into one large heap of masculinity, limping dignity and skin.
"You have GOT to be kidding me!" Estell yelled in outrage, "All this time I defended you, you, you, you SWINE!"
"What are you alls doin'?" Lloyd wondered, just for the sake of wondering.
The pile-o-men tried to collectively scramble to their feet, and away from each other, but that action instead resulted in the exact opposite occurrence. In the midst of the chaos, they became more like a human pretzel, made of clothes, lack of clothes and very perturbed guys.
"Oh my god . . ." Estell continued, running her hand across her brow exasperatedly. She turned so that she no longer faced the sight she had seen too many times in her nightmares. "I can't believe I lost the bet . . . " She did a 180 and pointed ferociously at Lloyd, "And you! Why not you! Why the hell not! Of all the things Ceres had to be right about . . ."
Lloyd was too busy giggling like a schoolgirl to notice.
"What bet?" Dart asked very curiously as he tried his best to escape the entanglement of comrades.
Lloyd suddenly hiccupped. "Mooo." He began giggling again.
"I get it." Estell turned back to the three men, "You gave him alcohol, didn't you? Din't you? Knowing very well we can't have it - you just wanted him out of the way so that you could - ah! I can't even say it! Pigs! Pigs, all of you!"
"Oink." Lloyd added.
"How . . . did this happen?" Albert asked from the bottom of the dog pile.
"No talking! You are a barn animal! Animals don't talk!" Estell shouted in anger.
"Now now -" Albert shut up as a dagger was hurled his way.
"And you!" Estell stormed over to the side of the supposed orgy, and glared disapprovingly at Ellis, avoiding the non-clothed portions, "You're like a brother to me! How could you do this - I mean I kind of suspected you were, well you know - but why would you go after my man!" she practically spat the last words.
"What?" Dart raised a clueless eyebrow.
"Oh, you'll get your turn! Just you wait." Her angry amber eyes flared at him.
"I'm afraid this is all a big mistake . . ." Ellis attempted to explain.
"Oh, you say that now. Trying to cover your ass as always huh Ellisandera? Whell, I'm not buying it. You can say it was a big mistake but you can't take back your actions!" she roared.
"Actions?" Dart queried. He took a gander at Ellis, then noted the precarious predicament, as he lay a little too close to his over-exposed comrade. "What actions?" He asked again, this time sounding more suspicious as he craned his neck away from Ellis' body. He chuckled out of nowhere and then turned to him again, "Your name is Ellisandera?"
Estell plucked Dart up from where he lay by the shoulders, "Over there, now!" she instructed. "You," she cast a finger in Ellis' direction, "get some damn clothes on!"
"The second time today, any other time it might be a good thing."
"Enough comments from you Al," Ellis remarked as he sat up and began to gather what was left of his sub-quality garments.
Estell marched over to where Dart stood, looking like someone waiting for his turn on the chopping block.
"Dart. Feld." she uttered bitterly, waiting for his excuse.
"Well, you see . . . um, it was just that -"
Estell suddenly, becoming bored with his voice, wreathed in flames, and swung around in one abrupt movement. She pulled her one dagger from the pebbly ground, which it was currently embedded in, and turned back around to face him.
"Ah! No, please, don't! I, I can explain Estell, please!" Dart cowered behind his own hands.
By that time, she had already sheathed it opposite her other one and walked off in an angry silence.
"I should get you naked more often," Lloyd bellowed from where he still hung suspended by his wings, in the air.
An abundance of convenience-projectiles came flying at him from three directions simultaneously. The buttons and belt fell from his hands as he tried to protect himself, sending them raining down on Ellis, Dart and Albert.
"Shut up, Lloyd!" Estell yelled from the distance.
"This is all your fault!" Ellis leapt up, clutching at his torn rags, draping them around him haphazardly.
"Whadda ya mean?" Lloyd questioned.
"Are you aware of what that Wingly can and will do to us?" Ellis began trying to swipe a hold of one of Lloyd's dangling feet to get his revenge.
"To you my good sir, to you . . ." Lloyd corrected, and did a hovering half-bow.
"Why you!" Ellis fumed, "Get down here you coward! Flying isn't fair!"
"I can fly?" Lloyd looked around and noted his whereabouts, "Hey, I can fly!" He paused, "Then why did I fall off that roof?"
"For crying out loud . . ." Albert began, standing up and dusting himself off.
"You lied to me!" Lloyd shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at Ellis who was still busy trying to devise a way to get him down.
"We have to get back to the castle before Estell does - what she thinks - she'll tell the entire city!" Albert said frantically.
Ellis and Albert looked to Dart for direction. There he sat in the dirt, brooding as he idly traced the sand with his hand.
"Deceiver!" Lloyd cried, breaking the awkward silence, "Anti-Savior!"
"Will you all get yourselves together!" Albert ordered, taking charge of the situation. "Dart, you're our leader, take some initiative."
"Initiative? What's the use?" Dart mumbled. Suddenly, as a thought hit him, he looked up to where Lloyd hovered in the air, "This is all because of you!" He stood and walked closer, "Even drunk you're still an asshole, Lloyd. It was an idiot's mistake, my mistake, to think you could ever be one of us!"
Ellis, as comical as he found the present situation to be, spoke in a serious tone, "Dart, calm down."
"Little violins are playing for you." Lloyd sang in mock-sympathy, while motioning to play an air-violin.
"Lloyd, shut your mouth." Albert commanded authoritatively. He took out his javelin and hooked it in Lloyd's belt, tugging it to pull him down.
Dart lunged as the Wingly slowly descended. Ellis intercepted the attack and caught a hold of Dart. The man struggled against the other, "Let me go! Ellis, I'm warning you!" Dart exclaimed furiously.
"He's not worth it." Albert offered as he finally brought Lloyd to the ground.
"Hey, mind who you speak of - you two-bit excuse for a monarch." The Wingly shot back, regaining some of his natural demeanor.
"You stay out of this before I fry you myself!" Ellis ordered.
Lloyd raised a defiant eyebrow but remained quiet.
Dart suddenly sprang forward, Ellis having been distracted. He shoved passed him and dived into Lloyd in a fit of rage. Albert dropped his javelin and pulled his friend off the Wingly.
"Dart, composure." Albert instructed, stern yet kindly.
"How uncouth." Lloyd gave a mocking glance at Dart and began snickering.
Dart gave a slight growl as he charged Lloyd yet again.
"Hold it there." Ellis grabbed him by the scruff of the shirt, and swung Dart beside him. Dart huffed and looked indignant.
"Last I checked, I was the drunken one. Yet I see I'm not the most easily excitable." Lloyd continued to taunt.
"You'd better sober up soon or you'll have no chance in hell when we let him at you." Ellis warned and pushed Lloyd over to Albert.
"Now let's get going." Albert insisted, trying to sway everyone's attention before another fight broke out.
"We know Estell's okay, so that probably means that either she and/or Ceres are responsible for the smouldering appearance of the castle." Ellis commented.
"Yes," Albert paused in thought, "that sounds reasonable."
"Well. c'mon then." Ellis hauled Dart forward and in front of him as they all started off. Dart mumbled something.
"Don't make me put you in a headlock."
"Let's see you try."
"This one's ever-confrontational." Lloyd bellowed.
"Direct it toward the right individual, Dart;" Albert suggested, "Once we get back to the castle, you can throttle him all you like. Just save it till then."
Dart huffed, but went along with Ellis persuading him forward.
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Well, due to an intergalatic incident and a bi-polar ref, the chess game resulted in a draw. So, Aislin and I still own our souls, but not much else. Just lovable Ellisendera . . . Anyways, please review and thanks for taking a gander. Cheers – k.ramsey