Chapter Eight. Surf's Up, Dude!
Mitchell, Sam and Vala made it to the bottom of the stairs and stopped dead in their tracks. Sam had seen drawings of dragons that artists had rendered, but since nobody had actually seen one, they were left pretty much up to the artist's imagination. From what she could see, this one looked a lot like the artwork she'd seen. It was dark, almost black and had to be about 40 feet long. The skin looked reptilian, like what lizards and snakes had, and she saw claws that were a good 18 inches long. They looked sharp enough to slice open it's prey in one swipe! When they got to the bottom of the steps, it lifted it's head and growled. It sounded like a Harley Davidson motorcycle, only louder, if possible! She got a look at Daniel and saw right away that he was in serious trouble. Mitchell looked around to make sure that there were no guards and then stepped into the chamber. Vala passed him and ran straight for Daniel.
"Daniel! We're here. We've come to get you out!"
Daniel almost cried with relief! "You made it! You got away! And, you brought help! If I could kiss you, I would!"
"There's no time like the present!" Vala gave him a quick one and then laughed at the expression on his face.
"Hey Mitchell, it's about time!" Daniel was a bit breathless from having his hands chained up so long above his head. He had started feeling lightheaded and was seeing spots in front of his eyes and wondered when this would be over. Now he had hope that he'd actually make it out alive!
Cam came right over and started examining the chains to see how to get them off.
"Yeah, well we had a little problem finding you but here you are. Is that the flying monkey?" He tilted his head toward the dragon.
"Yeah, Gorilla is more like it. That thing is huge! And hungry! Hurry up. The Witch said she'd be down to feed him in the morning and I'm on the breakfast menu. What time is it?"
"Just after 5. It'll be light soon. Don't worry, Dorothy, our Wizard, Teal'c has something planned that will keep her busy for a while."
"Yeah, well, I don't think that dragon cares what time it is. He's been staring at me all night and he's getting impatient."
The beast in question had sat up when they entered the room and was watching them, whining the whole time.
Vala was brushing the hair off Daniel's forehead and used a rag she found in the pocket on her dress to wipe the sweat and grime off his face.
Sam got her canteen out and Vala helped him drink. He was parched and dehydrated so it was a welcome relief.
"Hold on Darling. They're doing their best."
"I know. I just want to get out of here!" He winced, obviously in pain.
"Headache?"
"Yeah, among other things."
Sam said, "Hunger, dehydration and caffiene withdrawal. A great combination!" She smiled and said, "You'll be fine once we get you home."
Daniel closed his eyes and started counting backwards from 100. That was an old technique he'd taught himself in order to deal with Jack O'Neill. It never worked with Jack but maybe it would work here.
"Sam, can you figure out how to unhook these?" Cam had been examining the manacle on Daniel's left wrist while Sam was working on the right wrist. He'd never seen a locking device like this and really didn't want to cut Daniel's hands off to get him free.
"No. Never. But, give me a minute and maybe I can figure them out."
Daniel opened his eyes and watched the dragon, as it paced back and forth. It started bashing it's head against the bars.
"Sam... we might not have a minute." Daniel turned and looked at her with so much fear and exhaustion that Sam just wanted to hug him, but he was right. The Queen would be busy only for so long, and then she'd be coming for him. And the dragon was looking hungrier by the minute. She got out her tool pack and looked through it, selecting a little iron thing with a hook on the end of it. "Hold on. Let's see if this works."
Cam turned around and aimed his P-90 at the bars, just in case.
Sam twisted the tool into the lock mechanism and applied some pressure and suddenly, the manacle opened and Daniel's arm dropped. He hissed from the pain in his shoulder as Vala rubbed his forearm to get the circulation going.
"Oh, I'm sorry Daniel. I didn't mean for your arm to drop like that," Sam said.
"I know. Don't worry about it. Just keep working!"
He started to feel his fingertips tingling by the time Sam got the other arm loose, and she was ready this time and slowly lowered Daniel's arm to his side. Vala started rubbing his left arm as Sam worked on the locks at his feet. Within moments, they had him free and Sam checked him over to see if he was okay.
Meanwhile, the dragon noticed that his breakfast was about to make a hasty retreat and wasn't inclined to let it leave. It started growling louder and the bars of the cage were starting to come apart.
Cam yelled, "Party's Over. Let's Go!"
The group ran for the stairs as the hinges on the cage door started to fall inward. Daniel was weak but his adrenaline was working fine at keeping him up and moving! Vala tripped on the hem of her dress and almost caused the whole group to fall back down the stairs but Sam helped her up and they managed to keep going. Just as they reached the top, the dragon made it out of his cage and ran over to the stairway, roaring in outrage! His breakfast was getting away and he was one angry beast!
Cam yelled, "If he starts breathing flames, we're all toast!"
"That's a myth, Cam," Daniel yelled as they raced upwards. "Scientist theorized that dragons were actually dinosaurs and that they never breathed fire."
"Yeah, well I thought fairy tales were just stories too and look around, Jackson! Keep going! I don't want to find out the scientists were wrong!"
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A few hours had passed since the Queen had gone to her room for the night. She had slept for a while and now was in her night gown, sitting in a chair near the fire place having her hair brushed by her personal maid, when she heard explosions in the distance.
"What is that? Someone find out what is happening!"
One of her other maids went to the window and said, "Your Majesty, the village is on fire! It looks like the houses are blowing up!"
She ran to the window in time to see the night sky light up with another blast from the direction of the ironworks.
"Get down there and find out who is responsible for this and have them brought to me!" She went behind a screen with her personal maid's help, got dressed for the day.
The maids opened the doors only to find that the hall was waist deep in hot cereal and it started pouring into the Queen's chambers as soon as they opened the door.
The Queen started screaming and jumped up on top of the bed"Is that oatmeal? How is that possible? Hurry up and shut the doors!"
The maids tried to but the oatmeal was in the way and they couldn't do it. "We're trapped, your Majesty!"
"We can't be. Get down to the other doors and open them. I'll be right behind you!"
She had her other maids carry her in a chair as they waded through the mess toward the hall doors.
When they reached the second set of doors, they found that they wouldn't open. "They're locked, your Majesty! What should we do?"
"How should I know, you nits? Try breaking the door down! We have to get out of here!"
They pushed and pushed and with that and the combined weight of a few tons of cooked oatmeal, the door burst open, which caused the oatmeal to rush out of the hallway. Of course, that took the maids and the queen who was still sitting on her chair, right along with it.
Two guards who were on their way up the stairs heard a groaning sound and some screams and backed up, just in time to see the doors burst open and the whole sticky mess race towards them. They turned and ran down the spiral staircase with the hot oatmeal carrying along the Queen, riding a wave in hot pursuit (literally).
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SG-1 reached the landing where the Dwarfs were waiting and heard a loud commotion behind them in the stairway. Cam said, "I don't think the stairwell is big enough for the dragon to get through but let's get going, just in case.
"Wait a minute. I need to catch my breath!" Daniel was getting is strength back slowly but he still felt lightheaded.
"Have you had anything to eat?" Sam noticed that his face was pasty looking and he was sweating and shaking.
"Not since we had dinner at Lisel's the other night."
Sam opened a pocket on her vest and pulled out a meal bar, which she quickly unwrapped and handed to Daniel. He grabbed it and started to quickly eat it.
"Slow down, Daniel. You might get sick if you eat too fast."
The dragon was quiet but they could hear sniffing sounds coming from the stairwell. "Why does that thing remind me of a big dog," Cam asked.
"'Cause it acts like one," Daniel said. "And it this case his bite is worse than his bark. Let's get out of here." He had finished eating and didn't want wait around any longer.
"You guys go ahead, I'm going to look around and make sure we got everyone out.
They got about half way toward the exit when Daniel stopped. He turned to Sam and said, "We can't leave yet!"
"Daniel," Vala said, "Mitchell already went after the rest of the prisoners down here. He'll get them and we'll go."
"I know. But, what about the rest up in the castle? The Butcher and the Candlestick Maker. The Three Blind Mice! I'm sure there's more. We have to get them out, too!" Then he said, "I never thought I would say those words!"
"We can't risk it, Daniel," Sam said. "Hopefully, they'll make it out when they see what's happening! If you go up there, you risk all of us being caught."
"You're right." Daniel looked very upset as he paced back and forth.
Snow White stepped forward and said, "Your friend is right, Daniel. You can't go up there. Besides, our sources in the castle know that we were planning something. If they saw the rebellion start, they were to alert the others and get them out. I'm sure that by now, most of them have already left the castle."
"You're sure about this? You're not just saying that to keep me from going up there?" Daniel looked worn out from worry. He had circles under his eyes and his clothes were dirt covered and wrinkled.
"I'm sure. Believe me, if I wasn't, I would be the first one up those stairs. Those are my friends up there, you know? Now look, you're hurt. Let me use the healing device and fix you up."
"No, I'm fine."
Vala said, "Quit being stubborn Daniel. You need help."
"Okay." He didn't want all the attention but he might slow them down and get them all caught if he was moving slow because of his hurt.
"Sit down here on this bench for a minute." He did as he was told and she held the healing device over his shoulder for a few minutes. The object glowed orange and yellow and when she stopped, he looked down at his shoulder and then up at her. "Thanks. It's much better."
She smiled and then turned around and headed toward the exit.
Cinderella had come back into the hallway when she noticed that SG-1 was taking so long. She took one look at Daniel and even though he was covered with dirt, unshaven and looked very tired, she thought he was the most handsome man she'd ever seen. 'Forget Prince What's His Face! I'll take this guy!'
Vala noticed the look Cinderella was giving Daniel and tried to pull him towards the tunnel entrance. Cinderella grabbed ahold of Daniel's other arm and tried to keep him by her side.
"Look, Ladies! We don't have time for this! Let's talk about it later." Daniel was starting to feel like a wishbone! 'I can't believe this! What's gotten into these two?'
Sam grabbed Cinderella and led her out of the tunnel. "You! Stay out here!" Then she turned around and went back in to help.
Cinderella gave Sam a dirty look and decided she would just wait right there for Daniel to come out.
Meanwhile, some of the prisoners were coming down the tunnel. Cameron was carrying Hansel and Gretel and he handed them over to Daniel.
"These two weren't even locked up. They were sitting at a table grinding corn. Are you done with those keys, Sam? I can't get the other cell doors open."
Sam handed him the keys and he took off back toward the other cells.
Daniel carried the children out and Doc checked them over for injuries. They were all right so Doc told Bashful to take them to the clearing.
Cinderella walked up to Daniel and took his hand and said, "When all this is over, can we go somewhere quiet and talk?
"Umm. No, I'll be going back to earth and you'll stay here and marry your prince."
"Oh, I don't think so. He's boring! You're so much more handsome and exciting!"
"No, that's your destiny... you marry the prince and live happily ever after."
Cinderella pouted and then reached up, pulled Daniel to her and kissed him full on the mouth!
Daniel pulled away and said, "Stop That! We don't have time for this! Go sit over there be quiet!" He pointed to a spot by he path and then turned around and went back inside in time to help Little Red's grandmother down the passageway. She was moving kinda slow with her cane so he picked her up and carried her. "Excuse me! Excuse me," he said as he made his way outside through the crowd of freed prisoners. "Ms. White, will you make sure grandma is okay? I'm going back to help Cam with the others."
Snow White took grandma's arm and helped her sit down on the grass and checked her over. Except for her arthritis acting up, she was fine.
Daniel headed for the cells in another wing of the dungeon and found Henny Penny, The Goose that laid golden eggs, The Three Pigs (the wolf did catch them!) and the cow that Jack the Giant Killer traded for the magic beans. 'I guess this is the livestock wing.' He lifted the latch on the gate and let them all out.
As he was coming down the hall, Cam came up to him with Rapunzel, Pinocchio, and Jack the Giant Killer (who was glad to be reunited with his cow).
Vala reached for the goose and said, "Is this THE goose?"
"Yes," Daniel said, "And forget it, you can't keep it."
Vala pouted but preceded Daniel and Cam down the hall to the exit.
She thought, 'We'll just see about that!'
"That's the last of them," Cam said. We need to get them to the clearing as fast as possible. I don't know how long our luck will last."
They made it out of the tunnel and the whole group started up the hill. Cinderella was following close behind Daniel watching him as he went ahead. 'Nice view' she said to herself. Daniel felt like someone was watching him and turned around in time to see Cinderella smile. He moved up ahead and walked with Sam.
"I think we've got trouble! Cinderella has a crush on me and I don't know what to do."
"Oh, you poor man." Sam giggled. "Look, once we're through the gate, she'll probably forget all about you. I'm sure her prince is probably at the clearing. I thought I heard he was one of the slaves working the mines. Once they're reunited, everything will be fine."
"I hope you're right. I don't want to be responsible for breaking them up."
Sam just shook her head and smiled. 'What is it with Daniel and alien princesses?'