A/N: My Valentine's gift to you all - another chapter! Big thanks to my betas for helping me get it out today, which I wasn't aiming for in particular but was a pleasant coincidence.
Up and up and up Frazie climbed, each stone step carrying her closer to the top of the castle. Gradually. Sheesh, this staircase was longer than one of Vernon's stories...
But unlike his stories, the stairs did eventually end. Still long enough to leave even someone as athletic as her winded, she paused a few moments at the precipice to catch her breath before shoving open the door to the rooftop.
She was greeted by the shrill whistle of high-altitude winds alongside more of that droning voice she'd heard. The castle peak was rather bare, a large field of stone with a tower spire in each corner. It made it rather trivial to spot the floor's occupants.
One was your stereotypical medieval knight. Glimmering plate, a face-concealing helmet, and a sharp blade were all that protected them. They stood silent in the face of their opponent... because that foe was doing more than enough talking for the two of them.
They were taking up enough space for the two of them, too. Frazie couldn't miss them even if she tried. They weren't overly big... they were long. A massive yellow dragon took up half of the rooftop, its ears furry and droopy, its thick coils slinking back and forth like a shifting wall of scales before eventually spilling over the edge. Frazie dreaded to think just how much more of the beast lay hidden out of view.
The creature stood tall on two legs, ranting at the knight down below. Frazie's head slowly craned backwards to try and take in all of them. She squinted, double-taking at the creature's face. She recognized those eyes. That wide nose, now elongated into a snout. That mouth that never, ever seemed to close, now adorned with fangs.
Vernon. Or what he'd look like as a monster, at least.
She didn't think he was self-inserting again - well, he might be, but it'd be pretty unusual if he was. Though the creature looked like him, and rambled like him, it seemed a similar face was all they had in common.
The dragon didn't even seem to notice Frazie as she strolled into view, taking a spot next to the knight while the beast stood lost in monologue. "Whaaaat's going on here?" Frazie whispered to the person behind her hand.
Surprised, the knight's visor jerked her way, but they finally faced front again. "You shouldn't be here, lass... this is the Drag-on, corruptor of the caverns and a fearsome scourge upon this land. This fiend and I are slated for combat the moment he's had his say."
Frazie stroked her chin, humming. "I see. Juuuuust curious... how long's he been talking so far?"
The knight's helmet tipped up towards the sky to judge the sun. "I'd say... five hours now."
Frazie sighed, running her hand down her face. "And you're not just attacking while he's distracted because...?"
"What?! And besmirch the knight's code of honor? Shameful! Despicable"
"Of course. Silly me." Luckily for her, Frazie had no such code. Her only goal was to get this show on the road and hopefully show that all this exposition wasn't needed. If she could just get a word in edgewise, of course. Boldly, she stepped up closer to the beast.
"Halt, madam, desist!" the knight pleaded, but after all she'd learned the past couple days, she was far from a helpless maiden. Truthfully, she should've still been at least a bit afraid of such a gargantuan creature, but it was kinda hard to take it seriously with Vernon's mug plastered over its face.
Ignoring the knight's call, Frazie cupped her hands around her mouth. "Hey!" she yelled.
The Drag-on ignored her entirely, continuing to ramble on. "-lived here for centuries, far longer than you could ever comprehend, and I don't plan on changing that any time soon, so-"
Frazie tapped her foot. "Excuuuuse me?" she called again.
"-flames as hot as the sun... alright, maybe not that hot, but you're in serious trouble if you feel my fire breath. Furthermore-"
She pinched her brow. Alright, she needed to be a bit more direct. While the creature droned on and on, she sucked in a deeeeep breath...
"-you don't stand a single chance, fair knight! Many before you have tried, and just as many have fallen! There will be no remorse, no-"
"SHUT UP!"
"-pity, noh my goodness, now what in the ever-generous life-giving crystal caverns of Verdantiya just arrived in my home?"
Finally aware of its newest guest, the Drag-on lowered itself to her level, leering at her from beyond its massive snout. She tried not to be too intimidated by its sharp maw when it hovered right in front of her face. "Those useless guards. Who, exactly, are you?"
"Yeah, hi," Frazie greeted with a polite wave. "Sorry to interrupt, but... wait, no I'm not." She jabbed a finger right up against its scaly snout. "In fact, an interruption is just what this needs! I've been here two minutes and you're already putting me to sleep!"
The monster's eyes narrowed. "Is that so, whelp?"
"Yeah, it kinda is!" Frazie gestured to the knight, who gestured right back in a don't bring me into this fashion. "If your strategy is to bore your enemies to death, so be it, but where's the fun in that? If you're the strongest thing in this country, then you don't need words to back it up!"
The monster snorted with annoyance, blowing her hair back. "And what do you suggest?"
"You don't need to give your life's story, your strengths, your weaknesses, show them yourself! Can you just, I don't know, speed things up a little?"
For a moment, all was quiet. ...Then, the Drag-on's maw began to glow, curls of flame tickling the corners of its mouth. "Yes, I can!"
Before she could react, the beast flicked its head to the side and opened wide. A searing wave of flame spewed forth to swallow the knight whole, and all Frazie could do was gape in shock. A second later, nothing but a pile of ash was left.
The beast turned to her once more, rising up tall again. Swallowing nervously, Frazie backed up, a panic-laced grimace on her face. "Whoa, whoa, easy now. Let's take things back a step..."
"Oh, so now you want to slow things down?" The Drag-on steadily followed, dragging itself forward on its clawed paws. "Too late! We're doing this!"
Clearly the monster couldn't handle a little criticism.
Cursing her big mouth, Frazie readied her Psi-blasts. She fired first and she fired fast, ready to fight this thing off.
...And missed entirely. Somehow, someway, the Drag-on jerked itself and its entire body out of the line of fire the instant she let loose. She'd managed to miss a target that was even longer than Whispering Rock. A fluke, surely?
If it was, it was a very consistent fluke. She fired again, but the monster surged around her shots to get up close and personal. Startled, she lashed out with a psychic jab... but even that was casually knocked aside with a claw before it headbutted her.
"Ghhhhg...!" Frazie fell on her back, holding her aching nose. She stumbled back to her feet, only to jerk backwards when a claw sliced right where she'd been.
She kicked outwards, only to find herself tumbling when the Drag-on swerved and knocked her legs out from under her with its arm. Catching herself, she vaulted backwards, being greeted by a flurry of slashes when she landed on her feet.
"How-..." She dodged right. "Do you keep-..." She narrowly ducked under a swinging claw, retaliating with a Confusion grenade. "Cutting me off?!"
The monster laughed, easily knocking her projectile off the side of the building. "There's nothing you can do to touch me! You need to be observant to speak as long as I do. I'm aware of every small detail, plan for every contingency! There's not a single tidbit that escapes my sight!"
"What does that mean?!"
"It means I can predict every move you're going to make, fool! I can see all possibilities." Its mouth began to glow, the temperature rising rapidly. "But I don't need to look that far ahead to see you were doomed the moment you arrived!"
Yelping, Frazie threw up a Shield just in time to protect herself from a flame bath. While the fire warped around her, the air unbearably hot even while she was safe, she fretted. It saw every one of her attacks coming? Knew her strategies before even she did?
What did you do against an opponent that knew everything you were going to do?
And then it hit her.
She just had to have no idea what she was doing.
The flames died down, and so did her barrier. Her opponent dived at her again... but paused mid-step when she pulled out another grenade and held it close to her chest.
Even the Drag-on and its borderline omnipotence seemed perplexed about what she had planned. "What are you trying to do, human?"
Frazie answered with complete honesty. "I don't know!"
BANG!
It went off like a flashbang, throwing her thoughts into turmoil the instant it popped. Dizzy, she stumbled about, mumbling to herself. "WhOaAh... there was a dragon here a second ago...?"
The Drag-on could only ogle in complete bafflement, its eyes flicking back and forth in a desperate attempt to try and understand. Frazie was just stumbling about and attacking at random, punching air, flickering in and out of existence. Right now, all she was doing was making a fool of herself. "What the devil did you think this would accompl-"
A stray Psi-blast slammed right into its snout. "Oh! There he is! Hi!"
"Gah!" It was the Drag-on's turn to hold its sore nose. "How did you-" But before it could demand answers, its left ear suddenly burst into flames.
You'd think Frazie was crazy, the way she pirouetted while the monster howled and desperately shook the Pyrokinesis away. "Enough!" The Drag-on was on the attack again, rushing in to cleave her down. "You're just making yourself an easy target!"
Maybe she was... but she was also an unpredictable one. Its jaws gnashed as it bit down at her... right as she gracefully leapt to the side, then crouched down to huddle walk a bit. The creature would think she was mocking him if he didn't know she wasn't in her right mind at the moment.
It didn't make her antics any less enraging. Roaring, it tried to roast her again, only for the girl to leap high and float around in circles on her thought balloon. "Stop it! Stop it right now!" he demanded.
"I cAn'T sToP!" Frazie warbled, starting to conjure more Confusion grenades and toss them about willy nilly. "I'M THE PRETTIEST PRINCESS!"
The Drag-on bobbed to and fro, desperately trying to slither out of the way - to no avail. It had no way of knowing what she was doing, and neither did she. It writhed out of the way of one bomb, only to have another one go off right next to it.
It howled, clutching its head - just in time for Frazie to start coming back to her senses. She popped her bubble and fell back to the ground while the Drag-on huffed and raved. "What is this...?! So... hrrrrrgh... hard to think... but futile! My wisdom is infinite! It'll take more than one puny explosion to muddle my mighty mind!"
In response, Frazie conjured up another question mark and bounced it in her hand. "That can be arranged."
"You little-...!" She chucked it, catching the reptile off-guard. It roared again as it went off in its face - it wasn't out of its senses yet, but its omnipotence was getting a little hazy.
She'd have to keep the Confusion coming, though. If it wore off, she'd be in trouble. She could do it. She just had to pelt him, keep her distance, and... whaaaat was he doing?
The beast slid in a wide arc around her across the castle rooftop. She turned in place, keeping an eye on it, watching it coil around her in a solid circle. It looped on top of itself - once, twice - and still had tons of body left to work with.
It'd caged her with its coils. Thick, scaly walls blocked her path on all sides, leaving no chance of escape.
So much for keeping her distance.
"Alright... so this is how we're playing it." Keeping calm, Frazie loaded up another grenade. "Fine by me!"
Roaring, the Drag-on attacked again, its neck hanging down from above so it could bite at her again. Nonplussed, Frazie threw her grenade straight up and rolled out of the way.
All the monster got for his troubles was the explosive falling back down and popping atop his head. He groaned, trying to shake it off, only to be met with a psychic fist smashing his cheek.
Frazie hit him once, two, three times, tossing another grenade in his face for good measure. Staggered, the Drag-on groaned... then lashed out with a gout of flames, sweeping it across the ring.
She nimbly flipped over it, continuing her confusing assault while the monster flinched with each explosion. "N-no fair!" he stammered, his voice wavering. "There's three of you! Fight me one on one, you coward!"
He was losing coherence, but he wasn't done yet - if anything his mounting confusion was making him wild, frenzied, his attacks coming faster and harder. Frazie found it harder and harder to keep up and keep pelting him. She leapt away from another bite, falling back to an open spot...
Or so she thought. Frazie grunted when she collided with scales instead of stone. She looked up - her cage was smaller than before. Even when he was losing his grasp on his thoughts, the Drag-on was still coherent enough to slowly tighten its loops around her.
If she didn't get outta here, she was going to be crushed.
But how? The walls were high, and there was nothing to jump on. It was just her in here, and... the beast's dazed, groaning head.
Quickly putting two and two together, Frazie shoved off the wall and leapt. She landed atop the Drag-on's scalp and started running up its neck, making the beast groan. "You're going to give me a headache...! W-wait, where are you going? The floor is down there!"
His scales started to slide out from under her. Stumbling, Frazie kept climbing, even as the monster looped its head around to bite at her. She jumped, looking for a way down... but she couldn't just float to the ground with an angry dragon chasing her, no matter how confused it was.
Looks like she had to keep climbing. The Drag-on lashed at her again and she leapt, landing on its neck whenever it swooshed by her. It kept giving chase and she kept dodging and weaving, climbing ever so steadily towards the sky, tossing in more Confusion grenades whenever she got the chance.
Soon, the castle sat far, far below, the entire kingdom of Verdantiya spread out as far as the eye could see. The two of them were high in the sky when the Drag-on finally stopped its attack, eyes hazy, claws scratching its head. "W-where am I? WHO am I?" It tilted its head, trying to look at the strange human standing on its neck. "...Miss? Miss, do you know how to get back to the castle?"
Frazie grinned a wicked grin as the gears in her head turned. "You know what? Yeah, yeah I do." Jumping up one more time, she touched down on his head and knelt down, grabbing his ears. "Let me guide you."
Completely lost, the Drag-on just did as she asked, letting her tug its ears and direct its head downwards... straight down. "Let's go!"
The monster didn't fight back, simply diving where she directed it. The two of them fell faster and faster, plummeting like a meteor right back where they'd come from.
Back towards the very solid castle walls.
They sank together until the fort grew close and Frazie ejected herself. She caught a ride on her thought bubble and floated back down gently - her mount was less lucky. "Oh, there's the castle!" he cheered, just before impact.
SMASH!
He collided head-on with the bricks, a loud smack echoing across the hills as scales slammed into stone. Sharp cracks spread out around the impact, the bricks barely holding together. The monster's skull probably wasn't as lucky.
Frazie touched down in time to watch the Drag-on peel its face off the floor and groan, wobbling back and forth with a goofy grin. "OhHhHhH look, it's NAP time~..."
With one last weak groan, the monster slipped and tumbled off the castle like a mighty oak crashing down, wailing all the way down.
It took the rest of its body with it. Like a loose coil of rope, link after link of its body followed it down to the ground below. It kept falling, surely running out of length and fading into nothing eventually... any day now... yep...
Alright, it was gonna take awhile before the rest of the beast slid off the castle and disappeared, and Frazie didn't plan on sticking around to watch the whole thing. It was defeated, okay? Moving on.
While the Drag-on's scaly body kept tumbling over the edge in the background, Frazie turned to see that a way out had opened up. The same book that brought her here had materialized, cracking itself open, ready to escort her back to Vernon.
Dusting herself off, Frazie took one last look behind her at the still tumbling baddie before shrugging and diving back between the pages.
It was time to see if her 'editing' had paid off.
The calm campfire was a welcome sight after fighting for her life. An even more welcome sight? Vernon's plot threads and personal library of information finally rearranging themselves into proper order.
Books flew, rearranged by color, by theme, by name. His spools stepped in file from small to large, a properly configured array of palettes just waiting to be used. At long last, his hodgepodge storyteller's tools had been refined.
The instant everything slotted in place, the sagely Vernon's head jerked up, eyes wide. "I... just had the best idea."
"Oh?" Frazie watched him practically fall out of his seat fumbling to grab an armful of thread in one hand, a couple books in the other. "Your muse is back again?"
"And she's singing a different tune!" Vernon quickly got to work with his new set of tools. "I don't know if this will work... but I'm willing to try."
Curious, Frazie peeked over his shoulder to watch him work. The difference was like night and day. He worked with gusto and purpose, his loom constantly clacking as he pressed pedals and wrapped his string throughout his weave. The colors matched, the fabric was sturdy, and the pattern... wow. An intricate, almost lifelike representation of a dog and his boy.
But would it meet the audience's approval?
In no time at all, Vernon crafted his masterpiece, pulling it from the loom with an appraising gaze. "Yes, this just might work. Grab a seat! The show's about to begin."
"You've got it." Leaving him to prepare, Frazie took her place on her stump in the audience while Vernon stood right behind the campfire.
Once more he cast his tapestry into the sky, the fabric hanging in the air as its patterns began to shift. "I present to you... The Walk of a Lifetime: Remastered."
Frazie groaned quietly. He was still using the same story. Had she failed?
...No, no she hadn't. As Vernon launched into his old tale, it was clear his way of telling it was vastly different. Rather than reciting every single step and turn they took, it'd become a harrowing tale of two lifelong companions just wanting a simple stroll that became anything but. A swarm of bees chasing them out of the neighborhood... falling down a manhole and dislocating his arm... even a tense moment where his dog had run off by the time he managed to climb back out, leaving Vernon unsure if he'd ever see her again.
Their bond proved stronger than the pain, in the end, when his pet practically dragged a bystander down the street to come help him reset his arm back in his socket. The audience of ears listened in complete silence as the tale came to its conclusion.
"...And after all that, well, you'd best believe Lady had earned her bone."
As far as Frazie was concerned, it was a marked improvement over the absolute mess his work had been before. It was even, dare she say... enjoyable. It was the same story as before, but better in every way. Word choice. Focus. Details.
But did the others feel the same?
She got her answer when the ears began to applaud (without hands, somehow), the void filling up with their enthusiastic shouts. They loved it.
Proud of how far he'd come, Frazie stood up and joined in, clapping the hardest of them all.
Vernon seemed taken off-guard at first, their reaction entirely new and bewildering. Once their praise sank in, though, he grinned ear to ear, catching his tapestry and taking his bows. "Thank you, thank you. The true reward for a Storyteller is a tale well told, but your response makes it so much sweeter."
"...But I couldn't have done it alone." To her surprise, Vernon gestured her way. "I may have come up with the idea, but my helper's advice really made it shine."
Another round of applause stirred up, for Frazie this time. She hadn't expected him to share the spotlight, and being cheered on by a bunch of ears was kinda weird, but she smiled and curtsied all the same. It was just like the times people cheered her family on after a big performance... just, you know, with ears.
Vernon stepped up to her once the crowd finally died down. "I'd say this collaboration was a success. Thank you... perhaps we can do it again sometime?"
Frazie shrugged. "Maybe - you don't need me, though, if you remember what you've learned. But for now, I've got some more pressing matters to attend to." She pulled out her smelling salts, clutching the capsule in her fingers.
Vernon nodded, understanding. "Very well. I hope to see you in the audience again some day."
Anything was possible... in the real world. Speaking of - Frazie popped her capsule, the campfire's glow quickly fading away.
"...The end."
Frazie startled to attention right as Vernon finished up his story. She quickly plucked the little door from the back of his head with Telekinesis before he noticed.
Blissfully unaware, the boy sat back down and folded his hands while she snuck the portal back and stuck it in her pocket. "So... did that answer your questions?"
Frazie glanced to see how Lili was holding up... just to find the girl snoring softly, cheek in hand. She gave her friend a quick, sharp nudge with her elbow. "Gh...! Wha?" Lili jerked back awake, glancing around. "Er... yep. Probably. Maybe?"
Vernon's brow furrowed in confusion. Frazie held up a finger. "Oooone sec."
She leaned to the side to whisper to Lili. "Did you notice anything different while I was in there?"
"Not before my eyes shut. He bored me to sleep!" Lili snarked. After a second, she leaned in, squinting at Frazie's face. "Speaking of... you look like you could use some rest, too."
"Eh?" Frazie pulled at the corner of her eyes. She wasn't feeling too bad, but that'd been her third mental excursion of the day, and all this use of her powers was draining even if she was getting the hang of it. "I'm fine, just... his mind was a loooot more work than I thought it'd be." Dragon slaying... surviving a flood... paperwork. It'd been harrowing.
"I can imagine. I suddenly don't feel so bad about missing out on it." Silently, she slid her tray over to Frazie, some of her food still untouched. "Here. You need it more than me."
Now that was true friendship... giving up your leftover macaroni. Grateful, Frazie accepted it. "Thanks." Grabbing her utensils again, she looked Vernon's way, the slightest bit of dread in her stomach. "Sorry about that. Uhhh... we might've missed a detail or two. Would you mind repeating yourself...?"
Of course he wouldn't. If anything, he looked pleased to get the chance to talk again. "Oh, don't worry... a good story is like a spiderweb, each bit connecting together. Sometimes something gets stuck on the web, though. I'll help pull you out of it."
...Did he just compare her to a fly? Regardless, it was the moment of truth. Vernon sucked in a deep breath, and Frazie flinched, praying her efforts had changed his technique for the better.
The boy began. "One century ago, prospectors looking to strike it rich set up camp in a gulch nearby, here in Whispering Rock. Instead of gold and glory, though... they found Psitanium."
"They started mining it anyway, thinking it might be worth something, not knowing the effects the mineral has on the untrained mind. The camp grew into a town called Shaky Claim, and all was well at first - until the effects started to become apparent. It started slowly enough... one occupant became hysterical, and no one thought anything of it. Then another. Soon, more than half the town was raving mad. Eventually, the government caught wind, paid whoever was left to get out of there, and flooded the gorge to prevent people from going back. Thus, Lake Oblongata was born."
His voice dropped. "But one building survived. I've seen it with my own eyes." Vernon grabbed for a napkin, slowly unfolding it on the table. "When I was up on top of the mountain looking for it, I could see an old building far, far out in the distance. Hard to make out... but I could guess what it was. You see, they needed a place to put everyone with Psitanium poisoning, and so they built an asylum at the highest point in the town." He glanced back and forth, into both girls' eyes. "They called it Thorney Towers."
The name rang in Frazie's head like a bell. Thorney... Towers. "You don't think...?"
"I do think," Vernon replied, fishing in his pocket. "You mentioned a thorny tower, and that's the first thing I thought of. I don't know if that's what you dreamed about, but it sounds like a good match, right? Here..." He pulled out a crayon and started to scribble on the napkin. "I've got a mind like a steel trap. I can remember where it was. Just let me draw up a map..."
An asylum... was that where Loboto was hiding out? Where all the kids' brains were being stored? It was a lot of information to take in, and one thing stood out above all the rest. "Wow," Lili whispered. "I actually don't want to tear my ears off."
Frazie nodded, smirking. "Voice could use a little work, but it's a huge improvement."
"He didn't even stop to tell us what's on every island along the way. Incredible."
If only Vernon knew how much Frazie had helped him. But his assistance was thanks enough - a moment later, the boy offered them his map, crudely drawn, but legible. "There you are. If you'd like, I can sign it as well."
"Thaaaat won't be necessary," Frazie assured him, taking the paper and gingerly folding it. "But thanks for the help. And you know what? Great job adding some pizzazz. Whatever you did with that story, keep doing it."
Vernon's eyes seemed to light up, the boy smiling self-assuredly. "You think so? I just thought I'd try something new."
"Yeah!" Lili agreed. "Stick with this new style, because your old stories kinda suc-"
Frazie borrowed a page from Bobby's book and zipped her lips with Telekinesis. "Keep up the good work," she interjected, ignoring her friend's death glare and sticking the map in her pocket.
Beaming with pride, Vernon swiveled off his bench, standing up. "I will. In fact, I'll go round up some more campers to try this new technique on. They'll love it even more than usual."
Frazie almost choked on a forkful of noodles. She wasn't sure what was worse - knowing that Vernon likely wouldn't find anyone, or the idea of him wandering around while a monster was loose. She forced her food down, taking a quick swag from her milk carton. "Guh... actually! Vernon, why don't you just go try it out on the kids in the TV room? I'm sure they're dying for you to come back."
"Hmmmm. Perhaps." Vernon paused a moment to consider it... then shook his head, turning to the door. "Nah. The others will feel bad if they get left out."
"Wait, wait...!" Frazie held out a hand to stop him. "Look. Alright, I'll be honest. There's... something out there, stalking the kids, and they'll get you next if you go out in the open."
Vernon chuckled. "Please, Frazie, I'm the storyteller here."
Frazie sighed. "Look... please, just stay inside, alright?" Frazie shoveled one more bite in her mouth and got up, motioning for Lili to follow. "We need to go find Sasha and tell him about it. Just be careful, okay?"
After a minute, the boy shrugged. "As you wish."
"Good." Giving him a thumbs up, Frazie headed for the exit with Lili. "And seriously, good job!"
The duo left, leaving Vernon alone with infinite creative potential at his hands. For a few minutes, the boy waited in silence.
Then, he headed for the back door.
Was Frazie telling tall tales herself? Maybe, maybe not, he didn't really care either way. He was dying to get a big audience to try out his new linguistic style on. He'd be careful, and it'd be worth it.
And if something happened along the way... well, that would just be another amazing story to tell, right?
God damnit, Vernon.
With this world over and a route to the asylum secured, there's only a few small things left to do at camp. But how will the girls fare now that almost everyone's gone?
