The Council of Game Masters
Despite their best efforts, the Loud Sisters were unable to free themselves from their captors' grips; as they dragged them into the large building. Upon entering, the girls were met with a surprising sight. Though the outside appeared old and near dilapidated; the inside however, was truly beautiful.
There were colorful flags hanging from the rafters, a medieval tapestry hanging on the back wall of the building, colorful banners were tied on the railings of the upper walkways and flowed across the air above their heads. Near the back of the building was a small stage, where a band of minstrels were seen performing. Behind this stage, the girls presumably spotted Flip (dressed as a medieval barkeep) serving drinks to everyone.
Small torches were screwed into the support beams but instead of fire, small candle flame light bulbs were fastened inside. Lastly, everyone looked at the back of the room and saw five empty thrones stationed there. In the Loud Sisters minds, they felt as though they've wandered into a medieval great hall.
But as surprising as the décor was, there were three specific things that truly got their attention. Firstly, everywhere they looked; they saw people dressed in all manner of odd outfits. There were Elves, Dwarves, Humans, Human-Elf hybrids, Human-Dragon hybrids and many other types of creatures.
Some of them were dressed in handmade/hand stitched outfits, others were dressed in...rather impressive armor pieces. But of course, there were those among all these people who were dressed in outfits made partially or completely out of cardboard pieces. The second odd sight they've noticed was that everyone wore either distinctly different hairstyles or facial hair styles.
Yet even while wearing these disguises, the girls couldn't help but think there was something...familiar about some of the people around them. Finally, the most astonishing thing they saw was the thing in the center of the room. At first looked like three large, rectangular tables with multiple chairs seated around them; nothing out of the ordinary.
But as Lynn got a closer look; she saw that these tables were topped with figurines, multi-sided die, pencils/pens, dry erase markers, charts and piles of books. The sight all these items filled Lynn with a sense of dread, which confused her sisters immensely. "Girls, I think I know where we are" she murmured in an uneasy tone, "we've got ourselves roped into..."
Before the wee jock could finish, the warrior holding her roughly shoved her head down into a bowing position. "Stifle thyself, wench" "he" growled firmly, "you have no right to trespass on the sacred grounds of Castle Greyhawk!" The girls couldn't help but stare aghast at the warrior, after hearing his words.
"Look, dude; we don't want any trouble" Luna murmured softly, "but this ain't no castle and you guys ain't no knights." Feeling understandably offended by the rocker's words, the knight was poised to discipline her accordingly. But then, whether by some blessing by Fate or a stroke of dumb luck, "his" hand halted inches away from "his" sword's hilt; when the musicians suddenly sounded off their trumpets with great fanfare.
Once this happened, the Loud Sisters watched as the people around them suddenly scattered about like startled hens. "What happened" murmured Leni confusedly, "did someone say the secret word?" As the other Loud Sisters prepared to mildly scold the blonde for her naivety, the knights holding them forced them onto their knees in a kneeling position.
"This is cruel punishment" shouted Lola, "I'll see to it that you all lose your shields for this!" But the knights remained undeterred, choosing only to remain silent, while bowing respectfully. "Okay, this is getting really weird...even for me" murmured Lucy, "just what exactly, are we bowing for?"
At first, one of the knights felt poised to snap at her. But upon remembering "his" code, "he" held "his" tongue and replied that the council was arriving soon. "It is they whom we look to within these walls for wisdom, guidance and justice" the second knight stated, "and it is they who shall decide your punishment, intruders."
This revealed caused the girls earlier bravado and defiant attitudes to slightly dampen. Whoever this council was; if they had such authority over this place, the girls felt they might be in trouble. Suddenly, the lights over the thrones switched on and five figures were seen coming through a door on the right side of them.
Each of these figures was dressed in beautiful robes. Yet each of them had a unique look (the first one being red, the second one was white with gold fabric on the hems, the third blue with stars etched into the fabric, the forth black with a white "V" shaped streak across the chest and the fifth one dressed in a black robe with long dragon designs stretching up the back.) Much to the girls' dismay; each of these figures' robes were hooded.
Thus, they were unable to see just who it was behind each of their hoods. Upon seeing the looks of these figures, Lucy became awestruck. She didn't know if these figures were sorcerers, wizards, warlocks or whatever; all that mattered was that she wanted to join them.
Leni was also in awe at these five strangers...but mainly because of the robes they were wearing. "OM GOSH, you guys" she cried, "those robes look super cool, do you think they have one in my size?" Alas, the only response she received was a stern growl from the knight holding her down.
"Be silent and keep your head down, wench" the one knight glowered, "you are not to speak until the Council allows it." Growing evermore frustrated by the warriors' attitudes, Lynn was mere seconds away from smashing her fist into his kneecap. When suddenly, up by the thrones; one of the council members suddenly slipped on the hem of their robe.
This caused the individual to fall forward, their hood cascading backwards while doing so. Once this happened, the Loud Sisters suddenly gasped with shock at the figure's true identity; Lynn Loud Sr. Just as he came close to slamming his head onto his throne, another council member quickly caught Lynn in their arms and dusted him off.
"Darn this robe of mine" he grumbled softly, "I knew I should've gotten this thing tailored properly, after the last session!" As the other three council members grumbled at how the slip up totally threw off the mood, the fourth helped clean up Lynn's robe. Meanwhile, the girls stared at the scene before them; appearing frozen with shock.
"What the...what's Dad doing here" Lori thought in her head, "and if he's part of this 'council,' then...who are the others?" Finally, Lynn's robe was all fixed up and each member of the council took their seats. Once they did, everyone in the hall slammed their fists upon their chests in salute and cried out "GLORY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVALONIS AND GLORY TO CASTLE GREYHAWK!"
The whole time this was happening, the girls looked at the crowd in bewilderment; wondering if they all lost their minds. Just then, the figure in the white and gold robe raised their hand and called for silence. The people in the hall followed suite and the room became so quiet, one could hear a moth's wings flapping.
Then; the figure suddenly burst out in a fit of uproarious laughter. Upon hearing it, Lori couldn't help but notice that the voice sounded almost...feminine. When the figure rose from her seat, she raised her arms high and smiled beneath her hood.
"Welcome, friends; welcome all" she cried with joy, "A HUNDRED THOUSAND WELCOMES!" The moment the figure said this, the crowd thanked her for her kind greeting and wished her the same. "I bid thee welcome, this night; noble champions" she said regally, "pray tell; have we any business to discuss, before we begin tonight's games?"
Five seconds after this was asked, what looked like an archer in a hooded robe raised his hand. "Ah, noble Alexi Long-Strider; the floor is yours" the hooded woman stated, "what business do you have to share?" Before answering, the individual known as Alexi rushed out the doors.
Upon his return, two minutes later; he wheeled in a large load of boxes atop a long platform hand truck. On this hand truck were boxes filled with soft drinks, snack foods, medical kits (in case "Flip" hurt himself while preparing food,) art kits and other supplies. "I have returned from the village of Great Lakes with supplies aplenty for our court" Alexi decreed, "behold; our stores be full, once again!"
The crowd cheered wildly for the archer's success and several "servants" began collecting the boxes from the hand truck. As the supplies were being put away properly, Alexi thanked the Council for letting him have the floor and took his place back amongst the crowd. "We thank you for this most generous bounty, Master Elf" the figure in black and white robe said gratefully, "have we anymore business to settle, before we may begin?"
The moment this question was asked, the girls suddenly found themselves being pushed out into the middle of the floor before the Council. "My Lords and Ladies, we found these maidens trespassing outside the castle walls" one of the armored warriors stated, "what do you wish to do with them?" Upon hearing this news, the Council Members growled softly under their breath and cast their gazes down at the Loud Sisters.
The girls in question found themselves feeling mixed emotions from their situation. On one hand, they feared for their lives and wondered if these strangers were planning to hurt them for trespassing. But on the other hand, some of them (like Lori, Luna or Lynn) believed this to be a dream...or some sort of elaborate prank.
In any case, they couldn't deny the twinge of fear that ran through them. The first to feel this was little Lily, who suddenly let out a mournful cry of distress. Afraid this would offend the group before them, Lori did her best to stifle the baby's cries.
But then; the figure in the white and gold robe suddenly shot up from her throne, rushed through the crowd and took the baby into her arms tenderly. "Shh! It's okay, honey; don't cry" the figure said sweetly, "Mommy's got you, Mommy's here." Lily sniffled slightly and, for a brief moment, her crying ceased.
Soon after, the figure drew back her hood; revealing the face of Rita Loud, the baby's mother. Upon seeing her face, Lily suddenly burst out in giggles; which helped put Rita's heart at ease. Meanwhile, the other nine Loud Sisters stared in utter disbelief at the scene; unsure of what to think or say.
Then, mere seconds after she had calmed Lily down; Rita cast a stern glance at the girls. This was a look that all the Loud Siblings were greatly familiar with. It was a stare that seemed to say "you're in deep doo-doo now, girls."
The Council of Game Masters
Despite their best efforts to fight back, the Loud Sisters were unable to get away from their captors; who had, now chosen to keep a firm grip on the ones they believed the most troublesome (namely Lori, Lynn and even Lola.) As a result; they, eventually relented and remained perfectly calm while they continued their way through a hallway in the strange building. The hallway in question was dark, dismal and (in Leni and Lola's eyes) in desperate need of a new paintjob.
Then, in the distance; they could see what looked like a grand doorway, which reminded Lola of something out of one of her fairy tales. Upon passing through the doors, the girls were welcomed by a sight so surprising that it even made Lucy's jaw drop...which rarely happened. While the outside of the building looked dilapidated; this room, which the warriors dubbed the "Great Hall," was a magnificent sight to behold.
The whole room looked like something out of the Middle Ages; there were beautiful flags hanging from the rafters, decorative banners hung up on the walls and railings of the upper walkways and on the stone pillars around them, the girls saw old school torches with candle-flame shaped bulbs bolted onto the stonework. Up ahead, Luna saw what looked like a small stage; where a band of minstrels appeared to be playing. At the same time; the rest of the Loud Sisters also thought they spotted Flip, dressed up as a medieval barkeep and serving refreshments to the minstrels.
Up in the distance, a tapestry hung up on the wall behind what looked like four empty thrones; which only further added to the olden days motif of the place. Despite however confused and (although Lynn wouldn't openly admit it) afraid they were about their current situation, the Loud Sisters couldn't deny that the place looked rustic...yet stylish. It was almost as if they had gone through some sort of time vortex the minute they opened the doors.
But as awe-inspiring as all of this was, what really got the girls' attention was the different types of people and creatures seen all around the room. There were wizards, knights, barbarians, dwarves, elves, human-elf hybrids, human-dragon hybrids and many more all around them. Some of these "creatures" were dressed in (what Leni considered) absolutely gorgeous outfits, which appeared to have all been handmade.
There were people dressed in corsets, others wearing fairy tale princess-style dresses, some people wearing extremely impressive looking pieces of body armor and others dressed in...basic pieces of cardboard armor (helmets, shields etc.) Another odd thing the girls noticed were all the beards the men and boys sported, some appearing unkempt/shaggy and others that were very well braided. Yet in spite of however impressive and well-made these outfits were, the girls couldn't help but sense something...familiar off of several people who passed them by.
Finally, there was one final astonishing sight to see in the room; three large rectangular tables that were spaced out slightly across the center. At first glance, the girls believed there was nothing out of the ordinary about this...at least, when compared to the rest of the room. But when Lynn managed to get a closer look, she saw something that caused her to go pale in the face with shock.
Atop each of these tables; she saw notebooks, pencils (both regular and colored), pens, dry erase markers, piles of graph paper, stacks of books and most "shocking" of all...multi-sided die and miniature figurines. All of this filled Lynn with a great sense of dread, while the others looked at both it and her with looks of pure confusion. When they finally got her attention and asked what was wrong, the poor girl utterly dreaded what she was about to say next.
"Girls, I think I know where we are right now" she grumbled softly, "we've just got ourselves roped into..." Before Lynn had the chance to finish, the warrior who stood behind her gripped the young jock in a tight wrist grip; quickly silencing her. "Stifle thyself, wench" "he" growled firmly, "you shall not speak unless spoken to directly!"
Not long after this, another one of the warriors proclaimed that the Loud Sisters would face severe punishment for trespassing on "the sacred grounds of Castle Greyhawk." Of course, as expected; this all caused the girls to gawk at their captors with a look of pure confusion plastered upon their faces. Finally, after she managed to come back to her senses; Luna cleared her throat and decided to try and speak in her siblings' defense.
"Look, dude; none of us wants any trouble from you guys" she murmured softly, "but this place ain't know castle and you guys certainly aren't any knights." Feeling understandably offended by such comments, one of the knights appeared ready to draw his sword and strike Luna down with it. But before he could so much as touch the hilt of his weapon, Fate (or dumb luck in Lynn's eyes) quickly intervened.
In an instant, the whole room suddenly echoed loudly with the sounds of trumpeting fanfare; causing everyone to suddenly stop what they were doing and turn towards the thrones. After that, the girls heard every one of these strange people chattering like startled hens in a chicken coop. Finally, they watched as the strangers suddenly fell down onto one knee and bow their heads low.
But before any of the Loud Sisters could so much as ask what was happening, the warriors behind them grabbed their shoulders and forced them into the same kneeling position as everyone else...which did not please them in the slightest. "THIS IS CRUEL AND UNUSAL PUNISHMENT" Lola shrieked with outrage, "I'll see to it that you so-called knights lose your shields for this!" Unfortunately for the wee pageant princess, her cries fell on deaf ears and the knights remained ever still in their kneeling positions.
"Okay...this is seriously getting weird, even for someone like me" Lucy murmured, much to her own surprise; "Just what exactly are all you guys kneeling for?" At first, one of the knights was poised to snap at her for speaking out of turn but decided against it; remembering that "his" code strictly forbade unjust behavior towards young ladies. Instead, the knight turned slightly and told Lucy that they were about to be in the presence of "the Council." "It is they whom we look to for guidance whilst in these halls, it is they who set upon Greyhawk's bylaws" explained another knight, "and it is they who shall decide your punishment, Outsiders!"
On the one hand, some small part of the Loud Sisters refused to believe any of what they've seen or heard up to now was real. But on the other; after hearing what the knights had just described to them, their earlier bravado and defiant behavior drastically dampened. In any case, whoever this "council" was to these people; the girls just knew that their disciplinary actions would be worse than their own parents.
Then, all of a sudden; some lights suddenly turned on over by the thrones before a spot light later shined down upon all four of them. Next, two door opened up from the left and right sides of the thrones; whereby a group of hooded figures soon entered the room. Each of these figures was dressed in beautiful, handmade robes; yet each of them had a unique and distinguished look of their own (the first one being red, the second one was white with gold fabric on the hems, the third blue with stars etched into the fabric, the forth black with a white "V" shaped streak across the chest and the fifth one dressed in a black robe with long dragon designs stretching up the back.)
Unfortunately for the girls; because these figures all had their hoods up, none of them could tell who was wearing them. However, the moment they both got a good look at the figures' cloaks; Leni, Lola and even Lucy couldn't help but gawk astounded. "I don't know if these guys are witches, warlocks or wizards underneath those hoods" thought the young Goth Girl, "all I know is...I wanna join them!"
As it turns out, Leni and Lola appeared just as awestruck as their Lucy was...but more so about the style of the Council's outfits. "OM GOSH, you guys" cried the young blonde giddily, "those robes looks so trendy...do you think they have any in my size at all?" Alas, the only response Leni got for this inquiry was a soft yet stern growl from one of the knights behind her.
"Be silent, wench and keep your head down" another one ordered firmly, "you are not to speak until the Council bids that you do so!" Growing evermore frustrated by the knights' attitudes and the treatment her sisters were receiving, Lynn was ready to put up a fight. Then, at that moment; the girls all heard something going on by the thrones.
Apparently, one of the Council members had accidentally stepped on the hem of their robe; which in turn caused them to lose balance and stumble forward. The resulting fall caused the figure's hood to fly back suddenly, thus revealing his true face to everyone...that of Lynn Loud Sr. Upon seeing this, the girls gasped loudly with shock and wondered what their father was doing in a place like this?
Meanwhile, Lynn Sr. was but seconds away from crashing face-first onto the floor...until a pair of slender arms suddenly caught him halfway down. After this other figure helped him back on his feet, they proceeded to dust off and smooth out his robe; all while reminding him to mind his steps while walking in it. "I know, honey...thanks for the save, by the way" Lynn sighed gratefully, "I should've taken your suggestion last week and had the tailors shorten the hem a little on these ding-dang robes!"
While everyone else muttered softly in embarrassment or mild frustration towards the Council for "breaking the illusion," the Loud Sisters simply stared in confusion; unsure of what to think, say or even feel about what was going on. Finally, after Lynn Sr.'s robe was tidied up; the Council reassumed their roles and each took their seats upon the thrones. Mere seconds later, the Sisters watched as everyone around them slammed their fists to their chests in salute to the five figures before them.
This was immediately followed up by them loudly shouting the phrase "GLORY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVALONIS AND GLORY TO CASTLE GREYHAWK" at the top of their lungs. Of course, the whole time this was happening; the Loud Sisters stared at the crowd in pure bewilderment...wondering if they had all somehow lost their minds. Just then, the figure dressed in a white and gold robe raised their hand and called for silence.
The people in the hall followed suite, stopped their cheering and the room suddenly became so quiet, one could hear a moth's wings flapping. Then, almost ten seconds later; this same figure threw their head back and fell into a fit of uproariously joyous laughter. Upon hearing it, Lori couldn't help but think that it all sounded...strangely feminine to her ears and she wondered just whose face was hiding beneath that hoodie.
She had little time to think on it, unfortunately; as the figure then threw their hands up in a gesture of greeting towards the crowd. "'Tis a grand pleasure, indeed to see us all gathered here within the castle; Lords, Ladies and gentlefolk of all kinds" they said merrily, "Welcome, friends; welcome all...A HUNDRED-THOUSAND WELCOMES!" The moment this was said, everyone else started extending a series of welcoming greetings to one another; which made the Loud Sisters feel...mildly uneasy, to say the least.
Then, another of the figures clapped their hands together and asked for everyone to take their seats. "I bid thee welcome, this night; noble champions" she said regally, "pray tell; have we any business to discuss, before we begin tonight's games?" Five seconds after this was asked, what looked like an archer in a hooded cloak raised his hand; catching everyone's attention (including the girls.)
"Ah, noble Alexi Long-Strider; the floor is yours" the hooded woman stated, "what business do you have to share?" Before answering, the individual known as Alexi rushed out the doors. Upon his return, two minutes later; he wheeled in what looked like a large load of boxes atop a long platform hand truck (the kind workers in supermarkets would use.)
On this particular hand truck were boxes filled with all manner soft drinks, snack foods, medical kits (in case "Flip" might hurt himself while preparing food,) art kits and various other supplies. When he got close enough to the thrones, the one called Alexi took a knee and bowed his head respectably. "Noble Council, I have returned from the city of the Great Lakes with supplies aplenty for our most noble court" he decreed proudly, "behold; our stores be full, once again!"
The crowd cheered wildly for the archer's success and then, the Council ordered several "servants" to start collecting the boxes from the hand truck. As the supplies were distributed accordingly, Alexi thanked the Council for letting him have the floor and took his place back amongst the crowd. "We thank you for this most generous bounty, Master Elf" the figure in black and white robe said gratefully, "now...have we anymore business to settle, before we may begin?"
The moment this question was brought up, the girls suddenly found themselves being pushed out into the middle of the floor before the Council. Then, they were forcefully brought into the same kneeling positions they assumed earlier; despite the likes of Lola and Leni complaining about their sore knees. "My Lords and Ladies, we found these maidens trespassing outside the castle walls" one of the armored warriors stated, "what do you wish to do with them?"
Upon hearing this news, the Council Members growled softly under their breath and cast their gazes down at the ten Loud Sisters; who suddenly found themselves quivering in their presence. Against their better judgment, they found themselves feeling mixed emotions from their current situation. On one hand, they feared for their lives and wondered if these strangers were planning to hurt them for trespassing.
But on the other hand, some of them (like Lori, Luna or Lynn) believed this to be a dream...or some sort of elaborate prank; possibly one conceived by Luan days prior. In any case, they couldn't deny the twinge of fear that ran through their veins right now. The first to feel this was little Lily, who suddenly let out a mournful cry of distress; which was normal for a baby to do in a time like this.
Afraid this would offend either the hooded figures or the crowd around her, Lori did her best to try and stifle the baby's cries. But try as she might, nothing seemed to calm little Lily's nerves; not a lullaby, not her favorite binky and not even the funniest of faces she could make. Then, at that moment; the figure dressed in the white and gold robe suddenly rushed forward and scooped Lily up in her arms.
Afterwards, they started rocking the littlest Loud tenderly in their arms; all while speaking to her in a tender (yet rather familiar) tone of voice. "Shh! It's okay, honey; don't cry" the figure said sweetly, "Mommy's got you...Mommy's got you, Mommy's here." Upon hearing the stranger's rather nurturing tone, Lily's cries slowly died down to little more than a sniffle.
Then, the figure drew back their hood to reveal the face of the baby's mother; Rita Loud. Upon seeing the figure's true face, Lily suddenly burst out in a fit of happy giggles; which helped put Rita's heart at ease. Meanwhile, the other nine Loud Sisters simply stared in utter disbelief at the scene; unsure of what to think or say.
Deep down, they assumed that since two of the hooded figures were their own parents; the girls thought they might be safe here. But then, after taking Lily into her arms; Rita faced her other daughters with a look of pure rage in her eyes. This aforementioned look alone gave the girls a pretty clear idea on what she was thinking...they were in very deep doo-doo, right now.
After a while, Rita clapped her hands high above her head; which caused a young man (who turned out to be Grant dressed in a tunic) to come running to her side. "Chamberlain, might you spare a moment or two to help care for my child" Rita requested, "I must contemplate on what to do with the intruders." The "chamberlain" bowed his head obediently, gently took Lily into his arms and brought her off to the side; where he helped keep her entertained for a spell.
Meanwhile, each member of the Council rose from their thrones, approached the Loud Sisters and cast their collective gazes down upon them angrily. During their approach; the remaining figures pulled back their hoods to reveal the faces of Principal Wilbur T. Huggins, Agnes Johnson and their grandfather, Albert (whom the girls affectionately dubbed "Pop-Pop.") With this reveal, the girls' felt their minds explode into bits of dust.
"Okay...this is literally too freaky for me to handle" Lori thought to herself, "what the heck are our parents, grandfather and two of my little brother's former teachers doing in this den of geeks?" The eldest Loud Sister had little time to contemplate on this matter further, unfortunately; as she suddenly heard her mother's voice faintly calling out her name. When her mind snapped back to reality, Lori came face-to-face with her mother's angry stare.
"Uh...heh-heh; hey, Mom" she chuckled sheepishly, "fancy seeing you and Dad here." The other sisters soon found themselves mimicking Lori's nervous chuckles and greetings, as they did their best to avoid their mother's angry gaze. Then, after what felt like an eternity of silence; Rita let out a calming breath and approached her eldest daughter.
"Lori, honey...sweetheart; it's nice to see you" she murmured through slightly clenched teeth, "but with the greatest possible amounts of restraint I have, I need to ask you something...what are you all doing here?!" Though her voice wasn't quite that loud, the sharp tone she used shook the girls to their collective core. "Yep...We are literally in the deepest of trouble, right now" Lori thought nervously, "I wonder what Mom and Dad will do once we tell them about Lisa's tracker?"
(AN: AND SO, THE TRUTH IS REVEALED...for the most part. But if their parents and grandpa are three of the four council members and Lincoln's teachers are the remaining two, who else do you think could be in this place? At the same time, what will become of the girls now and what did Rita mean by "let the games begin?
Tune in next time, to find out"
(Second AN: The phrase Rita used "a hundred thousand welcomes" is from a quote from William Shakespeare's Coriolanus. Keep a bright lookout; as the story goes on, you may see other characters using Shakespearean/Olde English dialect)
(Final AN: This is the second fanfic of mine to reference the real world Castle Farms events facility in Charlevoix, Michigan; the first one being Ace Savvy and the Full House Gang: Checkmate)