A Darkened Gummadoon Corridor
The slow plodding shuffle which sounded unnatural was not Ivori's first clue that something bad was coming. No. She and Sir Gori could smell the necrotic aroma of rotting flesh. Even then, she'd have stood there and let herself be found out but it was Sir Gori who recognized the coming threat and pulled her into an alcove before the risen dead plodded by.
Clamping her hands tightly over her mouth to stifle any give-away cry, her eyes stinging from the stench and the horror, Sir Gori's stern hand stayed firm on her shoulder to stay her in place as the rotting corpse shuffled by. It didn't even have both feet, nor could they tell if it had been a lady or a gentlebear, but the poor undead was most definitely gummi. Despite the sagging flesh and sloughed-off gray-green fur, the lack of eyes and nose, the skin rotted clean away from mouth and muzzle, it was.
It felt an eternity before the risen dead shambled off. But then Sir Gori was yanking her out of the alcove and pulling her along behind him. Such strength still from an old bear! She would have been amazed if she hadn't been terrified!
Reason began righting itself in her head as they ran. She thought more clearly. "The cubs!" she called out to Sir Gori.
"I know, Lady Ivori. We shall find them." But he did not stop. Not until the foul stench and shambling march of two more undead were found to block their path.
Sir Gori held up his walking cane like a sword, settled into a battle stance. "You must run, Lady Ivori. And I will not take no for an answer. Go." He swung at them with his cane but he hadn't the strength of his youth to follow through with enough force to damage or even knock one away.
They fell upon Sir Gori, grabbing at him and pulling him to the ground.
The whole of it was horrible, true, but she would NOT abandon the old bear to be crushed or torn apart by mindless dead things!
Lady Ivori grabbed the nearest vase - one of many which lined the halls of Gummadoon on hip-height pedestals - and hurled it at a zombie. It crashed into the thing, sent its head clean off and rolling down the hall. As that was the only weapon on hand and it shattered, she immediately started pulling at Sir Gori to get him to a stand, kicking the second ghoulish figure to force it to let go of him, and finally hauled the old retired knight to his feet.
"NOW we can go." she told him, helping him hobble along.
They only made it to the end of the hall.
The first ghoul, drawn by the sounds of commotion, returned.
Ivori looked at both avenues of escape, now blocked by a stinking undead gummi corpse a piece.
Taking to his own feet and shrugging off her assist, Sir Gori said, "I'll take this one. When I do, you run past it and get out."
"But... I can't-"
"You can and you will leave me here. Your job is to go find those cubs, get them out safely?"
Swallowing back any protests, she knew it would be their best chance.
Sir Gori readied himself to rush the nearest oncoming ghoul.
Lady Ivori readied to run past the thing.
Just as Sir Gori launched himself forward, the mindless undead's head was severed clean off with a sharp sword.
Lady Ivori gasped but not in shock. It was with extreme relief and that was the expression which settled on her face at the sight of Sir Ecri kicking the unmoving corpse over and gesturing for them to quickly follow him. If it hadn't seemed a bad time, she would have strangled him in a hug of gratitude. Instead, she just cheered in her head and hurried after the silent knight.
"Have you seen the cubs?" Ecri asked, breaking his silence.
"They're... exploring the old tunnels and passages. We had no idea an attack would come this soon or I'd never have let them leave, I swear."
Sir Ecri ignored her guilt and said as they marched on down the hall, "It may turn out better this way. The halls are flooded with undead. It may also be their only option. Do you know the way?"
Regrettably, neither did. Ivori and Gori shook their heads.
Sir Ecri held his sigh. So be it. They jogged on, slowed at a corner. He peeked around it, saw nothing blocking the way, and they hurried down. The western courtyard may yet be free of the vile things. He veered near a window to look out, see if anything ghoulish ambled outside. Nothing. That would be their point of retreat, and where they could take any they found along the way. For now, he must get Lady Ivori and Sir Gori to safety.
Unfortunately, the old retired knight winded easily and had to stop their rapid pace.
"Go... Leave me a weapon... and go. I'll only slow you down and there may still be good for me to do here. You know I am right, Sir Ecri." And the old knight pinned the younger with a no-backtalk stare.
Sir Ecri issued a quick nod, handed over his own sword, and pulled Lady Ivori along with him.
"But... Sir Gori. And... Sir Ecri, where are we going?"
"Western Courtyard. No undead there and if I can get you to safety-"
"Get me to safety?" She blinked on the young knight in surprise as he towed her along. It wasn't a rough towing either. Honestly, she thought he was acting rather gallantly. And singling her out like that...
"Of course. You... You're..." Sir Ecri was glad she couldn't see his face, he pulling her behind him, for a red tinge hit his cheeks unbidden. "Ahem... This way."
Truth be told, Ecri was feeling unquestionably energized and full of life. Amazing what could come from tragedy and horror. He just didn't want Lady Ivori to notice and think it had anything to do with her, even though he could not honestly say it didn't...
Sir Ecri had just paused to pull an ornamental spear from the wall when two more undead stumbled across them and attacked. The weapon made quick work of them but had to be abandoned in favor of hauling paws down a few levels and making their way out of the castle proper.
As they dashed by a string of windows, Lady Ivori called out, "Wait! I see them!"
That put a halt to their flight.
Sir Ecri followed her gaze out a window facing the western courtyard, he saw a group of cubs running as fast as they could, heading right to the forest. At first he thought it was Tavi but, squinting, he could see no glowy gold tint to the hair. It had to be Cubbi. The olive fur of Martinni stood out, as did the unmistakable coloration of Flynn, Morri, and Cori.
Western Courtyard, Gummadoon
"But," Martinni huffed at the pink-furred squire leading them. "why the heck... are we leaving?"
All of them running full-tilt across the courtyard, Cubbi wasn't letting up. "Just... Trust me, okay? I was told to get outta Gummadoon an' after I ran inta you guys, I had to make sure you got out, too. And, heck, maybe we can see more from a safe distance and come up with a plan but I'm tellin' ya it isn't safe! So, just... c'mon!"
"Co'vi..." Cori whined pitifully, looking back toward the castle proper as he was carried on Martinni's back.
Martinni groaned irritable. Sometimes being the tallest of his age group was NOT fun. "Corvi told us to go look through the tunnels and we did, Cori. Now we're followin' Cubbi. Dunno where yet, but that's what we're doin' so no complainin', okay?" Better to sound like an adult and talk Cori out of whining than be a whiner himself. That was his thought process anyway.
"No! NO!"
That yell, echoing through the courtyard, came from much higher up. It came from Blastus. They'd know that voice anywhere and yet... He sounded so scared! Cubbi paused their onward dash, glanced at Martin and Flynn. "Look, you guys go on ahead. Get these little kids to safety an' I'll meet up with ya in a minute. I gotta go see."
"O-okay, Cubbi." Flynn took Morri's hand so he couldn't resist.
Resist he did. "But I wanna help!"
Cubbi sighed. "Look, I don't know what I'm gonna find over there. You gotta stay with your little brother and watch for Corvi. Maybe he'll come out the way we did, too, okay?"
Flynn didn't give Morri a chance to argue. He'd already taken Cori from Martinni and they were off like a shot. Martin, however...
"No way are you going alone." And he ran towards the yelling.
Growling his own sigh, Cubbi chased after him.
Gummadoon Battlement, North Quadrant
With devilish glee, Emi magically towed her captive knights mercilessly through hallways which scraped and up stairs which battered them as they could not move even a pinky. They were squished around corners and jostled until they finally emerged out into open air and the main castle parapet. The air hung moist and dank with the stench of earth and old death and settled the knights not a tick. It in fact put them further on edge, especially as Emi dragged them right to the edge. Oh, how they struggled and tried to kick or brace themselves before being thrown over but they could not move an inch.
Chuckling at their vain efforts, Emi grinned. "Oh, you don't expect me to kill you THAT quickly, do you? After locking me away for nearly a thousand years? Come now. Your suffering must at least TRY to match my own. For example..."
Yanking Sirs Plucki, Blastus, and Gumlittle to one of the crenels so they could view straight down, Emi smirked. "Just wait. I'm sure any moment now, your brat squires will be- Ah, there, you see?" She could have pointed but there was no need. It was easy to see tall Corvi still holding onto Sunni's hand as they ran across the fields, dodging the emptied, hallowed graves of the cemetery where her new army had recently emerged.
"So... Which shall it be, eh?" Emi sauntered over to the trio of knights. "The meddlesome Gummadoon teen or the meddlesome Gummi Glen teen? I owe so much to both warren and city. Perhaps I'll make you choose."
Some of the undead which had followed them up to be of assistance had been buried wearing whatever befit their station. A few even bore weapons which they currently would not take up unless instructed individually to do so. Emi beckoned one near bearing a bow and quiver. She collected the archery implements and then eyed the three main knights. "Let's start off with you."
Emi ripped Sir Blastus away from his brothers-in-arms and took complete control of his body, having him take up a stance to fire at one of the crenels. She put the bow in his hands, gave him an arrow, forced his body to knock it, pull back, take aim at Sunni.
"No! NO!" Sir Blastus yelled, for Emi left him control of his mouth if only to delight in hearing his soul break.
"Stop this! Let him go!" roared Gumlittle, still struggling against Emi's magic hold.
Outer Gummadoon
Corvi froze in his tracks as the yells of his mentors filtered down from high above. Up, up his eyes searched until they caught sight of Sir Blastus at one of the battlement's crenels, Sir Plucki and Sir Gumlittle at another, and Emi at a third.
It was the Glen girl who shouted at him. "He's pointing his arrow at you! RUN!" and she began tugging at him.
A new voice joined in, calling out, "Guys! Wait up!"
They turned, saw Toni racing toward them.
Gummadoon Halls
Dashing up a back flight of stairs along the outside of the castle, she pushed her legs faster, sucked in air and told herself she could not be winded. She must get to him. She must find her son!
Karleni had known something was wrong, even before the chaos and shouting erupted. Call it a mother's instinct or paranoia after the horrors she'd already been through but she simply knew something was off. The problem was that she had no idea where her son might be! So she was searching, looking. He loved being outdoors so much... At least, she thought she remembered that's what he liked. Oh, how that witch had nearly destroyed her family, had damaged her relationship with her poor son! And now that Emi creature was loose, was here! She had to find Antonius. She had to!
Screams from the battlements startled her briefly. Not just that they were screams but that they came from the mouths of Sir Plucki, Sir Gumlittle, and Sir Blastus.
Karleni hurried to the top of the stairs, took the slim parapet walkway, rounded a tower and up another flight of outer wall stairs and there they were, and there was Emi. The knights were yelling frantically at her.
"Take your revenge on us, witch!" Sir Plucki goaded Emi. "WE imprisoned you. WE caught you."
Emi snorted derisively at Plucki but it did pause her action of forcing Sir Blastus. "Do you think I have learned nothing during my imprisonment? Better yet, I learned this during my initial siege on gummidom: You simpering bears value your children more than anything else, even your own lives. What better way to break you than to have you shoot your own children down." And she leaned over the edge, glancing at something far below.
The talk of harming cubs, the fact that Sir Blastus had an arrow knocked and drawn...
Karleni did not think beyond tearing forward as fast as she could. She rammed right into Sir Blastus, hoping not to harm him but hoping her force was enough. The arrow let fly, everyone watched as it hit not Corvi or Sunni but- to Karleni's horror - Toni. It just barely knicked the side of his head above his right ear but that was enough to knock the dark-blue-furred cub to the ground and out.
Emi, her plan to break the knights thwarted, whirled on the intruder.
Karleni was barely aware of Emi's fury as she was magically lifted into the air, floated over the parapet, and released to plummet to her death. Her last thought before the grisly impact was at least her son was spared the sight of her dying, and at least she'd done some good by him.
The falling body, the crunch and squish as it hit the cobbles below, left the cubs froze.
"Run, you guys!" another panicked voice joined into the fray. Cubbi, along with Martinni, charged onto the scene. Cubbi and Martinni shouldered Toni's weight and all of them ran as fast as they could into the forest
"No!" shrieked Emi, immediately willing her undead army to follow. "To the Glen! That's where that pink brat will flee! Search the blasted place! Tear it down if you must but FIND those cubs!"
Western Courtyard, Gummadoon
By the time he and Lady Ivori had reached the courtyard, a dozen or so shambling undead had taken it over. He had no choice but to hide himself and Lady Ivori, pressing themselves tight to the edge of a wall lest they be caught. Her rapid breath in his ear centered him, focused his mind. Patience. There will be a way. Patience... Something must have happened to draw them out. The mindless minions were heading into the forest, joined by countless other risen deceased. His eyes scanned the forest edge. He thought he caught a bit of brown fur with flickers of gold fur trailing behind through the trees... Flynn, Cori and Morri. But they had to be patient, let the undead move past. He knew he could not defeat them all and they were not headed toward those fleeing cubs. They were headed toward the north.
Western Lorath Woods
It felt like they'd been travelling for two days. It was so hard to tell where they were going in all the fog but Sarrani clung to Sir Timothi's arm as they waded through the mist.
Sensing her disquiet, Tim patted his fiance's arm. "I have excellent sense of direction. Don't worry. I'll get us back to Gummadoon."
That last word was spoken as he stepped in a gopher hole, making him studder and jump an octave or two.
Despite herself, Sarrani grinned. He was so cute when he was clumsy.
Lorath Woods
Not very often did old Healer Huckleberri leave the comfort of his home to search for herbs and other medicinals growing in the nearby forest but, lately, there'd been less young folk around to do it for him and his back was giving him more issue than his knees so out he went, basket in hand.
It was oddly quiet when he started out and the air smelled funny. At one point he thought he heard something far off but his ears sometimes played tricks on him in his advanced years. But not his eyes. Never that. At least not yet.
So it was quite odd to catch sight of a collection of squires and a yellow gummi girl running by as fast as they could. Two of them were carrying a third and he recognized the lot of them instantly. Now, what would have them tearing off into the forest at this hour? Oh, he'd heard rumor of Emi but hadn't taken stock in it. Was it really that? Were they off pulling a prank or having fun? Well, only one way to find out.
North Lorath Woods
Cubbi, heart racing but his legs starting to wear down after so little time to rest before immediately jumping into danger, had to stop. Yeah, he was tired, but also Toni was heavy! "Guys... I know we gotta keep moving. Can-"
Corvi beat him to his thoughts and picked up the smaller Toni easily. "Where to? I... Well, since Gummadoon got refoundationed, I haven't had time to explore out here. This is your turf, Glens." He'd already been following Sunni who led them unburdened. Cubbi had been in the back with Martin, lugging the still-unconscious Toni. Corvi was secretly glad Toni was out of it. He didn't wanna be the one to tell him what happened to his mother, even if he was the oldest present...
Sunni looked unsure but Cubbi spoke up confidently. "Well, we absolutely cannot go back to Gummi Glen but... I know a place where they can't find us. Follow me."
Lady Bane's Castle
Lady Bane was uncharacteristically silent the whole trip to her castle, completely different than her pesterings on the way there when they were looking for old Emi information. Lucki figured she was either trying to conserve her strength to make a push for control of his body or she was biding her time to let a trap loose on them when they got inside. It was too much to hope for that the witch would just capitulate and let them return her to her body peacefully. With Lady Bane, it was always gonna be a fight.
When they came to the raised drawbridge, Lucki looked to his sister before addressing the witch inside him. "Okay, how do we get in?"
You can always do it the same way you did before. the human sorceress commented snidely.
"How'd you guys get in before?"
Lucki replied to his sister's query, "The hard way. What happens if we just walk in, Lady Bane? Can't you just yell at the troggles or give them a secret pass word to leave us alone?"
Lady Bane snagged back the mouth to snap, "How ridiculous! If it isn't me, no one is allowed in. There are no exceptions, ever. My troggles know to disobey that command is to wind up being invited to the pot served for dinner."
"Would you seriously eat your servants?" Lucki asked, disgusted and shocked.
"I don't know. I might. Haven't had the chance to try one of the creatures yet. Who knows. They may taste delicious." It seemed very unlikely to her that such unrefined things would taste good at all but it made her smirk to suggest the notion to the horrified brat.
Tavi, tired of their talking, tired of that witch inhabiting her brother's body, thought up a solution and willed it into being: a bridge made of glowing energy. "There. Let's cross."
"And how do you propose we get in, little sorceress?" Lady Bane goaded, using her brother's voice.
Gritting her teeth at the witch's jibe, Tavi stared at the smooth stones comprising the tall castle wall. She traced an arch with one finger, which immediately lit up with a gold light as if cut through. The wall section within that arch then pulled away and they had their entrance.
Before Lady Bane could screech about her castle being maimed, Tavi replaced the section of wall. "See? Easy. Now, where's your body? I wanna get outta here and back as soon as we can."
The witch could only marvel at the power the young wizardess displayed after presumably no tutelage on the subject of magic. Such raw talent and power... She must find a way to seize it. She must delay, must get to her spell books, must try and possess the sister as quickly as she could. "This way. It should be the fastest route and avoid the most troggles."