"To the Waterfall Cavern"
I do not own Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King. It'd be pretty hard to own it fully wouldn't it? I mean, you'd have to get a cage to put the graphic programmers to work in, have to lock some writers in the attic (cuz writing is best when it's done in smelly, cramped conditions), somehow track down Mr.DragonBall manga artist then force him to draw the original characters, find Mr. Horii and defeat his slime form, and collect all the voice actors and treat them to tea and crumpets (oh and this has always confused me, what are crumpets? You'd have to them, whatever they are, cuz about all the Dragon Quest 8 voice actors are from Britain, and aren't crumpets the national food there? Crumply biscuits mayhap?). ANYWAYS,(hangs head in shame) when my jokes get as lame as this intro please inform me of such so I'll shut up. (sigh) It's hard to do a DragonQuest fanfic in good humors, I'm too nervous over messing it up. But since there are hardly in DragonQuest fanfic REVIEWERS (coughs spastically) I guess I won't ever know if I mess up or not cuz no one will tell me. Must somehow spread Dragon Quest fandom... ANYWAYS, guess who's late for the update but still in the chapter's gate? That's right it's the nearly shrink-le-pinked DragonQuester. High fives, everybody! Like the saying goes, for every high-five you give, there's a teenage not cutting the widdle artery in their wrist with a shiv (seriously, give me a high-five, you'll save may friends' lives). ANYWAYS, hope all nineteen or less of you enjoyed chapter one. Or at least attempted to read it but found it impossible because of me poor writing skill ( I noticed someone else put a similar abridgment of DragonQuest up... I'M OUTTA THE BUSINESS BEFORE I EVEN GET STARTED! Sob). Well, as long as the first chapter got hits (100, random note: 58 hits for intro chapter, minus 16 of that for first story chapter. I scared sixteen people with my into? Wow, I don't know whether to feel proud or ashamed). ANYWAYS, sorry this chapter is late, but I had to deal with school exams for two weeks. AND I GOT HAPPY NEWS! 96 ON MY PRE-AP BIO EXAM! FREAKING SCORE BANANAS! And I didn't even study for that test! I was resigned to fail it! By the pure luck of the German/Native American/maybe a little French blood in me I got an A on that exam. YAY! Wasn't it worth waiting three or four or five or six weeks for this chapter just to see the happiness of a little girl's accomplishment? Oh, I guess I could have finished this chapter during the weekends, but I was too busy being depressed over my LA exam grade... and my math and geography exam grades (don't, freaking, ask). And not to mention, exams didn't slow down the workload any. Then I gots sick AGAIN cuz the weather in this certain state I am living in is HORRIBLE. Allergies, IN EVERY SINGLE SEASON. What the heck am I allergic to? Oxygen? I don't even want to know anymore... So I squeezed in this chapter during the school and sickness weeks (which will explain it's horridness and since I couldn't access my game all the time, some parts are from memory). ANYWAYS, can't waste anymore ramblings, here's chapter two, for anyone reading this, "To the Waterfall Cavern." (Can't help but wonder how the number of hits will fall in this chapter... Urgh, I think I smell some O2... AACHOOOO)
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When Keal shook Yangus awake, the sun was nothing more than a partially hidden peak to the eastern horizon. A few short minutes later Yangus and Keal left the inn. They walked quietly through the street leading to the smaller of the Farebury's two main gates. After forcing the door open and stepping outside, Keal ran over to where a carriage stood by the dirt road.
Yangus followed after him, drowsy from the little sleep he had gotten; but he was forcing himself awake by pulling hard on his right-side chubby cheek. It was a trick he'd learned from a friend. Apparently the tortured cheek would snap the nerves in the face to jolt into awareness, and since the nerves in the face were close to the brain, it'd wake the brain up, and then since the brain was awake, it would tell the rest of the body through those same nerves to wake up too or suffer more pinching, cheeky pain. Or something like that. It was a very complicated process Yangus didn't really understand. The explanation could get very science-spific. Nevertheless, he kept tugging on his right cheek as he reached Trode's carriage.
The lovely white mare slept alongside the wagon. Unlike most horses who slept standing up, the mare was lying down with her face in the dewy grass. The mare would have looked peaceful, if it wasn't for her legs which were stretched out in weird angles, each leg in a different direction. When she heard Keal and Yangus' footsteps approaching she got up clumsily. Then with a loud whinny Medea awakened the sleeping green troll in the back of the carriage.
"Mmmmfp, graahh, ackk," groaned Trode in what sounded like some grunting language of green, little monsters. He popped his head out of the carriage's white canvas. With only a few puny hairs on his head and misshapen, not-so-pretty teeth, Trode looked like the type of creature that a person would scream desperately at, then go on to beat with a broom or some other damage-inflicting household item. Yangus could nearly qualify for the same, but he still didn't have quite a 'fondness' for the green little man. Trode, though, was the guv's boss and since Yangus listened to the guv that meant he had to put up with Trode. No matter if he wanted to or not.
Keal dropped a bag into the carriage in front of Trode. He smiled before greeting cheerfully, "Good morning, King Trode. I got you-"
"Where were you the other night?! I waited out here until midnight to hear back from you. Just what were you doing at that girl's place, hmm? Anything immoral and I will have to reprimand you! Worse goes for you, Yangus!" Trode glared at Yangus with all the force a three-foot tall man could before going on, "Did you even find out what I sent you for? I bet not! How could I believe I could rely on a lowly soldier and...and ...Yangus?!" Trode spat out the last word of his early morning rage. He sighed before falling down to sit on his rump.
"Hey, be careful bout wot ya say to the guv," warned Yangus. Trode's royally annoying outbursts were the main reason Yangus didn't like being around him. Yangus and Keal had spent a good potion of the night looking for Valentina's house, then waiting for Valentina to tell Keal her woeful plea. Keal and Yangus had been tired by the end of that little expenditure; they had deserved to get some rest before reporting back to Trode.
"I'm sorry, King Trode, we should have returned immediately after seeing Valentina," said Keal while throwing a cautionary glance at Yangus. "The inn was right there, and I figured we could give you a better report in the morning." Keal patted the bag in front of him. "And..." Keal opened the bag, "you must be hungry after what happened yesterday." No doubt Keal was referring to the mob that had chased Trode out of town. "So, to make it up to you, King Trode, here's some food I got from the inn." The bag was filled to the brim with buttered bread, steaming bacon, and hard-boiled eggs, and on top of the food was a cask of orange juice. "I know it's not much," said Keal as he pushed the aromatic bag of breakfast delicacies forward, "but this is all I could grab."
Yangus drooled at the marvelous sight. At the inn he had eaten his fair share of food. In fact he had been so into his own meal, Yangus hadn't bothered to see what the guv was eating. He remembered Keal grabbing some cheese and inspecting the remaining food. 'Wait... the guv was savin' 'is food fer grandad?!' Yangus was astounded at the guv's showing of such personal sacrifice.
Trode stared at the breakfast in front of him. "Well," he said as he picked up a hard-boiled egg, "it's not my favourite, but it will do. Good work on getting this much out! Very proud of you. I look forward to more in the upcoming days." And without an apology for his earlier outburst, Trode tucked a napkin into the front of his shirt and began eating.
As Trode ate and Medea grazed, Keal explained Valentina's request. Yangus didn't bother adding anything. Keal nailed down the whole story in a quick summary.
Trode had almost finished eating at the same time Keal had stopped talking. Chewing on the last bit of food Trode appeared to be thinking of a thoughtful response. "Hmmm... I see..." Trode swallowed his food then looked straight at Keal with wide excited eyes as he exclaimed, "MAGNIFICENT!" The lone, loud word scattered a few birds nearby and caused Medea to look up with a start.
Keal took a step back at the outburst. A little worried expression on his face. When Trode got excited he expressed himself very, very enthusiastically. Yangus just picked at his nose. He figured Trode was going to do that. Trode had done the same thing the other night after seeing Valentina. At first Yangus had thought Trode was some pervert who enjoyed looking at young girls. Really, Yangus had come to realise, Trode was just too energetic when it came to a topic of interest that mostly concerned or was somehow related to him.
"Such devotion to her father! I'm impressed! Just how a daughter should be!" Trode's eyes sparkled. Valentina's plight clearly touched him deeply. A bit too deeply. "And if this Kalderasha gets his powers back," Trode's voice suddenly took on a plotting tone, "there's nothing he can't find, am I right?" Trode hopped out of the back of the carriage and stood in front of Keal and Yangus. "Then we'll kill two birds with one stone! If everything goes according to plan, we'll find out where that hateful Dhoulmagus is."
"Huh, I never thought of that," said Keal. Yangus could tell the guv was a bit unnerved at the mention of Dhoulmagus, the magician Trode was after. Dhoulmagus's name even made Yangus feel a bit uncomfortable.
Trode gave a short laugh. "That's why you have me, my boy! Now you go back into Farebury and get some supplies. Medea and I will meet you at the southern gate." As Trode spoke Medea came back and let Trode attach her to the wagon. Trode hopped into the driver's seat. "Don't take too long!" said Trode as he lead Medea off the path to the opposite gate.
Keal stared after Trode and Medea. Yangus interrupted whatever silent thoughts the guv was thinking. "The old codger told us wot we 'ad to do. Let's get goin'!" Keal blinked. "Oh, right. Sorry, I'm still sort of tired... Guess I'm just use to getting more sleep." The sun was almost showing its whole self. Any fading darkness was being drowned out by the morning rays. Keal and Yangus went back to Farebury's gate and entered into the mid-morning crowd.
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Keal fingered the bag that held his money. Just the price of the inn and breakfast already had him down to forty-five coins. He looked at the weapon dealer's shop not far from where he stood near a herb stall. 'I could just go in to look around at the swords...'Then Keal looked back at the price of medicinal herbs. A bundle of four herbs cost thirty-two pieces. "That much for just four? It's just a bunch of leaves in a sack..."
"Are you going to buy or not?" asked the dark-skinned man standing behind the stall.
"How about twenty pieces. That's only eight pieces short"
"You mean twelve," corrected the merchant.
"Twenty-two"
"Thirty-two."
"Twenty-four"
"Thirty-two."
Keal felt overwhelmed. First time he held more money than he ever had before, and he was spending it on leaves. Of course, if only he had stronger magic he wouldn't even need the leaves. It was pretty sad when a healing spell could be showed up by a pack of scraggly leaves. Medicinal LEAVES. What type of shrubbery grows medicinal leaves? And who was the first entrepreneur who thought it'd be a swell idea to sell it for 8 gold pieces then shove it in a bag and say 'Ya want some leavvvves?' Keal felt himself almost go leaf crazy thinking about his further bartering. He had never bartered before, which was quite obvious to the merchant. "How about...just thirty for the leaves?" Keal figured that at least two gold pieces saved was better than none.
"Thirty...two."
Keal gave up. "Fine, you win," he sighed. He handed over thirty-two gold coins exactly. The merchant gave him exactly four bundles of the leaves: medicinal healing leaves that could be used to quickly replenish one's energy level when eaten and, when pressed onto the skin, could heal small injuries. These leaves were a necessity to travelers on the go. But the leaves still didn't look all that impressive to Keal.
Keal put the valued leaves in the bag latched to his belt. He sighed heavily as he looked at the thirteen remaining gold coins he held. Though he never thought himself as the type who'd worry about money, Keal had the sad image of himself begging desperately for spare change with a little dented cup on a street corner. But that wouldn't be enough, he'd probably have to put on some sort of little show to entertain any would-be charitable persons. Maybe juggle Munchie for money. But would the mouse be willing to go through such torture? Even a mouse has to draw the line somewhere in pet exposure. Keal finally put the coins up and tried to end the horribly depressing thoughts in his head. He had a mission to fulfill and no amount of poverty could stop him.
Keal felt himself being thumped on the back, hard. Yangus had come back from wherever he had run off to earlier. "Cheer up, guv," he grinned. In his right hand he had a large caramel apple on a stick. The apple must have been a beautiful red before it had been bathed in a ridiculous amount of sticky caramel. "Things arn't always as bad as ya think they are. Take it from me." Yangus munched on the candied fruit as he kept talking. "You'll learn all about the stuffs o' the world sooner or later. Some'ow"
"Thanks, Yangus, but..." Keal tried to dodge the flying bits of caramel coming out of Yangus' mouth. He moved his head uncomfortably to the side to avoid the worst of it as he asked the all important question of questions, "Where'd you get the candy from?" Keal remembered that Yangus had added his amount of money to Keal's. Had the bandit not kept his word and hidden some coins? Keal wouldn't believe it.
Yangus went into his explanation with another large bite of the fruity sweet. "There was this stall that was bein' shut down so I went over to 'ave a look. It was closin' cos the owner 'ad somethin' called the 'play-guh' or wotever. I tried to get more outta the bloke, but 'e didn't say much. Looked sorta sick-like to me. Anyways, I asked if I could 'ave one o' the apples since the stall wasn't sellin' 'em and they'd just go to waste, an' 'e said 'awright' so I took one." Yangus chewed on a piece of apple thoughtfully. "I don't see nuffin' wrong with it, it's good. The taste can be a little funny thou'. I wonder why the stall was r'elly closed down. Sorry I didn't get ya one, guv, but I didn't want to int'rude on the bloke. An' ya don't 'ave much o' sweet tooth do ya? "
Keal couldn't help but twitch nervously. "Yangus, maybe you should stop eating that. The plague is know to have.." But he was a few seconds too late.
Yangus licked the last pieces of caramel off the thin stick it had been stabbed upon. Tossing the stick away into a bush he looked towards Keal, confused. "Eh?"
Shaking his head Keal decided to distract the topic off of the plagued apple Yangus had devoured. "Forget I said anything." If anyone could survive eating an apple like that, Yangus could. Keal reached inside his bag and pulled out a small piece of cheese (while watching Yangus eat wasn't an exceptionally appetizing experience, it had reminded him that he had eaten only a small breakfast). While he chewed his snack, he looked around Farebury's main court. "It's really crowded. Do you think the yearly fair's today?"
Farebury was packed with the movement of the crowd squeezing in and out of the main square. All the shops on the town's upper level had their doors wide open to spare the rush of customers of yanking the doors open themselves. The stairway leading to the square was a squabble of shouts and laughter going up to the shops or down into the stalls. Along with the familiar smell of candy apple, a multitude of fresh foods were wafting in the air. The stalls were set in a semi-circle in the square with smaller ones in the middle; their multi-colored cloth roofs jostling together in the wind. Keal and Yangus stood near the medicine stand along one of the town's walls. They were actually close to the very spot where King Trode had been pelted with stones from angry townspeople just a day before. Keal heard someone approaching them.
"You don't know what we're celebrating? It's not the spring fair, not at all. This one's too small to measure to the grandness of that event!" A nearby blonde man in a green tunic stopped in front of Keal. He had overheard Keal's question. "You must have got wind of it, the monster that attacked us but was run off by the town uniting as one!" the blonde man talked excitedly while Keal kept chewing on his cheese. "Everyone has the story memorized! It spread around the town in one night"
"Yes, it was so scary the other night. I was terrified," spoke a light haired young woman on the man's side. A covered wicker basket hung from her arm. She smiled at Keal. When she looked at Yangus, Keal could have sworn she cringed a little but still smiled.
"Everyone in Farebury agreed that we should hold a celebration to celebrate the fact that we scared away the hideous beast. A celebration of life!" The blonde man, still all fresh caffeine jittery, spoke quietly to the two travelers. "Actually, I've heard that the monster had humans helping him get into town. TWO in fact. Just TWO. What if they're still here? I say we're still in danger. I even know their descriptions, and they're bad news for us all: A big, scary guy wearing a dead animal and a smaller guy wearing a red bandanna. They must be the servants of e-vile."
Keal finished his cheese and scratched the side of his head. His brown hair was as usual a bit disheveled . As usual, he hid most of it under his red bandanna to keep it from getting in his eyes.
"And... wait a minute..." The blonde man looked at Yangus' hairy jacket. Yangus stared back. A gulp could visibly be seen going down his throat. Then he looked at Keal. Still scratching his head, Keal nodded to confirm the man's suspicion. Then said, just for the sake of it, "What you see is what you...see."
"You're the-the-the bandana guy." How could he have missed the red bandana in the fist place? "W-w-WAHHHH!" The blonde man turned around and ran into the crowd as fast as he could without another look back; his mad speed forcing people to jump out of his way or else get trampled.
Yangus let out a short burst of laughter and thumped Keal on the back, harder than before. Keal stumbled forward from the pounding but grinned along with Yangus.
"Wow, now that's a sprint. I just hope he doesn't keep running off like that when he's with me," said the woman aloud, watching the fleeing blonde guy until he couldn't be seen or heard. She turned her gaze onto Keal and Yangus. Her smile widened, her tone suddenly brisk, "You two are thieves aren't you? You look like thieves. Only thieves would associate with monsters, right? Looking for that special key aren't you?"
Keal didn't know how to respond to her statement. "No, we're not thieves...er... I'm not a thief... He's isn't... but...no... wait, er." "Wot key?" asked Yangus interested.
"Well, it's not around anymore. Not that I would know spefically," the ginger-haired woman slid a hand into her basket then brought it out, fingers curled. "However, lookin' around the place wouldn't be a bad idea." The woman's fingers straightened out and something small fluttered down to the stone ground. She curtsied in goodbye before going off in the direction of her runaway boyfriend.
Keal put a hand over Munchie and pat him on the head. Something he usually did when he was unsure of what was happening. "We should leave soon," Keal said to himself and Munchie. "Before we get caught up in anything else." Yangus bent down to pick up the small piece of paper. He looked at carefully before handing it to Keal. "I think we should keep this, guv. You never know wot'll come in use later." Keal simply slid the paper into his bag near the four medicinal herbs inside. "Maybe even King Trode will know something about it-" began Keal before someone issued a very loud surprised gasp.
"Did you say King Trode?" asked a middle-aged man who had been passing through, but he had stopped along with most of the crowd at Keal's words. And then there was a burst of:
"Did someone say King Trode?" "He said the King's name!"
"First that odd clown and the monster, now the King. What's next?"
"King Trode! Where, where, where?"
"Trode? What a strange name for our King. I thought it was Trodan all this time!"
"When is he coming? Is he coming, you know, the King? King Trode?" "He hasn't visited Farebury in awhile now! Do you think he's coming to collect taxes?"
"King Trode is coming to Farebury!"
A big, burly man took Keal by the shoulders and shook him. "Do you know anything about the King? Is he comin' here? Tell me, c'mon!" questioned the smith as Keal was shook back and forth, forth and back, side to side. Before Keal could sputter out a reply, Yangus pulled Keal away from the man by grabbing the worn yellow coat and, dragging coat and all, headed towards the southern gate. "Let's get goin' to get that crystal ball, guv," Yangus puffed as he and Keal made their way out of the new mob and towards the giant double doors. "Do you think we have enough medicinal herbs?" asked Keal feebly. "Sure, sure," replied Yangus. Keal had moved his way in front of Yangus and quickly opened the gate just wide enough for himself and Yangus to slip out of Farebury unnoticed.
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Keal and Yangus had met up with King Trode and Medea on the southern bridge. King Trode had scolded Keal about how much time had been wasted. He went on to talk about how Keal should manage his time more wisely so important people wouldn't be kept sitting in place for two hours out in the sun waiting for the likes of such an untimely person to come strolling out of town. Yangus replied that a person who is kept waiting should do something to keep busy so he/she wouldn't complain so much and waste more time. King Trode didn't take that comment in well. And since that would have gone on for quite a while, Keal intervened and reminded everyone where they were suppose to be going. So Keal, Yangus, King Trode, and the mare Princess Medea took the south path and began their search for the waterfall cave. The cave that supposedly held the crystal ball that would bring back Kalderasha's powers. Powers great enough to locate Dhoulmagus. Finding the magician, Keal's life-pledged mission, ranked above all other worldly concerns. Because to King Trode, the worldly concerns should concern their powerful selves with him, and his predicament.
And after a few hours of trying to find the cave King Trode with the princess, Keal, and Yangus turned a little ways off track and finally got lost enough to realise they we're lost.
"She said 'west of town' and we went west so we should be seeing it now," declared Keal defiantly. He scanned over the thick grove of trees surrounding them as if expecting some sort of landmark. Sadly, there weren't any 'CAVE HERE' or 'THIS WAY TO VICTORY' or 'EXIT AT NEXT GRAY ROCK' signs anywhere.
"No, my boy, you're wrong. I can tell. You ran off to the NORTH! We didn't go anywhere; WE had to follow you. You were the one who sped off in, not only the opposite direction, but to the north of that opposite direction!" Trode was attempting to keep himself calm. Attempting being a futile effort.
Keal tried to sound as thoughtful as possible as he pondered his confusion. "North is north of west and east... right, Yangus?"
"Yup, north's the area where it gets colder," said Yangus distracted as he ticked a finger against his club. He was trying to be the 'oh-so-responsible' lookout for monsters.
"So I didn't go north of the opposite direction. I just went north," concluded Keal smartly. Or as smartly as possible with that sort of reply. "Or are we really north of east which would be the opposite of west where we need to go so then the opposite of that would not be south because we can't go south so in order to go into the right direction we'd need to go... south-north? King Trode? "
King Trode's head hung low as he sighed in agitation. Keal didn't know how to use a compass, at all. He apparently thought he did, but he had never held or even seen one before now. And it seems he was still adjusting to the spoken of compass rose system. "It does not matter! The waterfall cave isn't around here. We must retrace are path and hopefully reach our destination before nightfall," ordered Trode.
"Wait, King Trode, let me just try one more time!" Keal held up the compass in his right hand. He held the faded golden sheen on the cover level to his eye. The glass reflected the noon-high sun. With a deep breath Keal began to arrange the adjustments he needed in order to read the brillant, high-aloft compass perfectly.
King Trode put a hand to his forehead. 'Not this AGAIN. I'll never get anywhere having to watch over him!' The beautiful white mare at the front of the carriage tossed her gray mane. Such coloring struck Trode as strange. A white coat holding the color of purest clouds, with a tail and mane the color of a stilled stormy sea. King Trode sighed again as he thought about poor Medea. How could gray hair such as that appear on his daughter? What troubles could she possibly have, other than being stuck in that wretched curse? He would worry about that not her. All Medea needed to do was wait. King Trode then brought his thoughts onto Keal and the compass.
Keal was aligning the compass in the best way he could; by going around in more circles. Keal was spinning frantically round and round. The compass would have been in his eye if he prodded it any further. "Wait...for the red pointer to line perfectly with the N and then... we move out!" He kept spinning faster and faster in place. Yangus's head moved around in circles to watch the spin cycle, obviously forgetting his task to look out for possible threats. Trode could see the little brown mouse clinging for dear life to Keal's yellow jacket. "And... there!" Keal stopped with a fast halt, throwing Munchie to one side of the pocket. "It's pointing to the direction almost perfectly." Keal stepped forward to show Yangus, only then to lurch sideways and nearly fall cheese-pocket first onto the ground.
"Guv! You awright?" Yangus nearly threw himself beside Keal so he could peer at his face. Yangus helped Keal stand up by grabbing his arm and yanking it up as hard as he could. "That is not the proper way to use a compass," commented Trode once Keal was back on his feet. "How else do you use it then?" asked Keal. He looked down at his compass, as if expecting it to grow a mouth and answer the question for him. King Trode then just realized he couldn't think of the answer either. It had been awhile since he had been a young striking king in the forest using a compass to map out his territory. Not too long ago, but still long ago enough to cause a few other years to pile up and allow the memory of compass-conduct to slip out of mind. Well, Trode knew that spinning like a giddy girl with an imaginary may-pole certainly couldn't be the right way.
"Let me 'ave a look at it, guv." Yangus held out a large, sweaty hand to take the priceless, gold treasured artifact. But before King Trode could argue the point that Yangus shouldn't dare lay a finger on his compass, a yowl rang out from behind them. A striped cat with a long trailing tongue hanging out of its mouth like a flag flung itself with its claws outstretched towards Yangus. Yangus quickly grabbed the club on his back and knocked the monster off it's mid-air leap. The candy cat rolled on the ground, defeated. Once the cat stopped twitching, the other monsters crawled out and rushed the group.
Medea threw her head back. King Trode tried to keep a gentle hold on the reins as Medea panicked. His grip tightened, only enough as necessary, on the reins as he shouted, "Keal! " "What? Where are the monster?" Keal's eyes darted about. He walked unevenly, still really dizzy. "To your east!" instructed Trode. Keal turned south. "No, your west!" Keal turned east. "The north, the north!" Keal turned southwest. "Just turn to the left!" Keal turned right. "This is taking longer than it should... Turn to where you hear the monsters trying to kill Yangus!"
A vile slug monster slithered to Keal. The lip pursed a pair of slimy puckers and when it reached Keal it let the lips of appalling destruction release. "Yaaah!" Keal barely had enough time to react to the lip's kiss. He ducked as his hand reached for the sword on his back. Keal took the soldier's sword in one movement then after dodging the lip's whipping tongue, he cut off the squishy lump that made up its head. The slug withered down to nothing while the head's lips kept on puckering. King Trode watched the boy's skill: not the best, but thankfully not the worst.
"Guv, look out!" Keal followed Yangus's voice to see the former bandit fighting off a pair of caspishum. Or caspishums. Or one pair of two caspishum. Or two bell-peppers speared together on a giant BBQ pole resembling shish kebabs with a face. King Trode was reminded of his dream barbeque (though, seriously he thought what on EARTH would ever create such an ugly, distasteful yet yummy-looking monster?).
Meanwhile, Yangus's warning had been of the rabbit with a cute mean looking face that had been waiting behind the bell-pepper monster. The bunnicorn saw Keal and bounced over; it's sharp spike glistening in the sunlight. Keal took his sword and met the bunnicorn halfway. The bunnicorn used its spike as a spear and with a powerful leap tried to impale Keal.
King Trode watched Keal and Yangus battle the group of monsters. More bloodthirsty bunnicorns, pervese lips, grinning caspishums, purring candy cats, and a satyr playing an annoying tooting tune on its horn waited. Medea was stamping her hooves against the earth and neighing nervously. King Trode would have to get her and himself out of there if the fight ended up taking too long. He wouldn't risk getting Medea hurt by a gang of small, low-level monsters.
Yangus had long finished the capishums and had already taken down a couple of bunnicorns and a candy cat. He took his club and tried to knock down the satyr, but the cloven monster was too fast. Yangus chased after the satyr as it bounded closer and closer towards King Trode and the wagon. Keal was still fighting the bunnicorn, but another lip had joined. When Keal saw Yangus a look of realization crossed his face. "Yangus, tag-team!" he shouted. Yangus understood immediately. With a high-five Keal and Yangus switched spots; Keal made a dive towards the satyr, and Yangus took his club and slammed it against the bunnicorn and lip at the same time. After two hacks of the soldier sword, Keal finished the satyr. "Haaa, that was easy," boasted Keal. "All those monsters and not a scratch on either of us!"
Not two seconds after Keal said that Yangus cried, "Guv, yer arm's bleedin'!" Yangus pointed at Keal's left forearm arm. His eyes were wide.
Keal shook his head. "It's not much. I can heal it, no problem." Keal reached for a medicinal herb then stopped. "Wait... we better save these if anything worse happens." He closed his bag and took a look at the injury on his left arm. It had been stabbed with the spike on the bunnicorn. The wound almost went straight through his arm. Blood was coming out of it pretty profusely. In all his younger years on the battle field King Trode had never seen such a wound induced only by a bunny. "It's not that bad. It'll stop bleeding at some point," said Keal, preppy. "Yeah, when yer dead! Just use one o' those healin' plants," insisted Yangus. "But medicinal herbs need to be used only in emergency," replied Keal, blood spurting out his arm with each syllable. "Dyin' counts as an emer'gentcy, don't it?" Yangus tried to make a grab for Keal's bag. "No, we can't waste the medicinal leaves! I'll just try to heal my arm with magic." Keal put his opposite hand around the wound. He stood there for a couple of seconds while nothing happened. "Is the magic workin'?" asked Yangus anxiously.
"Well... I feel a little better. All the colors are coming together in a really pretty blur and pictures of me as a little kid are flashing before my eyes." Keal turned his head in a dream-like state as if he was staring at pleasant scenery in his mind. His arm wasn't bleeding any less, actually it seemed to have increased in the gory blood sprouting. Munchie had crawled out of his pocket and was on sitting on Keal's head. The rodent had such a look of concern for Keal on his face, King Trode later could have sworn that he almost saw Munchie put his hands together in prayer for Keal's injured soul.
King Trode decided to put in his thoughts about the situation. He watched as Yangus kept grabbing and jerking Keal's arm as if to improve the speed of the healing spell by shaking it. "I remember Keal telling me he has a very low magic capability level. He can only cast about four spells if he's up to it." The white horse looked on, terrified. "GUUUUUV!" howled Yangus. He let go of Keal and fell to the ground.
Suddenly a weak soft glow came from Keal's hand. A green light enveloped Keal's arm and pulsated faintly before dimming. Yangus crawled back up and stared at Keal in wonderment. King Trode was taken by surprise. Good sword-play and he can heal, those attributes made Keal more useful than he first though. "Whoa, my first spell...and it worked!" Keal smiled. He flexed his left arm like a tough guy "It's like nothing ever.." the scar on his arm reopened and continued to bleed, "...happened."
It took only a few minutes for the bleeding to finally stop. Yangus had to rub at his nose a few times to hide the tears (and snot) that he had almost shown. Keal with the compass in his possession once happily again kept on leading the group. King Trode, who earlier had considered banning Keal from the compass for the rest of his life, decided to allow the boy one more chance. Medea's mood seemed to pick up, and had thus perked up Trode just a little. However there was nothing to be perky about for long. Keal had led the group even further from their destination, as far as possible and, in fact, and still be considered in the general fifty mile radius.
"Guv.. I think we feered off path somew'ere, coz I don't think the waterfall cave is anywhere around 'ere," said Yangus. Odd enough, there was something strange waiting for King Trode, Princess Medea, Keal, and Yangus at the end of the northern forest. Yangus stared blankly at the imposing sight that stood before them. "Yangus, you're probably most likely right," replied Keal. He rubbed at his freshly recovered arm. The compass had been dropped onto the grass. His eyes were completely drawn to the monster that stood before them. King Trode sighed, "Why did I dare take the cheap, shiny compass instead of the one that actually works?" Slowly, he tried to get Medea to turn the carriage around so he could run away from the horrifying sight of a monster that stood before them. Medea wouldn't move. The Axoraptor had such an influence over the others, all they could do was stare.
Yangus was the one who ultimately accepted the fearsome beast for what it was. He pointed at the monster that stood only about two Axoraptor footsteps away. "It's... it's... it's... GOSHSHILLA!" King Trode shook his head as he corrected Yangus, "No, it's pronounced 'Goddeszilla'." They were facing a giant, horrible beast. The least Yangus could do was pronounce the name correctly. "It's a really big lizard with a really big axe," squeaked Keal. The Axoraptor, with its large glistening axe about the same height of Keal and Yangus if Keal stood on Yangus's head, roared. Having to take a few steps back from the deafening outburst of noise and saliva from the Axoraptor's thundering maw of fierce roaring, Keal and Yangus tripped over each other. Keal took only seconds to stand up, grab Yangus, turn to his king and scream, "FLEE!"
The white mare got the wagon facing the right direction and fled faster than any other horse could. Keal took Medea's reins, and with one hand still on Yangus's matted coat sprinted alongside the wagon. Goshsilla, being the monster (s)he is, ran after them.
King Trode didn't even bother holding onto the reins of full-speed Medea. "This is not satisfactory, Keal! This is not satisfactory!" he shrieked. The wagon seat was throwing Trode all over the small bench. To stay on Trode had to dig his grey nails into the wooden boards of his seat.
"I'm so sorry, King Trode. I'll never misuse a compass again!" shouted Keal behind his back. He ran with a hand close to Medea's face to keep her speed up against the monster. Yangus was running on his own and kept glancing back at the monster. The Axoraptor was getting closer. "Guv, ya gotta make it through this! So just leave me be'ind! Let it eat me so you'll 'ave some time to live!" Yangus was already beginning to lessen his speed. "No more talking, everyone just keep running!" Keal took Yangus's arm again. Medea, Keal, and Yangus pumped their legs faster and faster. Axoraptor did so even faster. King Trode bonked his head against the wagon's seat and cursed most un-kingly like. Such stress and trauma should never have to be endured by royals of his ranking! Something would need to be royally sued after this. Trode's murderous planning was interrupted when a slime (that had been happily frolicking about in the field) got run over by Keal's boot and stuck there like a piece of slimey gum then began screaming bloody murder.
The hot breath of the Axoraptor could be felt behind them. King Trode looked at the back of Keal's head. "DO SOMETHING!" he demanded over the Axoraptor's excited breathing and the unfortunate slime's screaming. Yangus gave Trode the best glare he could from his vantage point beside Keal and shouted foully, "Wot can 'e do if 'e's too busy runnin' for yer stinkin' life?!"
Without a word, Keal kept a firm hand on Medea's reins. Running faster than ever, he jumped forward just enough to bring up the end of his boot. He scraped off the end of it. Keal stood up straight and ran back at normal speed. He peered at the Axoraptor closing the short distance behind him. Squeezing the still shrilly screaming slime in one hand, Keal threw the poor victim towards Goshsilla's face.
"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" screamed the slime as he flied through the air. It was a beautiful sight, a perfect arch that Keal should have been proud of throwing. Only thing wrong was, it missed the a Axoraptor by half a yard.
"Great strategy, Keal, GREAT STRATEGY! Throw a slime at the monster. GREAT. Such a great strategy in fact, I'm going to allow the power invested in me to nominate you as Captain of the LOSERS WHO CAN'T THROW!" King Trode was growing more and more irritated by the minute as the Axoraptor kept growing more and more closer to its goal of eating all of them. Medea couldn't keep up the mad-speed anymore. The poor young mare had to be pulled by Keal to run. Keal was trying to keep everyone moving, but it was proving too much. His exhaustion was overtaking him. Yangus was completely red-faced and out of breath but he kept moving, at a much slower pace than before. Irritated King Trode had splinters where splinters shouldn't venture as the others gradually slowed their failed flight for life. Each of them could hear the Axoraptor licking its scaly green lips.
Then, with only a blink away of snapping its jaws on the first plump taste of Yangus, the Axoraptor froze in its tracks. It stood straight, frozen with fear, head turned. With one look to the waterfalls in the west, the Axoraptor let out an "Eek! Not there!" then turned its green golden tail the opposite direction and fled.
King Trode, Keal, and Yangus were speechless. In that time they were able to regain somewhat normal breathing patterns. Poor Medea's flank was soaked in sweat and her eyes were almost rolled to the back of her head. Keal took his hand off her reins and rubbed at the mare's long neck. This calmed her enough to stop her from going into shock. With a flourish Medea shook her grey mane and let out a thin neigh. 'Well,' thought Trode, 'the boy's good with horses too. He's not worthless at all.' King Trode cleared his throat. "Hm, that was certainly... certainly... an exercise." Yangus tried to wheeze out a reply, but he hadn't had enough time to take in enough air. The former bandit just nodded in King Trode's direction. Keal noticed this and gave King Trode a wide smile.
King Trode took in the scenery around them. They were on a dirt path that led onto an old wooden bridge. The bridge continued into the opening of a dark, yawning cave. Sounds of rushing water rang into the air in a constant roll. Series of waterfalls formed a large nearly endless cataract throughout the area. "I believe," mused King Trode, "that we have reached the waterfall cavern."
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AFTERWORD: (gasp, gasp, gasp) Writing... is like a marathon. Constant motion in thought and fingers and water splashed over the face makes a good wake up (just... don't splash water on your face when your at the computer, being electrified isn't all what it's cracked up to be). Also it can feel like you're running through endless circles as your fingers start forming carpal tunnel in every little joint. (pops down some Midol) Ah, that will work. Hopefully. If not then I'll just wrap my fingers in a micro-waved mini-pad. ANYWAYS, thankkees to anyone who read this crummy crumbs chapter. Not as short as planned eh? Remember I said I'd try to shorten it? Well.. IT WAS A BALDING FACED LIE! All nineteen or twenty or ten of you readers will learn that I do that a lot. Hehehe, not really, I try to remain a little angel of truth. I just use my halo as a thing to hold my gum wrappers and coke cans in. Well, big THANKKKKKE! to Sublinal Shadow for being the first reviewer! WOOOOOT! You Trode-ally rule (ignore horrible pun)! Kingdom Hearts IS the only good Final-Fantasy (shudders at those two words) like game. And the adorable Disney characters remind me of my childhood down in southern south Texas where we fried up mice and called it "Mickey Me Surprise." Ahhh, then I use to have a hat shaped like Donald Duck's head that I'd use to keep my dirt collection and worms in as a hab-itat. Siiigh, those were the days... sure am glad they ended fast. ANYWAYS, mind if I just call ya Subby Shadow for short? And to the second reviewer all I have to say is: Olri, THANKS A LOT (sarcasm, sarrrcasm) you REALLY help with the self-confidence (points to blade in own wrist). Siiigh, when friends and people ya know real well review your work, it just doesn't feel all too special... ESPECIALLY IF THAT FRIEND (who is about a foot and a half taller than me) ONLY GIVES A TWO WORD REVIEW: "ha ha". Geez-jeez, Olri. I TAKE BACK THE REVIEWS I GAVE YOU (pouts). What does the "ha ha" even mean? I feel like a failure. (cries in misery) I hope your brother is still as cute as he was when I last saw him. I need new pictures to hang up in my "Stalking Profile" wall. (don't tell him I said that, DO NOT TELL HIM I SAID- ah, go ahead and tell him.) ANYWAYS, for all of the readers I absolutely thank from the bottom of my soul's soles for reading this chapter, here is the funnny!
... (I forgot to make up a funny for this chapter)
Mysterious character G: What is hoing on gere?
Me: Wow, breaking the fourth wall again, DragonQuester. You sure do swoop down to low levels... talk about last resort...
Mysterious character G: Who are you to talking?
Me: Gah, and I'm talking to myself again... need more Dr. Pepper cans. Caffeine makes crazy go bubbling away.
Mysterious character G: You're bothering not to introduce me!
Me: Oh, sorry about that Gey- I mean, Mr. G. Here ya go, this everyone is Mr. G, a character who will show up in the next chapter. Everyone make him feel welcome because his part in the next chapter is so small it'll be like killing off a minor character that no one knew existed before it was dead (ya know, like that old Hokage guy in Naruto). Also Mr. G has a bit of a... speech impediment. And an under-bite. And a small head. And not a very charming personality.
Mysterious character G: I get paid enough well by SquareEnix to not have to wake your tords seriously.
Me: Soooory. I'm just crummy little girl not big-butt company in Japan. Neeeeeh.
Mysterious character G: While I'm around for this idiot-icess... tet's lalk about this chapter you wrote just. Me: (loud, pained groan)
Mysterious character G: I noticed this chapter has not a word from the pame gractically!
Me: Like I said in my intro chapter I am gonna take some own matters into my own fleshy, widdle hands. This was like an experiment chapter. To see if anyone would protest to the idea and only read the chapters if I followed the game EXACTLY. I only wonder what the peeples think of this chapter.
Mysterious character G:... It stinks like fin rot.
Me: HEY! That's exactly what I was going for...Neh, IT IS an EXPER-I-MENT! I get some...slack.
Mysterious character G: Alsosh I noticed... you mentioned the "fleeing" boy blonde TWICE. Then you added a group fleeing part!
Me: Well... hey! Fleeing is one of my favorite aspects of the game! I love to watch the party members run for their lives. It gives me joy that they're getting some aerobic fitness in. As for the blonde boy... well... I just wanted to add him so I could move on to this! (DRAGONQUEST8 CHEAT: Go to Farebury and speak to the blonde guy in the green tunic near the location where Trode was being bullied by the town, when he finishes what he is saying click the X-button twice and you'll get a little spinning surprise, NOTE: this only works once in ONE GAME sadly. NOTE: Only works AFTER Trode is kicked out FOR DRAGONQUEST8 BEGINNERS: There is a girl and a merchant who talk about a mysterious key. And there's a piece of paper near a bell somewhere that gives more detail.)
Me: Just wanted to point that out to anyone who hasn't tried it out yet. I found that little cheat (glitch, wotever) on accident when playing the game for the second time. I loveeeeee it! I laughed so hard after seeing it I haven't found my lost lung since.
Mysterious character G: Really, oh?
Me: Oops, I'm outta space, Mr. G. Sadly you gots to goes.
Mysterious character G: I barely got to talk!
Me: Too bads. You gotta go put on your make-up for your night-job in the play, The Little Mermaid. You're the STAR remember?
Mysterious character G: WHAT? I do remember not that!
Me: Just leave please kind, sir, and pick up all the kelp you brought with you.
Ahhh, Mr. G. What a nice... creature. Really sweet guy on the inside. Really. ANYWAYS, that's all I can type out with my sore fingers for nowdays. HOPEFULLY unlike this time, chapter three won't take FOREVER. (and it will have more substance.. hopefully) Remember, don't swim in the sea after eating tuna-fish or else you'll become the next tuna-mauling victim. Hopefully not as lame as usual, computer-ly signed DragonQuester.