Chapter Thirty: A Future with No Heroes
And so, our story begins again. Five Hundred years would pass since the Corrupter's defeat and through the passage of time Albion evolved.
Horse-drawn carriages became horse-powered vehicles, flight became possible with planes, blimps, and hot air balloons, and even Albion achieved space travel by landing on the moon and back. We have entered the era of technology.
No one believes in Fables and heroes anymore, not since the fall of Albion's crown. Roughly two hundred years ago Albion people revolted against the royal family, descendants of the Hero King Adam.
None survived the burning of the palace, or so rumors would be believed, some say the night the monarchy ended a maid and a loyal butler escaped with two children of the royal family. Knowing it be safer to be apart they fled in the night with the children.
This was how the story of the Lost Prince began, a prince who would return to reclaim the throne and free Albion from its corrupted rulers.
Albion castle, rebuilt now was ruled by presidents, many elected by the people of Albion, until more recent years when Presidency became a dictatorship. A Tyrant now holds the seat of power in Albion.
Every ten years a new tyrant more vile than the last would take control over Albion, ones who make the people's lives miserable. Under such harsh conditions, Albion citizens could grow resentful and on this day two such lives made their way to the roof of the orphanage they reside.
Opening a window to the roof two children no older than ten made climbed to the roof, one with messy brown hair covering his head and the other with blonde dreads.
Running across the roof the two brave children jumped to a neighboring roof where the two climbed up a fire escape to the highest building in New Bowerstone where the two looked out to the city light below.
The sound of car horns and the occasional domestic scream match filled the city but this is not what the two children came to see. Laying down the two looked up to the sky, though hard to see they could see the stars above.
"I'm so sick of this bloody place! I hate the food, I hate that toad Ms. Grunge and I hate this bloody city!" the blonde child spoke getting his friend's attention.
"Can't argue with you on that Seth, it's been miserable since...she left us," the brown hair child Connor spoke sitting up and holding his knees to his chest, "why didn't she take us with her? I thought she loved us."
"I don't know mate," Seth spoke scooting closer to his friend placing a hand on his shoulder, "maybe she will come back? She just turned eighteen, she can't just get money overnight you know."
"Still if she took us the three of us could have figured something out! Any place together would be better than leaving us here in this awful city!" Connor spoke narrowing his eyes towards the castle in the distance.
"Oh! That reminds me! Looks what I got!" Seth grinned reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a small pocketbook that made Connor's eyes widen.
"Is that your family book?! How the bloody hell did you get it?" Connor asked seeing Seth grin.
"I picked the bloody lock duh, wasn't easy but I found it! The book my parents left me before they...anyway this is the key," Seth smirked holding up the book to show his long-time best friend.
"Did you look in my box?" Connor asked seeing Seth's face saddened.
"I did, sorry Connor there was nothing in your box," Seth spoke seeing Connor sigh.
"Figures," Connor spoke looking at the book in Seth's hands, "well open it!"
"Okay I will, keep your tights on," Seth spoke opening to the first page.
"Property of Ben Finn," Connor read looking at the signature on the first page, "who that?"
"He a family legend! My father told me in the old times he led the Albion armies to victory against the Crawler!" Seth grinned getting a confused look from Connor.
"What a Crawler?" Connor asked seeing his friend shrug.
"I have no bloody idea but it sounds cool! Let's see what old Grandpa Ben has written in here," Seth grinned skimming through the pages, "boring, useless, dumb, oh here we go!"
"What?" Connor asked leaning in to read the page Seth stopped on.
"Hey! This mentions his wife Page! My family used to say she created and lead the Bowerstone Resistance a group that helped overthrow a tyrant king," Seth spoke looking closer at the diary entry.
"Wait these are instructions to the location of the old base!" Connor spoke reading the directions carefully, making a face, "Ew! Their base is in the swears near the Industrial era?!"
"The swears? That can't be right," Seth spoke reading more, "huh, that's interesting."
Looking at what caught Seth's attention Connor looked at the written entry, and read aloud, "When the time comes, a Finn will return to lead the New Resistance, they will find what they need including my treasure, she will lead the way."
"Treasure huh? Sounds promising," Seth grinned closing the book and standing up.
"I wonder what he meant when he wrote, 'she will lead the way' Who the bloody hell is she?" Connor asked standing up and following Seth down the fire escape.
"Maybe it means Page? Like clues she left behind?" Seth suggested as they jumped across the roofs of Bowerstone making their way toward the Industrial era.
Hearing a buzzing sound Connor looked behind to see a spotlight attached to drones flying toward them, "Oh shit! Seth run!"
Seeing the drone Seth ran leading Connor across the roofs, they couldn't let the Patrol Drones spot them after curfew, the Patrol are not kind to those who break the laws set in place by the current ruler.
"This way Connor!" Seth yelled running towards the industrial era where they approached a huge gap between roofs.
Stopping at the edge Seth peered down and then back to the drones, "Wait for it!" Seth spoke timing their jump as a truck began to come down the road below toward where they stood, "Now!"
Jumping the two boys landed on the roof of the truck just barely avoiding the drone lights, "blah!" Connor gagged plugging his nose.
"Yup we're near," Seth spoke standing up on the moving truck and spotting a light pole approaching, "jump!"
Both jumping the boys caught the light pole, sliding down to the street below where Seth pulled the pocketbook out to read the instruction, "Let's see here."
"I swear this Ben fellow better not be leading us on some wild goose chase," Connor sighed looking up when they approached the docks making sure to keep out of sight.
"According to this book the entrance is, there!" Seth spoke pointing to a grate near the waters as the two descended the stairs and approached the locked door.
"Fan-bloody-tastic!" Connor growled grabbing the lock, "Now how do we get in?!"
"Watch and learn," Seth smirked pulling out two metal picks from his pocket and began to fiddle with the lock, "just a twist here, poke there, and gotcha!"
Dropping the lock Seth opened the gate and then smirked at his friend, who gave his friend half-assed applause, "Bravo, the great Seth Finn picked a rusty old lock."
"Everyone a critique, let's go!" Seth spoke entering the swears with Connor, making sure to close the gate behind them.
"Wow, this place hasn't been touched in years," Connor spoke looking around the old swears as they made their way deeper till they reached a closed gate where they both came to a halt hearing faint laughter.
"You hear that?" Seth asked, approaching the closed gate both looking to hear faint laughter coming from deeper in the swears.
"I hear stories that Hobbes run wild in these swears Seth, could be Hobbes in there," Connor warned.
"Then we better not get their attention then," Seth spoke looking over to the wall where a hold small enough for them to crawl through was. Walking over Seth peeked in and then crawled through with Connor following behind so they could get on the other side of the closed gate.
Walking down the swears Seth and Connor peered into makeshift rooms with leftover equipment and crates following the laughter coming from a doorway with a faint light.
Approaching the doorway slowly the laughter got louder and louder accompanied by the sound of wonky cartoon noises, confused Seth opened the door where they saw what looked to be an old War Room, and in the center was a map table of Albion.
Of course, this didn't get the children's attention for very long as they looked over to a corner that had appeared to be turned into a makeshift room where a TV monitor was set up, and in a beat-up old red lounge chair sat an unfamiliar creature.
Eating popcorn the creature busted out laughing and pointing at the TV when what appeared to be a prank show made a poor woman fall over being frightened by a man in a bush costume.
"BWAHAHA! Serves you right you busting floozy twit!" the gnome laughed about to scarf another handful of popcorn but stopped to stare back at the two children who stared wide-eyed at her, "the fuck you looking at you crossed eye mouth breath, cratch snatchers!"
"Well, that was rude! What the bloody hell is it?!" Connor spoke picking up a loose board, ready to hit the creature if it got near.
"I guess this is what a Hobbe looks like? Uglier than what they were described as in books," Seth spoke tilting his head.
"Hobbe?! The nerve! I am a mighty Gnome! You remember that ya crotch spawn twats!" Ginjer declared standing up in her chair and using her foot to hit the button on the remote to turn the tv off.
"A Gnome? Grandpa Ben's book mentioned something about a gnome," Seth spoke pulling the book out to read the page that he saw the mention of a gnome.
Narrowing her eyes Ginjer ran snatching the book from Seth's hands and hopped onto the table and climbed into the rafters above.
"HEY! Give that back you scrawny little bastard that mine!" Seth yelled trying to catch the gnome but glared up at the gnome that was too high for them to reach with Connor at his side.
"Yours? Oi! Are you the new Finn?" Ginjer asked skimming through the pages of the book.
"What do you mean new Finn?" Connor asked bearly dodging a glass bottle that was thrown at him.
"Are you bloody deaf?! Pull the shit out of your ears! Are you the new Finn?" Ginjer growled pointing at Seth.
"I guess?! What does my last name have to do with anything!? Give me back my family book!" Seth yelled watching the gnome glance at the book and then back to Seth before tossing it down.
Quickly catching it Seth glared up at the gnome who jumped down and landed on the map table, "about bloody time a new Finn came to fulfill the family honor!"
"Family Honor? What is it talking about Seth?" Connor asked confused what the gnome was going on about.
"It's an old rubbish motto my family passed on for generations 'a Finn's gratitude knows no boundaries,' and some rubbish of being in debt to those who saved our skins," Seth spoke seeing Ginjer shake a finger.
"That's what Ben Finn said, 'I owe you one that can never be repaid' Very pretty words from a pretty twat! The Finn family is forever in my debt! Lucky you!" Ginjer smirked at Seth who snorted trying to contain his laughter.
"Oh right, you knew Ben Finn? That impossible he died like what? Thousand years ago? You are not that old!" Seth laughed.
"It was actually five hundred you messy-haired Hobbeknocker!" Ginjer spoke jumping from the table and pointing to the book in Seth's hand, "Last page! Look for the name Ginjer!"
"Last page?" Seth spoke opening the book with Connor peering over his shoulder as Seth read aloud.
"I Ben Finn, with permission of Page leave the Bowerstone Resistance Headquarters in the hands of Ginjer the gnome..." Seth spoke pausing his reading to look at the gnome who climbed back into her red seat.
"Keep going it get better~" Ginjer snickered.
"Until the day a Finn comes to the headquarters to rebuild the resistance, bound by the Finn family honor no harm is to come to Ginjer, she will be a valuable asset to your journey, she is not to be shot, stabbed, poisoned, or used for target practice," Seth read getting more annoyed as he read on.
"Keep going~" Ginjer sang munching on the popcorn.
"Under that same honor, she is given protection by the current Finn bloodline, as vile as her words can be, as tempting it would be to shoot her, don't, she saved my life and I can proudly call her...my friend," Seth read looking to Ginjer who had glanced away, was she sad? Didn't want them to see it on her face.
Looking to where Seth left off Connor read on, "Despite how she acts and behaves I know she cares and will also have your back, protect her and she will always do what she can to ensure you are kept safe, Ben Finn."
Both children then looked to Ginjer who was still staring at the wall where wanted posters of Page and Ben hung, it was obvious from other pictures and posters that the gnome and drawn and used them for target practice for darts but Ben and Page posters were left unharmed.
"No one ever treated me like...like a person like Ben did, I miss that bloody fool, I could hurl all the insults I wanted! It was such a bloody good time!" Ginjer laughed a bit before turning to Seth and tilting her head, "You look like him, well except for the hair, you got that mess from your grandmum!"
"Huh, she right Seth look," Connor spoke as they approached the wanted posters.
"Really?" Seth spoke tilting his head and looking at Ben's poster then looked at Page's poster, "Nah the eyes are all hers, and I guess my hair type too."
Looking around the old headquarters Connor nodded, "This has so much potential, will make a great home for us."
Looking at the posters Seth looked at the book in his hand and then put it in his pocket, "No, it will be more than that Connor."
"What do you mean?" Connor asked turning to his friend who approached the map table.
"Ben and Page left this book to my family, it's like they wanted us to come here, they're right Connor New Bowerstone needs the Resistance again, it will be hard but I think we can do it!" Seth spoke seeing Connor raise an eyebrow.
"I doubt anyone will join some kids Seth, but," Connor spoke looking around, "until we're older we can rebuild this place, make it ready, if you are gonna be the leader of the new resistance, we need this dump to look the part, right?"
"What do you say, Connor? Shall we rebuild the resistance?" Seth asked his best friend who nodded.
"I will follow you anywhere Seth!" Connor spoke.
"Awww well ain't that sweet, make me wanna PISS ALL OVER IT!" Ginjer spoke getting an annoyed glare from the two children.
"Ok, Ginjer was it? Let's pretend I will follow this family honor and resist the urge to strangle you, will you really help us?" Seth asked seeing the gnome smirk.
"I am always ready for a bloody good show! Don't worry you bratty twats I'll look after ya! Ain't no one gonna follow some snot nose skirt pullers! When you are grown we can talk about fighting the tyrants!" Ginjer spoke standing up and holding out a hand to Seth, "do we have a deal?"
"Ugh fine!" Seth groaned shaking the gnome's hand.
And so, our story end, for now, Albion future now rests in the hands of youths who have much room to grow.
We shall meet again dear reader when the Retold Chapters let themselves be written.
A.N. I am glad I managed to finish this story! Let's see if my motivation can bring the Fable IV remake to life. You will meet familiar heroes including new heroes, new enemies, and a whole new world outside Albion's borders.