Shadow of Incafra
On the vast frozen plain, a young Adelie penguin ran through a small cave, hiding behind a chasm. He was followed by a facially-scarred Adelie and female Magellanic penguin, the latter of whom said "come out, Danny. You can't hide forever!"
"Surrender now, and we'll let you live!" the scarred Adelie said.
Alex hid behind an iceberg and crept up to the escaped Adelie, whispering to him "hey. Buddy. I'm gonna help you get outta here, kay"
"Clear off, you crystal-furred cake-head!" the Adelie answered, his voice accidentally being loud enough for the two penguins to hear. Alex hid out of sight as the Magellanic penguin stood before the Adelie, the scarred Adelie pushing him to the ground aggressively. The Magellanic said "it's over, Danny. You're under arrest!"
Alex watched as Danny was escorted away by the Magellanic and the Adelie, saying to himself "nice going Alex. Really messed up this time!"
Back in Emperor Land, Meg walked out of the LOFAO house with Mumble, who said "so, Chrysta hung onto this hatred, and in the end, it killed her"
"I've never thought the story'd end like that" Meg answered as she looked up to the sky. "I wonder what's keeping Alex so long"
"Well, Winter sent him out on his first patrol of the outskirts. Guin knows when he'll back"
Meanwhile, a few miles away from Emperor Land, a large, twisted iceberg stood tall. Incafra, the home of the Incafran population. The Magellanic and scarred Adelie penguin brought Danny before the crowd of timid penguins. Alex observed the scene from a distance as the scarred Adelie cleared his throat and said "bear witness to the justice of Incafra! Fear the vengeance of Elil!"
Danny looked with fear at two penguins in the crowd. His friends, Glen, a Magellanic and Mark, a Humboldt, as a strong, intimidating Rockhopper Penguin stepped forward, causing the members of the crowd, and Danny, to shudder in fear. He said "the charge, Captain Dagmar?"
The scarred Adelie said "attempted escape, sir. Danny, of the left leg mark"
"The sentence... is death" Elil said sternly before turning back into the cave. Alex whispered "no"
"No!" Glen said. "No?" Elil asked as he turned back. Glen stepped back awkwardly, only just realizing that he had said it out loud. The female guard, also a Magellanic, said "General. The ancient laws of Incafra allow a defender for the condemned"
"Carina! Elil has spoken" Dagmar whispered, but Carina continued with "Glen, of the left leg mark, has requested that honor"
"A-a-a-aye, sir. I'll speak for Danny" Glen answered.
"If I don't like what I hear, you're sharing his fate. Agreed?"
"No Glen! Don't do it, lad!" Danny pleaded, but Glen swallowed and said "yes, sir"
"Stinking, good for nothing, trash-smelling bullies!" Alex ranted as he began to charge down the hill.
Glen began his speech. "All penguins have a Guin-given right to be-
"Rrraaaggghhh!" Alex growled as he stormed the camp, throwing aside the guards and sending everyone, including Elil, into a panic. Elil tried to attack the fox, only for the latter to pin him down and get his claws out. It was only the sight of the guards that Alex ran away. Elil picked himself off of the ground as Glen said "sir, Danny wasn't running to escape. He was getting away from that fox, like the rest of us"
"Very well. The sentence is commuted" Elil said as he walked back inside the cave. "Thank you, Captain Carina" Glen said to the female guard, who said "watch yourself, you three. I won't always be here, you know"
Back in Emperor Land, Alex was showing off to the others. "So, I pinned that miserable General on his back, stupid coward. Hadn't been for those guards, I'd have had him. Ha ha!" Alex laughed. "Not to mention I was able to buy that Danny fella another chance"
"Danny?"
"Well yeah. He was on trial for trying to escape. Woulda killed 'im if I didn't do anything"
"Wow, to live like that? I can't imagine it" Katniss said, Ozcar saying "and if this Elil character finds Emperor Land, you won't have to imagine it"
Meanwhile, just outside of Emperor Land, a group of penguins pulled up to the shore and stepped out. An Adelie penguin was the first to step on land, sticking a flag onto the ground and saying "now, I, Alednam Luther XVI declare this settlement, Alednamia!" to cheers from his crew. One of his crew members said "excellent speech, sir" Alednam saying "I'm glad you think so Arret. Now, set up your trading post and get some attention for yourself"
"Yes sir" Arret said as he left. Alednam added "now, you men. Finish tying up the ship. You lot chop down some icicles and build a fort. As for the rest of you, get out the shovels! It's time to start digging!"
"Digging?" one of his crew members asked, only for Alednam to get out a map and point to the area marked "Empr'ror Land" and said "why yes. Let's not forget what the Spanish found when they came to the New Land. Gold! Glaciers of it! Why, my good friends down in Adelie Land have been ravaging the land of it's precious resources. But now, it's our turn"
Alednam: The gold of Cortes
The jewels of Pizarro
Will seem like mere trinkets
By this time tomorrow
The gold we find here
Will dwarf them by far
Oh, with all you got in ya, boys
Dig for Miss Ginia, boys
Mine, boys, mine ev'ry mountain
And dig, boys, dig 'til ya drop
Grab a pick, boys
Quick, boys
Shove in a shovel
Uncover those lovely
Pebbles that sparkle and shine
It's gold and it's mine, mine, mine!
Settlers: Dig and dig and dig and diggety...
Dig and dig and dig and diggety...
Arrett: Hey nonny nonny
Ho nonny nonny
Alednam: Oh, how I love it!
Arrett: Hey nonny nonny
Ho nonny nonny
Alednam: Riches for Cheap!
Arrett: Hey nonny nonny
Ho nonny nonny
Alednam: There'll be heaps of it ...
And I'll be on top of the hhhhheeeeeaaaaappppp!
My rivals back home
It's not that I'm bitter
But think how they'll squirm
When they see how I glitter!
The ladies at court
Will be all a-twitter
The king will reward me
He'll knight me ... no, lord me!
It's mine, mine, mine
For the taking
It's mine, boys
Mine me that gold!
With those nuggets dug...
It's glory they'll gimme
My dear friend, Queen Ginny
Will probably build me a shrine
Wheeeeeeeen all of the gold is mine
Settlers: Dig and dig and dig and diggety
Dig and dig and dig and diggety-dig!
Arrett: All of my life, I have searched for a land
Like this one
A wilder, more challenging country
I couldn't design
Hundreds of dangers await
And I don't plan to miss one
In a land I can't claim
A land I can't tame
The greatest adventure is mine!
Alednam: Keep on working, lads (mine)
Don't be shirking, lads (mine)
Mine, boys, mine (find a mother load)
Mine me that gold (then find another load!)
Settlers: Dig! Dig! and diggety!
Alednam: Beautiful gold!
Settlers: Dig! Dig! for that gold
All: Make this island
My land!
Alednam: Make the mounds big, boys
I'd help you to dig, boys
But I've got this crick in me spine
Arrett: This land we behold...
Alednam: This beauty untold...
Arrett: A man can be bold!
Ratcliffe: It all can be sold!
(So go for the gold)
And the gold
(We know which is here)
Is...
(All the riches here)
Mine!
(From this minute)
Mine!
(This land and what's in it is)
All: Mine!
Settlers: Mine!
Dig and dig and diggety-dig!
Hey nonny nonny nonny it's mine!
That afternoon, Mumble sat on a cliff edge with Hellas and Alex. "What are we gonna do about this whole Incafra business?"
"I just assumed we had to break them out" Alex said, Hellas responding with "don't talk about goin' on suicide threats like that. Yar startin' to sound like your Auntie"
"But Alex is right. We can't just sit here and do nothing"
"Aye, but we canny risk goin' down there and leading them to Emperor Land. This Elil fella sounds like a right piece of work!" Hellas objected, but he saw the look in both Mumble and Alex's faces. "Oh dear. Yar goin' anyway, aren't ye?"
"I didn't say you had to come"
"Oh, what the fish. We all have te die sometime, I suppose" Hellas admitted reluctantly, only for Meg to say "Mumble! Mumble!"
"Yeah Meg, what is it?"
"Johnny and Andy found some penguins on the shore. They're digging for something. Come on!"
Alednam's men continued to dig, while Mumble and Meg watched from a distance. "How many are there?" Meg asked, Johnny coming back and saying "there's five more of them down by the sea"
"That makes about twenty-seven" Mumble said as he saw Alednam walking about the site. Meg turned around and gasped, saying "Mumble, we got company" as Mumble turned to see what she was looking at, saying "uh oh"
"Good work, boys. Keep on digging" Alednam said as he walked about the site. Mumble accidentally stepped on an upturned icicle, which flipped over and made a loud shattering sound, alerting the sailors of their position.
"Oi, boss" two of Alednam's men said as they dragged forward Mumble, Meg and Johnny. Alednam pulled out a sword and said "spies. Thieves! State your names and businesses!"
"Okay, can you put the sword away please?" Mumble said. "First of all, hello. My name is Mumble and I-
"Mumble?"
"Yeah"
"As in Mumble Happy Feet?"
"Uh, sure"
"The Mumble Happy Feet? The destroyer of Wolfsworth Industries. The slayer of Rodan Gizzardcrusher?"
"Yeah"
"Hm. I thought he'd be taller" Alednam said as his men laughed. "And who might you b-okay okay" Mumble said before one of the guards put a knife to his throat.
"I'm so glad you asked. I am Governor Alednam Luther XVI of North Adelie Land, sent here on behalf of Queen Ginia III of North Adelie Land"
"Well, Alednam, what brings you to Emperor Land?"
"Why, we've come to dig up this barren ice-land for gold"
"Gold?"
"Why yes. You know, it looks like this" Alednam answered as he pulled a coin from his pocket. Mumble observed it and said "well, you won't be in luck. There's nothing like that around here"
Hearing this prompted a discussion among Alednam's men, saying things like "no gold?", "we've been digging up this Guin-forsaken rock for nowt!" and "you good-for-nothin' codfish!"
"Calm down boys. Calm down!" Alednam said, becoming worried as they got out their shovels and swords. One of his crew members lifted his shovel to dispatch him, bringing it down as Alednam jumped out of the way. This caused the shovel to become stuck in the ground, the sailor struggling to pull it out. When he finally did, the shovel was followed by a few lumps of snow with a strange black fluid substance. Alednam looked at the substance, saying "do you boys know what this is?"
"Uuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhh..."
"It's oil! An Arabian treasure! Ha ha. We found black gold! We're rich, boys!" Alednam said, prompting a cheer from his crew. Mumble said "so, now that you're rich, can you guys stop digging now?"
"Are you joking boy? We need to dig even more!" Alednam said proudly. "Why do you need to do that?"
Alednam: Why? I'll tell you why...
Because we can, can, can
Yes we can, can, can, can, can, can, can, can, can!
Settlers: Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Alednam: Everybody can, can
Settlers: Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Alednam: Everybody can, can
Because we can, can, can
Yes we can, can
Yes we can, can
Because we can, can, can
Yes we can, can
Yes we can, can, can, can
Can, can, can, can
Can, can, can, can
Can, can, can, can, can, oh
Settlers: Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Alednam: Everybody can, can
Settlers: Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Alednam and settlers: Can can, can, can
Can, can, can, can
Can, can, can, can
Can, can, can, can
Can, can, can, can
Can, can, can, can
Can, can, can, can
Can, can, can
Everybody can, can (echoes)
Bumpy Bumpy (oh, oh)
Bumpy Bumpy (oh, oh)
Bumpy Bumpy (oh, oh)
(Grinding) (oh, oh)
Bumpy Bumpy (oh, oh)
Bumpy Bumpy (oh, oh)
Can can, can
(Can, can, can)
Yes we can, can, can
(Can, can, can)
Yes we can, can, can
(Can, can, can)
Because we can, can, can
(Can, can, can)
Yes we can, can, can
(Can, can, can)
Yes we can, can, can
(Can, can, can)
Because we
(Can, can, can)
Becaue we
(Can, can, can)
Because we
(Can, can, can)
Because we
(Can, can, can)
Because we can, can, can
(Can, can, can)
Because we can, can, can
(Can, can, can)
Because we can, can, can, can
Can, can, can, can
Can, can, can, can
Can, can, can, can
Can, can, can, can
Can, can, can, can
Can, can, can, can
Can, can, can, can
Can, can, can, can
Can, can, can, can, can
Everybody can, can
Because we can, can, can, can
Can, can, can, can
Can, can, can, can
Can, can, can, can
Can, can, can, can!
As they went back, Mumble said "so, I guess that's another problem to add to the list"
"What are we gonna do, Mumble?"
"About Alednam? I don't know. But we need to get those guys out of Incafra"
Alex led Mumble, Hellas, Victor and Garner to the edges of Incafra. Hiding behind an iceberg and looking through a small hole, Alex said "well, here we are"
"Incafra" Mumble said as he saw the prisoners walking in a straight line, with a guard watching over them. "Right, time's up! Back inside!" the guard said.
"Right, what's the plan?" Victor asked, Mumble saying "I'm goin' in to find this Danny guy, and I'll get a closer look. Then we can decide whether to negotiate with Elil, or trick him"
"Well, we all know what happened the last time you tried to negotiate with someone, huh Mumble" Garner said, only for Victor to hit him over the head.
"Right, who's coming with me?" Mumble asked, Alex trying to answer before Mumble said "not you Alex. They've seen you"
"I'll go" Victor said. Back outside the cave, Dagmar and Carina sat. Dagmar said "what's gotten into these penguins? Trying to escape like that?"
"My guess is they don't like it here. It's changed since General Elil arrived"
"That sounds suspiciously like disloyalty"
"My loyalty lies with Incafra. Always!" Carina insisted, Dagmar adding "and, with General Elil!"
"I'm a soldier. He's our commander" Carina answered. Suddenly, Mumble and Victor ran up to them, Mumble saying "take me to your general!"
Mumble and Victor were led to a small cave, where two penguins pushed away a rock, revealing an entrance which Mumble and Victor were brought into, before the rock was pushed over again, trapping them inside.
"Well. That went better than I expected" Victor said. Mumble saw that there were also three other penguins in their prison as well. An Adelie, a Magenallic and a Humboldt.
"Excuse me. Do you know a penguin called Danny?" Mumble asked, the Adelie saying "well, I think I should know me-self, don't ye?"
"I take it you're him then"
"Aye, and these are me friends Glen...
"Nice to meet ya"
"And Mark"
"Alreet, mate"
"Just saying um... your accents, they're very... unusual. I have a friend back home who kinda sounds like you guys"
"Back home?"
"Yeah. We come from a place called Emperor Land, where life is free and you do what you please" Victor said.
"Sorta like that. Anyway, we came to get you guys out"
"So they caught ye anyway" Danny said.
"Actually no. We just gave ourselves up"
"And you came to gerrus out? Odd way of goin' aboot it" Mark said.
"I suppose. Oh, what am I doing. Um, I'm Mumble. This is Victor"
"Afternoon boys. Tell me Victor, is this Mumble o'er here a tad mad?"
"Well. He has his moments"
Back at Elil's throne, Carina reported back to him about Mumble. "He says that he's from another land. A great one, he claims"
"And what does he want?" Elil asked. "He wants to ask you which you prefer, General. Peace or war? Life or death?"
Back in the prison, Mumble was telling Danny, Glen and Mark about Emperor Land.
"It's great. You can breathe fresh air. We have great views of the sun sets and rises. And thanks to a recent incident with a whale, we've got some big open spaces. And not to mention th-"
"Please. Don't talk aboot yar home anymore" Danny interrupted. "Something wrong, Danny?"
"Well, the truth is. In Incafra, it's better not to think of a better place. Cause in the end, yar just gonny wake up in these cold, dark walls again"
Suddenly, the rock was moved and Dagmar entered. "Congratulations Danny. You and your friends are free to go. Everyone gets to see General Elil deal with these two!"
Mumble said "well, isn't that ni-wait, what?"
Back outside, Alex watched as all the prisoners were escorted to the gathering area. "Something's happening" Alex said.
"It's about time. Good Guin, this is boring" Garner said.
Mumble and Victor were brought towards Elil as the other prisoners gathered around them. Carina and Dagmar guarded them, both armed with tall spears. Mumble looked on the ground and saw an upturned icicle, similar to the one he stepped on back at the bay. Finally, Elil stepped forward. He said "Mumble Happy Feet. You ask which I prefer. Peace or war. I answer: War. You ask which I prefer. Life or death. I answer: Death!"
Mumble gulped softly, before Elil added "all your questions are answered. Execute them on my command" as Dagmar and Carina readied their weapons. Alex saw this and said "I'll take a few out for 'em to escape"
"And you'll still get yarself killed!" Hellas said as he held him back. "Trust Mumble"
Back in the cave, Elil said "where is your home, outsider? Tell me, and live"
Fearing for Emperor Land's safety, Mumble said "afraid I can't do that, General"
Gritting his beak, Elil said "he comes from another land. A great one, he claims. I will destroy it. His people will become mine. They will obey me. And live through me! Those who don't... will die! Strike!"
Before Carina and Dagmar could attack, Mumble stepped on the upturned icicle, which knocked the guards over, allowing himself and Victor to escape. "RUN!" he shouted as they escaped. "After them!" Elil ordered, before Mumble kicked over the statue, which blocked their attackers' paths. Victor and Mumble ran past Alex, Hellas and Garner, who followed them in their escape. As they jumped over the chasm, Hellas tripped and landed on the ravine in the bottom. "Hellas!" Mumble called, the former saying "keep goin'. I'll catch up te ye!"
Mumble, Garner, Alex and Victor hid behind an iceberg as Carina, Dagmar and Elil looked around. "Where are they!" Dagmar said.
"Show your faces!" Carina yelled. Elil sat on his knees(if penguins even have those) and shouted to the heavens "I'll find you, outsiders! The world isn't big enough for you to hide! I'll hunt you until the sun falls from the sky!"
Later, as they waited for Hellas, Mumble said "so, that Elil guy didn't seem very happy to me"
"Well, he won't sleep till he's got your feet mounted on his wall. You know that, right?" Alex pointed out. "Mumble, come look at this!" Garner shouted as they looked at the cave. Inside, Elil said "fools, cowards and traitors everywhere! Are you incompetent. Or simply lacking in motivations? You're a stain on the glory of Incafra! You call yourselves soldiers! I want you to find him, Dagmar! Find Mumble Happy Feet, but leave him alive! I want to kill him myself!"
"General" Carina called. "What is it now?!"
"I've brought an outsider, General. An experienced captain, he wishes to join our army"
"Hm. Bring him forward" Elil answered as Carina brought the new recruit out. "General Elil, I presume"
"Indeed, what is your name, soldier?"
"Hellas, sir. Hellas, son of Erik"
To be continued...