Disclaimer, you know.
Alex got to sleep around one in the morning and was awoken at sunrise by the kittens and Toto pouncing onto him. Sometimes he wished he could understand these animals rather than letting Dorothy do the translating. But knowing how she got the ability to talk to animals and the possible consequences he learned to be careful about what he wished for, and more importantly never to say it aloud. Especially around the scepter. He sighed, pushed himself into a sitting position, and picked up pockets. Pockets was a favorite of Dorothy's and was Toto's little companion. Shortly after doing this however eve jumped onto the bed and caused the others to scatter.
"Eve, they were getting comfy." Alex said
Eve purred and pushed her head into Alex's chin. Alex sighed and scratched eve behind the ears. She purred some more and continued to rub up against him. They were interrupted by Glinda walking into the room. She walked over to the bed and scratched eve behind the ears.
"We'll be leaving in an hour, have you got everything you need?" Glinda asked.
"Yes." Alex said
"Everyone else is already awake, we need to get a move on as soon as possible." Glinda said reaching over to the scepter only to receive a rather painful shock.
The orb on the scepter seemed to be more overtaken with the red haze this time. Alex smiled and held his hand out allowing the scepter to come to him. As soon as it was in his grasp the scepter returned to its normal state.
"I'm not even going to ask." Alex said as eve jumped off of his lap and allowed him to get off the bed.
Looking out the window he wasn't too surprised to see that the sky was over taken by dark clouds. He sighed and picked up his sword, strapping it to his belt, and then grabbing the satchel.
"Alex, I would ask that you don't use the scepter, especially not until we get to the city, and it can be returned to Dorothy." Glinda said.
"Why?" Alex asked starting for the door.
"Because something is wrong with it, I'm not sure what it is, but something is definitely wrong with it." Glinda said worriedly
"No promises." Alex said walking out of the room.
Meanwhile at the city.
Dorothy was awoken by a smell of what she was pretty sure was cinnamon. She gave a yawning stretch before getting up and walking over to the door. She was surprised to find the door unlocked. Walking out into the hallway she was nearly knocked over by one of the monkeys who flew passed her carrying what looked like a stack of books. Dorothy sighed and walked towards the kitchen, when she got there she wasn't surprised to find the jester stirring a pot. It was then that Dorothy had an idea what the jester was making.
"Oatmeal?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"Oh, good, you're awake, that saves me the trouble of getting out the gong." The jester said.
"I remember that, I didn't think it was funny." Dorothy said.
"I did though and that's what matters if you ask me, and to answer your question, yes" the jester said.
Dorothy sighed and picked up a step stool, moving it over to right next to the jester she set it down and used it to get into the cabinet above the stove top. She took out two bowls and jumped down setting them on the counter. She then looked through the drawers until she found some silverware.
"I don't know how Brianna does it, they should really label these." Dorothy said as she set some spoons on the counter with the bowls
"Tell me about it." the jester said picking up one of the bowls and filling it with oatmeal and handing it to her.
"And this is how you wind up having respect for other peoples professions I'd assume" Dorothy said as she took the bowl and picked up a spoon.
"I wouldn't know, the most contact with any form of life is whomever I capture, or the monkeys." The jester said taking the other bowl and filling it before grabbing a spoon and starting for the door.
Dorothy sighed and followed him out of the room. They walked to the chambers in silence. When they arrived there Dorothy took a seat on the chair by the crystals while the jester took his seat on the throne. Dorothy sighed and tried some of the oatmeal. Like the soup it was actually quite good but that led to a thought.
"I find it odd, we're supposed to be enemies apparently, yet you're treating me like a house guest, you make it so much harder to want to kill you." Dorothy said.
"Yes, I would assume it does." The jester said not even turning to look at her.
"You know, if you just let everyone go, stopped this now, stop the possibility of war, I'm sure that I could get you a fair trial for your crimes." Dorothy said.
"It's too late for that now, everything is already set into action, the chain of events cannot be stopped but there are two possible outcomes." The jester said.
"No points for guessing what those two are?" Dorothy asked as she continued eating.
"None at all." He replied turning to look out the window "can you feel it? The storm brewing? It's going to be a whopper." He said.
"You haven't even told me what the storm is." Dorothy replied.
"You'll see, very soon, your friends have already left their safe haven, they are a few miles away from it now, they can't turn back, they have to keep going, and eventually they will reach here, just as the other armies arrive." The jester said getting up and waving his hand over the crystal ball.
Meanwhile in the west.
The group had been walking for a few hours now with Alex leading the group. The only ones who hadn't left the castle were his family who stayed behind under Alex's recommendation, and the gales who were watching their own children. As they walked along the sky became more foreboding and dark. After another hour Alex stopped for a moment and took a canteen from the satchel. He had made sure to borrow one before they left the castle which he filled up with water to drink along the way.
"If we keep up the current pace, and take at most a ten minute lunch break and then keep going on again until nightfall, have a quick breakfast and then follow the same procedure we should reach the city boundaries in a few days." scarecrow said.
"Remind me again why we didn't just take Tugg?" Aislynn asked curiously.
"Because ace, it's far too risky, being out on the river like that leaves us more open to attack." Alyssa said.
"Anyways, if one of us fell in it would set us back a bit as we'd have to set up camp and either get a change of clothes, or in the case of tin man, a lot of oiling, or in my case, lions case, and marshal mallow's case we'd have to wait to dry off." Scarecrow said.
"I'm not even sure I have enough oil left if I rust completely, rose gave me what she had in her workshop which wasn't much." Tin man said.
"Do we have a plan if one of us is captured?" Emma asked curiously.
"Nothing we can do at that point." Glinda and Locasta said in unison.
"No, all Emma has to do is take off the amulet." Alex said.
"Right, forgot about that, Cassandra are you alright?" Glinda asked looking behind her.
"We're find Glinda, she's just slow that's all." Angela said.
"Okay, how about those of us who can't fight?" jenny and Jessica asked in unison.
"Just stay behind one of us or stick with Alex." Glinda said.
"I personally think that's a bad idea because the first thing he's going to do is look for Dorothy." the china princess said.
"Then stick with us." Glinda said sounding a little bit irritated.
"Alyssa, Ellie, Terrance, tin man, lion, and Marshall Mallow are all fighters, yes Jon I know you can fight but you're coming with me." Alex said turning to look at him.
"Yes sir." Mr. Foreman said saluting.
"Finley, you fly ahead to the city, if you get captured, well it doesn't really matter, he doesn't like you anyways." Alex said.
"Alex stop barking out orders, I agree that we really should come up with a proper plan but seriously, you aren't the boss, you aren't Dorothy either so don't try to act like her." Alyssa said.
Immediately Alex stopped in his tracks. He was not trying to act like Dorothy, she wouldn't want this, and it didn't seem to occur to her. Dorothy would never want this. He turned to face her with anger obviously showing in his eyes.
"this isn't what Dorothy would do, she doesn't like the idea of war, especially because it's her fault that this war is happening, I'm acting the way I know I should act, the exact opposite way she would, if you have a problem with that then you can turn back now and reach the castle by sometime this after noon." Alex said in a tone of anger causing the scepter to start glowing brightly.
"Alex, calm down, don't forget that you're holding the scepter." Glinda said.
Alex looked at Glinda and then at the scepter. He then sighed and took a few deep breaths.
"sorry, I don't know what came over me, I just can't stand the thought that you think Dorothy would ever want this, actually here's something to put into perspective, imagine he's forcing her to watch all this, and then imagine her response to your statement Alyssa." Alex said as he turned around and started walking again.
Alyssa stood there for a minute thinking about it. She sighed and then started after the rest of the group.
Back at the city.
"If only he actually knew." The jester said chuckling.
"I've never seen the scepter act like that before." Dorothy said.
"Like I said, it has two masters, you and him." The jester replied.
"Again, his name is Alex." Dorothy said.
"Anyways, it seems there plan is to get here before the storm." The jester said.
"I hope they do, because the more you talk about it the more dangerous it sounds." Dorothy said.
"Dorothy, you precious young thing. You don't even know." The jester said.
"Never call me precious again." Dorothy said getting up and taking both hers and the jester's bowl.
The jester however had different plans, he gave the wand a flick causing the bowls to vanish. He then got up and walked over to the two colored crystal. It seemed to respond to his presence as he got closer to it.
"This as I said is power, it is the storm, or I should say it's the source of the storm." The jester said placing a hand on it.
"Why are you telling me?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"Because you can't stop me now." The jester said chuckling.
Dorothy looked at the jester and then outside at the dark clouds. She sighed and started for the door.
"You not going to stop me?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"Why don't you go to the library, keep yourself amused." the jester suggested.
Dorothy looked at the jester and sighed. She then walked out and made her way to the library.
Well that was an odd chapter. Will the gang manage to get to the city before the storm? What will Dorothy to pass the time other than go to the library? Does the jester have anything planned for Dorothy? Find out in the coming chapters.