Life on the Plantar farm is never easy, even with robots working day and night to get the job done. They still need to be maintained, still need new batteries, and every so often, they need repair. All that work is done by none other than Polly Plantar, mostly a self-learned and self-taught mechanic and engineering genius. Polly is so smart, in fact, that she's not even worried about what college she's going to attend as she realizes that there are grants and scholarships all over with her name on them.
Still, even with all this knowledge, repairing King Andrias is uncharted territory for her, as not only does she have to work with wires, metals, and electronics, she now has to deal with the most complex issue of all, fusing them to a living organism and somehow maintaining functionality. Over the next few days, Polly reads many books on cybernetic organisms; she wants to make sure she does this right.
The sun rises and King Andrias makes his way to Polly's shed, where Polly approaches him to take measurements. She makes it perfectly clear that she's not afraid of him. Now, getting measurements on a frog, toad, newt, or even a human would be something less than complicated, but for a rather large man like Andrias, it proves to be a pretty daunting task, especially for one with two missing limbs. Andrias' missing left leg alone encompasses the diameter of the entire Plantar family tied together at the waist. Polly gives him a dirty look as she takes notes, pointing at him with the eraser of her pencil. He follows her eyes with his, looking away every time she looks back up at him.
Polly: "I hope you appreciate this, all we're doing for you."
King Andrias shrugs. He feels like he's at the end of a leash, being strung along by a manipulative owner.
King Andrias: "I never asked for this."
Polly places her hands on her hips with sass as she lets Andrias know just how things are gonna be.
Polly: "Well, you're getting the treatment anyway! Hop Pop says if I help you out, we're gonna go to 'The Robo Arena of Death and Unapologetically Loud, Ear-Drum-Shattering Explosions'!"
Polly whips a colorful and vibrant poster from thin air, baring a sinister grin as she shows it to King Andrias. He twiddles his fingers somewhat flamboyantly in childish excitement, the shadow of his former cheerful self rising temporarily to the surface.
King Andrias: "Ooh! That sounds like fun!"
Polly smiles maniacally, her teeth turning into fangs and her pupils dilating as she gestures an intense grasping action with her fingers.
Polly: "It IS! And it's so HARDCORE! But that's next week."
She shrugs, returning to a state of apathy. Andrias is becoming somewhat impatient.
King Andrias: "Okay, so now what?"
She points at his limbs with her pencil.
Polly: "Well, I'm gonna need to see the ends of your broken leg and arm so that I can take measurements."
Andrias becomes somewhat red in the face, the blending hue with his blue skin giving him the appearance of a large blueberry. He looks away from her somewhat nervously.
King Andrias: "Are you sure?"
She raises her brow with a reassuring and smug smirk.
Polly: "You don't need to be so prudish around me, your highness. I am a professional. Now, show me your gross, disgusting amputations! Come on!"
She rushes him, making it quite clear that he's wasting her precious time.
King Andrias: "Okay."
King Andrias unties the knot at the end of his pant leg, rolling it back so that she could see the severance and he removes his thick, heavy, leather coat, tossing it on the ground and creating a thick poof of dust in the air, revealing quite the impressive physique of his torso, if a bit flabby from lack of maintenance. Polly covers her face with her clipboard; she becomes redder than a beet. She was not expecting Andrias to be so shapely for an elderly man.
Polly: "Okay, King Hot—I mean, King Andrias. I need you to lay your large, muscular, burly, powerful... ahem, I need you to lay your arm on the table for measurement."
King Andrias stares at her in somewhat confusion. He leans over, allowing his gigantic arm to rest upon the table, where she continues to measure the diameter of his upper arm. King Andrias, just as uncomfortable as she is at this point, asks the million-dollar question.
King Andrias: "I suppose I should put my coat back on now."
Polly stops him, running her eyes perversely all over his torso.
Polly: "Can you just give me five more seconds to stare?... Okay. You can put it back on now."
He does so, relieved that moment is over. Now for the leg, which is considerably less uncomfortable, as he doesn't even have to move. Polly takes the measurements and shakes her head.
Polly: "This is gonna require a lot of my robot parts."
He feels ashamed and looks away shyly.
King Andrias: "I apologize for being so... large."
Polly slaps his giant leg, leaning on it and smiling up at him.
Polly: "Don't worry about it, big guy. It's not the size that I'm worried about, it's fusing robotics to flesh. I've never done that before, and I'm a little nervous."
King Andrias shows a keen interest in guiding her through the procedure, having paid attention when it was done to him and having had replacements placed in many times over the years.
King Andrias: "I can guide you through it. You'll need some neural receptors to act as sort of veins, and they'll need to be threaded straight through the tissue into my veins and arteries. The rest is all circuitry."
She cringes slightly as she stares up at him in concern.
Polly: "Isn't that gonna hurt?"
He tilts his head down at her, and she can see then and there just how tired and weary he is. Having never paid attention to his face until now, he looks considerably older, wrinklier without the child-like smile stretched along his face that she remembers so vividly.
King Andrias: "Young Polly, I haven't felt the sting of physical pain in nearly a millennia. Nothing would elate me more than to be reminded that I'm alive."
Polly: "That's depressing."
King Andrias leans his head over, his long white hair draping into his face.
King Andrias: "I know."
Polly fumbles around, trying to artificially extend the conversation long past there being anything substantial to talk about.
Polly: "Thank you for... you know... saving my brother. I wouldn't be able to run the farm without him. Don't tell him I said that!"
She points up at him seriously and commandingly, with a long scowl drawn across her face. Andrias chuckles.
King Andrias: "My lips are sealed."
Polly fiddles and twirls her pencil in her hand, at various points almost dropping it on the ground.
Polly: "Sprig told me that you were living in a cabin on the side of the road near Newtopia. I guess that means you weren't allowed back in your castle?"
King Andrias: "I had voluntarily renounced my throne, surrendered to the royal guards, and since, well, nobody knew what to do or how to imprison a king, I wound up doing community service, fixing what I had broken, restoring the wildlife."
She folds her arms in disapproval.
Polly: "Sounds a bit like a slap on the wrist to me."
Andrias responds pretty candidly as if he genuinely expected worse himself.
King Andrias: "They could have executed me... hell... they had practically every right to... and yet, here I am."
He shrugs, and Polly does not approve.
Polly: "You don't sound very grateful."
She gathers her belongings.
King Andrias: "Grateful for what, really?"
She stares up at him, somewhat alarmed by his lack of self-preservation. She fears for his mental state.
Polly: "I don't know. That's for you to figure out."
As Polly finishes her work, Andrias is left to ponder her words. He watches her curiously as she walks away, and contemplates after she is gone. Andrias is later approached by Hop Pop, who insists that he get used to being there and that he should become acquainted with the townsfolk of Wartwood. He says he'll consider, but hesitates to do so voluntarily. Hop Pop and Sylvia continue to watch the large man from the window as he leans against a tree nearly equal in height to himself.
A small butterfly lands on his large blue finger and he stares at it. Hop Pop and Sylvia trade looks, wondering how someone so serene could fall so hard and become so ruthless. Andrias stays at the tree watching the people of Wartwood from the distance for hours until Sylvia approaches him.
Sylvia: "You've been starin' out there for a long time now. See anything to your liking?"
He responds rather candidly and honestly.
King Andrias: "Not particularly, no."
Sylvia stops for a moment, considering the next thing to say when she remembers.
Sylvia: "Oh, where are my manners? I never even properly introduced myself. The name's Sylvia, hon."
Andrias lays his head on his arms on top of his leg, mumbling down at her.
King Andrias: "It's nice to meet you, Sylvia. Are Sprig and Polly your grandchildren?"
Sylvia: "Them? Haha... oh, no, you see, Hopediah and I aren't married, actually. The kids and I aren't related. You see, it's a little complicated. My granddaughter has been going out with Sprig and... well, Hopediah and I are just really good friends... even if he seems to think otherwise."
King Andrias shakes his head slightly with a raised brow. He feels intrigued and as though he has enough invested interest to inquire further.
King Andrias: "Is it normal for frogs to have multi-generational romantic relationships like that?"
Sylvia just shrugs candidly. Rather than elaborate further, she chooses to sit by his side and tries to weasel her way into his brain a little more to find out more about him. His shadow eclipses her tiny frame.
Sylvia: "Andrias, I mean, King—."
King Andrias: "You can call me Andrias."
He looks away from her, not rudely, but as though he's unworthy of the interaction.
Sylvia: "Sprig seems to have grown quite fond of you, all things considerin'."
King Andrias looks toward the ground, then over toward Sylvia, meeting eye contact with her.
King Andrias: "He's a good kid... comes from a good family."
She smiles and nods gracefully. He finds her charming and kind demeanor to be rubbing off on him, and he finds himself slightly willing to open up more.
Sylvia: "Indeed, he is. It's why it was no surprise when he found himself in the heart of my granddaughter."
He relaxes, leaning back against the tree, somewhat hesitantly, knowing his weight could topple the plant.
King Andrias: "Ah, the wonders of youth. If only we could go back to those carefree days."
He shakes his head with a slight smirk. She looks up at him curiously.
Sylvia: "You don't have any children or grandchildren?"
King Andrias: "I... never really had time for a suitor."
Sylvia: "Hmm."
The two sit there in silence. Sylvia fears being too pushy, feeling as though she may scare him away if she pokes and prods too hard at what she assumes to be a man with quite a troubled past. Sylvia is a smart woman and in no way does she believe that the giant sitting beside her is solely responsible for his actions.
It isn't by any particular mannerism that she's able to ascertain this information, but solely by his aura. She gazes up at the large blue man by her side and behind the thick cataracts, she can see so much pain in his eyes, eyes that communicate more clearly than an hour-long conversation ever could.
Satisfied by her findings, Sylvia rises from beside him and brushes the dirt and leaves from her skirt onto the ground. She nods politely and begins to walk away. A few feet away from him, she stops.
Sylvia: "We're gonna be havin' seasoned cricket bass for supper. I'll be sure to bring you a plate. I bet you're starvin'."
Andrias doesn't respond, so she turns around and returns indoors with a somewhat troubled expression on her face. After some gazes from the family, she wipes the look away and pretends nothing is wrong, returning to her chipper self.
As promised, Sylvia does bring him out a plate of dinner which he proceeds to dump into his massive mouth before handing her the tiny plate back on the spot. He thanks her quietly as she walks away, completely befuddled.
Later on, Polly comes back, pulling Andrias' heavy, new limbs on a long wagon. He watches her as she attempts to lift the heavy limbs onto the ground. Andrias stops her, opting to place the limbs and hold them in place while she installs them.
Polly feels very nervous installing the limbs, but Andrias nods and encourages her, telling her it's okay if she hurts him during the process. Andrias is willing to bite that pain in order to experience not requiring the cane any longer.
Hop Pop, watching from the window feels satisfied having given Andrias the day to settle in, even if he barely used any of it for anything besides sitting at a tree and staring off into the town. The next day, he approaches Andrias properly.
Hop Pop looks up at Andrias who only half pays attention. Andrias is in a rut and Hop Pop knows for sure there's only one thing that's gonna bring him out of it. He's gotta move around.
Hop Pop: "It sure is a nice day."
King Andrias: "A bit muggy for my liking, but I guess that's what you get with a swamp."
He shrugs, accepting the situation weakly.
Hop Pop: "Well, it's certainly much too nice to be lyin' around. Tell ya what, how's about you run a little errand for me to get the dust offa ya, and get those ol' bones movin' so you can test that fancy new leg o' yours."
King Andrias raises a brow, finding it incredibly odd that one would ask him for a favor and not the other way around.
King Andrias: "What kind of 'errand'?"
Hop Pop: "I've been aimin' ta fix a part of the ol' shed out back after some varmints went and chewed a big hole in it. Leopold, the axolotl that works at the smithery just over yonder, said he had a fresh shipment that came in the other day."
King Andrias: "You just want me to obtain your wood?"
Hop Pop nods his head in agreement with a jovial smile.
Hop Pop: "Indeed, I do. Besides, it's about time ya broke the ice with the people of the neighborhood. We'd been gettin' some pretty long stares ever since Sprig brought ya here."
Andrias sighs and shakes his head, but slowly rises from the ground, his massive joints stiff. Andrias hobbles with a limp as he adjusts to the weight of his new leg.
King Andrias: "I will fulfill your request, although I still don't think this is a good idea."
He uses the hammer to balance himself. Hop Pop takes notice.
Hop Pop: "She sure did a good job with that leg. I hope it lasts you a long time. Perhaps you should test the arm out as well."
King Andrias speaks in a quiet rasp. He looks down at Hop Pop with that same sad puppy look he's had on his face for the last several days. He then examines the silver metal robotic arm grafted onto his flesh. He tries to move his fingers and form a balled fist.
King Andrias: "She's a good kid."
Hop Pop folds his arms and nods.
Hop Pop: "She sure is."
Andrias hobbles down the hill toward the town he completely dwarfs. As he approaches, his long shadow falls over the town like a kaiju making its trail toward some poor, unsuspecting city. The townspeople gasp as he approaches with his hood over his head like some sort of long, cloaked death.
The mayor shuts his window and draws the blinds. Chuck who is outside minding his own business and happily watering the plants in his front yard, panics and retreats inside, watching from behind the door window. As Andrias approaches Leopold Loggle's smithery, he spots the elderly Sadie Croaker shaking her sagging, wrinkly arm in a balled fist up at a tree. This thoroughly confuses him.
Mrs. Croaker: "Archie Croaker! You get down from that tree this instant, or I'll rap that little heinie of yours!"
Archie: "Bark bark!"
Mrs. Croaker: "A horse fly?! I brought you a whole jar of fresh maggots! What do you want some big ol' horse fly for?"
Archie: "Bark!"
Mrs. Croaker: "Nonsense! You'll spoil your dinner."
Andrias looks up at the tree and then down at her.
King Andrias: "Is there a problem, madam?"
She scoffs, shooing Andrias away as if he is some mere pest. She plants her arms at her side and scowls at him with immense disgust.
Mrs. Croaker: "Well, well, well, if it isn't his high and mighty Highness himself. You got a lotta nerve showing your face in this town! Don't think that just because you're ten times my height (and ten times my age, frankly) that I'm afraid of you in any way! I ain't no spring pollywog, but don't think you'll get one over on me!"
She continues to rant on and on about him as he rolls his eyes. He looks toward the tree and notices the tiny, black pet spider. Andrias reaches into the tree, his massive hand wrapping around the tiny, frightened creature. She immediately panics as he shoves his long arm into the tree, completely consuming a yelping Archie in his balled-up fist. As he slowly lowers his arm toward her, she beats his massive leg with her wooden cane and he doesn't even appear phased by it.
Mrs. Croaker: "Oh my goodness! You brute, you'd hurt a defenseless pet spider?! You cad! You—"
King Andrias: "Here you go."
King Andrias opens his massive blue palm to reveal the spider, completely unharmed. Archie barks and leaps out into Sadie's arms in fear. She simply stands there in silence, watching as he walks by.
King Andrias: "You're welcome."
After staring in distraction momentarily, she returns her attention to scolding Archie as Andrias nears Loggle's smithery. Out from the bushes, before him, a melodramatic light blue frog dressed more like a vagrant than Andrias himself pops out in surprise. He leaps before King Andrias, brandishing an accordion as if it were a weapon. He speaks in a cockney English accent.
One-Eyed Wally: "You might'a fooled ol' Hopediah and the Plantars into thinking you're some kinda reformed saint, but you gotta wake up pretty early to pull a fast one on One-Eyed Wally Ribbiton!"
King Andrias just stares down at him with a bemused look.
King Andrias: "Oh, really? That's wonderful. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm rather busy—"
Wally continues to block his path.
One-Eyed Wally: "Oh? You tax the poor people of Wartwood outta house and home, and even when you lose your throne, you march through our humble town like ya still own the place. Joke's on you, Kingy! I don't even pay taxes."
Wally folds his arms as if he has successfully defeated the king in battle. King Andrias raises his brow. His bemusement turns slightly to frustration.
King Andrias: "Are you quite finished?"
Wally drops his guard. He knows he's been caught, and that his whole strategy had been little more than a means of gaining attention. It worked, albeit shortly.
One-Eyed Wally: "I didn't think that far ahead, to be honest. You mean... you're not here to get revenge on us or destroy the town in a fit of vengeance for taking you down?"
He stares down at Wally with a stoic expression.
King Andrias: "No."
Wally seems almost disappointed. He slouches in despair.
One-Eyed Wally: "Oh... Okay then. Sorry."
King Andrias walks past the troublesome character, proceeding to his destination, praying there will be no further interruptions. As he approaches the front door, he tilts his head curiously.
King Andrias: "Oh yeah... Um... how will I make this work?"
The massive man leans over, trying as gently as he can to knock on the door in such a way that it doesn't seem like he's trying to knock it down with a battering ram.
Leopold: "Door's open!"
King Andrias: "I am aware of that!"
Leopold approaches the door, wandering outside where he is met with a start.
Leopold: "I said the door's op—OH MY FROG! King Andrias?! What are you doing here?! I'll have you know that just because I'm not fit anymore doesn't mean I won't whoop your keister!"
Leopold, the dirt-covered wood smith flings sawdust all over the place as he strikes a combat pose. King Andrias stares in a droll scowl at Loggle's attempt at intimidation and responds in a jaded and stoic manner with half-closed eyes.
King Andrias: "Spare me the threats, Loggle. I am simply here to retrieve Hopediah's order."
Leopold runs his eyes across the massive newt in suspicion.
Leopold: "He... he sent you?"
Leopold holds for a moment, sweating and confused, before sighing at ease. He stares at Andrias accusingly.
Leopold: "Why should I trust you?"
Andrias reaches into his coat, causing Loggle to flinch. Andrias looks at him with a sneer of frustration, pausing midway into his pocket before resuming his action slowly.
King Andrias: "I have the receipt right here."
He lowers the tiny paper in between his two fingers and Leopold takes it from him, reading it carefully.
Leopold: "One large bundle of wood. Says so right here."
King Andrias stares into space with a dead and tired look in his eyes.
King Andrias: "Precisely."
Loggle shrugs and proceeds in a somewhat musical tone more akin to his usual upbeat mood.
Leopold: "Alrighty then. I'll be right back in a jiffy."
Leopold leaves and returns with a jack and pallet carrying a large bundle of wood.
Leopold: "I'll need that jack back—"
King Andrias: "No need."
Andrias simply lifts the heavy bundle of wood in a single hand and places it underarm as he turns to return to Plantar's farm immediately. Loggle is left to contemplate. He scratches his head.
Leopold: "I really oughta start working out again."
As Andrias steps back into town, he stops dead in his tracks. He is surrounded by a rather large mob of frogs with threatening expressions on their faces, and eyes laser-targeted at him. Andrias finds himself in a slight panic as the town gangs up on him. His eyes sway between the judgmental amphibians. A familiar frog that considers himself the sworn leader of the bunch steps forward.
Assistant Toadstool: "Andrias. Long time, no see. Not long enough, in fact. How dare you show your face around here?"
A tiny toad at his side, a positively minuscule creature, a sea green toad dressed quite dapperly, pulls at Toadstool's pant leg.
Mayor Toadie: "I'll take it from here, Froderick. We are a peaceful town, Andrias. We seek no ill will and I feel as if it would be in the best interest of my people if you would part ways with us."
King Andrias: "But I'm not here of my own volition. In fact, I was running an errand for—"
From within the gathered crowd, Hop Pop thrusts his red hand into the air. He pushes through frogs, excusing himself as they give dirty looks at him for his rudeness. He is followed by Polly and Sprig.
Hop Pop: "Stop right there! It was us! We brought King Andrias to the humble town of Wartwood! We're to blame!"
Sprig interrupts, raising his hand and confessing guilt.
Sprig: "Specifically, it was me."
Hop Pop points at his grandson, sweat rolling down his face.
Hop Pop: He's to blame!"
Polly chimes in.
Polly: "Yup. Totally Sprig's fault."
Sprig facepalms and stares forward with a deadpan look on his face.
Sprig: "Thanks for throwing me under the snail, guys. I really appreciate it."
The crowd begins to rabble among themselves. They become aggravated, approaching King Andrias and throwing accusations against him.
Sprig: "Guys! The only reason he's here is because he rescued me on the way to Newtopia and I had to pay him back! He lost his home for Frog's sake!"
Sprig leaps between the crowd and King Andrias. The king just looks down at him in concern. Toadstool is not convinced.
Assistant Toadstool: "A likely story!"
Hop Pop approaches Froderick, poking him threateningly in the chest.
Hop Pop: "Are you callin' my grandson a fibber, Froderick?"
He leans in on Hopediah, not intimidated by him in the slightest.
Assistant Toadstool: "I sure ain't callin' him a truther, Hopediah!"
Several particular frogs approach Andrias with their grievances.
Mr. Flour: "It's because of you that I had to subject my precious daughters to an all-out war and put their lives in danger!"
Stumpy: "And it's because of you that I had to shut down my restaurant for several months, causing my business to go down the tubes!"
Gunther: "I lost a lot of my pottery during the war and I was stuck in an enraged state for over a week until my grief subsided. People told me I did a lot of... regretful things."
They proceed to surround him.
King Andrias: "I'm sorry. Really, I am, to all of you."
Sheriff Buck Leatherleaf steps forward, his hands situated authoritatively at his waist and ready for anything.
Sheriff Buck: "Mayor Toadie, I, at your request, will gladly remove this intruder from our fine town."
Toadie raises his hand, halting the sheriff from further motion.
Mayor Toadie: "That will not be necessary... yet."
Assistant Toadstool flails his hands around in the air irrationally.
Assistant Toadstool: "You can't be serious! He thrust us into an all-out war!"
As the aggression and yelling rises to the point where those not present find themselves curious, peering at the commotion from their windows, they argue among each other while others continue to berate Andrias with their grievances. Eventually, he is forced to put his rather large foot down. Andrias raises his booming voice loud enough for the whole town to hear.
King Andrias: "Enough! This is absurd! I haven't done anything wrong since I arrived!"
Andrias balls his fists at his side.
Mrs. Croaker: "So what?! You think that just because you're some former king you can just live here, after everything you did?!"
He finds himself becoming angry. He tempers his willpower, resisting the urge to belt out in retaliation.
King Andrias: "I already said I apologize!"
The frogs proceed to punish him verbally.
One-Eyed Wally: "Empty words! I don't believe them, and I certainly don't forgive you!"
Felicia: "Nor I."
Chuck: "Me neither."
Fern: "Or me."
Assistant Toadstool: "Or any of us."
Their words beat into his skull. Andrias feels the full weight of guilt thrust upon him by the town. At the height of his anxiety and frustration, Andrias hyperventilates and decides he can no longer stand idly by and allow the people of the town to gang up on him. He raises his voice once again, thundering commandingly over them to gain their attention.
King Andrias: "I'm not asking you to forgive me!..."
His echo is heard throughout the whole town. The people become silent.
King Andrias: "...All I'm asking is for you to believe me... and to know that my sorrow is REAL! I know that I could apologize for the rest of my life, not knowing how long that is and that it still wouldn't be enough in reparations to all of you. I know that I have to live with the guilt of homes lost, lives ruined, and families torn apart by MY actions. I have to live with that guilt."
Andrias walks through the crowd. He approaches the tall and proud statue of Anne Boonchuy. He stares up at it enviously as it towers over even him. He knows of the importance of that statue, and what it stands for. He turns to face them once again.
King Andrias: "But I have chosen... to NOT allow that to prevent me from ever finding happiness, from ever living again, from doing everything in my power to make it up to the people of Amphibia in any way that I can. I want to move on... I want to be happy... to experience a life unbound by my duties as king and conqueror. In my isolation, I have found simple solitude, and with it, the capacity to heal my soul."
King Andrias lowers his head. The town around him lowers their combat poses and stands at ease, some staring with expressions of remorse, others of headstrong resolve in their decision to refuse pardon, but all eyes are on him.
King Andrias: "I used to be happy. My two dearest friends, the most special people in the world to me, tried to warn me of the evils of my father, and I wouldn't listen to them. I was torn between the love and compassion of my friends, and my fealty to my father.
"I yearned so much for his approval that I was willing to sacrifice my soul, my convictions, and any remaining humility I had left. I allowed myself to be turned into a monster. I still must repent for my treason and confront my misgivings, not only as your king but as a man.
"So hate me if you will, but know that no matter what, I will persevere and continue my search for inner peace and happiness every day. I will continue to make it up to all of you, no matter how long it takes."
From dead silence, thunderous applause of one frog erupts from the crowd. Wally throws cheers and whistles, claps, and commotions as everyone around him stares, dumbfounded.
One-Eyed Wally: "Yeah, woo-hoo! Bravo! Encore!... Oh, wait. We're not gonna do the whole slow clap thing?"
Toadie shakes his head.
Mayor Toadie: "No."
Assistant Toadstool approaches the disappointed Wally, placing his hand on his shoulder in comfort.
Assistant Toadstool: "That'll do, Wally."
Wally sighs in disappointment. Andrias retrieves the bundle of wood, marching back to Plantar's farm as the others stare at him. They converse among themselves.
Mrs. Croaker: "Human girls from another world, I can get used to. I don't think I'll ever get used to that troublesome giant living among us."
Mayor Toadie: "I will allow him his chance. He doesn't deserve it, but so long as he minds himself, he can stay."
The Plantars sigh in relief when Mayor Toadie approaches Hop Pop.
Mayor Toadie: "With that said, he's your responsibility now. After all, you three are the ones with the penchant for bringing in, how should I put this?... Strays."
Hop Pop: "Anne was not a stray!—"
Sprig butts into the conversation.
Sprig: "I'll watch him. He's my responsibility."
Polly turns to him with folded arms and leans into him with sass.
Polly: "We're talking about a man, Sprig, not a pet."
Sprig leans back.
Sprig: "Still. I know he's troubled... but he could be good for this town."
Toadie: "I agree."
Toadie smiles up at Sprig. Even after earning his backbone and confidence as an individual in the war, Toadie has never stopped being a kind and sympathetic soul to the plights of others, in stark contrast to his former boss and current assistant, Froderick Toadstool. Had Froderick still been in control, Andrias would have been made to hit the road yesterday.
Andrias delivers the wood to its destination and returns to his tree. Sprig sees the opportunity. As it starts to rain, the crowd is dispersed and heads for their homes. Sprig and family return indoors as Andrias is left outside, too large to fit anywhere indoors. Sprig, noticing it starting to thunder and lightning, worries for Andrias. This is when he gets an idea. Sprig rushes outside into the harsh rain and toward the tree where Andrias awaits.
Sprig: "There's a storm coming. We should get you inside."
Andrias shrugs as he leans against the tree.
King Andrias: "Inside where?"
Sprig looks up at the sky nervously, then back at Andrias. Andrias looks up with him, wondering what he's looking at.
Sprig: "We have a barn around back. Yeah, you'll have to share it with the animals, but it's better than waiting here to get struck by lightning, especially with your metal limbs, you're like a walking conductor."
King Andrias: "I suppose it's no less dignified than living outside or in the wilderness alone."
Sprig leads Andrias to a large red barn. He finds that he can fit inside, but has to duck under the doorway. He looks around inside as Bessie, MicroAngelo and the various other animals simply stare at him. Andrias leans against the back wall of the barn. He sighs, nodding to Sprig.
Sprig: "It's unfortunately the best I can do. I hope you don't mind the animals."
Sprig shrugs modestly, and Andrias smirks weakly in response.
King Andrias: "Of course not. I remember the big-eyed one over there."
He nods Sprig looks over to MicroAngelo, who continues to stare with the same unassuming smile as usual.
Sprig: "Yeah. I guess MicroAngelo has taken a liking to you."
Andrias smiles at the snail.
King Andrias: "He is a fine young snail and a big boy. Reminds me of myself in my youth."
Sprig plants himself on the floor of the barn and Andrias stares down at him in confusion. Sprig looks up at him, wide-eyed.
Sprig: "What were you like in your youth?"
King Andrias shakes his head and chuckles at Sprig's innocence as the rain and light thunder generates a calming ambiance.
King Andrias: "I mentioned before, my two friends Leif and Barrel. The one was a pink frog that looked not unlike yourself. She was a gardener at the castle as well as a kind and gentle friend of mine. She taught me much of what I know about gardening today. My other friend, Barrel, was a toad. That's his hammer, the one I was using. Of course, you're familiar with how the young lady Sasha retrieved the hammer. Barrel was a loud and rambunctious lad, but just as pure of heart as Leif. They were my best friends.
"As a young prince, I was just as rambunctious myself. Father did not think I was ready for the throne yet, not mature enough. I loved my father but for the longest time, that feeling felt... unreciprocated. My father, King Aldrich Leviathan was a cold and calculating man, single-minded and dead focused on the duties of the kingdom and his role as a leader. It made me somewhat jaded about becoming a ruler myself someday.
"You know Lady Olivia? Oh boy, she thought I was a handful, up to the very end. In hindsight, I don't blame her or anyone else for turning on me. If only I had the knowledge and foresight to stop everything before it went out of control. You ever wish you could just go back in time and undo some of the things you did?"
Sprig: "If I could... no. It's too selfish."
Sprig waves away the idea, dismissing it.
King Andrias: "You would have stopped Anne and her friends from leaving?"
Sprig: "No! I couldn't do that."
King Andrias: "This is purely hypothetical, but be honest with yourself. You would give anything to see her again, wouldn't you?"
Sprig: "... Yes."
King Andrias: "It's not unnatural for one to wish to act impulsively, selfishly. It is the struggle of mortality, the struggle of the self pitted against the struggle of one's own selflessness, your desires over the desires of others. Sometimes we feel as if every selfless act is a sacrifice of our little happiness for the sake of another."
Sprig: "Whoa. That's some pretty heavy stuff."
King Andrias: "You learn a lot in a thousand years."
Andrias and Sprig just sit there in silence, listening to the gentle sounds of nature, the spattering of rain against the wooden sides of the barn, the purring snore of the snails, and their breathing. The storm eventually relents, and Sprig opts to go back to the house.
Sprig: "Looks like the rain finally let up."
He listens. Andrias looks to the roof.
King Andrias: "Yeah."
Sprig turns around to leave.
King Andrias: "Sprig?"
He turns around.
Sprig: "Yes?"
He tilts his head with a genuine smile.
King Andrias: "Thank you for spending time with me."
Sprig smiles back.
Sprig: "Not a problem. We got a lot of work to do over the next couple of days."
Andrias stays there for the remainder of the night. When he is approached the next morning, he rises groggily. As his poor vision adjusts, he can see the three of them standing before him: Sprig, Polly, and Hop Pop. Andrias leans against the back of the barn with the large snail MicroAngelo cuddled up on his lap, the creature far too large for any normal-sized person's lap yawns and realizes what's going on, and wants to be let down. Andrias shakes his head, coming into cognition with a yawn as the snail climbs down from his lap. The snirds that have perched all over his body for warmth scatter, leaving a trail of feathers in their wake.
Hop Pop: "The kids and I are gonna be outta town for the day. You gonna be fine all by yourself?"
King Andrias shrugs with a smile.
King Andrias: "As well as I've always been."
Sprig: "That's good. We'll be back before sunset. You stay outta trouble, you rascal."
Andrias smirks at Sprig with his arms folded.
King Andrias: "I make no promises."
Hop Pop turns to Sprig. Sprig stands there looking somewhat ajar.
Polly: "Now you know how it feels."
She addresses Andrias.
Polly: "We're going to get fertilizer, and we gotta go outta town to get it."
Hop Pop whistles.
Hop Pop: "Come on, Bessie. Wanna go for a walk, girl?"
Bessie makes indiscernible snail noises and slithers over to Hop Pop. They all exit the barn. As they head for the edge of town, Andrias watches them from the barn door. Turning away from the door, he looks down at the floor in contemplation before heading outside into town. The people of the town seem to pretend he's invisible, sometimes only acknowledging him through dirty looks but otherwise minding their own business.
Andrias marches about the town, simply taking in the scenery. As he strolls, Andrias comes across a building he never noticed before, a dilapidated building with children climbing all over the ruins. He watches, reading the sign with his head tilted. It is partially buried in the dirt with half of it covered, but it clearly reads "school". The children take notice of him. A small, blue-green youngster approaches him.
Kid: "Hey mister, you new in town? All the grown-ups seem awful sore toward ya."
Andrias looks down at the young man before him. He kneels to address the kid.
King Andrias: "All those grown-ups are mad at me for something that happened a long time ago. It's something you needn't concern yourself with."
He looks over to the dilapidated school.
King Andrias: "This used to be your school, right?"
A little maroon-colored girl that just started to get her polliwog limbs approaches Andrias, speaking to him in a squeaky voice.
Polliwog: "My mommy says that the playground used to be a school a long time ago, and some big buggies destroyed it. It's okay, cause we got a fun playground out of it."
Andrias rises. He rises and beholds the ruins, contemplating.
King Andrias: "Playgrounds are really fun, but don't you want to learn how to read? Or learn about those big buggies that destroyed your school?"
Kid: "No way! Come on, Sally. Why do old people always think we wanna go to a boring ol' school? Mom teaches me at home just fine."
The kids leave Andrias with much to think about. He navigates the town, approaching a youthful red-headed frog out watering the garden in her backyard in peace and humming to herself. He leans around the corner of her house.
King Andrias: "Excuse me, miss."
The young woman is startled. She drops her watering can and forms a martial arts pose, ready to attack Andrias in an instant. Andrias raises his hands in surrender.
King Andrias: "Easy. I mean no harm. I simply wish to ask you something."
She eyes him up and down, squinting in suspicion.
Felicia: "Yes? How may I help you?"
He points in the direction of the school and she follows where his hand is pointing to, knowing of the location.
King Andrias: "I would like to inquire about the dilapidated education system of this town."
Felicia lowers her guard.
Felicia: "The school? Why, it was destroyed well over a decade ago. We've had a wild millipede problem for a while now. We've been trying to get rid of them for the longest time, but they keep coming back and building new nests. Why am I telling you any of this? This is none of your concern!"
She folds her arms and stares up at him.
King Andrias: "You are Felicia, correct?"
Alarmed, she responds honestly, but with growing suspicion.
Felicia: "I am. Why?"
He leans on the house.
King Andrias: "I've had the pleasure of meeting your mother. Sweet woman. I'll be going now. Pretend I never asked."
She stares at him in confusion as he leaves just as abruptly as he came. She follows his large presence with her eyes. Andrias makes his way back to the barn where he propped his familiar hammer up against the wall. He draws the weapon, holding it before him and staring at it intently. Andrias leaves Wartwood and ventures into the woods alone. The people watch as he leaves, wondering if he'll come back, some praying he doesn't.
Andrias wanders the woods for what seems like hours. His venture seems aimless until he spots a tree around many that is completely bare. He finds it to be a rather odd anomaly, as most surrounding trees continue to bare autumn leaves. Curious, he proceeds until he happens upon another curiously bare tree, and another beside it. He feels as though he's getting closer.
Looking down, Andrias notices trenches in the dirt as he treads, large, concave interweaving trails in the dirt accompanied by mud and what appears to be waste. Andrias follows the trail, stumbling on more waste. About a mile away, the trail ends as he stumbles upon yet another bare tree, and behind it, a rather large, seemingly unmissable hole trailing deeply and diagonally into the earth, a burrow large enough to be a cave.
Andrias draws his weapons, peering ominously into the cave. His eyesight is extra bad, and in the dark, he's basically totally blind. Andrias ignites his sword, using it to light the way. He peers around the corners of the dank and dark cave as the settling of earth, faint drips of water, and the hum of his trusty laser sword are the only noises to break the silence. Despite his size, Andrias treads with the grace of a ninja through the cave.
In the shadows, large critters skitter across the walls, alerting Andrias with their rapid movement. He continues to venture deeper into a system of complex caverns and interweaving cells. As Andrias steps over a rock, the rock dislodges and rolls down the hill. He watches anxiously as it tumbles to the bottom of the incline. Suddenly a loud hiss comes from behind him. A massive millipede lunges at Andrias, pinning him to the side of the incline and making him drop the weapons.
The beast rears its open maw, salivating as it widens its pincers to chomp on Andrias' face for raiding its home. Andrias dislodges his right arm, delivering a pulverizing punch to the face of the creature with a solid hook to the face. The millipede is sent a good twenty feet across the cave where it lands with a loud crash, sending dust and debris through the air. More and more millipedes approach Andrias as he grabs his weapons and readies them, staring on with the ferocity of a barbarian.
King Andrias: "Finally, someone to take out all my pent-up RAGE on!"
The millipede rears, lunging forward as Andrias decapitates the creature with a single swing of the blade, blood and guts raining all over his face and beard as the creature falls dead to the floor. The other millipedes are appalled and enraged by this act, lunging forward in unison. Andrias roars psychotically as the beasts approach, and Andrias draws no quarter. With hammer in one hand and laser sword in the other, Andrias systematically kills beast after beast, littering the cave with their corpses, scattering them in a field of carnage, limbs, chitin, and bugly innards strewn about.
Andrias pushes forward, killing mercilessly what could be hundreds of the beasts, far too many for even a troupe of frogs to take on with any sense of self-preservation. Joke's on them, Andrias has none. Tossing one of the last of the beasts into the wall, it almost looks like it will beg for mercy. Andrias stares on coldly as the creature changes its tone and Andrias takes his hammer, raises his arm, and slams down with the thunderous impact of a god, smashing the creature's head to bits.
Andrias moves further into the cave where he discovers something quite frightening, a massive nest of eggs, all aligned to the wall of the tunnel system like a massive uterine canal. Andrias' ears are pierced by a deafeningly loud and shrill screech as a queen millipede, easily ten times as large as the others, slithers her way forward. Andrias stares on in horror as the queen coils her way around him. Andrias grits his teeth in hate as he readies his sword and hammer.
King Andrias: "Come at me, big mama!"
The massive and pregnant queen lunges forward, slamming face-first into the ground as Andrias leaps out of the way. She burrows deep within the cave system, tunneling underneath, shaking the earth, and causing debris around her to fall. Andrias steadies his stance, planting his heavy feet and making himself very sure-footed. He eagerly awaits for her to surface. Andrias studies the ground, focusing as hard as he can.
King Andrias: "Face me, beast!"
From underneath Andrias, a massive whirlpool forms. Andrias leaps high into the air as the queen rises from the dirt to devour him. Turning his laser sword in mid-air, Andrias tosses the laser sword downward like a bolt, piercing the queen through the back of the throat. The queen wails in agony as Andrias lands down her throat.
The millipede queen writhes and sways, choking on Andrias as the king pounds and punches away at her internal organs from within. With all of his might, Andrias draws all of his strength and punches a wide hole into the side of the queen, spilling the digesting vegetation and other unknown foods from her stomach all over the cave. Andrias is covered in stomach juices as he approaches his sword.
The queen struggles to breathe as Andrias approaches her, laser sword in hand. Andrias stares down at her before cleaving her head clean off. Her head rolls onto the ground and settles in place. With ultimate fury, Andrias unleashes onto the eggs, smashing and crushing every single one he can find, sending yolk and shell all over the place in a mess of white and yellow.
After nearly an hour of systematically plowing through egg after egg, the tired and weary Andrias drops to the ground, leaning against the wall of the cavern catching his breath and sweating bullets. Had Andrias not acted sooner, the town of Wartwood would have itself quite a massive problem had that nest of eggs hatched and had those rather ghastly creatures been allowed to grow and thrive.
They would have been unstoppable, and in a matter of weeks, the town itself would be reduced to the kind of rubble the school had been left in, the people of Wartwood, either dead or homeless. Without a doubt, they would never be able to face the threat themselves.
Marinated in the blood and guts of his foes, Andrias reaches down, picking up the head of the queen and hauling it on his shoulder. He stumbles out of the cave, through the dirt and mud of the previous day's rainfall, and over to a puddle. He drops the head onto the ground with a loud squish. Reaching down into the puddle with both his hands, he draws nearly the entire pool over to his face as he washes the blood.
Andrias peers down into the water, the blurry image of his red and blue face, his long, knotted beard, his unkempt brow, and the bloodshot wrinkles of his eyes are clear to him. He sighs and rises from the puddle, making the long trek back to town. He finds himself back in town by the late afternoon. He treads through the town gate and the people stare at the gore-covered king in horror, having no idea who or what he killed.
He strolls directly to the sheriff's office on the edge of town and tries as lightly as he can to knock on the door. Buck Leatherleaf approaches the door in confusion, opening it only to be confronted by the ghastly sight of a man covered head to toe in bug guts. Andrias drops the decapitated head of the fallen millipede queen at his feet. He does a double take as he examines the head and stares up at the king in awe.
King Andrias: "You should be happy to know that I've eliminated your millipede issue. Have you a map of the local forest? I could show you precisely where I found the den."
Sheriff Buck: "I, uh, um... Hold on."
Sheriff Buck retreats to his office, leaving Andrias at the front door and returning with a local map. Andrias looks down at the map, focusing heavily on the landscape to accurately judge the cave's location based on surrounding geography.
King Andrias: "The cave is about 2.3 kilometers due southeast of this very building, between this cluster of trees and a triangular rock formation. The surrounding trees are bare and the trenches should lead right to the cave. I've slaughtered every last millipede within as well as crushed their eggs, hence my ghastly appearance. Should you wish to send a cleanup crew within, I recommend extreme caution. I was as thorough as possible but one can never be too careful."
Andrias leaves the head of the queen on the doorstep of the sheriff's office for him to dispose of. Leatherleaf is left wondering how he's gonna remove that putrid head from his doorstep. He removes his hat, scratching his head and rubbing the sweat from his brow as he watches in curiosity as the tired Andrias marches back up the hill and into the barn where he finally relaxes at the back wall.
Sometime later, not too long after Andrias arrives back home, Sprig, Polly, and Hop Pop return from their business venture outside of town. They check in on Andrias and are quite shocked to find him in his condition. Sprig runs up to Andrias, a worried look in his eyes.
Sprig: "What happened?!"
As Sprig approaches closer, he covers his nose.
Sprig: "Oh, Frog! What's that smell?"
Andrias sniffs himself.
King Andrias: "That would be the rotting scent of millipede carcass and the juices of its own stomach."
Polly smirks, impressed.
Polly: "Nice."
Hop Pop cringes.
Hop Pop: "Wow... So you'd been really busy while we were gone, huh?"
King Andrias: "I took care of a long overdue issue plaguing this town. You can rest assured knowing that those pests will not bother you anymore."
Andrias looks at them with a serious gruff to his voice.
Polly: "Wait... you mean all the millipedes are gone?"
King Andrias: "I sure hope so. Their queen is dead. Even if there are survivors, they'll be without leadership, and we all know how bad things get when there's no leadership."
Hop Pop shrugs, pleadingly.
Hop Pop: "We brought you some food on the way back."
He holds up a paper bag filled with various things he got from the side street markets. Andrias raises his hand, declining the offer.
King Andrias: "That will not be necessary. I ate on my trip."
Hop Pop's eyes grow large.
Hop Pop: "Oh, my goodness... You ate them too?!"
Andrias shrugs.
King Andrias: "Millipedes are a delicacy in Newtopia."
Hop Pop smiles graciously at King Andrias.
Hop Pop: "How could we ever thank you for this?"
Andrias smiles at them.
King Andrias: "Only by allowing me opportunities to do more."
Hop Pop: "I don't know what you mean by that, but sure. Wartwood could always use a boost in morale."
Andrias rises from his spot at the back wall, kneeling under the doorway to go back outside. He turns back toward Hop Pop with a smirk.
King Andrias: "Then a boost, it shall have. Now if you'll excuse me, I have bug guts to wash off."
The trio of frogs just looks at each other, completely flabbergasted, as if they'd missed an entire week's events in the span of an hour. Sprig wonders if he should even sleep that night, fearing he might miss out on some of the most epic stuff he'd ever seen in his life. Polly is just jealous that she didn't get to watch Andrias go to town on a bunch of unsuspecting millipedes.
Andrias walks all the way out into the middle of the lake to wash himself, the water only reaching about half his height as he tries to rid himself of the foul stench of rot. Andrias observes his new metal appendages, watching as the individual components move in place with the slightest twitch of his muscles. He admires the work done by the young Polly Plantar, but somehow feels less like a newt than he used to, the lab-grown flesh used to cover up his mechanical body parts no longer available to him.
The evidence of his cybernetic nature is in plain sight for all to see. Andrias woes as he remembers the days of the ancient past when he had his old, natural body. He realizes just how much of a freak he has now become, an unnatural zombie long past his expiration date. Still... he's alive and wonders why. Could a man far into his old age, a man who up to this point has led a lavish, indulgent, and self-serving life ever amount to anything? Is he worthy of love from his people, or is he far too long down the trail of darkness to ever come back into the light?
Andrias shakes his head, and away with it the swampy water and his self-doubt as he returns to the edge of the lake and retrieves his clothing. He realizes his clothes still reek of death, so opts to wash them off in the lake as well. He dips them in, scrubbing them and dunking them, wringing until the cloth and leather are adequately dry. He squints in disappointed acceptance at their cleanliness.
King Andrias: "Better than nothing, I guess."
Andrias awaits his clothes to dry before returning to civilization. He resides in the barn at the end of the night, where he is approached by Sprig. In Andrias' loneliness, he talks to the farm animals. They cannot communicate back, but he pretends they can. Late into the night, he gets an unexpected visit from Sprig. Sprig enters the barn in his pajamas. Andrias is surrounded by the animals that have taken a liking to him.
King Andrias: "Up rather late, aren't we Sprig?"
Sprig: "I couldn't sleep. I gotta know, what sparked you to go out and take out that entire nest of millipedes?"
King Andrias: "I already made it clear. I don't care if the people of Wartwood ever forgive me. The truth is, I spent my whole life living in lavish luxury, ignoring the wants and needs of my people as I sat in lofty ignorance, indulging in childish behavior and serving the needs of a greedy and unquenchable dynasty, as well as an evil force that would sooner throw me to the dirt as soon as I extinguished my usefulness than invite me in.
"That young lady, Marcy Wu... she was the closest thing I had to a friend in many, many years, and I simply used her, exploited her naivete, her desire to find her friends, her knowledge, and kindness. As flawed as she was, I could see the sorrow buried in her heart for what she did to her friends, and I could see the guilt rising in her as I used her for further gains. I didn't think anything of it back then, but long since, my actions have haunted me.
"That young lady treated me in the closest manner to what one could call love that I've experienced in many years. I should have been honest with her. I should have sent them home and destroyed that box while I still could, shattering the Core's only chance at breaking into other realms. I can't go back to the past... but I can use the knowledge and maturity I've gained to make the future better, so long as I live."
Sprig sits on the ground. Andrias just watches him. He weeps into his arms.
Sprig: "I miss them so much. There are times when I... I wish we never left Earth. There are times when I think to myself 'I should have never let them go back'. How selfish is that? What's wrong with me? How could I even think about such betrayal?"
King Andrias doesn't answer right away but ponders.
King Andrias: "Perhaps it's time we accept the fact that we are flawed and sometimes selfish beings, but vow never to act upon those feelings ever again. We must stop indulging in the past and cast our eyes straight to the future. I want to make the people of Wartwood happy. That is my goal... for now."
He looks down at Sprig and Sprig doesn't respond. He rubs his eyes. Andrias leans forward in curiosity.
King Andrias: "Well?"
Sprig looks up at him with glossy eyes. He sniffs.
Sprig: "Well, what?"
Andrias shrugs widely.
King Andrias: "What are your goals for the future, young man?"
Sprig stands up again, brushing himself off and gesturing nervously as he avoids eye contact.
Sprig: "I'd like to finally get to explore that continent that rose out of the ocean years ago."
King Andrias does a double take. He apparently has been left entirely in the dark about such a revelation.
King Andrias: "I beg your pardon... but did you say something about a new continent?"
Sprig brushes the snot away from his nose.
Sprig: "Yeah... You mean you didn't know?"
Andrias leans in curiously again.
King Andrias: "No. I didn't. Care to indulge?"
Sprig sighs.
Sprig: "Well, it supposedly appeared in the wake of the Core's defeat. I wanted to go there for years, but colonization forces were sent from Newtopia... and none of them ever came back. Anyone that's ever set foot on that island has disappeared, never to be heard from again. After that, Hop Pop said he would never let us set foot there."
Andrias stares at the ground for an uncomfortably long time. Sprig tries to gain his attention.
Sprig: "King Andrias?"
Andrias snaps out of it.
King Andrias: "Yes?"
Sprig shrugs in concern.
Sprig: "What do you make of it?"
Andrias shakes his head slightly, still looking at the ground.
King Andrias: "I don't know."
As Sprig watches King Andrias contemplate, he decides that perhaps it's time to go. He approaches the door, walking backward as King Andrias continues to ponder to himself.
Sprig: "Well, I'm gonna head to bed. It's really late. Don't let what I told you keep you from getting a good night's sleep. Remember, there's more work to be done."
Andrias looks over at him for a brief second just to acknowledge him.
King Andrias: "Right... Good night, Sprig."
Sprig smiles kindly at Andrias.
Sprig: "Good night, King Andrias."
He closes the door and Andrias continues to shake his head and mutter under his breath. His mind is filled with a particular memory, one that has clearly stayed with him for years, but one that he never understood. King Andrias goes back to a moment in his youth. He goes to confront his father about his treatment of Leif and Barrel, approaching his "office" when he overhears a conversation between his father and his true master. Andrias, then Prince, eavesdrops on their conversation.
King Aldrich: "My Lord, I don't think the boy truly understands the gravity of the situation."
The king stands in a massive, dark room. A black, orb-like mass coils around Aldrich like a snake. Andrias' father seems afraid, sweating at the brow but maintaining his dignity and composure as the metal monster attempts to intimidate him.
The Core: "Well, that isn't our problem, is it, Aldrich? Perhaps you should make him understand... make him realize that there are consequences for his actions."
Aldrich opens his mouth wide, staring up into the emotionless orange eyes of the metal devil.
King Aldrich: "You want me to punish my son?"
The Core: "Not punish, but correct. Should you become one with us someday, you will sit among the greatest minds of all time. Only one problem, with you out of the picture, that would leave your son as the face of the kingdom. It would be most unfortunate if he wasn't to comply as intended. It would leave us in the compromising position of having to take action ourselves. He could compromise the whole mission, or give away the location of our laboratories. He could find out the truth about the forbidden land. I don't think you'd want that, Aldrich."
King Aldrich looks down at the ground, scowling heavily, his face blanketed in shadow.
King Aldrich: "I will do what needs to be done."
The large metal being stretches its long coil out to Aldrich, taking its razor-sharp talon to the king's neck and drawing Aldrich up by the chin to look his oppressor in the eyes.
The Core: "Do not disappoint us."
The Core draws its claw away, leaving Aldrich bleeding slightly from his neck. The king, sweating profusely, removes a handkerchief from his pocket and dabs his forehead before patting the red mark on his neck. Andrias notices his father's footsteps as he moves toward the door of his office and hastily sneaks away.
King Andrias returns to the present. As he tries to sleep, that horrible scene plays back in his head, over and over again like a horrible nightmare. It intrudes on his sleep. It was from that moment forward, after eavesdropping on that conversation, that Andrias made sure to be on his best behavior.
He didn't know what The Core meant then and there, but Andrias loved his father, no matter how little he reciprocated the affection, and the idea of the Core punishing him is something that he feared greatly. Andrias had no idea of the Core's power or what it was capable of. None of them knew. To this day, they still don't.
