Chapter 54- Queen Lucy and Kobaruto's groups face the Queen Spider Train and something abnormal among them
Somewhere else
Another group of quest-goers, the one that journeyed to the Garden of Youth to get an apple for the Nine-Realms Potion and the one that included Queen Lucy, Tumnus, Guinan, Monocyte, Neutrophil, Basophil and Eosinophil, continued their return journey to Cair Paravel with the precious apple in a capsule in their possession. They rode on Pegasi, Sleipnir and Horses like Beaver's group, that herd led by the lead Sleipnir stallion named Gonggong and the group had spent much of the night galloping through the lands of the Narnian country back to the castle. So far, they had not run into any trouble with any of the marauding minions of Jadis unlike Beaver and Wan's groups earlier. However, something disturbing had caught their attention and the compulsion to investigate had brought the group to a halt. It was a village near a cave and it appeared to have been ransacked, the simple cottages and dens turned into sites of destruction within. The discovery of this type of destruction had disturbed the group for they knew this village. Furthermore, they had smelt a rat about this place.
Neutrophil took in the inside of one of the small cottages and examined the overturned furniture, shattered plates and other destroyed items, a disturbed look on his face. He had his sword prepared in case something jumped out at him.
"This is reminiscent of what our grandfather Goroth had observed when he discovered that orphaned baby Daughter of Eve he had taken in and named Jessie sometime before the White Witch's takeover of Narnia," the pink-spotted Terror Bird spoke in a low, horror-filled voice, "That cottage in which Jessie, who was our adopted aunt and our father's adopted sister since Grandpa Goroth adopted her into his family, was born had been ransacked and destroyed by presumably some of the White Witch's pre-emptive intruders seeking out humans to find and kill..." then not wanting to take in the destroyed interior of the simple cottage which was actually a Dwarf's cottage and not human's based on the different size and design of the habitation place any longer, Neutrophil left to outside. Gonggong the lead Sleipnir came in, a serious look on his face.
"It wasn't surprising that the Narnian humans' houses and places had been attacked some years before the Age of Winter and those humans either killed or kidnapped, Neutrophil," said the Eight-Legged Horse darkly, "According to eyewitnesses and the victims themselves who had managed to survive and escape, some of those kidnapped humans taken by the Witch's before-the-main-storm minions were used as sacrifices to the White Witch as a form of worship of their Devil Mistress..."
That statement made Neutrophil and the others with him wince HARSHLY. Thankfully, Queen Lucy was a few metres away examining a destroyed den with Guinan to hear this and Neutrophil did NOT want Her Majesty to hear such things, especially since she was still young. Thankfully, Gonggong was considerate and made sure that she was at a good distance from his saying of this. Then Tumnus came in, a scowl of UTMOST disgust on his face.
"You're KIDDING us, Gonggong," he retorted in a low voice while Basophil and Eosinophil took some time to regain their composure. However, this INCREDIBLY ABOMINABLE use for the kidnapped human victims was no surprise. Jadis was the EVILLEST being to have EVER enter and exist in the world of Narnia after all. Then Neutrophil, Basophil, Eosinophil and Monocyte recalled the tales their father/uncle who had been one of the human Jessie's adopted brothers and was named Bladebeak, had told them sometime before the events of the Battle of Beruna. Bladebeak had explained to his two sons, daughter and nephew (but not his other nephew Lymphocyte who had been too young at the time) of how some Candy Woodland Creatures had been among the pre-emptive invaders and precursors to the main invasion of the White Witch and the ushering in of the Eternal Winter. According to Bladebeak, eyewitness and survivor accounts brought in disturbing stories of these colourful but evil Talking Beast counterfeits intruding into human villages and ransacking the buildings to either take human victims or even kill them and Neutrophil remembered the conclusion his grandfather Goroth, Bladebeak's father and the human Jessie's adopted father, had drawn regarding what had happened to Jessie the Terror Bird Woman's biological family. When she had been a baby, her cottage had been attacked by a band of Candy Woodland Creatures and some assistants and all but Jessie herself had been kidnapped. However, Jessie's parents had managed to hide their baby in a basket in a cupboard to protect her from the evil creatures, possibly moments before they managed to burst into the home and cause that destruction. It had been a miracle that they hadn't found Jessie in that cupboard and in a matter of hours, it was over; Jessie's family was gone, having been taken by the invading Candy Woodland Creatures to be used for purposes for the White Witch whom they saw as a goddess and as their 'Angel of Salvation'. Then it had been ANOTHER miracle that Goroth had happened to discover the baby but his decision to take Jessie under his wing and raise her as one of his own with his wife White-Thistle and alongside their chicks, among them Bladebeak had been an UTTERLY noble, life-saving act. So was the Terror Bird clan's chief's decision to have Jessie taken to a human's village OUTSIDE of the country Narnia before the White Witch's imminent takeover which saved Jessie's life from the cruel ice-hands of the Devil Woman. After all, humans were amongst the noblest of ALL the creatures living in Narnia and the pinnacle of God's creation on Earth and to use them as mere dumb beasts like in sacrifices was UTTERLY immoral, especially if the perpetrators involved were Talking Beasts or Talking Beast-like beings. And when Jessie had settled into her new home which was a mostly-fishing village, she grew up and had passed on her hunting skills she had learned with the Terror Bird clan to a band of hunters and thanks to her, the village had managed to find some new avenues of gathering food to either use or sell and so diversify their means of income. Jessie had even gone on to get married and have children of her own and her descendants will carry her legacy. Neutrophil, Basophil, Eosinophil and Monocyte were indeed UTTERLY proud of their grandfather Goroth for rescuing Jessie, raising her and eventually take her to that village and they had even got the chance to meet some of her descendants, the hunters-in-training, mostly boys, learning Jessie's techniques of running down their game and killing them as a hunting method. The four Terror Birds then put aside that subject and returned their attention to the present.
The Garden of Youth quest-goers continued to investigate the ruined village with some checking out the cave when on the other side of the village, another group of quest-goers and their escorts, also Horses but also some fast-running Birds like Ostriches and flying creatures like Griffins and Hippogriffs, also arrived. This group was the group that went to the Narnian Sun to get some corona-flowers for the Nine-Realms Potion and among them were Kobaruto, Miidori (one of Kushanku and the now-deceased Alexandrite's daughters), Sunstone, Moonstone and Merida (three of the late Satoshi and his wife Padparadscha "Paddy's daughters) and some Song Flutterbirds and the red Flower Mandrake who had gone with the group to the Sun. This group had also seen the concerning and suspicious state of the village and had gone to investigate but they had also seen Queen Lucy's group through the cluster of cottages and dens. Immediately, they entered the village and walked towards them to meet them. At first, Queen Lucy's group didn't notice them as they continued to talk.
"Dad believes that our adopted human great-aunt Jessie's biological family was among those humans kidnapped by some of the White Witch's pre-emptive strike groups sent to hunt down and either capture or kill the humans living in Narnia like vermin," said Eosinophil.
"It's hard to imagine that auntie Jessie was left ALL alone in the aftermath... as a vulnerable little BABY," put in Basophil.
"Goroth was indeed UTTERLY wise in taking little Jessie into his clan, Terror Birds," Vermillion, one of the regular Talking Mares said with Gonggong and another Horse, Vermillion's husband, nodding in agreement.
"Quite a few Narnians and even Gandalf and Seresute have managed to help quite a few Narnia country-dwelling humans to escape," added Gonggong, "But unfortunately, a good number of them hadn't been so lucky."
"The White Witch's wickedness certainly knew now bounds didn't it?" said Monocyte in UTMOST distaste. Tumnus, Queen Lucy, Guinan and some of the others nodded in agreement as did their Horse escorts. Suddenly, a new voice spoke in the same agreement, pulling Queen Lucy's group to the speaker, a Bakeneko with cobalt blue in his fur, "Indeed it didn't, Monocyte."
The moment Queen Lucy's group's eyes found the newcomers led by the speaker, Kobaruto, Jubilation washed over them.
"Kobaruto, Miidori, Moonstone, Sunstone and the rest of you!" cried Neutrophil with joy.
"We can see you've made it safely back from the Narnian sun," said Queen Lucy as Basophil and Eosinophil went to give Kobaruto a hug and also share some reunion time with Miidori, Sunstone, Moonstone and also Merida.
"Did you manage to get some corona-flowers from that exclusive garden?" asked Tumnus. Merida answered this by showing a transparent capsule containing some glowing red and orange fire flowers resembling a flower from Earth called a hibiscus in shape.
"Excellent work," Gonggong cried out in congratulation.
"I bet it must have been risky," said Tumnus, "I've read in a book that the Corona-Flower Garden requires you choose the right key that correctly represents the 'Fiery Cat King' (the Sunlings' name for Aslan) to open the gates. Choose the wrong one and it can be deadly."
"Unfortunately, Igoe the Talking Rat did just that and on purpose," said Merida, "but he paid the price with his life."
"Yes, the protective and testing barriers to these exclusive Nine-Realms Potion ingredient gardens can be VERY dangerous," said Gonggong, "Which is why you MUST be EXTREMELY careful, especially if the testing barriers come with temptation. The Cave of the Forbidden Treasures of Vanity on the Narnian Moon that is home to the lunar mushrooms is one example."
Kobaruto's group nodded in agreement before Kobaruto resumed the main thread, a serious look on his face. "So yes, some of the Narnian humans were kidnapped and carried off by the White Witch's pre-emptive minions, among them Dionaea's grandparents and my grandfather who had been among the traitorous Bakeneko who had turned to the Witch's side, I am ashamed to admit."
"Were any human children kidnapped by these hideous minions?" asked Queen Lucy.
"Sadly, yes," said Kobaruto sadly but then his face changed to one of admiration, "But there had been 'traitorous' members among those minions who worked for the White Witch in those groups but were NOT loyal to her. They helped to rescue some of the kidnapped human victims and get them to safety, often at the cost of their lives. A relative of Dionaea, her great-aunt, some Wolves and an Amphiptere, was one of them who had managed to rescue a group of kidnapped human children meant to be used as slaves for the White Witch and also that Spider Hag and get them to safety. However, they had been found out and killed but the children managed to escape."
Amazement rolled through Queen Lucy's group.
"I think Dionaea's great-aunt and her group's bravery in doing that must have what inspired Dionaea and also you to eventually turn against the White Witch," said Neutrophil.
"It's good to know that there had been some of the Witch's minions who had actually been against her and her WICKED agenda despite actually working for her," said Tumnus with a frown.
"Sai, that brave Snowstalker who had been among the Witch's search-and-kill Secret Police groups and who had saved the lives of so many innocent Narnians thanks to his ingenious use of dumb animal blood is one of them," said Gonggong, "The traitorous Snowstalkers had been tasked with putting do death 'traitors' by biting them with their sabre-teeth but Sai took advantage of this by setting up ruses with the blood he had collected from dumb animals but he had to have his 'victims' cooperate to make the ruse work."
"There had been TRULY brave rebels among the Witch's midst besides the Narnians who had been against her but had been forced to submit to her EVIL laws," said Kobaruto, before his gaze turned to Tumnus, "But the actions of some of the latter were pivotal in ushering in the Golden Age Prophecy, such as what you did to Her Majesty there when she first entered our world."
Tumnus turned and smiled proudly at Queen Lucy who returned the smile. It indeed was a brave thing to protect the little girl, now Queen, from the clutches of the White Witch and Tumnus had been UTTERLY wary of the hidden spies among the trees, among them the Dryads loyal to the White Witch and also the Slender-Men, Drop Bears and Hidebehinds who he knew were excellent hiders among the Eternal Winter-stricken forests, either in the canopy above like the Drop Bears, behind the trees or in their shadows, like the Hidebehinds, or among the trees like the Slender-Men. It certainly had been Aslan's work that Queen Lucy had been kept safe from the clutches of the Witch though Edmund hadn't been as fortunate but like almost every other 'traitorous' Narnians, Tumnus had been seized and imprisoned by the White Witch for failing to turn Lucy to her as strictly commanded but I digress. Kobaruto then turned to examine the cave.
"We were about to investigate this rocky cavern actually before you turned up," said Neutrophil.
"We had found something suspicious in it," added Guinan as some of the Horse escorts came in. Kobaruto didn't reply and continued examining the cave's walls with some Song Flutterbirds and the red Flower Mandrake. However, as they gazed into the cave, they noticed something abnormal about the walls and the Flower Mandrake went to examine some substance hanging off the rim. This substance was white, stringy, sticky and fluffy and there were patches of more of it festooning the interior of the cave further in. However, this was no pretty decoration and its presence sent a wave of disturbance coursing through Queen Lucy and Kobaruto's groups. Neutrophil had his sword drawn while Eosinophil had her little trident prepared as they felt wary.
"Looks like something has turned this stone home into a lair of sorts," said Guinan as she took in the substance. She brushed her fingers among the patch of it, picked it up and examined its texture. Miidori and Merida came in and also took in its appearance.
"Looks like... webbing from a spider, only larger," the former whispered. Kobaruto, however, glared into the cave's throat which was shrouded in darkness, a glare on his face. He had recognised this substance and knew that it was not just from a swarm of ordinary spiders and not even the eusocial colony-forming spiders, the Silver Spiders. However, this webbing was also not from a certain pink Spider-like creature Kobaruto had once heard about. It was a different kind of spider-like creature.
As the two quest-goer groups continued examining the cave, snarls suddenly began to shudder the air, making them flinch and shoot weary gazes in all directions. Queen Lucy immediately brandished her dagger while Tumnus and Guinan produced their swords. The Horse, Sleipnir, Girffin, Hippogriff and Ostrich escorts also got prepared for battle and the lead Griffin, a male named Eagleface, took his protective stance by spreading his feathered wings across the quest-goers and glaring fiercely into the cave, Kobaruto also got his swords ready and glared into the cave as the snarler showed itself. Melting out of the darkness in the cave's throat was a bone-white face. The eyes were pupiless and the skin was as white as the White Witch's. Beneath the white pupiless eyes was a grimace, a mouth and in that mouth was a cluster of needles; razor-sharp teeth. This mouth was no different from the demonic Cartoon Shadow Cat's toothy grimace and this toothy grimace seems to be a common thing among the creatures that were truly loyal to the White Witch. The mouth and lips which were coloured whites streaked with blood-red stripes shuddered as the creature continued to emit the deep Wolf-like snarl. Kobaruto and the others backed away as the creature became slightly more visible. Then the throat of the cave was lit up in a fiery blood red and as it did, the whole creature became visible. The quest-goers flinched violently and took a few steps from the cave, including Eagleface and Kobaruto but the latter glared angrily at the creature.
The creature resembled the creature called a Spider Train which were spider-like creatures with hideous bone-white faces, toothy grins and white, pupiless eyes flooded with bloodlust and a thirst for murder, and exoskeletons resembling a human train vehicle called a locomotive. However, those creatures were only about the size of Talking Dogs on average but THIS Spider-Train was MUCH larger, around the size of a Talking Elephant and its locomotive-like exoskeleton and its legs were far more elaborate than a regular Spider-Train's. Its Spider-like legs were a dark hellish red streaked with brighter orange-yellow stripes like the texture of semi-set lava from a volcano. Its exoskeleton was silvery but the area above its face was gold. Queen Lucy, Kobaruto and company glared at the wicked creature and soon Kobaruto identified the Spider Train. It was a Queen Spider Train and these Spider Train individuals were always female, more massive than regular Spider Trains and the matriarch of each nest of them for Spider Trains were eusocial creatures much like the eusocial spider species called the Silver Spider (which was also headed by a queen spider like in ants and bees and the centrepiece of any Silver Spider colony in Silver Spider keeping). Like regular spiders, Queen Spider Trains and their smaller workers produced webs for various uses such as traps and as weapons. Then Kobaruto noticed that the Queen Spider Train was not alone. Surrounding the hideous part spider, part locomotive animal were some other creatures. Two were large pink bipedal creatures with large ears, a trunk and an elephant-like form; some resembled ugly plants with jaws and armed with a deadly whip-like stinger and some others resembled frogs. However, unlike regular frogs (which has no Talking Beast form) which were often green, brown or even brightly coloured like poison dart frogs (which also exist in Narnia), these frog-like creatures sported blue-white skin. They were bipedal and more anthropomorphic than regular frogs but none of these Frog-like creatures were loyal to the Great Lion and were infamous for producing FOUL smells and emitting IRRITATING sounds and overexposure to their 'songs' was torturous. These Frog-like creatures were called RotFrogs and they were another type of creature loyal to the White Witch. Their main job roles were in interrogation via torture and as patrollers and spies and like the Candy Woodland Creatures and some other creatures like the Man with the Upside Down Face, they referred to the White Witch as their 'Angel of Salvation'. The small group of RotFrogs surrounding the fiery lava-red legs of the Queen Spider Train then glared maliciously and hatefully at Kobaruto and company with the Triffid-Mouths and the pink Elephant-like creatures, two Pink Elephants, as they continued to glare at them back.
Kobaruto moved a leg to take a step towards the group into the cave but the Queen Spider Train growled more intensely and finally spoke.
"You dare move an inch toward us, traitorous Bakeneko," the hideous Spider-Locomotive snarled, "An' I'll wrap ya up in my webbing and I'll slowly devour ya while you're still alive," and at that thought of eating Kobaruto this way, her toothy mouth salivated, sending threads of the digestive fluid dripping disgustingly from her mouth and down her chin, sending revulsion ripping through the group. Queen Lucy especially flinched when she heard that threat aimed at Kobaruto as one of the RotFrogs added an UGLY topping, "While your FRIENDS includin' that Daughter of Eve there," it nodded to Queen Lucy as it said this, "will be cocooned and carried off to be our later meals."
The others behind Queen Lucy, Kobaruto and Eagleface the lead Griffin shuddered slightly as the others with the Queen Spider Train released sinister titters but then Neutrophil boldly stepped forward, his fearsome eyes locked with the Queen Spider Train's.
"Who are you!?" demanded the pink-spotted Terror Bird hostilely, his sword aimed at the hideous group that had taken shelter in this cave and were responsible for the mess of the village. The others with him also took up battle stances but so did the Queen Spider Train's comrades.
"Some of the loyal servants of our Angel of Salvation, her Majesty the Queen of the Highlands," replied another RotFrog mockingly before its bulbous eyes found Queen Lucy. Immediately, it pointed a rapier-like weapon at the young Queen, "NOT that puny fat-faced runt of course."
Queen Lucy flinched violently at this insult and pointed her dagger at the blue-grey skinned Frog-like creature angrily while Tumnus, ENRAGED at what the RotFrog had just called his friend, also aimed his sword at the disgusting Amphibian. He wanted to charge at the RotFrog and behead it but he knew he would get himself killed at the jaws of the evil Queen Spider Train if he did this so he restrained himself. Then one of the Pink Elephants spoke, its voice sounding like a drunken ghost: whispery, slick and as smooth as a seductive snake's speech, "An' YOU low-down insects will... su-u-u-urely be honoured to be participants' in our Angel's resurrection."
"As you will have two of the nine essential ingredients for that process in your possession," said another RotFrog, finishing the sinister Pink Pachyderm's sentence. The two quest-goer groups clutched the corona-flowers and the Garden of Youth apple in their capsules tightly.
"We will NOT hand over those easily, White Witch's minions," replied Tumnus boldly, his sword still aimed at the hideous group aiming to seize the two ingredients.
"Yes, they're for High King Peter and his antidote and NOT for you," put in Guinan.
"He cannot be cured any other way aside from this exclusive potion," added Monocyte.
"Remember what happened to your Mistress when she ate one of those apples from the Lion's Sacred Garden," put in Eagleface. Chuckles of mockery emanated from the Queen Spider Train and her group to the disgust of the quest-goers.
"What's so funny!?" demanded Queen Lucy angrily, clearly offended at this laughter at her older brother's situation.
"You mean that useless lowly fly you call your High King?" asked the Queen Spider Train in a mocking voice, her companions including the Triffid-Mouths, a type of corrupted Dryad loyal to the Witch and her apprentice Dimitrescu, smirking, "The only true monarch around here is Her Majesty, the Angel of Pure Ice and Snow and our Angel of Salvation as the Man with the Upside Down Face and a number of others including the Candy Woodland Creatures have so endearingly named her."
"Jadis was NO angel, Train creature with Spider legs," snapped Merida as she stood near her Bakeneko uncle, "She is a Devil Woman with evil on her mind!"
"The ONE AND ONLY TRUE monarch around here is the Great Lion, Aslan," put in Sunstone with Moonstone and Miidori nodding in agreement. The moment the most DETESTED word beginning with 'A' left Sunstone's mouth, a flash of UTMOST anger flared within the Queen Spider Train and her comrades. The RotFrogs broke out into a cocophany of buzzy croaks while the two Pink Elephants released trumpets of rancour. These trumpets sounded like possessed elephants and the noise was SO awful and many of the quest goers including Queen Lucy had clasped their hands, wings or claws over their ears to block them out. The large Spider Train creature also released a snarl and her lava-like Spider legs glowed brighter from her rage.
"I CANNOT STAND that PUDDY TAT, not EVEN HIS NAME! HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT VILE NAME TO ME, TO MY FACE!" she snarled, before facing the group volcanically, "WE'RE GONNA TEAR YA LIMB FROM LIMB for THAT!" she then turned to one of the Pink Elephants and commanded, "BRING OUT OUR ASSISTANTS AND REINFORCEMENTS!"
The Pink Pachyderm nodded and turned its wicked pink face and trunk to the cave's back and uttered a trumpet sounding eerily like a Werewolf's howl, a signal for more creatures hiding in the cave to come forward. The quest goers looked on as more creatures appeared and gathered around the enraged Queen Spider Train. Among the newcomers were several familiar figures to the horror of many of the quest goers. Neutrophil and Kobaruto began to examine some of the familiar Talking Beasts and saw that two of them were young female Wolves, their fur and eyes being of unusual colours. One of the She-Wolves sported dark red fur and her eyes were fiery orange red while the other's fur was dark blue and her eyes, electric blue. However, both the She-Wolves' eyes were saturated with pure hostility and their teeth were bared, their lips vibrating from the shudders of their growls. Furthermore, the pair was in ready-to-pounce pose. As Neutrophil and Kobaruto identified the two Wolves based on their distinctive features, their hearts sank as recognition took hold.
"Betelgeuse and Rigel," whispered the Bakeneko sadly. The others including Queen Lucy also took in the features of the other familiar individual Talking Beasts and soon identified them to their sadness. They identified a Grass-Dog or Cù-Sìth as Cilan, and the bipedal Cat wearing boots as Puss and like Betelgeuse and Rigel, they too, were glaring at the group with hostile looks and Puss even had his rapier held and pointed towards them. Shivers travelled through the group's bodies. This was NOT at all normal as these four and the other Talking Beasts they knew were present were normally LOYAL to Aslan and on THEIR side. Betelgeuse and Rigel were respectable She-Wolves while Puss was one of the Monarchs' messengers and Cilan, a genuine carer, respectable Cù-Sìth and faithful servant but here, these four were behaving EXACTLY like the Queen Spider Train's TRUE allies as though they had changed allegiance from the Great Lion to the White Witch. The same was true for the other normally-loyal Talking Beasts, among them some Curupira, Brownies, Dwarfs, some small Talking Beasts like Theropods and Birds, and the Minotaur warrior Tauro. The drastic change of allegiance of these individuals triggered different reactions in Queen Lucy and Kobaruto's groups. For some such as Neutrophil, Monocyte, Basophil and Eosinophil, they saw these individuals as OUTRIGHT traitors who deserve death on the spot and the latter Terror Bird was ESPECIALLY upset for Betelgeuse and Rigel were two of her closest friends and from a neighbouring clan of Canids and Felids, as well as two of the heroic Nanu's granddaughters. Tears welled within the female pink-red spotted Terror Bird's eyes and began to trickle down her cheeks as she reluctantly got her little trident prepared.
Some of the other group members like Kobaruto, however, had a different set of reactive emotions. For Kobaruto and Eagleface, OUTRAGE was present but it was not because of the apparent change of allegiance in Betelgeuse, Rigel, Puss and Cilan and the others with them. They suspected something else entirely and their rage was aimed at the TRULY evil creatures TRULY loyal to the White Witch and Kobaruto believed that they had something to do with this. Nonetheless, he got prepared for battle. The others were too upset and/or enraged to even ask the Queen Spider Train questions about these apparently traitorous allies.
The Queen Spider Train and her minions including the apparently traitorous allies to the Lion then got prepared for battle.
"Now it is TIME for GRAB BACK what was STOLEN FROM US AND OUR ANGEL OF SALVATION," the spider legged locomotive creature bellowed; her legs flaring a brighter red as the anticipation of the imminent battle flowed through them. Queen Lucy, Kobaruto and company backed out from the cave as the creature's minions advanced towards them, clearly not wanting to battle them in the restrictive space of the cave. The Queen Spider Train continued, "AND NOW LET'S GET THIS STARTED BY DEALING WITH YOU LOT AND YOUR HANDING OF THOSE TWO INGREDIENTS FOR THE NINE-REALMS POTION. Ready, my faithful allies? CHARGE!"
Then at their leader's command, the mixed crowd of Jadis-loyal creatures and brainwashed Talking Beasts and Humanoids exploded out of the cave and towards the two quest goer groups. The quest goers backed out and well away from the cave and out into the open space and then countered by clashing with the Queen Spider Train's group. The morning air above the destroyed village was ripped apart by the sounds of war cries, metallic blades clashing and fists, hooves and other bodily weapons striking opponents' bodies.