The alarm horn was blown loudly and its sound spread to all corners, giving the same message.
Excalibur had been stolen.
Even though the mysterious falcon made the griffin who stole it lose it in a mysterious place, the fact that the sword isn't in the hands of king Arthur was a very worrying message for everyone, for the two were the symbol of Camelot and all England.
Even though Camelot was far away, the sound of the horn could be heard even from far away.
"Excalibur! It's been stolen!" said a farmer in shock.
In fact, the horn could even be heard from Kayley's house, who was going to the chicken coop with the gang to do their chores when they heard the horn, something that made Kayley gasp.
"What is it? What's that sound?" asked Littlefoot.
"It's Camelot's alarm." explained Kayley.
"And what means?" asked Petrie.
"That Excalibur has been stolen." said Kayley.
"Oh, no." said Ducky in surprise.
"That must be very bad." said Cera as Spike nodded in agreement.
"Yes. From what you've told us, that sword is very important and if it's been stolen, it's very important business." said Ruby.
"I have to go see my mother." said Kayley tossing the basket aside.
Unfortunately, the basket ended up hitting Chomper directly.
"Ouch!" said Chomper holding his hands to his mouth.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Chomper. Are you okay?" asked Kayley with concern.
In response, Chomper spit out a tooth between his hands.
"Yes, I'm fine. In fact, thanks to you, my tooth finally fell out." said Chomper.
"Good." said Kayley before leaving for home.
"Come on, guys. Let's follow her." said Littlefoot before he and the others followed the girl, though Chomper tossed the tooth aside before following them.
Shortly after she arrived, Kayley told her mother what had happened and, more importantly, what she intended to do.
The gang stood outside the house as they watched everything through the window.
"No! Absolutely not!" said the mother of Kayley as she fixed a white dress that was being held up by a maid.
"But mother, Excalibur is missing. I must go after it." said Kayley.
"That's a job for knights, not for a young girl." said the mother of Kayley as she held the dress and the maid began to measure it.
"But I want to be a knight. Going on grand adventures, fighting evil, rescuing damsels in distress." began Kayley in a dreamy way. "What is a damsel, anyway?" asked Kayley before her mother pulled the dress over her, forcing her to put it on.
"Now, Kayley, Kayley, stand still, and try on your new dress." said the mother of Kayley as she and the maid put the dress on her.
"Mother! I don't want a new dress. I want to save Camelot. If you'd just let me, I know I'd find Excalibur all on my own." said Kayley.
"The knights will find the sword, and they'll do it by working together." said the mother of Kayley as her daughter picked up a shield with three linked rings.
"While I work here. Doing the chores, fetching the eggs, taking care of the house!" asked Kayley before handing the shield to another servant. "Boring! Where's the glory in that?" asked Kayley crossing her arms.
"Kayley… one day, you will learn what Camelot means." said the mother of Kayley approaching her. "Till then, you'll stay here with me." said the mother of Kayley grabbing her by the shoulders to look at her.
"Oh, alright!" said Kayley pulling away from her mother and taking off her dress, much to the mother's sadness as her daughter ran off to her room.
The mother turned to see a tapestry that had a picture of her with her daughter and her deceased husband.
"What would you do?" the mother asked before lowering her head sadly.
The gang, who had seen it all, began to have opinions about what they had just seen.
"Poor Kayley." said Petrie.
"What's wrong with her mother? She obviously wants to help get that sword back, but she wants her to stay here." said Cera.
"Maybe she's doing it because she wants to protect it. That's what all mothers do. Yep, yep, yep." said Ducky as Spike nodded.
"That's right. Kayley told us that her father died. She may not want the same thing to happen to her daughter." said Chomper.
"Yes, but I don't think letting her stay in one place is a good way to protect her, since a good way to protect her isn't to stay in one place." said Ruby.
Meanwhile, Littlefoot was focused on the window overlooking Kayley's room, where she was probably crying because of what her mother said.
Wanting to help the one who gave them a place to spend the night he looked around for a way he could get there and that's when he saw a ladder.
"Guys, help me with that." said Littlefoot heading for the ladder.
"What do you intend to do with that?" asked Cera.
"Let's go see Kayley." said Littlefoot.
"Yep, yep, yep. We are her friends and they need us right now." said Ducky going to help her friend.
"But what if her mother finds us?" asked Chomper.
"We'll figure out what to do when the time comes." said Littlefoot.
The rest of the gang looked at each other and shrugged before helping their friend move the ladder to face the window of their human friend's room.
Just as Littlefoot imagined, Kayley was in her room, crying as she lay on her bed.
Why couldn't her mother see it? What did she have to gain by staying on that farm when she could be helping the kingdom like her father did?
She began to wonder what would have happened if her father were still alive.
Would he encourage her to seek out Excalibur or tell her to stay there like her mother did?
Her thoughts were interrupted when, raising her head, she saw Littlefoot tapping on the window with his paw.
She got up and opened the window, discovering that the gang was using the ladder to get to her window.
"Kids, what are you doing?" asked Kayley.
"We came to see you." said Littlefoot.
Kayley looked around to make sure no one was there.
"You'd better get inside before someone spots you." said Kayley stepping aside to allow the gang to enter her room.
Once they were all inside, she closed the window and turned to look at them.
"Ok, what do you want?" asked Kayley.
"We were worried about you." said Littlefoot.
"We saw what happened with your mother." said Chomper.
"And you looked so sad. Yep, yep, yep." said Ducky as Spike nodded his head.
Kayley let out a sigh before sitting down on her bed.
"See what I was telling you? It doesn't matter what she says. To her I'll be always a girl who can only do housework" said Kayley resting her head with her hand.
"Yes. She seems to treat you like you just hatched." said Cera.
"But she your mom and she just want you safe." said Petrie.
"I know. I know, but I can't sit here forever, especially not now that Excalibur is missing." said Kayley.
"However, your mother is right that the knights will be able to find it. Since there are a lot of knights, they will be able to find it." said Ruby.
"*Sigh* I don't know what to do." said Kayley.
"Well, I can only tell you that, whatever happens, we'll be with you to help you." said Littlefoot.
Kayley smiled at how good the new friends she made were and patted the longneck's head in thanks.
Later, while the gang rested in the barn, Kayley went to the chicken coop to get eggs.
Outside the coop, there was a scrawny little white chicken flirting with a hen.
However, that was witnessed by his wife, a hen a little bigger than him and more… plump.
With an angry expression, she went over to where her husband stood and stomped on his foot before slapping him hard and then slapping him so hard that she threw him straight into the arms of Kayley who came out for a moment to see what the fuss was all about.
"How am I ever going to do great things if I'm stuck here with these silly chickens?" asked Kayley walking into the chicken coop to grab an egg.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed behind her, causing the chicken to shriek in terror.
Kayley turned her head to look and what she saw made her gasp in surprise and drop the egg, which cracked as it hit the ground.
The gang was in the barn hanging out quietly when they heard a faint cry from Kayley.
"Did you hear that?" asked Littlefoot.
"That was Kayley!" said Chomper.
"That's not all. Look!" said Cera looking through the barn door.
From there, they all watched as a group of men shot flaming arrows into the house at the same time they broke down the door with an explosion.
"Who are they?" asked Ducky.
"I don't know, but they don't look like they're good, because good they don't look." said Ruby.
"Kayley must be in danger. We have to go help her." said Littlefoot wanting to go help her.
"No, wait. Didn't you see those guys? They have some things that look like they can harm." said Cera.
"Yeah, like sharpteeth." said Petrie.
"So what can we do?" asked Chomper.
As much as Littlefoot wanted to see if his new friend was okay, Cera was right.
They didn't know what these men were capable of or what they wanted with her and her family.
If they wanted to help their friend, they had to be patient.
"For now, we'll wait and see what happens and if the opportunity arises, we'll save her and her mother." said Littlefoot, receiving a nod from the others.
Inside the house, the mother of Kayley was with the servants and everyone was frightened when the burning arrows pierced the windows of the house, setting the table on fire in the process and when the door was knocked down, a couple of armed men entered.
It was then, when, out of the flames, a man in armor and a horned helmet that made him look like a demon entered.
"Who… Who are you?" asked the mother of Kayley.
In response, the man removed his helmet, revealing himself to be someone that made the mother gasp in horror.
"Ruber!" said Kayley's mother recognizing the man who killed her husband.
"Juliana. I was in the neighborhood, and I thought I'd invade." said Ruber approaching her as if they were friends. "How about a kiss? I hear you're still single" said Ruber grabbing her mother's chin to lift it a little, but she slapped his hand away.
"IMPERTINENT PIG!" exclaimed Juliana.
"Is that a no?" asked Ruber.
"I demand you leave immediately!" said Juliana angrily as the man walked away toward the fireplace.
"So rude! And after I came all this way. Just to see you." said Ruber leaning against the fireplace.
"What do you want?" asked Juliana.
"Camelot." replied Ruber.
Ruber
Let's go back to war and violence.
I'm so bored with peace and SILENCE!
Nights of evil filled with fear.
Your worst dream, that's my idea of fun!
That's when he grabbed the ring shield and threw it on the table, but Juliana caught it.
"You're mad!" said Juliana.
"I'm so glad you noticed! I've been working at it for years." said Ruber.
Ruber
Let darkness find its sad ways.
Let's go back to good old bad days.
No more foolish acts of kindness
With his foot, Ruber made the other side of the table hit the hands of one of the men, sending his sword flying straight into Ruber's hands.
Ruber
Arthur and his kingdom…
will be mine!
"And pretty Juliana…" began Ruber as he cut from head to chest of the tapestry Kayley. "You're going to help me."
"I would sooner die!" said Juliana declaring that she would never help someone like him.
"I think you'll find…" began Ruber picking up the piece he had cut from the tapestry. "YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO RESIST!" said Ruber decapitating the Kayley from the tapestry, making everyone see that his men had the real Kayley.
That made the mother cover her mouth with her hand in horror.
"Mother!" said Kayley as she tried to break free from the two men gripping her arms.
Ruber handed the sword to one of his men as he laughed like a madman before the two men threw Kayley to her feet.
"Don't you dare harm her!" said Juliana as a pair of men held her hands behind her back.
The moment Ruber turned around, Kayley took the opportunity to grab a mace from one of the men holding her back and tried to hit him with it.
"Follow my plan…" began Ruber before turning around in time to grab the mace with his own hand, much to Kayley's surprise. "And she won't be hurt."
Soon after, they all found themselves outside the house, around a well, with Juliana and Kayley held on one side.
The gang, seeing that the fire was over, snuck over and hid as they watched what was going on while waiting for a chance to save their friend and her mother.
Ruber
Years from now, no one will bother…
To recall your good King Arthur,
because all of this will be miiiiiiiiiiine!
This will all be mine!
I have a plan;
it includes you.
You, Juliana, will lead me to…
Camelot,
where I will claim all that is mine.
In the back of your wagons, my men will all hide.
As he was singing, the man holding Kayley was walking away towards the wall next to the stairs where there was a huge hole through which the gang was looking at everything.
You'll sit up front…
as the gates open wide.
Now watch me create…
my mechanical army…
with pride!
It was then that a man knelt before him with an open box and from inside it he pulled out a small glass jar with a green liquid and on the glass was inscribed the word ACME.
With this potion I bought from some witches
At the time, the chicken was walking around with his wife when Ruber grabbed him by the neck.
A drop on this chicken;
Ruber poured a drop into the chicken before pouring a couple more into the well and putting away his potion before grabbing an axe that was thrown at him.
And watch as it switches…
into a weapon that I can…
use at will.
Now this chicken…
can kill!
In the end, Ruber threw the chicken and the axe into the well from which a column of steam and light emerged, to everyone's horror.
Soon after, the chicken emerged from the well, but now he had changed completely, for his beak was now an axe and he wore the garb of a warrior.
Ta-dah!
Behold:
Umm, Bladebeak!
Everyone was surprised to see how a harmless chicken had become a living weapon.
Stand right up and enter quickly;
At that moment, he kicked one of his men into the well while throwing two spiked balls tied with chains.
I'll transform the meek and sickly…
The next instant, a column of steam and light rose from the well.
into iron men with hands of steel.
What ended up coming out of the pit was some kind of humanoid metal monster that, instead of having arms, had chains attached to two spiked balls.
Three men approached Ruber carrying weapons of all kinds.
Suddenly, one of them accidentally tripped, causing the weapons to bounce back into the well.
However, for some reason, Chomper's tooth was nearby and the weapons ended up pushing him into the well.
Before anything could be commented on, a column of light and steam erupted from the well.
Ruber and some of the men leaned down to see what was going to come out when suddenly a metal claw grabbed the edge of the well and out of it came something that left everyone completely dumbfounded.
"Hohoho. I don't know where it came from, but I like it!" said Ruber madly referring to what was in front of him.
Out of the well had emerged some kind of Spinosaurus, but it was entirely of metal. The tip of its tail had the blades of an axe, its spiny sail on the back was a saw with sharp points, and its teeth and claws were like razor-sharp swords. The metal dino beast let out a roar that made some ones to cover their ears.
Needless to say, that shocked everyone, especially the gang.
"Go with the others and await orders!" ordered Ruber making the metal dino beast go to the side.
After that, the bad guys went back to the task from before.
"Yes, into the water! Quickly! Now, go, you fools!" began Ruber before pushing another of his men into the well. "Next stand up straight, now! Move it along!" said Ruber when he saw another of his men pretended to jump into the well with a broken fork. "No, no, no, no, no, that's no good!" said Ruber taking the fork from him and giving him a crossbow before pushing him into the well. "Prepare for the dawning…" began Ruber as another plume of steam and light erupted from the well from which another humanoid metal monster emerged. "of a new age!"
The man holding Kayley was so excited about the transformation that he went to join the queue oblivious to the fact that he had set the girl free.
"The Ruberian Age!" began Ruber as a metal humanoid monster approached Kayley and her mother without taking his excited gaze from the well. "Year One!"
Seizing on that, Kayley stepped back, causing the monster to grab her mother by the other arm instead of her.
"Go to Camelot. Warn Arthur." whispered Juliana.
"I won't leave you here." said Kayley not wanting to leave her mother behind.
"Kayley, Ruber will be in Camelot in three days. Take the main road. Get there before us… and take your new friends with you too." said Juliana surprising both Kayley and the gang to find out she knew about them.
"But, Mother…" began Kayley.
"Go." began Juliana as Kayley climbed through the hole in the wall where the gang was. "You." said Juliana getting the gang's attention. "Take care of my daughter." said Juliana with a pleading look.
Even though he didn't want to leave his friend's mother behind, he knew the mission she was giving them was very important, so Littlefoot gave her a serious look.
"We'll do it." said Littlefoot before they all left through the hole.
Meanwhile, with all his men transformed, Ruber and some of them danced around the well as if it were a tribal dance.
Ruber
Only one will be revered…
worshiped, hated, loved and feared!
The song turned out so good that the Bladebeak couldn't help but dance to the music.
I just like to say a few words:
"I, ME, MINE!"
You were mistaken
if you believed Ruber was someone who'd crumble and leave,
now I'm back! And I will be staying this time!
I told you once!
I told you twice!
Everything will see before you,
every last bit of it…
Will…
Be…
miiiiiiine.
