"How to get into a fortress", or "Why didn't you say that before?!?"

The bridge snaked away to fade into a dark thin line yet Fred and his horse followed it. Finally they came to it's end, and the beginning of the first floating island. There before him was a mighty gray fortress. Fred led his horse to the great Gate and he called out: "Hail! Hail I say! Here is a Knight worthy of Dragons and Slithering Beasts! Thrice times do I say Hail!"

From within the fortress came the sound of a bell, a large bell. And then Fred could hear a voice from behind the walls. "Felicitations! Felicitations! Thrice said 'Felicitations'!!! We be but a humble outpost and not worthy of a Dragon-killing Knight! Please go next door...thank you!"

Fred was speechless. ~~maybe I pumped myself up too much!~~ he thought. Still, he would not outlast his welcome. He mounted and rode alongside the great grey fortress looking for that which lie behind it. As he did so he wondered at these people who could consider this fortress nothing but an 'outpost'. ~~have I gotten myself in too deep?~~ he thought. ~~nah!~~

When he came to the back of the grey fortress he saw another island connected by another rope bridge suspended from nothing. He crossed that as before, yet at it's end there was a very large archway made of reddest stone. He had to go through it in order to reach the next fortress...or was it a castle, which he could see was made of the same red stone. As he passed through the archway he heard a horrible cracking noise. Suddenly a demon horde appeared as if from out of the wall and hurtled into the opposite wall with a loud swiiiiiissssssshhhhhh! Fred ducked, pulled out his sword and swiped at thin air.

~~sh**, I think I peed my armor!~~ He kicked his steed which hurried along and soon he came to the Gate of the red castle. He called out: "Hail! Hail I say! Here is a Knight worthy of...of Slithering Beasts and other nasties! Thrice times do I say Hail!"

From within the fortress came the sound of a bell, a large bell. And then Fred could hear a voice from behind the walls. "Felicitations! Felicitations! Thrice said 'Felicitations'!!! We be but a humble outpost and not worthy of a Beastie-killing Knight! Please go next door...thank you!"

Fred couldn't beleive his ears. ~~again?!!? what kind of friggin folk live here!??!~~ Yet again he rode around the castle, yet again he crossed a floating bridge and this time at the entrance of the new island there was a tall redwood blocking the path, yet in truth it wasn't blocking it, for there was a tunnel-passage carved into and through the massive tree!

Fred rode through it, this time with his sword handy. ~~I don't like surprises~~ Yet he passed with no event. Then he saw what lay before him: the largest, mightiest High Castle he had ever laid eyes on..and it's walls were constructed of pure emeralds! He rode towards the Gate yet before he even reached it he heard a voice from behind the walls yell out: "Who goes there?!!? Who goes there!??! Who goes there!!!!? Only the mightiest may enter, only the cleverest, only the those worthy of our King! So....who are you?"

"I," said Fred, fluffing up his breastplate as well as he could. "I am Lord Frederigo D'Honaire of Suffex from Allaria, the Great Kingdom!"

"Never heard of you." said the voice. "Go back home."

"What!!!?!" screamed the knight. "I have traveled far and wide, I have crossed distances like you wouldn't believe....I even had to face a screaming horde of demons!"

"Well, why didn't you say so in the beginning?"

And with that the Gate opened and Fred entered.

1. the Gate Man

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