A showdown!? Anticlimactic.

"Now," said Fred, "What in the world is going on here? Who are these people?"

Minestus snickered, crunching on some peanut brittle he had brought with him. "Confused, Eternal Champion? There's no shame in that." He was in his human form - that of an overweight Sumo wrestler wearing contemporary 17th century French court dress. "Why don't you just accept your limitations and let some worthier being take over the storyline?"

"What?" Fred said, becoming angry. "Look, I can tell when injustice is at hand. Whatever you and your witch consort are plotting - know that I will put it to a swift conclusion."

"Ha!" Minestus said. "I, kind sir, have beaten whelps like you since I was born."

Demifox Astra trotted over to the group of heroes. "Sir Knight! These villains have imprisoned me against my will - performed diabolical experiments upon me - they are pure evil itself!"

"What have you done to this maiden?" Fred exclaimed. "Speak now, lest I cut your blackened tongue out and feed it to the ravens!"

"Oh dear." said Minestus. "I suppose I did transform the lass, from her delectable human form to that of a cunning were-fox - but is this not my business? Perhaps you wish to challenge the wisdom of my decision? Perhaps you are displeased with how I've handled things?"

"Fred..." human Astra whispered. "They're only trying to buy time. Look at the mage!"

Zodin was quietly charging magic energy, evident by the yellowish halo around her. A few more minutes... Zodin mused... a few more minutes and she could strike the interlopers down with a fireball. How sweet that would be! How dare these impudent beings interfere with her work!

"Enough!" Fred exclaimed. "Answer for your sins in the other world, villain!"

He lunged across the marbled floor toward Minestus, Dragonslayer held up high. Minestus blanched, then vanished into thin air, Fred's attack slashing through same.

"Coward!" Fred shouted. Minestus' laugh echoed through the chamber. "Come here and fight!"

Astra took aim at Zodin, who stood in fear, unprepared. A laser blast struck her midsection, and the once-mighty mage crumpled to the floor, most of her vital organs vaporized.

"Impossible." she croaked. "I cannot be beaten... cannot..."

The frogmen were already fleeing the room, gibbering in fear. Within seconds only our heroes were left in the room, Zodin's corpse emitting steam and dissipating, after the fashion of all great villains.< P> "Minestus!" Fred shouted. "Show yourself!"

"Ha Ha Ha!" the dragon laughed from somewhere. "Fools! You'll never leave here alive. I'll be here... if you can find me!"

"Well, this is a confusing situation." Astra said. "We've still got to get that letter to Rassilon... but where in the world are we? And how do we get out of here?"

"I believe I may have the answer to that." said one of the demifoxes. "You see...."

1. "This is a mysterious fortress beyond the domain of space and time. To make our way out we must bend reality to our will."
2. "There is no escape from this fortress save to defeat Minestus!"

Go Back

View Forward Story Tree
View Back Story Tree