Fitting the Pieces Together
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 7421
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Amanda and Cathy sat on the edge of the bed in silence. They had obviously
become part of an
adventure that neither of them particularly wanted to be involved in. "How
did you get from this casino
to the Dragon's caves, and why?" Paulito asked Amanda directly. Cathy
squeezed her hand in support,
for Amanda was obviously more than a little distraught, and Amanda began to
explain what had
happened. "I was working the Wild Deuce Room just like normal, but...
something wasn't right. I - I
can't quite remember. Except that, I think I followed someone. After that
I found myself in the cave and
met up with Josh and L.E. And like them, I believed that I was once part
of a "Casino Bunny" storyline,
whatever that is. I wasn't myself anymore, not really. Looking back, the
worst part was how normal it
all seemed, to think that I was nothing more than a character in a story.
It gives me the chills."
"You must have gone through the portal and then been hit with the same magic spell that affected everyone else," Paulito surmised. "We need to find that portal, discover who is using it and why. But unless we get a little wizard protection I don't see any of us trying to use the cursed thing." The others agreed. "I wonder what the impostor-Josh wanted," Seeker said out loud. "Once he saw Sir <INSERT NAME HERE> he went right in for the kill. I guess that's one reason Josh's body was taken; its the perfect way to infiltrate an enemy's strongholds, using a trusted knight of the realm. It fooled that young knight and now he's dead. Do you suppose he and I were sent here just to test how well the disguise would work? And then impostor-Josh would have been sent to Allaria to work for the Dragon?" "Probably," Paulito agreed. "Sir L.E. showing up, and Amanda, was an unforeseen accident. Josh was probably supposed to die, alone and locked up in a rabbit cage. I'm certain they would have put guards near the portal if they had thought Josh might escape." "So," Josh said, summing things up. "I was supposed to die, a helpless rabbit. The young knight and Seeker were used to test the impostor-Josh's effectiveness. Amanda passed through the portal into the caves by accident and L.E. showing up was completely unexpected, throwing a monkey wrench into the whole thing. But what about you Paulito? What are you doing in Vegas? The King sent you to slay the Dragon, and then we heard nothing. And now you are here. Why?" Paulito wasn't sure of how to answer that question. After reaching the caves, he had felt a sudden and overpowering compunction to come to Vegas. And that's what he had done, abandoning his mission, deserting his King's Quest. A crime punishable by death. "I, uh, found a connection between the Dragon and this city," he said with all the conviction he could muster. "And it seems my journey here was not a waste of time." The explanation seemed to satisfy everyone and so they all began to discuss what to do next. Josh and Paulito had no choice but to discover the mysterious connection between the Gold Doubloon and the Dragon's caves. Their Quest demanded it. And as for Amanda and Cathy, they were probably no longer safe in the city now that they were linked with the Allarian knights. They would need protection from whomever was involved with the dragon plot. But what about the others? "I seek knowledge wherever I can find it. I think I might learn something new if I stick around for a while," Seeker answered them. "And I want to get to the bottom of this mystery as much as the rest of you," L.E. replied. Paulito smiled knowingly, "And of course you wouldn't want us to get all the credit for putting the bad guys out of business." L.E. tipped his head in acknowledgment, "But of course." But what was going to be their plan? INTERLUDE ONE: In a dark room, a group of men have come to discuss the death of the benny, the rabbit of death, and the less than perfect outcome of their devious plan. One of them explained with a tight voice how Amanda had accidentally passed through the translocation doorway, but no one had thought it would be a problem. She should have been taken care of by the Dragon's servants in the caves. How could anyone have foreseen that other knight, L.E., showing up or the three of them finding the portal and escaping back to the casino. And it wasn't their fault that the benny hadn't worked out like promised. The rabbit-monster was supposed to kill both of the victims sent to them. Should they be blamed because it was defeated by some meddling bystander? None of them were happy about how things had turned out. Worse though, they had to explain all this to their boss. He wasn't going to like this at all. No sirree, the Black Claw wasn't going to like it at all. INTERLUDE TWO: The man in the black and grey cloak with the red rose pinned to his lapel was surprised at the turn of events but happy that his plan of bringing a champion to the city had worked. Paulito was proving to be exactly what he wanted. The man reached down, picked up his hat and walked through the curtains. He stood on a stage now, facing a hall full of expectant people. A huge billboard on the side proclaimed his name; The Great Humdini
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WolfRun
2/10/2000 7:08:33 PM
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