Plan B -or- How Belboz Spared the Commoners

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 80070

“More trickery,” Fred muses, taking in his new surroundings. He recognizes the robed figure standing before him as the man he snuck past earlier, giving off all that God-awful light. He levels his enchanted sword at the mage and demands an explanation.

With a flick of his wrist, the mage uses his formidable powers to sorcerize Fred’s sword into a herring. “Bother,” laments the knight. He tosses it aside and draws his other, less fancy but more dependable blade and re-enacts the same scene. Again, his sword is transformed into a harmless fish. Only this time it’s cod.

“One would think you’d be a little more thankful,” the old sage finally comments. “Unless you enjoy being pelted with mud and poo and other assorted squishy brown projectiles.”

“Yes, one WOULD think, wouldn’t they!?” says Fred, trying to sound clever but failing utterly. He quickly changes the subject. “Just who ARE you, anyway?”

“You may have heard of me,” the man smiles, bowing slightly. “I am Belboz the Necromancer! Well...necromancy pays the bills, but I dabble in a myriad of other arcane activities. I’m also a decent golfer. Although lately my game has been suffering. Bum shoulder.”

“Ah, yes,” Fred brightens. “I remember you. You’re the one who directed that dancing army of zombies to perform for the King’s 40th birthday bash. That was hilarious! A great way to utilize the stinking mass of corpses that had accumulated outside the city gates due to disease and malnutrition, as well! They were really starting to attract a lot of flies, and were simply unaesthetic in general.”

Belboz nods. “What a wonderful age we live in,” he remarks with a bitter undertone of sarcasm in his voice. “Anyway, I’ve been following you ever since you plodded past my chamber like a noisy ogre...”

Fred clears his throat and holds up a finger. “Uh...don’t you mean snuck past?”

Belboz arches a bushy eyebrow and stifles a laugh. “If that’s what you call ‘sneaking’. Anyway, despite being a misguided homicidal maniac, you’re actually a pretty decent knight...and you may be our last hope in defeating the dragon that has ravaged this land for so long. That’s why I brought you back to the caves. You are a valiant warrior in your own right, but you’re going to need help in this heady endeavor.”