One hour ago before the conflict….
Astra 2 tightened her weapons harness, and shook her head as she looked
down at the odd assortment of weaponry. Some of it was the stuff of legend,
and had taken her by surprise!
Whatt was MORE surprising was how she finally got to this point…..
She and her sisters had argued on with her comrades in arms that at
least ONE of them should be allowed to go along. It wasn't like they were
asking for every last one to go on this rescue/attack mission!
Secretly, Astra 2 knew down deep within her heart that under other conditions
that neither she nor the Astras would have thought twice about staying
behind in this kind of prevailing magical battle if there had been no family
involved in he mix. However, Helena had been captured over eighty years
ago by Zerm and until just a relatively short time ago Nobody had
known what had happened to her! Now, this was a family matter (in a round
about way for some….maybe….maybe not….depending one who's analog's Helena
was with Zerm. It was a matter of family honor that at least ONE of the
Astras go on this expedition!
Astra 1 smiles slightly in remembrance of the reasoning that Queen Astra
la Post and her sisters had used in the rather heated argument. They had
pointed out how reasonable they are being in only asking that *one* of
them be allowed to go.
It was beginning to look like they were NOT going to be allowed to go.
In fact, almost all the Astras had begrudgingly accepted, finally, the
reasons put forth by the others, when an unlikely voice had interrupted.
Fred 5 had been quiet throughout the entire heated discussion. He had
been at the bedside of his sleeping wife and children ever since the magic
ceremony had ended. He had listened in on the conversations of the war
council. Now he was smiling as he looked into the magic mirror.
"You know," Fred 5 said with a slow, sad smile. "There really is no
reason why one of the Astras can't go on this hunt….."
"We already went over the reasons WHY we can't go," Queen Astra says
in a tired voice. "A human warrior, even an Amazonian one, can not contribute
effectively in this conflict. In fact, she'd be a hindrance."
Several Astras, including Astra la Post, mentally pause in consternation
at how they'd changed sides on this argument.
Fred 5 smiles patiently, silently chuckling to himself. He had looked
inside his loves heart and soul (and she his). Once something like that
happens, nothing short of either death or a miracle could break the bonds
forged between he and his lovely Astra!
Even now, he knew by the feeling within his heart that whatever dreams
she was having while recovering from the strain of having SIX ancient Atlantian
artifacts upon her, that they were pleasant indeed!
It gave him a handle on how to best handle her (as she was able to handle
him). Though Astra 5 was probably the most differentiated Astra of all
her sisters, Fred 5 still could use what he now had in order to handle
this situation without appearing to rub it in the other Astras' faces.
"Ah, but I remember that special armor that Sa….that the ambassador
party from the East had brought?" Fred begins, fumbling for something behind
him.
The short of it was that nobody had really LOOKED at the armor
until a startled Fred 5, hurrying on his way to be with Astra 5 and his
children, had glimpsed into the half opened crate that had been forgotten
.
All Dragonslayers recognize the Flamebane mail of legend, and apparently
a younger Sato or some other dragon had gotten his claws on it….and hidden
it away from humankind so as to deny mankind it's use (on the draconian
people). Besides being proof against magical fire (as from dragon breath….or
mage's fireball), it would be magical enough for this fight.
Not a head to head, one on one battle with Zerm. But it would be enough
none the less.
From prior arguments, it had evolved that Astra 2 was the best candidate
for this battle.
Astra la Post had no children at this time, but felt compelled to stay
behind. Her nation needed her.
Astra 1 was too new to her role as mother, and right now she still-to
be blunt about it-wanted to explore her new role with her children. She
wasn't going to be a timid housewife, but she wanted to see some of the
domestic side of things….as it were.
Astra 3 was a close contender for this task, but the deciding factor
had been the fact that with all the adventuring she had done on her quest
to see Dr. Vincent, it was time for Astra 2 to have some fun.
"But….isn't the armor you hold there for a man?" Astra 2 asks, finally
noticing that one detail.
Fred 5 smiled……
Turned out that the magic of the armor not only adjusts itself for any
sized person to wear, but adjusted for any as well. That was a less well
known fact that Fred 5 happened to be conversant upon.
Astra 2 finishes getting her gear in order, and then head off to the
designated area of departure. Silently, he thanked Fred 5 for giving her
the chance at finishing off a mater of family honor. She also silently
chuckled ruefully, thinking how though her Fred (and perhaps the other
ones) were naïve in a few things…..it doesn't mean that they were
addle minded.
Thirty minutes before the conflict…..
"Excuse me," Manbear Synizn calls from the doorway to the living Dr.
Vincent's room. "Do you have a second?"
Vincent looks up from packing the last few powdered spell components
he feels that just might come in hand, and looks up at the ursine magic
user.
"Wait one second," the scientist cum mage says, and turns back to tighten
the stopper on one empty appearing glass container. Vincent smiles to himself,
and then turns to one of his creations.
"Bobo, put that in Daddy's spell bag," Vincent says gently. "Remember
to be careful. The last time you dropped the vial full of 'breath of a
fish' you kept sprouting chicken feathers for a month! Now, scoot!"
The toaster headed gorilla turns to his brother construct, glancing
down (or that is what it appears to do with his odd head) and then back
up to his brother if asking if that last part of what Dr. Vincent said
was a joke.
His brother nods and takes the container gently from the other's hands
and CAREFULLY and SLOWLY puts it into what some would say was a black medical
doctors bag. The toaster headed beast handles the item as a soldier would
a fused shell that had failed to detonate…..or the way someone would handle
nitroglycerin.
Manbear Synizn watches thus in silent befuddlement before turning back
to the eccentric Dr. Vincent.
"Yes, that spell component is VERY hard to obtain," the doctor laughs.
"But it's well worth the time and effort! Now, you were saying?"
"Yes, well…." Manbear Synizn pauses, suddenly uncertain. "This is probably
the wrong time to ask but….why exactly did you use the Arcentinon method
to cure Fred 3 after you….had changed his hands into cutting implements?
I'm not criticizing, mind you. I'm just curious."
Suddenly Vincent's good cheer vanishes from his features, replaced with
a rueful smile. Manbear Synizn had been angered at Dr. Vincent upon hearing
the techniques he had used to give Fred back a body after Bobo had attacked
and seriously injured Fred 3. The technique that Vincent had used had worked,
but had left Fred in a freakish state (i.e. scissors-handed). That had
been bad enough. The method the good doctor had used to change Fred back
to normal had also seriously weakened the integrity of his Matrix. So much
so that one night with the demifox he'd mistaken for a dangerous and mischievous
Kitsune (fox spirit)….his Matrix had been compromised and converted overnight!
Initially, Manbear Synizn and his brothers had called Dr. Vincent a
"magical hack" (just like a few Malachis had done back on a few of the
other Freds' home worlds). However, from what this Vincent had done and
said since then had revised that opinion.
The bear mage now just wanted to know exactly what had gone wrong, so
as to better understand the good doctor.
"I….," the doctor laughs sadly, shaking his head. "I had been locked
away in my old Mage's Tower for decades to shut out the rest of the world.
I had grown tired of the machinations I had to deal with in the School
of Magery….in my county….in Malbacton in general! I devoted myself to pure
research. It had been a welcome change.
"But it also isolated me from the outside world," Vincent sighed. "It
just never occurred to me that….Astra would sneeze. I mean, I kept my laboratory
spotless! Free of dust! Why should she sneeze?"
Manbear Synizn bites back a quip about how perhaps the Astras are allergic
to Bobo. That joke wouldn't have helped here, and probably would only have
led to hurt feelings.
" What ever the case, she had," Dr. Vincent sighs. "My original plan
had been to cure Fred and then transport him and Astra home via a spell
I'd learned from a wandering sage. It was a transformation spell that wouldn't
knock me for a loop for a few days. It wasn't the most elegant spell, nor
the right one as I found out. I'd figured, however, that they'd be safe
back home. Once home, they would be well protected and guarded by their
kingdoms armed forces. In approximately a week, the standard time a knight
celebrates such a victory in dragon slaying, his Matrix would have been
healed. But…."
"Astra sneezed and captured by her world's Minestus," the bear mage
prods.
"I hadn't been aware of that at the time," gripes Vincent. "At the time
I was just thankful that I hadn't lost Fred! I couldn't well cast a new
spell, it was too late for that. So I finished the spell, and was even
able to teleport Fred to the spot that my crystal ball had found signs
of her being.
"I had hoped that nothing outward would happen," Vincent sighed. "I
had hoped, but it had happened anyway. At least….the experience had brought
the two together in love….."
"It did indeed," the bear mage says, with a trace of irony.
-
 "Now, I sense that you
have a question for me?" Manbear Synizn asked, leaning his large bulky
frame against the door (which caused it to groan slightly in protest).
Go Back
|