The Return of the Villain Circa 1989 Part Two [Nomad of Norad (continued)] "Decoyed!" yelled MoPster, angrily. "The dirty rotten scoundrel! We wasted these first days on the wrong castle!" "Well, concider yerselves lucky," added Nomad. "Apparently, the fake castle was intended to delay you even longer. There were all sorts of obstacles and distractions built into that place. Somehow you guys got past them without even noticing them! It was supposed to keep you occupied until time ran out... but since we still have time left...!" All the users in the room, save Nomad, rushed out of the room to prepare another expedition to find and deal with the Villain, wherever he was hiding. [Nomad of Norad] Three days left! Three days left! The words echoed in Nomad's brain as he walked down one of the corridors of the Castle. It had been decided to keep the news about the Villain a secret from the common people, since it might cause a blind panic. Preperations were made in secret for another expedition to stop the Villain. But they knew no more about where he was now than they did four days before. Perhaps if they went to the Zygnic Mystic, out in the wastelands known as the Relihot Desert over the great mountains to the north... But the thoughts fled his mind as suddenly there came a great KUH-BOOM from the courtyard, and great screaming and wailing was heard. "THE VILLAIN! THE VILLAIN HAS RETURNED!!" yelled a peasant. Nomad ran out into the courtyard and saw the image of the Villain standing in the center. "You now have three days left! If you don't all surrender your kingdoms to me, you and all your kingdoms will perish! I will now show you what will happen to your kingdoms unless you surrender!" Suddenly The Villain's image disappeared to be replaced by an image of the side of a mountain. There was a vast cave opening, the inside of which was all crystal. People could be seen walking in and out of the cave, climbing onto and off of Porschebeasts and Mules. There was a sign mounted near the entrance which read, "Welcome to the Crystal Cave." Suddenly, bright beams of light came from the sky and the whole section of the mountain side was atomized! For a while, the image remained, as debris fell and the dust subsided. Then the image was replaced again by that of the Villain. "Three days! Surrender in three days or else!" The Villain vanished. Nomad pulled from his pocket a communicator, a working replica of the one used in the original Star Trek television series. "Joshua! JOSHUA! DID YOU TRACE THAT!" A voice like the computer in the movie "WarGames" responded, "Yes, I did. It originated from a spot on top the mountain. The holographic projection was beamed to all the other major kingdoms here, just like before, and boy was it powerful!" "Well," stated Nomad, "it just about would have to have been, covering such a distance as that. Where exactly did it originate from?" The computer voice gave him longitude and latitude, which Nomad scribbled down. "However, that is probably just a relay point. There is no telling where the signal originated from, but it is most probably somewhere in the Relihot Desert." Nomad suddenly stared down at his communicator. "Yeah, right. Of course. That little bit of information will help us a hell of a lot!" "Touchy touchy!" said Joshua. "At least we don't have to search the whole globe!" "Yeah.... Well, see ya later." "Will do. I'll be minding the fort, so to speak. Out." "Out," said Nomad, and flipped the communicator closed. "Well, at least it's a start..." said Nomad. He then shuddered, remembering the destruction of the beloved Crystal Cave. "Yeah," said a voice. Nomad jumped. "Oh, hi MoP. You startled me!" "Sorry, didn't mean to." "Well, go round up the rest of the Intrepid Group. We have a mountain to climb!" "Oh no! Not again!" "Then again, maybe we can go by skycar." "Or dragon?" [THX-1138] [Title: Uh... ] [Wandering Minstril] THX: Stick with the villan. At least the plots work... (But lose his stupid henchmen!) [Bob Smith] I'm tired of the villan. He was beat into the ground (figuratively) [The Flip] [Title: WM... ] ...but ALL antagonists have stupid henchmen! [THX-1138] [Captain R/C] (Ed's N: THX, Shut Up. You haven't been around long enough to say whether the Villain stays. You weren't here when the Villain hauled in 5 STORY ADDITIONS a day. You weren't here when Jon Phillips, Lady Mozart, Gretchen Nomad, Flip, myself and several OTHERS had it going. The Villain is by far, ONE of the best characters ever created. He ranks right up with Floyd and The Old Man in my book!) "Well, Nomad," started Captain R/C, "we have to do something." "I agree... we can't get obliterated like Crystal Cave did. We HAVE to do something!" said Beelzy. "Too bad Jocko's on vacation! We need some advice..." "Let's talk to Joe..." said Nomad The corridors were uncommonly dark and the towns people were quiet. The Group itself was quiet, thinking about how the Villain got his powers, and where they originated from. The hall the Group was currently walking through, usually bustling with activity, was now almost bare except for a single villager. This villager humbly approached the group. "Kind sirs, would you be so kind as to direct me to the King's chambers? I wish to offer my services to defend this castle against this Villain guy," said the villager. "We're on our way there ourselves. You may tag along if you like..." said Captain R/C. "Why thank you sir. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Wandering Minstrel. I have heard tell of this terrible danger and come to offer my defense." "We need all we can get," said R/C as he proceeded to introduce everyone else in the group, "Nomad, Flip, Dr.D, THX--" His sentence was cut short. Another thunderous boom echoed outside. It rattled the corridors and broke loose several stones from the castle. "The Villain! He's here!" cried MoP "Lets go get Joe! We mustn't waste our time!" Indeed, the Hex was facing its ultimate doom! [THX-1138] [Bob Smith] So the group made its way to Joe... No more fighting Thx and R/C [THX-1138] [Title: And then... ] ...THX and R/C were both yelled at by King Joe, saying "The purpose of this sub is for a story. Keep your little user wars tyourselves in e-mail." [Dr. Depraved] [Title: Agghhhh! ] And Dr. Depraved agreed. He also noted to Arch-Duke R/C, that when the good Doctor first logged on, he was yelled at for posting on here too. Joe, being a kind King, welcomed the new Hexians with a hearty hello and a guide book to dealing with Dukes or Higher... [Daggoth] Hmm... our group, which had now expanded to accept the kindly Duke of Zedka into their arms (with some spooie being spit).. when suddenly.. as the group started to question King Joe.. the Villain struck! He blew away a group member!! "ARGH!!" yelled this person as he fell to the ground... clutching the knife in his heart.. This person was..... [Jocko!!!!!] And was he really dead, or faking it? [OR! Was he really dead, or WORSE?] [The Flip] The group set off southward in the morning for the unknown swamp. Several days passed, and nothing really happened, although Spidey caught a minor case of malaria during the journey, which was promptly rid of by Dr. Depraved. The surroundings of nature was beautiful -- beautiful oak trees, and a lovely mountain backdrop. This and the path southward was all they saw so far... [Daggoth] "The mountains should be the way we go," said Joe. "Yeah, but it could be dangerous." "Yeah, but we need to save Jocko, ya know!" said Shammy, starting to break apart. "Lets go!" answered Thx-1138. So they started for the mountains, knowing full well that if the swamp of Mandrake wasn't there then Jocko would be lost.... "By the way guys," said Captain R/C, now the party leader, "The Villain could also be up this way..." "Yeah, kill two birds with one Jocko.. err stone," Daggoth muttered. "Shut up Dag," said Beelzy. So the group continued on.... The small animal trail which they had been following was well worn, so the way would be clearly marked. If only Thx and Spidey would stay up with the group and if Flip could kick off the sense of being watched. After three days of restless travel, the group pitched camp near the mountains. "We can only stay here one night because we have two weeks to save Jocko, max, and its a week and a half trip back doing good time," said Captain R/C. So the Intrepid crew bedded down to sleep. After a few hours of constant shuffling and guard changing, Thx fell asleep on guard duty. The essence of evil crept into the camp... right by Thx, who was snoring... past Flip, Spidey, Daggy, R/C... went over to where Shammy and Joe were.. and pulled out a poison tipped stiletto which then plunged downward towards its mark in King Joe's chest.... [THX-1138] And then THX woke up and saw that The Villain himself had infiltrated the camp! "Game over, man! EVERYBODY WAKE UP!!!" yelled THX. "What? Huh?" said Dr. D. "HELP JOE!!" responded THX. And then the remaining group members awakened to find The Villain standing above them with sword drawn, ready to kill... "Gee," said Captain R/C, "It's too bad I can't just edit him out..." "Yeah, that IS a shame, isn't it?" said Beelzy. And then The Villain charged the group. [Captain R/C] So, the group lashed for their swords only to find them gone. The Villain was closing fast. He quickly approached Joe with his dagger. Shammy screamed. Joe flinched. THX looked away. MoP and Beelzy prayed (HA!), Dr. and R/C stood helpless against the Villain. The dagger swiftly swinging down, the Villain's evil grin showed through the night. Six inches... five inches away. This would surely mean the end for all.... Four inches.... Nothing could be done.... Three inches.... Joe tried to dodge the dagger but was tangled in his bed spread. Two inches.... All hope was gone. One inch! The dagger, in mid air, halted one inch away as the Villain vanished from sight! The dagger fell on Joe, harming him not. On the dagger the words, "Only a sample of my power!" were etched on the bronze blade. A maniacal laugh broke the eerie silence. "Fools!" cried a voice. [Daggoth] "Whew!" exclaimed King Joe. "Are you alright?" Daggoth asked. "Yes, now get out all of you! Shammy ain't dressed!" Joe yelled. So after a restless night where no one slept, the group packed up. A little nervous, but then continued on. As the day wore on and the group went up the mountain trail to where the swamp was supposed to be, everyone, bored out of their skulls, sought to break the monotony. Slowly, as the day crept by, the trail got steeper. Thx and Cappy lost their footing and slipped to the ground. Then the faint aroma of a highly powerful herb wafted into the air. As Spidey took in the smell, he stepped on a lichen and lost his footing. "Aiyee!!!" he yelled. "Save him!" screamed Shammy. Beelzy, Thx, and Flip all lunged for him at the same time. Beelzebub grabbed his leg, only to fall over himself. Then, with Flip and Thx holding on but slipping over the edge, Cappy and Daggoth reached for Flip to started to pull them all up. Then a crackle appeared in the air. "Fools! I have led you to your doom! Not all of you will leave here alive!" yelled the Villain. A bolt of lightning struck the ground near Shammy, knocking her to the ground. Then Spidey slipped further off the side. Now he and Beelzy were hanging over 14,000 feet of open air. Cappy started to slip, and all this chaos. The Villain readied another bolt and prepared to blow Flip completely over the edge.... [Nomad of Norad] -- Meanwhile -- (This scene-change should REALLY drive our readers batty! -Ed) In his home, Nomad lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. It had been three days before the date the Villain had given them when they were to give him control of all the local kingdoms. Then, suddenly, he had made one last 3-D broadcast, and told them then that he intended to CAPTURE the kingdoms RIGHT THEN! Suddenly men in powered armor had swept out of hiding in all the kingdoms, brandishing killozap guns. He, part of the Intrepid Group II, and the King and Queen managed to escape... barely. Now the others were out somewhere in the wilderness, living off the land, and Nomad lay in his home, force-dome raised. If only they hadn't gotten separated in the fracas! They all could have been here, in Nomad's home, safe, able to plan the attack on the Villain to get their kingdoms back! He had gone on his own to the position Joshua had said the signals had been relayed from. There once had been a small building there, but it had been destroyed. Self destruct, apparently. With it had gone his hope to find the Villain. He had then gone to find the Zygnic Mystic, the ravenously beautiful woman that had helped Captain X on one of his quests, but he had found her dead! Nomad sat up, put his feet on the floor, stared at the wall in front of him. Why hadn't the others come to his house on their own? Were they captured? Or were they afraid to come here, lest the Villain think to look for them here. Where they hiding out somewhere? Or were they journeying to find the Villain? Did they know that the kilozap blasts that had been seen to demolish the Crystal Cave were faked? He had determined that the Cave had been destroyed by bombs, not energy weapons. A bluff. In fact the entire business about them being given time to surrender their kingdoms had been a ruse. He knew they wouldn't willingly give up their kingdoms, or at least most of them wouldn't. The Villain expected them to take other actions, like sending out the Intrepid Group on a futile attempt to find him, or other time wasting activities. Meanwhile he would get ready to invade the kingdoms. Nomad got up from bed and started pacing, rapidly, the whole length of his bedroom, something he did when he was thinking of something that quite bothered him. Why did the Villain want all the kingdoms, anyway? Where had he suddenly got so much high technology? How were they to deal with him? Did he have a weakness? An Achilles-heel? [Nomad of Norad (in post production)] Perhaps if Nomad had known that very soon, quite suddenly, he would be somewhere else entirely, he would have been taking some immediate actions. [Captain R/C] [Title: ---Meanwhile---- ] Spiderman decided he had had it, as he had looked down through the 14,000 feet of open air before he would rid himself of this world and his comrades. But low (REAL low). What's this? A small ledge just inches below his feet. Spiderman's near-brilliant mind went wild. "Give up, guys. I've decided to end it all. Good bye!" yelled Spiderman as he struggled free of the bonds that held him. The group sprang back when Spidey forced himself free, so they were unable to see him land safely on the small ledge. He made a sound, "Aaaayyyyyeeeee..." which got quieter and quieter. He then sat silently on the ledge, listening to the others. "Oh well... another one bytes the dust," said Flip. "Yeah, I wonder who he landed on..." thought THX. Spiderman was amazed to hear such a farce. "WAIT GUYS!" he screamed as he climbed up the small cliff. "I'm alive still!!" "Oh Joy," said Captain R/c monotonously. "Gee thanks for caring..." Spidey said, somewhat disgruntled. "We're just joking with ya, Spidey. That fake scream gave you away. Besides, I knew there was a ledge there..." announced Flip. "Sure, ya did..." The Intrepid Group laughed and went on. About half an our and the mountains ended. A sign lay at the beginning of a great plane. "'The Fens of the Dead,'" read R/C aloud. "This is were the Mandrake is, according to Dr.D" To the south, lay a vast ocean and to the north, a small town hidden in the mountains. "Good thing we have this map," said Daggoth. [Dr. Depraved] [Title: So... ] After the Intrepid Group made there terrrible way through the steep paths... and they went through the horrible forrest of Zendor... and King Joe started to complain that everyone had been starting to smell more like their horses than like Dukes... they all reached the Fens of the Dead, where alot of walking dead guys hung out. "I know..." Captain R/C whispered, "When we see any dead guys in our way, we'll say, 'We come in peace', and then we'll shoot to kill." "C'mon Cappy, haven't you gotten off that Start Trekkin' song yet?" exclaimed THX-1138. "Listen guys," said a nearby Doctor, "I estimate that Jocko has about 48 hours left to live if we're lucky... and we're gonna take about three weeks to get back to the Hex at this rate. Anybody still for fooling around with our hands up our noses?" Everyone quickly stopped their horseplay, and MoP withdrew his fist from where it had been. "Ok, somewhere in here there's supposed to be Mandrake. It's identified by having white roots that are shaped like a man. They have milky white and green leaves... but there's a problem..." said the Doctor again. "What's the problem?" asked King Joe quickly. "Well, " said Dr. Depraved. "The only way to get it is to pull it outta the ground. But, unfortunately, it's supposed to let off a terrible scream when it's pulled, and if anyone hears the scream, they will go insane. I know this from personal experience... so we must be careful!" "Looks like this may be a problem," said Beelzebub, "but I suggest we try to find it first." The Group was in favor of starting the search immediately, but darkness was rushing upon them, and it was best to set up camp before nightfall. And THIS time, TWO people were on guard, with orders that if they fell asleep, they would be shot in the morning... right after they were hung. The two "volunteers" that were picked were Beelzebub and Alter Ego. Although they weren't the best of people, they said they wouldn't screw up this time. And so, darkness fell... [Daggoth] After Darkness fell, with Alter and Beelzy at watch, Captain R/C decided he would watch the stars to see if he could see a clue or smell the mandrake. But death surrounded.... As Alter started to doze off, Beelzy kicked him in the butt, quickly reviving him.... Clouds started to roll in, and only Joe and Shamrock had a tent. About three am it started to rain. Quickly Mop and R/C erected a tent to keep people out of the cold. Then it was Flip and Thx's watch.... As Mop finished putting a stake into the ground, a low moaning came in on the breeze. "Just the wind," he prayed. But, low and behold, a slimy being slipped behind MoP, somehow getting by THX and Flip, and drove razor claws through MoP's back!! "Aiyee!" he yelled as he slumped to the blood-drenched ground. As the rain got harder, the group, awakened by the scream, saw what had happened. Captain R/C prepared a bow and fired an arrow through the head of the beast, but it just ripped a hunk out, as it walked, claws extended, towards R/C! "Argh!" Captain R/C yelled. "Its a sheet phantom, one of the Villain's undead minions!" With the claw aimed for R/C's heart, the phantom rushed R/C, who had no time to defend. [Leroy Brown] And then Leroy Brown entered the picture, looking all ragged out. "Hey dudes!" he said. "Help me!" said Captain R/C. And then the undead thing went for R/C again, slashing his throat! [Nomad of Norad] --- But! --- Suddenly MoP found himself sprawled out on the ground next to the tent. He had fallen asleep just after he finished erecting the tent, and the zombie was a dream. He felt of his back and found the pain he felt was from a rock he had fallen on. He picked it up and flung it aside. He looked up at the second mountain they had to climb. It was much taller than the one they had just gone over, and beyond it was desert. At least they wouldn't be rained on when next they camped. But what was this nonsense about Mandrakes? That was an old wives tale! [Dr. Depraved] MoP thought long and carefully to himself. Maybe, there WAS a chance that the Mandrake might be found in order to save Jocko's life! Could it be possible? He had heard rumors before, and had always scoffed at him.... MoP remembered buying rounds of ale for a great many adventurers as they wove their tales of travels. There was never one who failed to mention some story about mystical Mandrake. The sacred Herb of life... and yet could be used in some of the most awesome magic of destruction! To think, the same power that the villain might be employing against them, was Jocko's only chance! A lone wolf howled out in the distance. Wrapped securely in three thick blankets, R/C thought to himself. `Somehow we must find Mandrake! Without it... we will never help Jocko... and the leadership of the Group would be lost! Something must be done!' He thought some more of whether or not King Joe and Queen Shammy were safe at this point. They had positioned their tent in the middle, and circled their individual sleeping places around it. But, The Villain had gotten in so many times before! It seemed almost impossible to stop him! He was getting stronger by the day... what can we do against an enemy we have no defense against? Daggoth, Duke of Zedka, turned over in his bed-roll. `There is no way that villain will get in here THIS time,' he thought. `I've secured the perimeter, placed broken branches all around to hear if he's coming, and I have my trusty sword by my side. Let him show up THIS time... and I'll make mincemeat out of him.' Daggoth smiled in his sleep... `Oh yes...let him come...I'll be ready this time...' Nomad of Norad lay awake looking at the stars. The cry of the wolf again greeted his ears. He was awfully afraid nowadays. He had liked it when Castle Hex, and the other Castles had been safe from the villain... but no one had counted on him rising to power SO quickly.... He breathed out some steam into the chilled, night air. The wolf howled again. `Ah yes, my friend,' he said to the wolf, `we are very much like you. We each have our own destinies to conquer. Yours may be to catch a rabbit, or a sleeping field mouse and slide him down into your gullet. And ours is the same, except we're the prey this time. The Villain has just been toying with us up until now... but I hope we'll get out of it....' And with that, Nomad went to sleep. Dr. Depraved, wrapped up against the night air so only his eyes and the tip of his nose poked through the thin blankets, stared up at the stars. `I hope Jocko is still alive,' he thought. `I do hope the nurses remembered to give him the proper mixtures.... Even if I was there, I probably couldn't do much better. Unfortunately, he dies from a wound I cannot cure. The Villain has left his mark on Jocko and he's slowly being poisoned on the inside from The Villains black magic. Too bad I wasted my last sample of Mandrake two months ago.... GOD I wish I hadn't squandered it... but it was in the name of science to test it first. This time, assuming we find some, I'm going to make SURE I bring back enough extra sprigs this time...' Dr. Depraved was starting to have doubts about finding the Mandrake in the first place. And even if they were LUCKY enough to find it... were the awful stories about its scream driving a person insane true? There was only one way to find out... and he didn't like the proportion of it being right. He lay back and contemplated the stars once more. King Joe and Queen Shammy slept quite dreamless sleeps. They were very tired. [Nomad of Norad] [Title: Aaaarrrrrggggghhhhh!!!! ] (I wish you guys would pay more attention to story details! If you had payed attention you would have realised that in this story I am at my house, now I'm going to have to rack my brains to come up with an explanation for why I am suddenly with the group! Hey! Maybe I joined them during the night? There'd have to be some reason I joined them, maybe to give them some imformation? Hmmmmmmm....) [Dr. Depraved] I simply put you were coalescing outside...you can certainly well be at your own place. I never said you were WITH the group. Post away... [The Flip] Fortunately, nothing of any significance happened during the night. Dag and MoP awoke to the smell of fried meat. They hopped outta their tents to see Flip cooking up some breakfast. R/C and Dr. D. were already there, their mouths watering at the sight of great-tasting food. "Where'd you get the meat?" asked MoP. "I couldn't sleep at all last night," said The Flip, "so I went a-wandering... I was throwing some rocks into the trees, when I accidentally hit a bear in the eye, killing him. I then dragged him over here, and started to cook 'im." "What's that stick you're eating?" inquired Captain R/C. "It's some kinda root I found on the way back to the camp... tastes pretty good..." answered Flip, chewing on the root. "YOU DUMMY!" cried Dep. "THAT'S MANDRAKE!!" [Dr. Depraved] So... Dr. D. beat the Mandrake eater on the head until he coughed it up. Then he took the slimy, slick-like mess, and shoved it in a beaker in his Doctors bag. "Ok! We got it! Lets zoom over to Castle Hex and awaken Jocko who was going to help us beat the Ship outta the Villain who supposedly attacked three weeks ago..." said the wise Dr... [Captain R/C] "But," butted R/C, "shouldn't you get some extra Mandrake sprigs in case of another emergency?" "Uhh... Ye--Yeah. Better do that. Flip, where's you find that rot anyways?" (Ed's note: Should Dr.D actually be Alchemist D?) "Right over there in that pile of sand..." said Flip as he gathered the dishes together. Right about now, Nomad, of Norad, emerged form his tent. "Sand? Hmm.. it should be..." started Alchemist D. "G'day guys. I'm kinda tired.. I had a heck of a time finding you!" said Nomad. "Yeah! I thought it was 'sposed to be in a swamp!" noted Daggoth. "Oh, I saw this guy fiddling with something over in the sand early last night on my way here. Any of you?" asked Nomad. "Yeah, 'twas Flip. He killed a bear," said Captain R/C. "No.. I did that near dawn. Not late last night." The group looked at each other, slowly, as their eyes widened. "A TRAP! Another Villain Trap!!" yelled Alchemest D. "I'm afraid this Mandrake is no good. It must not be touched by evil hands or it's effects are reversed. I'm afraid our Journey isn't over yet." "A Trap. This doesn't look good. WHY US?!" yelled R/C "Hey!" Nomad's eyes popped open. "Where'd you get the meat!" [Dr. Depraved] So... Dr. (Alchemist) Depraved threw the now useless pieces on the ground. "Great... just great... now what?" he asked sarcastically. "Well, we still need to find Mandrake for Jocko. Any ideas on what we should do about it?" said THX-1138, who, by this time, was very, very upset at this turn of events. "Well, the way I see it..." said King Joe, authoritatively, "although we're near the swamp, and perhaps even Mandrake exists, we still have to find some. I suggest we leave immediately." Tents were quickly stowed, gear packed, and satchels slung on shoulders. Thx, and Master of Puppets took point lead, and strayed about a half mile above the group to scout for possible danger. Beelzebub and Nomad of Norad stayed on separate sides to the left and right of the group, to avoid ambush. Captain R/C stayed with King and Queen Powell, and Dr. Depraved followed behind, whistling happily to himself about all the good fortune that he would have with all the great curative herbs and berries he had found. There was certainly a great multitude of magic in this swamp, he felt sure. Meanwhile, far up ahead, Thx and Master of Puppets were sniffing about for any signs of danger. "Listen!" hissed Thx, "You hear that?" "What!" Master whispered back. "Shh! There's something up ahead... I'll circle around, and you continue on toward it and I'll try to flush whatever it is to you," Thx said. Thx swiftly, but quietly, stalked into the swamp, and swung around whatever it was. Suddenly, it became quiet. Too quiet. "Damn! I wish I knew--" and he heard branches snapping behind him. He quickly swung around and came face to face with... nothing. "Wait a sec, it was in front of us a min--" was all he got out. A branch cracked, and something unseen crashed upon him, knocking him unconscious. From back at where Master was, it became very quiet. "Hmm... that's odd, generally you hear swamp noises...." But there were none to be heard. Even the noisy swamp birds were still. Master quickly unsheathed his broad sword, and a flash of branches swung in his face, blinding him. "Thx, watch ou--" and he was seized from behind. He heard a sickening thud in his head as the rock descended on him... The noises of the forrest returned, and all that was left of the scene was Master of Puppets broadsword... and some drag marks that led quickly into the forrest and became lost. A light rain started to fall. `Jees!' thought R/C. `Where the heck is Master and Thx? They should have been back by now.... They'd better not be fooling around out there. I bet I'll have to go find them.' "Doc! Get over here! We need to have a confere..." Captain R/C noticed that the Doctor was no longer behind him, and he began to get seriously worried. The Doctor was bending over a rock with a curious reddish fuzz on it. "Ahh, Blood Moss. A most very good ingredient for potions... very necessary for the bonding of..." He stopped because a shadow had passed over the rock. "Eh? What the..." And then he was deftly stabbed in the leg with a dagger. "Watch out, Kin--" And he felt darkness engulf his head. The last clear thought he had was, `I can't believe it could be so...' and then he knew no more. --- Meanwhile... --- "King Joe?" asked R/C. "We've got to talk. Things are now getting SERIOUSLY out of hand..." Dark clouds started to block out the sun... and the swamp started to grow dark... [Nomad of Norad] (I wouldn't recommend eating bear meat unless it has been VERY well cooked. Bear is one of those animals who's meat can contain parasites that could make you sick!) (Also, if we go back to the Castle, be very very careful! Remember that the Villain has captured it! It may be better to go somewhere the Villain hasn't captured yet... like my house, only if we do go to my house, let me describe the place... I've got it designed over here.) (Also, since I have now been mentioned as being part of the group, there is no way to put me back at my house. Anyway, I've got an idea of how I suddenly came to be here, an idea that is really enteresting! I'll slip it into the story when I find an appropriate moment...) [Nomad of Norad (in post production)] ---- Off to the side: ---- Nomad stood looking at the bear meat. "You know, they say you REALLY have to cook this stuff thoroughly, otherwise parasites in it will make you sick!" [The Flip] [Adapted from a non-story post] "Nomad," said The Flip, "I've been cooking the meat since before dawn! It should've been done by the time you guys woke up!" [Dr. Depraved] Hmm...well, How about Nomads with us...but then we go to is house to make plans instead? Flip: I hate bear meat. Ya' got any cheese hotdogs in there? [Dr. Depraved] So...to continue once more so I can set up the story to a certain point where I can post some REAL posts... "...so you have no idea where they went then?" asked Joe quietly. "No, my liege, we have found no traces. Just the Doctors black bag, and THX-1138's broadsword..." said a mollified R/C. With that, he laid down the battered black bag and the now rusting broadsword on a nearby table. "What about the others?" Queen Shammy asked. "We can only assume they suffered the same fate. Dr. Depraved, THX-1138, and Master of Puppets are missing and we have no idea where they may be at this point..." gasped a breathless Beelzebub who had just returned from a grueling search. "We must go after them!" shouted Captain R/C. "But the mission of the group is more important," said King Joe. "But... but... they could be in enemy hands! You aren't suggesting we just leave them there are you!?!?" asked an enraged Beelzebub. "You can't risk the lives of three men like that! None of the group gets left behind. Nobody!" broke in Captain R/C. "I know about that. But doesn't the weight of ALL the Hexians... some 500 or more, outweigh the extremes of three men? For all we know, the Castle could already be in the Villain's hands... what about those people? Don't they come under a more important group? And what about Jocko?" "Listen! We don't leave our men behind! I'm going out to look for them and I'm not coming back until I've found them!" shouted Beelzy. And he stalked out of the tent and ran into the forrest. Captain R/C and King Joe looked after him. "Listen, Your Majesty, three of our people are out there... maybe dead, maybe dying. And even if we did press on, which now I even am feeling would be bad, ONLY the Doctor can identify and knows how to use the Mandrake! Not only are they members of The Intrepid Group...but they are FRIENDS! And I, for one, don't leave friends behind!" exclaimed R/C. "I'm not asking you to leave them behind... or even forget about them!" yelled King Joe, his patience snapping. "Do you think I WANT to leave them behind? DO you think I enjoy having to make a decision between the lives of three men against the countless thousands that will be lost if the Villain succeeds in taking over Castle Hex... and Cloister... and Elsinore... and Amy's Crystal Palace...????" King Joe wiped his forehead and sat down. "Please leave us for the moment, R/C... I REALLY need to think for a few minutes..." said a haggard King Joe. Captain R/C went outside the tent and closed the flap. He busied himself outside, and after a few moments, King Joe came outside and commanded... [Captain R/C] ...and commanded, "R/C, Shammy, this is indeed a dark time. Three of our comrades, some of them Dukes, have been captured. The Villain may have taken over the castle and Beelzebub ran off into the forrest somewhere." "What do you suggest your majesty," R/C said. "This is much too dangerous a place for only four people, three if Beelzy gets captured. The trip back is also too dangerous for the three of us." "Joe, they ARE Dukes!" said Shammy. Joe thought... thought... The lives of three of his best servants versus the lives of over 500 people of the Castle Hex. Joe got a smug look on his face and began to draw his sword. Then, his face relaxed and he sheathed his sword as if he had changed his mind. Captain R/C looked about the wilderness, listening for some sound, some answer in the wind. What has happened to the group? How could they have just vanished? R/c looked at the dark clouds forming in the sky and the sun which was midway to low in the horizon. Shammy looked about nervously, as she was never accustomed to fear or danger. She had the faces of the three lost members glued to her subconscious. Joe boldened: "We MUST retrieve these lost members and regain control of our castle. For now, we will take refuge in Castle Elsinore and get assistance from Ophelia. But for now, let's find Beelzy." "Great! BEELZEBUB!!!! COME HEEERRRE!!" Captain R/C shouted. No answer "Beelzebub!!!!!!!" he yelled again. No answer. R/C drew his Broad Sword and rushed towards the direction where Beelzy was last seen. Joe and Shammy promptly followed.