ic The Magic of Reading (IC)

[Zeitgeist Blue]

Nicole ran out of the windmill before the two could come to blows again, holding between her hands what looked like a spherical cage of alternating steel and wood, seemingly held together by nothing more than her will. Inside, her smartphone could be seen spinning on its top, shooting static out of its hardrive port.

 

"Hey! Try this on for size!" She held up the ball-like device and her smartphone began spinning faster until it was almost a blur. It made a racket as it primed, parts clacking together as a high pitched whine began.

 

Nicole's face couldn't be read but she hoped she got what she got it right this time. No targeting Alex. No explosions. No butterflies coming from the air. Just a good welding of steel to the ground and their joints, locking these Black Guard in place while she and Alex could make a quick getaway.

[Removed.]

The device worked better than Nicole hoped as all the Guards quickly found themselves stuck inside their own armor unable to move! Sounds of grunting could be heard as they struggled inside vainly. The Captain locked in a position of one arm outstretch trying to grab at you swore in disbelief. "Your magic will not hold us for long little girl, once we are free you will know pain as I personally end you! Run, run little girl for nowhere is safe for you. The Great Sorcerer will win." And with that he continues struggling in his armor with such strength you can hear it slowly start to crink as the metal bends.

[Exaccus]

"yeah yeah tinman, you'll huff and puff and blow it out ya butthole." he says a little exhaustedly from his 9 on 1 brawl but relieved that is over "and saucy boy is gonna be super ticked off with you for ignoring his orders to fight some rando who cropped up don't you think? especially one on one, you think he wants a servant who puts pride above his orders?" he asks not really wanting, expecting or listening to any answer that might come from him.

 

"Don't worry though captain nobody, we're gonna take it up with ya boss real soon, once i have caught my breath imma go slap him around till he tells me where my brother is."

[Zeitgeist Blue]

"So we better get going then," said Nicole from behind Facsimile as she pulled an expensive looking wheelchair from the windmill's doorway, glasses clipped over her collar. One glance at Facsimile and the Captain trading barbs while fractures threatened to undo her work was enough for her to interrupt the duo going at it. "Really? You're wasting your time like this?"

 

She was rearing to go before her hunters could free themselves, but it meant that she was leaving days of work inside the windmill. It stung and she was almost beginning to call it her windmill. With the amount of time she spent inside, it was almost a home in this world that wasn't hers.

 

As to where she and Alex would go, the nearby village should be their first stop. They had maps there, supplies and provisions though she had no idea how they'd pay for them. And most importantly, they could plan their next move without a dozen tin men breathing down their necks.

 

But first...

 

"Can't you knock him out before he breaks free?" She said to Facsimile, more exasperated than worried, as she waved a hand at the Guard Captain. Her spherical contraption broke the second it did its works. Serves her right for trying to cook up something on the fly. Magic was a science and an art that you did methodically, not a slapdash of glue and paint.

Edited February 11, 2018 by Zeitgeist Blue

[Exaccus]

"you are awfully rude for someone who just got saved, Princess." he remarks as he stands up, giving a little stretch of his arms "besides, won't i break the spell if i hit him through it?" he states simply as he gets back onto his feet and streches his neck and back a little "Lucky for you ten man melee is a casual sport for me." he humms as he walks on over "Im also fast and strong enough in this form to carry you and outrun a horse at the same time, so if you've got all your stuff together lemme know and we'll be off."he looks at the wheel chair askence "Whoms wheelchair is that? you loose someone in the book too?"

[Zeitgeist Blue]

"I'll write an IOU later. Or would you prefer a pat on the back?" Nicole said, eyes rolling and arms folded. So maybe she wasn't the friendliest of pals in the best of times, but getting stuck alone inside a windmill for days wasn't conducive to her people skills. Worse than even that was the lack of any of the facilities she had taken for granted. Phones, internet, laptops, even old-school paper newspapers and books as deprived as she was. If this world allowed it, she'd be wearing hair that hasn't been combed and bags under her eyes. But of course she looked pristine perfect and every bit like she woke up with an instant makeover.

 

Little Miss Princess. Just her luck.

 

She couldn't help a cringe at Facsimile's words. Touchy subject even after all this time but she pointed at the wheelchair nevertheless, shaking her head. "No, this is mine. Whatever's happening here, it's changing things which shouldn't be changed. Physically? Sure, but I suspect it's primarily a magical by-product affecting us."

[Exaccus]

"Oh." he says, suddenly feeling a bit sheepish about it all, being physically modified like that must've been quite stressful "Sorry, i didn't know." he says simply "anyway, you might be more comfortable sat in that and me carrying it than clinging onto me as i run, i am made of metal, just....get comfortable and we'll be off, im guessing sorcerer dude lives in a thematically appropriate tower around here somewhere, so he can keep an eye on them and them on him." he mumbles to himself.

 

"less he's genre savvy, you think it might be another outsider holed up in here?" he asks as he turns the idea over in his mind.

[Zeitgeist Blue]

"Maybe," Nicole said as she settled into her wheelchair, Alex's unintentional faux pas already brushed past her mind. It wasn't something she liked to put her mind on, and so even if her memory was picture perfect, she did not dwell on her situation anymore than she had to. It was what it was and moping about it was going to get her nowhere. 'Stiff upper lip,' as the British liked to say.

"There's only one way to find out for sure and that's to ask him personally. Let's just find out where we're supposed to go."

 

She pointed a dainty finger at the direction of the nearby village. "That way then?"

[Removed.]

While the heroes were deciding the next plan of action they heard a familiar voice.

 

"With clever trickery and planning the courageous knight managed to defeat the Black Guard with help from the princess. Unknown to them this was the first time the Black Guard has ever been defeated. Truly they are the heroes this land needs. However whilst they bickered amongst themselves they suddenly remembered that time was of the essence if the knight was going to save his younger brother, Richard. With time running ever so closer to empty they notices the sky slowly darken as the evil sorcerer prepared his spell. With such foreboding tones the heroes went west towards the Spire."

 

As the Brit spoke in his kind grandfatherly voice you all feel a change similar to the last ones. However due to your sheer impregnable will and personality you  all managed to prevent whatever change was going to happen...

Edited February 21, 2018 by Vorik

[Exaccus]

"Well, you heard the man, lets make for the spire." he remarked offhandedly as he speed along at his top speed. towards the spire "Lets get to punching him out and escaping this heck hole." truely he loved this kinda thing, weird, wacky adventures were a bit draw on being a hero for him but at the same time his brother kept getting himself into danger and then with an almost predictable streak, selling him out to someone who promised him power.

 

he may have already given him up to this sorcerer dude in exchange for tutelage in magic, if his luck held true.

 

"I am about sick of this place personally."

[Zeitgeist Blue]

"Why didn't you tell me you had a brother?" Nicole threw up her hands in frustration. One would think these were the sorts of things that were pressing news instead of a need-to-know basis. If it weren't for that she would have gone the other way no matter what the Narrator tried telling her to do, especially because he tried telling her what to do. She wasn't ready without any ritual or gadget. Perhaps, Facsimile was but she wasn't going to hide behind his back every fight.

 

She settled down in her seat, rocking uncomfortably as Facsimile carried the wheelchair at top speed. She pulled out the sphere with her smartphone inside and began putting it back together, differently this time.

 

"Come on. Let's just save your brother and get out of here." She pushed a finger to the sky, "But I'm coming back for this one if he says one more word."

Edited February 24, 2018 by Zeitgeist Blue

[Removed.]

"Whilst the heroes headed towards The Spire The Princess suffered a bout of madness. She pointed to the sky and threatened seemingly nothing. Clearly this adventure was getting to her. She soon realized the idiocy of the situation and decided to never do it again for fear of being called a witch. The Knight all the while was more or less tired of this place. Valiant he may be, he still had yet to save his brother and was slowly being consumed with worry over his brother's likely demise. Regardless The Knight pressed on, hoping to save his brother just like how he saved The Neurotic Princess from the clutches of the Evil Sorcerer and his Black Guard."

 

"After several hours of travel they were finally upon it, The Spire. Standing several stories stall made up of black Brimstone it had the appearance of being twisted and jagged whilst still remaining straight. Dark clouds surrounded The Spire as the occasional bolt of lighting arced across the sky. Despite looking like an indomitable fortress there were only two guards to be seen guarding the front gate."

Edited February 27, 2018 by Vorik

[Zeitgeist Blue]

Nicole shivered in her seat, not from the wind cutting through as Facsimile ran across hills and verdant plains but because deep down she felt the chill of fingers grasping for her core and being, her mind which she treasured above all turned to clay. Like a puppet with strings, she was manipulate from the rafters and she did not know because it was dark to her senses.

 

So instead she sat and fidgeted and created as she always would, and when they reached The Spire as the voice announced, she looked up and gingerly stood up. Her legs were numb from hours of travel. They were in a hurry and so what few rests they had was short and not enough for her to remove the cramps and aches. She stretched as inconspicuously as she could and turned to Facsimile.

 

"Think there's a back door to this place? Could be a trap either way because they had a way to know where we are, but I still want to try and get the jump on this second-rate magician."

[Exaccus]

"For the record, I did tell you i had a brother and he was here, you just weren't listening apparently." he informed her none plussed, clearly she was going to be more of a liability than anything in this place but help was help all the same, racing around the outside of the tower to check and see if there was or was not an other entrance, even one not nessicarily on the ground floor, his steel legs springy enough to carry him high into the air and unto any balconies in range.

[Exaccus]

Opting to spring for the roof he felt his calfs transforming at his will into thick steely springs that contracted untill they simply couldn't anymore and extending again with explosive force, sending his heavy metal form flying upwards into the air and onto the roof of the wizards spire.

 

In his haste however he forgot that he weighed considerably more than he would normally, only the soft boom of his lauching point exploding from the reaction to his kicking off sparking his memory as he sailed into the air, hoping against hope that the building was solid enough to take a little but under a ton of steel bounding on top of it, tightening his grip of the wheel chair he was carrying as he went.

[Removed.]

"As the Valiant Knight jumped and landed on the tower he continued through the roof as if it was plaster and ended up in an awkward pile with the now more Annoyed Princess."

 

Thankfully only the roof collapsed under the weight leaving them on the 6th floor. One would think that the inside of the Spire would be as dark and ominous as the name implied but in reality it looked to be very well maintained and lit giving off the impression more of a noble's house than some sort of dungeon of doom. The floor appeared to be a bedroom for possibly the Sorcerer. Not much was in the room itself save for a plain looking bed and small end table with a small vase of flowers. However before the heroes could further investigate they heard a voice echo through the Spire.

 

"Well, hello there... You could of just used the front door you know. It wasn't locked or anything. Don't worry about the roof either. It can be fixed later. As much as I'd like to talk through my home it would be better to sit down and talk. Come, meet me in the dining room. Just take the stairs on the left and go down two floors."

 

His voice had a soft timber to it with no hint of malice. Besides the echoing of the Spire he didn't sound any different than a normal guy.

[Exaccus]

he felt the stone crack, reverberating through his blackened metal body, though it all happened much to quick for him to react other than to brace for further impact, reactively dispersing his weight mid fall to ease the burden on the floor beneath him but still landing with quite some force.

 

his first instict was to check that his passanger was all right, of course he did so, through his attention was soon drawn away by the sound of the voice permeating the walls around them.

 

"Well, i'd say this was unexpected but, at this point, i was expecting it."

[Zeitgeist Blue]

"That this guy sounds like an nine-to-five corporate wage slave? Not my type of bad guy, just-- no."

Nicole stood up shakily from the sudden jump and crash through the tower. She dusted her dress unconsciously as she took in her surroundings. Can't say she was a fan of this guy's taste in furnishings, but one could never account for what others liked. In any case, they had a job to do and she marched to the stairs, gripping her device tightly between her hands.

 

"Come on, Facs. I want to see this Sorcerer in the flesh."

[Removed.]

"Unbeknownst to them, the heroes were walking into a trap set up by the Devious  Sorcerer! It is at this point they decided to not bother listening to such an evil being as they would no doubt attempt to trick them and instead decided to defeat the Evil Sorcerer."

 

From down the stairwell you hear the kindly if not tired voice of the Sorcerer. "I can hear you, you dumb book! Don't be afraid. I really do just want to talk. Surely we can do that right?"

 

"And so the Mad Sorcerer shouted on about some "book" or some other nonsense in an attempt to fool the heroes. Being the wise heroes they were they decided not to listen to him and is inane  ramblings." 

 

"Sigh..." Was all the Sorcerer said.

 

Coming to the Dining Room floor you see a long oval shaped table made of oak with several chairs lining it. Dust lines the floor and there are a few cobwebs on the chairs and torches giving the room a abandoned look. The only other person besides you two is the Sorcerer who sits at the far end of the table furthest away from you. His features are hidden behind a vibrant yellow robe and the only thing visible from under his hood are his bright red eyes that seem to pierce into you. He pauses from eating another bite of his soup as he looks up towards you two.

 

"Sorry for mess...I haven't had company here in well, forever. Do take a seat through! I can assure you the food is fresh and very tasty." He motions a hand and 2 chairs on the left side of the table are magically pulled out. He continues to look at you expectantly.

[Exaccus]

"okay...ill bite." facsimile said, taking a seat at the table and looking over the food, in truth he was hungry, he'd been thinking about getting something to eat before his brother had knocked at the door and this whole trip to crazy town had kicked off, but for now he refrained from eating.

 

"So....you from the outside world too, im wagering. trapped in this book cause it keeps spinning new stories to keep itself going,"

[Removed.]

The food presented to you is a few pots of what appears to be different kinds of soups and some baskets full of bread. Despite the more bland look it smells wonderful. Upon hearing you talk about the outside world he visibly relaxes and looks very relieved.

 

"Words cannot express how happy I am for you to ask that question. I've been trapped here for what seems like centuries! I cannot tell you how lonely this place is. Sure there are the villagers but they are all fake. They may act and appear real but they cannot grasp anything not already in the book sadly. Talking to them is like talking to a four year old. Oh, I almost forgot. My name is Daniel Horis but you can call me Dan if you'd like."

 

Dan looks around the room and starts tapping his fingers on the table.

 

"So...I'm not sure where to begin explaining everything here so ask away and I'll do my best to answer it. May I know your names though?"

[Exaccus]

"well ok..." he says softly looking down at the food infront of him and feeling his stomach....doing something metalic sounding and not seeing any reason not too, begins to eat from the plates infront of him with a slight ravenousness to him.

 

"So...firstly, how'd you get stuck in this book and what have you tried in the ways of gettin out?" he said inbetween great mouthfuls of food, his table manners left much to be improved on but right now he was making the most of the situation as he knew best how too.

 

"Secondly, theres another outsider in this here book, my brother richard, came in a few seconds ahead of me." he explained "any idea where he is or might be?" his feeding frenzy begining to slow down as he apporached fullness

 

"Lastly." he said finally letting his fork drop as he sat back in the sturdy chair "why'd you send a small army of fight happy dudes our way?"

[Removed.]

Dan waited patiently as Facsimile preyed upon the small feast in front of him allowing him to enjoy himself and ask his questions. He smiled throughout the questioning until he heard mention of him sending fight happy dudes their way. Shaking his head he sighed.

 

"I'm sorry for letting that happen. The "Black Guard" well, they are very narrow minded. When I first head news of a mysterious outsider going around asking very strange questions I knew it had to be someone else. I instructed them to find her and bring her back safely and with permission. Sadly they like everyone else here is a fake and cannot understand things outside the norm of fantasy tropes. When the Big Bad Guy." Pointing to himself. "Tasks his followers to bring someone here they just assume he means to kidnap them. They mean well in some way but they just don't understand when I do something beyond being an evil overlord." 

 

Taking a moment to consider the other questions Dan wiped his hands and face with his napkin.

 

"While it was sadly violent for you guys it went much better with your brother. He turned up about a month or so ago and was more willing I suppose to go with the mean looking men. I've been taking care of him while he stays here. If you want we can go see him once dinner is done."

 

"I suppose the first question is pretty important isn't it? Well, where to start? Time works differently here so I'm not quite sure how long I've been here but I can say with confidence it has been quite some time. Back before coming here I was what some may call a hero of sorts. While I didn't fight the evil doers I did help save people from collapsing tunnels and burning buildings. I'm not much hero material sadly but I do what I can." A look of remorse crossed his face for a second but quickly goes away. "I'm a Arcanist by trade but only really a beginner so I always look for more books to expand my abilities. And that's what brought me to a mysterious shop that seemed to come out of nowhere and well, I found the book." Shaking his head and softly chuckling. "I should of been more patient and casted a ward spell before opening some random book in a mysterious shop I've always been eager." Unsure of what to say next he got up and began slowly pacing the room bringing up a hand to stroke a non existent chin.

 

"When I came too I was in the very same hamlet you found yourself in playing the role of the hero of the story. Unlike you there wasn't another person from the outside to talk to and instead of a wizard it was a dragon. The brit you've been hearing talked on and on about this tyrant dragon hoarding the riches of the land and cleaning all those who oppose him with terrible fire..." Stopping in his pace to bring up a decrepit hand it suddenly burst into flames dancing across his finger tips. 

 

"At first I tried to find another way out then the obvious finish the story since I wasn't confident in defeating such a foul creature but over time I began to change. I became older, wiser, more sure of myself and more powerful until I was the stereotypical old wizard you'd read about in books. At this point I decided to try to finish the story by defeating the dragon. I'd like to say the dragon was as nice as I am now for a big bad but unfortunately it wasn't. It was truly the thing of nightmares. Bigger than a castle, flamers so hot they were white, and the sense of power around it was almost numbing but luckily I know a thing or two on how to contain fire and barely survived the ordeal. Looking off the wizard sighed once again.

 

"I thought by simply defeating the dragon would free me but as I stood over the broken form of the beast the Brit told me I needed to slay it to rid the land of its evil and only then would I be a true hero. At first I charged up a mighty blast but as I stared at the dragon, into its eyes...I saw fear. It wasn't just some simple mindless creature. It was a thinking, living thing and at that point could do nothing to stop me and just like any living creature it didn't want to die. It's eye's pleaded at me begging for mercy and well...I faltered. Up until then I have never killed anyone let alone harmed them. Killing something so defenseless was wrong and I believe true heroes show mercy. I stripped the dragon of its power and banished it from the land." Sighing again the sorcerer plopped into his chair.

 

"Sadly, the Brit was furious at this. Saying how it went against the story and how I ruined everything. He called me a villain then left me stuck here while I slowly changed into what you see now. I never wanted to be the bad guy of the story but no matter what I do the townsfolk view me as such. I used the dragon's hoard to build new homes and churches and they twist it into me owning them via their land. I tell my guard to help and protect the poor so they extort them for protection. No matter what I do I am evil."

 

"Sorry for such a long ramble but that's my tale. I hoped it helped you figure things out. Do you have any more questions of me? If not I'd still like to know your names if you don't mind." 

[Zeitgeist Blue]

"Call me Nicole," she said quietly, almost whispering as Daniel finished his story.

She stood up then, her stomach suddenly uninterested with the food presented to her. There was a time and place for eating and when and where that was was not when one learned the very bedrock of this book-realm's existence was actively malevolent towards them. Her food forgotten, she began to pace around the decrepit room, kicking up dust in her wake.

 

She sneezed as the dust reached her nose, her hand shooting up to cover her mouth. This wasn't such a big deal in all honesty. She had been thrown into a foreign realm before and so now wasn't so different. She'd cook up a big ritual and brute-force their way through if she had to, and get creative if that didn't work.

 

"And Facsimile's brother?" She asked, waving her hand. "Where is he?"

[Removed.]

"I know this is going to sound bad but he is downstairs in the dungeon. There only other places to sleep are my room and the barracks but he didn't want to sleep in a crowded place so we turned the dungeon into his room. I can assure you it isn't locked or anything.Did you want to see him? We can go there now if you are done eating."