#farmer steve

Jordan had never been so sure that his actions were blessed by his Lady. It was as if the woods themselves were bending to his will as a journey that should’ve taken hours had only taken a portion of one before the castle began to peak through the trees.

It was more imposing than he had been imagining, not that that had caused him to falter, but he couldn’t draw his eyes away from the looming building. The dark structure had no right to exist so close to his town. Yet here it stood in defiance of his own thoughts on the matter.

No warmth came from the entire estate which stood dark. In the night and the beginning of the storm, it was nearly invisible. Had he not been using the mirror to lead him, he may well have missed it entirely. Did the Beast’s magic keep it hidden? Surely it must. Another trick to better allow it to keep its prey away from those who might rescue them. Even now he actually had his eyes on it, he wanted to drag his gaze away as there was something about looking at the place that was just utterly wrong.

This creature just became more dangerous the more he learnt about it. No wonder his Lady had seen fit to curse it. Not that he would ever question her reasoning, but it was beyond obvious that the existence of this Beast was a plague that the world needed to be rid of. It fell to him to do the job and free his town from this horrific creature.

He knew he would have no trouble doing so. There had never been any beast he couldn’t hunt. Now this one was in his sights, it would fall just as all the rest had.

Still, as he stared at the castle, he couldn’t help his thoughts. Why did his Capsize speak of this monster like a friend? Madness caused by the Beast’s manipulations, he told himself. That was what it had to be.

Yet a doubt festered within him.

It was such a ridiculous bit of questioning, but he couldn’t stop it from infesting his thoughts. Obviously, his Capsize had to be enchanted in some way. She was another devotee of Lady Ianite. There was no way that she would defend a creature that their Lady had cursed if she was in her right mind. Nor could he think of any reason she would’ve defended it when it had so clearly attacked her brother who she cared about beyond sense.

So, it had to be that her mind was being controlled – tainted – by whatever magic this Beast held.

But what if, his most traitorous thoughts kept questioning, what if she was acting of her own will?

It was ridiculous, of course. There was no reality where he could fathom it being true, but still the sickening possibility lingered, biting at his more rational thoughts.

He could reassure and rationalize as much as he liked, and indeed, that was what he was currently doing. Yet, staring at the castle where she had been imprisoned away from him, he couldn’t stop those bothersome thoughts.

He’d never seen her smile the way she had when talking about the Beast. She hadn’t denied the preposterous notion that she might hold feelings for it. How couldn’t he hold doubt given those facts?

But that doubt was also precisely why he had to be so sure of himself. This had to be a test. This was a weight set upon him by his Lady to prove his devotion, to see whether he would sink or swim when presented with such an impossible scenario.

Yes, he cemented as he dragged his eyes away from his destination back to the part of the woods that he was currently in. This was just a test to prove his devotion to his Lady. So what else was there to do but ensure her will, and make sure he and Capsize ended up together? This was a test that he was going to pass.

“Cut down a tree and make it a big one!” He called out his order to the townsfolk who had loyally followed him. He was so glad for them as he held a sureness that they would need to break into the castle and that it would be so much easier with this amount of people to help with a battering ram.

Thank the gods that there were some sane people still. Every bit of difficulty that this task had would be made just that bit simpler with their aid.

And their loyalty deserved a reward. “Once we’re in the castle, loot and raid however you like. Any treasure you find is yours! Just remember: the Beast is mine!”

His words were met with cheers as if he was offering a round of drinks in the tavern. The noise lit up the woods just as their burning torches did. Their task was set and they weren’t going to back down.

Jordan smiled, his grin wide. He was going to make his Lady proud.

🌹 🌹 🌹

Oblivious to the goings on outside of the castle, Martha hopped through the halls attempting to ignore how drained she herself felt as she didn’t wish to make herself the focus at this particular moment.

The news of Capsize’s departure had spread through the castle over the past few hours. As it had, all the light and life that had been gained over her time here had been swiftly drained to nothing as their fates seemed sealed. That same hopelessness that had infested the castle for so many years had returned at full force and there was no hope of it being dispelled this time.

Martha, though, still found it in her to not feel completely defeated. Perhaps it was foolish. It certainly wasn’t usual for her to hold more hope than those around her, but in this situation, wasn’t it better to cling to some rather than give up entirely?

She reasoned that it was entirely possible for the curse to be broken with the two women apart. Even if all currently seemed lost, Capsize could realise her feelings on her own. After all, it just required love to be formed between the two of them. Nothing said they needed to be physically together at that moment.

There was also the possibility, however slim, that Lady Ianite might show mercy on them. Not for their sake, of course. Had the goddess had any mercy to show to them, she wouldn’t have cursed them all for the act of one girl. Still, she did clearly care for Capsize. Or at least, she did at some point. Capsize who, regardless of if she loved her in the way that the curse required, undoubtedly cared for Sonja.

Perhaps, for the sake of her messenger’s happiness if nothing else, the goddess might find it in her heart to extend the deadline even if she didn’t end the curse entirely. A slim hope, but one that still couldn’t leave Martha. Though, that didn’t mean she had shared this hope with the others. Though it kept her moving, it still felt too slim to risk the hurt it would cause if that mercy never came.

No, as ever, she was attempting to be practical. Rather than giving what would likely be false reassurances, Martha was searching. Two of their number hadn’t been seen for the same number of hours that the news had been sinking in for and if she was useful for nothing else, she could help in tracking them down.

Tom hadn’t been seen by anyone since he’d fled Sonja’s study attempting to prevent the departure of a woman already long gone. Since he hadn’t reappeared, there was an unspoken fear that he may have, in his desperation, given chase into the woods. For a great many reasons, that was a possibility none of them wanted to be true.

Alyssa, similarly, hadn’t been seen since she had left the group and therefore had been missing a good hour longer than Tom. It had become apparent once they’d gathered to bring the bad news that she hadn’t gone to find Andor as she’d claimed she would. That left everyone unsure of her location and, worse, if she was even aware of the less than hopeful development regarding the breaking of the curse.

Needless to say, Mot wasn’t taking the situation particularly well. Martha hadn’t seen him this scared since the beginning of the curse. She hoped if she could find at least one of them, he could be calmed even if only a little. Or perhaps she was just trying to give herself something to do other than wallow.

She always had found it easier to just keep moving. That was why she’d travelled so much in her youth. It kept her thoughts from dwelling on the worst possibilities which would surely just exhaust her.

Thankfully her search hadn’t proven fruitless. As she hopped through the halls, finally, she spotted Tom. He stood with his candles out partially hidden behind a curtain, staring out a large window that overlooked the front of the grounds.

“Ah, here you are. We were all worried,” She said softly, trying to sound as if the world wasn’t falling apart. She was careful with her tone, knowing that her and Tom’s typical interactions were never exactly comforting. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was going to lecture him.

“Why would anyone be worried about me?” He asked in a voice so unlike himself. Never once, no matter how dire the curse had seemed, had Tom sounded this dejected.

The candelabra had always been so enthusiastic and energetic. No matter how terrible circumstances had been, his energy had never drained. To be completely frank, it had been annoying at times when Martha had wanted nothing more than to wallow, but in retrospect she was glad for it. Seeing Tom so quiet and still was so utterly wrong that she was glad that she’d rarely experience it before. “We’re all fucked anyway. Just leave me alone.”

“Thomas, there’s…” She had no idea what to say to him. Of course, she wanted to tell him to not lose hope. He never had before, so she desperately wanted to tell him not to now.

However, it felt almost cruel to do that. As much as it pained her to see him like this, she shouldn’t stop him from feeling this sadness.

Still, he shouldn’t be alone right now. “There’s no point in hiding. Steve wants to see you.”

Though it was a lure to get him away from this hiding spot, it was also true. Because yes, she mostly wanted him to be with the others, but Steve had been distinctly worried about the boy and unable to search for himself. Given their closeness, she thought it better to persuade Tom with his worry than hers.

However, he didn’t move even a fraction of an inch.

“I can’t see him. I can’t face him when he’s going to be stuck to a wall forever because of me!” He still didn’t turn to face her, but he didn’t need to for his emotions to be made clear. Though it had always been clear that Tom held some level of guilt for the form Steve had been cursed into, he had never sounded quite this broken about it. “I… I was supposed to fix it.”

Martha hopped a little closer.

“That wasn’t your job,” She said because it truly wasn’t.

Not that she could say his help was unappreciated given that he had most certainly made Capsize feel comfortable in those first few days when everything could’ve been ruined so easily. His help afterwards couldn’t be understated either. Though Martha held some qualms towards his opinions on love, she couldn’t deny his methods had been helpful.

Still, it had never been his responsibility to break the curse. As much as it was dreadfully unfair, it always had to fall to Sonja. He wasn’t the one who had gotten them cursed nor was he an adult who should’ve taught her better. He never should’ve taken such a responsibility upon himself.

The cursed champion let out a hollow little laugh.

“What else was I meant to do? Sit around waiting for the end?” Truly he hated all the hope he’d held up until this moment. All these years he’d clung on to the idea that they wouldn’t be stuck like this forever. Now he was finally facing the likely scenario that the curse wouldn’t be broken and he had to laugh.

He had to laugh because if he didn’t, he’d cry and in this form that would just make him feel even more hollow. He just… He’d been so stupid this whole time. “Maybe it would’ve been better if she’d never shown up at all.”

Those simple words were enough by themselves to make Martha freeze.

“You don’t mean that,” She said, her tone a mix of shock and sympathy. She knew he didn’t, couldn’t, mean that he wished they'd never met Capsize. None of them could possibly wish away the light that she had brought, but still… Still, she understood now it had been ripped away… The feeling that this moment would’ve been easier had there never been such hope to cling to. But still.

“No, but…” Tom’s voice cracked as he wanted so desperately to argue. If Capsize had never shown up, this night wouldn’t have hurt so much. He wouldn’t have believed nearly as much that he would get his life back. He wished so much that he could just wish she’d never stumbled upon the castle.

But he couldn’t. Beyond anything else, Capsize was his friend. He couldn’t wish he’d never met her. But now she was gone and…

Unable to hold back, Tom began to sob as best this form would allow him. No tears could be shed, not with a body comprised of metal and wax. Still, he sobbed like a child because he had no other recourse. He couldn’t do anything and that broke him. “It’s not fair.”

“No, it isn’t,” Martha said, unable to say anything else. The entire situation was completely unfair. It was never about them, and the person it was about had without question learnt the lesson the goddess had thought necessary. Yet, due to circumstances beyond any of their control, none of it had been enough.

She hopped next to Tom. She was the last person who really should be comforting him. It simply wasn’t the sort of relationship they had. It never had been.

Yet it still hurt that, given their current forms, she couldn’t so much as put a hand on his shoulder as he wept. One final reminder of what had been taken away from them on the night they would be sealed as objects.

“We’re just going to stay like this forever,” He cried, admitting that fear he’d never let himself say out loud. He was just going to be forgotten forever. The world would move on without him.

Martha wished she had anything to say.

Behind them, the floorboards creaked.

“Hey,” Mot’s voice croaked, barely above a whisper. The snuffbox hopped up next to Martha, clearly drained. She knew the results of his own search without him needing to say anything. She could only hope Alyssa had somehow snuck out with Capsize. She would ensure that the girl remained safe.

Though there were a thousand things they could say at this moment, none of them had the strength to say anything. Martha stared out the window wishing for some sign that she was right to still hold any hope. Spotting a glow quickly approaching the castle grounds felt almost mocking.

“What’s that?” She questioned, needing some confirmation that she wasn’t seeing things. It felt an impossible sight as no one should be approaching the castle, let alone enough people to cast such a great light.

Both of those with her brought their own gazes out the window, quickly locking their eyes to the glow. They remained quiet for a moment, taking in the sight.

“Capsize? Is she?”

“No, this is too much for one person,” Mot said as Tom whispered the hope that they all wished they could believe. Unfortunately, he couldn’t believe such an idea for a second.

Though it would’ve been wonderful to dream, reality was cold and harrowing. Coming through the castle gate was what could only be described as a mob. The torches that were causing the glow all their eyes had been locked to, and all that weren’t holding one were carrying some form of weapon. Around a dozen were lugging over what was surely a freshly felled and stripped tree, the only purpose of which appeared to be breaking into the castle.

The sight by itself was already a nightmare enough to all three. There was no reason for these people to be here other than to kill Sonja.

And right there in the centre of them all, the clear leader of the group, was a man that Tom hadn’t seen in a great many years but recognised instantly.

“Jordan?!” He said in what couldn’t precisely be called disbelief, but he certainly had shock in his tone.

Jordan looked just as Tom imagined he would as an adult. Handsome and strong with all the features he’d found so dreamy now just suited him even more. But tonight, there was an undeniable darkness to the man that once made his heart flutter.

There was only one reason he would be here. With his bow strapped to his back, he had clearly come here to kill a beast and there was only one who could be his target.

As if that hadn’t been a nightmare enough, Jordan was illuminated by a different source of light than any of the townsfolk that were following him. Held tight in his grip was the enchanted mirror he had no reason to rightly have.

The only relief he could find was, as he scoured every face in the mob, he couldn’t see Tucker among the men. Perhaps that wasn’t a particularly good sign for the current situation of the man, but he much preferred the reality of one of his first attacking his home than two.

“Oh dear gods,” Martha muttered the only thing she could at this moment.

They all knew that Capsize hated the man. Though she’d never said so in so many words, the stories she’d told of the man harassing her had painted the picture quite well. There was no universe where she had given him the mirror willingly.

The nightmare that they found themselves in clearly extended beyond the walls of the castle. Yet they couldn’t even truly spare a moment to worry for the woman now beyond their reach when there was such a pressing danger threatening their Princess.

“We need to mount a defence to drive them back. Scare them off or…” The words that came to mind felt wrong to Martha. She had never liked violence. She had always thought there were simply better ways to solve conflicts. Though she could admit that there would be no other way to solve this situation, she still didn’t particularly want to say the most extreme way they might need to defend themselves.

“Sonja put defensive enchantments in, right?” Tom found himself floundering through memories, attempting to recall all the enchantments Sonja had done over the years. Surely one of them must be able to help them right now. But times had been so peaceful. Had Sonja even thought there was a possibility of them being attacked?

Unsure and panic quickly growing, his mind latched onto the next thing that could possibly help them. “And Wag! Wag still has magic! Surely, he can do something!”

He needed to live in a reality where they weren’t utterly defenceless. He needed some hope that they’d somehow win the battle to come.

Thankfully, one of the three was both focused and sure of himself.

“You two go to the kitchens. The others are hopefully still all there. Do anything you can to keep them out. But if… When they get in, keep them busy and downstairs,” Mot was, despite appearances, still terrified. This situation was beyond a nightmare and left him with fear beyond when the curse had first been cast which he had assumed until now would be his limit of terror for his entire lifetime.

But he couldn’t let himself get lost in that fear. This was too easy a situation to lose to allow himself to freeze. “I’ll go to try and get Sonja to hide.”

The plan itself sounded beyond ridiculous. Getting the great Beast to hide while the mostly tiny trinkets fought off the invaders sounded precisely the opposite of what they should do.

However, it was clear to them all that this mob had only one target. The last thing Mot was going to allow was any one of them to get close to Sonja. He just hoped she’d be willing to listen to him.

🌹 🌹 🌹

Capsize was desperately trying to ignore the clawing dread in her stomach. Despite how all her thoughts were those attempting to reassure herself that everything would be fine, she still found herself shaken. Tonight was a nightmare beyond comprehension.

That wasn’t to say that she was still rapidly spiralling as she had been earlier. In fact, though her moment to breathe had been forced, it had allowed to now stand with a sureness of herself and without the previous rashness that certainly would’ve left her injured and fighting against those who were trying to aid her had she rode out when she had wanted to.

Though she loathed to admit it, she had needed this time to prepare.

Red had retrieved her pistol just as she had requested. She almost found herself surprised at how familiar it felt in her hands with how long it had been since she’d held it. The powders had been carefully loaded, the rest in a small leather bag hanging from her hip. It was ready to be fired should it come to that. She had no idea if she’d need to use it tonight, though she couldn’t say she was against the idea of doing so.

But regardless of what happened when she arrived, she needed to get back to the castle first.

She hated that she hadn't already started the journey. Though she could acknowledge that rushing out the way she had been determined to would’ve left her at a severe disadvantage against Jordan and his makeshift army, still there remained the clawing dread caused by his headstart.

Now they were all finally ready to leave, she was doing her best to ignore it. The best way to be confident was to simply act as though you already were. But how could she ignore her nerves at this moment? She had caused this mob to form. Any harm that came to Sonja was because of her. So, she couldn’t allow any to befall her.

It was only from the words of those around her that she was prevented from driving herself back to her breaking point.

Though it hadn’t only been them doing the talking. As they’d gotten the horses ready, she’d given as much of an explanation as she could about the curse. They were doing so much for her thoughts not shattering that she thought she owed some explanation of everything to them. Red, because she knew he was owed the answers to any questions he may have given how sudden her change of heart must’ve seemed. And Jeriah and Tucker because they’d had massive parts of their memories stolen away.

Throughout, Red was mostly silent. He seemed focused on saddling the horses and getting their weapons. Whatever thoughts he had of everything he was keeping to himself.

Jeriah had taken the information relatively well. Apparently, he had spent his own time out of town, which had ended up most of the time she had been missing, attempting to figure out the gaps he’d discovered in his own memory. The existence of Martha and Andor hadn’t seemed to be a particular surprise to him, only causing a grimace at the confirmation that such important people to his friend had been cursed to inhuman form, their existence forgotten.

Tucker, however, had not had nearly as calm a reaction.

“My best friend is a candlestick?!” He questioned, gritting his teeth as he tried to fight through the headache that thinking about the apparent Champion of Lord Dianite was causing. He was sure, absolutely sure, that there wasn’t such a person, but at the same time, he was so sure that he was missing something. As much as it was ridiculous, the story Capsize was presenting of Lady Ianite having cursed his friend and erased all memory of him was also the explanation that made the most sense.

At this point, though, Capsize was only giving him half her attention.

“Yes,” She said simply as she pulled herself up onto Phillipe’s saddle. She gently stroked the horse’s head, hoping he was up for another trip tonight. “I’m sure he’ll explain everything himself once we’re through tonight.”

She refused to speak in anything but sureness. Tonight had to end in their favour. Though she was finding it harder and harder to switch into the confident tone that had always come naturally to her before. There was too much of a dread inside her, and though her voice didn’t shake, she didn’t sound sure of herself as she normally would.

But as Jeriah passed Alyssa up to her, she tried to pretend that she knew precisely how the night would end.

“Are you sure you remember the route?” She asked the young flowerpot. She had no intention of doubting her word, but she needed to know that she was sure. The last thing they needed was to get lost in the woods.

The flowerpot stared up at the woman. Capsize looked more serious than Alyssa was used to. Stern, she supposed. Appropriate given the situation, but there was something else. There was a flickering fear in her eyes that was so unlike her.

Alyssa tried desperately to not read into that.

“I’m sure,” She said, getting a firm nod in response. A nod forced to be concrete because Capsize couldn’t allow it to be anything but.

She looked to the three men with her. None of them were on horseback yet, but they were clearly all ready to ride out, just as she was. She looked towards Jeriah. She tried to swallow down the guilt that was raised by the sight of the bandage wrapped around his forehead.

She needed to focus on the present.

“You have the map?” She asked despite not really needing to double check. But tonight, she needed that reassurance.

Thankfully, he understood. He gave her a small smile.

“Of course,” He said, once more helping Capsize’s confidence.

The plan was clear. He and Tucker were going to ride the normal road, the one Red had accidentally stumbled upon. The idea was to hopefully flank the mob, with two of them ending up behind and the other two in front. And that plan left her with one more person to look to.

Her gaze fell to Red.

The look should’ve been no different than the one she had just given to Jeriah. She should’ve just been making sure he was ready, but… Well, Red was different from the others.

Perhaps not in preparedness, as he had weapons and stood before a fourth horse they’d thankfully managed to find without taking too much time. He was just as ready as any of them. But the sight of him unconscious in the woods was still haunting her.

“You don’t need to come if you’re not up to it, Red,” She couldn’t see him get hurt. She was so scared for what might be lost tonight. He couldn’t be among those losses.

He looked up at his sister, at her concern. He understood it. By reasonable logic, he shouldn’t be making this journey. He’d collapsed from the cold but a few hours ago. He shouldn’t have the strength to stand let alone make this journey.

But he didn’t feel the weakness he should. He knew how drained the cold should’ve left him, had left him the last time he’d experienced it. But, at least currently, he didn’t feel that drained strength.

There was something deeply wrong about the air tonight. There was no way that he was staying here while Capsize rode out into the night.

“I’m coming,” He confirmed. He could immediately sense her wanting to argue despite them not having time for a back and forth. Regardless, he wasn’t going to waver on his position. “I’ve lost you once, I won’t lose you again.”

His voice cracked as he struggled to hold back all that fear that had consumed him since his encounter with the Beast. He couldn’t fully understand her change of heart, but he wasn’t about to let her put herself in danger alone. He was coming. He wasn’t letting her talk him out of it.

Capsize saw her own fear reflected on her brother’s face. She couldn’t argue against him.

“Then let’s hurry.”

After those words, in the brief time as the three with her mounted their own horses, she had one more person to turn to.

Capsize, despite the irony of it, sent a small prayer to her goddess. She had little idea if Ia would listen to her, given her involvement with the curse and them actively working against her champion. But she wanted to have faith. She wanted to believe their friendship had meant something.

So she prayed for her goddess to guide them and, far more desperately, she prayed for Sonja to be safe.

🌹 🌹 🌹

Mot hopped into the darkened study wishing he could ignore the increasing volume of the crowd outside. His fear grew with each slam that now seemed to be rattling the entire castle. How much longer would the doors hold?

He tried to ignore that thought, though the repeated nature of the noise made that near impossible. He didn’t need to think about that so long as he got Sonja away. Though, despite knowing precisely how pressing a situation they were in, he had the horrible feeling that he was going to struggle to persuade her to safety.

Sonja hadn’t moved since he had last seen her. She remained sitting on the balcony, motionless, staring off into the woods despite the building storm and the mounting noise of the attackers. She surely had to already know the danger she was in yet was electing to ignore it.

“Sonja, we need to move,” He said, trying to hide the real fear he was holding.

If Sonja heard him, she didn’t acknowledge him in any way. Her form remained entirely still just staring out into the darkness.

He hopped closer. “Mistr—”

“Please just leave me alone,” Sonja spoke without any hint of motion.

She wasn’t stupid. She knew what the noises she could hear meant. However, she simply held no desire to move regardless.

Mot heard her. Of course he had. That, however, didn’t mean he accepted the words. In what world could he have accepted that statement?

“Please, the townsfolk, they’ve come to—”

“What does it matter anymore?” Her tone as she cut through him wasn’t in any way harsh. That Mot could’ve stomached, if she had yelled. If there had been any emotion whatsoever, he could’ve kept hope of persuading her.

But there was no emotion whatsoever. Just the voice of an utterly broken woman.

Everything was already lost. What point was there in prolonging this cursed existence? “You and the others should hide, but I…”

Sonja, despite everything, couldn’t bring herself to voice that thought out loud.

“Just let them come.”

Despite all he wanted to do, Mot had no choice but to do as she asked. He couldn’t exactly move her against her wishes, though he would’ve if he’d had the ability.

The Beast remained still as she was left alone, accepting of her fate. She was going to be a Beast for the rest of her life. What did it matter how long that was?

🌹 🌹 🌹

The great log slammed one final time against the thick wooden doors of the castle, splintering a great hole in the centre. The townsfolk who had been using the makeshift battering ram backed away to dump the felled tree out of their way.

There was a secondary reason for their brief retreat. Though their way forward now lay open, none wanted to be the first to enter. Both for the fear of what they would face within and the knowledge of who deserved to lead the way.

Jordan dismounted his horse, landing on the softening earth with a small thump. He slipped the enchanted mirror into his belt and took the bow from his shoulder, back into his hand where it belonged. All eyes were on him as he sauntered up the steps towards the doors that could no longer be called grand.

They were all looking to him to know how to react. He was their fearless leader. If he was scared, they surely should be too. However, there was not a lick of fear upon his face.

Why should there be? There had never been a beast he’d encountered that he hadn’t slain. This one, one whose existence went against his Lady, was not going to be any different. Hence, he sauntered forward without hesitation.

He shoved open the remains of the doors and quirked an eyebrow at the sight before him. This wasn’t the monster’s lair he had been expecting. Though darkened to the point of everything looking more like silhouettes than true objects, clearly this was a place of luxury.

Nothing about the room before him went with his story of a vicious, mindless Beast. It caused some unease, yes, but it seemed to be a place of human habitation.

But of course it did, Jordan reasoned. Clearly this was all a part of the creature’s trap. This was how it lured people in. After all, it couldn’t all be this luxury. Redbeard had mentioned there being dungeons in his delusional ramblings.

He was not going to fall for this façade.

He strode forwards, taking a few confident steps across the wooden floors. Behind him, the townsfolk slowly swallowed their nerves and began to take hesitant steps into the castle. Regardless of their nerves, they were here and he was glad for that. The backup bolstered his confidence, which was good when a figure began approaching them from the darkness.

It was obvious from the moment the figure became visible that this was not the Beast. It was far too human looking to be that vicious creature. A thin, robed individual rather than a massive, prowling animal. However, that didn’t stop Jordan from notching an arrow and aiming his bow at whoever was currently approaching them.

“Stay where you are!” He demanded, his voice clear through the otherwise silent room. However, the figure responded with a laugh.

“I don’t think trespassers get to make demands,” The figure spat in response. The indignant tone bristled Jordan. No one should dare speak to him that way.

However, there was a far more pressing concern than this figure being rude that became increasingly apparent as its approach continued. At first, it had looked to be a robed person, partly obscured by the darkness. However, the closer it came, the more apparent it became that there was not a person inside of the material at all.

Whether a ghost or living cloth, Jordan didn’t know and most certainly didn’t care. He released his arrow, letting it fly towards the hood of this floating robe. His arrow pierced through the hood and ended up thumping into the far wall.

It would’ve been a killing blow on any normal being, but it didn’t even give pause to the thing before Jordan. The robe laughed, raising its flopping arms as red lightning began crackling around it.

“Oh you want to fight?” It laughed. Its empty head locked upon the champion. For a moment, Jordan was sure he could see dark eyes boring into him. “Very well.”

And, at that moment, all hell broke loose.

🌹 🌹 🌹

Completely unlike the stillness and quiet that had been held in the minutes before the mob had arrived, the entire castle was consumed by yelling and movement. It was currently impossible for any of the castle’s residents to pick out any individual in the crowd.

This was technically an issue, as it meant none of them could confirm that they still had the mob’s leader among the chaos. However, given their focus on driving back the entire attacking mob, they really could do little more than launching their own attacks.

Just as Waglington had started the defence, he remained the centre point of the chaos. The wizard-turned-robe was absolutely in his element as he unleashed magic that he hadn’t had the call to use in years. There was a genuine worry in the back of their minds that, once the mob had been chased off, they might have a new problem of getting their friend to stop. However, given that he was currently their greatest aid, that fear was very much an afterthought.

Everyone else was focused on their own defences of the castle.

Tom was, for Martha’s taste, far too excited at the current moment. Though this felt far more natural on him than his earlier despondence so she really couldn’t be annoyed. Not that she could be regardless when they were under attack. Still, a little seriousness would be appreciated.

“I can’t believe you never told me about this stuff!” However, such a wish was always going to be a longshot when it came to Tom.

“It’s never really been necessary before,” She said with no more concern than if she had shown him a relatively interesting book. “Now light it!”

But she hadn’t shown him anything so ordinary. Rather she had shown him a magical powder that they had, with great difficulty, arranged across the floor. Though for enchantments this stuff had a great many uses, its only property that concerned them right now was its explosive nature.

Normally that was a property of a material only to be worried about, but currently it was invaluable as some of the mob were just beginning to filter into the sitting room, attempting to hide from the chaos in the entrance hall. Little did they know, this would be no shelter for them.

There had never been a wider grin on Tom’s face than when he lowered one of his candles to the powder. He held it there for a few moments, waiting for the crackling to begin. It did, that signature crackling of something beginning to catch alight.

He couldn’t help but laugh, catching the attention of the invaders who were in the room with him.

“Hey!” One yelled as they saw him. That was the candelabra’s signal to retreat. He hopped towards the alcove where Martha already was, luring the attackers further into the room as they attempted to catch the living trinket.

It was only when they were halfway across the room that they heard the increasingly loud snapping and crackling beneath their feet. The men barely had time to widen their eyes before the colourful explosions started.

Safe within the alcove, Tom cackled, overwhelmed with energy. Truly, he was the Champion of Lord Dianite. These idiots were going to feel his wrath.

Even Martha, who had none of the candelabra’s propensity for chaos, cracked a smile. They were going to defend their home.

🌹 🌹 🌹

Andor swiftly glided through the servant corridors with at least half a dozen of the townsfolk on his tail. He knew that if he slowed down for even a single moment, they would catch him. Then he’d certainly be lifted to one of their torches and reduced to ashes.

Thankfully Andor knew precisely where he needed to go. His knowledge sped him up just as the mob’s lack of it slowed them down. That allowed him to keep his lead all the way to the kitchens even if the men’s speed should’ve been greater than his.

The moment he entered the kitchens, the stove smiled at him. There had been the smallest part of Steve annoyed that he’d be unable to help with fighting off the mob of bastards who were invading. Now here was a little bundle of idiots running right to him. He was going to have his fun tonight after all.

He whistled at the feather duster who had retreated to him, telepathically opening a cupboard door.

“Take cover, kid. I’ll handle these fuckers,” He said with a wide grin.

Andor was all too happy to take the hiding place. Both to take cover from the attackers and the counter that Steve was about to launch.

The mob poured into the room expecting an easy target. Instead, they were greeted with the wild grin on a stove.

“Think picking on a kid is okay?” He growled with a dangerous edge to his tone.

The men immediately tried to back away, attempting to stumble out the room with their tails between their legs. But in that instant, the doors slammed shut and every knife in the kitchen rose menacingly into the air. “Let’s see how you fare in a real fight.”

Steve’s words could barely be heard over the panicked screams of the man fumbling at the door to escape his wrath.

🌹 🌹 🌹

For a moment, the townsfolk thought they had gotten a win. For a moment, the castle’s residents with a view into the entrance hall were consumed by horror.

One single member of the mob had steeled himself enough to rush towards the robe causing them so much trouble. He was sure it would only take a second to free them all of this danger. As such, he was willing to rush forward with his torch outstretched towards the fabric.

He dodged past the red lightning blasting through the air, barely managing to hold his nerve with each near miss. But all his effort seemed to pay off, when he managed to get his torch close enough for the fabric to catch alight.

The flames spread quickly, consuming the entire robe.

All the eyes in the area, friends and foes alike, were locked on the sight. Many in the mob began laughing, cheering, basking in their apparent victory. Meanwhile, all of Wag’s friends stared in horror.

“Waggles!” Martha exclaimed, hopping towards her friend on instinct. She needed to help him. Despite how, in the form of a clock, she had absolutely no way of doing so and would only risk her own death by getting close to the flames, she could think of nothing but going to aid him.

However, her panic was unnecessary. She watched with the most genuine relief as from the burning fabric an object dropped with a heavy thump. To the floor dropped a crystal ball, the centre of which appeared to be filled with a grey smoke. And within that smoke was a face Martha knew well despite how long it had been since she last saw it.

There was no look of fear within his misty features. The only emotion he held was annoyance.

“I quite liked that robe,” He said as if he hadn’t appeared to have just died. Though the very sound of his voice caused the celebratory energy of the mob to immediately die.

There were a few brief moments where Wag allowed the horror to descend. Then, with another laugh, he began the chaos anew.

🌹 🌹 🌹

There was one among the mob who had managed to slip through the chaos. Unfortunately for the castle’s residents it was the worst possible person who was now sneaking his way through the halls of the west wing.

Jordan was so thankful for all those who had volunteered to take on this task alongside him. Without them, he certainly would’ve had to fight those accursed objects himself which would’ve slowed him down in his goddess given task. However, with all of them acting as distractions, he’d managed to slip by and further into the castle without issue.

Not to say he viewed their fight callously. He could acknowledge their great bravery for following him and their possible sacrifice in covering for him. He’d make sure that any who were lost got their honours and the survivors, well, he was sure that a few rounds at the tavern and a grand feast at his wedding would be more than enough thanks for them.

Still, as much as he wished to just fantasize about when this was all over and his life was returned to the way it was meant to be, he had a task to be done. He had found the part of the castle that was clearly the Beast’s lair.

He wanted to say that he had been guided to these hallways by his Lady, but that wasn’t quite the truth. He had once more turned to the mirror to locate where in the castle his quarry was hiding. But really, all providence came from his Lady, so his finding the right hall was down to her. He’d retell it that way, anyway.

The hall he found himself in now was far closer to the idea he’d had in his head of the castle. Broken apart mirrors, torn up paintings, and walls covered in deep scratches and scrawling. This was beyond a shadow of a doubt the Beast’s domain.

He took careful steps forward, making sure to not step on any glass and possibly give away his position. He was a hunter. He understood the importance of the element of surprise.

His progress felt a crawl, but the slow and steady approach worked in his favour. He found himself in the doorway of a cluttered room, staring at the creature he had come here to slay.

It sat unmoving on the balcony, only vaguely illuminated by the dimmest pink glow struggling to escape the room. But even with so little light, he held no doubt this was the Beast. What other creature could be such a size?

He could end this all right now. His bow was already in his hands. All he needed to do was notch an arrow. With how still the thing was it would be as easy as hitting a bullseye on a target.

But as he kept staring at the creature that had stolen his Capsize from him, he didn’t want an easy victory. He wanted this Beast to look him in the eyes and understand that it had lost. It was nothing more than a god-damned animal and his Capsize would never love it. He needed to see its acknowledgement of that so he could know his duty as a champion had been complete.

He couldn’t do that with an easy arrow from across the room.