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Grim Fairy Tales: Legacy of the Sleeping Beauty
Chapter Six: The Battle of Cockaigne

Chapter Six: The Battle of Cockaigne

After a good day’s rest and preparation, we knew that the scarecrows themselves were waiting in the haystacks for us to come out and Naomi Pharon was probably waiting for us just to open our door. It was then that our door would finally open and from the forefront top of the large round table is where Naomi Pharon would land on the edge, gazing down upon the door with curiosity for she could not see a living soul present there. The scarecrows in their haystacks got up to gaze upon the opened door as well and they wondered where we were and if we were just going to leave the door open like that. The cuckolds aimed their rifles towards the door from the top of the chairs and the round table. They all waited patiently for us to come out. Bloody Mary, also known as the Scarlet Sorceress, dressed herself in a red velvet robe with a red hood over her head. Her eyes are red, her long hair is red and her nails were even red. Those that followed her, the cuckolds, tried to dress in matching attire with leather jackets and leggings. They wore tiaras and top hats while their jackets were red with white fur sticking out from alongside their necks. They wore black leggings and black fingerless gloves while carrying rifles that charged itself with elemental magic of fire, which meant they were Jager hunters.

“You better shut that door, Jour, or we will…!”, shouted Naomi Pharon from the top of the table and it was then that Jour himself would be the very first one to step out of the room.

He would take a few steps towards the table and the scarecrows reached for their scythes only to take a few steps towards him in preparation. It was the first time after a long time that he dared to step closer to the table and they all knew it quite well. The druid raised his hand, casting a spell...

“Or you will all what?!”, his voice would echo back towards Naomi loud and clear because of it. “Kill me?!”, he shouted. “I encourage it!”, he taunted them all. “Then my beloved Briar Rose shall be freed from her imprisonment and I’ll finally be able to die a happy man!”, he claimed.

“Be careful what you wish for!”, the android shouted back. “She will be free from her cage, sure, but what will you accomplish by awakening a soul that has lied sleeping for over ten long years, huh?”, Naomi spread her arms in response and she smiled before lowering them down.

The scarecrows and the cuckolds waited in position while Jour just stood there. He looked up to the large glass chandelier that was identical to the Kingdom of Rosamond when it was in its prime. There were many prism faceted layers of towering glass facing the heavens and the table in the middle had twelve seats with a burning brazier stand in the middle of it upon which stood many candles. The glow of the glass candles reflected at the bottom of the glass floor of the large chandelier that hung from above and the many windows that surrounded the round table shinned a bright light within. There was a large fireplace of stone just to Jour’s right hand side and its glow made the approaching scarecrows appear even more menacing. Jour looked up to the table to see the cuckolds that had their rifles aimed towards him and then looked towards the male farmers that had kept their heads down for they were like cannon fodder to the Bloodstone Tribe. The scarecrows dragged their scythes over the ground and others span them around with their claws in order to grind them together with a menacing, ruthless, and psychopathic stare. Every farmer approached with caution and every scarecrow approached with delight while the cuckolds observed with curiosity, wondering what Jour’s next step truly would be.

“Upon her awakening, the soul of Teyvat shall awaken once more and it shall bloom as it has never bloomed before!”, he shouted back his response before pointing towards Naomi. “Its people shall be free to live happy and prosperous lives in peace without living in fear of your kind ever again! That is what we are here to accomplish, Naomi Pharon!”, the android smirked and then leaned her head on the side with thought before moving her head forth.

“We?!”, she clearly wanted to know what he meant by that before he raised his arms. “The very nature of Teyvat!”, it was then that from the walls there appeared to be vines, branches, thorns and brambles that spread themselves all over the walls that began to form figures.

Each of them took on the form of spriggans, the very derangers that we fought during the Battle of the Beanstalk, and the cuckolds now knew they were in for a heavy battle as did the farmers that wanted to run away before one of the scarecrows pushed them back. Everyone watched in unusual silence as the figures were all fully formed like a painting on a wall and suddenly their eyes open before they detached from the walls, ran forth with their weapons in hands and started to scream like lunatics that charged forth with their bows firing at the farmers and scarecrows in their way. There were many scarecrows that fell over the ground and rolled while their comrades leaped over them with their scythes in their claws that attacked the spriggans in close combat. The scarecrows would even use their own claws to claw at the faces of the spriggans and to even leap over them in packs to clobber them to death which was something that also the spriggan elves would do to the scarecrows. The cuckolds opened gunfire on the many spriggans with many more charging out of Jour’s home and Naomi Pharon rolled her eyes, stepped back and then turned only to run off and leap off the table for she knew that she would have to put a stop to the battle now. She then noticed that Jour was missing and that she could not see him. Bloody Mary, who stood within the glass chandelier, stared at the battle below with Talia Carabosse.

“How did that old fool get the assistance of the spriggans?!”, Talia was furious. “He didn’t.”, said Mary, which confused Talia. “Would you care to elaborate?”, Talia asked.

“Goldilocks was the one that blessed the seeds.”, Talia rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I knew that pipsqueak would be a problem. I should of had her executed from the very start!”, Talia shouted in her fury and then leaned her hands over the glass before an idea came to her.

“What is it that the spriggans value the most?”, asked Talia. “Gee, I wonder what that could be?”, Mary replied sarcastically. “Oh, shut up!”, Talia responded and Bloody Mary giggled.

Meanwhile, back at the Bloodstone Zeppelin…

“You what?”, said one of the tinkers on board. “Are you serious?”, he questioned the order being relayed from Bloody Mary. “You do realize that once we burn that bloody beanstalk down that we are going to sever the connection between the spirit realm and reality as we know it, right?”, the tinkerer asked and regardless of his concerns, Bloody Mary did not care.

It is then that he started to choke as if somebody had their hands around his throat, choking the very life essence from his body, and the other Bloodstone tinkers that stood beside him stood there shocked, wondering what the hell was going on while they could see Bloody Mary on the screen, staring at them with a devilish grin on her face.

“Any other questions?”, she looked to the tinkerers that shook their heads. “Then make ready the troops and deploy the flamethrowers, burn that tree down to ashes, do I make myself clear?”, the tinkerers on board nodded their heads and saluted their leader in fear as their captain’s throat then cracked before he fell down over the ground to his death.

“Oh, I held him a chokehold for too long.”, said Bloody Mary before she would smirk and look at her troops that looked back at her. “Move along?”, she waved her hand, gesturing for them to leave, and they immediately scrambled and went back to their stations to fulfill her orders.

“Captain Myers!”, Drakwa looked at one of the gnomish crewmen that came to him. “They are heading to attack the beanstalk!”, the dwarf then looked at his companion in concern.

“Who?!”, the dwarf asked. “The Bloodstone Tribe with their zeppelin, sir!”, the gnome replied. “Why on earth would they do that? Don’t they realize they will sever the connection between the spirit realm and the living world?”, the dwarf rushed to his captain quarters and saw the zeppelin approach the beanstalk as he sighed before rolling his eyes.

“Well, it appears that break time is over, lads and lasses! Sound the alarm! We are going to battle!”, the dwarf declared and the red alert sounded while Jour managed to arrive underneath the round table within the giant’s castle where he manipulated seven rune stones that levitated.

These rune stones would create a pattern-like circle and a magical power would interline them, connect them together and create a portal from which emerged Goldilocks, the three bears, and I. We were happy that our distraction worked and marveled at how the spriggans carried on the battle while we did not know that the Bloodstone zeppelin was getting even closer to the beanstalk along with the crew of the TEC-9.

“Don’t you find it odd that they would leave this place undefended?”, said Goldilocks and the three bears seemed to agree. “Yeah, I found that odd as well. No security detail and no camera.”, said Jour that shrugged his shoulders and I looked down to the ground to see a lot of hay.

I found it unusual how a lot of it was scattered all over the ground beneath the table. However, it was then that I noticed a white grin and blue eyes open in the middle of the haystack. It was then that the hay started to move on its own and for the first time we would be facing Big Boy Blue who held his scythes firm with an evil smile while Goldilocks turned only to grab Baby that she pulled aside. It was then that a projectile passed by that struck Big Boy Blue and knocked him over that caused us all to look at with confusion. Naomi Pharon then landed on the ground and grabbed her head with both hands.

“No, no, no!”, she panicked for she didn’t want to screw up like she did before.

She flew forth towards us and we all ran into a tiny compartment located in the dead center of the table before two metallic doors would shut with her rockets hitting the doors but not destroying them. It was then that we heard some sort of music playing and we looked at Jour that seemed to be calm about the entire situation.

“What?”, he asked. “There’s a fucking elevator down here?”, I asked. “Cloud Cuckoo Land, remember?”, replied Jour and I sighed. “Oh, right…”, I said in response while Bloody Mary gazed upon what just happened from within the chandelier.

She was staring at a crystal ball as she held her hand over her face with disbelief at what Naomi had done to Big Boy Blue and after we just casually took the elevator up. The spriggans were on the advance and she whistled only for all the cuckolds to raise their heads that were shooting.

“Prepare yourselves for a few unwanted guests.”, the cuckolds smirked and then turned to face the elevator with their rifles. “No, not those unwanted guests!”, shouted Mary only for a few arrows to strike the back of the cuckolds that fell over with a few grappling hooks striking the side of the table that would rail in the derangers that were coming to assist us.

Bloody Mary sighed and then waved her hand that directed her gaze upon Big Boy Blue lying over the ground while Naomi Pharon emerged into the skies only focus her gaze upon the elevator. Jour himself then stopped the elevator and placed the seven runic stones at the door that made Goldilocks and I smile for we knew what was going on. Bloody Mary would wave her hands over the globe and the hay underneath the table would rotate around Big Boy Blue.

“Alright, fellas, let’s crash this zeppelin!”, said Drakwa. “Captain Bloodthorne!”, shouted a Bloodstone Tribesman to his female captain. “What?!”, she shouted back.

“There’s a spaceship heading our way flying the colors of the Dragon Empire.”, Bloodthorne sighed and looked to her monitors where the TEC-9 displayed. “All hands, battle stations! Prepare to engage!”, she gave her orders and the crew agreed immediately, and there were those on board who felt relief for they truly did not wish to destroy the beanstalk itself.

The elevator doors then opened and Naomi’s rockets fired as well as the bullets from the cuckolds that were at alert of our arrival that all blasted away at the doors. The fire was rapid and consistent, not stopping for a good minute while Goldi and I looked at each other. The entirety of Jour’s room was being blasted away while we smiled, taking cover from all and any harm. The portal redirected every projectile for us and all we had to do was wait.

“Man the guns!”, shouted both the crews of the TEC-9 and the Bloodstone Tribe before both sides would fire at each other at the same time. “Incoming enemy fire!”, shouted Jimbo, the first mate to Drakwa Myers. “Brace yourselves!”, shouted both crews on both sides of the equation.

“Jimbo, full throttle!”, the gnome pulled the lever and the spaceship’s engines jet thrust forth, avoiding most of the oncoming enemy fire.

The Bloodstone Zeppelin received the shots but it seems they deflected and a magical barrier spread itself over the zeppelin that revealed they had a defensive shield.

“Come about, bring her in load!”, he shouted the order to Jimbo before grabbing his microphone. “Hold onto to your skirts, it’s zeppelin busting time!”, the spaceship turned and headed directly towards the Bloodstone Zeppelin that Captain Bloodthorne noticed.

Naomi Pharon would stop firing her rockets and gazed upon the elevator where heavy smoke was coming from with the cuckolds holding their weapons still while most of them were distracted by the spriggans that managed to climb up over the table with their grappling hooks. The two sides met in combat and Naomi looked towards them, agitated and aimed only to hear the screaming off her own crew when the three bears emerged from the smoke and attacked the unsuspecting cuckolds. Jour would emerge and wave his stand that would spread the smoke all around us, concealing us from the view of our enemies. Naomi fired several more rounds towards us and Goldilocks emerged from the smoke, firing my grappling hook gun into the sky that would strike her in the head before latching onto her. Goldilocks would then pull and in her anger, Naomi cut the line with her arm-blade and turned to face Goldi with a look of anger. It was then that a harsh wind gathered all around the table with most of the cuckolds and spriggans that were at the edge being blown away by the wall of hay that gathered around. I impaled my blade into the ground and held onto it while the three bears clawed away at the ground, running into the elevator shaft and Goldilocks flew away with Naomi being pulled as well that caused her rockets to miss Jour that jumped before I grabbed his hand. It was then that the hay began to come together and a large figure began to form with a big blue head which we immediately knew who it was. The hay gathered and the giant, Big Boy Blue, was formed.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Fee-fi-fo-fum!”, shouted Bloody Mary and Big Boy Blue in unison as he would rise as the big giant we would see before us that stood tall before the table with Naomi Pharon smiling at him.

“I smell the blood of human insects! Be they alive or be them dead, I’ll grind their bones to make our bread!”, Big Boy Blue emerged and even his scythes grew as Naomi landed on top of his shoulder, laughing at us from above and we all looked at each other, knowing we would have to improvise now that there was a giant in the mix.

Big Boy Blue would then wave his claws only for a few clumps of hay to emerge from his body that would descend down over the table, and upon them landing they would come to life as the elven scarecrows that ran on all fours towards us. Goldilocks and I nodded while the three bears remained in their place with Jour smiling before he stepped aside. It was then that from the portal a large arrow emerged and shot one of the scarecrows in the head that made her fall back. When a scarecrow or spriggan died, they would disappear into dust and the scarecrow would only leave behind her hay as well as her scythes while a spriggan would just leave behind any nature that grew over her body. The elven spriggan that agreed to help us then emerged from the portal with her spriggans and opened fire with her arrows that surprised Naomi who raised her head in frustration as things never worked out for her. Big Boy Blue then swung his scythe down over the table and towards me as I rolled over the ground only for it to accidentally kill a scarecrow.

“Seriously?!”, Naomi was angry with Big Boy Blue and then sighed before she threw herself off him, directly speeding her jet thrusters towards me and opening fire as Goldilocks climbed over the scythe of Big Boy Blue that had lifted it up into the air.

Goldilocks ran over his arm towards his head but then several scarecrows emerged and waved their scythe at her that caused her to nearly fall off. When the scarecrow raised his arm into the air, he looked at it to see Goldilocks and swung his other scythe towards the ground that missed Jour due to how distracted he was. The elven spriggan and her derangers fired upon their enemy and upon getting into close combat used their mere claws and hands to battle them. Jour would climb a grassy hill that surrounded the towering pedestal in the center of the table and Bloody Mary saw this over her globe, fully knowing he was up to something. Naomi’s shots missed her intended target several times and then Bloody Mary responded…

“Ugh, if you want something done…”, said Bloody Mary before walking into one of the glasses of the chandelier. “You are just best off doing it yourself.”, she said with delight.

“Naomi, come in!”, she called for her servant that paused midair and listened. “Yes, mistress Bloodstone?”, replied Naomi. “Leave them to the crows and return to home base, I have a special task in mind for you…”, said Mary with delight and Naomi obeyed immediately.

The spaceship and the zeppelin would exchange fire but upon the spaceship receiving it, it would take heavy blows and Myers noticed. He looked at the capacity of his spaceship in anger.

“Alert Hennington that we are most likely going to go down! Give him our last coordinates!”, said Drakwa with Jimbo looking at him afraid. “But sir, the TEC-9…!”, the gnome tried to protest and the dwarf looked at him. “Has served us long and well, my friend!”, said the dwarf.

“All hands, prepare to board!”, this made the crew of the TEC-9 so happy and Jack’ron Horner was sad because he wanted to bake some more only to find that he won’t be able to now.

“Jimbo, full throttle and make sure you steer us directly towards that hot air balloon!”, the captain gave his orders and Jimbo looked terrified at first before he sighed. “Fuck the Empire.”, the gnome said before pulling down the lever and spinning the wheel to redirect his spaceship.

“Mistress Bloodthorne!”, shouted one of the crew members aboard the Bloodstone Zeppelin. “They are heading directly towards us!”, the captain then stepped forth and focused her eyes.

“Well, then let’s keep them entertained, shall we?!”, she shouted. “Steer directly at them and on full throttle! If they want to play the game of cat and mouse, then let us play!”, said the captain and the crew gulped behind her as they knew she was crazy as Mary is, if not more.

Jour would emerge above the towering pedestal with the candles lit around him. He would see a little pool of blood in the center of the platform before he would hear a whistle. It was then that she would emerge from the pool of blood with the blood dripping from her scarlet robe and she would smile towards Jour that did not like it at all that she was present. She then stepped aside and a lamb ran forth towards him that struck him in the chest that caused him to hit a candle behind him with his back. He then got up to see that Mary was gone and the little lamb shook his body only for snowflakes to emerge from him that would cause the a strange ominous cold above the towering pedestal.

“He always waited patiently for me.”, Jour stood up with his staff in hand and looked around, seeing only the wall of candles and its flames around him. “Even after the teacher turned him out did the lamb wait for me and when I turned the teacher inside out, the lamb ran to me. He laid his head upon my arm for he was not afraid of my nature and knew I would keep him from all harm, and so I did.”, Mary seemed to be talking about the lamb that would just eat the grass below its feet and not even mind that Jour was even present anymore.

“So what makes the lamb love Mary so?!”, shouted Jour. “The eager children smiled for they knew I loved the lamb and so they bullied the lamb to get to me. It was their sick way of playing and toying with me, eager to get to me.”, explained Mary before Jour turned and she grabbed his staff, grinning at him and then leaning her head forward.

“But what they did not know is that Mary truly never cared. For you see, this is the second time I walk among the living again and once you die once, death does not frighten you anymore.”, she then kicked Jour away and held his staff in her hands before snapping it over her knee and the lamb struck Jour with his head, knocking him away towards a candle that broke in two.

The candle landed upon the field of grass and lit it on fire, Mary chuckled to the chaos that would happen around them and simply stepped over the fire without worry or care.

“It becomes sort of like second nature to you, really.”, she explained and Jour pushed the broken part of the candle away from himself before Bloody Mary raised her hand that burnt with flame.

“I am going to enjoy this.”, before she heard a growl and her lamb scream as Baby Bear chased after him. “Hey!”, she swung her hand to send a fireball towards Baby Bear that missed before Jour caused roots to emerge from the ground that grabbed Mary’s feet.

The cuckolds fired their rifles and the scarecrows chased me before I fired my gun into the air that shot a line that tied itself around Big Boy’s scythe as I turned to see the scarecrows charge at me with Mama and Papa Bear at their tail. Then I smiled and saluted them before I was pulled up into the air only for the scarecrows to look up in confusion before they were jumped by the bears. Big Boy Blue saw me disappear on the ground and then saw me swing up into the air before I fired my other pistol that shot one of the scarecrows in the way of Goldilocks that fell off his arm to her death. Goldilocks turned and smiled to see me, and I was so distracted by her that I didn’t notice Big Boy Blue letting go off his scythe and with his other hand reach for me before catching me with his hand of hay intending to crush me but the hay was so soft that he only succeeded to grab me. He then lifted his hand and wondered if he caught me before lifting it to his eye to peek inside to see whether or not I was still alive. He was then caught by surprise when I fired my pistol at him and his left eye was damaged as he opened his hand only to wave it attempting to drop me. I held onto it only to see scarecrows form from his arm that looked at me in fury and they grinned as I gulped. The Bloodstone Zeppelin and the TEC-9 crashed into each other, with the TEC-9 crashing into the top of their balloon and the crew emerged out of it as they charged towards the group of the Bloodstone Tribesman that were ready to defend it to their last, and yet the zeppelin remained afloat. Captain Bloodthorne rolled her eyes and reached for her blades, prepared to face the crew of the TEC-9 that now boarded their zeppelin. Drakwa Myers ran over the top of the balloon before a missile hit the top of the balloon but did not penetrate it. He then saw Naomi fly over the skies above him before she would descend down on her two feet over the balloon and smile at him. Drakwa was not happy to see an old face and clenched his teeth together.

“You possessed our android, you wretch.”, said Drakwa. “And it shall be I who shall rightfully set her free.”, he stated before Naomi Pharon smirked and stepped forth to taunt him.

“It, Captain Myers, it.”, Naomi corrected the captain. “Androids do not have genders and to be fair, I never wanted its body in the first place but it does suit me.”, said Naomi. “If you knew only the suffering I had to endure. Being rebuilt, time and time again, you’d understand!”, she stated.

“But don’t worry, after I am done with you…”, she grinned and pulled out both of her arm-blades. “There will be no putting you back together.”, she grinned and Drakwa bowed his head.

He reached for a shield over his back and his saw-blade, ready to face the warrior before him without guns but with honor and they both charged. Naomi Pharon charged her jet thrusters forth and Drakwa kneeled down, raised his right hand and Naomi bashed her blade over his shield as she pushed him back. The dwarf had his own jet thrusters and he pushed back with his shield while he swung his saw-blade. His blade grinded upon Naomi’s arm blade and then she opened the palm of her hand as he swung his blade left as she shot a projectile into a ground that deflected before it struck one the nearby crew members that fell off the hot air balloon and to his death. Jour spread his hand open that fired thorns towards Mary that smiled and disappeared when a huge flame engulfed over her and she appeared on the top of one of the candles, staring down at Jour and shaking her head with an evil playful smile. Big Boy Blue let go off his other scythe and with his other hand he intentionally covered his left eye that helped Goldilocks get closer to his face until the boy noticed, swinging his hand back and she fell down over his right shoulder until several scarecrows emerged with one of them having an arrow shot into her chest. Goldilocks was so dumfounded by what happened and the scarecrow was as well as she looked to see an explosive tied to it and she looked up at Goldilocks terrified before the druid just kicked the elf off the giant scarecrow to her demise. I stood where I was with a smile as I was the one who fired the crossbow with the explosive and the scarecrows that charged at me were left confused when I threw a flash-bang over the ground that blinded them. It was then that smoke was left behind and I emerged on the other side, running up the arm of the giant scarecrow and many others emerged that wanted to defend their master. Drakwa would crouch, lift his shield and from it spikes appeared that would bash into the body of Naomi that held on it as the dwarf pushed her back before she jet thrust into the air. She then retracted her blades and opened her hands as the dwarf’s gaze widened upon the many descending rockets that he avoided with his own jet pack and jet thrusters, trying to desperately survive the clearly advantageous android. I would then leap off the scarecrow’s arm and the many elves present watched with confusion before I swung behind them and stabbed one of them in the back, landing on my knees and just firing my pistol into the head of another. Big Boy Blue would then raise his left hand to grab Goldilocks that he felt was about to climb over his face and I used this opportunity to fire another arrow directly into his ear and then he raised his other hand once he felt something was off. I then threw one of the explosives.

“Goldi, catch!”, Goldilocks saw it fly and let go off Big Boy Blue before she fell on his shoulder, grabbing what I threw to her and she looked up. “Shove it in his ear!”, she smiled and obeyed the order, scaling the scarecrow as Bloody Mary leaped down over Jour and held him down.

“You know, Talia’s orders specifically say not to kill you, you know?”, said Mary. “But I’ve never been good with following orders.”, she laughed and pointed her hand at him, charged with flame until Goldilocks struck the explosive into the other ear of the scarecrow and then let go.

Big Boy Blue struck his ear with his left hand and I leaped from his arm, grabbing Goldilocks and knocking her off his shoulder as the other scarecrows looked with confusion.

“What are you doing?!”, said Goldilocks and I smirked. “Just watch.”, I said as we fell.

I triggered the explosive in Big Boy Blue’s ears and upon all of a sudden his ears exploded, his mind rang and he grabbed both of his ears with his hands only to feel them fall apart in his hands. Big Boy Blue then let out a cry of pain and screeched before he tumbled forth with his back facing the table first that cast a shadow. He waved his right hand intending on snatching us and he struck us only to turn completely around with his hand waved into the air. Bloody Mary looked up and her eyes widened as Big Boy Blue was tumbling down towards her. She then felt the ground beneath her feet get light and looked down to see flowers left behind where Jour use to be. She saw roots entangled around her feet and raised her head.

“Well played, druid, well played.”, she said with a smile upon her face and raised her head to the sky, opening her arms before her body would disperse into flames along with her lamb while Baby Bear leaped off the back of the platform to save himself.

Mama and Papa Bear ran into the elevator to take cover while Big Boy Blue grabbed the bottom of the large chandelier as Goldilocks and I fell over the platform along with several other scarecrows that immediately got up to attack us. Our weapons met with theirs and we both ran over the platform that seemed to lead to another elevator that we decided to get inside of as soon as possible. Big Boy Blue held on for a while until he let go and fell onto the table, the candles lit his body ablaze and the magic began to break as he started to revert back to normal. Goldilocks and I ran towards the elevator before we saw a raven emerge upon the platform that transformed into Jour who waved his hands that cast a cyclone of wind that sent several scarecrows flying away. There were many cuckolds that opened fire and we all immediately rushed into the elevator, pressing the button as I fired my pistol upon the gunners and the doors finally shut. On the towering pedestal below, however, the elven spriggan aimed her bow towards Big Boy Blue only to discover that he was no longer who he was. He was laying there, his back leaned against the hay that once surrounded him, and he looked tired. He was no longer the scary scarecrow they all knew but a little boy blue whose eyes were in tears. The spriggan approached him and he looked up tirelessly before she smiled, her tails swung before the boys eyes to release pollen and his curse lifted upon him. In his silent gaze, he smiled at the kind elf and his head hung down before he fell asleep, finally being able to rest after years of torment. The little boy blue was finally able to sleep again.

“How in the hell did we manage to get through all of that alive?”, I asked. “I hope the bears are okay.”, said Goldilocks. “I am sure Aleanah will take good care of them.”, said Jour.

“Aleanah?”, I asked and Jour nodded his head. “The leader of the spriggans, her name is Aleanah Dawnblade.”, Jour explained. “Oh.”, I replied and then nodded my head. “Alright.”

Goldilocks, Jour and I were all in the heat of the moment and prepared for what was about to come. We all had our doubts before and even after the battle began. I grabbed Goldilock’s claw and she looked at me confused before I nodded my head at her with a smile on my face.

“They’ll be alright.”, I comforted her and she nodded. “I am just not use to being away from them, is all.”, she explained and I pulled on her hand. “I know. You’ll be back with them soon, I promise.”, I kept on comforting her and she then leaped forth, giving me a hug that surprised Jour before Goldilocks suddenly opened her eyes and moved back.

Goldi straightened out her hair and looked ahead while I looked at Jour. He shrugged his shoulders and so did I for none of that mattered now for the battle ahead mattered more…