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The ettin grabbed the bars to the window and pulled hard. There was a snap, and the iron bars broke free of the frame.
"Come on!" it called.
"Wait a minute, Ben. We do owe them a little bit of an explanation." Stated the Grendel.
"OK, fine." Started the ettin, rather impatiently. "My name is Ben, and this is my friend Boggles. The prophet Sohcahtoa sent us to break you out and deliver you to the ettin caves."
"Wait-a-minute. How do we know this isn't some sort of trick?" asked Katherine.
"You don't." Replied Boggles. "You either trust us and get out of this cell or don't and not."
"We need an answer quick, as in before someone catches us. Yes or no?" Ben insisted.
Of course, everyone sort of realized that this was their only shot out, and so they agreed to come. One by one, they shinnied out of the window and onto jail grounds. Ben and Boggles were standing right there in front of them, so it was hard not to look at the curious pair. Ben looked very much like a conventional ettin, small, short, and stalky, but Boggles had to be just about the skinniest grendel you'd ever seen. Both looked fairly young, around Lydia's age. At this point, both Creatures insisted everyone should be very quiet while trying to escape.
Tiptoeing through the grounds was harder than you'd think. The area was fairly wide open and grassy, with guards around every corner. Ben tried to get Boggles to walk out in front and act like he was taking everyone to an execution, but for some reason, he got really nervous and refused. So, they had to manage by finding bushes by the side of the jail and waiting for breaks and such. (Which was a challenge. You try hiding 8 people behind a bush.) However, they did make it, and ran off grounds as soon as they were sure no one was looking.
--------------------------------------------
"This is it, the entrance to the Ettin Caves." Remarked Ben, scurrying to a small hole in the side of the otherwise massive volcano.
"Right this way, watch your heads." Instructed Boggles, catching up to his friend.
The group ducked into the cave. There was very little light, so the only way you could find your way out was to poke around on the cold, hard rock. It wasn't that much of a challenge, because the tunnel was completely straight, but no one had told them that.
After about a minute of poking around, there was a small glimmer of light, which turned into the end of the tunnel. The cave system opened up in front of them, lit by small lamps strung around the area. The room, which was probobly the mail area of the cave, was a lightish brown with lots of little holes in it, as if it was a block of Swiss cheese, In the middle of the room was a small, circular rise, with a sort of moat under it. In the moat, several Ettins sat, listening to a speaker on the rise. The speaker, who was also an ettin, wore a white cloak, spoke with a booming voice (Well, for an ettin anyway) and made wild gestures.
"And so I tell you, my friends, the ancient legends are coming true! I was in the desert the other day, and I found a poem lying by a small pool of blood. Upon reading it, I knew it was the prophesy!"
Gasps arose from the crowd.
"It has come! The time has come, as the scriptures say, for hand and Shee to return to Albia. The poem goes as this:" He ruffled around in his cloak before pulling out a sheet of paper and reciting,
"A world of peace
crumbles to a fiery darkness
Evil shall conquer
and good shall fall
But then comes a group
of unlikely warriors
Battles are fought
victories uncertain
A death comes near
A friendship renewed
Histories uncovered
The ancient is found
and renews most
But the fourth element
is taken by the Shee
Two are stolen
their fates are sealed
Then evil shall fall
but take with it,
The life of the warrior's leader."
The crowd looked very amazed. As the speaker lowered his paper, his eyes fell upon Katherine.
"Oh my.." Gasped the speaker, as he stepped off the rise, out of the ditch, and toward the rest of the crew. "Ben, Boggles, did you really find her?"
"We assume so, s-sir." Boggles replied.
"It fits the description, does it not?" Ben asked.
"Very much so. Good work, my boys." Complemented the speaker. He then turned toward his audience. "The hand has come!"
The audience gingerly came out of their hole, and toward Katherine. They insisted on touching her, and such. Katherine decided to try and be very nice about it, (after all, one wrong move and she could easily end up with Ettins all over her, trying to beat the snot out of her) but it was hard not to try and shake just a few people off.
The speaker approached her, after everyone had backed off. "My name is Sohcahtoa, prophet of the Ettins, and oldest ettin here. I assume you've met my apprentices?"
"What, Ben and Boggles?"
"Them. Anyway, I wish you could stay longer, but you really don't have much time here."
"But we just got here!" Katherine insisted.
"Sounds weird, doesn't it?" Giggled Sohcahtoa. "Anyway, you have a very special mission. The Albian Scriptures say that"
"The Albian what?"
"Scriptures. You, as the hand, should know all about those."
"Ooo! Like the world scripts?"
Sohcahtoa cocked his head in thought before asking, "Erm.. what?"
"Never mind. I know what you're talking about, I suppose." Katherine was, of course, lying out her nostrils, but she was sick of the whole script conversation.
"Anyway, the scriptures state that a group just like yours - " Sohcahtoa peeked around Katherine briefly just to make sure he had taken proper attendance "- yes, that looks right, is going to get a message from the heavens. The scripture then says that, and allow me to take a quote, 'the group shall ultamantly save the Albian races and put the lone haywire experiments' -that's the Grendels, mind you - 'in their proper places.' My dear, I believe that you, all of you, are destined to fulfill the prophesy, and bring down the entire Grendel Kingdom!"
"Erm.." Katherine nervously raised a paw. "What's that last line or so of the prophesy?"
"'but take with it/The life of the warrior's leader.'" recited Sohcahtoa. "But don't worry about that. First off, you all look hungry. We do prepare free stew each night..."
Sohcahtoa then led them into the main dining hall of the caves.
---------
"So," asked Kass, "we're supposed to go to Hand's End?"
"It's what that ettin guy told me." Insisted Katherine.
"He has a name!" Ben insisted, before remembering what he had been taught about rudeness. "Er.. His name is Sohcahtoa."
"Where is Hand's End again?" inquired Karr.
"I know." Ben offered, eager to make up for his mistake. "It's by the Watermill, and very close to the waterfall. Hand's End is the place where each of the three prophets - Gregory, Sohcahtoa, and Poio - last saw the Hand before its resurrection on Albia in Norn form."
"OK then, let's just go ahead and move out." Katherine half-begged. Everyone began to file into the tunnel and exit the caves.
"WAIT!" Boggles shouted, running as fast as he could. (Which, considering he was a Grendel, was very hard. He had huge feet, despite his skinny body.) "Let me go with you!"
Katherine shinnied out of the tunnel. "Say again?"
"Let me come with you!" begged Boggles.
Jenna shook her head. "But why?"
Boggles paused for a moment. He took a deep swallow before continuing. "I guess it's because I don't belong here. I was found here by Sohcahtoa when I was a baby, but I'm a touch bigger now - and I get in the way. I just can't stay here. Let me come, please."
Katherine looked around to everyone to collect silent approval from everyone. "OK, you can come. Now, can we head out?"
"Hold on." Ben started. "I can't let Boggles leave me behind. May I go too?"
"Oh what the heck." Katherine threw her arms above her head. "For all I care, bring the entire Ettin population. Let's just go!"
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"Do I have to do this whole white robe thing?"
"Mortals expect it."
"That's so stereotypical!"
"They're mortals, what did you expect?"
"I dunno. I keep forgetting."
Susan was standing on a lump of clouds, being fitted into a white robe by the Norn Greaper. (You honestly didn't think I could go an issue without them, did you?)
"Now," The Norn Greaper asked, stitching down the side of the robe, "You remember what you're to say?"
"Yes, yes, of course."
"Good." The Greaper finished one last stitch. "Now, all we have to do is wait."
------------
They must've been waiting for a long time. The.. let's see here, there's 8, quartet times two, would it be?, had traveled a long ways. They had been out through the side of the volcano, down the side, and all the way through Ettin Valley.
"Here it is, Hand's End." Ben remarked, trying very hard not to pant.
"What do we do here?" Asked Lydia.
"Wait." Replied Katherine.
And so they waited. And waited. And waited. It must've been a good 30 seconds. But you know how a norn thinks - if it doesn't do anything within an instant, and it's not pushable, it's no good.
I do believe Jenna spoke for everyone else, when she announced, "I'm sitting down."
Everyone chimed in with how they might as well, seeing as it's been, oh, 45 seconds. (For some reason, no one else was allowed to admit that the walk they took was tiring, with the exception of Jenna, and even then only because she was fairly old.)
After another grulieing 5 seconds (Oh gosh, that's almost a minute!) a little white cloud appeared. The cloud grew a bit, and began to flesh out into a shape. The humanish shape then began to flesh out into an actual human - Susan.
Katherine blinked a bit, and then remarked, "OK, who's been slipping PCP's in my ginger ale?"
"You twit! I'm real!" Susan snarled, before remembering that she was supposed to have the holiest conduct possible. She gave a cough, and then continued, "I am the ghost of Susan! I bring a message from above."
She then held her arms out to her side, challenging the others to come and touch her. At first, everyone was a little scared. But then, Lydia softly walked up, and rubbed her arm, as did Kass, Karr, and Jenna. Blip, unable to touch her due to lack of limbs, took a good turn or so around her. Even Ben and Boggles, who had never met Susan before, came and gave her a good patting. Katherine, the disbeliever, very slowly came up toward Susan. However, one look into her eyes, and even Katherine agreed that it was Susan.
And it was good.
Susan took a step back. "Now," she began, "listen to this and listen well." She then told the story of the Arlington Stone (which can be found in #20, but is a pain to retype so I'm leaving it out.) "Thousands of hours later, the stone has been misplaced. The Grendels apparently took it, so they'd have power over everything! The first step to regaining peace, is to regain the stone. Katherine, Boggles, Jenna and Ben will go tomorrow to the desert to retrieve the 4 elements that gave the stone its power in the first place. Kass, Karr and Blip will look in the Laboratories to find the stone itself. Everyone clear?"
Lydia gingerly raised a paw. "What about me?"
Susan nodded. "You have the hardest task of all. You have to wait, right here. Now, is everyone clear?"
Everyone nodded.
"Then I must be off." With that, Susan disappeared into thin air.
---------
It was later, much later in the day. Everyone was sort of talking to each other, but tensions were so high, it wasn't really enjoyable. Katherine sat alone.
Jenna turned around a bit, and noticed Katherine looking very lonely. She approached her, and placed a paw on her shoulder.
"Everything OK?"
"The last two lines. Of the prophesy.. they scare me." Katherine quivered.
Jenna cocked her head to think for a moment. "Remind me again what they were?"
Katherine took a deep breath. "but take with it/The life of the warrior's leader"
"Oh. I get it, you don't want to die." Jenna offered. "I don't either, Katherine, but I suppose we all have to sometime. I really don't know what to tell you."
Katherine shook her head. "Save Tonight."
"What?"
"Save Tonight. It's a song. The first verse fits this situation so perfectly.." Katherine took a breath, then began to sing very slowly:
Go on and close the curtains,
coz all we need is candlelight!
You and me, and a bottle of wine
I'm gonna hold you tonight
Well we know, I'm goin' away
and how I wish, I wish it weren't so
So take this wine, and drink with me
Let's delay our misery
Save tonight
fight the break of dawn
Come tomorrow
Tomorrow I'll be gone
So Save tonight
fight the break of dawn
Come tomorrow
Tomorrow I'll be gone..
The others heard her singing. They all slowly joined in, and figured out the words as they went along. It was wonderful - they must have sung that over a million times. And, possibly for the last time, they were all having a wonderful time -- together.