The Chosen One, holding the personal necklaces of the Exiled Prince and Exiled Princess in each hand, held them over their respective flagstones, and casually dropped them onto the indentations.
Surprisingly, they landed perfectly in the divots, despite the Hero making absolutely no effort to be careful.
Both the sun and the moon dissolved into sparkling light, revealing small alcoves underneath them. And also, unfortunately, taking the necklaces with them.
Oy! the Chosen One exclaid. I wanted to keep those!
Slightly cheered by the Chosen Ones inner loot lover still existing, Qube peeked into the two open holes in the ground. It wasnt the most subtle of things, and she wasnt sure if they would need a spell to fill in the holes before soone tripped and broke an ankle, but it was incredibly handy to get new weapons just before they fought the Evil Emperor.
If, indeed, they were going to fight him. Sexy Screamy Spider Briar had her seduction plan, and Qube well, she wasnt sure what she was going to do, but she wouldnt need a weapon to do it. Probably.
Just in case, she pulled out the staff the Chosen One had bought her in Cobbletown.
Right, do you want to grab those two packages? the Chosen One asked Qube. Maybe make so package babies?
Of course, she said cheerfully.
The first package was another staff, slightly smaller than Qubes. While hers was white, this one was black, made of charred and twisted wood. It looked surprisingly Evil, considering it was from a mber of the Royal family.
But then it turned out that even Royals werent infallible. A fact Qube was still wrapping her head around.
The second package was a crossbow, much heavier and more lethal-looking than Sexy Screamy Spider Briars normal ranged weapon. The Hunters eyes lit up as she reached from the twin Qube had just helped birth.
Shes gorgeous, the Hunter whispered, running her claws over her new weapon. Give a few more, theres a dear. She rubbed the stock of the crossbow against her cheek.
You always get the best presents, she practically purred at the Chosen One. You really know the way to a girls heart.
Qube, rembering a long ago conversation where the much more romantically experienced Hunter had explained that gift giving was an important part in any courtship ritual, found herself grimacing slightly as she handed the twin of the black staff over to Definitely Bad Guy.
While theyd cleared up the misunderstanding about him being hopelessly in love with her, part of her still flinched away from doing anything with romantic connotations towards him.
The Mage, no doubt also embarrassed by the mory of her misinterpreting him thinking she was in cahoots with the man responsible for the devastation of the kingdom, blushed profusely as he accepted the staff from her with a muttered word of thanks.
Or maybe he was just upset that her staff was bigger.
To make up for any perceived shortcomings in his staff size, she birthed two more for him.
Here you go, she said kindly. Shed never heard of anyone dual or triple wielding staffs, but if anyone could pull it off, it would be the forr Mage Advisor.
Okay, the Chosen One said, taking the original staff and crossbow and shoving them into his backpack. We got everything? Anything weve forgotten?
We dont have a plan for the gems, Qube said. Well, Sexy Screamy Spider Briar, you have a secret plan.
The Hunter looked startled for a mont, before thoughtfully nodding her head.
Yes, she said slowly, there is sothing I can attempt.
Cool, the Chosen One said, straightening his shoulders. Defeat the Evil Emperor, deal with whatever else the Devs have planned that theyre refusing to tell about, then convince a panel of people that you guys are people. Too easy.
Just before he touched the Save Point, Sencha Bard reached out and grabbed his arm.
You can travel back to this point in ti, correct? he asked with strange intensity.
Yeah, although sotis stuff travels back with that shouldnt, the Chosen One said, his gaze flicking over to Qube.
Sencha Bard took a deep breath.
So if anything goes wrong, if theres a situation with soone that you cant find a way to save them, youll co back here. It wasnt clear from his tone of voice whether what he said was a question, or a command.
If I can, the Chosen One said quietly.
I would advise you to make every effort, Sencha Bard said, his jaw clenching as he spoke.
A flicker of irritation passed across the Chosen Ones face, before it softened into understanding.
Dont worry, he said at last, putting a hand on the Bards shoulder. We got this.
Shaking free of the other mans grasp, he touched the Save Point then, with a dramatic flourish, pushed open the throne room doors.
---
The throne room was both exactly and nothing like Qubes dream. There were no numbers zipping past, or changing mathematical formulas, and no gaping wound in the world drawing her inwards. In fact, given how dark the room was, it was hard to see anything, nevermind a bunch of numbers. But there were doorways just visible from the long walkway that led directly to three short steps up to a dais, on which a shadowed figure lounged on a massive throne.
It must have been custom made since the coup, since Qube couldnt see anyone in the Royal family owning sothing so obviously Evil looking. Even in the darkness, it was clear that giant sharp pointy bits erupting from a chair wasnt exactly a look employed by kind and fair rulers.
By this point, Qube was struggling to breathe. The sheer crushing pressure of being near the Evil Emperor was almost overwhelming, and the pulling feeling drawing her ever closer was stronger than ever.
But not, to her surprise, pulling her towards the sa place her dream had dragged her. Rather than being drawn to the Evil Emperors side, she was being slowly but surely dragged towards the throne itself.
She involuntarily took a step forward, and purple lights sprang into being, illuminating the ornate throne room, and the scene within.
She paused as the compulsion was temporarily shattered.
The imposing figure was not just the Evil Emperor.
It was the Evil Emperor, surrounded by about a dozen chickens.
Chickens that looked extrely familiar.
Theyd done it! The chickens that theyd set to follow the gems all that ti ago had managed to complete their quest, and avoid giving in to the murderous rage that lurked in the heart of every fowl.
That ant the gems were in this very room. Either that or the Evil Emperor had managed to turn a bunch of chickens to his cause. In which case, all was lost.
A ruler who had a flock of ruthless poultry on his side would be impossible to defeat. No one in recorded history had ever managed to kill a chicken.
However, even knowing their lethal nature, the sight of the Evil Emperor, covered in all black armour, being sat on, pecked around, and ruffled at by a bunch of fluffy chickens was nearly enough to make her forget the seriousness of the situation.
A situation which only got even weirder when Sexy Screamy Spider Briar sprang into action.
Excuse , she said, moving past the party and walking towards the tyrant. The closer she got, the more purple lights sprang into existence. It had to have been a spell. His helted head shifted slightly, the only sign that he was watching the arachnid as she approached. She gave him a curtsey, and peeked at him from under her many eyelashes. Even the childrens faces had stopped screaming long enough to smirk at him.
His gauntleted hand drumd its fingers on the arm of the throne. Several of the chickens watched the movent with fierce concentration.
Oh great Evil Emperor, Sexy Screamy Spider Briar said, rising from her curtsey. Long have I admired your forcefulness. And now, the re sight of you has driven mad with lust. Take , oh leader, for I am yours, and yours alone. Just keep by your side, and I will fulfil your every desire.
Even Qube was moved by the passionate plea from the Hunter. How could she possibly say things like that with a straight face? If Qube hadnt known that this was all a facade, she might have been swept up in the mont and truly believed Sexy Screamy Spider Briar had fallen in love with the Evil Emperor at fourth sight!
Wow, shes so good at this, she whispered to the Chosen One.
The Hero gave her a very dubious look.
Sure he said, not sounding very sure at all. Very, uh, convincing. He turned away from Qube and looked at the pair on the other side of the room. I an, oh no, how could you betray us like this? he loudly proclaid. Sexy Screamy Spider Briar, you have broken my heart.
Even knowing he was acting, Qube felt a stab of pain at his cry.
Qube, it should be noted, wasnt very experienced at this level of subterfuge.
Sexy Screamy Spider Briar, taking the Evil Emperors lack of reaction as an invitation, got even closer to the tyrant.
Co, my new lover, let take my place by your side, she said in a low and sultry voice that nevertheless carried across the room. She managed to sidle all the way up to him before he so much as twitched.
She was within arms reach of him when she looked down and managed to get a good look at the gauntlet. The chickens, while useful at confirming the presence of the gems, rather got in the way of examining the Evil Emperor himself. The arachnid was very careful to make sure that none of her limbs even brushed against the volatile creatures.
I see you have mounted the gems on the back of your gauntlet, she said, in what Qube thought was a very clever way of telling the party without alerting the tyrant to the Hunters true allegiance. Is that how youll defeat my forr lover, the Chosen One?
The Evil Emperor stood up, disrupting the chickens roosting on him and causing Sexy Screamy Spider Briar to rapidly back away. The black-armoured man looked down at the arachnid.
You arent her, the Evil Emperor ground out.
A sword appeared in his hand. The gems on his gauntlet glowed. His eyes, black pools of death beneath his helt, fixed on the Hunter.
[Lesser Shield]! Qube scread, even knowing that wouldnt be enough.
Sexy Screamy Spider Briar was too close! She couldnt get away in ti!
The sword started to swing.
Nope! [Save Scum Attack], the Chosen One said, swiping his hand in the air before him.
Qube ca back into being outside the throne room. Sencha Bard was still earnestly looking at the Chosen One. Sexy Screamy Spider Briar still had a slight smirk on her face, no doubt reviewing her plan.
The gems are on his gauntlet, Qube blurted out. She shook her head, trying to clear the image of that sword swinging towards her friend.
Yeah, the old seduction plan didnt quite work, the Chosen One confessed.
Sexy Screamy Spider Briar went as pale as a spider lady could. A claw reached out and hovered over where her heart would be in her thorax.
What happened to ? she whispered.
Eh, wasnt great, the Chosen One said.
We managed to travel back to the Save Point before he hurt you, Qube said, focusing on what she knew the Hunter was really asking about. It was important to people to know whether or not theyd died, even if it was in an alternative tiline. But he seed angry he said that you werent her.
He couldnt be talking about Qube, could he? Did he want revenge against her for ripping open his mind? Or did he just want to finish the job hed started in Cobbletown?
His brutish rejection of your beauty aside, we now know the location of the gems, and you managed to safely return to the present, Sencha Bard said. The fact that the Chosen One had already used his [Save Scum Attack] seed to have relaxed him sowhat.
Definitely Bad Guy had pulled out his book and was furiously skimming through it.
I shall attempt to talk to him, he said. I believe I can persuade him to join our cause.
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