Choose "their" adventure, Pt 2
Grimm
"Lets go see the beanstalk!" Will said as he pressed his heels into the horses sides. This was met with a series of groans from the other girls, aside from Audrey who grimmaced and looked down saying, "I dont think we should do this..." The destrier lifted his hooves to begin moving and as he crossed the threshold to the Checkerboard Kingdoms, a shudder went down his spine. Something in the air was almost a tangible barrier that could be felt, but not seen.
As they moved over the hills and dales toward the hoirzon line that was the beanstalk, it became more and more clear as to the movement upon the stalk. Workers. Miles and miles of rope and wooden planks made up a shell of scaffolding and hundreds of dwarves toiled away at whatever they were doing. Some carried hammers and tools and others worked ponies to pull away errant vines that were blocking their well carved entries and exits all over the sides of the stalk. Upon getting closer the sounds of construction were almost a welcome din to the children, reminding them of home.
"Holy crap, look at that!" Will shouted as he pointed to the army of workers. His excitement for this new world and unfamiliar place seemed completely natural to him. "Yes Will, we see it, fascinating...but, is this gonna get us closer to home?" Tevvy exclaimed with much sarcasm. Zephyr continued to move, though his steps were decidedly much more cautious as they neared. Audrey peered from over Tevvy's shoulder at the organic monstrosity, letting only the bridge of her nose and her eyes crest the shoulder. "I dont think this is a good idea.", she whispered. Summer looked up and began formulataing a plan in her head. "Well we should definately at least see if they can help us or tell us how to get out of here." Tevvy threw up her arms, "Didnt I just say that?!" Audrey looked down and then to Tevvys back. She clenched her eyes shut knowing Summer was behind her..."Are you guys gonna fight again? Cause I really dont want to be in the middle of it."
"No, you didnt just say that...", was all it took. With that, the shouting match of "Yes I did" and "No you didnt" began. Will slid off the horse almost without noticing, or caring. Audrey took this opportunity to slide from between the two girls and stand next to Will. Curling her arm around his she leaned in close. "Are we really going in there Will, I dont think we should." He looked down at her arm around his and rolled his eyes with a softly audible "ugh". Turning to face her, and perhaps break her hold of him, he spoke directly to her. "Look, there might be monsters in there, there might not be...the point is, ONE: we're away from them", he pointed back at Summer and Tevvy, who were becoming heated enough to start balling their fists. "And TWO: Who knows what stuff we'll find here, this is like the coolest place, EVER. Besides, I dont really have a home to go back to. So this place suits me just fine." Audreys little doe eyes got a bit bigger at his last statement. "You dont?"
"Not really, foster parents...but Ive been through like...a dozen of 'em, maybe more." He toughened himself up again and straightened the sword as his belt and turned towards the stalk. Audrey blinked silently a few times, shaking it off only when she heard the exclaimation from behind, "THATS IT!" Then, before she could wheel around, the dust cloud had formed. Summer and Tevvy rolled around on the ground kicking and punching with all their might until they heard Audrey's voice.
"Will you guys stop it!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. She stomped her feet and turned on her heel, marching towards Will.
Wills head continued to slowly look up as he read the road sign. Locales such as "Grandma's House", "Neverland", "Great & Awful Forest" pointed in all different directions and interspersed gilded signs read, "Checkerboard Kingdoms" and in the middle, "Rotten Kings Castle". They had been told that the supreme ruler of the Grimmlands was the "Rotten King"...none other than, Humpty Dumpty. It seems that even though all the Kings horses and all the Kings men were able to put him back together, all of those cracks let everything rot inside. Having gone crazy, he murdered the King and took his crown and his Kingdoms. Looking from the sign to the beanstalk, Will could see a sickly green glow from inside that seemed to pulse and fade only to get brighter again. Taking a large swallow, he turned to see Audrey staring back at him, silently, with a bit of a scared smile. The girls behind her were brushing off the dust and nursing new cuts and bruises, cursing "I hate you" to each other.
#1. Into the Beanstalk
#2. Find another way home
#3. More character development
"Lets go see the beanstalk!" Will said as he pressed his heels into the horses sides. This was met with a series of groans from the other girls, aside from Audrey who grimmaced and looked down saying, "I dont think we should do this..." The destrier lifted his hooves to begin moving and as he crossed the threshold to the Checkerboard Kingdoms, a shudder went down his spine. Something in the air was almost a tangible barrier that could be felt, but not seen.
As they moved over the hills and dales toward the hoirzon line that was the beanstalk, it became more and more clear as to the movement upon the stalk. Workers. Miles and miles of rope and wooden planks made up a shell of scaffolding and hundreds of dwarves toiled away at whatever they were doing. Some carried hammers and tools and others worked ponies to pull away errant vines that were blocking their well carved entries and exits all over the sides of the stalk. Upon getting closer the sounds of construction were almost a welcome din to the children, reminding them of home.
"Holy crap, look at that!" Will shouted as he pointed to the army of workers. His excitement for this new world and unfamiliar place seemed completely natural to him. "Yes Will, we see it, fascinating...but, is this gonna get us closer to home?" Tevvy exclaimed with much sarcasm. Zephyr continued to move, though his steps were decidedly much more cautious as they neared. Audrey peered from over Tevvy's shoulder at the organic monstrosity, letting only the bridge of her nose and her eyes crest the shoulder. "I dont think this is a good idea.", she whispered. Summer looked up and began formulataing a plan in her head. "Well we should definately at least see if they can help us or tell us how to get out of here." Tevvy threw up her arms, "Didnt I just say that?!" Audrey looked down and then to Tevvys back. She clenched her eyes shut knowing Summer was behind her..."Are you guys gonna fight again? Cause I really dont want to be in the middle of it."
"No, you didnt just say that...", was all it took. With that, the shouting match of "Yes I did" and "No you didnt" began. Will slid off the horse almost without noticing, or caring. Audrey took this opportunity to slide from between the two girls and stand next to Will. Curling her arm around his she leaned in close. "Are we really going in there Will, I dont think we should." He looked down at her arm around his and rolled his eyes with a softly audible "ugh". Turning to face her, and perhaps break her hold of him, he spoke directly to her. "Look, there might be monsters in there, there might not be...the point is, ONE: we're away from them", he pointed back at Summer and Tevvy, who were becoming heated enough to start balling their fists. "And TWO: Who knows what stuff we'll find here, this is like the coolest place, EVER. Besides, I dont really have a home to go back to. So this place suits me just fine." Audreys little doe eyes got a bit bigger at his last statement. "You dont?"
"Not really, foster parents...but Ive been through like...a dozen of 'em, maybe more." He toughened himself up again and straightened the sword as his belt and turned towards the stalk. Audrey blinked silently a few times, shaking it off only when she heard the exclaimation from behind, "THATS IT!" Then, before she could wheel around, the dust cloud had formed. Summer and Tevvy rolled around on the ground kicking and punching with all their might until they heard Audrey's voice.
"Will you guys stop it!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. She stomped her feet and turned on her heel, marching towards Will.
Wills head continued to slowly look up as he read the road sign. Locales such as "Grandma's House", "Neverland", "Great & Awful Forest" pointed in all different directions and interspersed gilded signs read, "Checkerboard Kingdoms" and in the middle, "Rotten Kings Castle". They had been told that the supreme ruler of the Grimmlands was the "Rotten King"...none other than, Humpty Dumpty. It seems that even though all the Kings horses and all the Kings men were able to put him back together, all of those cracks let everything rot inside. Having gone crazy, he murdered the King and took his crown and his Kingdoms. Looking from the sign to the beanstalk, Will could see a sickly green glow from inside that seemed to pulse and fade only to get brighter again. Taking a large swallow, he turned to see Audrey staring back at him, silently, with a bit of a scared smile. The girls behind her were brushing off the dust and nursing new cuts and bruises, cursing "I hate you" to each other.
#1. Into the Beanstalk
#2. Find another way home
#3. More character development