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<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>You’ve done a
great job of story telling. I like the characters and the dialogue. The sitting
Duck character is being developed. I hope this character development continues.
I also hope Grasshopper’s character gets further development. A few of the
council members have the potential of becoming major players who can become
allies and foes.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I look forward to
future chapters.</u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Legend of Sly Duck Part two </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1462 words </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Mantle of Power </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">by Sly Duck </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There were many provinces represented at the meeting. Each
province was all of one race, ruled by a king or queen of the same race. There
were trolls, Faeries, dwarves, undead, Halflings, elves, and humans, but she
represented the only avian province. A avian province with only one bird, and
an abundance of insects and fish. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What have I gotten myself into? thought Sitting Duck. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dark Merlin, one of the faeries, pointed at Sitting Duck.
"What manner of creature is that?" he asked. "</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is a duckling," said a troll. "At this time of
year, they often land on the stream that runs under a bridge in my province.
They are good eating. This one is rather small, though. Hardly a mouthful for
me." </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"Indeed," said Dark Merlin, "Maybe for you,
but I think it would make a fine appetizer for me." </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"Ha!" said Sir Regis Rumble Belly, one of The
Undead, "which ever, I have dibs on its blood." He smacked whatever
he had that resembled lips. "</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Oh, no," said Sitting Duck, her voice quivering a
little, "Don't eat me. I am a clever duck and I'm sure that I can be of
use for more than a single meal." </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Rumble Belly considered for a moment, "Very well. I am
a mighty warrior. I can use a clever creature to spy for me. But if it turns
out you are not as clever as you say, I will drink your blood and leave your
carcass for whoever gets to it first." </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"What is that thing on your head?" asked Dog
Breath the dwarf. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Grasshopper backed up quickly, and tried to slip under the
feathers on her neck. Suddenly, one of the elves reached out and thumped
Sitting Duck on the end of her bill dislodging Grasshopper. "I thought
so," he said. "The thing is a grasshopper. It has been whispering in
her ear. I think they are enemy spies." "</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Terrific," said one of the humans. "what are we
waiting for. Let's eat." "No, no," cried Sitting Duck. "He
is my eyes. I don't see very well." She instantly regretted her words. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">They all began to jeer and make fun of Sitting Duck.
"Hey, look at the duck with a grasshopper for eyes," taunted one. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"Yeh, she will be useless," said another.
"The mighty Sir Hound of War's province taken over by a blind duck and a
grasshopper. A disgraceful end to the once great province of The Crystal
Pond. We should roast her now; Open it up for a
powerful warrior to take possession." </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And so it went on and on until a troll warrior arrived.
There was silence as every eye watched him stroll purposefully to the gold
covered throne at the head of the table. "He stood between the chair and
the table. "I regret to inform you all that I must step down as monarch. I
have failed miserably in my attempt to make a peace treaty with the kingdom
that is destroying our lands, My army is all but gone; I simply have nothing to
fight with any longer. We know from when I took over as monarch, they
immediately stopped attacking the former monarch's province, and turned the
full force of their attacks on my province. It is safe to assume that they will
immediately start attacking whoever we choose to become monarch next." His
eyes moved around the room and came to rest on Sitting Duck. "Welcome,.
You must be the new ruler of The Crystal Pond. Your pet will need to wait
outside," he said when he saw the grasshopper. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sitting Duck bowed low to the troll, "Oh, please, let
him stay, if it please your majesty, He is not a pet. He is my eyes." </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"Very well, then, he can stay, but only rulers may
speak at the meeting." </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"Thank you, your majesty" With that, Sitting Duck
took a seat in the very back of the room near a window so she could escape
quickly if needed. The grasshopper crouched down making himself as small as
possible by snuggling under the feathers in her neck. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"They look hungry," he whispered in her ear.
"I was hoping the new ruler of The Crystal Pond would be a fierce
warrior," King Dragon continued. "But, as a kingdom every member is
entitled to our help and support. Maybe you will be able to help with money and
supplies in exchange for our protection. Also, every province is expected to
contribute in any way they can. Failure will mean your head," he said to
Sitting Duck. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sitting Duck just nodded miserably, and tried to look as
unappetizing as possible. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"We have been here before. I know all your reasons for
not wanting to be monarch. I certainly understand and share them. But, I
stepped up. Now it is time for someone else to step up. As you know, our
previous monarch was killed when his castle was burned and his province
destroyed. I offered peace as soon as I became monarch. They do not want peace.
They want us to war them. We cannot possibly win a war against a kingdom twice
our size, and so much more powerful. They would devastate us and take
everything leaving behind barren torched lands." </p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in"><u>I
am confused as to who is talking in the last few quotes.</u></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><u><span style="text-decoration:
none"> </span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There was a great murmuring of disapproval from the trolls,
humans, dwarves, and undeads at the suggestion of not going to war, but the
faeries, elves, and Halflings nodded their agreement. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"My spies have brought back sufficient data to convince
me that we have no chance against them." "I am not a great warrior.
I'm not a warrior at all. But, perhaps we can defeat them with cunning,"
offered Sitting Duck. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That brought a great uproar of jeers and insults from the
gathering, so Sitting Duck shrank back and moved closer to the window and said
no more. After three hours of hot debate, all finally agreed that making a
peace treaty with the enemy was preferable to a war that would most likely
result in the destruction of most of the kingdom. "Okay, we are agreed
then, we will continue to negotiate for peace. Now, who will step up to replace
me as monarch?" "</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">How about The duck," suggested one. "She says she
is cunning, let her prove it." Everyone turned their heads toward Lady
Doom of the province
of The Scarlet Witch.
"I mean," she continued, "we have had to warrior provinces
destroyed, and if they follow the same pattern, they will switch all their
forces to attacking whoever becomes monarch next." There was murmuring
from some of the troll, human, and undead warriors. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Maybe Lady Doom has something," said rumble belly,
"This little duck says she can out smart them. Let’s make her monarch. If
she fails, we have lost nothing. She is useless anyway.” "</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That's not what I said," protested Sitting Duck.
"I said we could use cunning against them." </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"Let's go to war!" shouted one of the trolls.
"So we are destroyed, better to die fighting than live as cowards." </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">An uproar of the warrior races chanting "WAR!"
over and over began and continued for several minutes. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">King Dragon banged his gavel on the table. His booming voice
shouting "Silence!" drowned out the other voices. "That has been
decided." Once again the group fell silent. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sitting Duck was trembling with fear, but she realized that
it was impossible for her to stay out of this. She had listened to all the
arguments about fighting, or not fighting. The attempts to avoid war. Suddenly
she said, "Okay, I'll do it on one condition. That you all support me
totally. If I need something, you will get it to me immediately. And, I will do
everything I can, but if I fail, you accept me anyway as a part of the
kingdom." </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There was a long silence while all the attendees looked at
each other, then at Sitting Duck. "Let's have a show of hands," said
King Dragon. "Who will accept Lady Duck as monarch, and abide by the
conditions she has proposed?" Slowly, every banner was raised, and so it
was that Lady Sitting Duck of the Crystal Pond became Queen Sitting Duck of the
Kingdom of Heavenly Light. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At that moment, a troll messenger burst into the room.
"Please pardon the intrusion, your majesty, Lords, and Ladies. The crystal
ball has revealed that a three headed red dragon has left the enemy kingdom.
Its destination appears to be the province
of The Crystal Pond</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in"><u>There
is no transition from the council meeting to the pond.” you have to tell
the reader that the meeting ended and that Sitting Duck went home.</u></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in">At home, SittinDuck paddled out to
the center of the Crystal Pond to await her destruction. How cruel was fate to
offer her the illusion of home and safety, and then take it away before she
could even realize it. To be continued... </p>
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