[Critique Group 1] submission for group 1 7/25/18 session

[sitting.duck at springmail.com]

Leonard,
I am missing your notes for our June session. Could  you send me a copy?
That would be for part 1 of the legend.
Cleora

Here is part 2 for next Wednesday's meeting.
The Legend of Sly Duck
Part two
1462 words
The Mantle of Power
by Sly Duck

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. What have I gotten myself into? thought Sitting Duck.
Dark Merlin, one of the faeries, pointed at Sitting Duck. "What manner of creature is that?" he asked.
"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."
"Indeed," said Dark Merlin, "Maybe for you, but I think it would make a fine appetizer for me."
"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.
"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."
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."
"What is that thing on your head?" asked Dog Breath the dwarf. 
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."
"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. 
They all began to jeer and make fun of Sitting Duck.
"Hey, look at the duck with a grasshopper for eyes," taunted one.
"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."
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.
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."
"Very well, then, he can stay, but only rulers may speak at the meeting."
"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. "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.
Sitting Duck just nodded miserably, and tried to look as unappetizing as possible.
"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." 
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.
"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.
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?" 
"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.
“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.”
"That's not what I said," protested Sitting Duck. "I said we could use cunning against them."
"Let's go to war!" shouted one of the trolls. "So we are destroyed, better to die fighting than live as cowards."
An uproar of the warrior races chanting "WAR!" over and over began and continued for several minutes.
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.
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." 
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.
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."

At home, Sitting Duck 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...