[Critique Group 1] cleora's submission for june 26

[sitting.duck at springmail.com]

1810 words
Part Twelve
Commitment

Dread Demon placed Grasshopper in the carrier and strapped it on Sitting's head. 

Sitting drew her head back into the cage and immediately rammed it against the top of the cage. She felt a sharp pain as the carrier dug into her scalp, but didn't collapse and crush Grasshopper, as expected. Stunned, she shook her head to clear it. She repeated the act. Again, the carrier was undamaged. She shook her head violently trying to throw Grasshopper out. Nothing. Dread She tried banging her bill against the floor, but Grasshopper didn’t fall out. An attempt to scrape it off against the bar failed as well. No matter what, It remained securely fastened. Finally, exhausted, she rested her bill on the floor of the cage.

Dread Demon sat calmly. Waiting, his arms crossed over his chest.

There was a tap at the door, and stalker stepped in. Dread Demon looked around. Seeing the grave look on Stalker's face, he nodded, and rose.

“I'll leave you two to work it out,” He said, and turned to follow Stalker out the door.

“Is that it?” Grasshopper asked.

“No,” said Sitting. “As soon as I get my bill on you, you are lunch.”

Grasshopper raised the windshield. ‘Can you hear me?’ he thought.

“Get your filthy, lying, traitor, thoughts out of my mind,” Sitting demanded.

‘Did you know that it is impossible to lie telepathically?’ Grasshopper thought.

“So?” quacked Sitting.

‘If I tell you something telepathically, you will be able to tell if it is a lie,’ thought Grasshopper.

Sitting considered this.

‘Why do you think I'm a traitor?’ thought Grasshopper.

“I heard you back at the castle. I wasn't asleep. I heard everything,” she said.

Grasshopper was silent for a moment. “What did you hear?”

“I heard you and Dread Demon talking about disabling the protections, so the enemy could steal the resources.”

“That was so his friends could retrieve the resources from the province that was about to dissolve.”

“What do you mean dissolve?”

Grasshopper groaned. “There is so much you don't understand.”

“Yeh, really? And, why is that?” Sitting started swishing her head back and forth trying to shake Grasshopper out of the carrier.

“Stop that!” shouted Grasshopper. “You have got to be the most stupid, pigheaded, aggravating, stubborn,...,” he paused unable to think of more adjectives. “duck I've ever met,” Grasshopper shouted. “After all we've been through together, how can you think I'm a traitor. Did it ever occur to you that you didn't hear everything? That maybe you don't know everything?” Grasshopper braced himself in the carrier to ride out the storm. Finally, Sitting, dizzy and exhausted, settled down and stretched her neck out in front of her.

‘I am not a traitor,’ thought Grasshopper at Sitting. ‘Dread Demon is our friend. He sent stalker to find us. He is the leader of an alliance. He wants to help.’

Sitting considered this. “Why can't I throw you out of the carrier, or crush it? You went flying out every time I so much as breathed hard before.”

“Dred Demon had one of his weapons makers reinforce it. It is a hard shell material covered with the leaf like piece it was made of originally. He also put a harness in it so I'm more secure. The magical windshield and visor are attached to the shell with clips. It is more sturdy now and won't break as easily. Want to try out the invisibility?”

Sitting thought for a while. “No,” she said finally. “How do I know I can trust you and this Dread Demon? How do I know you are not both on the side of the enemy?”

‘Are you alive?’ Grasshopper thought at Sitting?

‘Yes,’ she thought back.

‘If we were the enemy, why did we not kill you when we got the chance?’

‘You want to keep me alive to surrender,’ she thought back. She stuck her head between the bars and started trying to pull the carrier off. The strap tightened around her throat. Coughing, she continued to pull.

‘How long are you going to keep this up?’ Grasshopper thought at her.

‘Until I get you off and have you for lunch,’ she thought back.

‘Did you know you are one of the most stupid, irritating, stubborn, frustrating...’ Grasshopper thought.

“You said that already,” Sitting said as she continued trying to pull the carrier off.

“Stop it, already!” shouted Grasshopper. “Just listen to me. If we were going to bring you back to make you surrender, why bring you all the way to Dread Demon's castle?” reasoned Grasshopper.

Her head and throat sore, Sitting sat back and stretched her neck out in front of her again. “Okay, why should I believe you?”

“You can't have heard everything. If you had, you would understand what's going on,” said Grasshopper.

The door handle turned, and Dread Demon walked in. “I see you tried to get the carrier off. Look, you rubbed your feathers off and your neck is all red,” said Dred Demon. “Why are you doing that?”

“She thinks we are helping the enemy,” said Grasshopper.

“I can understand why she would be confused,” said Dread Demon. “You just sit quietly, and I'll explain what's been going on, and how I think I can help.”

Sitting sat with her head stretched out, and said nothing.

“She thinks we took the resources from Hades Legions,” said Grasshopper.

“I disabled the protections on the province that was about to dissolve, and sent messages to the thieves and attackers in Hades Legions letting them know it was open so they could get the resources,” said Dread Demon.

“I don't believe you,” mumbled Sitting.

Dread Demon reached for one of the scrolls laying on the table. He unrolled it and held it up so Sitting could see it.

It was a copy of the news from the kingdom of Hades Legions. It listed several attempts to take resources from Aeosil, the province where Stalker captured her. Then, there were lines showing attempts were succeeding.

She recognized the province names as being from her kingdom. Then, the last line was “Alas, the once proud province of Aeosil has collapsed and lies in ruins.”

“You helped them kill one of my provinces,” she accused. “All the people I thought were my friends are really traitors, too.” she exclaimed.

“No,” said Dread Demon. “The province was about to die. The ruler had abandoned it. After 3 days, a province dies if there is no one there to take care of it. The same thing will happen to The Chrystal Pond If you don't get back soon.” 

Sittings gizzard clinched. Could this be true? 

Dread Demon continued, “I know all this is new and confusing. I know you are still uncertain that you want to get involved. I want to help. You see, I've been watching this war between Hades Legions and Silent Enigma. The truth is, Hades Legions is holding its own in the war, but Silent Enigma appears to have some external help. Every time someone from your kingdom makes an attack, a province from a kingdom outside the war attacks them while their troops are away. Then a province from Silent Enigma attacks them again. I consider this dishonorable. I am the leader of a powerful alliance. What we do is try to help kingdoms like yours fight kingdoms like Silent Enigma. We will not interfere other than to keep outsiders from ganging up on you. We will just make it so that whatever you decide to do, it is because it is what you want to do, not because you were bullied into it.”

Dread Demon showed her the figures he had compiled from the scrolls Stalker brought back, and information he had gathered on his own.

At the start of the trouble, Hades legions had been larger than Silent Enigma. During the war, her kingdom had captured 2,866 acres and lost 3,611 acres. 686 of those acres went to outside attackers.

“I don't have any way to track resources, but based on my analysis, The war would be even without the outside interference. I have already sent a message to the king of Silent Enigma telling him I know what he’s doing, and warning him that I will declare war on his kingdom if he doesn't stop. But, I wanted to be sure you are alright with me interfering. If you would rather handle this yourself, I’ll back off. Either way, what Silent Enigma is doing is dishonorable, and when their war with you is over, I and my allies will force them into a war to teach them to fight fair.: Sitting raised her head abruptly at that. “No, I'm not going to have multiple kingdoms attacking them the way they are doing you. My allies will take on anyone that tries to help them. They will have to deal with me by themselves.”

“I don't understand,” said sitting. “Why are you doing this?”

“The Land of Legends is an old and respected land. Or, at least it was until some evil despicable groups began to move in and take over some of the weaker kingdoms. Some of us larger, established kingdoms have formed alliances to drive those people out, or at least stop them from profiting unfairly from others.”

“So, what do you need from me?” asked Sitting.

“I would like us to be allies.”

“What does that mean?”

“I will help you this time. Then, maybe some time in the future, I might have a similar problem with another kingdom, and you will come to my aid.”

“Oh,” said Sitting. “I just have one little province. How could I help you against a whole kingdom.”

“Not you by yourself,” said Dread Demon. “You and your kingdom.”

“Oh,” said Sitting, :I think I would have to talk to the others in the kingdom before making that kind of commitment.”

“I understand,” said Dread Demon. “If you are willing, I will help you now, and then what ever your kingdom decides will be ok.”

Sitting's head was swimming. It was a lot to take in.

“I don't mean to pressure you, but if you are going to decide to do this, you need to get back to The Crystal Pond before its time is up, or it will collapse the same as Aeosil.”

“How is my province doing?” she asked.

“I sent spies to gather information on it earlier. It is being hit pretty hard. Your kingdom mates are supporting you, as promised, but it needs you at the helm.” He smiled at her confidently. “If you are going to stay, and see this matter through, I will send warnings to the other provinces that are interfering, with your permission. And, there is one other thing I need to make you aware of.”

To be continued…