92. The Three

"Is she dead?"

"I don't know, let me check."

"No, don't touch her!"

"I'm just brushing the hair out of her face!"

"Whatever..."

"Who asked you anyway?"

The voices sounded distant and unfamiliar.  They sounded like young men, three of them.  Fluttering her eyelids, she
found her vision initially blurry.  There were two forms huddled over her body, but no sign of a third.  It sounded like
three different voices.  Perhaps she was mistaken?  From the angle they were huddled over her, she must have been
on her back.  On her back!?  What had they done to her!?  Panic seized her body, and she slid backward with her feet,
inching her back up against the wall behind her, never taking her big blue eyes off the two strangers.  By now, her vision
had regained its quality and while sitting in an upright position, she could get a better look at the individuals she awoke
to.  They were both young men, no older than she as best she could tell.  They were dressed for adventure judging by
their boots and cloaks, and despite her panic, handsome travellers at that.  They squatted, looking at her as she dared
to look around the room.  The stone walls and piles of rotting straw resembled those found in a dungeon.  And there in
the corner, she found the third voice.  He was sitting off alone in the shadows with his knees drawn up to his chest.

"Are you okay, miss?" the voice brought her attention back to the two men that were squatting in front of her.  She was
still too afraid to speak.

"You were dragged in here by those goons a few hours ago.  You've been unconscious ever since," added the other.  
The mention of the goons jogged her memory.

"My name is, Night."

"And I am Jafar, Captain of the Jade Scimitar, defender of the seas!"

"Whatever," added the voice of the third from the shadows of his corner.

"That would be, Knight."  Seeing the girl's confused expression, he clarified.  "He's Knight with a 'K.'  I'm just Night."  To
this explanation she just nodded slowly.

"Don't mind Knight, he's always that way," added Jafar cheerily.

"Whatever," replied Knight.

"And who might you be, miss?" asked Night, keeping things on task.

Feeling the spotlight on her, she felt her cheeks ablaze with deep red.  "I...I'm Rosella... Rosella of Daventry." she finally
stammered.

"Wow, Rosella of Daventry?  Well if I didn't know any better, I'd say you looked like a princess!" exclaimed Jafar, looking
her over.  Rosella immediately pulled her skirt around her, closing the slit that revealed her legs immodestly.  Night
cuffed Jafar on the back of his head seeing the young woman's embarrassment.

"Actually, I am the Princess of Daventry," she confessed.  Jafar shot Night an 'I told you so' look.

"Tell me Rosella, what is a princess doing in the dungeon of an evil witch?" asked Night, once again keeping things on
task.

"I...I," Rosella realized it was such a long story.  Taking a deep breath, she did the best she could summarizing her
coming through the magic mirror to return to Tamir and aid in the rescue of Genesta and defeat of Lolotte.  "I guess I
haven't done such a good job so far, huh?" sniffled the princess, wiping at her nose.

“Nonsense!  You’re merely a heroine in the clutches of evil.  Every great adventure features this moment!”  Jafar
gleamed as he hopped up and down on the straw mattress.

“Pardon my friend, Jafar.  He has a bit of flare for the dramatic,” eased Night.  Still, they managed to put a smile on the
sullen girl’s face.  A victory for any hero on a journey.

Feeling a little more warmed up to discussion, Rosella found the courage to ask the questions.  “What, I mean, how did
you guys end up here?”

“Well,” said Night shrugging his shoulders, “we all met in a port town far up the coast, and it just happened that Jafar
was the captain of a vessel and he had caused a little raucous in the inn we were staying at.  Something to do with
jumping on the beds at all hours of the night.”  Jafar grimaced at the sound of this accusation, but Night continued.  “The
angry patrons chased us from the tavern and all the way to the docks.  We quickly boarded the Jade Scimitar and set
sail down the coast in search of a King’s Quest.”

“A what?” interrupted Rosella, confused.

“A King’s Quest,” echoed Jafar.  “You know, like a quest fit for a king,” he clarified.

The princess nodded while Night continued.  “Anyways, so we sailed south for some time before running ashore on a
strange new land, we later discovered was Tamir.  We wandered the countryside before being confronted by an
enormous ogre which Knight was all too eager to fight.”

“Whatever.”

“Well, while he was convinced that he could defeat the monster, Jafar and I managed to pull him away before things got
too out of hand.  We were chased into the mountains, and before we knew it, we got plucked up by those bat-winged
goons and thrown in this slammer!”

“How long have you guys been here?” asked Rosella.

“Well, let’s see here… at least a month now, right guys?” Night looked to Jafar, who nodded, while Knight just sort of
grunted from his shadowy corner.

“And the food is not very good,” added Jafar.

“A month!?  But, but I can’t stay here.  I, Genesta needs me!” cried Rosella.  Seeing the tears rimming the girl’s big blue
eyes, Jafar and Night huddled close together and discussed something privately, and after nodding in agreement, Night
took the information over to Knight in his corner to relay the information.

Knight replied with his usual “whatever,” and the next thing everyone heard was Night strangling Knight, yelling
something about “you will help Rosella you big idiot!”

Jafar pulled Night off their grouchy friend before things got too out of hand, and the three completed their private
discussion casting periodic glances over at the wary princess.  Returning to the curious princess, they announced that
they had a plan, and Night walked over to the dungeon door.  Pulling the hood of his cloak over his head, he abruptly
transformed into a shadowy form, and slid under the door, only to reappear on the other side of the barred window.  His
face was devoid of any features except eyes that glowed a menacing yellow, but when he flipped the hood of his cloak
back down, his smiling face returned.

“Now WHY didn’t you do that 30 days ago?” asked Jafar wryly.

“I was waiting to rescue a princess,” he grimaced.  Rosella blushed at his heroism, but couldn’t help thinking he was a bit
crazy at the same time.  “Now, let’s see here,” he said humming to himself as he went to work on the lock.  A series of
clicks mixed with the occasional curse word, and Night had successfully opened the door.  The three remaining
prisoners rushed out of the musty cell.  “Where to princess?” asked Night as the four stood in the hall.

“We need to get back up to the second floor.  That’s where we’ll find Genesta… and Lolotte,” she said with a shiver.  
With that, the four made their way to the stairs based on Rosella’s memory, finding their detained equipment along the
way.

Upon reaching the stairs where Rosella had defeated the basilisk, the group was startled by a screeching sound.  The
wall at the base of the tower was dotted with large holes much like a honeycomb.  Following the ear splitting cry, half a
dozen forms crawled forth from the walls, spreading their leathery bat wings with ferocity.  It was Lolotte’s goons!  Their
miserable pale faces with sightless eyes and sharp-toothed mouths snarled at the intruders, while they stretched their
long clawed fingers.

“Princess, make haste up the stairwell!  We will handle these beasts,” barked Night courageously.

“Indeed, get thee to safety, lass.  This be a pirate’s work!” added Jafar drawing his blade with just a hint of lunacy in his
voice.

Knight said nothing, rather placed himself between Rosella and danger while she gathered her wits about her.  The
three adventurers readied their swords while goons closed in.  Terrified of the coming violence, the timid princess
gathered her skirt up in her hands, and hastily ran up the winding staircase, the sound of steel and claws clashing
horrifically beneath her.  She fought the tears rimming her big eyes so not to stumble and fall.  Silently she thanked the
strange heroes for their valiance.



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