Prefect's Pixie II: A Furcadian Sequel

Prefect's Pixie, at first glance an innocent peasant mare, is, in reality, an ancient equine sorceress and erotic temptress.  Her favorite "innocent" (if ready and willing) victim is the dashing Deathmagick.  None can resist her deep blue eyes, blood-red mane, and lithe, quick body.  Males of all species flock to her mystifying voice.  Her allegiances are few in number, but none would forsake her, for an intelligent, strong-willed beauty is a handy ally.

Our particular portion of her tale begins three months after the end of Pixie's triumph over death at the hands of a time-traveling rat named Fuzzy Lamar the twelve-hundred-and-ninth.  The shocking success of "Rachel's House" has led Mark James' troop of actors on a half-year tour of Furcadia.  They perform three shows a day to packed houses and wild applause.  The schedule is quite tiring, but, as the saying goes, "The artist must suffer!"  (At least, that's what Mark says.  No one tends to agree with Mark on much of anything.)  They are traveling through Madeleinia, a small region along the southern coast of the continent, on their way back to their home town of Quillarrow.

Chapter 1
"Of course, the hometown show's always the hardest," Mark said as the Quillarrow Stagemasters passed over their forty-second straight hill.  He had been lecturing for hours about theater this and profit that and why-can't-the-techies-walk-any-faster-they're-only-carrying-the-rotating-set the other thing.
"Yes, a prophet's never welcome in his home town," said DuResio, the red-maned bass wolf.
"Shut up, DuResio.  Anyway, the point is, this has to be our best performance ever!"
"Yes, just like the last one," said Anno, who was lugging the costume chest.
"And the one before that, that one was important too," grunted Dark Wind from under a stack of Fresnels.
"And the one in Stockbridge, couldn't mess that one up," said the pile of caffeinating supplies that was Sopralto.
"So wait, this is more important than Stockbridge, but less important than the command performance for the King?" asked Ysodria.
DuResio quipped, "No, it's more important than the King but less important than Stockbr..."
"THIS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN BOTH THE KING AND STOCKBRIDGE!" barked Mark, and his yell echoed off the hilly terrain.  "Now, if we could all just shut up for a moment, I need to talk to Pixie.  Pixie, get up here now!"
No answer.
"Pixie?  Are you with us?"
Still no answer.
"Damn it, where is she?"

Chapter 2
	"I might have known I'd find you two together.  Off doing nasty things in the woods again, I have no doubt.  You're never around when I need you.  NEVER!  If this weren't a volunteer program you two would be out of here so fast..."
	Mark had found Pixie, the beautiful red-maned equine sorceress.  He had also found Deathmagick, a handsome black equine, her lover and fellow actor.  He had not, apparently, found that Pixie was unconscious and that Deathmagick was trying desperately to revive her.
	"Could you just shut up about yourself for a minute and give me a hand?" Deathmagick shouted.
	Mark did not hear him, but kept going on and on about the irresponsibility of actors, who couldn't seem to do anything that didn't involve sexual activity.
	"Oh, for crying out jive..." Deathmagick muttered before kicking Mark very hard and sending him flying.  He picked Pixie up and carried her to the large group of actors who were waiting impatiently over the next hill.
	He was met by three techies, who rushed off to make a stretcher out of a broken flat.  Pixie was laid down upon it and carried to Sopralto.  Sopralto immediately found the source of her unconsciousness to be a large rock wound on the side of her head.  She grabbed an orange pekoe teabag, tore it open, and started to recite a chant: "You can get anything you want at Rachel Adler's house... You can get anything you want at Rachel Adler's house... Walk right in, it's really cool... Just a few miles from the high school... And you can get anything you want at Rachel Adler's house..."  She sprinkled the tea over the wound, but to no avail.  "Okay, you guys," she shouted at the actors, "if you want to end war and typecasting and Pixie's imminent destruction, you have to sing it with me in five-part harmony and full orchestration... With feeling!"
	They all joined in the chant and, after two choruses and two more teabags, Pixie awoke.
	"Yadadadadadadada, at Rachel Adler's house!" shouted Sopralto.
	"Thanks, Sopralto."
	"I could have done that," said Viall, a brown weasel with a ponytail.  "I'd take a bit of a different approach, though.  Good old mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, that's the way for me."
	"Thank you I do not want to be Viall-ated today," said Pixie in disgust.
	"Seems a techie can't get any action around here.  I'll just shoot myself with a screw-gun, then, if nobody minds," replied Viall.
	A golden mouse named Tellmann immediately produced one for him, but Viall said that he was being sarcastic.  Tellmann said that that was a horrible shame and to please warn him next time so that he wouldn't get his hopes up.
	Mark suddenly appeared over the crest of the hill and locked Pixie and Deathmagick in separate trunks for an hour while the rest of the cast and crew took a short lunch break.  The actors were given large sandwiches.  The techies received butter packets.  The techies cheered quite loudly at the unexpected gift.

Chapter 3
	After Pixie and Deathmagick were released from their solitary confinements, the other Stagemasters bombarded them with questions about the attack (for it was nearly impossible that Pixie's wound was caused by accident).
	"I have no idea what happened," she said, holding an ice pack to her head.  "One minute I was dragging the portable lighting booth, the next I was lying on my back with the entire cast and crew singing 'Rachel's House' in five-part harmony with full orchestration around me."  She heard a small thud behind her and turned around.  Viall had been hit by a rock and fallen, revealing a rather illuminated apparition standing behind him.
	"And now I'm seeing things," she groaned.
	No one rushed to revive Viall.

Chapter 4
	The glowing apparition stepped over Viall's unconscious body and approached Pixie.  Pixie immediately bowed in the presence of this obviously important person, and the other Stagemasters followed her lead.
	"Stand up, my dear," said a kind voice.
	Pixie obeyed, but the rest of the actors and techies stayed down.
	"I'm sorry, but could whatever joker who has the light please turn it down?  It's rather painful to try to address people properly when there's a light in your eye."
	Dark Wind lowered the Fresnel in shame.  Standing where the light had been was a beautiful golden canine in a shimmering blue robe.  Most of her long, flowing hair streamed down her back, but a small amount was tied in an elaborate knot that stretched from her forehead to the base of her neck.
	"As I was saying, I am Queen Lovejoy of Madeleinia.  It's quite unfortunate that you should happen to be traveling through at the moment.  You see, we're involved in this little war with the neighboring nation.  Won't take long to get rid of it, I hope, but there it is.  One of my soldiers," she said, as a large, stupid-looking canine hung his head, "mistook your party as the enemy, and hit you with his most advanced weaponry.  I came here to apologize in person for your injury."
	"It's alright, your highness," said Pixie.  "We have an expert healer in our band of actors, and she brought me around right away."  Sopralto blushed.  "Thank you very much for your concern, your majesty."
	"You're quite welcome, young lady."  Queen Lovejoy turned to go, but immediately turned back.  "I say, did you say actors?"
	"Yes, your majesty."
	"You aren't, by any chance, the celebrated Quillarrow Stagemasters, are you?"
	"Well, yes, your majesty," said Pixie, very much surprised.
	Mark pushed his way through the crowd to Queen Lovejoy.  "Mark James, director and producer of this fine group of actors."
	"And techies!" squeaked the now conscious Viall from the ground.
	"Shut up, Viall.  Anyway, we would be delighted to entertain your grace with a performance this evening."
	"Oh really?  That would be splendid!" she cried out.  "Oh, but it's getting late.  You must stay for dinner, and we'll put you up in the castle."
	"Wait, let me get this straight," said Tellmann, standing up from amongst the still-bowing techies.  "Bed."
	"Yes," said the Queen.
	"Dinner."
	"Of course!"
	"Dinner consisting of more than butter packets."
	"Well, who would dare feed stagehands butter packets?" she said in surprise.
	"We're in," said Tellmann, shaking her hand.  The Queen seemed mildly shocked at such a quaint custom, but smiled her loving smile nonetheless.
	"Well, then, let us all go to the castle.  Arise, Quillarrow Stagemasters.  Soldiers, take the set and luggage to the castle."
	The Stagemasters stood up and brushed off their dusty clothes.  Pixie noticed the Queen glance over each of the actors, and saw her eyes pause for a moment on Deathmagick.  Deathmagick didn't notice.  He took Pixie in his arms and carried her the short way to the castle.

Chapter 5
	The show went off without a hitch.
	Well, almost without a hitch.
	Several weeks earlier, Dark Wind had dyed his hair green to copy Anno.  He was backstage with Pixie, Deathmagick, and Viall during the third act.  Deathmagick and Pixie were showing off spells, competing with each other and amazing Viall with their prowess.  Pixie conjured a pile of roses to cover the weasel.  Deathmagick lit them on fire and they disintegrated in a puff of perfumed smoke.  With a snap of his fingers, Deathmagick changed Viall's hairstyle from a sensible ponytail to a very curly perm.  Pixie opened the costume chest and the scissors and needles flew at Viall.  A piece of fabric hovered in front of him while a pencil drew a pattern upon it.  The scissors flew to work and two needles sewed the pieces together around him.  Viall emerged unhurt, but with a lovely new pink prom dress.
	"Pfft.  I could do that," scoffed Dark Wind resentfully.
	"No you couldn't.  The only cool thing you can do is dye your hair green," said Viall, smoothing his dress and admiring his very feminine figure in a mirror.
	"Oh yeah?  Just watch me!" shouted Dark Wind.
	"Are you sure you want to try that?" said Pixie.
	"I'm just as magical as my sister.  Watch!"  Dark Wind rolled up his sleeves.  He took a deep breath and raised his hands above his head.  "I SUMMON AN ICE STORM!" he yelled.
	Instantly his green hair was engulfed in flames.  Dark Wind ran around screaming for a while, like...well, the closest thing is a chicken with its head cut off, but the chicken would have to spontaneously combust in order to achieve the same effect.
	The fire burned itself out quickly, but Dark Wind's hair had turned to a fiery orange with delicate amber highlights.
	The whole catastrophe would not have affected the show at all, except that the green-haired Anno, who was on stage at the time, discussing arson with Sopralto (as Cecelia), experienced the same colorful transformation.  Luckily, he covered it with his improvisation skills.  "I've lit too many hats on fire to get cast again."  The audience loved it.
	Unfortunately, Mark also loved it, and added it into the script.

Chapter 6
	Due to the lack of programs from having to perform on such short notice, the curtain calls were accompanied by Mark's barking voice, naming each actor as he or she walked on stage.
	"Pixie and Dark Wind as Cecelia's filthy long-haired hippie, tea-brewing rebel friends!"
	They bowed.  Dark Wind made a big show of his new hair color.  Tellmann dragged him off with a cane, and there was much rejoicing.
	"Deathmagick as the inferior-to-me director!"
	A tomato flew from the lighting booth, barely missing Mark, as Deathmagick bowed.
	"I don't appreciate the death threat, Murkwater!" Mark shouted to Amos Murkwater, the canine lighting designer.
	Pixie saw a handsome, red-maned canine aide run to the queen and whisper to her.  Queen Lovejoy's eyes stayed on Deathmagick as she nodded and applauded politely.  The aide walked back to his seat with his hand on his sword's polished golden hilt.
	"And starring Sopralto Yael Rydian as Cecelia!"
	The applause was tremendous as the actors lined up and bowed.

Chapter 7
	Ten minutes later, the actors were out of costume and joined the techies at the head table.  Pixie and Deathmagick sat to the queen's right, while Sopralto and the show-stealing feline duo of Dark Wind and Anno sat to her left.
	"You know, you really didn't have to go to all this trouble, your majesty," said Sopralto, sipping her personal blend of espresso.
	"Oh my, it was the least I could do.  It simply wouldn't do to leave such talented performers out in the cold.  These lands are not safe to travel at night, since the war started.  Besides, I told you out in the hills that I would, and I always keep my word."
	"Yeah, that's a big problem these days.  Not enough people in the world keep their promises.  We should all be a bit more like Queenie here," said Mark, cutting into his rare steak before realizing that there was a sword at his throat.
	"What did you call Her Majesty?" growled a deep bass voice in his ear.  Mark trembled and babbled incoherently for a moment before the voice cut him off.  "Around here, we respect our superiors.  Got it, director boy?"
	Mark nodded slowly to avoid the blade.  It was sheathed and Mark turned to look at his assailant.  "DuResio?" he asked, bewildered that there was so little loyalty in his troupe.
	"Indeed not!  I am Lord Draconis, head of Her Majesty's secret service."
	"Draconis?"  DuResio raised his head further down the table, his auburn curls bobbing.  "My brother!"  He leaped over the table, scaling poor Tellmann and nearly spilling wine on Viall's new dress.  Running to his twin, he could hardly contain his joy at the reunion.  DuResio embraced his brother with fraternal love.  Draconis, however, did not reciprocate.
	"DuResio, do not touch me.  We here in Madeleinia do not look kindly upon deserters.  You enlist in the army, you join the army; or was that not made clear to you?"
	DuResio stumbled back in shocked agony.  "My brother, I have shown you nothing but kindness.  I left the army because I was not suited for battle when peace was ideal and so easy to achieve.  Can you not forget the past and live in a glorious, united future with me?"
	Draconis slanted his eyes and bared his teeth.  "You dare to call me brother?"  He snapped his fingers and a host of soldiers leapt from their seats, aiming crossbows and daggers at DuResio.  "These are my brothers now.  Loyal and obedient, they do as I order and we follow our beautiful Queen to impending victory."
	"Draconis, call off your dogs," said Queen Lovejoy.
	Dark Wind snorted with laughter.  "Heh, it's funny 'cause they're all dogs."  A crossbow dart flew between his ears and he stopped laughing.
	"But my lady, he deserted you!  This player left the army to act in...an integrated troupe," he said, glaring at Pixie and Deathmagick.  "He should be punished!"
	"Leave him be, Draconis."
	"Never!"
	He leapt at DuResio, sword drawn, but Deathmagick jumped over the table and froze the blade in mid-thrust.
	Draconis growled, "Stand aside, vermin, or I slit your throat before the hippie's."
	"Would you settle this like men," said Deathmagick, "or Furres?"
	Draconis sheathed his sword begrudgingly.  "You will regret that comment," he said, turning and sitting at his table again.  DuResio held back his tears and returned to his seat as well.
	The queen apologized for her soldier's outburst.  "He's a bit too loyal for my blood sometimes, but he's a valuable aide.  Well then, since we're on the subject of backgrounds, where might you be from, my dear?" she asked Pixie.
	"Oh, I'm from a small hamlet in the third and fourth dimensions," said Pixie.  "You never would have heard of it."
	"Really?  How exciting!  How did you come to Furcadia?"
	"Chased by mobs who wanted to burn me for witchcraft."
	"Ah.  You are not pure-blood Furre, then?"
	"How could I be?  I was changed from a regular horse to this form at the age of three."
	"And I can't picture her any other way," said Deathmagick, putting his arm around her.
	"Ah, and how long has this little fling been going on?"
	"Four of the longest months of my career," said Mark.  "They're always running off together..."
	"Mark," Pixie whispered.
	"...Doing Bob knows what in the woods..."
	"Mark!" she whispered slightly louder.
	"...Starting peace protests and poetry houses in every town..." he added with disgust.
	"Mark!" she said again.
	"...And the noise!  Why just the other night..."
	Deathmagick flicked an ice cube at Mark and Mark became an ice sculpture.
	"Much better!" said Sopralto.
	"Yes, quite," muttered the queen, looking once again at Deathmagick with great interest.

Chapter 8
	Queen Lovejoy put the cast and crew in her guest wing, where the most comfortable beds and warmest fires greeted them after the feast.  Pixie and Sopralto shared a room at one end of the hall, but Pixie left to wander around as soon as Sopralto started her traditional full-moon caffeine spells.  At the other end of the very long, heavily guarded corridor, she found Deathmagick's room, which he shared with their publicist, an astrophysics student named Dan.  Dan was currently the only human in the party, which was not odd, considering the scarcity of humans in Furcadia.
	"Hello, beautiful," said Deathmagick as she entered.
	"Want me to leave?" asked Dan.
	"Only if you want to," said Pixie, "but Sopralto is brewing her full-moon concoctions again, so you may want to keep an eye on her."
	"Yeah, when she gets in a caffeinated rage, who knows what she'll do," added Deathmagick.
	"I bet I know," said Dan, smiling and running down the corridor.
	"Ah, the romance continues," said Deathmagick, "aided by our good friend caffeine."
	Dan re-entered the room, already smelling of Italian Roast and covered in lipstick.  "THANK YOU!" he gasped before running back.
	"And now that we're alone," said Pixie, slipping off her satin robe to reveal a silk leopard-print nightgown, "I'd like to thank you for saving me...again..."
	"No trouble.  You're improving my damsel-rescue skills."
	"Oh really?  I'm that helpless?"
	"Let's see..." he said, reaching out and touching her face gently.  "There was the Fuzzy rescue..."  He kissed her neck once and she whinnied softly.  "The time you fell off the catwalk in Stockbridge, fixing that broken light..."  He kissed her again.  "The dragon assault at the Beat...very badly burned on that one...Dark Wind shouldn't be allowed to call forth ice storms.  Something bad always happens, usually involving fire."  She melted onto the feather bed as he tenderly whispered in her ear, "But I don't mind rescuing such a breathtaking lady as yourself."  Deathmagick laid down beside her and started to slip off her shoulder strap when they heard a cough outside the door.
	A guard was standing in the doorway, spear in hand.  "Guests must not abuse the privilege of comfortable beds.  Get back to your own room, miss."
	Deathmagick sat up and glared at him, saying through gritted teeth, "There's a caffeinated orgy going on at the other end of the hall and you choose to break this up?"
	"I'm only in charge of this room, bud.  Queen's orders say I keep the residents of this room out of illicit contact.  The other guards have the same assignment for their room's denizens.  I can't control the quality of their guarding, but I can control mine."
	"Well, I can't go back to my room until the caffeinated orgy stops," said Pixie.  "Can't we have a few private moments?"
	"Light a candle and read until the human comes back.  There is no f***ing allowed in this room."
	"Kindly keep the language at a more appropriate level," said Deathmagick.  "There is a lady present."
	"Kindly keep the sexual content of my view at a more appropriate level with the present lady," retorted the guard, "or the violence level will be raised tremendously."  He raised his spear as though to throw it.
	"Fine!  I'll sleep on the floor until Dan gets back," said Deathmagick.  "Good night, my love.  We shall have to wait till the open road calls our names once more."  He took a pillow and laid down on the floor.  Pixie spent the night on the feather bed, and Dan didn't return until the morning, when he crashed on the bed next to her and received a sharp poke from the guard's spear.

Chapter 9
	"I'll get it right this time!"
	All the Stagemasters laughed, but the Madeleinian soldiers looked with interest at the boasting Dark Wind.  Sopralto was counting the money she would make off the suckers who had bet her that Dark Wind was capable of producing an ice storm.
	"Did anyone teach him the proper spell words?" the still exhausted Dan asked Pixie.
	"I tried, but he wouldn't take them," she replied.
	Dark Wind raised his hands and the hall fell silent.
	"Lights, please."
	Murkwater pointed a spotlight at Dark Wind.
	"GIVE ME AN ICE STORM!"
	Winds rose around him, whipping his robes to and fro.  The spotlight went out and there was a scramble for torches.  When the hall was lit again, everyone looked to the center, but Dark Wind was gone.
	"Um, little help?"
	Pixie looked up and giggled.  Dan could hardly control his laughter.  Dark Wind was hanging from the chandelier by his belt, looking very silly indeed.
	"Some ice storm, hot shot," said Anno, staring out the window.  Rain had started driving down outside.
	"Well, it's not fire, is it?" retorted Dark Wind.  "I'm getting closer."
	"We can't leave in this weather," said Mark.  "I'll melt!  I mean...the actors will catch cold."
	"We have to go, Mark.  We've already outstayed our welcome," said Ysodria, glancing nervously at Lord Draconis, who was hovering in the corner, sharpening his blade.
	"Nonsense!" replied the queen, who had just entered in a stunning pink and cranberry robe.  "You will stay until the rains pass.  Besides," she added, looking at the suspended Dark Wind, "we could use some entertainment around here."
	Dark Wind beamed, and promptly fell seventeen feet onto Viall's head.

Chapter 10
	The rain went on for days, and the cast started to go slightly insane.  Mark had tried very hard to get his actors to rehearse, but it seemed that the only leaky roof in the castle was placed strategically over the stage.  The techies revolted after the third time that the sound guy was electrocuted.  The actors followed suit when Pixie had yet another nearly fatal burn from the eager-to-please Dark Wind, who had tried to repair the sound board by magic and failed miserably once more.
	Prika, the kinky ginger cat who played "the meanest, nastiest, ugliest actor of them all", had searched the castle since the second day for a suitable headquarters for her intended sexual conquests.  On the fifth day, she let Pixie in on the location of a small, well-furnished room in the dungeons.  "There's a bed, soft pillows, a fireplace, manacles, racks, whips..." she listed in her detailed description, "but it's hard to find a decent guy around here.  Most of 'em are scared off by torture."  Prika placed a large silver key in Pixie's hand.  "Use this well, my little protégé."
	"Don't worry, my mentor," she said, tucking the key down her corset.
	Prika wiped away a tear.  "That's my girl!"

Chapter 11
	"This way.  Hurry," Pixie whispered, leading Deathmagick through the damp dungeons.  She lit her torch and peered around the corner as Deathmagick ran after her.
	"Are you sure no one knows we're down here?" he asked.
	"Positive," she replied.  "Prika's got the guards distracted."
	"I don't want to know how, do I?"
	"No."
	A soft patting sound reached Pixie's ears.
	"Footsteps...but they're too light for a Madeleinian armed guard..."
	Deathmagick touched the torch and it extinguished itself.  By the feeble light at the other end of the dungeon corridor, they could make out a thin figure with large pointed ears and a tall spear.  He looked around frantically for guards before removing his trench coat to reveal his bushy tail.
	"A fox!" said Deathmagick.  "What would he be doing here?"
	"What?  Foxes are canines, right?" asked Pixie.
	"Well, there's a bit of a debate over that," he replied, but stopped speaking at the approaching sound of boots.  Three guards entered at the opposite end of the hallway.
	"Oy, 'oo goes there?" one asked, holding up a torch.
	Pixie and Deathmagick slunk into the shadows, but the fox had nowhere to run.  The guards walked up to him.
	"It's that fox again!  What are you doing back here?"
	"Hey, I have as much right to be here as you do," he answered, throwing down his trench coat defiantly.
	"I threw you out last week!  You foxes, always creepin' into our perfect kingdom.  Dogs only.  No vermin allowed," spat the first guard.
	The fox leapt back and sprang off the wall, driving his spear through the guard's chest, then jumping back and holding it ready over his head as the guard collapsed.  "Anyone else care to insult me?"
	The second guard scratched his head.  "I always thought foxes were canines," said the second guard.
	"Actually, there's a bit of a debate over that point," said the third.  "Many Furres, like our late friend, think that they may be a bit on the musteline side."
	"Well, the teeth are a dead giveaway for the canine argument, aren't they?" said the second.
	"Can't be too sure about that.  What about their thieving attitude?  Kind of resembles that of the feminine weasel that's head of the Stagemasters' construction, doesn't it?"
	As the conversation continued, the fox realized that he could not quite escape the guards.  Pixie noticed the desperation on his face and took pity on him.  She peered around the corner again, pointed at the fox, and mouthed, "Come over here."
	He raised his shoulders cluelessly.
	She extended a hand and whispered, "Cachetro," and once again beckoned for him to come.  He tentatively picked up his coat and spear and tiptoed between the guards.  They continued arguing as he passed through without their notice.   He ran to Pixie and bowed to her.
	"Milady, I am in your debt.  How can I repay you?"
	"What is your name, young fox?" she asked.
	"Talon, milady.  Word has it that your blessed name is Pixie."
	"Why, yes, it is."
	Deathmagick cleared his throat.
	"And sir, your name, too, is known throughout these lands...but it escapes me at the moment."
	"Pixie, can we get rid of this guy, and get on with our business?" Deathmagick asked impatiently.
	"No need to worry, sir.  I'll be off as soon as those guards get on their way."
	The guards suddenly noticed that Talon was no longer next to them and rushed around the corner.  "What are you two doing down here?  No one comes down in the dungeons without express permission or a decent bribe.  And with that fox, no less.  If the queen heard about this..."
	Deathmagick waved a hand in front of their faces.  "You don't need to see our identification."
	The first turned to the second.  "We don't need to see their identification."
	"This is not the fox you're looking for."
	"This isn't the fox we're looking for."
	"Move along."
	They proceeded on their way, still arguing.
	"I had a cousin who was a fox.  He came up every year at Christmas..."
	"Nah, can't be.  Foxes are non-migratory..."
	Talon gaped in amazement.  "How did you bloody do that?"
	"I picked it up somewhere.  Now, you can move along, too.  Go on upstairs and dry off.  You're soaked to the bone.  And don't tell anyone that we're down here."  Deathmagick lit the torch again and proceeded down the hall.
	"Watch out for the cat at the entrance.  If I know her, she'll think you're cute," warned Pixie.
	"Thank you once again, milady Pixie."  He stepped over the late guard, who was lying on the floor, and headed towards the entrance hall.  Pixie ran after Deathmagick, who had stopped in front of a door.
	"Is this it?" he asked.
	"Indeed it is," she said, drawing the key from her peasant's corset.  She opened the door and they stepped into an ancient torture chamber which, oddly enough, had a queen sized bed with red silk sheets sitting against a wall.  Deathmagick placed the torch in one of the brackets on the stone wall as Pixie inspected a pair of manacles.
	"Odd," she said.  "These look practically brand new."  They easily swung open without creaking, and she laid them down on the floor again.  "Prika must have oiled them."
	She walked to Deathmagick, who stroked her mane gently.
	"Ready?" he asked.
	"Just one thing....Could you do that thing with the torch again?"
	"Certainly," he said.  His right hand touched the torch and put the light out as his left hand pulled on the silk cord of Pixie's corset.

Chapter 12
	Deathmagick slid his black hand along Pixie's long, slender gray leg, slowly sliding her red linen skirt above her hip.  He leaned in and began to kiss her gently, releasing five days' pent-up passion.  As he shifted to kiss her neck, Pixie said, "Have you noticed anything odd about this place?"
	"Indeed I have," he replied, hardly distracted from his current business.  "For one thing," he said, running his finger along her scooping neckline, "everyone's a canine of some sort.  For another," he continued, pulling the first silk ribbon from her top, "they all have a strange aversion to every other species, except for Draconis."  He stopped for a moment and looked up at Pixie's face with a slight smirk.  "He doesn't like anybody."
	"You're wrong on that," Pixie said, and opened Deathmagick's two ebony and amethyst brooches, letting his deep violet cape cascade to the floor.  "Draconis loves his queen and country more than his family."
	"There's another," said Deathmagick, untying the second ribbon.  "The queen seems to love everyone."
	"Especially you," noted Pixie.
	"Jealous?" he asked with a roguish grin.
	"No, but I get an odd feeling when she looks at you," said Pixie, "like she knows you or something."
	"How could she?" he asked.  "I've never been in the Deep South in my life."
	"Ah well, no matter.  At least we finally got some time alone."
	"And we come to the last thing that's very odd about Madeleinia," said Deathmagick, fingering the final tie of Pixie's gauzy flowered blouse.
	"What's that?"
	"That no one wants me to do this," he whispered in her ear, and pulled the ribbon.  The soft fabric fell away, baring Pixie's heavily scarred breast.  He lightly traced the marks the Fuzzy Lamar had left upon her, and was momentarily sobered.
	"We must be careful," he said quietly, "that no one discovers us here.  We have put ourselves at great risk, and I couldn't bear to see you hurt like this again."
	Pixie stood up slowly and walked to a wall cabinet, which she opened from three feet away by spreading her hands outward.  From the interior, she drew a gleaming black leather whip.  "Don't worry about me.  I can defend myself," she said, uncoiling the braided leather.
	"History has shown us the opposite," Deathmagick said, standing and shaking his head.  "I could show you how to use that majestic weapon properly..."
	Pixie flicked it back over her head, then snapped it three times in succession.  With each crack, a candle on the wall went out.  A final snap sliced Deathmagick's black woven shirt straight down the middle without touching him.  He gaped at her in amazement.
	"Where did you learn that?"
	"You don't live as a horse for three years," she said, recoiling her weapon and placing it back in the cabinet between a pair of manacles and an Oriental sword, "without learning a thing or two about whips.  I'm also proficient with crops and ropes."
	Deathmagick's shirt separated at the cut, sliding off his dropped shoulders and landing on the floor with a soft sound.
	"I want you so badly right now," he said.
	"Think you can handle me?" she asked.
	"I hope so," he replied, as she walked over and pushed him onto the bed.

Chapter 13
	"AaaaAAAGHHH!" A piercing scream ripped through the stone dungeons.  Deathmagick lifted his head from Pixie's chest and their eyes met.
	"Prika finally found a victim," said Pixie breathlessly, and they returned to their passionate embrace.

Chapter 14
	The rains were still pouring down when Pixie and Deathmagick made their way upstairs the next morning.  Pixie went to her room and changed into a black velvet dress with a dark green bodice, then joined Sopralto and Prika for breakfast in the library.
	Prika looked up from her Star Wars book and instantly noticed the exhaustion on her face.  "You used the room, didn't you?"
	Pixie collapsed on the couch next to her muffin.
	"You certainly did," Prika said, returning to her novel.
	Deathmagick entered next, carrying two glasses of juice from the great hall.  Sopralto stood up and examined his shirt, which was delicately cross-stitched along the tear.  "Didn't that shirt have less stitching on the front yesterday?"  He shrugged.  "You can't pull the wool over my eyes, Deathmagick.  That shirt's been repaired recently."
	Prika joined her, then looked at Pixie.  "What did you cut that with?"
	"Why do you care?" she responded, rolling off the couch and dragging herself to the nearest bookshelf.
	"Because the cut is too clean to have been ripped in a fit of passion," said Prika.  "Have I taught you nothing?  Scalpels and scissors are NOT good things to keep by your bed."
	"Zero for two," she said, removing a leather-bound copy of The Fellowship of the Ring from the bottom shelf.
	"What is it, then?  Did you cheat and use a pre-ripped shirt to fool me?"
	Pixie found her bookmark and opened the heavy book.  "Bullwhip."
	Prika's jaw dropped.  She examined the cut once more, then picked Pixie up off the floor with tears in her eyes and hugged her.  "I am so proud of you!" she exclaimed, choking softly.  She stopped when she felt a light breath on her neck.
	"Hello, milady."
	"GAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Prika screamed.  She turned and saw a black, trench-coated fox standing behind her.  "Don't DO that!"
	"I apologize, milady."
	"Oh, hi Talon," said Pixie from the floor.  "This is Prika."
	"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWW, he's SO cute!" Prika said, grabbing the fox and crushing him to her bosom.  "Can I keep him?"
	"Why," came Talon's muffled voice, "do you have two small British children lodged in your cleavage?"
	"What?  I thought I took them out yesterday," said Prika, releasing Talon with a grin.  "I think I've found a victim," she said to Pixie.
	"Wait, then who were you with last night?"
	"Last night?" said Prika, scratching her head.  "No one.  I was in here all night, fantasizing about Darth Maul."
	"Understandably," said Sopralto.
	"Then where did that screaming come from?"
	They all snapped their heads to the door as another hearth-wrenching shriek echoed softly from the dungeons.
	Dark Wind entered.  "Someone must have stubbed their toe really hard," he said, biting into his bacon, then realizing it wasn't there.  He looked up and saw Talon licking his lips.  "Hey!  I just stole that from the kitchen!"
	"I haven't eaten in three days, orange-head," said Talon.
	"Okay, but you won't get away with it again," said Dark Wind.
	"Don't be so sure," said Talon.  "I can be pretty sneaky."
	"Your mom's sneaky," said Sopralto, giggling.
	"This kinda sneaky!" laughed Prika.
	"Like a fox," said Dark Wind.
	That had been a mistake.  He quickly began running around the library with Talon at his heels.  Talon raised his spear to throw it, and Dark Wind began trying every possible Ice Storm-conjuring spell he could think of.
	"I CONJURE AN ICE STORM!"
	Every muffin in the castle simultaneously exploded.
	"This could get interesting," said Deathmagick, picking up Pixie and sitting down on the couch.  Sopralto conjured a bucket of popcorn and they all began munching away.
	"COME ON ICE STORM!"
	A human man with a fedora and a whip ran through the hallway, chased by a giant boulder.  Prika poked her head out the door, drawing it back in with a grin.  "If he keeps this up," she whispered to Pixie and Sopralto, "maybe I'll get Maul after all."
	"GO GO GADGET ICE STORM!"
	A bolt of lightning struck his head, turning his orange hair blue and singeing the tip of his tail.
	"GIVE ME AN I, GIVE ME A C, GIVE ME AN E, GIVE ME A STORM!" Dark Wind chanted, leaping with each successive letter or word.  "WHAT DOES THAT SPELL?"
	"Ice storm!" the couch crowd responded, and Dark Wind and Talon flew into the air and fell again.  Talon landed on his feet in a battle stance, but Dark Wind landed on his back.  Talon glowered over him.
	"Take that back," he said with his teeth bared.
	"Okay, okay!" said Dark Wind, and Talon lowered his spear.  Dark Wind stood and brushed off his clothes.
	"Note to self," said Sopralto, speaking into her muffin.  "Innuendo must be kept to self if self wishes to live."

Chapter 15
	"Are you ever going to put that book down?" Deathmagick asked Pixie, wiping the sweat from his brow.
	"Probably not," she replied, turning the page.  She had suspended herself from the catwalk of the stage, and was still reading Fellowship.
	"Whatever do you see there that you can't get from one day in Furcadia?"
	"Aragorn," she responded, and Deathmagick shrugged in dismayed agreement.
	"Deathmagick, this match won't fence itself!" shouted DuResio from downstage, swishing his foil and taking a sip from his water bottle.
	"Duty calls," said Deathmagick.  "I shall defend your honor, milady, but that would be far easier if you would give me some honor to defend."
	Pixie dropped from the wires, pulled Deathmagick towards her by his collar, and kissed him passionately, then jumped back up and continued reading.  He waltzed confidently to DuResio, and they drew their foils and fought.  Deathmagick, though he fenced furiously, was defeated quickly.  This was no surprise, for DuResio was a prize-winning fencer.
	"Don't distract yourself next time," he said to Deathmagick, who bowed and jumped up to join Pixie.  "Next victim," he called, and Murkwater jumped to his feet and lowered his mask.
	A voice called from across the hall. "Why not let someone with experience fight you?" Draconis had entered, his auburn hair tied back and a red cape over one shoulder.
	"Now, now, Draconis, wait your turn," said DuResio.  "This is the only place that I break my vow of nonviolence and everyone wants a piece of me for it.  I promised Murkwater the fight of his life and I was about to keep that word."
	"I can give you more than that," said Draconis with a crooked smile.
	"What do you say, Murkwater?" asked DuResio.  "Can you wait five minutes to waste your hard-earned energy?"
	Murkwater sighed.  "I suppose the lighting board needs reprogramming," he muttered.
	"Excellent," said Draconis, who mounted the stage in one swift bound.  "Shall we begin, then?"
	"We shall," said DuResio, drawing his foil.

Chapter 16
	A pale blue light fell across the stage as a dramatic minor chord resonated from Sopralto's left-handed guitar.  She plucked strings in a distinctly Spanish fashion as DuResio and Draconis lowered their masks.  Another strummed chord echoed as they raised their swords.
	"Commence!" shouted Murkwater from the lighting booth, and Draconis flew into action, immediately aiming directly for DuResio's heart.  DuResio countered effectively and stepped sideways to avoid the foil.  Draconis lunged at him again, but DuResio dodged once more.
	"You cannot run from the blade as you ran from the military, DuResio," said Draconis, thrusting at his brother's stomach.
	"Why ever not?" asked DuResio, once again side-stepping.  "I managed to outrun them.  What makes you think I cannot do the same with your foil?"
	"You're mightily haughty for a tree-hugger.  I ought to cut you down like a sapling," Draconis said, slicing sideways.  DuResio bent under the blade, standing almost parallel to the stage floor.
	"A sapling can bend, unlike your immovable hatred," he quipped, and pushed himself upwards, forcing the tip of his foil against Draconis' jacket.  "Un touché pour le fraternité," he said lightly.
	"Et le seulement*," responded Draconis angrily.  He grabbed one of the many ropes hanging from the catwalk and flung it at DuResio, who jumped away from it and directly onto Draconis' foil.  "Touché for my country," said Draconis.
The strumming from Sopralto's guitar increased in pace and the fantastic footwork of two masters lit the stage aflame (or perhaps that was the lighting).  Pixie put her book down and watched intently from her ceiling perch.
DuResio and Draconis fought furiously, covering the entire stage in a matter of moments.  They dedicated each hit to something close to their hearts.
"For peace!"
"For war!"
"For the stage!"
"For the Queen!"
"For love!"
"For power!"
They drew near to the final hit.  Both were tiring, but determined to finish for sheer honor.  Draconis thrust his blade once more at DuResio.  DuResio slid under his brother's legs and stood quickly, but did not balance in time to dodge Draconis' final blow.  Draconis pinned his brother to the wall with his foil and tore off DuResio's mask, then his own.  "For Father," he said harshly, "dead and buried these eleven years, and ashamed of you until his final breath."  He pulled an ornamental dagger from under his cloak and raised it to stab his brother through the heart.
"Accio!" shouted Pixie, opening her hand and calling the knife to her.  It sailed up into her outstretched hand and she closed her fingers swiftly around the handle, then fell to a battle stance on the stage floor.  Two spotlights now shone: one on the brothers, and one on the brave equine woman at center-center.  For a moment, all was silent.
Draconis drew his foil away from DuResio's chest and stormed off the stage.  He turned back momentarily to glare at Pixie, then spat on the floor and strode out with a swish of his velvet cloak.
DuResio took one step forward, then collapsed on the floor.  Deathmagick dropped and summoned the water bottle from the edge of the stage.  He and Pixie ran to their fallen comrade and revived him.  Sopralto walked slowly to them, strumming a slow, mournful tune.  "I look at you all, see the love there that's sleeping," she began, humming the rest softly as DuResio hung his head and ran his fingers slowly through his sweat-soaked hair.
"Can't you sing something a bit more cheerful?" asked Pixie.
Sopralto strummed a more upbeat song, beginning with a line of "La Marseillaise" and then singing, "Nothing you can do that can't be done... Nothing you can sing that can't be sung..."
The other three joined in softly, then building to a higher, almost protest-like volume as the center spot faded away, leaving them in the only patch of light on the whole stage.  "All you need is love, all you need is love, all you need is love, love, love is all you need..."

Chapter 17
Dinner in the Great Hall was very quiet that evening.  Pixie and Deathmagick no longer sat with the Queen, preferring to sit on either side of DuResio.  He had been silent since the duel.  Dark Wind had tried to cheer him up several times with dances and monologues, but to no avail.  Pixie knew that he was thinking of his defeat, and of Draconis' attempt to kill him.
Draconis, too, was not speaking, even to give orders to his bewildered soldiers.  He spent his time standing idly against the wall, sharpening his decorated knife and glaring at his brother, who had brought him so close to the edge of loss.  He seemed to be plotting a more one-sided vengeance.
Pixie's dinner was interrupted by Prika and Talon.  Prika appeared over her shoulder and meowed quietly.  Pixie turned around and Prika smiled widely. 
"My dearest apprentice," she began, "I have given you so much that I feel I can ask you a small favor..."
"What do you want, Prika?" Pixie asked over the top of her book.
"I need the key back," said Prika.  "My handcuffs broke last night and my whip got washed away in the rainstorm."
"Fine."  Pixie reached down her corset to fetch it, but found that it was missing.  "The key's gone," she said, "but I put it there this morning..."
Talon opened his trench coat and pulled the silver key out.  "Oh, you mean this key?"
Pixie gaped at him.  "How...how did you..."
Deathmagick pulled back his hand to throw a spell at Talon, but Talon lowered his spear quickly and aimed it directly at Deathmagick's heart.  It was a tense moment.
The tension was cut by Dark Wind running into the hall with a chicken on his head.  "I DID IT!" he shouted.
"You did what?" asked Sopralto.  "Managed an ice storm?"
"No, unfortunately, but in the attempt, I got the rain to stop!...and I got a chicken on my head, but that's beside the point."
"We can leave!" yelled Mark.  "Techies, pack up the set.  Actors, get some sleep.  We leave first thing in the morning."
Cheers echoed all around the hall.
"BIG AMERICAN CAST PARTY!!" shouted Dark Wind, and the Stagemasters started dancing as music magically filled the room.
"Theater people," said a soldier, shaking his head.

Chapter 18
Pixie packed up her things in her room, assisted by Queen Lovejoy's young attendant, another golden dog named Sylvanie.  Sylvanie went through Pixie's clothes, folded them carefully, and placed them in Pixie's small trunk.  She was a valuable aide, but she greatly enjoyed talking.
"Ooh, this is a nice one," she said, lifting up Pixie's blue robe.  "Where'd you get it?"
"That's the first piece of clothing I ever owned," Pixie said, reflecting back on her first days as a Furre.  "It goes with the pink cape that's in the drawer."
"Wow.  You missed all the fun of baby clothes!  I have this cute old thing in my chest downstairs.  It's the same colors as your outfit, but it's the tiniest little one-piece with buttons down the front.  Okay, now what exactly is this?" she said, holding up the leopard-print nightgown.
"Something kinky that Sopralto gave me.  I only wear it for Deathmagick," Pixie said, blushing.
"Ooh, do tell!" said Sylvanie, who sensed a story and wagged her silky tail.
"No, I couldn't," said Pixie.
"Pleeeeeeeeeeease?"
"No."
"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease??"
"No."
"Okay.  Come on, let's get this stuff downstairs," said Sylvanie, lowering her tail sadly.
When they arrived at the Great Hall, Pixie stole the silver key to the dungeon room out of Prika's back pocket and snuck up behind Deathmagick.  She dangled the key in front of him and said, "One last go before we leave?"
"I'd be delighted," he said, and they turned to go, but the Queen's voice called across the hallway.
"Deathmagick, could I see you for a moment?"
"Of course, your majesty," he replied, then said to Pixie, "This can't take more than a minute.  We'll have time."  He walked to the Queen and followed her into the next room.
Pixie waited for a moment, then walked through the same doorway on her way to the library to return The Fellowship of the Ring.  As she turned the corner, she heard the Queen's voice pleading with Deathmagick.
"Don't you know who you are?  From the moment you were born, you were destined to be by my side forever," she said.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"For heavens' sake, stop this charade and follow your destiny.  You are a king, Deathmagick, and you are to rule over this realm with me."
"This can't be true."
"Didn't your parents ever..."
"I'm an orphan, your majesty."
"Don't call me that!  You are my equal, and I will not hear otherwise."
"Maybe I just look like whoever..."
"I never forget a face.  You are the King of Thendrion and I will not rest until you take your place as my husband."
"I'm an actor."
"You're a king!"  Her voice became softer, and Pixie looked through the crack in the door to see Queen Lovejoy reaching her hand to Deathmagick's face.  "We in Madeleinia have fought this horrible war with Thendrion for ten years, since the time that you were to join me.  I thought you had abandoned me, and I wreaked my revenge upon the people of your land.  Look out the window," she said.  "This is a war-torn nation, as is your own.  If you would just go back to your throne..."
"I don't believe you," he said.  "How could I be the king of somewhere that I've never even heard of."
"Trust me, you are," she replied.  "And you have ruled my heart since the time that I knew your name."
Deathmagick turned to the Queen and said, "I regret to say that you do not hold mine.  I am sorry, your highness, but my love belongs to Pixie."
Pixie heard a loud slap and saw Deathmagick step back from the Queen, holding his hand to his face.  He walked calmly out and squeezed Pixie's hand, staring past her, then walked briskly back to the Great Hall.  Queen Lovejoy followed a moment later, and noticed Pixie entering the library.
"Anything I can help you with, dear?" she asked.
"Oh, I was just returning your book," replied Pixie, trying to hide the fact that she had heard the whole argument.
"Keep it," said the Queen.  "You can take the rest of the trilogy, as well."  She looked after Deathmagick.  "They just depress me now."

Chapter 19
Halfway down the dungeon hall, Pixie heard soft footfalls behind her.  "We really ought to hide ourselves," she said to Deathmagick.  "What if someone sees us?"
"That doesn't matter," said Deathmagick.  "We're leaving in half an hour.  What can they do, throw us out?"
"They could always keep us here," she replied.  "Lovejoy would love that."
Deathmagick took her hand and quickened their pace.  They soon reached the torture chamber and unlocked the door.  One look told them that it had been used recently.  The sheets were now black silk with purple concentric circles on the down comforter, and there was dry blood on the wall below a set of hanging shackles.
"Maybe we shouldn't be down here," said Pixie.  Deathmagick put his hands on her shoulders and lightly kissed her neck.  "Or maybe we should," she said.
"I like the sound of that," said Deathmagick, releasing the clasp on her traveler's cloak and letting it slide from her neck to the stone floor.  He slid his hand along Pixie's collarbone, but pulled it away sharply as he received a very painful poke under his ribs.  "Gah!  What the..."
"Get a room!" came a voice from behind him.  Pixie peered over Deathmagick's shoulder and saw Talon standing with the dull end of his spear pointing directly at them.
"We're in a room," she said.
"Oh..." said Talon, who was jerked backward suddenly by a rope attached to the new studded collar around his neck.
"Sorry.  He's misbehaving again," said Prika, who held the other end of the leash.  She shook her finger at Talon.  "No interrupting the protégée!"
"Meh," he said, and shrugged, leaving.
Mark's barking voice could be heard echoing down from the entrance hall.  "PIXIE!"
She threw her cloak around her shoulders, kissed Deathmagick, and said, "We'd better get going."
Another scream raced down the corridor behind Pixie.
"You said it," said Deathmagick, walking after her.

Chapter 20
	The Stagemasters' parting from Madeleinia was far more solemn than their joyful entrance a week earlier.  Usually, they exited with a huge variety show, highlighting the talents of each cast and crew member.  It always began with four canines (DuResio, Murkwater, and two goldens named Matthias and Dreiden) singing a medley of "Damn Yankees" parodies in a barbershop quartet.  Following that were several stand-up comedy acts and a techie interpretive dance troupe, accompanied by an all-tool band.  The show ended with Anno's poetry and, finally, Pixie and Sopralto's song session.
	After the tumultuous week, however, Mark felt that such a light-hearted display was inappropriate, and, for once, everyone agreed with him.  Instead, they packed up the set, costumes, and supplies, and left after a brief breakfast.
	Once all of the Stagemasters had walked across the castle's drawbridge, Sopralto pulled her guitar out from under her coffee-brewing supplies and began to sing quietly.
	"Are you goin' to Scarborough Fair?"
	Pixie joined in softly on the tenor line, and DuResio's sad bass voice provided deep, deliciously peaceful undertones.
	"Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme..."
	The continued singing slowly, setting the pace for the rest of the troupe on their voyage northward.

Chapter 21
	"I despise that song."  Draconis turned sharply and strode away from the window.
	"I personally think it's beautiful, but no matter.  Are your soldiers ready?"
	"Nearly."
	"Good.  Take your prisoner alive."
	"I'd prefer otherwise, but, if her majesty commands..."
	"Excellent."  Lovejoy walked to the window and gazed out upon the forest to the north.  "I'll have him yet."

Chapter 22
	The Stagemasters traveled carefully along the forest path until they were outside the Madeleinian border.  By the time they reached the edge of the kingdom, everyone was exhausted from the weight of their burdens, so they sat and ate a light, quiet supper.
	"So," said Dark Wind, breaking the silence through a mouth full of sandwich, "where are we, exactly?"
	"The map says 'Thendrion'," said Ysodria.
	"Do we know anything about this place?" asked Dreiden, who was playing cards with Viall, Murkwater, and Matthias.  Viall was losing horribly, but refused to bet his dress (which Matthias desperately wanted for an upcoming monologue).
	"It's a kingdom in war and mourning," said Talon, not looking up from his meal.
	Viall jumped up and pointed at Talon, who he had not previously noticed.  "A spy!  Kill him!"
	"Talon's not a spy, Viall," said Prika, rolling her eyes.
	"Just look at him!  A non-theater canine hanging out with an integrated acting troupe just outside the borders of an all-dog kingdom.  How could he not be a spy?"
	"How much d'you wanna bet?" asked Matthias, grinning in anticipation.
	"You don't want to do that, Viall," said Dark Wind.
	"I'd bet..."
	"Don't do it, Viall!" yelled Dark Wind, shaking his head and flailing his arms.
	"Let's see..."
	"Okay, I give up," said Dark Wind.  "Someone else has to get beaten for a change."
	"My prom dress!"
	His wager was hardly off his tongue when Talon began hitting him repeatedly with the blunt end of his spear.  While Viall was down, Matthias picked the lock on Viall's trunk and drew out the coveted pink prom dress.
	"I can alter that for you, if you'd like," offered Pixie amusedly.  Meanwhile, the beating continued.
	"Ow!  Wait...ow!  Are you hitting me...ow!...because I...OW!...called you a spy...ow!...or a dog?...OW!"
	"I haven't decided yet," said Talon, still hitting him.
	"You're not beating hard enough!" shouted Angela, a brown mouse techie who was standing nearby.
	"Ah, thank you," said Talon, heeding her advice.

Chapter 23
	"I hate to say it, Viall," said Dark Wind, handing him an ice pack, "but..."
	"Oh, don't say it," said Sopralto with a look of pity.
	"Oh, come on," said Dark Wind, stomping his foot and swishing his long black tail, "I never get to say this!"
	"Hmmm... okay," said Sopralto.
	Dark Wind turned to Viall.  "I told you so!"
	"Yeah, yeah, yeah," said Viall, looking sullen.
	"So, what's up with this Thendrion place?" asked Dreiden, examining the fine embroidery of Matthias' new gown.
	"It's a bit of a long story, but I'll tell you," said Talon, who had started a fire and was now poking it with a long branch.  Sparks scattered from the branch and fell to the ground, where they were quickly extinguished.

Chapter 24
	"About twenty-five years ago," started Talon, "the kingdoms of Madeleinia and Thendrion coexisted peacefully.  They shared innovations and ideas, and supported each other in times of war.  The queens were especially friendly, and were often seen walking together through the lush countryside.  They were the best of friends, and, since they were so beautiful and kind, their subjects worked through interracial and interspecies difficulties for the sake of their queens.
	"When the queen of Thendrion had a son and the queen of Madeleinia had a daughter, the marriage of the children was arranged immediately.  For two years after their births, the young Prince and Princess were kept in their respective castles, but at their third birthdays, they were to be introduced to each other.  A great deal of effort went into the preparations for their meetings.  It was hoped that the future wedding would cement the two kingdoms together in a final and lasting alliance.
	"The night before the meeting, a group of elite Madeleinian isolationist soldiers crept into the castle in Thendrion.  They wanted nothing less than the destruction of the bond between the two kingdoms, feeling that their race, government, and species were far superior to any one in the integrated and liberated Thendrion.  They killed the king in his upstairs chamber and flew down the stairs to murder the prince, who was still too young to speak and knew nothing of the politics relying upon him, before anyone could discover the king.  Little did they know that a loyal servant, a mouse named Allissandro, had been hiding in the chamber with the king, and had raced downstairs through secret passages to rescue the prince and raise the alarm.  He led the prince through a passage and they met a marauding band of rogues and rangers outside the stables.  Allissandro gave the young prince to the band, along with a purse of moneys and a plea to take him far away from Thendrion, to a safer place.  They agreed and took him into the woods with them on their voyage north.
	"Allissandro ran to the front of the castle and rang the alarm bell, waking the castle and drawing the murderers away from the true location of the prince.  He then raced inside and had started down the hall to the queen's chamber to tell her what he had done when the Madeleinian band found him.  He was found heavily bruised and bloodied, with a Madeleinian arrow through his heart and a decorated dagger in his side.
	"When morning broke and the queen rose from her peaceful night's sleep, she was shocked to find Allissandro's beaten corpse and her husband's peaceful body brought into her room by two feline soldiers.  She went to the Madeleinian queen the next morning at the presentation ceremony and told her, in tears, what had happened.  The Madeleinian queen did not believe the tale, even when presented with the arrow of her special forces and the dagger of her most trusted nobleman, a wolf named Derendor.  She believed that this was a deliberate act of sabotage by the Thendrioni queen and spat in her tear-stained face, declaring war on the neighboring nation.  The Thendrioni queen fainted on the stage and was led back to her realm by a young vulpine aide."
	Sopralto looked up from the ground and stared quizzically at Talon.  "Vulpine?  What's that?"
	"A fox," said Talon, glancing at Viall, who was holding his ice pack to his back.  "To get back to my tale, the queen locked herself in her chamber that evening, after the funerals of her husband and Allissandro, who had been a great friend to her.  She died within a week.  The doctors said she had stopped eating due to her immense grief.  Her only consolation in her dying days was the fact that her son's body was not found, and there was no evidence that he had been killed, but this was not enough to make her want to carry on.
	"The vulpine aide, only seven years old and hardly as tall as his podium, spoke at her funeral.  He told the mourning crowds not to give up hope, that surely the prince lived still, and that peace would come again.  No sooner was the queen buried than the kingdom fell under siege by the Madeleinian army, under the command of Derendor.  The Thendrioni armed forces quickly mobilized against the threat and pushed the Madeleinians back to their border, and have been holding them there ever since.  They have been waiting for twenty-five years for the return of their prince, and a legend has grown up around him.  Everyone believes that, when he returns, he will lead them to victory against the vicious Madeleinian forces.
	"Princess Lovejoy's mother and father were killed in battle when she was fifteen years of age.  Lovejoy was crowned queen immediately.  Brought up to believe that her future husband had deserted her on the advice of his people, she has kept the war going as her vengeance against Thendrion, with Draconis as her general.  He was educated under Derendor's ruthless training program and rose quickly through the ranks of the army to become the most brilliant and brutal officer in military history."
	At this, DuResio hung his head and ran his fingers slowly through his auburn curls.  Dan put his arm around DuResio and offered him a handkerchief.
	"The war continues, but the hope of the people of Thendrion has not faded.  They still await the return of their true ruler."  

Chapter 25
Talon glanced up at the audience and looked at each of them.  "Sad story, but it's all true."
	"How did you learn all of this?" asked Dreiden, now sobered, his cards laid aside.
	"I was the young aide," said Talon.  "I gathered all the bits of information while I was still working for the royal family."
	"But if Allissandro was killed, how do you know his story?" asked Ysodria, who was on the edge of her seat.
	"His story was told by another servant, who claims that Allissandro appeared to him in a dream a year after his death and told him the events of that night.  No one but me believed him.  I say it sounds like the best possible explanation, since it goes along with all the evidence.  I left Thendrion later that year to seek the prince, but I did not find him.  I stayed a traveler because I grew accustomed to life in the wild, and I could pass as a citizen of either kingdom easily because of my canine-like appearance.  No one needed to know that I had ever been associated with the rulers of Thendrion."
	"So the prince is still out there?"
	"The Thendronis seem to think so.  I'm starting to doubt it, though.  If I can't find him, he can't be found.  I'm the best tracker in the South of Furcadia."
	"Hardly."

Chapter 26
	Talon jumped off of the ground and raised his spear, aiming it into the woods.  The owner of the unknown voice stepped out of the forest, arrow at the ready.  He was a handsome buckskin equine, with pale hair and a dark mane.
	"So, the deserter has returned home at last.  To what do we owe this honor?" asked the soldier sarcastically.
	"Andreus?" said Talon, lowering the spear.
	"Yes, it's me," he replied, not lowering the bow.  "You've lost your once-exceptional skills, I see.  Or has the Madeleinian rain storm blocked your ears?"  Andreus looked around the troupe.  "And who are these fine Furres that you have chosen to mooch off?"
	"These are the Quillarrow Stagemasters," said Talon.  "Do not harm them.  They are our allies."
	Andreus scoffed.  "Surely not.  I see none other than Draconis in your midst.  Step aside and give me a good shot at my nemesis."
	DuResio stood quietly and showed his peaceful, tear-stained face to the soldier.  "Take your shot.  My family has harmed your kingdom so much that I do not deserve to live."
	Andreus let the arrow fly, but Talon leapt into the air and caught it a split second later.  "You fool, Andreus!  This is not Draconis, but his long-lost twin DuResio, a peace-loving fencing champion."
	"What is this, a soap opera?" laughed Andreus.  "So you've located the missing DuResio in a band of Northern actors, have you?  You never were a good liar, Talon.  Next thing I know you'll be telling me that you've found Prince Dea..."
	He stopped mid-sentence and stared across the fire.  Talon turned to see what he was looking at.
	"Oh my God," he said, gazing intently at Deathmagick.  "You've been right here all along."
	"Excuse me?" said Deathmagick, standing in confused amazement.
	"All this time..." said Talon, fumbling for the words while Andreus strode forward and bowed at Deathmagick's feet.
	"My liege," he said softly.
	"My God," muttered Talon, still gaping.
	"My actor!" cried Mark, running forward to embrace him.  Viall tripped Mark and he fell into the pile of trunks next to the stage.
	"So Queen Lovejoy was right," said Pixie.
	"I guess so," said Deathmagick as Talon finally stood and bowed.
	Talon looked up, then smacked his hand to his forehead.  "You were in Madeleinia for a whole week!  You could have been killed!  What were you thinking, your highness?"
	"I didn't know what I was then," said Deathmagick.  "The Queen just told me this morning, and I didn't believe her.  How could I?"
	"Come, let us go to the castle," said Andreus.  "Oh, but first, I have something for you, your highness."  He withdrew into the woods for a moment and returned with a long, flat case.  Andreus opened it carefully and drew out a shining silver blade.
	"What is this?"
	"Your father's sword, highness," said Andreus, kneeling and presenting it to Deathmagick, who took it carefully by the intricate hilt.  "It was broken the night he was murdered, but it was repaired the next day so that, if you returned, you could inherit it.  We hid it here so that no Madeleinian would ever find it."
	"So," said Deathmagick, "I'm a long-lost legendary king with an inherited, re-forged sword who is expected to lead his kingdom to victory?"
	"In a word, yes," said Talon.
	Deathmagick looked at Pixie.  "Have I stumbled into your fantasy world, by any chance?"
	"You're not scruffy enough to be Aragorn," she replied, also shocked by the literary resemblance.
	"Just checking," he said with a smile, and they followed Andreus to the castle.

Chapter 27
	As the Stagemasters neared the castle, the techies loudly protested having to pull the heavy rotating set so far with no breaks, so Mark declared that a short rest period was in order.  The troupe sat down on trunks and set pieces and talked for a while.  Ysodria and Sopralto, sitting on a chest of drawers, started up a conversation with DuResio and Andreus, who were having a contest to see who could hang from a curtain rod the longest.
	"So, how goes life?" asked Ysodria.
	"Horrendously," replied DuResio.  "Thanks for asking, though."
	"Ah yes, the whole twin thing."
	"It's not just that," said DuResio.  "I had another rather large and disturbing shock today, thanks to our good friend the Fox."
	Sopralto sipped her tea and offered some to Ysodria.  "If you don't mind my asking, what might that be?"
	"Remember when he mentioned Derendor, the general who trained my brother?"
	Andreus spat on the ground beneath his head.  "That evil, murdering son of a bitch."
	"Not that that really means anything with his lineage," said Ysodria.
	"Touché," replied Andreus, whose face was slowly slipping from a delicate tan to a mild red.
	"Derendor," said DuResio, "was our uncle."  Andreus gasped in shock and promptly fell off the curtain rod.
	"Oh my god," said Sopralto, who poured a cup of tea for Andreus.  Andreus accepted it gladly, rubbing his head.  "This gets worse by the minute, doesn't it?"
	"And that dagger..."  DuResio said, letting himself fall gracefully from the pole.
	"What dagger?" asked Andreus.
	"The one with which Draconis tried to murder DuResio.  Keep up with the story, man," said Sopralto.
	"It must have been Derendor's.  The one he killed the King of Thendrion with."  
"It's not your fault," said Sopralto.  "You can't help your relatives."
DuResio laughed softly.  "I don't know whether to feel afraid for my life, or honored as an enemy of Madeleinia."
	"I'd say both," replied Andreus, "and I'd start carrying a weapon of my own, if I were you."
	"Never."  DuResio took a cup of tea for himself.  "That would be giving in."
	"Let's get a move on!" shouted Mark from across the clearing.  "If we want Deathmagick crowned by sundown, we'd better get out of here!"
	"Mustn't keep our very own tyrant waiting," said DuResio, as Sopralto packed up the tea set with a wave of her slender blue and white hand.

Chapter 28
	At first glance, Thendrion seemed a distraught and destroyed nation.  On the outskirts of its largest village, Amemna, the charred remains of thatched huts drew gasps of horror from the Stagemasters.  When a gentle rain began, ashes rose from the burning places, almost seeming to resurrect the ghosts of their late and mourned inhabitants.
	As they proceeded into the heart of the city, however, a bustling community emerged from the wooden cottages and storefronts.  Young mice chased their feline caretakers in a parody of legends that had leaked through from the third dimension.  Sitting in front of their law office, three weasels kicked their feet up and discussed the war in loud voices.  A female fox in an apron noticed Talon in the crowd of bewildered actors and called out to him from the well on her front lawn.
	"Oy, Talon, what-choo doin' back 'ere?"
	"Belinda, my darling," he called back, running to her, "I've defected back to the light side at last."
	"What's a girl t'do when 'er only brother goes on a wild goose chase?" she asked, embracing him.  He picked up his sister and twirled her through the air.
	"What's a boy to do when his little sister still hasn't lost her 'Pygmalion' accent?" he retorted, jokingly poking her under the ribs.  She responded quickly with a swift kick to his stomach and they were soon sparring lovingly around the well.
	"Wow," said Dark Wind.  "Talon has a soft side after all."
	Instantly, Talon had Dark Wind on the ground.  "You tell anyone, and you'll never get that ice storm."  He raised his pinky claw threateningly, then returned to his sister, conversing freely.
	"So," said Pixie to Andreus, smiling at Talon, "how are we going to tell the Thendrionis that their long-lost ruler has, at last, returned to them?"
	"Like this," said Andreus, leaping onto the thatched roof of the well.

Chapter 29
	"Good citizens of Amemna, and of Thendrion," he shouted.  The noise of the marketplace softened slowly.  Curious Furres poked their heads out of bakery windows and walked off their porches to see what the fuss was about.
	"I bring you wonderful news!"
	"Andreus, the last time you brought 'wonderful news'," said an elderly canine female, "a flood ripped through the city, all our crops were ruined, and several hearts were broken by false identification.  Why should we believe you this time?"  A general murmur of assent rumbled through the crowd.
	"Because I have three miraculous returns to announce, and this time they're all here."
	"I'll believe it when I see it," said the old wolf.
	"The first return," said Andreus, ignoring the woman, "is that of our best and brightest spy.  Ladies and gentlefurres, I give you Talon!"
	They all looked around for a moment before noticing him on the roof of Belinda's humble cottage.  "Hallo, all," he said, jumping down with spear in hand.
	Scattered applause came from the Furres who had known their spy in his youth.  The old canine was not satisfied, however.  "One down, two to go, Andreus," she said, shaking her finger at the tall equine on the well.
	"Thank you for the score card, Lady Allesis," he said with a mock bow.  He then addressed the entire crowd.  "Talon has been traveling far and wide for the last twenty years and he's finally hit upon a bit of luck.  May I present to you his first foundling...a young wolf of special interest to you, Lady Allesis...the long-lost DuResio!"
	DuResio stood from his seat on the costume trunk, and towered above a great deal of the population of Amemna.  Lady Allesis gaped.
	"My son!"
	"Mother!"
	DuResio ran and embraced her.  Lady Allesis broke down in tears, and applause ran rampantly through the surrounding Furres.
	"A touching moment, yes, but not all that I have to give you today," said Andreus, making his final pitch.  He turned to the Stagemasters and grinned.  "Will our mystery guest please step forward?"
	The actors parted and Deathmagick walked into the crowd toward Andreus.  As he strode forward slowly, the Furres around him gasped, then fell instantly into deep bows and curtseys.
	"Our king returns," said Andreus, holding out his hand, chest held high, before he bowed in a deep, dramatic gesture.  "May I be so bold as to suggest that we adjourn to the castle for a celebratory banquet and a long-awaited coronation?"
	"I suppose so," said Deathmagick.
	Andreus stood slowly, then led the Stagemasters to the castle steps.

Chapter 30
	The banquet hall could not have been more different from the Madeleinian Great Hall.  It was warm and inviting; tapestries of pastoral scenes lined the walls and all the fires were lit, giving the room an every-man sense of welcome.  A portrait of the late king and queen hung behind the head table, where they could smile warmly upon their loyal subjects.  They were a handsome couple.  The king had been a black equine with roguish eyes and a welcome grin, while the queen was a chestnut beauty with a deep red mane and an aura of peace glowing about her.  A tear glistened in Deathmagick's eye when he gazed upon the painting.
	"How now, my lord?" asked Pixie, noticing her royal lover's distress.
	"I can remember them," said Deathmagick.  "For the first time in years, I can remember my mother."  The tear threatened to slide down his nose, and he wiped it away with his dark hand.
	Pixie took his hand in her own delicate gray one.  "She was a beautiful woman," she said, and Deathmagick held her close.
	Andreus called across the hall.  "My lord, we must commence immediately if you wish your company to stay awake."  The Stagemasters were visibly quite tired.  Indeed, Murkwater, the most sleep-immune of the techies, had leaned against a wall and was rapidly showing signs of exhaustion.
	"Yes, let whatever festivities must occur, occur," said Deathmagick.
	"Then let us dine so that you might be crowned at sunset," said Andreus, and food was produced upon the tables.
	Deathmagick, Pixie, DuResio, Lady Allesis, and Talon sat at the head table.  Below them sat the other Stagemasters and some guards and soldiers, including Andreus.  Matthias quickly engaged him in conversation.
	"How did you get control of that crowd earlier?" he asked in amazement.  "It was fascinating."
	"Shall I let you in on the secret?" said Andreus with a grin.
	"Please do," said Matthias eagerly.
	Andreus leaned in close and whispered behind his hand.  "I was an All-Furcadian Actor before I went into the service," he said.
	"No way!" said Matthias.  "I was, too!"
	"What role?"
	"Tommy in 'The Brick and the Rose' under the great Jason Henderson!" said Matthias, and Mark shuddered at the threat to his popularity.
	"I was Al!" exclaimed Andreus.
	"Hey, me too!" said Dreiden.
	"I was Johnny Blue Eyes!" said Dark Wind.
	"Freddy the Fox, right here," shouted Talon from the top table.
	"Mr. Donahue, Tommy's father, and the bum," said Deathmagick.
	"Mrs. Donahue, Woman Number Three, and the whore," said Pixie.
	"Angry Woman, represent!" said Prika, jumping up.
	"RUN, TOMMY, RUN RUN RUN!" they shouted at once, laughing.
	"Wow, what an amazing coincidence," said Andreus, returning to his food.

Chapter 31
	When the banquet ended, Andreus led Deathmagick to his chambers, and Pixie accompanied them as far as she was allowed.  They traversed winding stone corridors lit by warm torches until they came to a mahogany door in the tallest tower.
	"Your father's chamber," said Andreus to Deathmagick.  "If you wish to have a moment alone with your lady friend, you may have it, but I do request that you be quick.  I shall go in and start cleaning up a bit, get your robes out and such.  Come in whenever you're ready, your highness."
	"Thank you, Andreus.  I shan't be but a minute."
	Andreus bowed and backed into the room.  Through the door, Pixie could see an immaculately kept chamber, with landscapes on the wall and a window looking out onto the deep, beautiful forest.
	"So," said Deathmagick, "this appears to be it."
	"I guess so," said Pixie.  "I only have one question."
	"And what would that be?" asked Deathmagick, raising an eyebrow.
	Pixie wrapped her arms around his neck, put on a thick accent and a slight pout, and asked innocently, "If I make beautiful love to you this evening, when you are king, shall I then be your queen?"
	"We shall see," he said, placing his hands on her waist, and she scoffed and hit him playfully on the shoulder.  He leaned in and kissed her lips gently.
	"Ahem," came Andreus' voice from behind them.  Deathmagick turned around and followed him into the room.  Andreus turned to Pixie and said, "We shall be down in about an hour.  Please tell everyone downstairs that the ceremony will be held outside in front of the castle.  The guard should already be assembling at key points around the castle for anti-terrorism purposes.  We'll be sure to have a peaceful event in honor of his majesty's return.  Should you desire to wait, I'm sure his majesty would adore the company, but you may develop frightful ennui in the ensuing hour."
	"I'll take care of her," said Prika, emerging from the hallway and putting her arm around her tall protégée's shoulder.  She winked at Andreus and led Pixie away.  "So, we've got an hour, eh?  Let's go have some fun."
	"What kind of fun?" asked Pixie.
	"The kind where we seduce helpless mortals," Prika said with a smile.
	"Okay, then," replied Pixie.  "Are we going to them, or are they coming here?"
	"As soon as we deliver your message to the crowd in the Great Hall, we are headed to a small Rhode Island suburb," said Prika, drawing a vial of Instant Dream Portal potion from her bodice.  
"I'll just hook them.  You take it from there," Pixie said.
"I can live with that," said Prika.  "This will be your most memorable training exercise ever."

Chapter 32
	"Roll a d20."
	A pause.
	"You get three damage from the ogre's club."
	"WHAT?!" shouted Tycho, standing in a rage.  "I rolled an eleven, and I have studded leather armor!"
	"You're a halfling.  He's an ogre.  Shut up and sit down," said Graham, the dungeon master.  "Jeremy, your turn.  Roll."
	A pause.
	"Your sword is driven straight into the ogre's heart.  He gasps and falls to the ground dead."
	"Can I get my sword back?"
	"Yes."
	"I'll take my sword back, then."
	Graham turned to Tycho.  "You notice the opening of a cave behind the ogre's bloody corpse."
	"I'll look inside."
	"You see a pile of gold and rubies.  Lying on the pile are two beautiful women dressed in fine gowns."
	Ben spoke up.  "Can I go talk to them, Tellmann?"
	"No, Viall," said Tycho, speaking as his character to Ben's.  "If you remember correctly, the last time you tried to talk to a woman, we ended up hanging upside down over her cauldron."
	"Oh yeah."
	"Let's send Elassar," said Tycho.
	"Out of game.  You need a new name, Jeremy," said Ben.  Jeremy shrugged.
	"Okay, Elassar walks into the cave and the two women awake."
	"What are two such lovely maidens doing here?" asked Jeremy in a commandingly royal voice, speaking for his ranger.
	"Waiting for you," said a gently seductive female voice.
	Jeremy looked up from his character sheet.  "Out of game.  That was oddly convincing, Graham."
	"I didn't say anything," said Graham.  He was looking open-mouthed over the players' heads.  Jeremy, Tycho, and Ben turned around in their chairs.
	Standing behind them were two women, one part cat and one part horse.
	"Hello," said the two women together, waving coyly.
	"Graham, what's in this soda?" asked Tycho, looking at his Diet Moxie.
	"Nothing," said Graham.
	"Are you sure?"
	"Oh, we're real, alright," said the cat-like woman.  She strode over to the table and picked up Jeremy's character sheet.  "Human ranger named Elassar.  Brown hair, blue eyes...well-built...oddly high charisma...proficient with sword and daggers...herb lore, lots of animal skills....This one's right up your alley, Pixie," she read, and winked at her apprentice.
	"Sorry, but...what are you two, exactly?" asked Graham, flipping through his rulebook.
	"Who cares?" said Ben, who was in elated shock.
	The horse-woman looked at her friend, then replied, "We haven't introduced ourselves?  I'm Pixie, and this is Prika.  We're Furres.  You probably have no idea whatsoever of what that means, do you?"
	Graham looked up.  "Stats?"
	"You won't have encountered anything like us before, here or in the real world," said Prika, sitting on the edge of the table.  Pixie sat down on the other side.  Silence hung in the air for a moment.
	Then, in an instant, a loud bang shook the room.  For only a second, a massive army of dog-like men appeared around the table, shouting, and, a second later, they had gone in a puff of black smoke.  When it cleared, Prika looked around frantically for Pixie, but she was gone.
	"Oh god!" she cried.  She then threw a vial on the floor and disappeared in a mass of rose-covered vines.
	The boys sat in stunned silence.  Ben cleared his throat.  Graham picked up the rulebook again.  "Jeremy, roll a d6."
	The words were hardly off his lips when Prika appeared again and shoved them into the portal with her.

Chapter 33
	On the great expanse of lawn in front of the castle, the Stagemasters and all the citizens of Amemna had gathered for the coronation.  A stage had been erected quickly by the techies, showing some of their best work yet.  They now stood with the actors, waiting for Deathmagick to emerge with Andreus and Talon.
	At sunset, they stepped onto the stage from the back and walked slowly out to face the Thendrionis.  Deathmagick was greeted by wild cheers and applause from his soon-to-be subjects.  He raised his hand to slow the applause, but it only grew.  He turned his head and muttered to Talon, "Where's Pixie?"
	"That I don't know, sir," replied Talon.
	"Prika took her away earlier," said Andreus.  "They should have been back by now."  Andreus now raised his hands, and the cheering quieted.  "Ladies and gentlemen of Thendrion, and our distinguished theatrical guests, welcome!  Welcome to this auspicious event.  Without further ado..."
	Suddenly the crowd parted and Prika ran forward, with four human teenage boys at her heels.  She stopped in front of the stage and screamed, "WOLVES!  IN THE NIGHT!" before collapsing in a faint.  Deathmagick leaped off the stage, and he and DuResio picked up Prika and carried her to a seat, where she regained consciousness.
	"What happened?" asked DuResio, trying to keep her calm.
	"Where's Pixie?" demanded Deathmagick.
	"WOLVES!" she cried again.
	"Calm down, now," said Matthias, who had joined them.  "What's all this about wolves?"
	"You don't think..." said DuResio, looking meaningfully at Deathmagick.
	"He got her!  Draconis got her!" Prika said, grabbing Deathmagick's shoulders.  "We were at a D&D game with these boys, and the army just showed up out of nowhere and there was smoke and...when the smoke cleared, she was gone.  She was gone.  I'm sorry.  I'm so sorry."  She pulled a handkerchief from her bodice and blew her nose loudly.
	"It's not your fault," said Deathmagick.
	DuResio nodded in agreement.  "They would have found her wherever she was.  Probably trying to stop the ceremony and get a war started for good this time."
	"Well, we won't let that happen," said Deathmagick, jumping back on the stage.  He knelt before Andreus, who, visibly shaken, placed the ancient jeweled circlet on Deathmagick's head.  Andreus embraced him, and Deathmagick led the Stagemasters back to the castle.

Chapter 34
	WhsshsnapCRACK.
	"AAAGH!"
	Pixie jerked her throbbing head upwards with a shriek as the whip came down again.
	"Harder!" barked Draconis.
	WhsshsnapCRACK.
	"AAAGH!"
	Whsshsnap...
	"What do you want," she begged.
	"Harder, you fool!  Can't you handle a whip?"
	WhsshsnapCRACK.
	"AAAAAGH!"
	"Get out of here.  I'll do it myself."
	"No, please..."
	WhsshsnapCRACK.
	Another scream exploded from Pixie's broken body as the tip of the whip tore her bare and bleeding back once more.  The scream echoed around the dungeon and shook the flames of the torches.
	"Please, stop!"
	There was a soft rustle as Draconis coiled the whip, then five slow pats as he walked across the stone floor of the dungeon.  Pixie saw his cruel leather boots step in front of her and stop.  Draconis touched the coiled whip under her chin and lifted her weary head.  In his eyes she could see a reflection of her tearstained and bleeding face, but no pity for her state.
	"Your meddling," he said in a low voice, "has cost my queen her husband, and me my revenge."  He smiled a wicked half-grin, which bore a cruel and ironic resemblance to his brother's peaceful smile.  "Do you really think I'm going to stop?"
	He threw her head upwards and struck it with the coiled whip.  Pixie would have scratched his face off, if her hands were not shacked to the ceiling.  She would have broken his ribs with her powerful hooves, were they not tied down, two feet above the ground.  Pixie gritted her teeth against the scream that nearly burst out of her lungs, and struggled against her bonds, but they would not break.  Draconis smiled again and walked slowly behind Pixie.
	Swssh...
	The whip was uncoiled.
	WhsshsnapCRACK.
	"AAAAAGH!"
	Suddenly, the door banged open.  "What the hell is going on in here?" said the queen's voice.
	"Just a bit of torture, your highness.  Care to watch?  Take your mind off things?  It's rather soothing, in a way."
	"Draconis, your spies must be either deaf or complete numbskulls.  You can't hurt her this way."
	"Au contraire, your highness.  Haven't you heard the cries?"
	Lovejoy walked in front of Pixie and lifted her chin to look into her eyes.
	"She was a mortal horse once, Draconis, too familiar with man's whip to feel any pain from yours.  She said that in this very room, didn't you hear it?  Did you not see her skill?"  Lovejoy ran a finger along Pixie's face, tracing the tear-lines that mingled with her deep red blood.  "Those are player's tears."
	"No!" said Pixie frantically.
	"She was All-Furc."  Lovejoy dropped Pixie's head, which rested against her chest.
	"Have you no mercy?"
	Lovejoy looked into Pixie's eyes once more and said, as though to a child, "Of course not, dear."  She strode quickly to the door.  "Find another method, Draconis," she said harshly and left, slamming the door behind her.
	"Gladly," said Draconis, hanging the whip on the weapon rack.  Pixie trembled at the pleasure in his voice and, out of the corner of her eye, caught the reflection of a large key.

Chapter 35
	Andreus led the Stagemasters, the Thendrioni generals, and the D&D nerds into a secret meeting chamber deep under the castle.  Bustling around inside was a crew of about twenty Furres who were examining and updating maps on the walls.
	"Wow," said Dark Wind.  "A real live war room."  His right hand flew up and he slapped it down with his left.  Sopralto glared at him.  "I couldn't resist!" he said.
	"We have spies on constant watch along the border," said Andreus.  "Talon, now that you're back, could you draw us up a map of Castle Madeline?"
	"Of course," he said, and sat down at a piece of grid paper to begin.
	Ben coughed uncomfortably.
	"Yes?" said DuResio, who was examining a sketch of Madeleinian armor.
	"Um, is there anything for us"-- he gestured at the other nerds-"to do around here?" 
	"You could search for your counterparts," said DuResio.
	"Huh?"
	"Well, legend has it that every human has at least one Furre counterpart, or perhaps the other way around.  It's sort of... not exactly a soul mate....I suppose it's really their fantasy self, expressed through the Furre body.  They tend to have the same tastes in battle preferences and physical attraction, but everything else can vary profoundly.  I met mine once, when I was wandering around the third dimension.  We had a lovely long discussion about just about everything.  You'll know yours as soon as you meet him...or her..."
	"Wait," said Ben.  "I could be a girl?"
	"Maybe," said DuResio.  "As far as I gather, Talon's one of about fifty counterparts for one human boy, and most of them are female."
Ben was instantly intrigued and started wandering around the war room.  He first went to the more handsome males, like Deathmagick and Matthias, but was quickly disappointed by their dedication and tolerance.  Moving on to the techies, he discovered that Tycho had already struck up a conversation with Tellmann, who was certainly his counterpart.  They both hated actors and Ben.  Graham was getting his long blonde hair braided by Brunson, an extra and a techie.  Ben tried to talk with Angela, but ran away quickly when she threatened him with the beating of a lifetime.  In a far corner, though, he found a weasel with a ponytail who was trying to pick the lock on his miniature pyrotechnics kit.
"Hey," he said.
"Go away," said Viall before looking up.  When he saw Ben's face, he gaped.  "Wait a second..."
"You've got lock picks and pyro kits!"
"You have an annoyingly thieving attitude and a cool hat!"
"Counterpart!" they both cried out, and gave each other high fives.
Now only Jeremy was left without a counterpart, so he watched Talon drawing for a while before the door banged open.  Three feline guards led a hooded figure inside.
"Get in there, you," said one.
He stumbled inside and struggled against them, but he could not break loose.
Andreus approached him and asked, "What manner of being is this?"
"We caught him sneaking in by the stables," said another guard.
"Ranger, by the looks of him," said the third.
"Well, what have you to say for yourself, ranger?"
"I say that your guards are worse than the Madeleinians," said the cloaked ranger.
"On what grounds?" demanded Andreus.
"Five of my band have entered behind me undetected," he said.
Andreus scoffed.  "Impossible," he said, and started laughing.  He stopped abruptly when five arrows flew over the guards' heads and lodged themselves neatly in the wall.  Two mice, a feline, a mongoose, and a canine ran through the door, arrows ready.
"Who are you, and what are you doing in this castle?" asked Andreus again.
"Relax, young man.  We are allies."  The ranger turned his cloaked head to Deathmagick.  "Your king is practically a son to me."
Andreus removed the ranger's hood to reveal a middle-aged, but roguishly handsome, feline with brown head fur flecked with gray and deep blue eyes.
"Elassar?" said Deathmagick, recognizing the ranger who had raised him.
"Indeed," said the ranger, smiling.
"This man was my mentor!" said Deathmagick.  "He raised me until I was sixteen, and taught me everything I know.  We can trust him."
Jeremy walked over to the ranger and examined him.  He looked over Elassar's leather armor and traced the markings on his sword hilt.  "You're just like I imagined you," he said.
"Someone's told you about counterparts, I see," said Elassar.  He turned to the guards.  "Why don't you have him tied up?"  They shrugged.  "Foolish creatures, your feeble logic has failed you once again!"  
"Release him," said Deathmagick.  "He'll make himself useful.  Always does," he added with a smile.
The guards released Elassar, who embraced Deathmagick, then shook Jeremy's hand and took him off to examine Talon's sketches and aid in the drafting process.
Deathmagick approached Andreus.  "How long will it take to coordinate an attack?"
"On those defenses?  It depends on our tactics and Talon's memory."  He looked at the nerds, who were now scattered around the war room.  "Do you think they'll prove useful?"
"Those guys?  They know weapons and strategy inside and out, and most likely Elassar's counterpart has skills in just about every area you could think of."
"We'll need all the help we can get," said Andreus.
Deathmagick sighed.
"Don't worry, your highness.  We'll rescue Pixie."
"What do you think they're doing to her?"

Chapter 36
Isolation does strange things to the mind.  Within a matter of hours, the lack of external stimuli may force the mind to create some of its own.  Draconis loved to torment the prisoners in Solitary, making strange noises echo in their cells through hollow pipes in the walls and lying in wait for the moment when they cracked, not knowing if the noises were real or only in their heads.
"Deliciously tedious, no?" he asked the queen as they walked through the hidden halls behind the library, glancing at each tortured prisoner's pale and clammy face with its wide, unblinking eyes.
"Indeed," she replied.
"Most break in about...oh...twenty hours.  Fifteen, if we're lucky.  We're coming up on a particularly difficult character.  He's lasted three days in the cell now, but he can't hold out much longer.  That is, unless he was already mad."
They peered into cell A-42 and saw a human male of about thirty-five years of age.  He was not conspicuously tall or handsome, but his ginger hair framed his face with its infrequently blinking gray eyes quite nicely.  He sat with his back against the far wall, humming a little tune and gazing around the room in a not-quite-curious fashion.
"Good lord, Draconis, don't tell me that you captured Ford Prefect."
"Six days ago, milady.  If you remember correctly, he snapped quite nicely the first time around, before he told us all about B-612."
"So that's what you're calling her now?"
"I try to avoid naming them.  It makes the torture harder...though not so much in her case," said Draconis, closing the observation hatch.
"Oh, now I remember!  He was the screamer, right?"
"They're all screamers, your highness."
"No, no, he was the really loud one, while the actors were here."
"Yes, your majesty.  He was a great deal of fun to break, so I threw him in here for my amusement."  Draconis led her down the B hall.  "He's a torture device in and of himself.  A-42 drove his guards mad just by talking to them, before we got him down here.  Ah, here's our little seductress now."  He stopped in front of cell B-612 and slid open the observation hatch.  "Thirty-six hours and counting. She's another strong one."
Pixie lay on the floor inside.  She was asleep with her back to them.  Her red hair matched the deep hue of the blood that had seeped through her bandages.
"Don't you usually let your victims bleed, Draconis?"
"I do, but apparently one of her guards took pity on her."
"I hope you disposed of him," said the queen in disgust.
"Not yet.  Actually, he's right next door to her.  Care to look?"
"In a moment.  So, how's our dear B-612 doing?"
"She's moved into Stage One, I believe."
	"Stage One?"
	"Apathy.  Most hit Stage One in about an hour, and we get them out of it with a few odd sounds.  It took her ten to hit it, and she hasn't come out yet."
	"So, how could you tell?"
	"Well, I had her in this delightfully tight black leather backless corset number..."
	"Mix of pleasure and pain?"
	"Her pain.  My pleasure," he said, then quickly explained, "It makes the whipping easier and dehumanizes her to the guards."
	"Right," the queen said sarcastically.
	"Anyway, she was asleep when the idiot snuck in here.  He removed her corset, absolutely fighting his pleasure at seeing...what he saw...and she woke up, right when he started putting on the bandages."  Draconis laughed aloud.  "She just lay there.  No expression, no emotion, no movement but light breathing and closing her eyes.  If he were a stronger Furre, pitiless and truly a tormentor, he could have had his way with her and she wouldn't have cared!  It was beautiful!"
	Lovejoy smiled and looked into the cell again.  Her smile subsided quickly.  "You're sure she's really in Stage One, Draconis?" she asked.
	"This time I'm positive, your highness.  I'm sending A-42 in tomorrow to finish her.  She stands no chance now!"
	"Then what are those?" she asked, gesturing at Pixie.
	Pixie had rolled over in her sleep, and tears were slipping down her nose into a puddle that had collected beside her.
	Draconis bared his teeth and growled as he slammed the hatch shut.  He shouted angrily at the guard in front of the next door, "Break B-613 now!"  The guard stammered wordlessly until Draconis pushed him roughly out of the way and howled, enraged, into the pipe that ran around B-613's chamber.  Lovejoy slid open the hatch and watched the dog inside, the guard who had cared for Pixie.  His eyes started twitching and, with his tail between his legs, shrieked as though all the hounds of hell were at his back.  Draconis watched through the hatch, unsmiling with narrowed eyes.
	"There are only three stages of insanity in my dungeons," said Draconis through gritted teeth as the heart-wrenching screams continued.  "Apathy, paranoid delusion, and abject terror."  He turned to the guard, who cowered against the wall.  "Prepare B-612's chamber for Stage Two, and bring A-42 down here.  With any luck, she'll be in Stage Three in an hour."

Chapter 37
	Sopralto handed Deathmagick a cup of tea to calm his nerves.  "It can't take much longer."
	"It's been three days," he said, drumming his fingers on the table.  "The map was done ages ago.  Why don't we have a plan yet?"
	"Um, have you been in the war room lately, Deathmagick?" asked Sopralto.  Deathmagick shook his head.  Sopralto sighed.  "Maybe you should see what's going on in there."
	They walked downstairs and opened the door.  Jeremy looked up from the map briefly, then turned back to the table.  "Graham?"
	"Roll."
	A pause as three twenty-sided dice hit the table.
	"Elassar will lead the charge down the main hallway."
	Prika interrupted, "There are armed guards at the entrance and stationed at points all along the corridor."
	Graham looked at her in annoyance.  "They didn't know that yet."
	Ben rolled a die.  "I still don't know that."
	"What are you doing?" asked Deathmagick.
	"Planning the attack," said Tycho, "using the stats of our actors, techies, and soldiers in realistic situations."
	"So basically," said Deathmagick, "you're playing Dungeons and Dragons."
	"With about forty main characters and a few that are made up of full battalions, yes," said Tycho.  "The character sheets alone took ten hours."
	Tellmann was banging his head on a rulebook in extreme aggravation.  Deathmagick seriously considered joining him.

Chapter 38
	"Is he sedated?"
	"Hard to tell with this guy."
	"Well, can we get him out of here yet?"
	"Yeah, why not?"
	The two guards picked up A-42.
	"Hello."
	"Ah crap, he woke up."
	"Bloody Brit."
	"I'm not a Brit, thank you."
A-42 noticed the movement of the floor underneath him.
"So, where are we going?"
	"You're going to see an old friend."
	"Excellent.  Will there be drinks?"
	"No."
	"Damn."
	"Well, here we are.  Toss him in."
	"Can I have some more sedative?" asked A-42.
	"No."
	"Damn."
Chapter 39
	"We're never getting out of here, are we?" said Anno to Sopralto.
	"Dark Wind doesn't seem to think so," she replied.
Dark Wind was huddled in a corner inside a foxhole of overturned tables, rocking back and forth unsettlingly while DuResio sang protest songs from his perch on one of the tabletops.  From under his metal helmet, Dark Wind muttered in quiet insanity, "You can get anything you want at Rachel Adler's House...You can get anything you want at Rachel Adler's house..."
"It's almost like he wishes he were back in 'Nam," said Anno.
"Sometimes," said Dark Wind, "I almost wish I was back in 'Nam."
"Okay, that was creepy."
Meanwhile, the nerds were still "planning" the attack.  Ben, playing for Viall, proved to be essentially useless except for distraction purposes.  They had attracted a small crowd of generals, who planned various aspects of the attack off of the randomness of the die rolls.  The others, not so enticed, had gathered with Deathmagick and Andreus around a second copy of the map.
"Isn't there another way into the torture hall?" asked Andreus.  "This one is so heavily guarded.  They could put enough soldiers in the main hallway to kill us all in minutes.  It's designed for defense."
"That's the only way we know," said Talon.
"Can we corner them in there?" asked Dreiden.
"No.  There's probably a secret exit that the most important soldiers know for escape purposes.  That, or they're prepared for a siege in their own dungeons and have stocked up supplies for such an event."
"Isn't anyone useful around here?!" shouted Deathmagick.
"If any of our spies ever returned from Castle Madeline's dungeons..." said Andreus, drifting off sadly.
Deathmagick put his arm around Andreus.  "I'm sorry," he said.  "If there were just some way..."
Talon shook his head.  "There's not a Furre in the world who knows the plans that well."
Dark Wind continued to mutter.  "Walk right in, it's really cool..."
The nerds stared at him.  "You're disturbing me," said Tycho.
"Just a few miles from the high school..."
"Wait, isn't that 'Alice's Restaurant'?" asked Ben.
"No," said Sopralto.  "It's a spoof of 'Alice's Restaurant' called 'Rachel's House', written by Rachel Adler and Bess Karner, two humans in the early twenty-first century."
Jeremy's eyes grew as wide as saucers.  He started jerking his arms around, searching for the words for his revelation.  "Dude!" he finally burst out.
"What?" asked Anno.
"Dude!" said Jeremy again, flailing more wildly.  He turned to Ben.  "We're in Bess' story!"
The generals turned to look at him.
"You're the Quillarrow Stagemasters!" exclaimed Jeremy.
"Yes..." said Matthias, who was the proud president of the organization.
Talon grabbed Jeremy by his shirt collar and raised him into the air.  "What did you say about a story?!"
"This is our friend's Furrefic!" he said, not at all afraid of Talon.  "She's got this cult following at the high school...albeit a very small cult...but yeah, she writes this story, and all you guys are in it!"
Ben's head snapped up.  "Hey, where's that Pixie chick?  She sounds hot!"
Tellmann and Tycho both hit him hard with rule books.
"How accurate is she?" demanded Talon.
"Um, judging by the way you're holding me, pretty damn accurate," said Jeremy.
"Dialogue?"
"To the letter, I'd say.  She tells it from so many perspectives.  You really get the full picture."
"Do you know where to find her?" asked Talon.
Dark Wind emerged from the foxhole.  "What does a human author have to do with anything?"
"If she can write about us in such detail," said Talon, "then she must be a Mediator."
"A what, now?" asked Viall.
"A Mediator," said DuResio in a voice that quietly requested and received attention, "is an extreme counterpart, who can see the future of their Furcadian counterpart and the world around him or her in extreme detail.  They never realize it, of course.  The concept of the actual existence of Furres is hard for them to grasp, so they think it's all fiction.  Humans call them Furrefic writers.  Their works are essentially useless to us because we only receive the stories at their completion, when the events have already occurred.  They're all stored in the Quillarrow public library, in the Personal History section.  Furrefic is basically an ego-booster for the typical Furre, who feels proud to have a Mediator for a counterpart."
"Mediators tend to have their counterpart's entire world plotted out, down to the tiniest details," said Talon.
"Then was Tolkien some kind of Mediator to Middle-Earth?" asked Jeremy.
"No," said DuResio.  "He just had a vivid imagination."
"If this human is Pixie's counterpart, then she must know every turn of the Madeleinian dungeons," said Talon.  "She may be of use to us."
"Can we contact her somehow?" asked Deathmagick.
"Perhaps," said Talon, "but it might be tricky.  No one's ever tried to contact a Mediator before.  Most likely, we'll have to cross over and meet her in her own world."
"How many can go?" asked Deathmagick.
"However many we can fit through a dream portal without causing a commotion in her world.  Maybe three.  You should definitely go, Deathmagick..."
"Call him 'your highness', Talon," said Andreus, elbowing Talon.
"Niceties can wait," said Deathmagick.  "You should come, too, Talon."
"Can I go?" asked Dark Wind, throwing off his helmet.
"Please take him!" pleaded Sopralto.  "I'll give you coffee!  Lots of coffee!"
Andreus sighed.  "You'll need someone she can identify with," he said.
"Yeah, he's kind of a main character," said Ben.
"All right," said Deathmagick.  Dark Wind danced with joy.  "We'll leave as soon as we have definitive plans to take to the Mediator."
"An hour, then," said Talon, and everyone agreed.
"I hope this works," said Deathmagick.

Chapter 40
"Do it!" shouted Draconis.
"I can't," said the tiny mouse wizard.  "She's too beautiful for this..."
"Beauty means nothing to me, and it won't save you," said Draconis, twisting the dagger in front of the mouse's eyes.  The flickering torchlight reflected off of its ornate handle and shining silver blade and frightened the mouse.
"Please..." he begged.
"To me, it's your life or her insanity.  Your life is less costly to me.  I have other wizards, Mentra.  You are nothing in my dungeon."
"I just can't..."
Draconis bared his teeth and raised the dagger over the mouse on the rack.
"Wait!" shouted Mentra when the knife was one inch above his heart.  "I'll do it!"
Draconis snapped his fingers and two sentries unlocked Mentra's irons and carried him to the door of cell B-612.  Mentra swallowed hard and conjured a flower, which he slipped through the observation hatch.  It floated to the floor, where it started a swirl of color.  In a minute, the two inhabitants of the cell, one human and one equine Furre, were lying in a psychedelically colored meadow.  A tea table set for two appeared between them.
"Excellent work, Mentra," said Draconis, grinning maniacally.
"Can I leave now?" the wizard asked meekly.
"Take him back to his cell," said Draconis to the guards.  Mentra was too exhausted to fight them.

Chapter 41
"Go to bed!"
"I'm in the middle of a chapter!  You wouldn't understand."
"Oh yeah, your little smut fantasy."
"It's not dirty!  It just happens to have some romantic elements..."
"Then let me read it."
"No!"
"If you don't want me to read it, then you probably shouldn't be writing it."
"So writing fantasy with a love story in it is sending me to hell now?"
"Whatever.  Don't wake me up."
"Fine.  Whatever."
With her sister gone, Bess sat down at the computer.  She was suffering from an extreme case of writer's block.  Okay, she thought to herself.  So what's going on in Furcadia?  Torture and endless D&D planning.  So what do I write between now and the whole big rescue thing?
The computer screen suddenly went black.  Oh my god... she thought exasperatedly.  I didn't get to save!  Not that I wrote much anyw...what the...
A rose appeared in the middle of the screen.  Green vines started to wind themselves out from under the rose, growing in symmetrical patterns on the screen.  Then the screen went white.  The power intensified and it became blinding.  Bess fell over backwards and was knocked unconscious by the hardwood floor underneath her.
When she came to, there was a light pressure on her chest.
"She's alive...I think...heartbeats are good, right?"
"Gah!"  She shouted and sat up as a blue head flew off of her ribs.
"Calm down," said a fox-like young man in a trench coat.  "We're not going to hurt you."
"What are you doing here?" she asked, picking up her binder and raising it to strike.
"We have come from a world far beyond your own..." started Talon, but Deathmagick stopped him.
"It's okay.  She recognized us."
"I have realized that I am in a state of unconscious hallucination as a result of banging my head rather hard on the floor.  What are you doing here?" she repeated.
"We need your soul," said Dark Wind.
"We've come to get your advice on a few rather important details," said Deathmagick.
"Wait a second," said Bess, scribbling something on a piece of paper and handing it to Dark Wind.  "Say this."
"What?"
"Just say it."
"I-ay all-cay orth-fay an-ay ice-ay orm-stay?"
The entire population of the room was suddenly dressed in togas.
"Gah!  My trench coat!" shouted Talon.  "What have you done?"
Bess quickly suppressed her giggles.  "So," she said, "why did you come to me?"
"You know counterparts?" said Deathmagick.
"Yeah," she said.
"Well, if what your friends tell us is true, then you're more than just a regular counterpart to Pixie.  You're a Mediator."
"What's that?"
"The short version is, you can see what's going to happen in our world, and you know every detail of the Furres and their surroundings.  Then you write it in Furrefic."
Bess sat down in a nearby armchair.  "So it's not just an adaptation of my real world into fantasy or an outlet for my horrendously stifled creativity; it's..."
"Real, yes," said Talon.
"Then why didn't you go to your counterpart, Talon?" asked Bess.  "He's read my story so far, and he's written lots more Furrefic than me.  It's much better, too.  More suited to the war on the horizon."
"Because he doesn't know Castle Madeline any better than Dark Wind."
"Hey, I resent that!" said Dark Wind.
"Did you say war?" asked Deathmagick.
"I'm not exactly sure yet."
"Okay then," said Talon.
"Down to business," said Deathmagick.  He unfolded Talon's map of the castle.  "We need to know if there's any way down to the dungeons besides the main entrance."
"There's a secret entrance in the library, behind the center bookshelf," said Bess, pointing out the hall and drawing the narrow passage behind it.  "It leads straight into the Solitary wing.  That's where Pixie is right now, but she may not be there when you get in."
"Haven't you come up with that part yet?" asked Dark Wind.
"I was toying with ideas a few days ago, but I haven't got anything definitive yet."
There was a short silence.  Then Deathmagick asked the heaviest question.  "What are they doing to her?"
Bess hesitated and opened the file on her computer.  Deathmagick glanced over the later chapters and a tear came to his eye.  Talon read over his shoulder, wincing every few seconds.  "I'm sorry," said Bess.
"There's nothing you could have done," said Talon.  "It would have happened anyway."
Deathmagick bowed down and kissed Bess' hand.  "Thank you for your help," he said.  "It will not be soon forgotten."  She swooned slightly and he leapt back into the computer, followed by Talon.
Dark Wind was about to jump through the monitor when Bess said, "Hey, good luck with the ice storm."  He smiled hopefully and jumped into the glowing light.  It filled the room once more and Bess winced against the brightness.
When she woke up, she was lying on the floor in front of the computer with a nasty bump on the back of her head.  She instantly leapt up and started writing about her dream.

Chapter 42
Pixie held her hand to her aching head, but quickly recoiled when her fingers grazed one of her face's many bruises.  She drew a sharp breath when she winced, and she noticed the scent of flowers.  It brought her back to... something...
Suddenly, a familiar voice said, "Hallo, love."
Pixie's eyes snapped open and she sat up slowly, fighting the immense pain in her back.  She was in a colorful meadow, under a beautiful purple sky, by the delicately pink sea, which seemed to ebb and flow around eternity.  There was a human man sitting at a tea table immediately to her left.
"Ford?"
"I think so," he said, "but I've never quite been sure of that."
"Excuse me?"
"Never mind.  Have some tea."  He poured her a cup, but she did not accept it immediately.  "If you're real, then you've lost a lot of possibly very real blood.  This apparently existent tea might very well boost your possible immune system."
	Pixie took the tea and sipped it slowly for a few minutes.  It was not truly hot, but not really cool, while still being nowhere in the middle.  However, the tangibility was somewhat comforting...if it was really tangible...
	"So," she said at last, "where are we?"
	"I've been trying to narrow down where we aren't," said Ford, "and so far, all I can tell is that we aren't.  Then again, that's my general consensus on most matters."
	"We aren't what?"
	"Just aren't," he said with his usual aloof smile.  Pixie remembered it well, and remembered why she had first loved him.
	"What do you mean?" she asked.
	"Well, I haven't really known whether or not anything exists around me for quite some time."
	"Must be awful," she said.
	"Not really," he replied, pouring blue-green sugar into the coffee.  "I decided quite a while ago that I'm a figment of my own imagination, and everything got easier after that."
	"But what if you are real?" asked Pixie.
	"Then you can't be," he replied, "because I think that I was in the Madeleinian dungeon corridor a few moments ago.  That is, unless this is reality and the last six months were just an idle fantasy.  It's happened before.  I wouldn't be surprised if that possible history repeated itself."
	Pixie didn't exactly want that to be true, so she began to speculate as well.  "Maybe I'm real, and you're just a dream, for I have often dreamt of you."
	"Oh, have you?" he asked.  "I believe that I'm flattered, but that may not be true."
	"And I have wondered what things would have been like if I hadn't run away from you."  She paused.  "I'm sorry to say that I haven't seen good things in that department."
	"Ah well," he said, pouring more tea, which gave off a heavy steam when it hit the cup.  The steam nearly swam through the air before it caught a beam of light and sailed away into oblivion.  "Well, what if this is real?  What if you hadn't run off at all?"
	"Then the dream would still exist, wouldn't it?"
	"Only if you let it," he said with the slightest hint of lustful hope as he put his hand on hers.  "That's the thing about the mind, if it exists at all.  It defines what is real and not."
	"And that is the essential difference between us," said Pixie, who gently pushed the hand off of her own.
	"What is?" asked Ford.
	"You don't believe in anything.  You could lie in this strawberry field forever," she said, plucking a fruit and tossing it to him, enjoying this new game of logic, "and just think that it was all some kind of dream, that it didn't exist, and you didn't exist within it.  To you, nothing is real."  The non-existent fruit floated through the air like a dandelion seed and passed straight through his hand when he reached to grab it.  "Whereas I," she said, picking another fruit and biting into it, "take most things as being reality.  Then, sometimes, I decide to change it around a bit."  She closed her eyes and laid down, letting the flowers grow over her, forming a shade of governed existence.  "I'm surprised you've survived so long on non-existent food and drink, and stayed awake with your non-existent sleep."  Pixie poured the remainder of her tea over herself and it formed a soft brown woven blanket.  "As for me, I need whatever real rest I can get, so please excuse me."  She went back to sleep.
	Ford was bewildered.  He stared at the tea and tentatively poured a small stream onto his leg, then jumped up with a small yell.
	"So you believe in pain," said Pixie from her shaded haven.  "That's a start."
	Ford looked at her in astonishment once more, then smiled, laid down in the flowers and slept.  As he did, the flowers covered him as they had covered Pixie, for he had found something real.

Chapter 43
	"It's been two hours.  Has she awoken?" Draconis asked of the young guard who was watching over Pixie and Ford.
	"Well, she did, but now she's asleep again," he replied.
	"Did he speak to her?"
	"Yes..." said the guard hesitantly.
	"And...?" said Draconis, flexing his fingers threateningly above his sword.
	"She spoke back," said the guard.
	"What did he say?  What did he do to her?"
	"I don't know what he said exactly, because I couldn't follow it, but he made her think," the guard said, "and then she did the same thing to him.  Now they're just sleeping in there."
	"Does she think it's real?"
	"I'm not sure, exactly."
	"You're not sure?"
	"Well, he said it wasn't real, like you said he would, but then she said that it was.  Then she changed it."
	"She what?" he said, grabbing the young guard by his collar and lifting him into the air with a sword at his throat.
	"Ch...ch...changed it!" the guard stammered.  "J...j...just look inside!"  He pointed at the observation hatch.
	Draconis peered inside and saw Pixie and Ford in a shady grove, which had grown around them in their sleep.  "Damn her!" he shouted, then dropped the guard and flung the door open.  The spell was broken instantly, and the flowers evaporated as the sea melted into itself and the pink sky became cast into gray stones that matched the floor.  Draconis leapt over the sleeping Ford, grabbed Pixie by the shoulders and flung her against the wall.  She awoke when her back hit the stone, and cried out as she hit the floor.  Draconis yelled, "How did you do it?!"
	"Do what?" she cried.
	"Change reality!  Change your world!"
	"It wasn't my world," she said weakly.  "I decided it wasn't my world.  It was too perfect, and you wouldn't give me that happiness to save your life.  It couldn't be."
	"Where did you get the idea that it wasn't real?"
	"From Ford," she said with a trace of a rebellious smile before she fainted from the pain.
	Draconis spat on the floor and yelled at the crowd of guards that had accumulated at the door to pick up A-42 and bring him back to his cell.  Then he stormed out and locked the door, leaving Pixie on the floor, broken in body but even stronger in spirit.

Chapter 44
	"We've got it!" proclaimed Talon as he fell into the war room through the portal in the wall, raising the map into the air.  Dark Wind flew through after him and landed sharply on the opposite side of the chamber.  "We have the complete plan!"
	A cheer rose from the crowd in the war room.
	"And I'm going to get my ice storm!" shouted Dark Wind.
	The crowd fell silent, with the exception of Sopralto, who cried out and hid under the table.
	Elassar and Andreus looked over the edited map and handed it to the generals for perusal.
	"What have we got by way of a strategy?" Deathmagick asked Elassar.
	"So far, our strategy has involved duct-taping Ben and Viall into chairs and hiding Graham's dice."
	"Is that all we have?"
	"Well, the entirety of the Dungeons and Dragons game is transcribed on those scrolls," said Elassar, signaling a pile of scrolls about a foot deep and two wide.  "We didn't know whether or not they'd be useful."
	"What was their general strategy?"
	"Their general strategy was to follow the dice and whatever information we could give them.  Well, give Graham, anyway.  Consequentially, there were several errors in their planning..."
	"Such as...?" asked Deathmagick.
	"Well, firstly, we didn't know about your secret passage."
	"Well, it's not mine."
	"I know that."
	"Never mind.  Go on."
	"Secondly, the dice are far too random to really know what could happen."
	"Is there a third problem?"
	"Yes, actually."
	"What is it?"
	"They relied on everyone fighting."  Elassar signaled at the corner.
	"Ah."  Deathmagick looked around the room, and saw that a great deal of the Stagemasters had turned Dark Wind's trenches into a stage for a peace rally.  Leading the current song session were Sopralto and DuResio.  Sopralto plucked the strings of her left-handed guitar in a happy harmony while DuResio recited everyone's favorite monologue.
	"That was horrible.  If you want to end war and stuff you got to sing loud. I've been singing this song now for twenty five minutes. I could sing it for another twenty five minutes.  I'm not proud... or tired.  So we'll wait till it comes around again, and this time with four-part harmony and feeling."
	The chorus came around again on the guitar, and the entire rally sang, "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant"-DuResio cut in, "Excepting Alice"-"You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant.  Walk right in, it's around the back, just a half a mile from the railroad track.  You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant."
	DuResio and Sopralto finished in a harmony.  "Da da da da da da da dum, at Alice's Restaurant!"
	Applause echoed around the war room until Deathmagick jumped on stage and put a stop to it.
	"Why you harshin' on our vibe?" asked Dreiden with a silly smile.
	"Because you're all crazy!" Deathmagick shouted.
	"Hey, we want Pixie back just as much as you do," said Sopralto as she stood up.  She glared fearlessly at Deathmagick, even though she hardly came up to this shoulder.  "Some of us just don't believe in war as a means of diplomatic action.  That's all."
	"Just how do you propose that we get her back without a battle, when the Madeleinians have their dungeons guarded by ruthless armed soldiers who are willing to die for their countries?" he asked her.
	"Easy," she said.  Sopralto put down her guitar and sprang over her audience, followed by DuResio.  They walked to the table upon which the map was spread.  "These the new plans?"
	"Yes.  There's a passage hidden behind the central bookcase in Lovejoy's library."
	Sopralto took DuResio aside and called Anno to confer with them.  In a few seconds, they returned.  DuResio pulled a pencil out of his hair and his intricate bun sprang apart.
	"I spent fifteen minutes on that hairstyle!" said Dark Wind, putting his hands on his hips.
	DuResio ignored him and started drawing on the map.  "Sopralto and I, along with the villagers and any others who don't want to fight directly, will organize a mass distraction just out of firing range of Castle Madeline."  He drew the range of the Madeleinian weaponry as a thin line, then shaded a small, irregular shape just beyond it.  "I'll need three techies to run sound, light, and lookout."
	"Done."
	"Your troops enter through the back entrance while we draw fire at the front.  Split up in the main hall.  Andreus and General Stacia," he said, pointing out a tall female feline with a delicate face and fiery eyes, "will lead a direct assault down the main dungeon corridor.  Once again, this is to buy you time to get to the library and down the secret passageway to the cell where we assume they hold Pixie."  He paused and looked up.  "Do we know exactly where she is?"
	"Cell B-612."
	DuResio shuddered, and his auburn curls shook as he turned his face from Deathmagick.
	"What?"
	"That's in the Solitary block.  Do you know what goes on down there?"
	Deathmagick shook his head.  "I only know what I saw from the Mediator's manuscript, but that's enough."
	"You want to get down there as quickly as you can.  You may be safer once you get into the Solitary wing.  If I know Draconis, he'll be on top of the wall or at the dungeon entrance.  He's one of those Furres who'd rather die killing than die waiting."
	"What will you do if he leads forces down to the distraction field?" asked Deathmagick.
	"Sopralto will cloak everyone but me, and they'll escape while I try to reason with Draconis."
	"And if reason fails?"
	DuResio swallowed hard, holding back self-disgust and tears.  "Murkwater has my sword."  Deathmagick embraced his friend, who felt weak in his arms.  "It's a last resort.  Only if there's no other way."
	"You're a good Furre, DuResio Allesis," said Deathmagick, leading him to a seat.
	Sopralto changed the subject quickly.  "The assault on the dungeon corridor is essential to the success of your mission.  We want to put the following Furres and humans under the command of Andreus and Stacia."  She addressed the room as a whole.  "Please let me know if you want to be in the assault crew by calling out aye or nay as Anno calls your name."
Anno put on a pair of silver-rimmed glasses and read the names off of a sheet of paper.  "Anno.  Aye.  Viall."
"Mmf," he said from under the duct tape that held his mouth shut.  Jeremy ripped the tape off his mouth.  "AAAAAAAGH!" he shouted.
"I'll take that as an 'aye'," said Anno.  "Ben."
Jeremy took Ben's tape off even more painfully.  "What the f..."
Anno cut him off quickly.  "Also 'aye'.  Elassar and Jeremy."
"Aye."
"Aye as well."  They high-fived each other.
Anno checked off their names.  "Tycho."
"Nay," he said.
"Any particular reason?"
"You need someone to run sound, and your board's identical to Barrington's.  I can run it for you."
"Okay.  How about Tellmann?"
"Aye."
"Graham and Brunson?"
"We're in!"
"Matthias...Dreiden...Angela...Dan...Mark..."
"Wait a second," said Mark.  "Why do I have to go?"
"You're useless at music and hopelessly loud for a secret mission."
"Plus, everyone wants you dead.  Sorry to have to tell you, but there it is," said Sopralto.  Mark shrugged.
Anno continued to call off names until he paused at one.  He conferred with Sopralto.
"Why does he have to go?"
"Because he'll be useful."
"You just don't want him at the rally.  He has about as much chance of being useful as I do of memorizing all the digits of pi."
"Come on!"
"Okay."  He turned back to the crowd.  "Dark Wind."
"YES!"
"Okay, that's all for the assault crew.  Report to the armory this evening for armor and weapons.  Now, the rescue crew will consist of Deathmagick, Talon, Prika, and Ysodria.  You will also need armor and weapons, so head to the armory after the others finish.  You'll get leather armor, and the others will have whatever the armory's got.  DuResio and Sopralto, as well as their techies, should also wear leather under their clothes.  Agreed?"
DuResio and Sopralto nodded.  Murkwater, Tycho, and a brown feline named Eilia, one of Elassar's band, agreed.
"You depart an hour before sunrise," said DuResio, standing again, "so get some rest as soon as you've eaten and gotten your gear.  Move out!"
The Stagemasters saluted him and followed orders, quietly wondering why their peace-loving friend was such a good strategist.

Chapter 45
"Believe me, Draconis, I hate the wench more than you do," said Lovejoy to her pacing head of operations.
"Forgive me, your highness, but that's a bit hard to believe right now."  Draconis slumped in an ornately carved mahogany chair.  "She just keeps..."
"I understand."
"No, your majesty, you can't.  Every minute that she lives in sanity is a direct assault on my power.  I'm starting to think that she'll never break."
"Even if she doesn't, you can't kill her."
"She's mortal.  Of course I can."
"No, no, no.  We need her.  I need her."
"When we discovered that she hurt you, I wanted to torture her.  Just to hear her screaming, I thought, would calm my rage.  Now her very existence is killing my soul, and I want her dead.  Please, your majesty, grant me my only wish!"
"You'll just have to wait for his decision."
"We don't even know if they're coming.  For all we know, those disgusting peaceniks will have prevented my war from starting.  That's just the kind of thing that DuResio would..."
The heavy door banged open and a young aide ran into the throne room.
"What news?" asked the queen.
"Your highness," he said, bowing deeply, "intelligence indicates that the Thendrionis may mobilize as early as tomorrow."
"Prepare your forces for an attack, Draconis," said Lovejoy.  "You may get your war after all."

Chapter 46
Sopralto took Dark Wind aside after they had gotten out of the armor line.
"I put you on the front line.  No one wanted you there, but I knew that that was where you had to go.  Do you know why?"
"Because you find me annoying and desire my death?"
"You'd think so, but that's not why.  I put you there because of the ice storm."
"Yeah.  The one I can't get," he said, kicking a nearby table leg and hurting himself rather badly.  He then pointed at it angrily and shouted, "AN ICE STORM UPON YOU!"  The table leg turned into a short spear, and Dark Wind gasped in amazement.  He gaped at Sopralto.  "Did you see that?"
"That's why I put you on the front line.  Your spells, though not achieving their desired affect, are still useful to our cause."  She pulled a bag out of thin air and handed it to him.  "Inside, you will find a stash of freeze-dried mini-muffins, several wigs, some Coke-less Coke, and some more table legs.  To most soldiers, they would be completely and utterly useless, but, in your somewhat capable hands, they can be not-quite-lethal weapons."
"Why not lethal?" he asked.
"Because I'm a guitar-toting hippie, you idiot.  This battle plan is entirely non-lethal, if carried out correctly," she replied, smacking him upside the head.  "Why else do you think DuResio would plan it?"
"But how do we get through without killing anyone?"
"By wounding and distracting them," she said.
Anno joined them, dressed in his new armor, which had a pi symbol emblazoned on the breastplate.  "What happens if they try to kill us?"
"You fight back.  It's the only way," said Sopralto sadly.  "And I want you two to swear to me that you'll do everything within your power to prevent the death of any Furre or man, assailant or ally."
They cleared their throats and raised their right hands.  "We swear by all that is good and nerdy."
"Excellent," she said.

Chapter 47
"Well, what am I supposed to do now?" asked Freita, the white lupine doctor who was to treat Pixie's wounds.  "Your staff pretty nearly killed this equine."
"They were supposed to finish," said Draconis, "but her majesty vetoed my plan of action."
"You should run things like this by her before..."
"Just do your job," he said.
Freita agreed and knelt over her unconscious patient.  She tied her long head-fur back behind her large ears with a piece of golden fabric and sprinkled crumbled mint tea leaves over the knife wound in Pixie's side.  Then she let out a high-pitched howl and clapped her hands over her head, and a cascade of sparks fell around Pixie.  The sparks bounced off of the floor and flew inside the deep hole in Pixie's stomach, where they glowed for a moment before igniting the tea leaves with a small but blinding flash.  Freita and Draconis stumbled back.
"What the hell was that?" Draconis yelled.
"There must have been some magnesium on the blade.  It tends to ignite like that.  If we're lucky, the extreme heat has done something useful..."
It hadn't.  Pixie screamed loudly from the depths of her unconscious spirit as the shock of the intense heat burned through her body.  When it subsided, she returned to her comatose state and the pool of blood on the floor continued to grow slowly.
"To hell with your magic!  Can't you just bandage the wound?" asked Draconis.
"I can try, but it would have been best to stop the blood first," she said, removing a roll of bandages from her leather satchel.  "I know something that would bring her to consciousness, but then she'd only lose blood faster."
"What's that?"
"Orange pekoe tea leaves and a chorus of 'Rachel's House' in five-part harmony.  I learned it from a theater cat a few years back..."
"That cat and this prisoner are enemies of our kingdom."  Draconis drew his sword and swiftly cut Freita's unguarded arm.  She recoiled with a sharp whine, and he said quietly, "If you dare to utter that spell in this castle, I will personally ensure that you meet your end within one minute of the words leaving your lips.  Understood?"  Freita nodded.  "Good.  Now, stop the bleeding and get out of here."
Freita wrapped the wound carefully but quickly and ran out of the dungeon.  Draconis sheathed his sword and left after her, leaving Pixie on the floor once more.  She lay still, with her eyes closed, hardly breathing, not knowing of the great events transpiring only a few miles to the north.

Chapter 48
	DuResio stepped into the cool night and breathed deeply.  This was the first fresh air he had felt in three days.  A gentle breeze arose from the east and played with his soft red curls, winding in, out, and around each strand and tempting him to run away with it, to see the world and never fear war again...
	A soft cough behind him flung him back into reality.  DuResio turned his head and, through the gathering darkness, he could make out a small, frail, hunched shape.  The old woman slowly approached him.
	"Mother," he said, "you shouldn't be out this late."
	"Neither should you," she replied, taking his hand.  Lady Allesis led him against the wind until they came to a fenced-in courtyard.
	"Where are we?" asked DuResio.
	"I have to show you something," she replied, and pushed the gate open.
	They walked together across the ivy-covered graveyard within the gate.  Sapling trees and small gardens grew in the ash-rich ground around the aging stones, marked with the graves of fallen soldiers.  Lady Allesis stopped in front of a great monument headed with the marble figure of a human angel.
	"This is your father's grave," she said, pulling a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiping her eyes.  "He died the year after you left, when we were banished from Madeleinia."
	"You were..."
	"Yes.  Draconis didn't want us around after your father said that maybe you had the right idea after all.  He called us traitors and got Derendor to talk to Queen Trantelle.  We were cast out, along with any other family who dared to claim that perhaps diplomacy has its place in the world."
	"That's awful!" exclaimed DuResio.
	Lady Allesis looked up at the angel.  "When he died, I thought I had lost everything.  One son lost to the army, one presumed dead in the name of peace, and a husband in the churchyard.  But now, you've returned, and I can share these moments with you," she said, squeezing his strong hand in her weak one.  "Read the inscription."
	DuResio knelt down and grinned as he read, "Talk amongst yourselves.  I'll give you a topic.  Peace without harmony is no peace at all.  Discuss."  DuResio looked up at his mother.  "He was a very wise Furre."
	"Poor Raifa really loved you boys.  He just wanted you to get along."
	"That's all I ever wanted," DuResio said.  There was a silent moment in which DuResio bowed his head and closed his eyes in a short prayer.
	The silence was broken by soft sobbing.
	"Please don't cry, mother," said DuResio, who was on the edge of tears himself.
	"I'm not," she said quizzically.
	DuResio's ears snapped up and he listened carefully for the source of the crying.  He stood and followed the sound behind the stone monument, where a figure in elaborate robes sat crying.  She did not see or hear him.  He touched her lightly on the shoulder and she turned sharply with a soft shriek.  "Don't touch me!" she shouted in fear and anger.
	"Why would I hurt you?" asked DuResio.
	"Because Lovejoy wouldn't let you.  You followed me here!"
	"What?"
	"Can't you just let me be?" she sobbed, falling to her knees in anguished defeat.
	DuResio started to walk toward the canine girl, but Lady Allesis held him back.  "Son, she's a Madeleinian, probably a spy.  This is a trick!"
	"No," he said.  "She thinks I'm Draconis."
	The girl raised her face and met his eyes.  "You're not?"
	"Of course not," he said.  "Would he spend time in such a peaceful place as this?"
	"He would to revel in the deaths he brought about," she said, glancing at the gravestones decorated with commemorative stars.
	"Maybe you don't remember me," he said.  "I'm the hippie actor who Draconis constantly attempted to kill."
	"Oh!" she exclaimed.
	"What's your name?"
	"Sylvanie.  I was one of Lovejoy's aides until today..."
	"So, what brings you to Thendrion?" he asked, sitting on the ground in front of the golden dog.
	"Well," she said, back to her normal, vivacious, chatty self, "I broke up with my boyfriend a few weeks ago, so I was really, really bored this morning and I went to the library, you know?"
	"I suppose..."
	"Yeah, well, I was looking for this Furrefic book I started reading a couple months ago, 'cause I realized that it was about my friend Pixie..."
	"You know Pixie?"
	"Yeah!  Duh, I watched your play.  So anyway, I found it on the top shelf and I pulled it out to start reading again, and the bookcase folded back into the wall!  Can you believe it?"
	"Yes, well, we talked to a Medi..."
	"And so I was all like, 'What the Furc?' and I walked inside and there was this hallway with torches in it, so I kept going and I hit the torture halls of the dungeon, but not the fun part that I used to play in.  It was the Solitary wing!  I didn't even know it really existed, you know?  So I started looking in the observation slots at the crazy Furres, and I went into the B wing.  You know what I found there?"
	"I guess it would be..."
	"Pixie, right!  She was hanging from the ceiling by her ankles and Draconis was trying to hurt her, so I screamed.  I just can't stand blood, you know?"  She shuddered heavily before continuing.  "So I guess Draconis heard me scream or something and he ran out into the hallway and threw me against the wall.  And he was all like, 'How did you get down here?' and 'What did you see?', and I was all like, 'Nothing!  Let go of me!'  Then Queen Lovejoy walked up behind him and said to let me go, and told me to leave the kingdom, so I did."  She sniffled and whined, "And now I'm here all alone and Pixie's in a dungeon!  So, what do you think?"
	DuResio blinked in amazement.
	"Well?" Sylvanie demanded.
	"Um, do you even need oxygen?"
	"About Pixie!" she said, hitting him on the shoulder.
	"I think you need to come to the castle with us.  We're planning a raid on that hallway, and your information should help us to get Pixie back."
	"Are there boys there?"
	DuResio sighed.  "Yes."
	Sylvanie stood up and brushed off her clothes.  "Let's go save ourselves a Pixie!" she said, linking arms with Draconis and Lady Allesis and heading toward the castle.

Chapter 49
	"Aha!  I knew they'd send a spy!" shouted Viall upon seeing Sylvanie's Madeleinian robes.
	Talon groaned in misery at Viall's stupidity and raised his spear, which fell with a large thud on Viall's head.  "Proceed, Miss," he said to Sylvanie as Viall collapsed.
	Sylvanie told her entire story in under thirty seconds.
	Five seconds of awed silence ensued.
	Matthias was the first to speak.  "I believe I quote the Bard when I say that this girl does not stand upon points."
	Dreiden replied, "She hath rid her prologue like a rough colt; she knows not the stop."
	Andreus finished, speaking to Deathmagick, "A good moral, my lord: it is not enough to speak, but to speak true."
	"Actors!" shouted the exasperated Tellmann.
	Deathmagick stopped the string of quotes.  "What book triggered the opening of the door?"
	"It's this skinny little paperback called The Sniper Will Be Along Shortly."
	"By Bess, right?" asked Jeremy.
	"Yeah.  There's a little section with 'Prefect's Pixie: A Furcadian Tale' and the rest is poetry, scripts, art... you name it.  I love it!  There's so much sexual tension..."
	Tellmann twitched.  Ben and Viall looked intrigued.  Murkwater simply stared at the beautiful Sylvanie.
	"Well, thanks for the info," said Sopralto, writing the title on the map for future reference.
	"So, how do I get to help?"
	A pause ensued.
	"Um, help?" asked Tycho.
	"Yeah!  I want my friend back in the fresh Furcadian air!" said Sylvanie, overdramatically.
	"Committee meeting!" said Elassar, and the planners huddled together as Murkwater offered Sylvanie a seat at the table.
	"Well, where do we put her?" asked Deathmagick.
	"I can't have her at the protest," said DuResio.  "Draconis knows who she is.  If he recognized anyone he thought of as a deserter, he might attack the civilians."
	"Then what will he consider you?" asked Anno.
	"Good point," said DuResio.  "However, if more than one former Madeleinian were there, he would be able to see it as a distraction device.  With just me, it might look like a normal rally."  Anno acknowledged the validity of DuResio's statement with a small, dramatic bow
	"She's just too loud for the hallway attack," said Talon.  "Her knowledge of the passages would be valuable but..."
	"Can she wield a weapon?" asked Deathmagick.
	"I dunno," said Anno.
	"Hey," said Elassar to Sylvanie, "can you fight?"
	"Well, I've got a great throwing arm," she replied.
	"She can pull for Dark Wind!" said Sopralto.
	"Huh?"
	"Never mind.  Just put her in the assault crew."
	Elassar approached her.  "You're in the assault crew, assisting Dark Wind."
	Sylvanie shrugged.  Murkwater produced a cup of coffee for her and they sat to talk for a while.
	"Okay, troops!" said Andreus, addressing the room.  "You'll need to rest up for tomorrow's attack, so everyone head for bed."
	"What?" exclaimed Matthias and Dreiden.
	"Oh God," said Mark, shaking his head in disgust and leaving.
	Andreus looked quizzically at them.  "What what?"
	"You expect us to sleep before such a big event?  Something where we could all get killed or injured and never act again?" said Matthias in shock.
	"No way," said Dreiden.
	"Oh really?" said Andreus sarcastically.  "So what do you propose we do instead?"
	"Dark Wind?" prompted Matthias.
	Dark Wind cleared his throat and raised his hands to the sky as Sopralto ducked under the table.  "BIG AMERICAN CAST PARTY!"  The room filled with flashing lights and pulsing music, and tables of snack foods lined the walls.  The Stagemasters all got up from their seats and started dancing, forgetting for a time their fear of the next day's assault.

Chapter 50
	"Sir..."
	"What?!"
	"Sir, her majesty is in the hall," said the frightened guard.  "She requests an update on the status of B-612."
	Draconis left Pixie in the incapable hands of two idiotic guards, who immediately continued their discussion of several days about whether or not foxes were canines as they continued to strap her to the rack.
	"What about them ears?"
	"Pointed like a wolf's, yes, but they're much too big!"
	"Wish we had that fox here now.  Then I could show you..."
Pixie sighed in a combination of boredom at her tormentors' methods and sadness at the mention of Talon.  She missed her friends; they were the only reason she cried at night.  She longed for the scent of Sopralto's espresso blend, the sound of DuResio's soothing bass voice, Anno's poetry... She even missed Dark Wind's attempts at ice storms.
Most of all, though, she wanted to be with Deathmagick.  She knew that just being with him would calm her woes, and that his magic could heal her wounds.  His touch, his voice, his kiss...
But this line of thought was futile, and she did not show her desires to the guards that bound her arms into their shackles.
Meanwhile, in the hall, Queen Lovejoy was most anxious to hear about today's torturous conquests.
"Sufficed to say, your highness, she is the hardest prisoner I've ever had in this dungeon.  She just keeps spiting me.  I'm beginning to think that she enjoys the torture."
"That makes sense," said Lovejoy.  "She has found your biggest weakness and is exploiting it."
"And what weakness is that, my queen?"
"You're a raving egomaniac.  You can't stand a single attack on your power."
Draconis turned his head to the open dungeon door.  "We're trying a new one today.  The walls in this room contain the illusion of slowly moving metal spikes that will draw closer and closer to 'impaling' her until she screams."  He called the guards out and flipped a switch to start the illusion.
"This should be exciting."
Pixie did not flinch as the clanging of imaginary chains began and the gleaming points began their slow movement towards her.  She looked around the room for a moment, then gazed straight through the observation hatch with a smirk and said in a sing-song voice, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but spikes and chains excite me!"
Draconis growled and kicked the switch back into starting position.  The illusion disappeared and he ran into the room.  He grabbed Pixie by the shoulders and stared angrily into her eyes for a moment, then turned and strode out.
Pixie relaxed.  She had won another battle.

Chapter 51
By eleven o'clock, the cast party was still in full swing.  Even the non-Stagemasters had given in to the festive mood in an effort to escape the stress of waiting.
Eilia, a hardened paladin, normally presented an incredibly conservative face to the world.  She spoke with her jo-staff, shuriken, and a sharp, condemning voice, and she never allowed herself to enjoy the company of the opposite sex, especially those who flaunted their own liberations.  Now, however, she had let her chestnut head-fur down; she was belting out jazzy solos over DuResio's piano improvisations while dancing wildly with Dreiden.
Sitting in a corner, gossiping with Sylvanie (who was already hanging all over Murkwater), sat the quiet and fashionable General Stacia.
"Omigod, where did you get your armor?" said Sylvanie, fingering the light, yet tough leather of Stacia's armband, which perfectly matched her bodice and short pants.
"Express Furcot," she replied in a voice that was distinctly eastern European in origin.  "My entire wardrobe comes from that store.  Fantastically durable through all types of combat and casual situations."
"Really?" said Sylvanie, perking her ears up.  "Where is it?  I've got to try some of that leather!"
"Sylvanie!" said Murkwater in mock astonishment.  "We just met!"
The three laughed heartily until Dreiden abandoned Eilia (who seemed interested in checking Graham's rule books for accuracy) and joined them to discuss exactly which actors would be available for Stacia to date, after the war ended.
Meanwhile, Jeremy and Tycho had begun a Dungeons and Dragons seminar.  DuResio actually left the piano to join in their battle games, to the shock of all who took the time to notice.
Most of the cast, crew, and soldiers were still dancing.  Dark Wind pulled Eilia away from Graham's Monster Manual to join her in a jigging contest, which he soon regretted.  She was a trained step-dancer with years of endurance training from merely carrying her possessions through the forest.  Eilia was still kicking when Dark Wind collapsed in an exhausted heap on the stone floor.
Deathmagick, however, was growing tired, and was hardly in the mood for celebrations.  He slipped out to go to bed at eleven thirty, leaving the loud techno music behind for the peaceful solitude of his new royal chambers.  He did not bother to change from his day clothes, but simply fell into his bed and drifted off into sleep.

Chapter 52
When Deathmagick awoke, he did not open his eyes immediately.  Instead, he let the gentle breeze slide over his face and through his mane, and inhaled the fresh spring breeze, which was riddled with the scents of new blossoms.
Was it the wind that played so gently around his ears?
And what was the soft, warm pressure at his lips?
He opened his eyes and found his love lying beside him.  She was radiant, with her mane flowing in the spring breeze and her blue eyes staring lovingly into his own.  She wore a robe of delicate cream silk that begged to slide through his fingers and away on the wind.
Deathmagick blinked in astonishment as she kissed him again.  Pixie was as she had always been, full of vitality and beauty.  She was unmarked by Draconis' torture, not bruised or cut in any way.  Yet, how could this be?  He had seen the Mediator's transcript; she was suffering in the dungeons of Castle Madeline even now.
"This is a dream," he said as the pink flowers of the surrounding trees floated down onto Pixie's perfect body.
"Then it is a good one," she replied, leaning in closer and placing his hand on her thigh.
"How come you have to force your fantasies on my dream world?" he asked her, skimming his fingers over the silk, enjoying every moment of the sensation.
"What do you mean?" she asked in puzzlement.
"Well, this scene is directly out of the 'Two Towers' movie," he responded, trying to slide his hand under the hem of the robe where it met her stomach.
She sat up suddenly, and his hand fell sharply onto the covers without attaining its goal.  "There's a movie?" she asked in amazed shock.  "You've been holding out on me!"
"Only until I could manage to acquire a copy," he said, realizing his error and beckoning her back.  "I saw it a few months ago in the third dimension, while you were at Sopralto's for an all-female party, as I recall."
She did not come, but rather walked to the edge of his bedroom's balcony and allowed him no immediate satisfaction.  She put her hands on the marble edge and looked out over the somehow ethereal forest.  In the sunlight, her robe shimmered with a reflection of the blue sky.  Pixie's beauty overcame Deathmagick, and he ran to her and kissed her passionately.
"I've missed you," he said, simply at a loss for any other words.
"And I you," she replied.
"We're coming tomorrow, to bring you back..."
He trailed off, and stopped speaking as she led him back to the downy bed.
"I will rest here with you," she said, "but I can do no more than that.  You'll need your strength tomorrow."
"I know," he said, disappointed, but still grateful of this time with Pixie, if only in a dream.  She lay on the bed, and he lay down behind her and put one arm across her chest.  "Thank you," said Deathmagick, kissing her neck, before drifting into oblivion once more.

Chapter 53
Pixie was rudely awakened from her pleasant dream by shouting outside her cell.
"What do you mean, 'they haven't even left yet'?!"
"Please, my lord, don't get angry with me..."
"Why shouldn't I?"  There was a pause in which Pixie could hear the distinctive sound of a sword sliding rapidly out of its sheath and clashing with the stone wall.  "Why shouldn't I slit your throat right now?"
The soldier whimpered wordlessly.
Swsssssh...thud.  Pixie winced away from the door, careful not to scream, lest she reveal a weakness.
Draconis' voice changed direction as he shouted at a nearby guard.
"Clean that up."

Chapter 54
"Your highness?"
Deathmagick raised his head from his pillow.  "Yes, Andreus?"
"Sir, it's three fifteen."
Deathmagick smiled sleepily.  "I thought I could sleep in...maybe till four...?"
"Normally, I'd agree, sir, but they insisted..."
"Who insisted?"
"Your friends, sir.  They're having some kind of a ceremony," he replied.
Deathmagick stood up immediately.  "What does Mark think of it?" he asked.
"He's curled in a fetal position in the corner, muttering about actors..."
"Ah.  Well, then I shall go immediately," he said, smiling broadly, and they walked quickly downstairs.

Chapter 55
"Wow, you know, I...I really love you guys," said Angela, wiping her eyes on a tissue.
"Even me, Angie?" asked Viall.
Her sad mood broke.  "No, not you."
Deathmagick entered with Andreus.
"Hallo, all," he said.
"Oh no, not you, too!" said Mark from the corner as Deathmagick sat.
"So, what exactly is going on?" asked Andreus.
"The Circle of Love," said Deathmagick.
"Yeah, Mark got rid of it last year," said Dreiden, "but we felt that it might be appropriate to reinstate our sacred Circle before such a life-threatening event."
"Well said, Dreiden," said Matthias.
"Although we all know this is really just a last effort to annoy Mark," added Sopralto.
"Amen!" shouted Dark Wind.  "Tell it like it is, sista!"  Tellmann slapped a piece of duct tape around Dark Wind's muzzle.  Talon hung him by his belt from a torch bracket and commenced poking him with the blunt end of his spear.  Ben and Viall laughed out loud.  Instantly, Dark Wind was on the ground and they were in his place.  Angela stood, picked up a pen, and joined Talon in the torment process.
"Your turn, my liege," said Elassar, standing from the circle and performing an elaborate bow.
Deathmagick sat between DuResio and Anno.  He sighed, then began speaking.
"I won't lie to you all.  Frankly, I'm scared to death about the whole thing.  You're all just...such wonderful Furres, the best in the world.  I don't want to lose any of you..."
"Don't worry," said Anno, putting his hand on Deathmagick's shoulder.  "We'll all come back."
"And have the cast party to end all cast parties!" said Dreiden.  Eilia slapped him with her studded leather glove.  "I deserved that," he said, rubbing his cheek tenderly.
"Well, I guess that's it.  Good show everyone," said Deathmagick.
Everyone stood.  Elassar's band and the Thendrioni soldiers moved toward the door, but the Stagemasters stayed in their circle.  A slow beat began.  "Good.....show......Good....show....Good show...Good show... Good show, good show, good show, good show good show good show goodshowgoodshowgoodshow!"  They met in the center of the circle, threw their hands up and shouted, their adrenaline up and their fears once again pushed aside.

Chapter 56
The sun rose quietly over the green valley between Castle Madeline and the forest, unaware of the sights that it would have to endure that morning.  It slowly warmed the perked ears of a young Dalmatian guard on the wall, who sent a message to Lord Draconis immediately.
"Read it," said Draconis to the messenger pup.
"But sir..."
"I'm a bit busy at the moment, boy," he said, twisting the crank on the rack and letting a slight smirk escape as Mentra the sorcerer-mouse squealed in pain.  If he could not hurt B-612, her sympathizers were the next best victims.  "Read it to me."
"Sir, Lieutenant Hector writes, 'Sunrise is upon us,'" read the messenger.  "'We expect the assault within the hour.'"
"Hmmm," said Draconis, pondering for a moment.  He then kicked the crank of the rack to loosen Mentra's bonds.  "You got lucky, rat."
"I'm a mouse, sir," said Mentra, rubbing his shoulder in grateful relief.  "There's a slight diff..."
"Insubordination?" interrupted Draconis , drawing his knife from its sheath.
"No, sir," stammered Mentra as he cowered in the corner.
"Return him to his cell," said Draconis to a nearby guard captain, "then don your armor and prepare for battle."
"Aye, sir," said the captain, who immediately lifted Mentra onto his shoulder and carried him to the door.  "Will there be anything else, sir?"
"Yes, actually.  Gather your best men and station them at the main entrance to the dungeons.  Thirty or so, perhaps."
"Will do, sir," he said, saluting with his free hand.
Draconis nodded proudly.  "Why can't all of my soldiers be like you?"
The young captain smiled and his tail wagged slightly.
"Go on, soldier."
The captain left, and Draconis followed the messenger up the winding stairs to the top of the wall.  On the way, they met Lieutenant Hector, who was panting furiously.
"What is it?" asked the messenger, perking his ears in concern.
"Sir," said Hector to Draconis, "you don't want to..."
"Of course I do," said Draconis, pushing past the exhausted Hector.
"M'lord, it's not a pleasant sight," Hector called, leaning against the wall, as Draconis proceeded up the stairs.
"War never is, lieutenant," replied Draconis.  "Get your spotted hide up here and get used to it!"  He pushed the door open and gasped at the sight on the next hill.  "Call out the guard!  I want every man who's not in the dungeons to get up on this wall now!"  He called the messenger to him and said, "Alert Her Majesty of the situation immediately."  The pup saluted and ran off down the stairs.
"What is it, sir?" asked Hector, looking across the valley in shocked awe.
Draconis turned his face away with disgust that his brother had sunk so low.  "It's a protest."

Chapter 57
"The stage looks excellent, Murkwater," said DuResio, who was helping Tycho set up the sound system.
"Thanks, man," replied Murkwater from the lighting booth.  "Not bad for two hours' work, eh?"
"Not at all!" said DuResio as he admired the excellent construction of the stairs.
Eilia finished ushering the last of the townsfolk into the seating area.  They laid down their blankets and sat bravely just outside the line of fire.  She climbed deftly into the lighting and sound booth and took her place on look-out as Tycho placed the last microphone.  He joined Eilia and Murkwater in the booth and gave DuResio and Sopralto the cue to go.  Murkwater shone a spot on DuResio.
"Hello," said DuResio to the crowd in front of him, not yet speaking into the microphone, "and thank you for coming out this morning.  As you all know, this little protest is a diversionary tactic, so I need you all to shout very loudly at the appropriate moments.  Just for your information, your exits are anywhere that does not face Castle Madeline.  Do not attempt exit until Sopralto has cloaked you and gives you the cue to go.  Clear?"
The crowd roared in approval.
"Okay, then let's get started!"
Sopralto counted out the beat and started strumming as the crowd snapped along.  "Well, the king told the kingdom that he would pay!"  DuResio joined in, "Not enough gold in the world!"  Sopralto took the lead again, and the song continued as Talon's sister Belinda joined them in the second female part.
When they finished "Not Enough Gold in the World", DuResio and Sopralto soaked up the applause for a moment before DuResio picked up his microphone and said, "Now we'd like to perform a little number that Sopralto wrote with our dear Pixie last year.  I'd like to dedicate it to my brother Draconis, who is undoubtedly sitting on yonder wall right now, filled with murderous rage."  An arrow stuck into the ground about twenty feet short of the edge of the crowd.  DuResio blew a kiss to the wall and said, "I love you, too, brother!"
Sopralto strummed a simple progression and sang sweetly, "Where have all the good wars gone?  Oh, where have all the good wars gone?  I wish I were back in the days of 'Nam, just so I could write better songs!  Oh, where have all the good wars gone?"
A volley of arrows landed next to the first, but Sopralto kept singing.  The crowd got to its feet and started dancing as Murkwater began a psychedelic light chase and Tycho messed with the sound to create the illusion that Sopralto was shouting her message from a far-off hill.
On the wall, Draconis ground his teeth in irritation, unaware that there were many Thendrioni soldiers, several actors and techies, two professional spies, and an exiled retriever sneaking into his fortress only a few stories below him.

Chapter 58
"Will you stop groping me?!"
"I apologize, milady," said Talon, bowing deeply to Prika, whose tail fur had exploded into a puffball.
"Will you both be quiet?" requested Stacia.
"I also apologize to you, milady," said Talon.  When he bowed to the feline general, Prika kicked him from behind.  Talon turned and gave Prika a smirk coupled with a raised eyebrow.
Prika's eye twitched.  "Stop that, you arrogant little..."
"Ssh," whispered Ysodria.
"We should be almost at the dungeon entrance," said Deathmagick, recognizing the pattern of the stone walls in the corridor.  "Andreus, are your troops accounted for?"
"All here and ready, your highness."
"And yours, Stacia?"
"Aye, sir," she replied.
"Dark Wind and Sylvanie, stick together and stay inside Stacia's battalion.  Got it?"
Dark Wind and Sylvanie nodded, and Sylvanie drew a muffin from Dark Wind's supply bag.
"Then Godspeed to you.  Go!"
Matthias and Dreiden started shouting from the middle of Andreus' battalion, and the shout spread to the outer reaches of the miniature army as the soldiers ran forward, down the hall and into the dungeon corridor.  Deathmagick, Ysodria, Talon, and Prika stayed behind, pressed against the stone wall.
"Get off me, Talon," said Prika.  He obeyed.  "Good boy," she said, and patted his head.
Deathmagick drew his elegant sword and started down the hall to the library.  Prika and Ysodria followed him closely, their hands near their smaller weapons.  Talon brought up the rear, spear at the ready.

Chapter 59
"Pull!"
Sylvanie flung the muffin into the mob of oncoming soldiers.
"I CONJURE AN ICE STORM!" shouted Dark Wind.
The muffin blasted apart, knocking ten Madeleinian soldiers unconscious and flinging them against the walls.  Stacia and Andreus raised their swords and held the next wave off as Sylvanie, Ben, and Viall searched through the supply bag for more potential weapons.
"Pull!"
A can of caffeine-free diet Coke flew through the air, thrown by Ben.
"GO GO GADGET ICE STORM!"
A bolt of lightning hit the metal and the can exploded, showering blue foam over the enemy.
"What good did that do us?!" shouted Viall, who was still searching in the sack.
Suddenly, the Madeleinians began running every which way, banging off the walls and striking each other.  "They can't see!" replied Angela, climbing onto Matthias' shoulders.  "Pull!" she shouted, and Matthias threw her over the front lines.  She landed in the fray, flailing her staff madly.  Within seconds, she had a black eye and several cuts on her tail and legs, but she had inflicted bone-breaking blows upon five well-armed pit bulls.  Tellmann soon joined her in direct combat with his duct-tape whip and a blunted screwdriver.
Elassar and Jeremy led a small legion of Thendrionis into the heart of the battle.  They were soon separated from the soldiers, and surrounded by Madeleinians with heavy swords and armor.  Back to back, they drew their swords.  A wolf struck at Jeremy, barely missing his left arm.  Jeremy quickly parried and kicked out at his attacker, who fell in front of Jeremy with a stunned expression.  Soon afterwards, Elassar caught a crossbow bolt aimed between his eyes and thrust it into the thigh of an oncoming foxhound.  When he keeled over on Elassar's back, Elassar flung him eight feet into the air and he landed in the middle of a gang of canine archers, knocking them backwards.  Their arrows flew in all directions, eventually falling to the ground or sticking in the ceiling without harming friend or enemy.
"They're not used to battling resourceful fighters," said Elassar to Jeremy, removing his long black cloak.
"Then they shouldn't have taken on techies!" shouted Jeremy, taking the other end of the cloak, and the two raced forward into the enemy ranks, clothes-lining several soldiers on the strong linen.
"Get down!" shouted Dark Wind.
The Thendrioni army and the Stagemasters fell to the floor against the walls.
"COME ON ICE STORM!"
A gigantic boulder appeared in front of Dark Wind and began rolling down the hall.  The Madeleinians ran away before it or ducked into empty cells and alcoves as the Thendrionis ran after the boulder in the clear path.  When all of them had escaped from the Madeleinians, Dark Wind turned and shouted down the hallway, "I CALL FORTH AN ICE WALL!"
Dreiden shouted, "Storm, Dark Wind, Storm!"
"I mean, storm, storm!" yelled Dark Wind.
The Madeleinians came out from their hiding places and ran at Dark Wind, but found themselves stopped by a fiery barrier.
"All across and no casualties!  Yeah, I rule!" exclaimed Dark Wind, punching the air victoriously.
"No, not really," said Sylvanie, pointing across the firewall.  "Look!"
Angela, Tellmann, Graham, and Brunson were still on the other side of the wall, surrounded on all sides by very angry mercenaries.

Chapter 60
"Was this mission supposed to be hard?" asked Talon two minutes after they entered the passage in the library.
"We've hardly started, pet," replied Prika.
"There's only so much quiet a fox can take," he said, then suddenly looked to the side, startled by something.  He threw his spear as hard as he could, but it only hit the stone.
"Uh, Talon, there's nothing there," said Ysodria.
"I needed to kill something!"
"That was your shadow," said Deathmagick.
"I was bored, damn it!" he yelled.
Ysodria perked her ears up at a sudden shifting noise at the other end of the long corridor.  "Quiet!  Someone's coming!"
"Way to go, Talon," said Prika, drawing her short sword in her right hand and a throwing dagger in her left.
Two figures appeared at the other end of the hall.  They lumbered slowly forward, torches in hand.  "Oy!  'Oo goes there?"
Talon put his face in his hand, recognizing the voices.  The two guards seemed to recognize him as well.  "It's the bloody fox again!"
"'Ee won't get away this time."
Talon walked up to them and drew something out of the right pocket of his trench coat.
"So, you dared to trespass on our lands again, fox?"
"Well, surely I have as much right to be here as you," he said.
"Nah, we looked it up this mornin'.  A fox is a vul-pine," said the first guard.
"I thought we decided that that was a subspecies!" exclaimed the second in surprise.
"Perhaps this will give you gentlefurres something to think about," said Talon, handing them a scroll.  They unrolled it.
"Well, look at that.  A baby fox is called a kit," said the second guard to the first, reading the first line.
"What are you sayin'?  That a fox is feline?"
"Well, they are loners."
"This one seems to be in good company."
"Yeah, like your mom was in good company last night," said the second, elbowing his friend.
"That was uncalled for!" said the first.
"Oh yeah?"
They drew knives, ran at each other, stabbed each other, and fell to the ground dead.
Deathmagick gave Talon an angry glare.  "This was supposed to be a non-lethal mission," he said.
"What?  They killed each other.  Nothing I could have done," said Talon, picking up his spear and the list of arguments.  "I was a perfect gentlefox the whole time."
"We'll be lucky if no one else heard your little outburst against your shadow," said Ysodria.  "Let's just keep moving and hope that Pixie's alive and well somewhere in here."  The moved on, leaving the two guards on the floor.
Chapter 61
"How are things looking, Eilia?" asked Murkwater.
Eilia turned away from the wall to get a drink from the water-skin.  "No one's left the castle yet, but they've got their bows set in case we suddenly rush at them.  Yeah, like that's gonna happen."
DuResio and Sopralto were in the middle of "The General", planned to coincide with the assault on the dungeon corridor.  DuResio felt, and Sopralto agreed, that this number would anger Draconis most and might cause dissent among his forces, thus distracting him from the attack taking place a few stories beneath him.
"I have seen the others, and I have discovered that this fight is not worth fighting, nooooooo, and I've seen their mothers, and I will no other to follow me where I'm going, so... take a shower and shine your shoes.  You've got no time to lose!  You are young men, you must be livin'!  Yeah, take a shower and shine your shoes.  You've got no time to lose!  You are young men, you must be livin'!  Go now, you are forgiven!"
The villagers had their hands raised and were swaying back and forth in time with the music.  A few were dancing around the edges of the crowd, and those at the front were screaming loudly and reaching up at the stage, trying their hardest to make the diversion look like a real concert.  DuResio played along.  He touched their hands as he passed them, and some swooned back on the mob behind them and crowd-surfed back to their blankets.  Everyone was actually enjoying themselves for the first time in decades.

Chapter 62
On the wall, Draconis was quite furious.  Not only was his brother protesting the very basis of his existence, but he was causing the foot soldiers to question his authority and morals.  A setter beside him was humming along to the music quietly, tracing a peace sign in the dirt with the point of an arrow.
Draconis snatched the arrow out of his hand and slashed it across the setter's face, where his helmet did not protect him, then shoved it back into his hand as he yelped in shocked pain.  "Fire that arrow before I lodge it in your long-haired head!" he shouted, and a droplet of blood fell to the ground from the arrowhead.
The others all fell silent and stared at him as they heard the blood splash on the stones.  Draconis almost visibly shuddered as a wave of insurrection began to ebb in the forces.
The silence was broken by the door banging open and the little messenger pup running to Draconis with a slip of paper.  "Lord Draconis, a message from the dungeons," he panted.
Draconis took the paper and read it.  He then let out an angry howl as he ripped the note in half.  "First and second!" he shouted, and two of the battalions stood at attention.  "Get your sorry selves downstairs and aid the forces in the main dungeon hallway!  They've been ambushed!"  The two battalions charged down the stairs and out of sight.  The rest of the soldiers snapped back into their battle mindsets and fired a volley of arrows towards the protestors in perfect unison.

Chapter 63
"Oh, God, what have I done?" lamented Dark Wind, looking through the wall of fire at his trapped friends.
"A fine nerdy predicament you've gotten them into, Dark Wind," said Anno, shaking his head.  "Trapped behind a firewall!"
The four across the fire, however, did not seem to be afraid.  On the contrary, Angela let out a loud, high-pitched war whoop and raised her staff high above her head, bringing it down with a massive kiya on her thigh.  It snapped in half and she began whacking the nearest soldiers out of the way.  Tellmann whipped out a roll of duct tape and quickly made a longer rope.  He attached the screwdriver to it and started whipping at the mercenaries, knocking them unconscious through their helmets.  Graham and Brunson were forced to inflict injury with their short swords on their way through the surrounding army to the wall.  When Graham finally made it across, with Brunson guarding his back, he shouted at Anno, "Is there any way across?"
"Why are you asking me?" he replied.  "It's Dark Wind's spell!"
"But you're our resident nerd!" Brunson shouted back.
"Yeah, so?  I'm not a hacker!" replied Anno.
"That's it!" said Jeremy, and he grabbed a battle axe from the nearest equine warrior.  "Hacking!"  He swung the axe at the wall of flame and it shattered like glass.  The shards exploded into a rain of fire that flew into the Madeleinian troops, even back to the recently added reinforcements.
"Well done, my boy!" said Elassar, slapping Jeremy on the back and rushing forward with Andreus to grab Tellmann and Angela out of the line of fire.  When they were all safely gathered together, Sylvanie and Ben laid a line of chocolate nut muffins across the corridor.
"Run!" they screamed, and the Thendrionis sprinted from the line of pastry.  The Madeleinians, still smoking slightly, ran towards their retreating foes.  When they were only feet from the muffins, Dark Wind turned back, raised his hands to the ceiling, and yelled, "I CONJURE AN ICE STORM!"  The muffins detonated with a smoky blast, blinding the enemy long enough for the Thendrionis to continue unhindered down the hall.
"Split up here," said Andreus when the hall branched off in three directions.  "My troops take the left; Stacia's, the center; Elassar, take the right with Jeremy, Angela, Brunson, Graham, and Dark Wind.  If you find the B block, send a messenger back to this crossing.  That messenger is to blow a horn and call us back, then lead us to your group.  Go, before anyone finds us.  With any luck, they'll divide any forces that aren't injured.  Questions?"
Matthias asked, "What do we do if we need more exploding muffins?"
"You forget the muffins and use similar amounts of energy to defend yourself," replied Andreus.
"Okay, then," said Matthias.
Sylvanie handed the bag to Dark Wind and said, "Pleasure fighting with such a fine wizard."
Speechless at being complimented on his magic for the first time, Dark Wind could only purr with pride.  He bowed in thanks to Sylvanie, who followed Stacia and Dreiden down the center corridor.

Chapter 64
"By now, your friends should be getting close."
Pixie did not respond.
"How does it feel to know that so many will die on your account?"  A pause.  "Or should I say his?"
Pixie looked up at her guard.  "Make up your mind."
"All right, yours.  You were, after all, the temptress."
"Right.  Me, the new girl, shaken by the loss of both my form and my former love.  Wouldn't that put me more in the position to be tempted?"
The guard changed the subject.  "You have not broken in this dungeon.  Why?"
"You just can't figure me out," replied Pixie with the smallest of shrugs.  She winced as the movement tore open a wound on her shoulder.
"Oh, haven't I?" asked the guard.  She took a small pile of papers out of her leather bag, flipped through the pages, and began to read.  "Pixie sprinted down the dirt road to Pharaoh River, past the theater, past the inner structure of her house.  When she arrived, she realized, 'Wait a minute... Deathmagick is in Bree this morning.'  'You're early,' said a high-pitched male voice.  'How wonderful.'"
Pixie's eyes opened wide and her ears flattened against her mane.
"Pixie turned to face the voice and found herself facing a metal wall.  Suddenly the other two sides of the wall sprang up around her, capturing her in a silver triangle.  She called out for help, but her voice tired as hours went by."  The sentinel grinned wickedly.  "So, have I got you figured out yet?"
A tear slid down Pixie's face, and she tossed her head wildly in fear as her guardian licked her finger and turned the page, continuing to read the vivid scene slowly and painfully.

Chapter 65
"They must be getting close by now," said Eilia, squinting at the wall.  "Draconis is looking mighty frantic."
Tycho shouted above the crowd, "Hit him now, DuResio!"
DuResio nodded and gave him the thumbs up.  Sopralto switched to her electric guitar and summoned a drum set for Belinda.  DuResio put his head down, his auburn hair glistening in the sunlight, and held the microphone stand with his left hand.  With his right, he slowly raised a peace sign as Sopralto played an elaborate opening riff.
"WAR!" he shouted, and the audience joined in, "Huh!  Yeah!"
"What is it good for?  Absolutely..."
"Nothin!"
"Say it again... WAR!"
"Huh!"
"Yeah!  What is it good for?  Absolutely..."
"Nothin!"
"Here it comes," said Eilia, drawing a shuriken from her belt.

Chapter 66
"Lower ladders!"
In one swift motion, the Madeleinian soldiers swung twenty ladders over the outer wall.
"Archers, draw!"
A small legion of archers took aim for cover fire.
"Charge!"
The soldiers leapt over the wall and slid down the ladders, then rushed down the hill into the valley.  Draconis followed the first battalion and sprinted to the front, drawing his light long sword from its leather sheath and leading the charge.

Chapter 67
H block... G block... F block...
"We must be getting close," said Elassar, peering in at the pained faces of the furres in the sadistic torture rooms.  "Check the map."
Angela pulled it out of the pouch on her belt.  "We have to cross M and A blocks before we reach B block," she said, tracing the line with her finger.
"What's in M block?" asked Jeremy.
"Uh..."
"What?"
"Lodging for off-duty soldiers."
"What?!" shouted Dark Wind, and Brunson clapped his mouth shut.
"We shouldn't meet anyone, though.  They'll all be on the wall or behind the smokescreen," she said.  "It's a long corridor with lots of branches leading to briefing rooms.  We should have plenty of places to hide if attacked."
"What's in A block?"
"General holding cells," said Elassar.  "Sometimes they're used for solitary confinement, but they're not equipped with the same technology as B block.  A block isn't a torture wing so much as an all-purpose jail."
"How do you know?" asked Jeremy.
"I've been down here before," he replied.  "I got caught seeking shelter in the armory on a rainy day, so they locked me in A block for a while, then tried to kill me in C."
"What's in C?"
"A dragon."
"Ah," said Jeremy.  "How'd you get out?"
"The princess took pity on me.  She was only four at the time, so her parents granted her wish to set me free and I was carried out while sleeping, so that I couldn't try to rescue anyone else."  He smiled a bit.  "Que ironico."
"Ironico isn't a word," said Graham.  Elassar shrugged, and they crossed the M corridor silently and passed into D.

Chapter 68
"Cachetro!"
Instantly the "audience" became invisible, causing the Madeleinian soldiers to stumble back for a moment.
"Keep running!" shouted Draconis and Sopralto to the masses following them, to and away from the stage.
DuResio jumped off the stage and walked slowly toward Draconis, his light garments rustling slightly in the breeze off the hills.
"Halt!"
The Madeleinian foot soldiers slowed to a stop behind their leader, who walked out to meet his brother, sword drawn, armor glistening in the sunlight.
DuResio held out his right hand to Draconis, offering a peaceful means of concluding the conflict.  It remained in the air between them with a building tension.
Tycho and Murkwater leaned over the edge of the lighting booth.  Murkwater lifted a gleaming silver sword, prepared to throw it down to DuResio within a fraction of a second of the slightest thought of attack beginning to cross Draconis' mind.  Eilia had two shuriken poised to fly at any soldier who tried to interfere with whatever occurred between the brothers.
Draconis stood for a moment, one eyebrow raised in quizzical condescension.  He then let his well-polished sword fall to the ground and stepped forward, his right hand raised to take DuResio's.  DuResio sighed in relief and walked forward, then took Draconis' hand in both of his and embraced him.
Eilia noticed the slight motion under Draconis' red cloak just in time.  Her shuriken knocked the knife out of his left hand when it was mere inches away from DuResio's side.  DuResio leapt back at the sight of the distinctive glint of metal as the jeweled knife flew away from him.  Murkwater flung DuResio's silver blade down from the makeshift mezzanine as Lieutenant Hector hefted Draconis' sword directly into his commander's hand.  Both raised their weapons and prepared to fight.

Chapter 69
"'I'm here, Pixie.  Come on, you can make it,'" read Pixie's wicked companion in an overly dramatic, mocking voice.  Pixie shuddered.
"Stop it!"
The sentry cocked one golden ear, paused a moment, and said, "No, I'm sorry, I can't."  She then turned the page and continued.  "'I...l...'" she read with a simpering voice and exaggerated breaths.
Pixie cried out, and her cry echoed down the halls as Ford's had when she had been alone with Deathmagick only a few short nights ago.
"'Pounding footsteps came up the stairs...'"
*  *  *
"Did you hear that?" said Prika, grabbing Talon by the tail.
"She must be down there!" Ysodria exclaimed, pointing down the hall.  The four started running down the corridor.
B-500... B-550...
*  *  *
"'...Love y...'" read the guard, and she brushed a strand of her golden head fur back into its tight knot with a slight smirk as Pixie continued screaming at her mockery.
"'Stay with me, now...'"

Chapter 70
"A block!" exclaimed Angela when they hit the final corridor.  Immediately in front of her was cell A-42.
"That's my old cell," said Elassar, approaching the door.
Dark Wind looked through the observation hatch at the human inside.  He was calmly looking around, occasionally studying his hands or a stone in the floor.
"That's Ford Prefect!" he said, and pulled a mini-muffin out of his pocket.  "Stand back!" he said to the others, and they all retreated as he shouted, "I CONJURE AN ICE STORM!"
The lock exploded, taking out most of the door with it.  Ford emerged from the cell covered in black powder from the explosion, but otherwise unharmed.  "Hallo," he said.  "What are you all doing here?"
"We're on a rescue mission," said Graham to the rather odd man in front of him.
"Ah," replied Ford.  "And who might you be rescuing?"
"Pixie!" said Dark Wind exasperatedly.
"Oh!" said Ford in surprise, suddenly turning serious.  "Then let's be off!"
Angela ran back to the intersection with the news that they had nearly reached B block as the rest of the party, joined by Ford, continued toward their destination.

Chapter 71
The sentry glanced up at the small sound of a distant detonation.  Pixie gasped, recognizing the noise as the explosion of a pastry.
"Never mind that," said the guard.  "If they do manage to get here, they may very well be too late to save your sanity."  She looked back at her stack of parchment sheets.  "Ah, we've reached my favorite part."  She cleared her throat and read, "Nethya and Sopralto rushed into the room..."
*  *  *
B-600...
"Almost there!"
One short burst later, the rescue crew arrived at the door of cell B-612.  They shrunk against the wall on either side of the door.
"There may be several soldiers inside," said Deathmagick.  "Aim to stop," he said to Ysodria, who was loading her light crossbow.  "I want as little killing as possible."
"One stab each, then?" said Talon with a raised eyebrow and a small smile.  He was in his element.  Not long now, he thought, until the bloodbath would begin.  Ysodria kicked him in the shin.
"One..."
They all drew their weapons.
"Two..."
"Has anyone else wondered," said Prika quietly with a slight swish of her tail, "where the queen is?"
"Three!"
*  *  *
The sentry read on, grinning broadly with malicious elation.  "I love you..."
The door flew open and four armed soldiers ran in.  A mouse with crossbow drawn covered the entrance of a very confused fox and a determined cat with weapons at the ready.
"Deathmagick!" shouted Pixie at the back of the cell.  The fourth soldier ran to her, took her hand, and tenderly touched her bruised muzzle.  Pixie looked into his eyes for one second before she went limp, faint from her torment.
"...She tossed off the burden of trying to breathe and slipped into unconsciousness.  Deathmagick fell beside her and wept as her hand relaxed in his," read the queen from her corner, setting down her pile of parchment and standing majestically as Deathmagick held Pixie's head gently to his chest.  "Of course, I would have ended it there."

Chapter 72
Whssh.  WhsshCLANG.
The clashing metals sang out in disharmonious rancor.  DuResio swiftly blocked Draconis' next blow, an overhead strike, forcing both blades to his left with a grating slide.  Draconis, his blade near the ground, swung at his brother's leg, but DuResio jumped it just in time.
"You're surprisingly good," said Draconis, standing pensively back for a moment, "for an actor."
DuResio launched into an artistically choreographed kata: parry left, block up, swing once overhead, once right, switch hands, swing twice overhead, once left, one-handed handstand on the right hand with blade to body, two-handed swing overhead, block down, strike across, pause.  Right hand holding the sword across the meridian of his calm face, left hand peace sign.  Turn both sideways.  Draw outward to right and left, extending the right leg in an elegant arabesque.
"Impressive."
"It's amazing," said DuResio, "what you can learn from stage-fighting."
"Please, show me!" said Draconis as he lunged forward to continue the duel.
DuResio continued to block and dodge each blow.  "I have played Claudius..." CLANG "...Macbeth..." CLANG "...small fencing parts in 'Stardust'..." WHSSH "...Inigo Montoya, that was a fun one..."  WHSSHCLANG "...and a full one-Furre performance of Romeo and Juliet..." CLANG, CLANG "...not to mention winning several dueling awards with foils, rapiers, long swords, staffs, and sparring, in the Quiver National, the annual northern combat tournament..." WHSSH "...without ever inflicting even a scratch upon my opponent or myself."
"Then you have never tasted your enemy's blood?"
"Heavens no!" cried DuResio, "and I am sure that yours will not be the first to touch my lips."
"Oh, no, not mine..."  Draconis swung once across DuResio's body as DuResio jumped back.  The second swing came even closer.  "After all, one is one's own worst enemy!"  He then landed a direct hit, swinging into DuResio's left side.  The blade cut away a layer of fine linen and bounced back off the chain mail jacket underneath.  Draconis paused for a moment in surprise.
"Tell me," asked DuResio, taking advantage of his brother's surprise at his preparedness for battle, "do you even know what you're fighting for?"
"I fight for my Queen and country," he replied proudly, "as my ancestors did before me."
"Really?" said DuResio, raising his eyebrow in mild, if mock, surprise.
"Yes!" said Draconis defiantly, rushing back into their duel.
DuResio blocked the furious blow inches from his face, which was slick with sweat but still glistened handsomely in the glaring sun.  "And you want only for her happiness?"
"Of course!"
CLANG.
"And for peace in your land?"
"Why do you mock me, DuResio?"
Draconis was weakening.  The heat of the day, the ferocity of the duel, and now this ridiculous line of questioning had tired him tremendously.  DuResio, however, continued.
"Then whose dagger lies yonder?" he asked, pointing at the decorated blade lying only yards from their battleground.
"That proud blade," replied Draconis, "belonged to Derendor Allesis, a patriot and a hero!"
"That 'proud blade' killed the king of Thendrion."
Draconis stopped still, midway into a strike aimed directly at DuResio's heart.
"You're lying!" he shouted frantically as the crowd around them quieted, from the roar of excited spectators to a stupefied murmur.
DuResio shook his head, a sad expression shining through his damp, gray facial fur.  Draconis opened his eyes wide in shock and lowered his sword.
"So where do your loyalties lie, brother?" asked DuResio.  "With the isolationist murderer who tried to stop your queen's marriage and the bond betwixt these lands, or with the queen who would have you kill the innocent for her own selfish dreams?"
The sword fell from Draconis' hand with a dull thud on the trampled green grass in their circle of battle.  This war, his entire world, his whole reality were based on lies from his uncle and mentor, and the misguided hopes of his monarch.  "My life is a lie," he said slowly and softly.  "I..."
"There was nothing you could have done," said DuResio, "but you can do something now."  He extended his right hand to his brother.
Draconis unclasped the red cloak of the Madeleinian guard and let it fall to the ground next to his unholy blade.  He then walked slowly to his brother and took his hand.  The defeated Furre then threw his left arm over his brother's shoulder and wept.  He cried with the tears of five thousand lonely days and nights, endless cycles of miserable isolation from those he should have loved.  He cried for those he had ordered killed mercilessly in his torture chambers and the pain of those in the torched villages on the outskirts of Thendrion.
His forces were in awe.  What great power did DuResio possess, to calm the raging fires of war and hatred in Draconis' heart?
"Can you ever forgive me, brother?" stammered Draconis through his now racking sobs.
"Of course," replied DuResio, holding Draconis in a strong embrace.
A cough came from the makeshift mezzanine.  The two brothers looked up to see Eilia standing there, looking very annoyed.  "I hate to break up this touching moment, but aren't our friends kind of in grave danger in the dungeons of yon castle?"
"Oh my God!" exclaimed Draconis.  "We have to tell the troops in the castle that the war is off!"
Murkwater and Tycho climbed down the ladder as Eilia leapt off the tower's edge.  "Are we going in?" she asked eagerly, fingering the heavy handle of her sword at her waist.
"I suppose so," said DuResio.
"DuResio, I would be honored if you would lead the retreat," said Draconis, bowing to his brother.
"Let us go together," replied DuResio, and he ran to the front line with Draconis.  Eilia let out a joyous whoop and chased after them, followed by the baffled Murkwater and Tycho.
Chapter 73
"Remind me, when we get home," said Prika to Talon, "to copy this exact arrangement of chains."  She shook the irons that bond her to the wall.  "This is fantastic!"
"You are assuming," said Lovejoy, "that you're going home."
Deathmagick, now the only member of the rescue squad who was not chained down, pleaded with Lovejoy to release his companions.  "Why hold them when it's me you want?"
"To keep them from preventing your decision, my lord," she replied.  "If they were allowed to be free, they might very well fetch your little assault brigade and recapture my hostage, and that wouldn't be very nice for me, would it?"
"I'm sorry, what decision?"
"Oh, it's a rather good one," she replied.  "I am going to give you two options."
A guard stepped into the room and locked the door.
"Either you choose to marry me and stay in Madeleinia, sending Pixie on her way and never seeing her again..."
The sentry walked next to Pixie and loaded his crossbow.
"...Or you stay loyal to your little slut, and she dies."
The guard cocked the crossbow, placing the point of the dart directly against a knife wound on Pixie's neck.  She winced against the pain as a small stream of blood began to trickle down her filthy fur.  Deathmagick started to run to her, but Lovejoy grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back to face her.
"Either way, I get what I want."
Talon spat on the floor and bared his teeth, saying, "You bitch."
Lovejoy flashed him a sarcastic smile.  "Thank you.  I try."  She turned back to Deathmagick.  "You will have ten minutes to decide.  At the end of those ten minutes, if you have not reached a decision, all four of your friends will die."
Deathmagick collapsed into a seat, his head in his hands, contemplating his decision.

Chapter 74
"Open the gate!"
The bewildered guards atop the wall yelled their commander's order down to the foot solders inside the castle gate, who strained to pull the heavy doors open.  The troops, led by Draconis and DuResio, ran quickly inside.
"Sir!" shouted one of the sentries.  "Why the retreat?"  Then he noticed DuResio standing beside Lord Draconis.  "Have we captured the traitors at last?"
"No, Captain!" replied Draconis.
"Surely we have not fallen!"
"Wrong again, Captain.  We have formed an alliance!  Now, call back the troops in the dungeon.  I need to alert Her Majesty of the successful end to this ghastly war!"  He started walking toward the queen's chambers.
"You won't find her there, milord!" called the captain.  "She's down in B block, guarding the prisoner!"
Draconis turned back quickly.  "What?!"
"She's waiting for the King," replied the captain.
Draconis grabbed DuResio and started running for the library.  Eilia followed them closely.
"Where are we going?" asked DuResio.
"She's going to force Deathmagick to marry her," said Draconis, "and if he refuses...Pixie will die!"

Chapter 75
Nine minutes had passed.  Deathmagick stood from his chair and strode across the dungeon to Pixie's side.
Pixie strained to give him the smallest of smiles, though the tiny motion wrenched her face so much that a tear slid out of her deep blue eye.  He wiped the tear away with his fingertips and put his hand on her shoulder.
"I love you," he said.  "I couldn't bear to see you hurt any more...But I could never leave you..."
She understood.  "Death won't hurt any more than this, Deathmagick..."
"No.  I can't let you..."
"If I die, then you can be free.  You, and Prika, and Talon, and Ysodria... you can be..."
He put a hand to her lips to quiet her.  Even in speaking, she weakened further.
"I know what I have to do," he said.
As he spoke, a gentle warmth started to spread from his hand.  It flowed slowly over Pixie's body.  She started to emanate a pale glow.
"What's..."
"Ssh..." he whispered.
The lash marks closed, leaving only narrow scars in their wake.  The dry blood disappeared, leaving Pixie's fur a glossy gray once more.  Her bruises rapidly healed.  Pixie felt strength returning to her beaten body at last.
"Ten minutes," said Lovejoy from the far corner.  "What is your decision?"
Deathmagick lifted Pixie's lips to his for one soft kiss before turning to Lovejoy.
Chapter 76
"Psst!"
The guard looked up from his crossbow and glanced at Prika.
"What?"
Prika shook her manacles and looked back and forth between the locks and the guard.  He raised an eyebrow in confusion.  She shook them harder.  He still did not respond.
She mouthed at him, "Open the cuffs."
Startled, he shook his head at her.  "I can't," he replied soundlessly.
Prika pouted at him.  "Pleeeeeeease?"
"No!"
She sighed in annoyance, then rubbed her back against the wall to change the position of her bodice.  The guard stared at her as she looked at him suggestively.
"Prika!" whispered Talon, noticing how much of her chest she was exposing.  "What in the..."
Prika ignored him, still tempting the guard.  "Open the cuffs!"
He gaped, then shook his head again and whispered, "I can't!"
Prika then sighed heavily, licked her lips, and mouthed, "Sex."
The shocked guard let the crossbow slip down and hit the trigger by accident.  The dart flew to the floor, ricocheted, and hit Ysodria's left manacle, which flew open.  The guard panicked and reloaded his crossbow without noticing where the dart had flown, then returned to his original position, averting his eyes from Prika.  Ysodria hurriedly pulled a pin from her head fur and started picking the lock that held her right hand to the wall.

Chapter 77
"Oh no!" shouted Dark Wind, upon hitting cell B-697 and seeing DuResio, Draconis, and Eilia.  "Draconis has captured our distraction force!"  He then grabbed Jeremy's shoulders and wailed, "We're all doomed!  Doomed, I tells ya!"
DuResio yelled back, "We're fine!  The war is over!  We're down here to save Pixie before the Queen does something drastic!"
Draconis held up his hand to hush the two.  "Quiet!  We need to be silent down here.  Lovejoy might hear us and act irrationally.  Walk slowly and quietly to B-612, and don't go in until I say so!"
Dark Wind led his band slowly to Pixie's cell.

Chapter 78
"Well?" asked Lovejoy impatiently.
"I cannot be disloyal to the one I love," replied Deathmagick.
"So be it," said Lovejoy.  "Fire!"
The guard readied the crossbow.
Deathmagick raised a hand into the air and snapped his fingers.  The crossbow re-aimed itself and, before he could stop himself, the guard fired.
The dart flew directly into Deathmagick's back as the door exploded in a fiery blaze.  He stood still for a moment as Dark Wind and DuResio rushed inside, then collapsed onto the stone floor.
Pixie shrieked as Lovejoy stumbled back in horror.
"Oh my god," she whispered.  She fainted into Draconis' arms as Elassar and Jeremy rushed in to free the hostages.
Dark Wind broke Pixie's chains and set her free.  She ran to Deathmagick and threw her arms around him.  DuResio walked beside her, kneeled, and put a hand on her shoulder, mourning his dear friend.  Ysodria, who had picked the rest of her locks, joined them, then noticed a slight movement beneath Deathmagick's armor.
"He's still breathing!" she exclaimed.
Pixie pulled the dart out of his back and saw that it had barely missed his heart.  She passed her hands over the armor and it melted onto the floor in a small pool of liquid leather.  "Pekoe!" she shouted.  Prika, with her free hand, pulled a teabag out of her belt pouch and tossed it to Pixie, who deftly caught it and tore it open with her teeth.  She ground the leaves hurriedly and lightly dusted the wound, muttering, "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant..."
Prika, Ysodria, Dark Wind, and DuResio joined in, and a beautiful five-part harmony filled the dungeon.  "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant.  Walk right in, it's around the back, just a half a mile from the railroad track, and you can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant."
A red glow surrounded Pixie, and she placed her hands around the dart wound in a kaishu symbol, leaving the wound in the middle of the triangle formed by her thumbs and first fingers.  The glow moved into the triangle and the hole closed.  Deathmagick opened his eyes and sat up quickly with a gasp.  A cheer arose from the Stagemasters, and he pulled Pixie close and kissed her passionately.
Lovejoy came around just then and saw the entire cell filled with her rejoicing enemy and immediately feared the worst, but then noticed that the head of her Secret Service, her most loyal servant, was embracing his brother, and that the soldiers who had now gathered outside her door were cheering along with the foreigners.  Defeat was entirely new to her...and she didn't mind it.  She saw now that Deathmagick was truly happy with Pixie, and that she could never offer him that kind of happiness.
"Your highness!" shouted Draconis in elation.  "The war is over!  It's finally over!"
"Not quite yet," she said with a smile as she stood majestically, placing her diadem back atop her golden braids.  She then walked to the center of the dungeon, where Deathmagick was dancing wildly with Pixie to some far-off rhythm.
He stopped, and the cell fell silent.  Lovejoy smiled at him and held out her right hand.  Deathmagick took it and they shook hands, ending the war once and for all, and binding Thendrion and Madeleinia together at last.

Chapter 79
In the Stagemasters tradition, this fantastic performance by both sides had to be celebrated with a cast party.  Of course, a normal celebration could never have sufficed for the end of such a conflict, so a day-long festival was magically put together in the valley between Thendrion and Madeleinia.  The people of the two kingdoms, so relieved that the decades-long war was finally over, immediately set aside any differences that had accumulated over the years.  Between DuResio and Draconis' bass duets, Sopralto and Pixie's song sessions, and the techie interpretive dance troupe, there was no shortage of entertainment.
At the end of the day, Dark Wind and Sylvanie put on a fireworks show.  Sylvanie had hastily assembled a slingshot, with the help of Ben and Viall, and she flung caffeine-free diet Cokes, wigs, and muffins into the air, where Dark Wind caused them to explode in blazes of fiery fury, culminating with a barrage of perfectly timed bursts that spiraled down in a tie-dyed peace sign.  The crowd went wild for the beautiful display.
The next morning, Mark let everyone know, very early, that they were two weeks behind schedule, so they would have to leave in twenty-four hours.
DuResio invited Draconis and his mother to join him on the open road, but they declined.
"My place is in Madeleinia," said Draconis, "spreading your message of peace to the people.  They may have celebrated yesterday, but old wounds take time to heal.  I shall have to remain here until peace reigns once again."
Stacia, who had wandered over to see DuResio, saw Draconis looking at Lovejoy in her window far above and said, "You know, you two might make a very cute couple."
Draconis smiled.  "Perhaps some day."

Chapter 80
The time limit did not leave much time for Deathmagick to sort out the affairs of his kingdom, so he gathered the people of Thendrion together in the town square of Amemna for his first royal proclamation.
"Due to contractual obligations," he began, "I must leave you for a time.  However, I shall place you in capable hands for the duration of my absence."
He then turned to Andreus and Stacia, who stood beside him on the podium.  "These two Furres, who have proven themselves to be great leaders, shall be your governors while I am away.  I hope to return with my queen in three months' time.  Until that day, please respect and obey Generals Andreus and Stacia as you would respect and obey me."
After descending the stairs from the outdoor stage to uproarious cries of "Long live the King!" Deathmagick strode to Pixie, who had been sitting nearby, picked her up, and kissed her.  He paused for a moment, then asked her, "You don't mind, do you?"
"Mind what?"
"Being my queen?"
She grinned and kissed him.
"I'll take that as a 'No, of course I don't mind, Deathmagick,'" said Deathmagick, smiling broadly and carrying her back to the castle.

Chapter 81
At six o'clock the following morning, the Stagemasters took up their burdens once more and prepared to hit the open road once more.
"Next stop, Quillarrow!" said Mark, trying to get them going.
"Wait," said Jeremy, stopping Prika and Pixie.  Graham, Tycho, and Ben joined him. "How do we get back?"
Prika pulled a vial of Dream Portal out of her bodice, said, "Graham's house!" and pushed the four inside.
DuResio bid his brother and mother a tearful goodbye before picking up an enormous bag of weaponry and walking off with the Stagemasters into the sunrise.
When they had traveled about one mile, Mark started lecturing once more on the importance of devotion to one's director, citing several instances from the Battle for Peace (as it came to be called).  No one paid much attention.
Deathmagick took Pixie's hand in his own and ran his fingers around the silver ring that now adorned her finger.  She put her arm around him and fingered his father's ornate sword, which was sheathed at his side, as he kissed her and Sopralto began singing a beautiful ballad from inside her pile of caffeinating supplies.  The actors and techies slowly joined in as they all walked eastward and out of the beautiful valley.
"Some day we'll find it, the Rainbow Connection, the lovers, the dreamers, and me!"
Chapter 82
"Right, Jeremy.  You were really in my story.  You really fought in the battle for Madeleinia.  You never were a good liar.  Stick to tech, man."
Bess hung up the phone while Jeremy was still struggling to tell her of the epic events he had witnessed.
She didn't know why she even bothered anymore.  People just talked at her all day long about that stuff... He had to learn to leave role-play at role-play.  Just because he knew about medieval combat didn't mean he could fool her.  The story wasn't real...
Or was it?
No, it wasn't.  That was a dream, she told herself.  A dream brought on my late nights and a nasty bang on the head.  Furcadia isn't real...
She felt the sudden urge to check her email.  It wasn't uncommon.  She had it at least ten times a day.  Maybe she'd update her role-play with Nick, or write some more, or something.
Bess walked into the computer room, then instantly ran back out and flattened herself against the door of the bathroom, breathing hard, her eyes wide open.  She poked her head back into the room.
They were still there.
"Okay, I'm regaining my sanity again."
"Oh jive, don't even suggest it!" moaned the tall, gray, equine Furre in front of her.
The male beside her bowed deeply to Bess and said, "We came to thank you for saving Pixie's life.  Without your help, we might never have reached her in time."  Deathmagick extended to her a vial, filled with pink smoke.  "If you ever want to visit, we're doing a few shows in the Quillarrow area."
"I'm sure Sopralto could put you up for a few nights," added Pixie.  She and Deathmagick walked toward the computer, which emitted a blinding white light.  "Drop by any time!"
Pixie and Deathmagick stepped in front of the monitor, hand in hand, and disappeared into the light.
When the light had subsided, Bess blinked very hard and looked at the vial in her hand.  It was most definitely real, and so, therefore, was Furcadia.
She picked up the phone and dialed a number quickly.  "Jeremy?  Hi.  Yeah, about before...Do you wanna go on a little trip?"

The End of a Very, Very Long Tale
* "and the only one"