Part Six

~Raven~ - 07:07pm Oct 11, 1998 MST
Wandering Outrider

Raven glanced up from the map and into the fierce eyes of the young lady that had entered the room. "Who are you? The freedom fighters?" she asked. "I surely hope you are not representing El Presidente. I wouldn't want to have to kill you, ya know?" Her voice held just a hint of uncertainty.

The black-maned Outrider flashed a wolfish grin. "M'lady", he gave her his best appraising eye, "you are half killing me now." Raven chuckled softly and returned his gaze to the wonderous map that Josiella had procured. "Ye will have no need of your blade M'lady, we are indeed the champions of freedom." He rubbed his hand absently over the everpresent razor stubble.

He looked over at the enigmatic Cali and was about to request (yeah..that's right...talking to the feline ;p) that he guard the door when Cali suddenly hopped up and assumed 'guard cat' posture. He breathed a sigh of relief knowing that little would pass by the observant cat.

"Well ladies and....ummm....critters...it would seem that we have our work cut out for us." He
took another generous swig out of  the wine bottle (good for strategic planning) and began to explain his plan. "Tis good that we have secured this KEY area, but we cannot live on the contents of this room alone. (well...I can...but then...that's me.) He continued.  "What I propose, is a fiendishly cunning, lightning strike raid on the kitchen. We will need to coordinate with whatever forces we may have topside." He licked his lips, took another deep drink and spoke, "So what I need.....is a volunteer to go topside and inform our brothers and sisters that we strike right before supper."

Raven looked over the faces of the two young beauties and awaited their reply. Cali, diligent as ever, rolled his eyes at the prospect of the Outrider Baron's "plan"...;>
 

Melazar - 11:53pm Oct 11, 1998 MST
Knight and once proud Squire to Lord Murtano, Keeper of the Truth

It was late afternoon when I found myself finally making my way back to the Keep. I canna
remember when or how I got here, I guess my mind was preoccupied. A name kept takin over everthin.

"Larene."

Well thas not entirely true, her face was there too! I was in a place I guess yud call heaven, an if'n it aint heaven, then I canna imagine a better place!

My wanderings were cut short by Bruno's ever-present ramblings, he was almost screamin at me ta git back to tha Keep as fast as possible.

"I'll git there, " I started laughin in me nind, "Hold yer horses!!" I almost fell down, well cause I was funny of course, sheesh! My mind was attacked then, it aint funny none what Bruno can do to ya, he aint got much of a sense-a-humor, leastways none that he showed me!

"Okay!" I yelled back to'im in me mind, "What ya want? Ya said I could 'ave the day off." I almost whined, almost, he donna like whinin.

"El Presedente." was all he said, and was all I needed.
"I'll be right there!" I answered back as I made my way double-time.
"Where?" I called back huffin an puffin.
"You need exercise."
"Later...Where?"
"Where else you clod!"
I knew it was gonna be a long day.
 

 Melazar - 11:54pm Oct 11, 1998 MST
Knight and once proud Squire to Lord Murtano, Keeper of the Truth

I made it back to the stables where I broke in upon a strategy meetin. The two leaders seemed ta
be Horse an Bruno, who acknowledged my arrival by once again lettin me know there'd be more phys...pys.. more hard trainin in me future. I stood hands on knees tryin ta catch me breath and listen to the plans at the same time, it weren't workin none too good though, too many voices roamin around in there, so I blocked all but Bruno's.

"Okay." I said finally, "What is tha situation?"
Horse shook his head and stared at Bruno who let me know what Horse was thinkin. I wont
repeat it, les jus say, he werent none too happy that I was late fer a strategee meetin.
Bruno looked me way, he did that, said I could unnerstan better if I could see 'is face. Horses!

"Ouch!" He heard that.

"Here's the situation." He said to me. "El Presedente in out where he usually is, making speeches. Areleth is putting together the resistance movement out there somewhere."

My mind was suddenly filled with him sneakin through the Keep with the AK-47 sword of his.
Only a fool would go up against that thing! Makes me shiver thinkin bout it.
"We know there's a small group of freedom fighters in Murt's secret room in the lower level." I was happy that hanna fallen into El Presedente's hands, he was notorious fer drinkin up ev'rathin in sight!

"That's about it right now. Oh yeah, one of the dragons is on his side."
I knew which one it would be, Mocha. The only thing was, what was he really doin? I knew
enough about that one to know he wounna be second banana unless he could get somthin outta it. I almost felt sorry fer El Presedente, almost!

Melazar - 01:19am Oct 12, 1998 MST
Knight and once proud Squire to Lord Murtano, Keeper of the Truth

Me mind started ta wander again as Horse an Bruno made plans, which they decided I dinna need ta be involved in, I tell ya, I git no respect! Horses!

"Ouch!"

I decided ta go over to tha door an watch outside whilst the two...generals...made their plans. It wanna long afor me mind started ta drift back to me earlier meetin with Larene, and an even shorter period afor Bruno bout knocked me through tha wall!

"Pay attention!" He screamed into me mind.
"Sorry." I said nursin tha shoulder what hit tha wall.
"We need you to see what defenses guard the kitchen." Bruno ordered, not asked.
"Okay, then what?" I asked.

I felt an exasperated sigh, "Then return here and let us know what you found out about the
enemey!"

I knew that, really! I just wanted ta irritate him as much as he was gitt'n on me!
He had me change into another uni-e-form so's if'n I was captured, yeahsureright, I wounna be executed as a spy. In the back of the stable was a cash'A' of fat-ee-q's. I was ta wear tha ones what was jungle like, since I was NOT TO ENTER the Keep, only look inna win'ders.

I was dressed an ouuta there a fast as possee-bill, it were gettin dangerous in there. I decided ta take tha long way aroun, so's I could see what was what.

I went into me sneakin mode, ya know, where ya donna wanna be seen, maybe ya need some time with Bruno too heh? Anyways, when I rounded the Keep towards tha front, I expected ta see El Presedente on the bal'conee, but I saw what looked like a shaved dog wear'n a bear-it. Nonw this here feller was givin a speech o'is own. Seems he was against lefto'er food.

Now I foun that kinda funny, caus dogs use-lee likes lefto'ers, but then again, evrathin was kinda odd taday anyways. I noticed tha crowd what was listen ta tha funny lookin dog was bein slowly thinned. Seems there were fellers in fat-ee-q's a knock'n'im on tha head from ahind an draggin'im away. I'da seen thia aroun' tha docks afor.

"Well?" came Bruno's question inta me mind.
"Hold yer.." I almost said it agin, "I workin on it."
I started ta sneak agin, decided I needed ta git tha informashun back first, then we can see what was what out here.

As I rounded the western corner of tha Keep, I saw there were banners hangin from the sides o'tha Keep. 'Viva El Presedente'  I was definitely in enemey terreetoree. I started ta hop from bush ta bush, remember, I be sneakin!  I saw the El Presedente's forces were amassin in tha fruit tree's. I donna know why! They just was. Anyways, I was almost ta tha kitchen area when I almost gott'd caught, a patrol of them feller in tha other fat-ee-q's almost stepped on me. I waited fer them ta move out an made it ta tha kitchen win'der. Slow like, still sneakin here, I raised me head up ta look inside. What I seen dinna look good, they was them other fellers evra where! An they was a makin lefto'er meatloaf san'whiches! My favorite!

I duck'd back down inta tha bushes fer a might, ta see if'n they ever left it unguarded. After a bit I looked back up an seen they did leave it unguarded. El Presedente wonna like that! Fools! I was about ta lowere back down an return ta give me report when I noticed a lefto'er lefto'er meatloaf san'which! Now I canna abide waste ya know, there be starvin folks out there, well there is, me Ma told me all about it...yer gettin me off tha track here. I decided I'd git the san'which an then report back, I was hungry afterall, an it was goin ta waste! Sneaky like, yeah, I'm still sneakin aroun! Ya sure ya donna wanna train abit with Bruno? He'd help a lot, he helped me he said...

where was I? Oh, yeah, I was sneakin in tha kitchen fer a san'which.

Me mouth was waterin as I made it in and reached fer and grabbed me next meal.
"You didn't go in did you?" Bruno asked me.
"MMMMM." Guess I canna talk even in me mind with a full mouth.
"What was that?" he asked with a hint of irritation.
Swallowin real fast I answered, "Nothin. I'll be right.."
That was all I could say afor I felt hands on me shoulders. They turned me around, seems I was a lookin inta the eyes of tha owner of tha san'which.

"Er a...El Presedente!" I both yelled outloud an in me mind.
 

Melazar - 05:58pm Oct 12, 1998 MST
Knight and once proud Squire to Lord Murtano, Keeper of the Truth

My capture seemed relatively non-painful to this point. Actually it was quite....interestin. It seems that El Presedente was havin a sell-ee-brashun. There was food and drink everywhere! Heck, the onliest thin missin were music an dancin girls! I looked at El Presedente, he was eatin me san'which like it was the best thin he ever et! He took time to chew each morsel slowly while lookin my way and makin yummy faces. All I could do was growl to meself an eat the grapes! Now I like grapes ya know, but as a main entree, yuck!

I noticed the next time I looked that Mocha, the ever present figure at El Predente's ear, was gigglin and pointin me way as he said somethin.

A minute later the music started an th dancin girls arrived! El Presedente was ecstatic! He was so happy, he gave the lefto'er lefto'er meatloaf san'which to Mocha who just smiled and shook his head as if it were nothin. Mocha then took the san'which he held it between two fingers like it were somthin disgustin, an tossed it on the floor!

I'll never git me san'which. I moped a bit as the party raged. "LIMBO!"

Melazar - 11:28pm Oct 13, 1998 MST
Knight and once proud Squire to Lord Murtano, Keeper of the Truth
 

As the sell-ee-brashun carried on inta tha night El Presedente began ta git more than a little tipsy. Mocha seemed ta take great pleasure in whisperin things inta his ear, and whate'er it were, it seemed ta mkae Ol El Presendente shiver. But then Mocha would refill his glass an say somethin else that made'im laugh.

This was gettin weirder by the minute!  Just when I thought the Limbo contest in full armor an tha pie fight were all tha nights entertainment, the lights began ta lower. I heard a shuffle an tha place got a bit hot, like a door opened up to somewheres NOT here. I looked around ta see what El Presedente had on tap. I noticed he was as curious as tha rest of us. And, Mocha was gone, least ways he weren't on Ol El Presedente's shoulder. The lights finally were gone and there were twin explosions of fire!!!!! The whole room jumped!! The fire was from a pair of the largest and most likely the ugliest fire lizards ya ever seen! The fire illuminated a piano and its player, you guessed it, it was Mocha. Didn't know he could play, apparently neither did El Presedente, cause he got an odd look on his face that sorta made him look green.

As the song continued I noticed Mocha winked at me and smiled at El Presedente, an it were
one'a them 'Looky What I Can Do' smiles. I sorta donna think he was meanin the piano playin, which by tha by was pretty danged good!

When the show was o'er, the Lizards disappeared and Mocha took eight or nine bows, then
returned to his place on the still green El Presedente's shoulder.

El Presedente seemed ta feel tha need ta order folks around again, so he ordered more Limbo!

Mocha just looked me way and smiled