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The boys cross a bridge into the castle's keep. In the kitchen a fat woman orders
around the cooks and the boys who help. There are about four boys carrying barrels.
The woman turns to Suntop, who says, "The troll like one has seen us!"
Eric says, "Uhñoh!" Suntop holds his own shoulders but Eric puts his shoulder
cape over Suntop and covers his head with the hood, covering those pointed ears.
Prince Brian waits inside the Banquet Hall with his chancellor, Lord Chamberlain
Aaron. Eric tells Suntop to keep the hood over his ears and to pray as they are forced
out to serve. An orange haired boy brings out a bottle. A creepy brown haired wizard
in purple robe, red tunic and yellow belt arrives, the source of the magic feeling
Suntop has felt, something bad. The Wizard sees Eric and Suntop, "What a strange
boy." Eric takes Suntop off to his room. The Wizard asks who the two pages were.
The Chancellor tells wizard Tymmon that the Prince does not keep track of every skinny
peasant waif dropped off here for his service. Tymmon pushes aside two page boys
to leave but the guard and the chancellor bring him back, the Prince would like to
talk to him. Just below the banquet hall, Eric says, "I first found this room
just after I became a page here, when my parents died. This wing of the castle was
all but deserted I like to be alone...no one around." The sky is dark, the moons
are up and Suntop feels this is the time for running the trails. Suntop recalls,
"That's right. Humans sleep at night." Suntop hears Eric dream, "Mother...father.
No let them alone..." Suntop thinks, "He's so troubled. His life is filled
with such sadness." Humans are a mystery to him. Humans foul the air, shut themselves
up in castles that hide the sky, shut out the sun. A boy in red tights and brownish
shirt has his arm around a boy in blue, coming inside, asking Eric where he is. Eric
wakes up. They saw him sneak that little kid through the kitchen. Eric tells them
nothing is going on, he is just a friend of his. The one in blue says he sure is
a puny little runt. Suntop is not sure if these are friends or not but wishes they
would go away. Brian sleeps, sweating, across the courtyard. Someone wakes him up
and he says, "Father?" A ghost form says, "It is I." Long blond
haired Prince Brain gets up and wipes his eyes. The ghost of his father tries to
tell him something saying, "Don't...don't," but then tells him, "...trust
wizard, trust chamberlain." The ghost tells Brian he loves him. Guard Hue comes
in and finds Brian crying longtears. Hue tells him it surely seemed to be his father.
Tymmon in his purple night robe, chest out somewhat, is sure that will convince any
doubters, soon the Prince will be his to control. He is tired from this magic. He
goes to sleep. Lightning rages outside his tower. The orange haired boy gapes, "I
told you he's one of Eric's monsters. Look at his ears." The blue dressed one
crosses his eyes and sticks his tongue out. He also grabs Eric from behind and holds
his arms back, putting his arms under Eric's. The blue dressed one has brown hair,
"Everyone knows you're a coward," he tells Eric, who rises to Suntop's
defense. Suddenly, a swamp monsterñthingñman comes into the room. The orange haired
one falls, the blue dressed one's arms over his waist as is Eric's. The four are
in tumble on the floor as the monster walks in. Eric can't even run. Suntop has his
knife out, "This is my friend, you thing, and I'll protect him with my life!"
The thing grabs the blue dressed one, Timmy, and carries him out. Timmy screams for
them to help, to do something as it carries him outside. The other two human boys
huddle on the floor, their knees wrapped by their arms. Suntop kneels waiting for
it to come back. The trio hear a scream and lightning, "AAAEEEE." |