Chapter Four- No Risk, No Reward
Several weeks later Lachlan entered Harald’s games. He wore his leather hooded outfit. As he entered the arena he ignored the spit of the workers of Charlotte and the threatening look of Vector. He did not acknowledge the presence of the hundreds of Brass Knights and their gleaming rifles. Instead he focused on the weasel pretender. Everyone stood for Harald as he entered the Arena and stepped inside his protected glass enclosure. Lachlan sat cross legged on the sand floor of the Arena. His meaning was clear as was the contempt he was showing the regent.
His first opponent was the giant dark man that Vector had found from distant foreign lands. The man was a foot taller than Lachlan and his body was a mound of chocolate covered rippling muscles. The warrior looked at Lachlan with contempt and he brought forth his giant club that was adorned with the teeth of animals. He swung it around his head. Lachlan rolled out of the way. The club went to the left and The Hood rolled to the right. He then thrust his sword inbetween the Africana's ribs and into his heart in an upward motion. As the warrior fell he smashed his club down once more and collected with Lachlan's upper thigh. His leg was pounded and shredded at the same time.
His next round was against a the beast master with the salivating dragon hounds. The dogs had enourmous teeth, wide mad eyes. Most dangerous thing of all about the animals was that these beasts had venom ducts that burned skin on contact, this is how they earned their name. The beast master released the dogs. One of them went for the front of Lachlan and the other went to go to the back. Lachlan sprang over their head. The dog's strategy came undone. They charged at him like a juggernaught. He grabbed sand from the Arena floor and threw it in the dogs' eyes. In their moment of confusion Lachlan moved with blistering speed and drove both swords through the dogs' skulls pining the beasts to the floor. They died quickly at the exact same moment.
Lachlan took a reprieve and grabbed some water while servants rushed to clean up dog brains from the Arena floor. He saw the beast master weeping and howling with grief. Lachlan shook his head. If this man had really cared about the dogs he would never have taken them to the Arena in the first place.
The Hood stood for his next round. Harold announced that the next round would be against captured cyborg pirates. The Palladium's were no bigger than an ordinary man and they were unarmed. Lachlan was not sure about the fairness of this battle. His concerns were dismissed the moment the first one of them round house kicked him. It was like being smaked with solid steel. Clearly the enhancements were powerful. Lachlan ran toward the two cyborgs and suddenly dropped to his knees and slid between them. His swords cut through the cyborg's archillies heals. Both of them fell to the floor. The Hood jumped to his feet, turned and one by one he twisted the heads of the captured Palladium cyborgs. They died on the spot.
The crowd thought he was done for and started to cheer the fall of their enemy but Vector announced in the final round Lachlan would face a mechanical Giant Cyclops and its spinning sharpened blades. Lachlan ran jumped and dodged. He avoided major cuts but he had a million small nicks and they were taking their toll. The Hood could not find an openning to attack. Suddenly out of the corner of his eye he spotted the water station. Lauchlan flipped his body over toward the water station. His sword cut the pipe that lead to the tap and he used it to spray the Cyclops The thing fizzed and sparked and then fell into a group of screaming over weight women in the front row. The Hood, The Hero, had won the contest. The oil was there's. He would now help his king win the war and save Avalon.
Every muscle screamed- Lachlan bled from a thousand cuts, his outfit was torn and slashed. The Hood was on his knees; his twin blades were dripping crimson from the collective blood of his foes.
Vector, seeing his foe’s weakened state, made his move and leaped into the Arena. He ripped off his shirt and unsheathed his scimitars from the brace on his back. Vector’s blades moved through the air with such speed that they blurred as they whistled through the air. Lachlan tried to get to his feet but he fell down.
The Charlotte workers stood up. Collectively they lent The Hood their support. The workers stamped their boots on the metal grate flooring and smashed their fists into the steel seats. The workers gave their love and respect to the broken warrior on the blood drenched sand that had won their admiration and regard.
Lachlan got to his feet. His body moved with grace and ease. Vector lunged. Lachlan parried. Vector thrust. Lachlan ducked. Vector and Lachlan duelled and hacked. Each was slashed and nicked. Sweat and blood flowed in equal portions. Then it happened- Vector stumbled. Lachlan used the opportunity and decapitated him on the spot. Vector’s head rolled to stare sightlessly upon his lord and master Harald the Pretender.
Harald raged and the Brass knights pointed their rifles at Lachlan. The crowd silenced in confusion. The Hood had earned their love but they had been brainwashed by constant propaganda and rallies to support Harald.
Suddenly the glass box that protected King Harald smashed.
There standing behind the king was Grud with an evil grin perching beneath his magnificent moustache and his massive hammer. Gurd roared “We leave with The Hood and the oil or my hungry hydrolic hammer is going to try to change this weasel’s mind the hard way. “ Lachlan passed out. The last thing he saw was the deadly curves of Scarletta as she swirled around with her guns raised and the plump monk armed with a bow and a face of fury. His body lost knowledge of the here and now as it escaped the pain by drifting into the gentle black nothingness of the mind,. It mattered not to the broken fighter- his friends were here now.
A month later and Lachlan had battled back from the brink of death, gradually he rejoined the land of the living.
Lachlan was woken by a foot pushed into his ribs. “Scarletta- you do that again and I will rip your bloody foot off!” Lachlan knew it was an empty threat. Right now he could not swat an annoying fly. Scarletta grinned with relief that finally he was acknowledging their presence.
“Lover boy- you got visitors.” Lachlan painfully sat up. As soon as he saw the kind face of King Lincoln he bowed his head. King Lincoln gave a rare thin smile.
The king was not an attractive man- his thin moustachless beard hung on his haggard face with fungal like determination. His nose was too long and far too broken. He was known throughout Avalon for the stupid stove pipe top hat he wore. The idiotic thing looked ridiculous but it did detract from his mole spotted face and skeletal frame.
No, the king’s greatness was not based on how fair his face was but on the loveliness of his words and the honest sincerity of his velvet brown eyes.It was not only the stove pipe hat which was an astounding fashion statement, there was also his legendary multi-barrelled machine gun grafted left arm. This King Lincoln packed a punch!
“Good Morn Lord Lachlan. We have been at earnest and honest labour whilst you took to your bed. Yea should give thanks to the excellent ministrations of Timon, our beloved man of God. “
Scarletta, never one for propriety interrupted King Lincoln.
“Dearest Brother let me tell the tale.” The king bent his head in agreement “Of course Princess Scarletta.”
Lachlan looked at the luscious woman with stunned amazement. “Princess? But, how? But you like.., O’h my God!” Scarletta smiled as she said
“And I can’t wait to get my ladies in waiting back, let us just say they won’t be waiting long.” King Lincoln looked uncomfortable as he nosily cleared his throat to pretend that he hadn’t heard her. It was strange how the man could be a warrior, a king and a respected learned man of the world, yet he would try to feign ignorance about the nature of his fiery younger sibling.
Scarletta continued her story “While you were a sleeping beauty- Grug, Steele and I paid a visit to my wormy little brother. After our afternoon jaunt in Charlotte we took pains to take out the trash and as such, there is not a Brass Knight to be seen in all of Avalon. “
Scarletta tried not to preen but it was to no avail, this was her moment and she was going to live up- every second of it. “ Steele ripped the ugly steel walls of Harald’s fortress apart. The wonderful thing went through those heavy metal plates like a hot knife through butter.” Grug’s face was beaming at Scarletta’s praise of his little robot. He looked down at his feet. The gesture did not hide from the gaze of the others, his spreading grin.
Scarletta flicked her titan tresses back and continued to regale Lachlan with her tale. “ Grug terrified little Harald, the idiotic regent, with his sexy big hammer. The stupid worm surrendered his accounts willingly.”
Lachlan breathed a sigh of relief, he knew that Avalon would be Lincoln’s land again. Scarletta rushed on “Using the oil we seized from the Games we were able to send Lincoln what he needed to get his boys airborne and into the heart of Palladium. My fantastic brother crushed Central Command and PA radix is no more. Now my um , handsome, big brother can take his royal place. As for you- ‘The Hood’ you can have anything you like, not me of course, but any other more mundane reward you request shall be granted.”
Finally it appeared as though the delightful minx had finished her monologue. Clearly a great deal had happened in the month that Lachlan had been out of action.
He did not feel bad that he had missed the concluding chapters of the adventure. His time had passed and he was not as young as he used to be. The games came close to killing him and now he wanted not to lose one more second of life. It was time for him to fade into the background and let others stand beneath the spotlight of ‘The Hero.’ Maybe it was even time for a girl. Perhaps it was even time for a stunningly sexy, lesbian thief of a princess to step up and inspire a nation.
King Lincoln took Lachlan's hand "Well done Lord Lachlan, you have had a journey of some import, you started a Lord, became The Hero then your turned in to The Hood and now you have ended up being the greatest Hero of all time. How can your nation reward you? Please, we are in debt to you."
Lachlan did not hesitate before answering “I want peace, quiet, sweet Adina and... that chicken that Timon is about to eat.”
In the later years of Lachlan’s life peace, quiet, Adina and chickens were in plentiful supply forever after.
Present
Jocular announced with full ceremony “Now we close the Chronicle of the Hero and the Hood.”
Jocular looked over to see that the young cleric had dropped off into slumber. Jocular the Bard smiled to himself and sipped his cocoa. He knew that he would have the young sleeper’s full attention tomorrow, for the Chronicles of Princess Scarletta were not yet concluded.
Home
His first opponent was the giant dark man that Vector had found from distant foreign lands. The man was a foot taller than Lachlan and his body was a mound of chocolate covered rippling muscles. The warrior looked at Lachlan with contempt and he brought forth his giant club that was adorned with the teeth of animals. He swung it around his head. Lachlan rolled out of the way. The club went to the left and The Hood rolled to the right. He then thrust his sword inbetween the Africana's ribs and into his heart in an upward motion. As the warrior fell he smashed his club down once more and collected with Lachlan's upper thigh. His leg was pounded and shredded at the same time.
His next round was against a the beast master with the salivating dragon hounds. The dogs had enourmous teeth, wide mad eyes. Most dangerous thing of all about the animals was that these beasts had venom ducts that burned skin on contact, this is how they earned their name. The beast master released the dogs. One of them went for the front of Lachlan and the other went to go to the back. Lachlan sprang over their head. The dog's strategy came undone. They charged at him like a juggernaught. He grabbed sand from the Arena floor and threw it in the dogs' eyes. In their moment of confusion Lachlan moved with blistering speed and drove both swords through the dogs' skulls pining the beasts to the floor. They died quickly at the exact same moment.
Lachlan took a reprieve and grabbed some water while servants rushed to clean up dog brains from the Arena floor. He saw the beast master weeping and howling with grief. Lachlan shook his head. If this man had really cared about the dogs he would never have taken them to the Arena in the first place.
The Hood stood for his next round. Harold announced that the next round would be against captured cyborg pirates. The Palladium's were no bigger than an ordinary man and they were unarmed. Lachlan was not sure about the fairness of this battle. His concerns were dismissed the moment the first one of them round house kicked him. It was like being smaked with solid steel. Clearly the enhancements were powerful. Lachlan ran toward the two cyborgs and suddenly dropped to his knees and slid between them. His swords cut through the cyborg's archillies heals. Both of them fell to the floor. The Hood jumped to his feet, turned and one by one he twisted the heads of the captured Palladium cyborgs. They died on the spot.
The crowd thought he was done for and started to cheer the fall of their enemy but Vector announced in the final round Lachlan would face a mechanical Giant Cyclops and its spinning sharpened blades. Lachlan ran jumped and dodged. He avoided major cuts but he had a million small nicks and they were taking their toll. The Hood could not find an openning to attack. Suddenly out of the corner of his eye he spotted the water station. Lauchlan flipped his body over toward the water station. His sword cut the pipe that lead to the tap and he used it to spray the Cyclops The thing fizzed and sparked and then fell into a group of screaming over weight women in the front row. The Hood, The Hero, had won the contest. The oil was there's. He would now help his king win the war and save Avalon.
Every muscle screamed- Lachlan bled from a thousand cuts, his outfit was torn and slashed. The Hood was on his knees; his twin blades were dripping crimson from the collective blood of his foes.
Vector, seeing his foe’s weakened state, made his move and leaped into the Arena. He ripped off his shirt and unsheathed his scimitars from the brace on his back. Vector’s blades moved through the air with such speed that they blurred as they whistled through the air. Lachlan tried to get to his feet but he fell down.
The Charlotte workers stood up. Collectively they lent The Hood their support. The workers stamped their boots on the metal grate flooring and smashed their fists into the steel seats. The workers gave their love and respect to the broken warrior on the blood drenched sand that had won their admiration and regard.
Lachlan got to his feet. His body moved with grace and ease. Vector lunged. Lachlan parried. Vector thrust. Lachlan ducked. Vector and Lachlan duelled and hacked. Each was slashed and nicked. Sweat and blood flowed in equal portions. Then it happened- Vector stumbled. Lachlan used the opportunity and decapitated him on the spot. Vector’s head rolled to stare sightlessly upon his lord and master Harald the Pretender.
Harald raged and the Brass knights pointed their rifles at Lachlan. The crowd silenced in confusion. The Hood had earned their love but they had been brainwashed by constant propaganda and rallies to support Harald.
Suddenly the glass box that protected King Harald smashed.
There standing behind the king was Grud with an evil grin perching beneath his magnificent moustache and his massive hammer. Gurd roared “We leave with The Hood and the oil or my hungry hydrolic hammer is going to try to change this weasel’s mind the hard way. “ Lachlan passed out. The last thing he saw was the deadly curves of Scarletta as she swirled around with her guns raised and the plump monk armed with a bow and a face of fury. His body lost knowledge of the here and now as it escaped the pain by drifting into the gentle black nothingness of the mind,. It mattered not to the broken fighter- his friends were here now.
A month later and Lachlan had battled back from the brink of death, gradually he rejoined the land of the living.
Lachlan was woken by a foot pushed into his ribs. “Scarletta- you do that again and I will rip your bloody foot off!” Lachlan knew it was an empty threat. Right now he could not swat an annoying fly. Scarletta grinned with relief that finally he was acknowledging their presence.
“Lover boy- you got visitors.” Lachlan painfully sat up. As soon as he saw the kind face of King Lincoln he bowed his head. King Lincoln gave a rare thin smile.
The king was not an attractive man- his thin moustachless beard hung on his haggard face with fungal like determination. His nose was too long and far too broken. He was known throughout Avalon for the stupid stove pipe top hat he wore. The idiotic thing looked ridiculous but it did detract from his mole spotted face and skeletal frame.
No, the king’s greatness was not based on how fair his face was but on the loveliness of his words and the honest sincerity of his velvet brown eyes.It was not only the stove pipe hat which was an astounding fashion statement, there was also his legendary multi-barrelled machine gun grafted left arm. This King Lincoln packed a punch!
“Good Morn Lord Lachlan. We have been at earnest and honest labour whilst you took to your bed. Yea should give thanks to the excellent ministrations of Timon, our beloved man of God. “
Scarletta, never one for propriety interrupted King Lincoln.
“Dearest Brother let me tell the tale.” The king bent his head in agreement “Of course Princess Scarletta.”
Lachlan looked at the luscious woman with stunned amazement. “Princess? But, how? But you like.., O’h my God!” Scarletta smiled as she said
“And I can’t wait to get my ladies in waiting back, let us just say they won’t be waiting long.” King Lincoln looked uncomfortable as he nosily cleared his throat to pretend that he hadn’t heard her. It was strange how the man could be a warrior, a king and a respected learned man of the world, yet he would try to feign ignorance about the nature of his fiery younger sibling.
Scarletta continued her story “While you were a sleeping beauty- Grug, Steele and I paid a visit to my wormy little brother. After our afternoon jaunt in Charlotte we took pains to take out the trash and as such, there is not a Brass Knight to be seen in all of Avalon. “
Scarletta tried not to preen but it was to no avail, this was her moment and she was going to live up- every second of it. “ Steele ripped the ugly steel walls of Harald’s fortress apart. The wonderful thing went through those heavy metal plates like a hot knife through butter.” Grug’s face was beaming at Scarletta’s praise of his little robot. He looked down at his feet. The gesture did not hide from the gaze of the others, his spreading grin.
Scarletta flicked her titan tresses back and continued to regale Lachlan with her tale. “ Grug terrified little Harald, the idiotic regent, with his sexy big hammer. The stupid worm surrendered his accounts willingly.”
Lachlan breathed a sigh of relief, he knew that Avalon would be Lincoln’s land again. Scarletta rushed on “Using the oil we seized from the Games we were able to send Lincoln what he needed to get his boys airborne and into the heart of Palladium. My fantastic brother crushed Central Command and PA radix is no more. Now my um , handsome, big brother can take his royal place. As for you- ‘The Hood’ you can have anything you like, not me of course, but any other more mundane reward you request shall be granted.”
Finally it appeared as though the delightful minx had finished her monologue. Clearly a great deal had happened in the month that Lachlan had been out of action.
He did not feel bad that he had missed the concluding chapters of the adventure. His time had passed and he was not as young as he used to be. The games came close to killing him and now he wanted not to lose one more second of life. It was time for him to fade into the background and let others stand beneath the spotlight of ‘The Hero.’ Maybe it was even time for a girl. Perhaps it was even time for a stunningly sexy, lesbian thief of a princess to step up and inspire a nation.
King Lincoln took Lachlan's hand "Well done Lord Lachlan, you have had a journey of some import, you started a Lord, became The Hero then your turned in to The Hood and now you have ended up being the greatest Hero of all time. How can your nation reward you? Please, we are in debt to you."
Lachlan did not hesitate before answering “I want peace, quiet, sweet Adina and... that chicken that Timon is about to eat.”
In the later years of Lachlan’s life peace, quiet, Adina and chickens were in plentiful supply forever after.
Present
Jocular announced with full ceremony “Now we close the Chronicle of the Hero and the Hood.”
Jocular looked over to see that the young cleric had dropped off into slumber. Jocular the Bard smiled to himself and sipped his cocoa. He knew that he would have the young sleeper’s full attention tomorrow, for the Chronicles of Princess Scarletta were not yet concluded.
Home