Chapter 1
Many ages ago, when this ancient planet was not quite so ancient, and man shared the land with many strange creatures: (Dragons, specters, phoenixes, griffons, brownies, trolls, and sorcerers) there was a young boy who was a jester in King Lionel of Buffle’s court. This boy’s name was James, and he was twelve years old. He had, in addition to being a jester, been in training to be a sorcerer under the master sorcerer, Raoul, for six years; half of his life. This, combined with his natural wit and humor, made James the greatest jester King Lionel had ever seen. The king was immensely fond of him, and James was always at his beck and call, entertaining whenever a laugh was needed. This continued for four years until his sixteenth birthday. King Lionel, pleased with James’ service, allowed him to do what he pleased with the day. James wandered through the rural countryside of Buffle, watching people go on with their daily chores. He bought a loaf of bread from a peddlers’ stand and as he munched it, an idea came to him. Why not visit Skype, the neighboring kingdom? He had never been outside the walls of Buffle before, and a chance like this might never come again. He would be back before dark, anyway. He ran to the king’s stables where his horse, Franc, was housed. He had received Franc as a present form the king on his thirteenth birthday. James immediately saddled his horse, and after packing food, water and a blanket, he was off! James rode through the gates of Buffle and savored the warm air of the plain on his shoulders as Franc walked. About an hour into his ride, James spotted a phoenix swoop down not ten feet away with a bloody carcass! Oh, how he wished he had been paying attention when Raoul had taught him that spell to ward off phoenixes! What was it again? “I know that it causes deep sleep,” James thought to himself. Oh! That was it! James clapped his hands three times to get its attention, then pantomimed falling asleep. The creature yawned, and stretched. To finish it off, James snapped his fingers and within moments, the phoenix was snoring like a troll. Franc and James crept past the slumbering monster and continued trekking through the plain. About forty-five minutes later, they came to a nice, shady spot beneath a tree to have their lunch. There was plenty of grass for Franc to eat. As Franc finished his grassy meal and began rolling on the ground, James cut apart a loaf of bread and laid slices of goat cheese in between for a delicious and substantial meal. After he finished eating, he packed up his saddlebags. Before he continued riding, James climbed to the top of the tree and glanced out at the horizon. He could see Skype in the distance! It looked to be only a ten minute ride! James quickly scurried down the tree and hopped in the saddle. He urged Franc into a canter, reaching the kingdom of Skype in no time at all.
Chapter 2
As he rode through the gates, he noticed the difference between this strange, new kingdom and Buffle. Back in Buffle, there were always people coming and going. However, in Skype, everyone was shut up in their houses. The few people who were outside quickly scurried in as James and Franc rode by. Shrugging it off, James decided to follow a stream that ran between two houses and back into a woodland. He tied Franc to a tree and loosened the straps on his saddle and bridle. James headed through the woods, always keeping the stream in sight. Suddenly, he came to a clearing shrouded in mist. He heard weeping. Where was the sound coming from? He followed it, which led him to a ramshackle gazebo covered in ivy. Was that…..? It was! There was a girl sitting on a bench inside the gazebo. The bench was covered in white paint to make it appear less shabby, but the paint had long since began flaking off. James instantly recognized the traditional jester-wear that was present on this girl. It was exactly what he was wearing, but while he was dressed in royal purple, she was garbed in scarlet. James slowly crept toward the girl. As he approached, he realized that this maiden was about his own age. He sat down next to her. “Why are you crying?” James asked. “Oh, what does it matter? Nobody cares. I’m just Rhondi, the scarlet fool.” The strange girl replied angrily. James ignored her apparent hostility. “My name is James. Is there anything I can do? Why don’t you tell me what the trouble is and I can try to fix it. After all, we jesters need to stick together.” Was James’ long-winded reply. Rhondi sighed. “If you must know, I suppose I’ll have to start at the beginning,” Rhondi said reluctantly. “It started when I was eight. I was being trained to be a baker, just like my parents. But then, my mother died giving birth to my sister, who also died. My father was grief-stricken. He wouldn’t eat. He wouldn’t sleep. a few months later, he died as well. The current jester offered to teach me to follow in his footsteps, as he needed a successor. He was very old. He was very kind, and I enjoyed working with him. However, he was very fond of the drink. After a night at the tavern, he said something he shouldn’t have, and he was assassinated that night. I have become the main jester, but my tricks are not to King Henry’s liking. He beats me and starves me, and I have nowhere else to go. My life is forfeit.” Another crystal tear trickled down her cheek, and James’ heart went out to her. “I feel so sad for you. How would you like it if I taught you some tricks that would make even the most ill-tempered dwarf laugh? It would at least take care of your King Henry problem.” Rhondi scowled, but then she stopped. “Well, I suppose…. I have nothing to lose…..” She said hesitantly. “Well, let’s get started!” James exclaimed.
Chapter 3
Back in Buffle, King Lionel was growing worried. “Where is James?” he asked his councilor. “I have not seen him all day,” The councilor replied. “Shall I send out a search party?” He asked. “At once!” was King Lionel’s prompt reply.
* * *
In Skype, night was falling. “I’ve had a lot of fun today.” Rhondi told James. “I’m glad.” James replied. Was it a trick of the firelight, or was she gazing into his eyes? “You are the nicest person I’ve met in years!” Rhondi exclaimed. He was smiling, ever so slightly, ever so sweetly. “You’ve been through a lot, but you are a wonderful person. I’m proud of you.” He was entranced by her eyes. James slowly leaned over and, gently, kissed her.
* * *
The search party King Lionel had sent out had gone dreadfully off course. Meaning to follow the plain to the kingdom Skype, their amateur tracker had led them miles west into the Skandian desert. A flap of leathery wings. What was that? A phoenix! It was, in fact, the very one James had put to sleep earlier. When it had awoken, it found that its kill had been dragged off by a troll that was now far off in the Kryptian mountains. Enraged, it followed the first scent that wafted to its nose in search of a new kill; the hopelessly lost search party. A screech. Jaws snapping. And the search party was no more.
* * *
Rhondi wandered slowly towards King Henry’s palace, looking down at the ground, a minute smile on her face. She was thinking some very secret thoughts. When she reached the palace, King Henry was in one of his frequent rages. “WHY were you not here?!” The king demanded. “I have been waiting for entertainment!” Rhondi bowed. (She was not wearing a skirt, so she could not curtsy.) “I am terribly sorry, O king. I was learning tricks that should perhaps better please you, my lord.” “And something else too…” She thought to herself. “WELL, LET’S SEE IT!” Henry roared, banging his meaty fists on his throne. Rhondi took a deep breath, and began juggling wooden balls. “A carriage crashes on the border between Turkey and Spain. Where are the dead buried?” Rhondi mentally crossed her fingers. “Please, please, please…..” She thought. King Henry appeared deep in thought. “I don’t know!” He finally proclaimed. “They don’t Rhondi answered. There is no border between Turkey and Spain!” Henry looked puzzled and confused for a few minutes. Suddenly, it dawned on him and he burst into peals of laughter. “HA HA HA! HO HO! That is a good one! I’m promoting you to second in command!” King Henry announced loudly. Meanwhile, Thomas Mercer, the king’s former second in command watched from behind a corridor with a look of hate on his scarred features.
Chapter 4
James set up camp in the woods, humming as he worked. He wasn’t sure what had come over him earlier, but he knew that he had to see Rhondi tomorrow. She had said she lived in a small shack next to the palace. He would go at first light to see her. He settled under a thin blanket, the warm summer breeze gently blowing across his face, thinking pleasant thoughts as he drifted off to sleep.
* * *
Mr. Mercer stood in his chambers, making preparations for what was to come. He picked up a hollow wooden tube and a small dart. Holding the dart by its feathers, he gingerly dipped the tip into a bowl of highly concentrated cottonmouth venom. He then carefully dropped the dart into the tube. He would still be second in command! Mercer crept towards a little shack next to the palace and pushed open the door silently. Glancing at the sleeping form of the “scarlet fool”, as he himself had once called her, he blew into the tube. Smiling, he tucked the reed into his belt. No jester would take his power away from him.
* * *
James woke up and stretched. Rhondi! He must go visit her. Breakfast didn’t matter; he could get it later. It was a short walk to Rhondi’s home. He knocked. When she didn’t answer he pushed open the door… and stared in horror at the bloated carcass of the one he loved. James stumbled back through the door and ran to the gazebo where the two had first met. He dropped to his knees, sobbing. Why? Why had the world done this to him? The girl who had such a sad life. The one who was still open to love. Who had loved him. Who he had loved. Oh, why had this happened? He lay on the ground, racked with sobs. He stayed there, taking no notice of the dirt that covered his face. Something deep inside of him snapped. He got up, scrubbed away his tears, and glared angrily. He would learn the dark magics and punish the world that had done this. He grinned evilly. He was no longer James, the benevolent king’s fool. “I am the greatest sorcerer, the magician of terror. I am…. Dimentio!”
The End
Many ages ago, when this ancient planet was not quite so ancient, and man shared the land with many strange creatures: (Dragons, specters, phoenixes, griffons, brownies, trolls, and sorcerers) there was a young boy who was a jester in King Lionel of Buffle’s court. This boy’s name was James, and he was twelve years old. He had, in addition to being a jester, been in training to be a sorcerer under the master sorcerer, Raoul, for six years; half of his life. This, combined with his natural wit and humor, made James the greatest jester King Lionel had ever seen. The king was immensely fond of him, and James was always at his beck and call, entertaining whenever a laugh was needed. This continued for four years until his sixteenth birthday. King Lionel, pleased with James’ service, allowed him to do what he pleased with the day. James wandered through the rural countryside of Buffle, watching people go on with their daily chores. He bought a loaf of bread from a peddlers’ stand and as he munched it, an idea came to him. Why not visit Skype, the neighboring kingdom? He had never been outside the walls of Buffle before, and a chance like this might never come again. He would be back before dark, anyway. He ran to the king’s stables where his horse, Franc, was housed. He had received Franc as a present form the king on his thirteenth birthday. James immediately saddled his horse, and after packing food, water and a blanket, he was off! James rode through the gates of Buffle and savored the warm air of the plain on his shoulders as Franc walked. About an hour into his ride, James spotted a phoenix swoop down not ten feet away with a bloody carcass! Oh, how he wished he had been paying attention when Raoul had taught him that spell to ward off phoenixes! What was it again? “I know that it causes deep sleep,” James thought to himself. Oh! That was it! James clapped his hands three times to get its attention, then pantomimed falling asleep. The creature yawned, and stretched. To finish it off, James snapped his fingers and within moments, the phoenix was snoring like a troll. Franc and James crept past the slumbering monster and continued trekking through the plain. About forty-five minutes later, they came to a nice, shady spot beneath a tree to have their lunch. There was plenty of grass for Franc to eat. As Franc finished his grassy meal and began rolling on the ground, James cut apart a loaf of bread and laid slices of goat cheese in between for a delicious and substantial meal. After he finished eating, he packed up his saddlebags. Before he continued riding, James climbed to the top of the tree and glanced out at the horizon. He could see Skype in the distance! It looked to be only a ten minute ride! James quickly scurried down the tree and hopped in the saddle. He urged Franc into a canter, reaching the kingdom of Skype in no time at all.
Chapter 2
As he rode through the gates, he noticed the difference between this strange, new kingdom and Buffle. Back in Buffle, there were always people coming and going. However, in Skype, everyone was shut up in their houses. The few people who were outside quickly scurried in as James and Franc rode by. Shrugging it off, James decided to follow a stream that ran between two houses and back into a woodland. He tied Franc to a tree and loosened the straps on his saddle and bridle. James headed through the woods, always keeping the stream in sight. Suddenly, he came to a clearing shrouded in mist. He heard weeping. Where was the sound coming from? He followed it, which led him to a ramshackle gazebo covered in ivy. Was that…..? It was! There was a girl sitting on a bench inside the gazebo. The bench was covered in white paint to make it appear less shabby, but the paint had long since began flaking off. James instantly recognized the traditional jester-wear that was present on this girl. It was exactly what he was wearing, but while he was dressed in royal purple, she was garbed in scarlet. James slowly crept toward the girl. As he approached, he realized that this maiden was about his own age. He sat down next to her. “Why are you crying?” James asked. “Oh, what does it matter? Nobody cares. I’m just Rhondi, the scarlet fool.” The strange girl replied angrily. James ignored her apparent hostility. “My name is James. Is there anything I can do? Why don’t you tell me what the trouble is and I can try to fix it. After all, we jesters need to stick together.” Was James’ long-winded reply. Rhondi sighed. “If you must know, I suppose I’ll have to start at the beginning,” Rhondi said reluctantly. “It started when I was eight. I was being trained to be a baker, just like my parents. But then, my mother died giving birth to my sister, who also died. My father was grief-stricken. He wouldn’t eat. He wouldn’t sleep. a few months later, he died as well. The current jester offered to teach me to follow in his footsteps, as he needed a successor. He was very old. He was very kind, and I enjoyed working with him. However, he was very fond of the drink. After a night at the tavern, he said something he shouldn’t have, and he was assassinated that night. I have become the main jester, but my tricks are not to King Henry’s liking. He beats me and starves me, and I have nowhere else to go. My life is forfeit.” Another crystal tear trickled down her cheek, and James’ heart went out to her. “I feel so sad for you. How would you like it if I taught you some tricks that would make even the most ill-tempered dwarf laugh? It would at least take care of your King Henry problem.” Rhondi scowled, but then she stopped. “Well, I suppose…. I have nothing to lose…..” She said hesitantly. “Well, let’s get started!” James exclaimed.
Chapter 3
Back in Buffle, King Lionel was growing worried. “Where is James?” he asked his councilor. “I have not seen him all day,” The councilor replied. “Shall I send out a search party?” He asked. “At once!” was King Lionel’s prompt reply.
* * *
In Skype, night was falling. “I’ve had a lot of fun today.” Rhondi told James. “I’m glad.” James replied. Was it a trick of the firelight, or was she gazing into his eyes? “You are the nicest person I’ve met in years!” Rhondi exclaimed. He was smiling, ever so slightly, ever so sweetly. “You’ve been through a lot, but you are a wonderful person. I’m proud of you.” He was entranced by her eyes. James slowly leaned over and, gently, kissed her.
* * *
The search party King Lionel had sent out had gone dreadfully off course. Meaning to follow the plain to the kingdom Skype, their amateur tracker had led them miles west into the Skandian desert. A flap of leathery wings. What was that? A phoenix! It was, in fact, the very one James had put to sleep earlier. When it had awoken, it found that its kill had been dragged off by a troll that was now far off in the Kryptian mountains. Enraged, it followed the first scent that wafted to its nose in search of a new kill; the hopelessly lost search party. A screech. Jaws snapping. And the search party was no more.
* * *
Rhondi wandered slowly towards King Henry’s palace, looking down at the ground, a minute smile on her face. She was thinking some very secret thoughts. When she reached the palace, King Henry was in one of his frequent rages. “WHY were you not here?!” The king demanded. “I have been waiting for entertainment!” Rhondi bowed. (She was not wearing a skirt, so she could not curtsy.) “I am terribly sorry, O king. I was learning tricks that should perhaps better please you, my lord.” “And something else too…” She thought to herself. “WELL, LET’S SEE IT!” Henry roared, banging his meaty fists on his throne. Rhondi took a deep breath, and began juggling wooden balls. “A carriage crashes on the border between Turkey and Spain. Where are the dead buried?” Rhondi mentally crossed her fingers. “Please, please, please…..” She thought. King Henry appeared deep in thought. “I don’t know!” He finally proclaimed. “They don’t Rhondi answered. There is no border between Turkey and Spain!” Henry looked puzzled and confused for a few minutes. Suddenly, it dawned on him and he burst into peals of laughter. “HA HA HA! HO HO! That is a good one! I’m promoting you to second in command!” King Henry announced loudly. Meanwhile, Thomas Mercer, the king’s former second in command watched from behind a corridor with a look of hate on his scarred features.
Chapter 4
James set up camp in the woods, humming as he worked. He wasn’t sure what had come over him earlier, but he knew that he had to see Rhondi tomorrow. She had said she lived in a small shack next to the palace. He would go at first light to see her. He settled under a thin blanket, the warm summer breeze gently blowing across his face, thinking pleasant thoughts as he drifted off to sleep.
* * *
Mr. Mercer stood in his chambers, making preparations for what was to come. He picked up a hollow wooden tube and a small dart. Holding the dart by its feathers, he gingerly dipped the tip into a bowl of highly concentrated cottonmouth venom. He then carefully dropped the dart into the tube. He would still be second in command! Mercer crept towards a little shack next to the palace and pushed open the door silently. Glancing at the sleeping form of the “scarlet fool”, as he himself had once called her, he blew into the tube. Smiling, he tucked the reed into his belt. No jester would take his power away from him.
* * *
James woke up and stretched. Rhondi! He must go visit her. Breakfast didn’t matter; he could get it later. It was a short walk to Rhondi’s home. He knocked. When she didn’t answer he pushed open the door… and stared in horror at the bloated carcass of the one he loved. James stumbled back through the door and ran to the gazebo where the two had first met. He dropped to his knees, sobbing. Why? Why had the world done this to him? The girl who had such a sad life. The one who was still open to love. Who had loved him. Who he had loved. Oh, why had this happened? He lay on the ground, racked with sobs. He stayed there, taking no notice of the dirt that covered his face. Something deep inside of him snapped. He got up, scrubbed away his tears, and glared angrily. He would learn the dark magics and punish the world that had done this. He grinned evilly. He was no longer James, the benevolent king’s fool. “I am the greatest sorcerer, the magician of terror. I am…. Dimentio!”
The End