The Motley, after resting in the forest glen that they escaped too, has returned to the near Dreaming, and are resting at the small tavern where they began.
Cuin slumps back against the wall, tired from their long journey, and sips a large glass of beer.
Gibbletooth sits at the table eating his food giving dirty looks at anyone who stares.
Ebony watches the smoke curl above her head as she takes a drag from her clove.
Felicity yawns, placing a paw over her mouth, stirring her drink lazily.
Cuin puts his glass down after a long drink. "Well, what now for ye' all? The trip to the mountains didn't exactly get you any closer to freeing your home."
Ebony shakes her head.
Cuin: "Where will ye' all go now?
Gibbletooth: "I goes wit dat dere Mr. Blacksin!"
Ebony: "We need to find a way to save the freehold...we cant' just abandon it..."
Felicity sighs.
Ebony: "I don't know what to do," Ebony says miserably.
Cuin: "Well, me for one, I'm thinkin' o' dropping back home. I've been away for a while, and need to see whats been happening."
Gibbletooth looks at Archie.
Gibbletooth: "Mebbe dey dere needs us'n to help dem Mr. Blacksin." he whispers.
Archibald: "Yes? What is it Gibbertooth?"
Archibald: "Wait, I think I know who I can talk too to help us out. I'm sure they can lead us in the right direction."
Gibbletooth: "Mee's wants to DUh help dem Pooker, E-B-O-N-Y, and dat dere Prosty."
Cuin looks at Archibald.
Felicity smiles.
Cuin: "So, what do you have planned Archie?"
Archibald: "I think, yes, I'll talk with my associates. See what they may have. If not about the Dead King, then at least maybe how to stop that damn Fomori."
Cuin nods...
Ebony takes another drag from her cigarette and watches the smoke, trying to come up with something, anything, to save their home.
Ebony tries not to think of the fomori.
In another place, the burning form of Gulaathnor stands looking over the Splintered Mountains where the sleeping forms of the Red Court lay. The Elder Dark muses to itself. "The Triumph Casque of Sorrows...Soon the keys will be reunited, and all will be as it was." He turns away from the mountains and walks towards the Silver Path and back towards the Autumn world...
Archibald: "I'll have to go to their office to see what they have. But with the information they have at their fingertips, it may just help."
Gibbletooth looks at the others and nods.
Cuin: "Who are these friends o' yours?"
Archibald: "Associates, nothing more. Nothing less."
Cuin nods.
Gibbletooth: "Yeah!"
Archibald: "We should start going now then."
Cuin nods. "Aye, I'll follow you back to the mortal world, but then I've got t' be on me way for a bit."
Archibald: "And the rest of you?"
Ebony: "Oh of course I'll go...thank you SO much for helping us!"
Archibald nods.
Cuin: "Alright then, shall we away then? We've a bit o' ground to cover before we reach the Autumn world."
Gibbletooth nods and stands up.
Ebony nods, gathering her belongings and standing up.
Felicity shakes Cuin's hand.
Cuin smiles. "I'm not goin' yet lass..."
Felicity: "OOooooohhhhh.... " she says as she smiles timidly.
Gibbletooth sits back down disappointed-like.
Gibbletooth: "Coo-in gets dat dere hopesy ups!"
Cuin: "Nay, we can leave here, like I said, I'll follow you back to the Mortal World."
Archibald: "Those who wait, sometimes end up at the wrong end of the rope."
Cuin: "Then I'll have to leave you."
Felicity nods. "Shall we?"
Ebony nods.
Cuin nods, "Aye, lets be gone from this place."
Ebony: "Yes, lets get going..."
Felicity walks toward the door.
Gibbletooth stands again.
Archibald walks to the door.
Gibbletooth makes sure everyone's leaving.
The Door opens before you reach it, and in strides a tall, imposing figure in polished armor and with a long sword hanging from his waist. The motley gasped as they recognized the form of the the Forgotten King.
Gibbletooth stands back between everyone and the king.
Gibbletooth: "Not ta hurts dat dere womins."
Thionder: "Well met my friends, I have searched the length and bredth of the Dreaming for you."
Thionder: "I am glad to have found you here."
Ebony blinks.
Felicity stands nervously and nods.
Thionder smiles. "I can see that you are confused. Let us sit and dine, and I will explain all."
Archibald stands and waits.
Felicity: "I'm always in the mood for a meal"
Ebony glances at Cuin then back to the Forgotten King.
Thionder sits down, and orders wine from the barkeep.
Felicity bellies up to the bar next to Thionder.
Thionder takes a drink from the glass of wine.
Thionder: "Now, where to begin?"
Thionder: "I suppose you all know who I am, the king of the lost Fae house Cthar."
Ebony nods slowly, watching Thiondar intently.
Felicity: "How do we know for sure?"
Giselle finally seems to snap out of her depression after hearing that Cuin won't be continuing on with them.
Thionder shakes his head. "You must believe, for it is you who the Dreaming sent to free me from the madness inflicted on me by the Fomorian Gulaathnor.
Giselle clears her throat. "So...you are not going to bring pain to ze world...torment us...all of zat?"
Ebony: "Why did he have to go free when you did?"
Thionder shakes his head. "No, on the contrary, I have returned to fight Gulaathnor, and to stand with the Everqueen against the returning Fomorians. When you freed Gulaathnor, you also freed me from the madness that he inflicted on me."
Giselle: "Zen...it was you zat we fought, an' Gulaathnor who escaped from ze crystal?"
Thionder nods.
Gibbletooth scratches his head.
Giselle: "Will you be travelling wiz us?"
Ebony: "How do we put him back into another crystal? How did he get put in there in the first place?"
Ebony tries to speak up so everyone can hear her.
Thionder: "With Gulaathnor free, he will try to awaken the other Fomorians. We can not allow that."
Thionder: "He was originally trapped by one of the Tuatha de Dannen."
Thionder: "The eldest of the Fae."
Ebony's mouth rounds into an 'O'
Thionder looks sad. "And as for putting him back, I'm afraid I don't know how."
Thionder: "If we are to triumph. Then you must help me secure a mortal body."
Ebony: "You mean..kill someone?"
Archibald smiles quietly.
Thionder shakes his head. "No, the Changling Way will exchange my soul, with the soul of a mortal."
Ebony: "What happens to their soul?"
Felicity: "as a lil one?"
Thionder: "It goes to Arcadia."
Thionder: "And we have not the time for me to inhabit a child's body."
Thionder: "It must be the body of an adult."
Ebony: "So...we need to find someone willing to spend time in Arcadia? Are you going to switch back when we're done?"
Felicity: "Hmm... "
Thionder: "No, he's a Fae."
Giselle grins. "I can give you a fantastic selection of bodies to choose from, Thionder, but we would need to travel to Paris."
Thionder nods. "Very well, we shall go to this...Paris then..."
Giselle: "My partner Josie could set you up with a line of men who could fit a certain...description." Giselle smirks.
Giselle: "Ah! Tres bien! I just need a telephone an' I can make ze call!"
Thionder: "Excellent. Shall we away then?"
Giselle nods, grinning. She turns to Cuin. "How far are you coming wiz us, mon amour?"
Gibbletooth looks at the king.
Cuin shakes his head and mutters...."Stealin' the souls of mortals, it sounds like the wyrm to me."
Cuin: "I'm thinkin' I'll take me leave early."
Gibbletooth: "Trey BENN....TReyBenn!!!" He falls to the floor laughing.
Ebony wonders why Thionder didn't answer her question about giving the body back when they're through.
Felicity nods in agreement with Cuin.
Cuin stands to leave.
Ebony: "What happens when you're done wtih the body!"
Gibbletooth: "Dat dere prosty talks duh funny."
Ebony: "And how are you going to get someone to agree to it!"
Felicity: "Good people DO that."
Thionder shrugs.
Giselle flips her head around to glare at Gibber.
Thionder: "Good people do not always save worlds."
Cuin snorts and marches out.
Giselle runs after Cuin and grabs his arm. "Wait...where are you going?"
Cuin: "Aye, he may be right, maybe he can fight the thing we let out. But I'm not for givin' him a mortal soul just for his pleasure."
Giselle: "Don't be mad, Cuin! I can make sure zat ze men in ze lineup would be...better off disappearing!"
Felicity: "So, how is you getting some booty going to help us with our problem?" Felicity asks Thionder.
Cuin: "I'll find another' way t' stop that thing."
Giselle: "But ze prophesy! Do you believe in it?"
Cuin: "I believe in what I can' do. Not in what a bunch o' people said aeons ago!"
Ebony sits down and asks her book what it thinks she should do.
Cuin: "If you want t' stay with him, I'll not stop you. But I'm for finding another way."
Thionder looks at Felicity.
Giselle turns back to Thionder. "Majesty..." she begins, curtsying. "...why must you be in a mortal body to do ziss?"
Thionder: "As the prophecy said, I will return, and with the Everqueen at my side, I will found a new kingdom, where all the world, who is of goodly heart shall have a home."
Thionder: "And we shall stand against the coming Winter as one people."
Thionder: "But to enter the Autumn world, I must clothe my immortal Fae soul in mortal flesh, as you have all done, to protect myself from Banality."
Giselle nods slowly in understanding, and then turns back to Cuin.
Giselle: "Cuin, mon cher, he needs a human body as we 'ave-- he did not get ze chance to be born into one. He cannot complete 'is quest without one. I know you may not understand, but eet eez ze way wiz ze Fae."
Archibald mutters to himself, "I'd much rather deal with this Fomor on my terms than this 'King's' terms."
Giselle thinks for a moment, and then turns back to Thionder.
Gibbletooth: "I's goes wit Archie!"
Giselle: "Majesty...what eef Cara does not want to...join wiz you?"
Gibbletooth: "Errr Mr. Blacksin!"
Thionder chuckles. "You would stand against the Fomori alone? Then you are doomed for sure."
Thionder: "She will. It is in her blood. It is what she, and all her line were born for."
Felicity: "We didn't take over an adult soul..." Felicity mutters.
Giselle looks at Thionder for a moment. "Ze humans...zey form attachments zat make zem...forget zeir duty at times...what eef she loves another?"
Cuin snorts "Better to die fighting the wyrm, then fall to it." Cuin turns and walks from the tavern.
Thionder: "Follow him if you will, but know that you will doom the world to an eternity of nightmares."
Felicity: "there is a big difference...like my doggie form..."
Ebony looks anxiously from one to another.
Ebony: "I don't think it's right to steal someone's body from them. If this guy wants to have a paradise for 'goodly' people, he's not getting off to a good start to have a good example."
Felicity: "I side with the faerie." Felicity says as she walks over to Cuin.
Gibbletooth looks from Mr. Blacksin to the king then back waiting for a choice to be made.
Thionder: "Is there such another? For surely the Dreaming would not make it so."
Giselle folds her arms. "Why do you all feel bad for zis man we 'ave not even picked yet? I can find a very handsome, strong, asshole!"
Archibald follows Cuin. "I feel that there are answers elsewhere than with the... 'Sidhe King'" This last comment is heaped in disgust.
Gibbletooth nods.
Gibbletooth: "Yeah!" and walks with Archie.
Giselle looks at her motley incredulously.
Ebony: "Isn't there another way?"
Ebony: "Can't we.....make a body or something? with cantrips?"
Thionder shakes his head.
Ebony: "or a spell?"
Thionder: "I know of no such magic."
Giselle stamps her foot. "I am telling you, I can find a man who DESERVES to be changed! Do you know 'ow many men are 'andsome, strong, and complete jerks??"
Thionder smiles at Giselle.
Ebony: "You might not like him Gis, but what if he has kids? or a family?"
Giselle: "Oh no...I know my clients well, petite! No wives..."
Felicity: "I agree... none of those men have wives or families."
Felicity: "and they're all supermodels..."
Felicity: "and all make a ton of money..."
Thionder smiles again at Giselle, "With your help my dear, we may save the world yet."
Ebony thunks her pen on her book to wake it up, and again asks it what it thinks about their choices
Archibald slams Ebony's book shut. "Sometimes, you should make your own decision child."
Ebony: With it's knowledge of history, enigmas, mage lore and theology, it must have SOME idea...
Ebony: "OUCH!"
Ebony jumps to her feet.
Giselle raises her eyebrow at Felicity. "I could find some like zat...arrogant fils des vaches...!"
Ebony: "DONT YOU EVER TOUCH MY BOOK!!!!"
Ebony glares at Archie with ice cold eyes.
Archibald: "And what, pray tell, would you do?"
Giselle looks with surprise at the Sluaghs.
Ebony: "Perhaps you should check your hand, unless you are resistant to certain poisons you're going to have problems in afew minutes."
Felicity: "OK. Best of luck to you."
Archibald looks at his hand a bit, then opens his coat. "Mere childs play, as expected."
Thionder stands up.
Thionder: "Stop, all of you!"
Thionder: "Now is not the time for argument. The Dreaming has chosen you all to be heroes."
Archibald takes out some vials for the antidote, while looking at the "Sidhe King."
Thionder: "Now is not the time to argue amongst yourselves!"
Gibbletooth looks at the king.
Thionder: "The Dreaming, and the Autumn world need you!"
Thionder: "Stand up and defend them!"
Giselle stands straight, smiling, with her arms folded.
Giselle: "Do not fear...I believe in ze king! We will find a man who deserves to be changed! We will do a service to ze world and ze Dreaming, both!"
As Thionder speaks, you can feel the power of the Dreaming flowing from him.
Gibbletooth eyes widen and looks at Mr. Blacksin and points at Giselle.
Thionder nods at Giselle.
Gibbletooth: "SDat dere prosty is talking about dat dere Gibber! Not take Gibber's soul, Mr. Blacksin! Not take Gibber's soul!"
Thionder: "If you will not heed the will of the Dreaming on your own, then I must convince you for all the world."
Gibbletooth: "Him be's a good dat dere Gibber! Hims promisey!"
Giselle blinks at Gibbletooth. "Well, you DO deserve to be changed, but not you, mon vilain."
Thionder takes on the look of a king. His eyes grow dark, and lightning seems to flash deep inside them.
Gibbletooth frowns sadly.
Gibbletooth: "Him not knowes why dat dere prosty hate him!"
Giselle goes down on one knee before the King.
Gibbletooth: "Hims been nicey-nicey to her."
Felicity frowns in sympathy to Gibber.
Thionder: "Let the Dreaming witness My Words! You the chosen WILL aid me in the fight against the Fomorians!"
Archibald pats Gibbertooth on the shoulder. "Maybe, if you stopped calling her prosty and called her Giselle, it'd help a bit."
Giselle turns her head to face Gibbletooth. "Because you refuse to call me 'Giselle' an' call me 'Prosty!' Zat eez RUDE!" she whispers.
Giselle nods firmly at Archibald and agreement.
The power of the dreaming flashes out...and the motley felt their wills crumble as the Sidhe King bent their wills to his.
Gibbletooth: "But prosty good name! Good name! You's make dat dere money and people like Coo-in happy! dat good! Him's be a prosty at fightin! Him kill dat dere bad people for money! Him's a prosty too!"
Giselle remains remains on her knee before the King, and now falls silent with her head bowed.
Thionder: "I regret to resort to such things, but you have all left me no choice!"
Ebony's hand drops and she bows her head in ascent.
Thionder: "Now stand up, all of you! We have much to do to prepare for my return to the world of flesh!"
Archibald stops fidgeting for his antitode and listens.
Giselle stands up straight and proud. "I believed in you, mon Roi!"
Thionder: "We will leave for this place...Paris...immediatly!"
Giselle laughs delightedly and claps her hands. "Paris!" she cries.
Thionder turns and leaves the Tavern, with the motley close behind.
Giselle follows Thionder, and then turns to find Cuin to see what he's doing.
Giselle turns around in a circle, but can't find Cuin. "CUIN!!" she calls, but no one answers.
Gibbletooth walks up and takes Giselle's hand.
Giselle stomps her foot and takes her hanky out as she begins to sniffle.
Gibbletooth: "It ok, you find other people to prosty to. Gibber protect dat dere womin of dat der group!"
Giselle looks at Gibbletooth in surprise.
Archibald follows the Motley, getting his antidote out.
Giselle yanks her hand away. "AH! You do not understand me at all!"
Felicity whispers, "I think he does too well."
Gibbletooth: "But prosty is good! you not hear him earlier. No one ever listen to dat dere Gibber."
Giselle takes a black lace veil out of her pack and drapes it melodramatically over her head to cover her face, and continues to sniffle.
Gibbletooth: "Gibber not so smart but him sees what it about."
Ebony looks sadly at Giselle.
Ebony: "I have more black lace if you want it..."
Giselle nods gratefully to Ebony. "I will 'ave to make a dress out of it..." Giselle blows her nose noisily as she continues to follow the king.
Ebony: "Ooh...that would be very pretty. If we ever get back to Seattle, I have a trunkload of antique lace..."
Time passes strangely in the Dreaming. In the World of Flesh, a red-haired man steps as if from nothingness, looking disqusted and angry. On The other side of the world, four lupine warriors howl their victory to the moon. And in a small city in the American West, a cloaked man stands looking at a small abandoned church, and smiles as the newly risen moon glints off his golden flesh.