Deputy Samuel still wasn't sure what to think about this whole thing..
A mystical creature, in their neck of the woods? Well he did promise her a steak... he went to the butchers and bought something very juicy. It should burn nice in a camp fire. He was quite excited about it.. His dog Cuttler, was also quite eager for a few chops.
"Down boy," he said grinning. "Now just what do I buy such a weird girl..." Should he get her some flowers? What could he do to encourage her to stick around some more. Wine was always a good one right? He quickly bought a small bottle of red wine. He really hoped he could hear her story.
While doing his errands though, he suddenly found Mr Morris in the middle of the street in mid panic. "Samuel! It's Ironhand!" he screamed.
"What? What's happened!" He couldn't have been gone more then an hour. What happened at the sheriff's office?
"It was that criminal's gang. They got him out!"
Samuels eyes widened. "T' Hell? We got 'em all though!" He was already running back to his mentor. Please let him be okay...
"Samuel wait! Don't be a fool now!" Morris said holding him back.
"Let me go! I got to help the sheriff!"
"Son... he's dead. You got to think about gettin' out of this town! They'll be lookin' for y'er."
The deputy pulled away from the elder man, as he ran back to the office.
The Sheriff's office was almost half destroyed. The back wall.. was gone. The door on it's hinges.. bullet holes, everywhere... surprisingly, very little blood. Wasn't it supposed to be bloody when these things happened?
Samuels couldn't help but tear as he saw the desk, where Sheriff Ironhand was slumped over.. Cuttler started howling, whining like anything. But what was more creepy, was the way the dog looked at the Deputy. Like he was seeing a ghost.
There were bullet holes covering the walls, letting in strange beams of sunlight into the dark rooms... the jail's wall had been blown, and there was the smell of debris. "Ironhand... Joe," Samuel said using his real name. He wanted to make those bandits pay for this! Now it was murder! "Where... did they go..."
"The forest son... God only knows why" Morris explained. This was a tragedy.. no doubt. Ironhand was the longest serving law man they had.. he remembered when he was young, they seemed to drop like flies. Who would want the job?
Cuttler, started pulling at Samuels leg.
"Leave me alone!" the deputy shouted at the dog as he was pulled a foot away.
Suddenly, the roof.. over where he had stood a moment before, caved in. Blocks of clay and wood fell, just after his heels.
Morris and Samuels stared at each other then at the dog...
Morris in the end broke the silence. "Son... how in the world were you not here when all this shit blew up?"
"I- I was getting something... for a girl I met.." the deputy explained still shaken.
"Well..." Morris said glancing around then up at the masonry that nearly fell on him. "That girl.. just saved ye'r life... but if I were you, I be doin' some prayin'. Seems you might have been... fated to die here."
Brittany took hold of the stone delicately. To actually touch the Earth stone in this way, one of the Four Key Elements... Only Merlin was allowed to. Was everything going by his design?
She placed the stone into the book, and gave the lock a turn. The leathered strap around it instantly undid itself.
Brittany chanted words of prayer in the ancient language. There was a strange spark, as the book just... opened itself up. Brittany held it by the spine. The stone suddenly flew out of the book, but instead of going to the strange girl's hand's it went to Jon's.
The slug girl gasped as the stone was now back in her hands... "What.. how?"
"In ancient times... as keeper of the Earth Stone, that would mean you are... now Merlin, Lady Jon," She said with some awe. "Just as Excalibur was the Sword of Kings... so does that stone, belong to you... rightfully."
"I.. don't understand," The slug girl said confused.
The open page of the book now started to glow, as words appeared. At first they were in very old english, but slowly they seemed to re-arrange themselves to a modern style.
Karyn gasped as she saw the words change before her eyes... "Unbelievable..."
"Dear.... Jon," Jon read. "If you are reading these words... the world has changed once more. Be not afraid... this is not the first time, it has been so..."
"Not... the first time?" Asked Karyn.
Brittany nodded. "Our world has gone through many phases... we can not see all of reality in our existence..."
"Then... are you implying our previous world was a ... lie?" Karyn couldn't believe that! But then knowing the power of the stone, its ability to warp reality in such ways... who's to say what was real any more? They seemed to be getting further and further to what they knew of before.
"It's as true as this world Lady karyn," She explained. "There are no lies of existence... just... different perceptions all seeing a different truth. Making peace with their own realities. It is a difficult concept to explain, as it borders on the force of magic and imagination."
Jon blinked not understanding anything of what she had said. She continued to read. She glanced at the clock.. class would be starting, but she didn't care. This was of universal importance!
It had turned eerily silent in Jon's class... Jon, Karyn, and Strangely enough, Brittany were not present. It was unlike them to be late. However Mrs Crawford had explained what was discussed in the meeting.
The students, were not taking the concept well...
"You... want... What?!" Sarah gave every ounce of her new shrilled voice directed to Mrs Crawford.
"I am hoping to put in place a system to encourage you to wear clothes," She explained.
The whole class stood there stunned. Some of them looked offended, those that could clothe themselves gave a look of guilt, the rest seemed upset, one actually just put his head down on the desk ashamed to even show his eyes.
Steven looked quite uncertain too. She technically wasn't wearing clothes, even if her form gave the illusion of it... what side should she take in this argument? She was shocked seeing the naked harpy before. Was she uncomfortable about it? She didn't think so...
"This is unfair!" Sarah shrieked again. "You can't do this! It's not fair! It's not!"
Crawford was not moved at all, though she did give a glance at Mary Summers. The teacher didn't seem to move at all.. why wasn't she backing her up on this? Surly she must understand why they had to wear clothes?
"I can't wear clothes! I'm not human!" She gasped slightly to herself as she said those words... was that it then? Is this how she declares has loss of humanity? She wasn't a wild animal
either... but she couldn't live as a human either.
Rachel stood up, her full naked body in view. "I refuse..." She gave a look of daring to Crawford, steeling her eyes to her.
"What.. kind of special privileges are you talking about?" Asked Steven warily. There was something about this that didn't set right with her either. She wasn't sure what the teachers were hoping for.. but... maybe if she explained it?
Crawford nodded as she explained. "Use of larger study rooms for instance, you would get first choices of the games equipment, arts and craft materials..."
"... Bribery," said Tiffany cutting her off.
The whole class turned to the strange new Tiffany shocked at her actually using that word.
The horned girl glanced at the students, suddenly aware of all the eyes on her. She wanted to hide away... no... she didn't want to hide. This is a little closer to who the real Tiffany was. She glanced at each face, as they seemed to want her to say something more... Slowly, the horned girl rose from her desk. She drew a breath... her horn gleaming in its strange light. The skin on her hands, also luminescent...
"... I call for a strike..." Said Tiffany, as she slapped her hand across her desk.
The students looked at each other then again at Tiffany in amazement. The effect was instantaneous.
"Strike!" Agreed Sarah, throwing her feathered arms onto the desk,
"Strike!" Strike! Strike!" Everyone started chanting.
The entire class was in an uproar.
