#ruby red proscenium

[theseimmortalcoils]

Ruby red and gold velvet curtains with matching proscenium. Photographer/location unknown.

[olliepig]

Waiting in the Wings Ch 2

The next chapter is finally written! Massive thanks again to @willow-salix for reading through it last night and making sure it actually made any kind of sense.

It can also be read in full on AO3 here.

***********************************

Two weeks after Penny’s party, Cat sat in the chair in her dressing room, getting her hair and makeup done for the show. Usually, it was time she used for quiet reflection on the work that had led up to that moment as well as time to focus on the upcoming performance but the events of the past 14 days seemed determined to seep into her head and take up residence. As promised, she had heard from Scott the day after the party and she smiled to herself as she remembered the sudden jolt of excitement that had gone through her when she’d seen his name flash up on her phone. Their messages had started out as a means of simply catching up on what they’d missed from each other’s lives but they had slowly shifted focus and increased in quantity to become an ever-present discussion about their daily lives.

The first time she was aware that he had been called out on a rescue had thrown her and a frown crossed her face as she remembered the doubts that had crept in about their continued friendship at that point. Her concentration in rehearsals had taken a nosedive while she knew that he was risking his life somewhere. That distraction was a threat to her laser focus on everything she did with her dancing and made her seriously weigh up whether it was prudent to continue their budding friendship or not. The irony of that, given his reasoning for breaking up with her in the first place, was not lost on her. However, something in the back of her head kept niggling away, telling her not to make any decisions too rashly, so despite the unpleasant experience of fretting until a message lit up her phone several hours after he had got home, she had carried on. A ground rule had been established though - if they were to be friends, he had to let her know as soon as he was back from a rescue.

Continuing to automatically move through her usual routine, her mind wandered back to the party and she could suddenly feel the sensation of Scott’s arms around her waist and see the smoulder in his eyes as he had held her right before she had left. It wasn’t the first time that memory had popped up unbidden at the most inopportune moment and she took a deep breath to try and ground herself before she got lost in a daydream. She didn’t need or want a relationship right now, and certainly not one with someone on the other side of the planet. She shook her head to clear it, trying to ignore the dawning realisation that he had become both the first and last person she thought about each day. Without those piercing sapphire eyes and rakish grin in front of her to draw her in, she was almost able to convince herself that they were going to be able to maintain just a friendship. Almost.  

Hair and make-up complete, Cat gathered up her shoes for the night and headed up to one of the big studios to begin warming up for the performance. Walking through the hubbub of a big company starting the preparations for a show brought her back to the occasion of the night.  Being asked to dance on the night that one of the patrons of the company was to be in the audience for was something that might have made others nervous but the fact that the patron in question was also her best friend meant that it didn’t faze her in the slightest. However, she did have to admit to herself that having not one but two members of arguably the most powerful family in the world there that night too was definitely something that would be hard to ignore. She shook her head in annoyance. This daydreaming was not the sort of behaviour that had gotten her to where she was today as a principal dancer with one of the best ballet companies in the world. She had always prided herself on being able to compartmentalise everything else that was happening in her life while she was dancing and she wasn’t going to let a certain Tracy derail that. Squaring her shoulders, she determined not to think of him again until after and stepped into the studio where Mark, her partner for the night, was also warming up and shot him a smile. Putting everything else to the back of her mind, she concentrated on making sure her body was completely ready for what was to come before heading back to her dressing room to change into her costume and complete the transformation into the young peasant girl Giselle.

****

“Honestly, you’re just as bad as each other! Contrary to popular belief I do know how to behave in public you know” the young man replied huffily to his big brother as their car pulled up outside the Royal Opera House.

Seemingly oblivious to the stares of passers-by and audience members alike, Gordon Tracy jumped out and ran around to open the door for Lady Penelope Creighton Ward, who was followed closely by the heir to the Tracy empire. The white columned building seemed to tower above them and Scott took a moment to take in the scene before hurrying after his brother and Penny, making their way together through the opulent front of house areas towards the private box that was to be theirs for the night. The year he’d spent with Cat had been filled with her telling him repeatedly how beautiful and special this theatre was but none of that had prepared him for the reality of walking into the auditorium for the first time. He’d been to plenty of theatres over the years and, while the older ones tended to have their charms, he had to admit that he generally saw them as just a place in which he had to sit and watch something he wasn’t particularly interested in for a few hours. There was something about this one that definitely felt different although he struggled to put his finger on the reason for that. The sheer opulence of the twin red velvet curtains embroidered with royal crests in their centre corners, the ornate gold of the proscenium arch and the four tiers curving around in an elegant horseshoe combined to take his breath away and for once he found himself speechless. It was a far cry from the ultra-modern and somewhat soulless theatre he’d watched Cat perform in before and he could finally understand why she had always dreamed of performing there.

Penny smiled to herself as she watched the two men’s reactions to the place. Like Cat, she had once harboured dreams of dancing on the Opera House stage and the place still held a special place in her heart. Being a patron of the Royal Ballet was her way of staying connected to that world and she always delighted in introducing newcomers to it whenever she could.

“What do you think then? Will this do for a night out at the ballet?”

“It’s beautiful” replied Gordon immediately, still taking in the sight of countless red seats in front of them. “I’ve never been anywhere that looks quite like this before.”

“How about you Scott?”

Scott could only manage to nod in agreement, still trying to imprint the scene in front of him in his mind and only vaguely aware of a ruby red programme being pressed into his hand by an usher as he took his seat. Coming back to himself, he realised that the conversation in the box had moved on without him so he let his mind wander and was not surprised to find that it returned to the events of the previous weeks that had brought him to this point. Despite his carefully cultivated image as a carefree bachelor, he’d found that he enjoyed having someone to share his daily life with more than he cared to admit. It wasn’t news to him that he didn’t actually have any close friends left, having prioritised his duty to his family over all of them a long time ago so being able to talk regularly with someone had definitely helped to assuage some of the loneliness he occasionally felt. He hadn’t felt able to share any of the unedited realities of his work with Cat yet but it had definitely felt good to be able to just talk normally to someone outside of his family. Just having a slice of what he remembered ordinary life had been like in amongst the endless rescues and paperwork reminded him of what he’d missed out on over the years.

He had to admit that he’d been surprised at Cat’s reaction the first time he told her that he wouldn’t be in touch for a while because he was going out on a rescue. Having not really had to deal with an outsider’s perspective on International Rescue before, he hadn’t even considered that there might be anything for her to be worried about as nobody on Tracy Island batted an eyelid when a call came in. It was only afterwards that he realised how unnerving it must be to know that someone you care for is going into a dangerous situation that you know nothing about. Reflecting on it later though, he had no idea why he’d ever thought that she might not be affected by it as she cared deeply about everything and everyone. It was one of the things he had loved about her before so he was happy to agree to her condition of letting her know as soon as he was back safely. Really, he thought as the lights began to dim, it was the least he could do.

****

“Wasn’t that wonderful? How did you gentlemen find that?” Penny asked, turning to her guests as the lights came up again at the start of the interval.

“Why were there so many villagers? I didn’t see the point in them and I didn’t really understand all the mime either. But I think I’m enjoying it” answered Gordon with a small frown.

“Well that’s good to hear. And how about you Scott?”

“It’s how I remember ballets being when I saw them before to be honest. There’s been a lot of faffing around so far but not really much dancing…” Scott tailed off, surprised to find that his voice felt rather thicker than he expected.

“Well personally I think it’s being beautifully danced, especially by Cat and Mark. They’re both wonderful and have such a lovely partnership. You could really feel and see their relationship developing as the act went on and the betrayal at the end was just wonderful.”

“I’ll grant you that actually. That definitely packed a bit of a punch that I wasn’t expecting” Scott conceded. His throat was still oddly tight and he found he was strangely unwilling to admit that the first act had affected him, especially the end with Giselle’s discovery of her lover’s deception leading to her sudden madness and death.

Further discussion was interrupted by the arrival of an usher with 3 glasses of champagne that Scott gratefully received and handed out to his companions.

“Wait, is that it? Are we not getting ice creams?” asked Gordon, eyeing up the tray suspiciously, as if it were hiding something.

“Why would you think we were?” asked Penny with a raised eyebrow and a small smile.

“We did when Scott took Alan and I to the pantomime.”

“When on earth was that?” Penny had certainly never imagined that any of the Tracy boys would have even heard of a pantomime, let alone been to one.

“Don’t you remember Scott?” asked Gordon looking at his big brother for confirmation that he wasn’t making the whole thing up. “It was when you were at Oxford and we came over that Christmas because dad was too busy. You took us to the panto and Alan spent the whole time pretending he wasn’t enjoying it when he really was. We got ice cream at the interval and I thought that was just what you do at the theatre…”

“I think that’s more for kids but if you really want one, I think I saw a kiosk in the foyer. You could always go and ask.” Scott smiled, his heart swelling with the realisation that his little brother had remembered that trip to the pantomime many years before. Gordon bounded out of the box grinning like the Cheshire cat, leaving the other occupants of the box in his wake.

“You really can’t take him anywhere” Scott commented to no one in particular.

“On the contrary. I think it’s rather sweet.” Penny picked up her programme, effectively ending further conversation and Scott followed suit, conscious that the conversation was perhaps straying into an area that was not yet comfortable for his friend. Their peace was soon shattered however, as Gordon burst back in, flushed with the success of procuring not one but three cornettos.

“I got you both one too. It’s our new tradition” he exclaimed, handing them around. The three of them spent what was left of the interval in companionable silence eating their ice creams and sipping champagne, each lost in their own thoughts as the theatre filled back up and the lights dimmed for the start of the second act.

****

As soon as the curtain calls were over, Cat and Mark breathed a sigh of relief and chatted on the stage enjoying the typical post show exhilaration of a job well done. Around them, the stage started to fill with a mix of invited guests, company management and stage technicians, all with different priorities and jobs to do. In amongst them all, Cat could feel herself getting restless and couldn’t help but keep looking into the wings for the arrival of her friends, wondering what was taking them so long to arrive.

The arrival of their coach was a welcome distraction and Cat quickly ended up deeply embroiled in conversation with him and Mark looking at improvements they could make for their next performance. It was something that never took more than a few moments, with the bulk of the work being done in the studios in the days to follow but it was reassuring to Cat to feel in control of her work. Like most dancers, she was a perfectionist through and through and had never felt comfortable about not addressing corrections straight away when they were fresh in her mind. Catch up finished, Cat glanced up from her conversation just in time to spot the group she was looking for.

“Penny! I was wondering when you’d get here” Cat exclaimed running over. “Gordon, Scott it’s so lovely to see you both again” she added, feeling slightly more flustered than she’d have liked by the intensity of Scott’s gaze when she caught his eyes and suddenly feeling very unsure of herself.

“You were wonderful tonight darlings. Congratulations.” Penny gave both Cat and Mark big hugs in appreciation, knowing just how much work went into preparing for the show.

“Thank you. We were pretty happy with it, all things considered. What did you both think?” Cat asked the two men present, suddenly feeling a lot more nervous than she had before.

“It was amazing!” Scott enthused. “I’ve never seen you dance like that before. The first act was good but the second half really went up a notch. The way you were lifted up like you weighed nothing was incredible. You could almost believe that you really were a ghost.”

Scott had been surprised at how much he had actually enjoyed it as ballet in general really wasn’t the sort of thing he’d watch, especially one that told a love story that involved an entire act full of vengeful spirits. It definitely wouldn’t have been his first choice of how to spend an evening but he found himself thinking that he was perhaps wrong to have written it off before. While it wasn’t something he would want to go to every day, he could definitely be persuaded to go to more, especially if a certain ballerina was dancing.

With a start he realised that his introspection had taken him away from the conversation and he realised with horror that he hadn’t heard a word of Cat or Penny’s replies. He tuned back in just in time to hear the tail end of Gordon’s verdict.

“… was much more what I was expecting.”

“No offence Gords,” he cut in before anyone else could speak “but how did you know what to expect? You’ve never seen a ballet before!”

“No,” Gordon admitted, straightening slightly and with a look of defiance about him which didn’t go unnoticed by anyone. “But I did look some up because I knew we were coming and I didn’t want to be going in blind. I couldn’t remember which one we were coming to though so I think I ended up watching some of Swan Lake instead.” he added, turning to Cat apologetically.

“Gordon you never fail to surprise me” Penny laughed as Scott simply stared at Gordon, his mouth slightly agape.

“Well, I’m very glad you liked it.” Cat smiled. “We’re actually doing Swan Lake later in the season. I can see about arranging tickets so you can come and see it if you’d like?”

“Yes, that would be lovely” Gordon replied, with a big grin that was at least partly directed smugly at Scott. That would teach his brother to assume that he knew nothing about culture.

Looking around, the group realised that the stage had all but emptied and they headed back to the dressing rooms for Cat to get out of her costume and ready for the night ahead. Walking ahead of the rest, Mark and Cat slipped arms around each other’s waists as they chatted amicably. This cosy looking walk was a post-show ritual that they’d had for years and Cat had always loved the way it defined the boundary between the intensity of their on-stage relationship and the close friendship that they’d shared since she’d joined the company and they started regularly dancing together.  

To Scott however, it seemed anything but friendly and innocent. Confusion reigned in his mind as he was certain that there had been plenty of opportunities for a boyfriend to have been mentioned over the past 2 weeks. While no hint of one had been given, that certainly wasn’t the impression he was getting from the dancers in front of him and he suddenly felt very foolish for any hopes he may have harboured of a romantic reunion. Feeling surprisingly alone at that revelation, he glanced behind him to speak to the others, just catching sight of Penny slipping her hand into Gordon’s to a look of total adoration from his younger brother. He looked away quickly, embarrassed at having caught a private moment that had certainly not been intended for his eyes.

He still didn’t officially know what was going on between them although both he and the rest of the family had their suspicions. Gordon had been unusually tight-lipped about anything to do with their London agent, and the only time Scott had tried to ask the answer he was given was so vague that he thought that he was actually more confused afterwards than he had been before. Whatever it was, he felt very much like a third wheel and even if the circumstances weren’t quite what he had hoped for, he was very much looking forward to adding another member to their group for the remainder of the night.

****

Following a quick shower, Cat felt that it was most definitely time to get out of the theatre and start the more relaxing part of her evening. First though, was the small matter of making it through the throng of autograph hunters at stage door. The rest of the party hung back while Cat made her way through the groups which filled the public area inside at the stage door and spilled right out into the street. In between signing autographs and talking to fans, Cat couldn’t help but keep stealing glances at her friends, and at one member of the group in particular if she was honest with herself. Penny and Gordon were engrossed in conversation but somehow every time she looked up Scott seemed to be watching her. She couldn’t help herself and kept holding his gaze for just a fraction of a second longer than she should before looking away, finding the flutter of excitement that stirred in her stomach each time addicting.

Scott, meanwhile, was finding it very difficult to reconcile the girl he had known back in Richmond, Virginia all those years ago with the one in front of him now. Back then, there had been barely anybody waiting for the dancers after a show and he remembered clearly standing alone at the stage door with a single red rose for her on more than one occasion. Earlier in the week when he’d pictured how this evening would go he’d never considered that she might have fans waiting to speak with her and he couldn’t take his eyes off her as she made her way through the crowd, chatting to everyone, taking photos and signing programmes as she went.   Endearingly, as she moved between people she would glance up as if to check that they were still waiting for her, catching his gaze each time for what felt like just fractionally longer than it should be. He was finding it very difficult to tell and the uncertainty of whether it was purely a look of friendship or whether her glances were a sign of something more was driving him mad. Not being a man who did well unless he knew everything about a situation, these looks combined with his uncertainty about her relationship with Mark was like torture for him.

After what felt to Scott like hours, the last autographs were signed and the group assembled outside. Knowing that Parker was waiting outside the front of the theatre to take them back to Creighton Ward Manor, they made their way round to him in high spirits for what the rest of the night would bring.

[nellygwyn]

WILL ye hear what I can say Briefly of my Julia ? Black and rolling is her eye, Double-chinn'd and forehead high ; Lips she has all ruby red, Cheeks like cream enclareted; And a nose that is the grace And proscenium of her face. So that we may guess by these The other parts will richly please

Upon His Julia, Robert Herrick (1591-1674) A poem that is super evocative of 17th century beauty standards, so very different from our own. Herrick has several poems addressed to the beauty of one Julia (probably a mistress). Another poem, named "Upon Julia's Breasts," says: "Display thy breasts, my Julia, there let me/Behold that circummortal purity;/Between whose glories, there my lips I’ll lay,/Ravished in that fair Via Lactea."

[ruffsficstuffplace]

The Keeper of the Grove (Part 13)

The Golden Days had a proscenium stage, a hardwood semi-circle on the far end of the auditorium, framed by luxurious red curtains and with three columns of plush velvet seats radiating out from it. As Dino had said, the adults took the proper seats while the children were just before the screen, on a semi-circle of fluffy pillows and plush rugs, perfect for sitting down on, or laying on your stomach with your head propped up by your elbows.

There was no small amount of dismay from both parties—children and adults who wanted to be right next to each other, or who would have rather been as close to or as far-away from the show as possible—but the ushers quickly quelled them.

Winter happily plopped down right down in the center of the kid's seating section, on a cushion she had all to herself. The other kids didn't mind and respected the rule of “First!”, or weren't nearly as enthusiastic about the show as she was.

“Did your folks drag you here too?” asked a fairy princess who sat down beside her.

“Nope!” Winter replied happily. “I wanted to be here, actually.”

The fairy wrinkled her nose. “Ew. Why would you want anything to do with all this old stuff?”

Winter was unfazed. “'Because the present rests on the back of the past, it is our duty to honour and remember those that have brought us so high,'” she quoted from Valentino, one of the first Sacred Stewards.

The fairy rolled her eyes. “Whatever! New stuff is always better, anyway! I bet your parents don't buy you the new ayGems right when they come out...”

“Didn't they pull out the latest models because they exploded when people used them too much, so they paid and begged everyone to give them back and get one of the earlier models instead?” Winter asked, curious and without a hint of malice.

The fairy turned red. “They fixed that problem already!”

Dino sauntered in and gently shushed them, putting a gloved finger to his lips and eying the particularly restless of the kids; his fellow thespians handled the adults. “Quiet now, quiet now, dear audience! Turn off your technology, seal those lips, and turn your eyes now to the stage, for the Terrible Tale of the Keeper of the Grove is beginning right about...”

The lights gently dimmed, pair by pair, until the whole theater was plunged in darkness. The screen lit up, actual paper with a soft, orange light behind it.

“Now...~” Dino said, as he calmly waltzed off to the side and began to narrate.

“Our Terrible Tale begins in a lush valley not too far from here, a grove of green, nestled between two tall mountains: the Viridian Valley.”

The puppets for the Valley popped up in bits and pieces, first the mountains, then the grass, and finally several of its taller trees.

“The Valley was a special place, one reason being where it was: in the middle of a vast wasteland filled with nothing but rocks, rocks, and even more rocks.”

The rest of the area popped up—spiky, cruel looking spires and vast, empty plains filled with just rocks, rocks, and even more rocks.

“The place had no name, for you see, it was hard for people to stay there long enough to give it one—and before you ask, this was LONG before Candela was even a vision in the founders' dreams...”

Settlers with horses and carts began to wander in, trotting merrily through the plains.

“For half the year, the Stars vent their Fury on this patch of land, scorching it and everything unfortunate enough to be there when they do.”

The settlers, their horses, and their carts all burst into flames, tiny screaming and panicking as they ran around with their flailing arms in the air.

“And for the other half, when the Stars had calmed down, they apologize, and bring in rains to soothe the land...”

Clouds appeared, and it started “raining.” The settlers and their horses cheered and calmed down as they were all put out.

“… Quite a lot of rain...”

The rain grew harder. The settlers and horses began to turn to each other, uneasy and worried.

“… So much that the whole land Floods.”

The settlers and their horses began to float upwards, slowly and gently spinning around like they were underwater and being nudged by invisible currents; from their carts, barrels and boxes floated up to the surface, while the lighter of the vehicles bobbed on the surface like boats.

“So the people left, returned to their homes, or found other lands, for they simply decided this particular patch of wilderness was NOT worth it.”

The settlers climbed aboard on whatever floated, fished out their horses, and paddled their way off-screen, back from whence they came.

“But still, they wondered: what lay in that Valley just on the horizon? What riches were hidden between those two peaks? What sort of life could they make, in a place so wondrous in a land so awful?”

The Valley and the mountains disappeared, replaced by silhouettes of fantastic animals, of mysterious and tempting treasures, of a vibrant, thriving city built between tall, ancient trees.

“Time passed, other lands were found, and most people were content for it to forever remain a mystery... however, three adventurous souls were not.”

Three puppets sprung up, two men, and one woman.

“These were Gus, Abner, and Tessa.”

Gus raised and flexed his arms, Abner tipped his top hat to the audience, Tessa waved demurely.

“Gus was a hunter, proud and strong, living to provide the biggest animals at the feasts, and take the heads of the most ferocious of beasts.

“Abner was an inventor, with big ideas, big dreams, even bigger debts, with what he had in smarts he he sorely lacked in self-control.

“Tessa was just a farmer's daughter, from a little tiny settlement, who dreamed of more to life than the dreary days of tilling the soil, feeding the animals, and maintaining their tools and their wells, her reward a full belly and a place to sleep at night.

“So these three and a whole host of other like-minded souls banded together, and made the treacherous trip.”

The three protagonists and a small army of figures all boarded carriages—motorized, not horse-drawn this time. The caravan began to chug across the screen, the suns and the moons passing arcing over them screen numerous times, rainclouds and perilous winds harassing them all the way.

“The journey was long, perilous, and at times, tedious, especially because they could only travel to the Valley itself just after the Fury ends and shortly before the Flood begins—a week, at most, and a few days, at the least.

“But driven by glory, dreams, and debtors waiting to take everything Abner had and then some, they made it to the Valley.”

The caravan stopped, and the puppets began to cheer and unload their equipment.

“Triumphant but tired, the adventurers set camp at the foot of the Valley and within the shade of the mountains; as they drifted off to sleep, they dreamed of what lay beyond those tall trees, what strange plants, weird creatures, and great discoveries awaited them inside!

“… Little did they know someone was watching them right back…”

A familiar image popped up, the Keeper of the Grove. She had been exaggerated greatly, her skull-like head a size too large for the rest of her body, her mouth full of sharp fangs operated by three separate strings for the size, her scythe's blade waving up and down as if it would come flying off at any moment.

Winter had laughed, then, young and innocent.

“… The Keeper of the Grove.

“She wasn't known by that name then—in fact, no one even knew she existed, not yet. But all that would change soon…

“Gus was the first to venture forth into the Valley, to hunt the animals and gather food for his companions; the Valley held creatures none of them had ever seen before, had ever dreamed could exist, and had never known the likes of humans like them.”

Gus and his hunters marched single file, armed and ready, until they met what looked like a giant feline of some sort.

They readied their weapons.

“… Unfortunately for them, this ALSO meant that they did not know what they were capable of, how to fight them, and more importantly, that there were to be feared, not feasted upon.”

One by one, his hunting party dwindled, pounced on by giant canines and felines, taken from above by tentacled creatures, swallowed whole by massive toads, the whole nightmarish business represented by the steadily dwindling number of puppets running back and forth across the screen, to some new horror at either end.

“Who once were many, were now down to Gus and three others; injured, starved, and with repeatedly soiled underwear, he and his fellow hunters sought shelter in a cave. Gus, being the bravest, the strongest, and the fiercest of them all took the duty of guarding them, standing armed and ready at the mouth.

“Once the others were asleep, a visitor came forth.”

The Gus puppet raised his weapon warily, both the Keeper and her scythe raised their arms and blades in surrender.

“'Be not wary, strange one,' the Keeper said, 'I only wish to offer you a deal: do you wish to leave this Valley alive?'”

Gus lowered his weapon.

“'It seemed like an obvious question with an even more obvious answer. But Gus had not become the great hunter he was without developing a healthy sense of skepticism.'”

“'What's the catch?' he asked.

“'No catch!' the Keeper replied, 'I will lead you all out of here myself—the creatures in this grove fear my scythe, respect their keeper.'

“Without much choice, Gus was about to agree. However, the Keeper spoke once more:

“'Unless… you want to fight your way out of the Valley yourself?'

“Gus paused, curious.

“'As you may see, great weapons, my people have forged—greater than the beasts that lurk in this Valley, greater than anything your kind has, greater than anything they could ever make...'

“Gus frowned. 'Why should I believe you?'

“And so the Keeper produced a sword, a ruby red blade like nothing he had ever seen before. 'Why don't you try it out for yourself?'

“And so he did.

“With the aid of the Keeper, she summoned beast after beast to the mouth of the cave, each more ferocious than the last, each slain by Gus' hand with the help of his new sword.”

The beasts from earlier returned, one after the other; Gus merely waved his sword through the air and each creature was sliced neatly in half or in neatly sectioned parts, some flying past his head or every which way from the momentum of their pounces and charges, killed so fast they hadn't realized they were already dead.

“He had never seen a blade cut its foes down so swiftly, felt such power in his hands, strength that only seemed to grow with each new beast he slew! Woken up from the commotion going on at the mouth of the cave, and fearing for their lives, his companions fled deeper into the cavern—

“--So deep they were unable to hear Gus nor the Keeper, witness what transpired next.

“'This sword is amazing!' Gus cried, having barely broken a sweat as he gathered himself new trophies with but a flick of his wrist and a light touch of his sword on the beast's neck. 'I must have it!'

“The Keeper smiled. 'And so you shall! If you will pay my price.'

“Gus turned to her, eyes gleaming. 'Tell me.'

“'The lives of all your other companions—three in this cave, and many more at the foot of the Valley, I believe?' the Keeper replied.

“Gus thought about it—for all of a second, before he ventured into the cave, and fetched his companions. All the while, the Keeper waited just above the mouth of the cave, hidden from sight.

“His companions were scared and concerned as he arrived with his strange, new blade, but as they ventured back out to the entrance and saw the remains of Gus' great battle, they were enamored and impressed!

“Never had they seen a blade so swift, so powerful, so shiny before, either! They asked him, begged him, cajoled him into showing them a taste of its power!

“And so he did.”

Gus swung his cursed sword.

The first hunter's arm fell off.

The second hunter's head fell off from their neck.

The third' hunter's legs fell off from the rest of their body, leaving them a floating torso in mid-air.

Then, all three of them fell down, dead.

“Gus grinned, he cooned, he giggled; never before had he wielded so lethal a weapon, one that could bring victory so easily, one that would make him the most famous, the most feared, the most powerful human in existence!

“He turned around, ready to face the Keeper, slay her, and take her head, for surely this weapon was no match for her?”

Gus raised his sword, execution style. The Keeper casually swung her scythe.

The sword and Gus separated into two neat halves, which then slowly fell apart.

“… It was, though not in the way Gus had thought.”

The scene returned to the camp, now less a significant amount of puppets.

“As the hours grew with no sight nor sound of Gus with and his party, the rest of the travelers grew hungry and anxious; no stranger to risking everything on dubious pursuits, Abner went next...”