Chapter 17: A Challenge, a Visitor, and a Toast

Back to Gryzo and another storyline I'll be following soon.  Also since I am posting so fast, I may stop posting my book for a while until I can stock up on chapters.  I write every day, but there's a limit on my inspiration.  Sorreh.
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                                                                 CHAPTER 17
~~~About a week before Grace sat on her bed, Gryzo’s army had been having some trouble......
    Gryzo’s soldiers had searched everywhere in Noinim.  The princess was nowhere to be found.
    The captain, whose name was Stritatch, was getting worried.  They had searched for days.  He knew if they came back without the girl, they were as good as dead.  He decided to confront his soldiers with the problem.  They were gathered in the middle market square in Noinim.  It had been evacuated several days before. 
    Stritatch climbed up on top of the platform used for auctions.  “Attention!  Attention everybody!”  The Rynests quieted down.  “Now.  I know that you all know if Gryzo sees we don’t have the girl, he will kill us.  Right?”  The wolves muttered their agreement.  “So, the only choice we have is to run.  I say we run to the Straihn.” 
    “Are you crazy?”  A Rynest stepped up to the podium.  Stritatch recognized him as Linion, some kind of a leader among the Rynest group he had brought.
    “You’re trying to get us killed!” Linion exclaimed.  “You want us to escape to the mutants created thousands of years ago?”
    “No one knows if they exist anymore,” Stritatch reminded him.  “But what if they do?  They’ll kill us!” persisted Linion.  Some of the wolves seemed to agree with the leader. 
    “Look.  I don’t want to get killed any more than you do.”  Stritatch sighed.  “But it’s better to take our chances with the Straihn than go and be killed for certain by Gryzo.  Plus, they may not even exist.”  Many Rynests murmured in the affirmative.  “I agree,” shouted one.  “Me too!” said another.  “I’d like to keep my head, thank you very much.”
    Stritatch sighed.  “Good.  Than it’s settled.  We go to the Straihn.  Prepare to leave!”
    As the werewolves bustled around, packing things up, Linion sidled up to Stritatch.  “Listen to me,” he hissed.  “I’ll keep my eye on you.  I think that maybe it’s time for a new captain.  And I think that I might be a good replacement.”  He smiled and clapped Stritatch on the shoulder.  “I’ll go help clean up.”
    Stritatch narrowed his eyes.  Linion was walking a dangerous line.  Stritatch had worked for years to get into his current position, and he was not going to give it up willingly.
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~~~As Grace sat on her bed in the cabin, Gryzo himself was also having some trouble.....
    “You lied to me,” Gryzo said quietly, not looking at the seer.  “She was not where you said she would be.  The last scout I received from my search party told me the princess was nowhere to be found.”
    “My lord, I—“
    “No excuses!” snarled the giant Rynest. 
    “Lord, she was there!  I am positive!  She must have escaped!” the seer cried desparately.
    “I shall fulfill my promise to you.”  He closed his eyes.  “Come, help me, my great master,” he whispered.
    The old woman began to shake violently.  “No, Gryzo, noooooo!!!!!!!”  Her cry dwindled as she sank to the floor.  Gryzo gave a contented sigh.  “Now I am even more powerful,” he said to himself.  He shook suddenly, as if shocked by some invisible force.  “Of course, of course, I live only to serve you, my master,” he quickly said.  He strolled to the courtroom.
    Gryzo sat heavily on the throne.  “Aaaahhhhh.  That feels wonderful.  Power......”  His tone drifted off as he daydreamed.
    The door creaked.  Slowly, it opened to reveal a small creature.  “Ah!  My informant!” exclaimed Gryzo.  “How goes the investigation?”
    The figure came closer to the throne and bowed.  “It goes very well, lord,” it answered.
    “Rise,” said Gryzo.  The figure rose.  “Well.  What are they planning now?”
    “My lord, they have sent the young girl to the wizard Eltobe’s house.”  The creature clasped its hands behind its back.  “She went to see the seer, Zina.  There, Zina told her to go to Eltobe’s house.  That is where she is.”
    “Hmm.”  Gryzo leaned back in his throne.  “I think that this time, I will try a new strategy.  The girl, this is her first time in Fantasia?”  The figure nodded. 
    “I think that I shall take advantage of her innocence.  She doesn't know the difference between good creatures and evil creatures in Fantasia, does she?”  The creature shook its head.  Gryzo poured two cups of wine from a table beside the throne for himself and the visitor.  He handed one to the figure, who took it and drank.  Gryzo drank as well.  Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he said, “I myself will come and take her here, so I may unlock the treasure chamber.  Ah, I can feel the treasure within my grasp already!  Will you show me the way?”  The stranger nodded.  “Good,” Gryzo replied.  “No one is more powerful than me, with the help of my master.”
    “What you say is true,” said the visitor.  “I drink to you, my lord.”  Gryzo raised his cup.  “To victory and the utter defeat of my enemies!”
    “To victory!” the figure echoed.
    They both drained their cups.
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Any idea as to who the mysterious visitor is?  He's obviously--oops, can't tell you.  You'll have to read on to figure it out.  xD
MAN IT FEELS GOOD TO BE AN AUTHOR
~~Zoë Wingfeather

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