Chapter 010: The Witch's Book

Carter found himself floating in a void. "Hello? Venus?" he shouted.

The voice came from everywhere at once when it talked.

“It was the Year 3601 in the Kingdom of Kek. King Theo the 2nd was the current ruler of all Kek,” said the Book of History.

“Oh, yeah. The book of history. What year is it now, book?” interrupted Carter.

“You can call me Agatha. I don’t know the answer to that,” answered the book.

“Okay, stupid question, I guess, Agatha,” said Carter, “Continue.”

“The Kingdom of Kek, covering the whole planet, was united for the first time in history. The Kingdom of Kek was in its Golden Era.”

“From the Towers of Perseverance to the Lost City in Time, Chronos. From the Elf Capital to the City of Dale, the world was at peace for the first time in eons.”

Carter, who shouldn’t have lied down, became tired. His eyes started to droop as Agatha read on. Her voice and an unseen force made him fall asleep. The magic book reacted and started to warp, and a light-blue light glowed from its pages. The light, controlled by the book, moved toward Carter, enveloped him in its glow, and disappeared.

Carter let out a little grunt and sat up for a moment. The light glowed brighter, Carter’s eyes started to flutter, and he fell back down. A burst of laughter came from outside his bedroom door as it shut and locked. Carter felt the heat again in his gut as a new spell was being learned. He remembered that feeling just before his mind went dark, as did the book.

“The brat Camille is lost in your Enchanted Tome of Mental Prison. She’ll never wake up from that. Such a waste to use it on that idiot, but I can’t have any human interfering with me taking the throne,” said Princess Mary to the Regent standing next to her. She looked into the Regent’s eyes and saw the sorrow there.

Mary waved her hand and said, “Oh, boohoo. Your grimoire, Agatha, will be returned once the human is brain dead.”

“I feel naked without her,” said Regent Blackmore as she closed her eyes. She steadied herself internally. She and Agatha have been together for centuries.

“If we killed her outright, it would have alerted the King and Queen of our plans,” said Mary.

“Not to mention Nature's retribution,” added the Regent. It is believed that killing a person from another world would bring trouble to the murderer. She doesn’t know if it’s fictional, but everyone has stories of calamities befalling the Pilgrim’s assassins.

“This is the perfect way. She will live the rest of her life in a history story in her head in a coma state,” said Mary.

After a refreshing night's sleep, Carter opened his eyes and found himself walking in a forest. He wore the same drab clothes Princess Caroline had given him but wasn’t in Dale anymore. The trees reached far into the sky with great abundance. He had seen the Redwood trees in California, but these put them to shame. The trees were not only tall, but they were also wide: many branches and many leaves. Carter felt like he had shrunk to a mere inch tall.

He could hear birds chirping, a river flowing, and a horse neighing. He turned around and saw a road full of people walking and riding, hundreds heading down the beaten path. As he looked over the large convoy of wagons and pedestrians, his eyes finally hit these travelers' destination: A giant city surrounded by walls and a forest. It was wonderful, out of a storybook beautiful. The word "Book" resonated in Carter's mind, and the sky flickered.

An immense castle towering towards the sky was in the middle of the walled, large city. Next to the Castle were what looked to be ten giant mooring towers, holding about seven large airships floating in the air. Dad used to call them zeppelins, and he had several plastic models of them. He would go on and on about them. In my life on earth, I had never seen one except on television shows.

Carter started walking down the hill towards the road. He was hoping to join the caravan and see where he was at. The magic history book was mighty powerful, better than a VR game.

The sky turned bright blue, glowing brighter as his head pounded. The book was fighting Carter's mind in the real world, trying to regain its dominance over him. Magic was being siphoned, and Agatha had never felt a more powerful mind.

His head started hurting, and he asked himself, “What was I talking about? A book? VR? Oh yeah, a magic book!”

Agatha let out a little scream. The sky, once again, grew brighter as Agatha fought against Carter's intellect, which was trying to remember reality. Agatha's job was to keep Carter in her reality, not in Carter's.

Carter’s head started to hurt, and he shook off the feeling that he was forgetting something. He approached the road, mumbling to himself about a magic book. Not remembering why.

“Have you lost your magic book, little boy?” said a red-haired, pointy ear girl from the back of a small wagon. She didn’t wait for him to respond. She jumped off the wagon and stood in front of Carter.

“I don’t know. I think I did,” said Carter. His temple pounded for a second. He placed his hand on his head.

“Where are your parents?” said the red-haired elf as she looked around.

Carter thought briefly and said, “I don’t have any.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” said the girl. He couldn't tell if she meant it or if it was just part of her manners.

“My name is Perch Li. My mother is one of the Elf delegates for the abdication of King Theo,” said Perch.

Perch was taller than Carter and had a thin appearance. She was beautiful, with long, curly, white hair wrapped around her pointy ears. Carter had never seen an elf before.

“The King of Kek is stepping down?” said Carter, using the information he had just learned from a book.

"Which book is that?" became a thought that got lost in his mind. The sky flickered again.

Perch looked at Carter with a frown and said, “You are here for King Kek’s abdication, aren’t you? You don’t know?” asked Perch as she looked over her shoulder to see if their wagon had moved ahead of the large line of people waiting to get in. She looked back with a puzzled look.

Carter didn’t know what to say. He just shrugged his shoulders and started walking towards the back of the line.

“Wait, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you mad. It’s just that this event is so meaningful that no one knowing of it is inconceivable,” said Perch with a smile.

“Why don’t you stay here with me, and I’ll tell you about it,” added Perch.

Carter decided to listen while he looked around. He noticed that there were a lot of men in the line: soldiers, farmers, and important, well-dressed men. He didn’t know why this was important, but in the back of his brain, it was.

“King Kek, or Theo, is passing his kingdom to the six heroes. Giving them each a part of the kingdom,” said Perch.

“You do know who the six heroes are?” asked Perch.

Carter shrugged his shoulders again and said, “No, I’ve been living somewhere far away.” He knew this to be true and false at the same time. His mind was starting to get muddy about his past.

Perch stared at Carter exasperated, unaware whether the boy was stupid or living under a rock.

“Before the Kingdom of Kek was established, the world was split into hundreds of tiny, bellicose states that were always fighting. Theo Kin, King Kek, was a half-dwarf, battle lord of North Cambian, and he united all the states in a baptism of fire. He was aided by six heroes: Piker Dern, Era Yore Timbers, Priestess Landers, Lord Chiba, Helltorn, and Vulture Nigh.

She pauses to see if any of those names rang a bell in the somewhat simple-minded boy. She watched him with one eye and decided to continue.

"King Kek and his six heroes have ruled Kek for centuries. The King had ushered in a time of wealth, prosperity, science, and peace,” said Perch.

“Prosperity? Wealth? Peace? At least for the rich,” said a voice behind them on the road. Carter looked back and saw a taller woman, an elf, with a fancy dress on. Perch looked back at the woman with a deep scowl.

“That’s my mother, Delegate Cidred Li of the House of Sorrows,” said Perch as she rolled her eyes and looked towards the city again.

“Nice to meet you, Delegate Cidred Li of the House of Sorrows,” said Carter, almost running out of breath.

“Oh, a proper girl,” said Cidred as she bowed her head. Cidred was tall and skinny, and the fancy dress made her bust look big. She was just as pretty as Perch and didn’t look old enough to be her mother.

“The girl is named Carter, and he has been in a cave for the last few years,” said Perch with a smirk on her face. Carter just let out a little laugh, looked at Cidred, and asked, “You do not agree with your daughter?”

“The rich are the only ones who benefit from this ‘peacetime.’ They get richer as the poor get poorer,” said Cidred. She paused for a moment to let some people pass by.

“King Kek is better than most, but he has given free rein of the country to the heroes before, and they do not espouse his peaceful means."

She paused momentarily and added, "Except, of course, Priestess Landers of the Elves,” added Cidred.

“Mother, you’re a little biased towards your fellow elves,” said Perch.

“She is a beacon of peace and virtue,” Cidred beamed as she looked to the sky.

“Only to her people, mother. She places the Elves above everyone else,” said Perch.

“As she should, we are the better race,” said Cidred. She looked down at Carter and said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it,” she added with a smile.

“The elves were the only race that didn’t join Kek’s Kingdom. They stayed neutral and aloof; only Priestess Landers and her followers helped. They were banished but still loved by the elves”, said Perch.

“Does your delegate get to choose who takes over the kingdom?” asked Carter.

“Nature, no. We are here to watch and debate. The King will choose”, said Cidred.

“The guest line is moving, Mother. Can Carter come with us?” asked Perch.

“Why not? She seems good-mannered enough”, said Cidred as she walked back towards the road.

Perch leaned over to Carter and said, “She means well. She can be a little bit, hmm. What's the word?”

“Snooty?” asked Carter.

“Yes, But I would have used the word pompous,” said Perch as she grabbed Carter’s hand and pulled him over to their wagon. She jumped up, and Carter followed her. She dangled her feet over the back side of the wooden floor.

“Do you know all the heroes' names?” asked Perch.

“I heard you say their names, but sorry, I don't remember,” said Carter.

“Our favorite is Priestess Ella Landers of the Elves. She left Myo Serin, the land of the Elves, hundreds of years ago. Mother won’t say it, but Priestess Landers is a half-elf and half-cambian. She decided to leave the capital and help the less fortunate Cambians and Kin. She fought many wars before she finally met the future ruler of Kek, King Theo. She would make a great leader,” said Perch.

“Piker Dern, better known as the Red General, is a ruthless Cambian warrior of considerable strength, heroic but brutal. He is six-heads tall, with red colored hair, and very prolific in weapons”, said Perch.

“He’s also a martinet and sadistic bastard,” added Cidred from the front. Perch looked at Carter’s perplexed face and whispered, “He’s rigid, mean, and ruthless.”

“Oh, okay,” said Carter. He likes learning big words, but he has never heard those.

“Red has no problem using his army as fodder as long as it’s beneficial to his cause,” said Perch.

“Probably not someone you would like to meet in a dark alley,” said Carter.

“You would not. The King keeps him in check, but on his own, he might be trouble,” said Cidred.

“The next hero is Queen Era, Era Yore Timbers, of the all-women Amber tribe from the Northern forests of Kek. She is loyal to her female brethren but ruthless to all men in the kingdom. She is also kept in check by King Kek, one of the only men she listens to,” said Perch.

“Because she is a magnate like King Kek, he allows her to boss around his male warriors,” added Cidred.

"What is a magnate?" asked Carter.

Perch stopped for a second to take a deep breath and continued, "Magnates are a higher form of Weakman. They usually are stronger and more prone to magic than Cambians."

"You shouldn't use the word 'Weakman'. It's derogatory," said Cidred.

"Sorry, a higher form of kindred," said Perch. Her mother's hypocrisy caught Perch off-guard. She used that word every day.

Carter shook his head. He said, “She is like the Amazonians. They hated men but were strong in sisterhood,” said Carter.

“Amazonians? Yes, the humans called them that, and some of their kindred have used that name in the past," said Perch.

"She doesn't like that word herself," said Cidred.

Perch shook her head and said, “Queen Era is beautiful, strong, and smart, but she will make a bad leader for at least half the world’s population.”

“That means men, Carter,” said Cidred.

“I know, ma’am,” said Carter.

The cart moved forward a few feet, or “heads” as they say here, and then stopped.

“Lord Chiba is the leader of the night-assassins, the highest order of warriors, and the One Army clan. The most elite warriors in the world. How King Kek got Lord Chiba and his warriors to fight with him is a mystery,” said Perch.

“Money,” said Cidred.

“A mystery,” said Perch, louder this time.

“Ninjas” said Carter.

“You are right. They are called Ninjas. That is what Lord Chiba renamed them,” said Perch.
.
“Lord Chiba is as ruthless as the Red General is. The Red General might have more warriors, but Lord Chiba’s assassins could fight Red to a standstill,” said Perch.

“It is also believed the Lord Chiba is from another world, a human,” said Cidred.

"Humans have been coming here for a long time," thought Carter.

“Have you ever seen a human before, Carter?” said Perch.

“No,” lied Carter.

“They look like you and me, but they are stronger than all the kindred and are very handsome,” said Perch with a weird look in her eye.

“Strength doesn’t mean everything,” said Cidred.

“Yes, mother,” said Perch with a slight grin.

“Then there are the other two: Helltorn and Vulture Nigh, creatures of an unknown race,” said Perch.

"They are just kindred, Perch. Stop telling her lies," said Cidred.

"I'm embellishing the story for dramatic effect, mother," said Perch.

She gave her mother a dirty look and then continued. “Both are powerful magicians and good leaders of their respective countries,” added Perch.

“Both are bad choices for a ruler. They have no love for kindred, elves, or their ilk,” said Cidred.

“Seems like you’ve already made up your mind,” said Carter under his breath.

“Of course, this meeting here is only a formality of Priestess Landers becoming the ruler, setting the Elves in their rightful place,” said Cidred.

Perch bent down and whispered into Carter’s ear, “She means well, but she comes off as abrasive. Don’t let her get to you.”

“Perch Li, it's time to get ready. We are entering the gate,” said Cidred.

The gate was surrounded by guards and large warriors standing at attention with large swords. They would not allow entry to anyone who wasn’t supposed to enter. Carter looked down at the ground as Perch jumped back onto her wagon.

“See you inside, Carter!” said Perch as the guards waved them on.

Carter looked up and started to walk towards the gate. One of the guards, a large man, took notice of him right away. “Halt, young one! Where is your invitation?” he yelled. The other guards took notice but only side-glanced towards Carter.

“I do not have one,” said Carter, having empty hands.

“We won’t brook any gate breakers,” said the large guard as he kicked Carter in the chest, sending him flying backward. Carter landed on his back several feet away, with a ringing in his ear, an audience track of laughing, and a pain in his back. As he lay on his back, he felt something appear in his hand. He looked down and found what looked to be an invitation in his hand.

“That wasn’t there before,” thought Carter. He stood up and opened the piece of paper. “By order of the King, an invitation is given,” read Carter out loud.

“What?” said the guard as he approached Carter, reached down, and grabbed the paper.

Another guard walked up and said, “A royal invitation. Why didn’t you show us this invitation before we told you to leave?”

Carter reached down and wiped the dirt off his shirt.

The guard who had kicked him reached down and picked Carter up softly. “I’m so sorry,” said the guard as he wiped the dirt off Carter’s clothes. Carter lifted his hand and said, “That’s okay, I’m fine.”

“Good! Come on in,” said the guard as he parted the crowd before the gate. Feeling the pain in his chest, Carter walked slowly toward the gate and entered.

He walked through the gate with a large footprint on his shirt, a pain from one of his ribs, and a frown.

“How do I feel pain from a dream?” thought Carter.

A bright blue light flashed throughout the sky, and his environment froze momentarily, not allowing him to move. A few seconds later, the world started up again. His brain became foggy, and he forgot about what he was thinking. The footprint from his chest disappeared, as well as the pain. Gone and forgotten.

A young woman, around twenty, approached Carter from the Castle. She had curly blond hair and an exquisite face and wore a loose light blue dress. The guards kept looking at her, stealing peaks when no one was looking.

Carter noted that her breasts were as big as Ursa's, and they were almost popping out of her dress. The dress clung to her shapely curves and stopped just below her butt. No wonder everyone was staring.


"Ursa? Where do I know that name from?" thought Carter as the sky turned brighter blue again.

"Tenacious child, why do you fight so hard?" thought Agatha as she corrected herself again. She had only so much magic power given to her by Blackmore, and she had to share it with that creature: Fable.

The curvy women looked toward the sky as the colors changed from light to bright. A fear entered her face as it happened, and she ducked down. Everyone else was frozen.

She let out a small, relaxing breath when it was finally over. She turned back towards Carter, who was scrutinizing her face.

It scared her for a moment. "Who is this kid?" she thought. Fable tried to compose herself, which consisted of pulling down her short dress to cover the curvy bottom that was showing and putting a small smile on her face.

"Hello, Camille, my name is Fable. Let me show you around the Castle, beloved guest. In a few moments, the captains of the King's armies will meet to decide who will take over for King Kek, and you get to see it happen," said Fable. It almost sounded like a bad actor reading their lines.

She pointed to a small entrance on the side of the Castle. She grabbed Carter's hand and pulled him towards it.

"Why is King Keg quitting?" asked Carter.

"He is sick. The great scientist, Dr. Kinger, is trying his best with science to help the King to live longer," said Fable.

Fable pulled him along as he dragged his feet. She was freakishly strong. Her dress kept riding up, exposing her tan-line derriere.
"I'm not sure who made that dress, but it does not fit," thought Carter as he walked behind her. The skirt line was staying higher than her butt cheek, and she had to keep pulling it down. The people passing by couldn't help but look. Carter could see she was wearing the same underwear color as her dress.

Oblivious to her wardrobe malfunctions, Fable was about to open the small door to the Castle when a single bell rang from afar.

The people around Carter stopped momentarily and then started running around and panicking.

"What is happening?" asked Carter to Fable, who was looking around.

"The King is dead," said Fable with a look of apathy. Her attitude was the exact opposite of everyone else's. They were crying, screaming, and in distress.

"The new King hasn't been chosen. What will happen now?" said a guard running towards the Castle.

Carter didn't know what to feel. He did have one feeling, though...deja vu.

"Oh, no, the King is dead, and we're going to have to start the story over again," said Fable as she slapped her cheeks comically, "I mean, oh shit, whatever. You won't remember this anyway."

"I hate you, Blackmore," said Fable as she collapsed. She was on her knees, her legs had spread apart, and her dress was hiked up to her stomach, exposing her underwear to everyone. She looked tired and broken.

The sky went bright blue, and everything disappeared.


Carter opened his eyes again and found himself walking in a forest. He wore the same drab clothes Princess Caroline had given him but wasn’t in Dale anymore. The trees reached far into the sky with great abundance. He had seen the Redwood trees in California, but these put them to shame. The trees were not only tall, but they were also wide: many branches and many leaves. Carter felt like he had shrunk to a mere inch tall.

Carter stopped for a moment. This was all the same. The sky changed again. "Not this time," said Carter to himself. He repeated to himself, "Magic book" over and over again. The sky flickered on and off. His head was pounding as the sky changed.

"You despicable child! It hurts so bad. Stop fighting me," thought Agatha as she poured on the magic power.

"Have you lost your book, little boy?" said Perch Li. He knew her name already. How?

"Magic Book," said Carter again. The sky flickers.

"Yes, we know about losing your magic book," said Perch Li.

He allowed the scenario to continue like before. He didn't remember the last interaction but decided it didn't matter. He just had to do something different.

When Perch Li jumped on the wagon to enter the gates, Carter followed her. "What are you doing, young woman?" said Cidred Li. "It's okay, I have the King's invitation."

Cidred looked down at the paper and smiled. "It looks right. You're welcome to join us, Carter," said Cidred Li.

A semi-clothed lady ran after them as they pushed through the front gate. "Wait, Camille! Not that way, this way, don't change the scenario," screamed Fable.

Carter watched her as she ran towards the carriage. She had one hand wrapped around her "bouncing to be free" breasts and the other one holding down her skirt. "She looks familiar," said Carter.

"Everyone is familiar with harlots," said Cidred as she put her nose up. She motioned to her guards to keep the harlot back.

One of the guards pushed her back. She tripped and fell into a mud puddle. She was drenched and covered in mud. A small pang of sadness came to Carter as he felt sorry for her.

"Camille, I'll find you in the castle!" screamed the mud-covered woman.

The wagon entered the Castle and stopped a few feet from a side door. Cidred Li and her entourage entered the door and walked into a grand hall. Carter hid within the large group. Eight diverse people were waiting in the middle of the Great Hall, talking among themselves.

Cidred held up her hand in greeting with a wide smile. Perch Li looked back at Carter, grabbed his hand, and pulled him closer to the noisy group.

"There is Dr. Kinger and Dr. Abott. I can't believe that's the real Dr. Kinger!" said Perch as she squeezed Carter's hand. Dr. Kinger was a short man with glasses. He had dark hair and was wearing a lab coat. Dr. Abott, a beautiful blond-haired woman, was wearing the same lab coat. Her hands were in her pocket as she hid behind Dr. Kinger.

"I have to see the King, now!" said Dr. Kinger sternly.

"Oh, my Nature, it's the six heroes!" whispered Perch, but not quite enough.

The six heroes and the doctors all turned toward Perch and Carter. The tall, elf female was the only one who had a smile on her face.

"Cidred! Just a moment, please, and we'll be finished," said the elf female.

Cidred Li bowed and said, "Of course, Ella Landers."

The red-haired, giant man pulled out his two-handed sword and said, "It's going to be finished now!"

"The red general, Piker Dern! He looks like a hill-giant in person," said Perch to Carter.

The six heroes spread out and readied themselves for combat. On one side were Piker Dern, Helltorn, and Vulture Nigh. They did not look too happy. Defending the Doctors were Elle Landers, Queen Era, and Lord Chiba.

"We need to get this medicine to the King now! You kept me from him for too long," screamed Dr. Kinger, holding a small bag.

"Think about it, Red. We can't usurp the kingdom from the King. He needs to be alive. He needs this medicine," said Elle Landers.

Piker Dern swung his sword and said, "You heard what he said there. The people will determine the King. We all know who has the most followers, don't we, Elle?"

"That is not for you to decide," said Elle Landers as the tips of her ears turned red. Perch Li had always seen her calm and collected. This was out of character for her. This was serious.

The larger woman, Queen Era, the Amazon, pulled out her sword and stood behind Elle. "I agree with beautiful pointy-ear!"

"Queen Era! Oh, look at her muscles. She is wonderful!" whispered Perch to him again.

Queen Era was tall and muscular and wore a regal gown that was partially see-through. Her muscles flexed under the gown, showing that she meant business.

"I am the first hero! I am the one who fought the most! I am the one who lost the most followers! I should be King. Not you, man-hater," said the Red General. He held up his sword and pointed it at Queen Era.

A loud bell rang from above the room they were in.

"Oh, no, please, Nature," said Dr. Kingers as he fell to his knees. Dr. Abott grabbed him around his shoulders.

"You, beast! The King is dead because of you! My old friend. Dead," screamed Dr. Kinger. He stood up, pointed at his colleague, and they walked out the front door.

"There, it is over with. The old fool had lived too long. Now we fight to see who will become King!" said Red.

"That is not how it will be done. A vote was his last decree," said Lord Chiba. The Ninja also had his ninjatō unsheathed and was ready to fight.

Perch Li watched as Red was the first to attack. He swung his sword at Queen Era, and she dodged it. The magicians backed up and started chanting their spells. An errant fireball veered off the shield of Vulture Nigh and killed Cidred Li and her entourage instantly. Perch Li stood up where she was and let out a scream. Carter ducked behind a table and didn't know what to do.

"Idiot! You're not supposed to be here in the conspiracy section of the book. We need to go back to the beginning. She'll kill me if you get too close to the end!" said Fable. Her dress was no longer dirty or wet. She grabbed Carter's hand and pulled him towards the door. Loud fighting noises happened behind him, and the noise of Perch Li screaming left his ears.

"It is a book. The magic book," thought Carter.

The light of the day went dark and back on again. A blue sky opened before his eyes. He was in a new place and time.

"Magic book," he said out loud.

"The child's brain is too strong; it's starting to hurt badly, and the magic is almost gone," said Agatha. The sky blinked on and off. She was starting to become scared.

"You need to keep your head down," whispered a small child from behind a hill.

"Who are you?" asked Carter as he stood up and wiped the dirt from his pants.

A large explosion happened overhead, and Carter dove back to the ground. He landed in a large puddle, making his clothes dirty again.

"I have a cave we can hide in. My name is David," said the child.

"Why do we have to hide? What is happening?" asked Carter.

David stared at Carter momentarily and said, "How did you get here? This is the Forest of Kek, soon to be the last battleground of the Great War," said David, pointing over the mound.

Carter lifted himself from the ground and looked over the dirt hill he was hiding behind. Death and destruction were everywhere. The landscape was desolate and covered with bodies. His eyes stopped on a large, decayed building surrounded by blown-up tree stumps. He recognized it; it was the Castle of King Kek.

"King Kek's castle," said Carter.

"Funny, isn't it? The last battle of the war comes back to where it started," said David.

The mound they were hiding behind was high on a cliff. Carter could see the forest that surrounded this battleground. A lot of it was on fire. He could see several giant tents on the outskirts of the battleground. Giant armies circled each tent, waiting for the command to fight.

"Over 150 thousand male warriors down there. The last of the Weakmen," said David.

"Is that all there is?" asked Carter as he watched.

"Before the war, over eight million people were living in Kek. The last count was 600,000 people. The 150,000 warriors down there are the last of this world's males. All conscripted to choose the next King," said David.

A tear came to David's face. He was young but lived a grown-up life.

Carter looked from tent to tent and counted six command tents. Each one must belong to one of the heroes. He shook his head at all the death.

"The winner will rule this kingdom," said David.

"Kingdom? There isn't enough left for anyone to rule," thought Carter.

Amongst the bodies, a lone figure walked out to the middle of the battleground.

"Who is that in the middle there?" asked Carter.

David pulled out his eye-piece and looked through it. "Dr. Kinger?" said David.

"The doctor of the King?" asked Carter.

"Yes, he has something in his hand and is placing it on the ground. Now he is running away," said David.

"Is he being attacked?" asked Carter.

David shrugged his shoulders and looked back through his crude telescope. "He dropped something on the battlefield."

The item he dropped was a large box with gizmos and lights on the outside of it. It started glowing brightly.

The heroes exited their tents, amassed their armies, and rushed towards the glowing device. Loud shouts of agitation could be heard.

Another bright light flashed further south and then disappeared. In its place was a giant anomaly of purple that swirled to the sky. It resembled a large tornado. The fighting forces stopped, not knowing what to do.

"What is going on?" came a voice from behind them. Carter turned around and saw it was Fable.

"Dr. Kinger set off what looks like a time portal," said David.

"Yeah, yeah. We all read about it in school," said Fable, "Come on, Carter, we have to go back to the start."

"No, thank you, spy of Blackmore," said Carter.

Fable got a hurt look on her face. "What? I'm trying to save you and me. If we finish this book, we will suffer Blackmore's wrath," said Fable.

"We need to hide," said David as he ran past Carter and Fable.

"Shouldn't we hide too?" asked Carter to Fable.

"Why, it's just a book," said Fable.

Agatha could not afford to use more magic to cover up Fable's actions. "Fable, know your role!" screamed Agatha. The sky turned dark blue and then back to normal.

The battlefield lit up like a bomb, and Carter's vision turned white.

A bright blue light flashed throughout the sky, and his environment froze momentarily, not allowing him to move. A few seconds later, the world started up again. His brain became foggy, and he forgot about what he was thinking. The footprint from his chest disappeared, as well as the pain. Gone and forgotten.

"What happened, Fable!" screamed Carter. He wasn't playing this game anymore. The book had no power over him. The sky turned dark red with swirls of blue and started to flicker. A pain came to his head.

"You need to play along. You can't fight it," said Fable as she scrabbled past the people waiting to enter the Castle.

"I want out," said Carter. He felt the spell in his stomach, which he had learned before this illusion, and cast it onto Fable. He didn't know what it would do.

Fable's eyes glassed over, and she said, "What do you want of me, master?"

"I'm your master?" asked Carter. A tiny doll, about the size of a lifesaver, appeared in his hand. It was in the shape of Fable. It had her little dress on, too.

"Yes, master, you are," said Fable.

"What do I do with this?" said Carter, pointing at the doll.

"Eat it, and I will be yours unto you die," said Fable.

"I thought Blackmore was your master," said Carter.

"She is my warden. She keeps me in here with no way out," said Fable.

"And now, I'm your way out," said Carter.

Fable shook her head up and down. "Only if you make it out," said Fable.

"How do I do that?" said Carter.

She pointed to a field that was a hundred heads away. In the middle of that field was a podium with a book.

"Fable, still your mouth. I haven't the magic to stop him," said Agatha in a weak voice.

The sky flickered bright for a moment, and then nothing.

"Finish the book," said Fable.

Carter threw the doll into his mouth and swallowed. He pulled back his spell, and Fable's blue eyes came back.

He turned towards the field and started walking.

"Where are you going? You need to come back! We will be punished," said Fable as she fell to her knees.

Carter walked up to the podium, and the book magically opened to the last few paragraphs.

Dr. Zinger detonated a magic bomb, ending the Great War. The devastating bomb killed everyone in the forest and cursed the region forever. Everyone who enters the Kek Forest, also known as Quietus Forest, now dies and never returns. The bomb also had fragments of Nature's curses in it. The new laws propagated throughout the world.

Some of the laws are minor, but a few are major. With the devastation of Thresh's population of men, their population was less than a few thousand. Dr. Zinger hated what evil men did to his king and land, so he left Nature's curse to allow only women to bear women. All the women in Thresh bear this curse and pass it down to their daughters. Men were cursed to have headaches that would eventually lead them to death.

The Great War was over, and we still live in its shadow.

Carter finished, and the book slowly closed. He looked back at Fable, and she looked down at her hand. "You have my effigy. You are my master, and you are free of the book."

The sky started flickering, and Carter could feel the pull of the real world.

"Nasty child," said Agatha as her voice went silent.

Fable had a slight smile on her face as she ran towards Carter. She turned into a ghost, the color of black floating before him.

"Master, I am a darksprite. Since you are my master, I am your Thrall," said Fable as she placed her head down. Her dress was just as small, but she didn't move around as much as she floated there.

"Won't Blackmore be mad?" said Carter.

"Only at me. You won't remember anything except the History," said Fable, "That is the magic of her grimoire."

"Might I ask you a favor and allow me to wait for your commands in my effigy?" said Fable.

"The thing that I swallowed?" said Carter.

"Yes. I will sleep in there and wait for your command," said Fable.

The pull started to happen, and he started to wake up.

"Please, master," said Fable.

"Fine," said Carter, and she flew at his body before he disappeared.

A voice came to his mind and said, "You won't remember me anyways," said Fable, and she started laughing.

"Fable," said Carter as he woke up.

Carter woke up on his bed. His eyes fluttered open, and he said "Fable" again.

"He's awake!" said Caroline as she grabbed Carter's hand.

From outside his room, the King and Queen ran in. "The potion worked! Your wife is alive!" said the King to his daughter.

"Wife?" thought Carter.