Chapter 19: The Masked Crusader of Truth Appears!

Gordon’s green eyes glared at Golbassy so hard she feared that she would catch flame.

Gordon was as he usually was, a strong example of a shewpog, with flowing golden lion-like mane beneath a weather beaten brown leather hat with a feather that seemed more like a razor stabbed into it. Strapped across his body was a number of quivers containing a rainbow of different coloured crossbow bolts. On his stumpy feet were a pair of exceptional metal toed boots. It was likely that the boots would still be in fine condition when Gordon’s bones were dust.

With heavy plated gloves he gripped his crossbow tightly.

“Why did you do it big sis? Why? Dalbert was a horrid man, but, it isn’t right to sully your hands with murder!” Gordon growled, his eyes red.

Golbassy could not find her voice, and so Habi spoke for her, as she had for years.

“I did nothing of the sort! I’m innocent!” Habi protested.

“Innocent? Then why did you run? If you were innocent, you would have stayed, Golbassy!”

“Someone was trying to frame me, and they murdered Uncle Dalbert! Who knows what would have happened to me if I stayed!” Golbassy blurted, finding her voice.

“Who would want to frame you Golbassy, your position in inheritance is really low?!”

“I don’t know, ok, I don’t know!” Golbassy began to cry.

Gordon took a step back, dismayed. Golbassy gave Gordon a cutting stare through eyes blurred with tears.

“For all I know, it could have been you!” Golbassy yelled.

Both Goldies paused.

“Oh my, it could have been you… why did you come out here, you are here to murder me too aren’t you?!” Golbassy realised.

Gordon stepped forward and Golbassy stepped back, wary.

“Don’t be stupid, I’m no murderer! What possible reason could I have for murdering you and Dalbert? I don’t even care about Father’s fortune!” Gordon spat.

“Stay back!” Habi cried.

A look of scorn and frustration passed over Gordon’s face.

“Lock take you, I’m not the murderer! The one who is most suspicious is you! All those books are expensive, so you stole the jewel and sold it, hoping to blame one of us to increase your standing. I’m sure you care about books as much as I do about hunting, and if you do, there is nothing you wouldn’t do to keep getting new books, so when Dalbert remembered something about the theft you had to murder him and it was a fine chance to increase your own standing!”

“Stop, stop, just stop it, I’m not you Gordon, just because you’d do anything to keep hunting doesn’t mean I’d do anything! I didn’t steal the jewel and I didn’t murder Uncle Dalbert! I’ll find the Niard and prove that he stole the jewel”

“The Niard? What nonsense, all those books have rotted your brain Golbassy, just come quietly back with me to the mansion, if you really are innocent, you’ll have nothing to fear. Don’t make me use force, I’ve hunted prey far more dangerous than you!”

Suddenly Gordon levelled his crossbow and shot it at Golbassy, who was quite shocked when it passed right by her and thudded into one of Ramaros’ arms, who had been about to plunge a spear into Golbassy.

Ramaros hissed as Gordon quickly loaded and fired bolts at him. The baghead just spun his spear, deflecting a few of the bolts before using his spears to vault over on top of a rooftop where he beat a hasty retreat.

“Look, these alleys are rife with blood thirsty ruffians! Come back with me, I’ll see that justice is done!” Gordon pleaded.

For a moment, Golbassy considered it.

“I’ll not do it, I’ll not put my fate in your hands, you could just be seeking to entrap me further. I can’t know if you are innocent!”

A look of utter fury came across Gordon’s face and he pointed his crossbow at Golbassy.

“How many times do I have to tell you I did not…”

*THWACK*

Gordon collapsed in a heap, as many people are wont to when beaned on the head with a turnip.

The turnip in question turned out to be Davis, well an unconscious Davis bound by baghead rope wielded by a fox wearing a black and white jester suit with her face obscured by a mask that was half white and half black. For some reason the fox hadn’t hit Gordon with the club that was also tried up with Davis.

“Ah! I hope I didn’t hit him too hard!” The fox said.

She dropped Davis, who was rousing, and didn’t at all like being dropped on the ground unceremoniously. He wriggled impotently and furiously mumbled beneath the ropestuff binding him.

The fox turned to a quite confused Golbassy and Habi.

“I’m so glad I finally caught up to you, just in the nick of time too eh? Didn’t think I’d be able to sneak up on him, but I guess he must have been pretty distracted”

Golbassy looked at the prone form of Gordon.

She mumbled into Habi.

“Thanks, I think.” Habi said “But who are you… wait, you look kind of familiar, are you that fox that was with that badly cooked ginger-breadman”

“B-badly cooked?” the fox stuttered.

Meanwhile, back at the mansion, Tough Snaps got the strange feeling that he needed to defend his origins. He comforted himself with the thought that he wasn’t Lumpen Stu. None of his batch siblings knew how Lumpen Stu even moved, spoke or picked things up. Tough Snaps had decided to carry the terrible secret to the grave, or more realistically for ginger-bread people, to the stomach of whatever ended up eating him.

The fox turned her head to the side, looking away from Golbassy.

“Ahahaha, what do all foxes look the same to you or something?”

She gave Golbassy a disapproving look and moved on before she was sure if Golbassy bought it.

She struck a pose, arms out and handpaws pointed straight down, with legs snapped close together and back ramrod straight.

“No, I am the Masked Crusader of Truth, Ora… Monochrome.”

“You were going to say something else there” Habi observed.

Davis struggled some more, and attempted a pleading look towards Golbassy and Habi. They were not however looking.

Monochrome scratched the back of her neck.

“I really didn’t!”

Golbassy sighed and moved to sit on top of Davis.

“You really did, but anyway you haven’t really told who you are or what you want”

“I am a Masked Crusader that aids those that seek the truth!”

“So, you want to help me then, do you even know what I’m doing?”

“Why, you are trying to prove that you are innocent, aren’t you”

“Well, yes.” Habi said.

Habi and Golbassy stared at the mysterious masked crusader. They both let out a pair of heavy sighs.

“Ok, you can come with me.” Habi said.

“Hurrah!” Monochrome cheered. “Tell me seeker of truth, where are we headed?”

“The Spinning Gem Top” Habi answered.

“Well then, we’ll waste no time shall we?” Monochrome said.

“Well, I picked up some minions, but I think they were captured. I’d feel bad if I didn’t do at least a cursory search for them” Habi explained.

“Um, Habi, I think we are sitting on the mean turnip” Golbassy whispered to Habi.

She quickly got up and began untying Davis.

“Really? We were? Yuck.”

*Wheeze*

Davis took in air with his mouth gratefully. He couldn’t decided whether he was happy to be freed or unhappy that he was used as both a chair and a blunt instrument. Instead of accepting that he was both, he decided that he was very put out at being sat on and used for thwacking.

“I could have gotten out myself you know, I was just waiting for the right moment!” he claimed.

Golbassy and Habi didn’t even acknowledge the comment.

“Did you see any of your friends?” Habi questioned.

“They aren’t my friends!” Davis protested.

“Did you see any of your friends that you pretend aren’t your friends?” Habi asked.

“No” Davis said, a bit dejected. “All I saw was that ghastly baghead. I used to think they were funny looking, now I’ll never look at one the same again”

“Well then, get looking!” Habi ordered.

Davis thought about refusing, but decided that he really didn’t want to cross her… them, her and her. The pair.

“I’ll look too!” Monochrome said, bounding off.

“Does she even know what any of them look like?” Golbassy puzzled.

“I think I don’t even want to think about it anymore” Habi replied.

“So, do you sense anyone?” Golbassy asked.

“Apart from the turnip minion, Gordon and Monochrome, no”

Golbassy and Habi looked at Gordon again.

“We should probably tie brother up shouldn’t we?” Golbassy posited.

“That might be an idea, though I’m not sure how long it’d hold him”

Golbassy and Habi picked up the ropestuff that Davis had been tied with and began making particularly strong knots from the book ‘Tying Anything with Everything’ which had been dictated to a mage by the first ship captain of Korund and Elcon, known only as ‘The Captain’.

* * * * *

Monochrome pulled out a turquoise can small enough to fit in her hand from a hidden pocket in her jester suit. She rattled it about a bit.

“This is Lady O, Big H do you read me?” she said, speaking into can. The can gently hummed.

She quickly put the can to one of her ears.

A voice greeted one of her ears “Ah how does this stupid thing work again, oi! Down madog, you can’t have it, it isn’t for eating! Hey, Dudette, can you hear me? what is with the funny names?”

“I was trying to have some fun, Well, anyway the target will likely appear at the Spinning Gem Top, you got that? The Spinning Gem Top.” Monochrome said.

“I got it dudette, Gah, Madog, no get off!”

Monochrome winced as crunching sounds came through the can, then she dropped it as drool began to come through it and it got crushed as bite marks appeared all over it.

“Hopefully everything will work out” Monochrome said nervously.

* * * * *

Davis and Monochrome both returned to Golbassy and Habi empty-handed, and unwilling to search further for the missing minions, they moved on the Spinning Gem Top, owned by Gemmask Jee.