Road to the Emerald City: Follow the Yellow Bricks

[Oeilvert]

"Hm--ungghhh..." Masheck Octavian awoke on the winding pathway of the Yellow Brick Road, this one little patch tainted by a sun-dried blood pool and some splatter.

It was very difficult to sit up, but he tried very hard. With a dagger stuck deep into his body, each move would cause it to pierce something new, slice other things open, and ultimately be the death of him. What was worse was that the Wicked old Witch had dipped the damned thing in poison!

"...Dorothy," he said, looking about. "She's going to...kill Dorothy..." Queen Ozma, please lend me strength, he thought quietly, attempting another rise from his location. This time, however, he managed to crawl up to his knees, and just sit there.

He thought about what had happened before he passed out.

Dorothy arrived...then the Wicked Witch of the East was declared murdered...The Witch of the West showed up...but Great Glinda sent her away, and then the girl set off to seek out the wizard.

Hah! Wizard, indeed! That man was nothing compared to Masheck Octavian, grand sorcerer and advisor to Ozma!

How did I end up here? Oh that's right, the Wicked Witch moved ahead of Dorothy and we stopped here here...she must have caught me off-guard, or something.

He looked about the field in which the Yellow Brick Road had pooled into, and saw in the distance the Emerald City. Above, in the skies, was red cloud smoke, being distorted and cleared away by the wind. But Masheck could tell that he was too late now; the Wicked Witch had flown over the city, and that meant Dorothy was already there.

Masheck tapped the book at his side three times on its cover, and it opened up.

"Livevus, broom."

The book made a sound like "OFCOURSE!" before a large, black-wood broom shot from its center bindings; the sorcerer caught it in his hand and closed the book with his other. He tucked it away back to the confines of his side strap and mounted his broom.

Lifting off the ground, he made way for the Emerald City, to see what awaited his friends and the poor young girl from Kansas.

[The Heartless Army]

What would greet the man's eyes when he arrived at the Emerald City... would not be a pleasant sight by any means. The Witch had left behind a little present for the good people when they failed to turn over Dorothy. An entire legion of heartless.

Now, one might expect the standard Heartless to be running around. You know, shadows, soldiers, things like that. Instead, what Oeilvert would be treated to would be a massive amount of blue-skinned creatures that resembled primates... but with wings! Across the chests of their poorly-fitted vests, the heartless symbol could easily be seen. Their glowing eyes glittered with malice as they ransacked the entire area, apparently with double motives...

You see, a great many of them were chasing the PEOPLE. Yet more were tearing things apart in an obvious SEARCH attempt. Apparently... the Witch was looking for something OTHER than Dorothy...

[Oeilvert]

Masheck landed in Flagstone Square, where people arriving on train would first gaze at the inside of the great Emerald City. He dismounted his broom and threw it aside, where it disappeared and returned to his book. He stared around at the rampant chaos caused by the Wicked Witch's minions and pulled out Livevus from its case. Opening it, he spoke clearly:

"Livevus, contact Her Majesty, now...I know she's been in hiding, but if the witch has sent in her cronies, then her location might be threatened, as well."

The book responded with a squeal, and snapped shut. Masheck turned his attention to the Heartless.

"Hm...it seems the witch wasn't happy with the original outfits? These...creatures, they look...demonic now." He ran into the fray, and made his way to the center fountain. Leaping up onto the side, he looked out over the crowd. "Bane from the sky, you meddle to deep. I'll be rid of you yet, send you back as a junk heap!"

He held out his arms, palms open, and sonic waves rippled from the lines carved into them. His robes began blowing back, as well as his tall hat, but managed somehow to stay on his head. Soon wave after wave would exit his being, turing into tunnels, and firing monkeys back here and there.

"What are these things...looking for?" He clutched his stomach where the knife still was, and seethed. After a while of casting spells at the creatures, and attempting some melee attacks, he heard the cries of people and received news of Dorothy. She apparently set off with her companions to kill the Wicked Old Witch and get her broom.

What is the Wizard thinking!? he thought, and stared around. They're going to be killed...The monkeys won't just disappear once she's defeated...if they even make it.

"Magic Missile!" he called, waving an arm towards an oncoming Heartless. It was blown apart, but instead of blood it exploded in a cloud of darkness.

[The Heartless Army]

The monkies were notoriously more durable than other Heartless. The ones that were blasted back merely tumbled and rolled before getting back up and screeching loudly at their attacker. They beat their chests angrily and flapped their wings to take flight. Oeilvert had managed to take out a few with melee attacks and of course a magic missile to the face, but there were a great many more of them.

One of them, in particular, flew at the man while he was busy drifting away to lala land regarding the wizard's... decision. It swung its arms like massive meat clubs and slammed at the man's stomach... right where that knife was protruding. The smell of blood had attracted its attention there, and if bloodloss was weakening his heart... then maybe...

Other Monkies were getting closer, chattering and ooking loudly as their yellowish eyes flashed brightly. They were converging on him... until suddenly...

"OOK! OOK! OOK!!" One yelled, running through the center of the square with a piece of paper held over his head. The other monkies quickly began to withdraw, many taking to the sky, though the one was still on the ground, waving his trophy above his head like an idiot. Apparently, this one found what they were looking for...

[Oeilvert]

Masheck watched the Heartless come back with a vengeance; some did not, though he knew that with this many rampaging at once, he'd be unable to take every single one out.

And when the sorcerer was struck where the dagger rested, he tumbled backwards and landed in the water, the monkey still beating his front. He cried in pain and grabbed the creature's arm, leaning and and biting hard. He then started pushing with all of his might, with minimal success, to take this grapple-of-sorts and turn it around. When he saw the Heartless around beginning to crow and a single one crying out in victory he decided to make a choice.

With one forceful kick he hurled the attacking Heartless off the side of the fountain and pulled out his dagger, lunging forward and over and plunging the thing into the creature's head. He dropped to its side soon after and stared up, blurry-eyed, at the one carrying a slip of paper.

"Bring me what I seek, Mage Hand!" Masheck threw out his shaking arm, directed towards the victorious Heartless, and concentrated on the slip between its grubby mits. He hoped to compel the paper to withdraw from its captor and instead make home within his grasp...and then maybe he could see just what was happening here.

[The Heartless Army]

The one that had attacked the magic user went down. Nothing really survives a knife to the face, really. Most of the monkeys were gone, but a few remained, all chattering loudly around the one that held the notes above his head so cheerfully.

Then suddenly, the paper was wisked out of its hand toward the mage! The creatures started crying out angrily, beating their chests and bouncing up and down in an agitated state. They wouldn't wait long to fly/run at the man, hoping to overtake him and reclaim their prize.

Two ran at his legs, two more leapt at his chest, and the final, original monkey, took to the air in an attempt to snatch it out of his hands. All the while they clawed and bit at him the way feral monkeys do...

[Oeilvert]

"Great Ozma protect us," thought Masheck, catching the crisp, weathered notes between his well-manicured (by royal protocol, of course) fingers. He made an attempt to seal the paper within his robes, but that idea was put to an end rather fast as the monkeys did return fire; he clutched onto his prize for dear life and curled into the fetal position, where he began chanting under his breath.

Soon the creatures flocked, the luckier ones scratching at him, biting, punching and kicking. He tried concentratingonly on his next spell, one that would either save him or lead him to death.

"The queen, the queen, oh how distressed; take me where she lies in rest! Teleport!" Masheck reached his arm up through the horde of attackers, and from the tips of his outstretched fingers light shot forth, and waterfalled down all sides, engulfing the sorcerer and attackers in a pale, misty blue light.

His body would soon disappear from this location, but so too would at least two of his luckier opponents, as well as bits and pieces of the lesser fortunate brethren.