"Escape From The Ant Kingdom"
Now that our party was fully reunited and properly introduced, we discussed the plans for our escape. I asked Teddy what was behind the doors in the chambers and he said that there was a small passageway that all three chambers opened into. He described a long, winding stairway that the guards used to get down to the passageway from the upper level.
Additionally, he informed us that there was a large faction of soldiers, ready to overthrow Queen Agatha at a moment’s notice. When he saw the two guards that Rob and I had suspended overhead, he told us that they were part of that faction.
“Why should we believe you?” I asked, clutching my now throbbing leg. The spear wound had begun to bleed again.
“You’re hurt!” said Teddy, “let me fix that.” He headed through the Torture Chamber and continued through the opening to the Metal Melter.
“Not so fast,” I said, “Rob, magnetize.” Rob energized his magnetic ray and pulled Teddy back into the room.
“Let me repeat the question,” I continued, “why should we believe you?”
“Because I am the rightful king,” he stated, defensively.
There was a pause as we all looked at him—first in disbelief. We then waited for him to elaborate on that statement.
“When my mother died,” he continued, “Aunt Aggie took her place while I was out searching for a bride. My bride would have become Queen and Aunt Aggie wouldn’t stand for that.”
“An Aunt Ant?” pondered Cindy.
“Silly term, I know,” started Teddy, “but that’s the way it is. Now, will you let me help you?” I nodded and Rob let him down.
Teddy quickly headed back into the chamber and shortly returned with a small flask. He explained that when ants cut themselves—on a piece of metal for example—that this salve is applied to heal them.
“Makes sense to me,” started Cindy, “have you ever seen an ant with bandage?”
We chose to ignore her.
Teddy dabbed a little bit on a cloth and then gently rubbed it into my wound. The pain stopped almost immediately. He wrapped my leg with a clean cloth and handed me the flask.
“Should you experience any more discomfort, just use this,” he smiled.
“Thank you,” I replied gratefully.
“Now, if you don’t mind,” he continued, “would you let my guards down, please?”
“My pleasure,” I said, “Rob?”
Rob de-magnetized the chains overhead and the two guards came tumbling down to the ground. Immediately, the two began to bow at the feet of Teddy, which he quietly acknowledged before instructing them to get up.
“Why haven’t your guards overthrown the Queen and let you out of the dungeon before this?” asked Melissa. “What were they waiting for?”
“Because they value their arms too much. An ant’s rapid metabolism requires constant exercise. Losing one arm is bad enough—an ant can still climb to the outside and run around. But when Aunt Aggie chops off a second arm, does she take it from the other side so the ant can still get around? Of course not! She takes it from the same side, leaving him practically powerless to get to the surface. Unless his family and friends help him out, he will die down here. You may have noticed some unfortunate ants basking in what little sunlight does get in here.”
“We did,” noted Cindy, sadly.
“Then we will help you,” stated Melissa. “Any ruler who is that cruel—to chop off the arms of her subjects—shouldn’t be allowed to rule.”
“If you would return my guards’ spears to them,” Teddy began, “we can all proceed out of here. With your help, we shall banish dear, old, Aunt Agatha.”
“First, a little protection,” I said.
Unstrapping “The Spell Book of Androganine” from Rob’s back, I turned to the spell for the Multi-Purpose Protection Field and put one around each of us.
“Handy little trinket you have there,” smiled Teddy in a somewhat shocked tone upon seeing the great tome. “It’s good to have such powerful allies.”
I still wasn’t completely certain that they were telling us the truth, but if they were, we might need this protection. (Rob confirmed my belief that the Multi-Purpose Protection Fields would indeed protect us in this Ant Kingdom, since we were not so far out of size scale as we had been on the surface of Giant Land).
The guards took their positions in front and behind us (to give the impression that we were still prisoners being escorted). We marched slowly up the long stairway, passing other guards along the way. These guards also bowed low in front of Teddy and then took their positions alongside our ever-expanding group.
As our little, protected procession approached the entrance to the Throne Room, the annoying little jester, Elliot, came hopping out of the doorway as before.
“The Queen will see no one!” he cackled.
“Be gone, little scag,” said Teddy, calmly.
“You’re not a prince!” he cackled again, “You’re a prisoner! The Queen will have your arms! All of you! All of you guards! Armless! She’ll get you! Get you all!”
“Seize him,” replied Teddy again.
Some of the guards, who had recently joined us, took hold of the little jester who kicked and screamed and thrashed around. It took six guards to hold him, one on each arm and leg. They opened a small decorative trunk was that was positioned against the wall. Tossing him in it, they slammed it shut and clasped it closed.
“Let me out of here!” we heard him scream in muffled tones, “And to think, I was going to marry one of you meat-people!”
“Yuch! Don’t remind me,” muttered Cindy.
We proceeded into the Throne Room of Queen Agatha. Upon seeing us and her newly freed nephew with a guarded escort, she knew she was in trouble. Immediately ordering her bodyguards into action, they lifted their spears and hurled them at us.
Teddy and his guards ducked as the spears bounced off our protective fields. The shocked guards looked toward the Queen for both moral support and further instructions. She stood up and tried to make a run for it. I lowered my field and grabbed the nearest spear.
Flinging it at her with all of my might, it soared through the air with a whizzing sound. The spear hit its mark, piecing her right through her heart—or, once again, at least where I thought her heart would be, if she had one.
She whirled around and glared at us in disbelief. All of the guards in the Throne Room were now on their knees, bowing low before Teddy.
“Meat-people!” she gasped, “Tiny meat-people! I knew they were no good....”
She fell to the floor in a heap. The evil Queen Agatha was dead.
“Long live King Theodore!” shouted one of the guards.
Soon the entire place was chanting it. I lowered the rest of our protective fields.
“Thank you, my friends,” stated Teddy.
“No thanks is necessary, really,” I said.
“Without your help, we’d all still be in the dungeon,” pointed out Melissa.
“And that ugly Queen would still be in charge,” said Cindy.
“But you have freed us all,” continued Teddy, “and you should be well rewarded.”
“Just being returned to the surface will be reward enough for me,” said Lisa.
“And maybe some food?” ventured Woba.
“Certainly!” stated the new ruler. “Guards, prepare a celebratory feast for our friends!”
“Ant food?” asked Lisa.
“It shall be appropriate ‘meat-people’ food,” smiled Teddy. “As soon as you have had your fill, we shall gladly escort you all safely to the surface.”
While we waited for the banquet, I thumbed through “The Spell Book of Androganine.” After a period of time, I found what I had been looking for. I asked Teddy to assemble all of his subjects that had suffered lost limbs during the reign of Queen Agatha.
Once assembled, I cast the appropriate Rejuvenation Spell. Almost without warning, their missing limbs re-grew to their natural lengths.
“Bringle said you were a good one,” smiled King Theodore.
“You know Bringle?” asked Melissa.
“Of course. Bringle Brand of Jingleland is very well known in these parts.”
An ant, wearing a very tall chef’s hat, enter the chamber and announced that supper was served. This pleased everyone and we all adjourned to a grand dining hall where we ate and drank until we could eat and drink no more!
* * * *
After the feast, we were escorted through the passageways and led out to the surface through a hollow log.
As we entered the sunlight, we found it to be far too bright for our sensitive eyes—having been underground for so long. Materializing a pair of sunglasses for each of us—with the help of the Spell Book—we bid our ant friends good-bye.
Before we departed, King Theodore Salvador Clavidor Ant gave us each a little gold amulet to wear around our necks. He said that if we were ever in trouble, to just blow on them and he would lead his ant army to our aid. We all thanked him and then headed through the tall grass.
“If nothing else happens on this trip,” began Lisa, “I’m at least glad to know that we helped the ants.”
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