[WZ16, Ulandus] Lat've's Long Day

[Kai NRG]

Please note: only two of these builds (the two on the right) are actually entries! The other two are for story purposes only.

Like all long days, this one was about a girl.

Lat've had been favorably impressed with Philici right from the start, and there could be no doubt that the fact that she was a landed heiress and ruler of a fairly nice if slightly rundown city had provided a nice incentive. The more Lat've thought about it, the better it seemed. He wasn't really in love, he thought, but then, he didn't actually believe in that sort of mumbo-jumbo anyways and he did like the intelligent, vivacious girl well enough. He swirled the cup of morning coffee he held and yawned as he reclined in his chair. Standing up restlessly, he glanced out the window. He was guest in one of Philici's palaces at the moment, and the view afforded out his large window was quite a breathtaking one. A servant entered with his breakfast - a nice cut of ham and a few fresh eggs. "I could get used to this!" he muttered, attacking the viands.

Presently he heard the sounds of a scuffle in the hallway. He pushed the tray away and stood up, intending to go see what the matter was. But before he could move, his door flew open.

Lat've almost dropped his coffee.

He turned to reach for his sword, but with an unearthly chuckle the Desert King partisan grabbed him tightly, pressing his own sword blade against Lat've's throat and chest. "Were you going anywhere?" he asked menacingly.

"Quick!" the other mummy exclaimed. "The soldiers will realize we've broken in any minute now!"

"Right! Tie him up and let's get out of here!"

"Where are you taking me? You won't get away with this! Philici's soldiers aren't ones to sit around in their barracks!"

"Maybe not, but Philici's soldiers are said to be very obedient. I guess we'll see if we can't put that to the test!"

And without wasting more words, the mummies hustled Lat've away from the comfortable room.

Lat've struggled fiercely with his captors, but it was no use; they were armed and he was not. After a brief wrestling match they pinned him on the ground with a sword to his throat and proceeded to tie him up and blindfold him. Then they led him away.

At last Lat've felt that they had reached their destination. In front of him he touched a pair of hard metal bars, and behind him he heard a snap as another pair clicked into place. Nervously he turned around, stretching out his arms as best as he could with them tied behind his back, until he was sure he was in a tiny cage that barely allowed him to stand upright.

Suddenly Lat've shuddered. With a nerve racking feeling of dread he held his breath. The cage was moving!

He grabbed the iron bars behind him and held on.

From somewhere in the darkness came a brutal laugh. Lat've clinched his teeth. What was happening? Where was he going?

"Would you like to see where you are?" sneered a voice.

The blindfold disappeared from Lat've's eyes as if by magic and he looked up just in time to see a mummy soldier jump off his cage and onto a neighboring platform. Then he looked down and watched the blindfold fall through the bars on the bottom of his cage, burning up into nothingness in the lava below. He gasped, reeling backwards and leaning against the cage's iron bars.

From the platform behind him he heard the same brutal laugh.

His courage returned. He looked up at his tormentors with a proud, defiant glance.

The man ignored him. Instead, he stared at something - or someone - stationed at another post on the opposite side of the pit. "Well?" he drawled. "Have you made up your mind?"

Lat've froze. Who was it that held his life in the balance?

The seconds seemed hours. Lat've felt that prickly sensation that told him someone was looking at him. He had to force himself to turn around.

He was afraid to look up.

Oh! His heart jumped into his throat, he staggered backwards and would have fallen if it hadn't been for the bars of his tiny cage. For it was Philici herself who, with guards on either side of her glared at him with anguish in her eyes, her hands gripping the railing until her knuckles turned white. "What am I to do?!" she moaned. "What am I to do?"

"You know your options well enough, lady," said the same coarse voice. Lat've shuddered and looked again at this human monster. "Agree to marry me, and support the Desert King, or see him" - he nodded toward Lat've - "drowned in the hottest pool of lava in Kaliphlin! Should you choose the latter," he added graciously, with a sort of half bow, "we are authorized by the benevolent Desert King to promise that your person and realm will be held inviolable and you will be free to depart and leave your city to whichever side you choose. But surely, you would far rather sacrifice yourself than let this honorable gentleman roast at our pleasure?"

Lat've was horrified. He glanced back at Philici, who was still staring at him, looking like she hadn't heard a word the Desert King's man had said. "What shall I do?" she repeated.

"That is an easy question to answer, lady Philici," Lat've said boldly. "What am I to you? Let me go, and whatever else happens, do not let the Desert King take over your city!"

"Oh! I cannot," Philici exclaimed. She turned and buried her face in her hands.

"Let me go!" Lat've exclaimed again.

For one agonizing moment all was silent. Then Philici raised her head. "Have you chosen?" Lat've's captor asked.

"I will not marry you, and I will never support the Desert King!" she said firmly, her eyes flashing.

"So be it!" The man nodded toward the executioner, who stepped forward, swinging his sword, ready with a single stroke to sever the cord that kept Lat've's cage out of the hungry lava below.

Lat've grabbed the bars on top of his cage, in a desperate attempt to postpone the inevitable. He glared at the mummy who impassively allowed his sword to continue its fatal downward swing. He ground his teeth together and clenched his fists. At least he would die like a brave man!

All of the sudden, out of nowhere, a big, brawny man wearing a uniform that proclaimed him to be a High Council partisan appeared on the platform, grasping the mummy's neck by one hand and holding him out over the lava like a rag-doll.

"Just in time as usual, I see!" he exclaimed, in a deep, gruff voice.

The Desert King's man was flabbergasted. "Get him!" he cried.

The High Councillor contemptuously tossed the mummy in the face of his employer. With the utmost difficulty the pair prevented themselves from spinning off the platform. Then he jumped on to the top of Lat've's cage, and followed up with a spring on to the platform on which Philici was still standing. He quickly routed the guards around her. "I have come to save you," he said gallantly, with a half bow. "What more can I do?"

"Get him out of there!" replied Pilici, rousing herself and pointing to Lat've. The chivalrous gentleman did not seem too pleased with this order, but nevertheless complied. Lat've and he stood contemplating each other for a few seconds. Philici threw up her hands in despair. "Oh, will it never end?!"

"A truce at least, until we are out of this place," said Lat've. His rival nodded agreement.

No sooner were they safely gone then Philici said firmly, "You two obviously have something to settle between you. I don't see much point in putting it off."

"On the contrary, lady, it is you who have to settle between <i>us</i>," replied the High Councillor.

"Then I choose Lat've," Philici said proudly - adding, with a glance at Lat've, "anything to escape him, you know."

Lat've was not sure how to interpret this last remark, but he held his peace.

The High Councillor's eyes flashed lightning. Suddenly he whistled, and a small group of soldiers appeared and surrounded Philici. Lat've, still unarmed, rushed at them, but was stopped by the brawny head soldier. "Hold it right there," he commanded grimly. "I promise you satisfaction as soon as we get to a decent place!"

"I hold you to that!" returned Lat've.

"Follow me then, and send one of these men to fetch your sword."

Lat've did as he was told.

"Here we are," his captor announced presently. "Choose your corner."

Lat've chose, and then a soldier came up and handed him his sword. He tested the blade over his knee, making sure it was the same one. Then he turned round to face his opponent, and in doing so noticed Philici behind bars in a third corner. She said nothing, but her looks clearly showed her anxiety as to the outcome. Lat've turned and prepared himself to face his opponent. From somewhere in the audience a voice cried, "Let them go! Let them go! Let them go and do battle!" At the third cry both combatants swung their blades and rushed towards each other.

The swords clashed and clanged as each combatant strove to gain an advantage. Both were well matched, but gradually it became clear that while the High Councillor had the brute strength, Lat've had the technique. At last Lat've, with a powerful stroke, knocked his opponent's sword from his hand. A roar of excitement went up from the crowd. "By the rules of chivalry," Lat've said, "I've won!"

"Booo!" The High Council soldiers hissed and hooted.

Lat've saw that the situation was quickly getting out of control. He glanced around. It wouldn't be hard to get out the same way he came in, but what about Philici? He looked at her, and she seemed to have read his thoughts. "Quick!" she whispered. "This wood isn't very tough!"

Lat've grasped his sword and gave the cage a few powerful blows, freeing Philici. "Don't let them get away!" cried the commander.

"Run!" Lat've shouted to Philici. He spun around just in time to deflect the blow aimed at him. Then he sprang through the narrow passageway. After a few quick turns, he and Philici lost their pursuers in the maze of streets. "Where on earth are we?" Philici asked, as they paused in front of a short wall, under the shade of an overhanging bough.

"I have no idea," Lat've replied, mechanically thrusting his hand into his pocket. He felt around, not really sure what he was trying to find. Suddenly his fingers touched something cold and round, and with a mental start he remembered that just that morning he had been thinking about asking Philici to marry him. Well, after all they had been through, it would be the appropriate end to the day, and after all, the worst she could do was say no. At least there wouldn't be as much drama in his case as in the last two!

But as it turned out, she said yes - much to Lat've's relief as he wasn't interested in any more long days on a girl's account!

A few more shots:

Comments are welcome! Thanks for checking it out!

[Dragonfire]

Nice story/builds! I like the lava vignette the best

[LittleJohn]

Excellent entry, Kai! I really like the lava and cage in the second build, and the curving wall in the last one is great

[Captain Braunsfeld]

Fine entry - cage and lave and crane are excellent!

[Brick Man Studios]

Excellent story guy !

[Garmadon]

Excellent builds Kai, I especially like the the two on the right! (which is a good thing since those are the two which count! ) Very nice chair design as well, the crane, curved wall, and cage are great too!

[Graham Gidman]

Very cool! Love the green one and the lava one!

[Captain Dee]

Very good story and nice builds to match. The crane scene looks appropriately terrifying and is certainly well built. But I like the other scenes too. And the chairs are brilliant! Nice job.

[Spader]

Wow! Impressive story! The series of builds is well put together. Good work!

[Adair]

Lovely furniture in the first one!

[Blufiji]

That was a very entertaining story!

[Balbo]

Excellent build and story. I really enjoyed reading it. The curved wall in the last picture looks great

[Kai NRG]

Thanks ya'll!

Excellent story guy !

Wow, someone actually read it?! Thanks!

Excellent build and story. I really enjoyed reading it. The curved wall in the last picture looks great

Thanks! I thought of that technique while waiting for a bus in front of a house that used in with real bricks quite a while ago.

[Robin Creations]

Nice! I like the base of the last one a lot

[robuko]

Great story Kai. Definitely an Indiana Jones vibe here!

[Gideon]

Nice vignettes! Not every day you see that much landscaping crammed into such a small base as your vig with the tree

I don't like the "leakage" of white from behind the green however, a darker and/or more "earhty" color would have been better imho.

[soccerkid6]

Very cool series of vignettes The one with the hanging cage, and the grassy scene with superb wall design are my favorites

[Kai NRG]

Nice! I like the base of the last one a lot

Thanks RC!

Great story Kai. Definitely an Indiana Jones vibe here!

Thank you! Now that you mention it, I can see a few parallels!

Nice vignettes! Not every day you see that much landscaping crammed into such a small base as your vig with the tree

I don't like the "leakage" of white from behind the green however, a darker and/or more "earhty" color would have been better imho.

Thanks Gideon! Yes, lack of parts was the main reason for the white although if I had started with more foresight I could probably have saved some of the darker colored pieces for it.

Very cool series of vignettes The one with the hanging cage, and the grassy scene with superb wall design are my favorites

Thank you!