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A Most Unusual Encounter
A collision of worlds has occurred! Scattered across the Valley, strange new places have emerged. Large towers pulsing with a sickly green light have been spotted as has a city at the base of the dreaded Tower of Fate. New monsters roam the lands, bringing chaos and despair wherever they go. The denizens of the Valley rally whatever forces they can afford to muster, even allying themselves with the forces of the Enchantress and her Order of No Quarter to hold out against this new onslaught.
But hope remains! In the shadows, whispers stir. The bravest and most celebrated knight within the land, the famed Shovel Knight, has been steadily making his way across the Valley in his quest to reach the Tower of Fate. He has triumphed over all members of the Order of No Quarter he has confronted thus far. Word of his deeds has ignited the sparks of hope, courage, and resistance against the reign of the wicked Enchantress. Even with their forced alliance, the people of the Valley quietly send their hopes and prayers that this most noble knight will succeed in his quest to end the reign of the Enchantress…
“Are we even on an island anymore?!”
In a startling event, the entirety of Tenebrous has appeared to be misplaced to a new territory. Familiar landmarks are displaced, altered, or no longer existing as the land itself is reformed. The entirety of the Ossex Guard has been redeployed to the city to protect the citizens and maintain order in these uncertain times, deeming Thorne’s rebellion a secondary matter in the face of this new crisis. All citizens are recommended to remain in the city and avoid the mysterious tower located just north of Radiant Manor until further notice.
“The Baron and Hollower have been working nonstop since the Generators started flickering. I say we hold out hope for them to finish the job.”
Despite the confusion and unease, the citizens remain positive about the future. Four of the six failing generators have been restored in part of the efforts of Mina the Hollower with her last sighting being reported to be heading for Coltrane Peak. In large part of her prior efforts, the city infrastructure has greatly been restored and allowed the Guard to maintain order easier. This has in turn allowed the esteemed Baron Lionel to send a special envoy to the tower in an effort to gain some clarity on this situation. As of the writing of this special edition of the Tenebrous Times, there has been no word from the envoy yet.
So much has happened in so little time, as was the unfortunate normal these days. Mina was used to long stretches of time where there was general chaos and little time to break it down. She had gone days on little sleep during her studies, the constant back and forth oversight to construct the Spark Generators, and her adventures as a Hollower were perfect examples of this. There was work to be done and she had no time for trivial matters like long periods of sleep or emotional hold ups. Mina approached her problems with precision, logic, and unrelenting energy.
“Are you all right madam?” the voice of her current companion asked.
Mina blinked out of her stupor and had to sit up straight to avoid falling over, “Forgive me sir knight. I appear to be lost in my thoughts.”
Ever since her second duel with Thorne and whatever event that has happened to send her...here...Mina has found it more difficult to put one foot in front of another, let alone maintain her usual gusto. It was because of the snow and ice of Coltrane Peak made traversal difficult. It was because of the various monsters prowling the cliffs that attacked at every opportunity. It was because the ruins of locomotives blocked her way and forced her to find a new path. It was because she was thrown into a strange new land that was clearly not Tenebrous Isle…
Every excuse she made was just another excuse for her to pretend that she had a modicum of control over the situation. Mina was tired, confused, and wracked with a number of negative emotions that were quickly growing inside of her. It had started with her excursion into Nox’s Bayou, seeing the polluted waters and the massive beast that hunted her. Every fight she had to survive, every Spark infused horror she bore witness to, every mistake she has made along the way, all of it made her question what was really happening and how her actions, past and present, have affected the entirety of Tenebrous.
Thorne’s revelations after their most recent interaction was the final straw for her confidence to begin to crack. He had fought like a man with everything to lose and that she was something vile to destroy. Not an obstacle in his way, not an opponent stopping him, not even as a monster that acted with only the most basic intelligence and violent instinct, but as something undeniably evil. She could still hear his borderline manic shouting, that the Baron was the worst monster of them all, that the Generators were poisoning the land, that she would doom everyone. Whether Mina truly was the target for the former Marshall’s desperate rage or she was just the easiest person for him to blame at the moment was unknown to her. All she did know is that the former Marshall was dangerous not only because of his aggression, but that he might actually be right even if his methods were not.
Now she finds herself in a warped, unfamiliar land and seeking shelter in the hull of a half-destroyed ship against a sudden snow flurry. Right as the storm blew in, an armored individual came running inside looking to do the same as she had done. Cerulean blue plates of armor, a horned helmet, a shovel of all things for a main weapon, and a belt stuffed with trinkets and what had to be secondary armaments defined him. After some quick negotiations to avoid a needless fight, they had set up a temporary camp within the ship to ride out the storm. Mina has been mulling over her thoughts ever since they got the fire going.
“The storm does not appear to be letting up any time soon,” her companion commented as he used his shovel to break another frozen barrel apart to add more wood to the small campfire they have made, “Tell me, what brings you to the desolate lands of the Stranded Ship? Not that I wish to besmirch your character, but you hardly seem like the type to value strength above all else like most who come here.”
“That’s because I’m not. I suppose given the uniqueness of the event we find ourselves caught up in my reputation for once does not proceed me,” she stood up and straightened out her damaged coat the best she could, “Mina the Hollower at your service sir knight. Engineer, academic, and investigator of the earth’s secrets.”
“Well met madam Hollower. I will admit I am not familiar with your order but we do live in quite peculiar times,” he stood up and gave a polite bow, “I am Shovel Knight, explorer, champion of the innocent, and honor bound knight of the Code of Shovelry.”
Mina smiled. There was no real reason to but she did anyway. Here was someone who did not know her and treated her as an ordinary individual. She did not have to be “Mina the Hollower” with this man, she could afford to be just “Mina” (though her upbringing demanded she retain some courtly manners at all times. It was only proper and polite of course.)
“A pleasure to meet you sir,” she raised a hand to Shovel Knight.
A blue gauntlet firmly yet gently grasped her arm and gave a shake, “And the same to you madam.”
It was an easy rhythm to fall back into. Banter, recalling memories, tales of triumph and fantastical escapades, oh how Shovel Knight had missed this! The Hollower had enough tales of her own to rival even the most well traveled knights. Even if a great deal of her adventurers were indeed for academic purposes and not feats of great heroics, her knowledge was undoubtedly impressive. Shovel Knight had no doubt that Mina the Hollower was a knight herself in all but name!
“And that wasn’t even the end of it. Even after we sealed the entrance behind us, the creature still refused to give up its chase as it just smashed its way straight through the rocks. With the cliff to our backs, I grabbed Nerville’s battery buster and threw it straight into the granite wyrm’s maw,” she continued her tale regarding one of her more fantastical adventures.
“I assume the beast did not appreciate that,” Shovel Knight commented, trying to imagine the scene in his mind.
“It most certainly did not! Just as I suspected, the wyrm’s acidic saliva caused the buster’s power supply to malfunction and finish it off from the inside out. While the research commission was less than pleased that the largest specimen ever recorded was severely damaged, the exterior shell was nevertheless in pristine condition. Such findings opened new interest into researching the species and funded new expeditions into territories previously dismissed of having little value.”
“Many such places often hide treasures of great value. There was one time when I had stumbled upon an entire treasure room hidden out in the middle of a field all because of a few out of place stones. Me, a fresh knight having just been sworn to the Code finding enough wealth to feed a village for a year out in the middle of nowhere in a place everyone ignored.”
“So what did you do with the money?”
“First I used it to buy a feast and round of drinks for the first tavern I found. Then I purchased my first true set of armor and shovel blade. Finally, I gave the rest to King Pridemoor to help fund his infrastructure reforms,” Shovel Knight proclaimed proudly, “While it was not much compared to the vast amount of gold his majesty had spent for the project, it helped establish my reputation as a knight. If anything, that was how I met Shield Knight for the first time.”
Shovel Knight’s excitement faded at the mention of his friend. He had no idea if she really was still alive. The last he saw of her was when they got separated in the Tower of Fate. One moment he was battling against the Liquid Samurai swarming him, the next the entire tower was shaking and he was knocked unconscious by a falling stone. By the time he came back to his senses, he discovered he had been expelled from the Tower along with Shield Knight’s broken helmet at his side.
“Though that was some time ago,” he sighed as he added another broken plank to the fire, “And much has changed since then.”
“I… I can understand that. Much has changed for me as well,” Mina let out a sigh of her own, “And not just because of the unique phenomena that has led to our meeting.”
“The same can be said for me as well.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, who is this ‘Shield Knight’ individual you mentioned?” Mina questioned after a few moments of silence.
Shovel Knight hesitated in responding. He was unsure if he was a fool for hoping his friend might still be alive. Maybe he never really accepted that she was gone, maybe he did and now that the Enchantress opened the Tower of Fate again he tricked himself into believing she was waiting for him. Shield Knight was his closest companion, someone who reveled in the triumphs of adventuring and who could face injustice wherever it revealed itself. She had always fought with dignity, honor, and courage. Shovel Knight had truly fallen into despair upon seeing her broken helmet and hoped to find at least put a tormenting mystery to rest.
Or perhaps he was just angry. Angry that the Amulet of Fate drew him and Shield Knight to the Tower. Angry that the Enchantress had conquered the Valley. Angry that Shield Knight had rushed ahead when they were supposed to be a team. Angry at the Order of No Quarter for their misdeeds, forced or otherwise. Angry at himself for turning his back on the Code and his own honor. Shovel Knight was angry at so much that all he could do was push onwards because otherwise he would have nothing left and the Enchantress would destroy him without so much as lifting a finger.
“She was a close friend and someone I lost during an expedition to the Tower of Fate,” he said quietly, “I know not if she is still alive, only that the Tower is where I will find answers.”
“I see. So you journey to discover the fate of your friend?” Mina asked, voice equally soft.
“For my personal sake, yes. For the people of the Valley, it is a matter of stopping the Enchantress and her tyranny.”
“And what exactly does that entail?” her voice stiffened, hand reaching for her whip.
Shovel Knight said nothing. He did not know exactly why the comment had set his companion on edge, but he understood a new factor was in play. While lacking the mania of Plague Knight, Mina certainly had some level...aggressive enthusiasm for academic pursuits. While not as close minded as most, Shovel Knight knew such individuals could be prone to unstable fits (such as Plague Knight and his various concoctions going off along with his hysterical laughter during their duel in the Explodatorium).
“Is it actual tyranny? Or is it an excuse to lash out like a violent vagabond, hiding behind a legitimate concern as an excuse to do whatever you want regardless of the consequences?” she demanded, standing up and glaring at him from across the ship hull.
“I have no wish to fight you Mina. I assure you, the Enchantress is a threat to be taken seriously. One only needs to-”
“Needs to what?! Look at the state of the land? At the monstrosities that terrorize and destroy everything in their path?” she let out a laugh, sharp and bitter, “I know! I’ve seen it all! I might be a prideful engineer who built the Spark Generators but I am not blind. I’ve seen the dead crawl out of their graves, the poisoned waters, the harvest come to life, and the undying spasms of a beached dreadworm! I’ve seen it all and had to fight my way through everything!”
Shovel Knight stepped back in shock. He was unfamiliar with what she was referring to, but knew it was serious. It did not sound like an ordinary recount, more like a frantic confession. Something was wrong…
“I don’t have answers,” she began pacing with an angry huff, “Even ignoring the damaged shielding, the Generators should contain whatever contaminants they generate and dispose of them safely and the emergency mechanisms should’ve engaged the moment something went wrong. I know the dangers of raw Spark energy, I’ve run more tests on it than I can remember to find a method of harnessing it safely. So why do I find my greatest achievement to be the biggest curse the world has ever seen ten years later?! Did I overlook something?! Were my instructions for maintenance not sufficient?! Is Baron Lionel truly exploiting them for his own gain?! What went wrong?! Why did it go wrong?! Where did I go wrong?!
“But of course, I need to figure it out because no one else can,” she laughed hysterically and sat down with tears in her eyes, “I’m Mina, the brilliant inventor of Spark technology and the greatest Hollower of her generation. Nevermind the fact I arrive to a city in flames and torn apart by civil war. Nevermind the fact my patron might not be as noble as I remember him. Nevermind the fact that the one person who was charged with the safety of the people might set the Generators off like bombs because he is too reckless to listen to reason! So it has to be me! Me, Mina the Hollower! The one who gifted the world the power to create monsters that terrorize and kill and-and-and-!”
She had no idea what she was even saying anymore. All she could think of was everything that went so terribly, horribly wrong the past few days. The man in the swamp who agreed to share a drink with her only to gulp it all down and turn himself into a crazed lunatic. The fisherman who got devoured by his own catch. Those foolish kids she failed to save because she had needed to catch her breath after being chased by an unrelenting horror for hours. That young girl who got exposed to a stray bolt of raw Spark energy and was transformed into a twisted version of herself. The dreadworm being forced to an undying state as it was being stripmined alive. The passengers on the locomotive who would have fallen to their deaths had Thorne not derailed the engine. The ghosts she encountered amongst the wreckage in the snow and ice. All of them judging her for her failures, her sins, her terrible Spark Generators.
“When I lost Shield Knight I ran away,” Shovel Knight said quietly.
She looked up, rubbing the tears out of her eyes. Even with his expression hidden under his helmet, it was clear to see that he was ashamed and guilty of something.
“All I saw was a broken helmet and I turned my back on everything. My honor, the Code, the people of the Valley...all of it. I was so distraught that I gave up and resigned myself to a life of solitude,” he continued speaking, adding more fuel to the fire to keep it going, “I didn’t even know if she was alive or not, I just left. I didn’t return when whispers of the Enchantress began to stir. I didn’t return when the Order of No Quarter began to form. I didn’t return when the rightful rulers of the land were usurped and their people conquered. I sat back and did nothing,” his voice never changed as he monologued, “I only came back because I learned that the Tower of Fate was no longer sealed and I wanted to find Shield Knight.”
He walked over to Mina and kneeled down to look her in the eye. Outside the wind continued to howl, a mournful sound that reflected the ugly emotions on display.
“I do not understand everything that you speak of. What I do understand is that you are troubled and that it involves a creation of yours. I can tell that whatever calamity is troubling your home, whether it is directly because of your creation or through the misuse of someone else, your intentions were and still are pure.”
“It’s still my fault. So much suffering has happened and I don’t even know the truth behind it,” Mina sniffled, “The Generators are my work and they are responsible for so many terrible things. I built them and it’s all my fault for cursing Tenebrous with them.”
“Perhaps,” Shovel Knight replied, “But we all stumble throughout our journey in life. Sometimes we fall when we were sure footed mere moments ago. Sometimes we fail in such a fashion that we cause more harm than good. But the differences between the two of us are that you answered the call, you have kept going despite whatever setbacks have occurred, and you are willing to take responsibility for everything that is happening to your home, good and ill. I walked away in my own despair and came back for my own selfishness, ignoring the cries of the suffering until I was forced to hear them. You’re an honorable and courageous individual Mina, something both of our worlds need in trying times like these.”
She threw her arms around him into a hug and bawled her eyes out. Here was a stranger who barely knew her, had no immediate stakes in her success or failure, and who simply allowed her to lower her guard. No judgement, no criticism, just simple acknowledgement that she was doing her best despite everything.
“Thank you,” she managed to speak through her sobs.
After Mina had finished crying she must have fallen asleep. The snow flurry had long passed and the fire was reduced to a few embers. Shovel Knight was fast asleep on the other end of the hull. There was the faintest hint of sunlight coming through the opening of the ship that served as an artificial cave entrance.
“Well you certainly overslept once again Mina,” she muttered to herself, rubbing her eyes clear.
“Mmm? Ah, I see you’ve awakened as well,” Shovel Knight yawned, grabbing his weapon and standing up.
“Indeed,” Mina got up and straightened her coat out, “I must apologize for my behavior before. That was quite unbecoming of myself.”
“There is nothing to forgive. If anything, I should be thanking you.”
“You thanking me? For whatever reason why?”
He let out another yawn before shoveling some snow onto the embers, “For giving me the chance to be a humble knight once more. Not a hero, just a simple knight on a foolish adventure,” he turned to face her properly, “And for listening to my confession.”
“I suppose I should thank you for doing the same...and for not judging me. It was quite refreshing to be free from the burden of upholding a reputation.”
Shovel Knight hummed in agreement and continued smothering the embers. Mina did a fast check on herself to make sure everything was in its place. Her trinkets were secure, there were enough plasma vials to handle any emergency until she could find an underlab to resupply, and the ever reliable Nightstar was on her hip. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly and mentally prepared herself for the next leg of her quest. She had slept through the night, now she would have to just make up for lost time during the day if she were to ensure the Frosty Generator remained stable enough before finding a more permanent solution regarding the use of Spark technology.
And yet...she felt lighter, steadier, less rigid. While her behavior truly had been undignified and hardly befitting of her, Mina felt far better than she had been for the past few days. There was still plenty of work to do, the possibility that Thorne was telling the truth, and there would most certainly be a lengthy report to explain everything once she was done with this wretched nightmare, but she could approach it all with a clearer head than she had before. She was Mina the Hollower, she could handle this and face whatever opposition laid ahead. She had done it during her academy days, during her initial discovery of Spark technology, and during every expedition gone wrong.
With renewed confidence, she turned to leave alongside Shovel Knight.
Stepping outside, a stray gust of icy wind blew by. The biting cold was harsh but manageable. Shovel Knight could easily see why his old friend Polar Knight chose this region as his personal training grounds, the frozen wastes of the Stranded Ship were unforgiving and demanded great strength to be survived. It took great strength, physical and mental, to survive in these lands and Polar Knight always valued that trait.
“There’s a strange beauty to such desolation,” he commented as he looked out at the frozen crags and splintered shipwrecks, “Nature’s wrath might be terrible but it does make for a unique artist.”
“A shame that unnatural forces are at play here then,” Mina replied as she looked towards a violent storm swirling a mountain off in the distance, “I believe this is where we part ways.”
“Perhaps. But much as your world has been changed, so has mine. I distinctly recall the Tower of Fate not having a settlement at its base,” Shovel Knight pointed towards the faint outline of buildings surrounding the Tower before looking up, “And I know that structure up in the sky is new.”
“The Astral Orrery, another destination of mine. It’s a miracle it hasn’t come crashing down due to the failure of its Generator,” Mina said as she looked up as well.
“That would be...an unpleasant fate to befall the land,” Shovel Knight shuddered to imagine such a scene.
“Indeed it would be. I’ve been forced to prioritize the other Generators due to the demands of Ossex and the redundancies built into the Orrery keeping it afloat. Still if there was ever a disaster waiting to happen, the failure of that Generator in particular is one of them.”
Shovel Knight kept his gaze on the structure. It was massive, easily thrice the size of the Flying Machine Propeller Knight had spent a fortune to construct. Whatever machinery and/or magic was behind it he did not know. What he did know was that it falling out of the sky would not bode well and it was remarkably close to the summit of the Tower. If he could find an alternative way to enter the Tower and avoid having to fight through the Enchatnress’ defenses…
He turned his gaze back down to the frozen landscape. The storm Mina was looking at was out of the way of where Polar Knight had frequently camped at. However, it would not be too much of a detour and much like the Orrery it might provide an alternative route to achieve his goals. Shovel Knight knew there would be unknown dangers with his plans and he was taking a risk. But the idea of traveling with a companion once again was compelling and he was not keen on abandoning one in need again.
“Then allow me to see your quest through my friend,” he said as he turned to face Mina.
“Huh? What about your own journey? I might have acted rashly during the night regarding your goals but-”
“Our goals align by the grace of good fortune. You have your Generators to repair, I have the Enchantress to confront. I understand your hesitation, but uniting our efforts will allow us to achieve our goals easier and perhaps a clearer understanding regarding them.”
Mina rubbed her chin in thought before letting out a sigh, “Very well. I would be a fool to dismiss assistance and if you are telling the truth about the Enchantress then preventing her from using the Generators would be in our best interests. Just...please leave the technical matters to me. The Generators are volatile and regardless of them being a blight upon the land a major malfunction would be catastrophic. I swear I will find a more permanent solution if there is one but for the short-term the Generators must be stabilized."
Shovel Knight gave a firm nod, “A perfectly reasonable request. I only ask that should the time come for me to regain my honor you won’t interfere,” his hand tightened around his shovel blade, “Foolish as it might be, I’ve walked away once. I have no desire to do so again or let anyone else suffer for my personal failings as a knight.”
“You are a good man, Shovel Knight. It is as you told me, we all make mistakes. Only by refusing to continue onward do we truly fail,” Mina turned her gaze back towards the storm, “But I understand and accept your wishes.”
“Thank you my friend,” Shovel Knight extended a hand, “Shall we continue onwards, madam hollower?”
She grasped his hand, “Lead the way, sir knight.”
And with that the two of them were off. The journey has taken a strange turn and there would be plenty of challenges to overcome. But Shovel Knight was confident that it would be seen through to the very end. Fate had blessed him with a new companion and a true second chance to redeem himself. He would not waste it upon his remaining honor, upon the Code of Shovelry, and upon all peoples who were waiting for the end of these dark days.
He had to have taken a wrong turn somewhere! This was absolutely, positively, entirely not the Troupple Grotto! Where even was he? Some kind of beach cave? Had Percy’s botched calculations sent him to the Iron Whale?! Did one of his minions decide to play a prank?!
And who, just who and what was this-this-this grinning individual?! Was his anguish that amusing to others?! Was there a joke he was unwittingly a part of?! If so then it was not funny! Whoever this was, he was very tempted to use some explosive force to-!
“Why hello there. What an unexpected visit,” the grinning individual spoke.
“Listen you,” he snarled and pulled out a bomb, “I am very upset right now. I am in no mood for humor and if you don’t show me the way to that giant dancing fish right now I am going to show you just how insane I actually can be. So, what will it be?”
“Ah Plague Knight. Such energy, such a flair for the dramatics, such eagerness to use explosive force. You seem quite unlike yourself.”
Oh that had to be a joke! Real funny! That did it, time for…
Wait… “Who are you? You’re not one of the people of the Valley.”
“Quite an astute observation. You may call me Grinnsly, a stranger to a strange land. One filled with fantastical knights, powerful magics, and so many ambitious quests,” the smile grew even wider, “Tell me Plague Knight, do you have any ambitions of your own?”
What? What?! What kind of question was that?! Of course he did! He was Plague Knight! He wanted to be respected! His work has for far too long been ridiculed, dismissed, and vilified. He wanted to break free of the constraining grip of the Enchantress and do his experiments in peace. He wanted to find minions who actually had some common sense! He wanted…
He wanted…
“I’m having the ambitious desire to get you out of my face and out of my way,” he readied his arm to throw the bomb, “Want to see me follow through with that?”
“Tempting,” Grinnsly shrugged, “But I believe word of your prior actions are more telling. The harvest of powerful essences, the creation of the Ultimate Potion, the quiet rebellion against your master,” the smile somehow got even bigger, “Or, perhaps it’s more simple? You currently wish to meet with the Troupple King. An odd thing to focus on given your recent exploits.”
“What do you know?! Why do you even care?! Is it to mock me?! Is it because I’m not worthy?! I will be! I don’t need the Order! I have everything I need to prove I’m the world’s greatest alchemist!”
“Perhaps we are going about this the wrong way. A certain Hollower had been so sure of herself until recently just as you had been with yourself.”
(What’s a “Hollower?”)
“And events have caused her to confront the strings that tie her down. So tell me, Plague Knight, have you done something terrible?” Grinnsly stared right through Plague Knight’s mask.
Plague Knight was unsure on what to do. The wild side of him was cackling away, ready to blow this grinning fool away with enough explosive power that it would make Mole Knight’s excavations look pitiful in comparison. And he was very tempted to give in, just as he has done so many times before. Just let loose, some laughter, and liberal use of bombs and there would be no more Grinnsly.
The alchemist however was holding him back. Somehow Grinnsly knew things. The plan, the Ultimate Potion, the goal to be free of the Enchantress… Either Plague Knight had failed to keep a lid on this plan or Grinnsly was more informed than Black Knight and that grump was one of the most thorough individuals in the whole Valley.
“I…” his shaking arm lowered, “I messed up. I got overconfident and now I’m close to losing everything,” he put the bomb away, “Just a simple talk with the Magicist for some ingredients and some jokes. That’s all it took for her to leave me. I wanted it to be the two of us who made the Ultimate Potion, now I have to finish it or else I will lose her forever,” his voice cracked at the end.
“I see. And how does the Troupple King fit into all of this?” Grinnsly asked.
What else do you have to lose you coward? Not like your dignity matters or existed in the first place. “She likes to dance. I...was hoping that if I could do the same then maybe…”
“Ah! A student in the art of dancing. How wonderful! Your luck is not as bad as you believe it to be. Come, let’s see what kind of dancer you are.”
Before he knew it, Plague Knight was face-to-face with a man sized puppet and had strings attached to his arms. Next thing he knew, he was “dancing” with the puppet.
“I never agreed to this!” he yelled indignantly.
“We all have strings attached to us. The more you fight them, the more tangled you become,” Grinnsly replied as he continued controlling the dance, “Let them guide you and the easier your actions shall become.”
“What kind of data do you back this up with?! You have no science behind your words!”
Much to his chagrin, Plague Knight was still forced into the dance. It was humiliating. He was not some kind of toy to be strung about! How was this supposed to help him anyway? Mona was furious with him and he had to rethink his plans to steal the Enchantress’ essence given there was an entire city around the Tower for some reason! This was just supposed to be a fast trip to the one being who could teach him to dance and the second only being who saw him as more than a cackling alchemist.
Wait, where did the strings go? He was still dancing with the puppet so… Wait… Wait! He was dancing! By himself, on his own, he was dancing without making a fool of himself!
“Just let the strings guide you and everything becomes easier,” Grinnsly said.
“Shut up and keep letting me practice,” Plague Knight snapped back.
Plague Knight, member of the Order of No Quarter, alchemist, explosive madman, feared and shunned across the entire Valley was dancing with a puppet that was controlled by an ungainly grinning individual in a cave. It was ridiculous. He was best known for his wild cackle before he threw bombs with reckless abandon.
And he was perfectly fine with his current situation. He had a chance to win back Mona and take part in another one of her interests. It would be a longshot, but he was a mad alchemist anyway. He might as well embrace it all and see what happens.