City of IF

[NeverNeverGirl]

The Mysterious Stranger

Barry halted in front of the blue door. Something felt kind of strange about it. Nothing that he could put his finger on, so to speak, but there was definitely a sense of otherness about this blue door. It was plain blue with a little brass knocker attached, the horseshoe shape of the knocker reminded Barry of something he couldn’t quite place...

Shifting the lamp to his other arm caused the lid to start slipping off and Barry hastily put the milk (provided generously by a misshapen sinister looking store holder on the corner, of course.) down on the stoop and shoved the lid back on the teapot.

Wouldn’t want those strange looking (and smelling) spiders going AWOL now would we, Barry thought to himself. Especially after having had to shake hands with the greasy little man to whom Barry had promised that he would make it his next quest to find a wife. All in exchange for the said little man to go inside his house and catch 20 of the spiders that seemed to have taken over his little hero’s room. Barry shook his head and, again, vigorously rubbed his palm against his trousers.

Before picking up the milk Barry grabbed the knocker and rapped out the tune of Jingle bells. Out of nowhere a earth shudderingly loud voice bellowed causing passers-by to glance quickly around and dart furtively away.

“Know ye this, that peril is all that awaits ye here! Get and be gone little man!” The rumbling baritone sent shivers down Bartrixs’ spine.

Squaring his shoulders Barry flung his cape back over one shoulder and struck a heroic pose. As if on cue, sunlight fell in a shaft and landed on his head, causing his eyes to sparkle and dance brightly and his profile to take on the planes of a Grecian God. A trumpet filled fanfare rose up from the shadows and left no doubt in the minds of anyone that here was a man with his own theme song.*

Just as the theme reached fever pitch and Bartrix the Magnificent, Great, Wondrous, Brave (well, you get the point) was about to charge in the door swords drawn on a path of destruction, the big blue door with the sinister voice swung inwards. Striding forward Barry swept the room with a heroic glance.

Nothing.

Barry looked again using his hero vision to penetrate the shadows of the room.

It looked to be a small sitting room of some kind. There was a large open fire, a small dresser with several blue and white pieces of china residing on it, a tabby cat in a basket under the table and a large red winged armchair covered in crocheted lace.

Just then, bustling in from a door to his left, came a little old woman no more than 5 feet tall. She was wearing a pink dress, white pinafore and the type of hat reserved for the likes of old Mother Hubbard - all lace and ruffles and largeness. Her tiny wire rim spectacles dangled precariously off her nose and she clung with dear life to the woollen shawl that was draped around her shoulders, the ensemble was finished with bright yellow old lady slippers with the requisite garish pink flower.**

‘Hello, dear boy, come in, come in.’ She ushered Barry forwards into the room with a quick flick of her apron. ‘Put those things over on the dresser for me will you? It can be so hard to find the time to go out and buy ones own things when one is so busy, what with all this taking over the world business...’

Barry made his way to the dresser he carefully set down the lamp (along with its contents) and the milk. Turning back towards the old lady he was once again ushered forth.

‘Close to the fire my dear. One’s bones do get so chilled these days, not what I once used to be..’ Carefully the old lady took up the lamp and up ended the Drakvarian spiders into a pan on the stove, placing the lid gently on top she lit the burner with a practised air. ‘They do make such a good flavour for a stew and the little blighters do nowt but good for my rheumatise thats for sure.’

Coming back to the fireplace with the lamp and the milk she cocked her head slightly at Barry. Making the throaty lilting sounds that only the Very Old can make, almost seeming to half whisper to herself, her eyes focused on a point just to the left of Barry’s head.

‘Yes, that will do just fine..’ Barry could only barely make out the words she whispered. Nodding gently she sat down in her chair.

‘I expect you wonder why you are here Bartrix,’ She began, her once wobbly voice now full of a timbre that Barry could barely reconcile with the little old lady in front of him. ‘My name is Desdemona Doomini, I am a seer mystik from High Escarpia, I am a widow now and it has always been my desire to see my beautiful son bought back from the dead.’

Barry sat up attentively. Could this be the quest he thought it was? The one to find the fabled Chalice of Renewal, surely this old seer didn’t know where it was? Barry sat on his hands to stop himself from rubbing them together in glee.

‘He died, you see, a long time ago at the hands of a man. One he had called friend for a long time. It was very sad for my son to watch his friend turn his back on him... over a girl I suspect...’ Nonchalantly Desdemona began to wave her hands around in the air as if to illustrate her story. ‘I could never be sure but all I know is that on his death bed, as I held him near lifeless in my arms, I made a promise. A promise to the very reaper who came to take the light from my boy’s eyes. I swore then to young Demetrius and the reaper himself that I would...’

Barry’s brain finally caught up. Just as he was about to spring from his chair with a cry of ‘Demetrius!?’ he found himself to be very firmly stuck.

Looking down he saw that his arms were heavily bound to the chair by thick bonds of wool.

‘Er, did you say take over the world?’ Barry asked sheepishly. ‘Back before when I first came in?’

Desdemona threw back her shawl and visibly shaking off her skin she stepped forward. The raven-haired siren before him grew menacingly tall and her pale skin contrasted starkly against the vivid mauve of her eyes and black rosebud of her lips.

‘You may remember my boy as Demi, Bartrix. He had such a beautiful dark soul that it made a mother cry tears of joy to call him her own.’

Barry stared dumbstruck at Desdemona. His thoughts raced back and forwards and back again. He shifted in his seat, uncomfortably aware of his vulnerability, his sword tantalisingly beyond reach of his fingers.

‘So I guess this wasn’t a social call then....’





*OBVIOUSLY composed by the great writer of such themes as Flash, Roger Ramjet, Superman and Astroboy the one and only Mr Hiroik Belled. It has previously been put about that different people in different parts of the ‘world’ had written these themes but it is widely known in Alandria that it was the portly unobtrusive and demure Mr Belled. Who with his propensity towards shyness had assumed different pseudonyms...

**All courtesy of Mrs Mallard’s Fine Apparels for the Sinister Spinster, corner of Jekyll and Hyde streets downtown Alandria – right next to Madame Cas’ Sandwiches (each sandwich receives free Heimlich instructions – limited time only)

[Masterweaver]

Well, Barry's in a right old fix! Perhaps miss Doomini wants to carry out her son's will or expects Barry to pay funeral expenses.

Lovely chapter

[Mephistopheles]

hmm, i still love the humor that comes forth in this story. thank you for brightening my morning. how can she bring her son back? perhaps by seducing the man who killed him and then bringing him back as a new baby boy? of course, she can eat bartrix afterwards. not that great of an idea. maybe i can come up with something better later, but this is all i got right now.

[Chinaren]

Nice chapter NeNo, some lovely imagary. ~Rubs hands together~

Obviously she needs his 'essence', which has to be sucked out via a dastardly machine she has made, and transferred into the empty (preserved) husk of her dead son. ~Rubs hands together again, evilly, this time~ Mwwahahahahaha~ MWAHAHAHA!

~Falls of chair~

[NeverNeverGirl]

chinaren wrote: Nice chapter NeNo, some lovely imagary. ~Rubs hands together~

Obviously she needs his 'essence', which has to be sucked out via a dastardly machine she has made, and transferred into the empty (preserved) husk of her dead son. ~Rubs hands together again, evilly, this time~ Mwwahahahahaha~ MWAHAHAHA!

~Falls of chair~

you, ah, dont happen to have one of these soul sucking machines laying around anywhere do you ren?? It would be easier to borrow one than build it... hehehehe *shifty glances left and right* ;)

[NeverNeverGirl]

i am putting up a poll to get things moving.. i know lots of ppl arent around at the mo' ...

choices as follows....

Obviously she needs his 'essence', which has to be sucked out via a dastardly machine she has made, and transferred into the empty (preserved) husk of her dead son.

perhaps by seducing the man who killed him and then bringing him back as a new baby boy? of course, she can eat bartrix afterwards

Perhaps miss Doomini wants to carry out her son's will

so does anyone else have any offerings??

[Masterweaver]

Funeral expenses.

[Crunchyfrog]

Barry was the one that killed Demi. Obviously! Now she is going to avenge his death. She will do this by sending him on a very evil mission on her behalf. Since he has an impeccable reputation as a good superhero, nobody will suspect!

Ummm, details of the mission, I can't really think of any right now... :blush:

[Masterweaver]

How about a hydra rodeo?

[dinranwen]

*cackles evily* Love it NeNe. Abousulutely love it.

I agree with Crunchy...and I here are some quests I thought up in order to accomplish the same:

1.) Miss Demoria wants Beatrix to fetch the Callise of Renewal which obviously is some Holy Temple where only the purest of heart can enter on the top of some god forsaken mountain torn by both fire and ice, and the Callise is guarded by seven virgin maidens who will all *winks* test Beatrix to determine his right to the Callise.

2.) Miss Demoria wants Beatrix to fetch her sons soul from whatever hell-hole he's in, and of course the quest will envolve the normal dangerous things hell involves.

3.) Miss Demoria wants Beatrix to fetch three key ingredients proven to raise the dead.

The Root of the Twisted Snapping Tree located in the heart of the Strangler Man eating forest. If the trees don't kill Beatrix first he has to first kill the retrive one root of the Twisted Snapping Tree.

The Viel of the Ancient Dead Star located on the Island at the edge of the world. After sailing the deadly seas (with all the dangers and temptations reputed to lurk in the Greecian sea), Beatrix will find the island right before the world ends. The Island itself will be guarded by some hideous, dangerous, and nigh impossible to defeat monster.

The Locks of the Gordons: One lock from each of the Gordon Sisters, Medusa and (some names I made up since I forget and can't spell the orginals), Calridria, and Salion. Medusa, of course, the snake woman who can turn people to stone with her stare. Calridria the siren mermaid who can hold people in a trance with her voice making them forget all else. And Salion, the seductress, deadly perfect whose very touch is poision. ((And Yes, I made these up! *sticks out tongue* But I like them anyway, so there...although if you want to stick the orginals that would be fine too.))

Beatrix of course will refuse, but Miss Demoria will "Make" him go wheither he wants to or not.

[dragon_fire372]

Heeheehee, very nice. Can't wait for the poll...dastardly quest all the way!

[NeverNeverGirl]

VOTE DAMN YOU VOTE!

i refuse to stagnate in the pool of dead storygames...

[Chinaren]

Voted for my suggestion. You should just add a comment to say you have the vote up when you add a poll Nene, otherwise people overlook it.

[The Dirty Quarter]

Funeral expenses. Fits in well with the cynism of the tale.

[NeverNeverGirl]

ok midears, i am tied... and the two may nto work so well together - if no one votes for me before i next check i will see what we can do...

[Fats_Masterson]

Excellent Story so far NeNe. I've been meaning to get to it for awhile now. I love the silliness of the story. I'm sorry I missed suggestions but I did vote.

Obviously the witch needs Bartrix, who killed her son, for some reason (I say its the Pure of Heart, low on brains reason). So she can't just kill him until she gets what she needs. I say it's a quest that only someone incredibly lucky, or stupid, could survive.

Anyways, I eagerly await your next installment NeNe.

[NeverNeverGirl]

Ok, Rens dastardly machine has won (why do his ideas always win - i ask you?).

Stay tuned...

[Serge Wolf]

Wellll darn. At least I was right about the nemesis being female. But I didn't know that she was gonna do that^^ Avengement!