20 July 2012
I was running, through the woods, back to the palace from the Pixie Tree. The old Queen had been killed, and there were rumours of an elven mutiny. I am a royal messenger, though I wish I was anything but that. I used to live peacefully in the forest that ran through the middle of the Light Kingdom, until a party of witches and warlocks came riding from the Dark Forest of the north. They slaughtered my friends and family, and took me as a slave. I struggled, kicked, screamed, did all I could to get free, but the witches just laughed, and said I was 'fiery' and I would 'do well in a world of darkness.' Fiery was certainly the word. I come from a long line of Draghoons, a dragon-human mix, that speak dragone-tongue, the common language of dragons, birds and reptiles but now they've killed us all off. The head-witch turned me into a duck-beaver creature, and the only word I could utter was 'Platypus, platypus' "Ahh, my little platypus. You will do well as a messenger." She cackled. They took over the palace, and the royal family fled, or were killed. I kept running. The witch had given me freedom to change my form now, before she got killed. I jumped into a river, and changed to a Platypus. A group of ducks were making a cacophony of quaking. "Shut up" I told them in dragone- tongue, and they flapped noisily away, shrieking about duck-beavers, that spoke the language of dragons. I swan until the sea, where I found the palace. The royal cat was not going to be happy that her mistress was killed. I flew up to the balcony as a small, sapphire dragon. "Your highness?" I inquired. She was dozing, as cats do, with one eye open, a half eaten apple by her side. "What is it, messenger? Have we taken the pixie's tree already?" "No my lady. The Queen has been killed, and as she had no heirs, you, as her top adviser, can rightfully claim the throne." iPuss got mad, gasped, then celebrated. "We must plan my coronation! She licked her lips as she spotted a small bird hopping along the floor, singing quietly, tweet, tweet, tweet, and pecking at iPuss's apple. "But first a little snack..." She pounced upon the bird, and swallowed it whole, feathers and all. "Mmmm, green sparrow if I'm not mistaken. Go, messenger, and tell the other kingdoms that a party is being organised, and everyone is invited!" She is a much nicer ruler than the witch. Though, i was pretty sure this spelt trouble. If the old queen had been murdered, then surely the rightful elven heirs to the throne would want it back. And sure enough, just before I left for the Ocean, a large, dazzling army of elves, sprites, pixies and other assorted creatures came marching over the hill...
The next three words are: Bamboo Perpendicular Glory
The Opuss Tale Part 6 • Opuss № I