For those who are here for the first time, this was an interactive fiction adventure. I wrote a scene every day in the month of April, and my visitors voted for where they wanted the story to go next, by leaving a comment on the post. You can start from the beginning here.
Z:
"En guarde!" Sir Andrew shouted. He stole a quick glance around him and noted that the battle had completely halted. All eyes were on him and the Lizard King. He noted that Giraffe, Gorilla, and Horse all waited on the ground below. In the courtyard, a couple badly injured squirrels used the distraction to steal away while the dinosaurs' eyes were averted.
The Lizard King slowly drew his sword, his eyes swiveling to take in the scene, just as Andy just had. The two serpents corralled the Queen back, giving Andy and his quarry just enough space to duel.
The King struck first. His blade flashed toward Sir Andrew in a rather straightforward lunge, easily dodged. No sooner had he finished the first lunge, but he threw himself into another, trying to catch Sir Andrew off-guard. But the knight had expected as much and parried in an almost poetic manner. Sir Andrew decided it was time to make his own go of it. He executed a perfect swoop upward with his blade, but unfortunately the King blocked it with his own steel, and smashed Andy's hand against the rampart. The top brick, against which he was pinned, teetered, but did not quite fall off. Andy stomped on one of the King's long claws, which caused him to hop comically on one foot.
Sir Andrew took the opportunity and lashed out with his rope! He lassoed the King's sword hand and jerked it, causing the sword to fly off into the courtyard. The crowd below gasped as the sword landed, point-down, with a clang. It narrowly missed the Brontosaurus's tail, though Sir Andrew did not have the attention to spare to notice.
Because the King had, almost immediately, pulled back on the rope and jerked Sir Andrew toward him. He caught Sir Andrew in his other hand and was attempting to wrench the knight's sword from his grasp when he suddenly HOWLED in pain.
He released Andy and looked down to see that the Queen had got loose and chomped into his leg. She was tearing into it viciously. Sir Andrew seized his chance! He leapt out, and swung around the Lizard's body, using the same mechanics he'd learned while swinging from balconies earlier. He wrapped the rope around the distracted and bleeding King. The Queen had brought the giant lizard to his knees, and Andy finished the job of tethering him.
A great cheer went up from the mammalian crowd.
The lizard army made a variety of hissing, rumbling, and roaring sounds of disapproval, but did not move to assist their King. He was well and truly trussed, and had lost the fight.
Just then, a voice rumbled through the sky - "Annndddyyyyy .. time for dinnner..!" and Andy knew his time in the battle had come to a close. He assisted the Queen in climbing onto the staircase that led down Giraffe's neck and sighed in relief as she stepped regally down into Gorilla's hands.
Sir Andrew followed her toward his army, and was startled to notice that his stomach rumbled just as he stepped next to Gorilla.
"That was some fine work, Sir!" Gorilla rumbled, "You could have taken a little longer though. Things were just getting interesting out here!"
"You'll have to tell me all about it sometime, my friend. For now, I must answer the call of the gods, and find myself some dinner." Sir Andrew bowed to his Queen, who nodded her thanks to him.
He removed his cape, and was instantly transported back to the land of Bedroom. Andy's mom was waiting in the doorway, with a raised eyebrow and an amused grin. "Tough day?"
"Oh, you know, just playing!" Andy said. "What's for dinner?"
THE END.
Thanks for reading along, everyone! I hope you enjoyed the adventure as much as I enjoyed writing it for you :) Happy Z Day! Now go get some rest!
