The Tin Woman was about to reply when she heard a low growl, and turning her head (which worked beautifully on hinges) she saw a strange beast come bounding over the grass toward them. It was, indeed, a great yellow Wildcat, and the Tin Woman thought it must be chasing something, for its ears were lying close to its head and its mouth was wide open, showing two rows of ugly teeth, while its red eyes glowed like balls of fire. As it came nearer the Tin Woman saw that running before the beast was a little gray field mouse, and although she no longer had the Paladin Code of Conduct to guide her, she knew it was wrong for the Wildcat to try to kill such a pretty, harmless creature. Especially because by being in the wrong, the Wildcat could be killed and its XP gained legitimately.
So the Tin Woman raised her axe, and as the Wildcat ran by she gave it a quick blow that was a critical hit! She saw the following message flash by:
Critical hit!
You have struck a Wildcat for 76 damage!
You have killed a Wildcat.
XP +350
The former Paladin had cut the beast’s head clean off from its body, and the creature rolled over at her feet in two pieces.
The field mouse, now that it was freed from its enemy, stopped short; and coming slowly up to the Tin Woman it said, in a squeaky little voice:
“Oh, thank you! Thank you ever so much for saving my life.”
“Don’t speak of it, I beg of you,” replied the Tin Woman. “I no longer have the Paladin Code of Conduct to live by, you know, so I am careful to help all those who may need a friend, even if it happens to be only a mouse.”
“Only a mouse!” cried the little animal, indignantly. “Why, I am a Queen—the Queen of all the Field Mice!”
“Oh, indeed,” said the Tin Woman, making a bow.
“Therefore you have done a great deed, as well as a brave one, in saving my life,” added the Queen.
At that moment several mice were seen running up as fast as their little legs could carry them, and when they saw their Queen they exclaimed:
“Oh, your Majesty, we thought you would be killed! How did you manage to escape the great Wildcat?” They all bowed so low to the little Queen that they almost stood upon their heads.
“This funny metal woman,” she answered, “killed the Wildcat and saved my life. So hereafter you must all serve her, and obey her slightest wish.”
“We will!” cried all the mice, in a shrill chorus. And then they scampered in all directions, for Toto had awakened from his sleep, and seeing all these mice around him he gave one bark of delight and jumped right into the middle of the group. Toto had always loved to chase mice when he lived in Kansas, and he saw no harm in it.
But the Tin Woman caught the dog in her arms and held him tight, while she called to the mice, “Come back! Come back! Toto shall not hurt you.”
At this the Queen of the Mice stuck her head out from underneath a clump of grass and asked, in a timid voice, “Are you sure he will not bite us?”
“I will not let him,” said the Tin Woman; “so do not be afraid.”
One by one the mice came creeping back, and Toto did not bark again, although he tried to get out of the Tin Woman’s arms, and would have bitten her had he not known very well she was made of tin. Finally one of the biggest mice spoke.
“Is there anything we can do,” it asked, “to repay you for saving the life of our Queen?”
“Nothing that I know of,” answered the Tin Woman; but the Scarecrow, who had been trying to think, but could not because his Intelligence was 0, said, quickly, “Oh, yes; you can save our friend, the Cowardly Lioness, who is asleep in the poppy bed.”
“A Lioness!” cried the little Queen. “Why, she would eat us all up.”
“Oh, no,” declared the Scarecrow; “this Lioness is a coward.”
“Really?” asked the Mouse.
“She says so herself,” answered the Scarecrow, “and she would never hurt anyone who is our friend. If you will help us to save her I promise that she shall treat you all with kindness.”
“Very well,” said the Queen, “we trust you. But what shall we do?”
“Are there many of these mice which call you Queen and are willing to obey you?”
“Oh, yes; there are thousands,” she replied.
“Then send for them all to come here as soon as possible, and let each one bring a long piece of string.”
The Queen turned to the mice that attended her and told them to go at once and get all her people. As soon as they heard her orders they ran away in every direction as fast as possible.
“Now,” said the Scarecrow to the Tin Woman, “you must go to those trees by the riverside and make a cart that will carry the Lioness.”
So the Tin Woman went at once to the trees and began to work. Her Craft Wooden Item skill was maxed at 35 and she soon made a low cart out of the limbs of trees, from which she chopped away all the leaves and branches. She fastened it together with wooden pegs and made the four wheels out of short pieces of a big tree trunk. So fast and so well did she work that by the time the mice began to arrive the cart was all ready for them.
They came from all directions, and there were thousands of them: big mice and little mice and middle-sized mice; and each one brought a piece of string in its mouth. It was about this time that Dorothy woke from her long sleep and opened her eyes. She was greatly astonished to find herself lying upon the grass, with thousands of mice standing around and looking at her timidly. But the Scarecrow told her about everything, and turning to the dignified little Mouse, he said:
“Permit me to introduce to you her Majesty, the Queen.”
Dorothy nodded gravely and the Queen made a curtsy, after which she became quite friendly with the little girl.
The Scarecrow and the Tin Woman now began to fasten the mice to the truck, using the strings they had brought. One end of a string was tied around the neck of each mouse and the other end to the cart. Of course the cart was a thousand times bigger than any of the mice who were to draw it; but when all the mice had been harnessed, they were able to pull it quite easily. Even the Scarecrow and the Tin Woman could sit on it, and were drawn swiftly by their queer little horses to the place where the Lioness lay asleep.
After a great deal of hard work, for the Lioness was heavy, they managed to get her up on the truck. Then the Queen hurriedly gave her people the order to start, for she feared if the mice stayed among the poppies too long they also would fall asleep.
At first the little creatures, many though they were, could hardly stir the heavily loaded truck; but the Tin Woman and the Scarecrow both pushed from behind, and they got along better. Soon they rolled the Lioness out of the poppy bed to the green fields, where she could breathe the sweet, fresh air again, instead of the poisonous scent of the flowers.
Dorothy came to meet them and thanked the little mice warmly for saving her companion from death. She had grown so fond of the big Lioness she was glad she had been rescued.
Then the mice were unharnessed from the truck and scampered away through the grass to their homes. The Queen of the Mice was the last to leave.
“If ever you need us again,” she said, “come out into the field and call, and we shall hear you and come to your assistance. Good-bye!”
“Good-bye!” they all answered, and away the Queen ran, while Dorothy held Toto tightly lest he should run after her and frighten her.
After this they sat down beside the Lioness until she should awaken; and the Scarecrow brought Dorothy some fruit from a tree nearby, which she ate for her dinner.
Chapter X
The Guardian of the Gate
It was some time before the Cowardly Lioness awakened, for she had lain among the poppies a long while, breathing in their deadly fragrance; but when she did open her eyes and roll off the truck she was very glad to find herself still alive.
“I ran as fast as I could,” she said, sitting down and yawning, “but the flowers were too strong for me. How did you get me out?”
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Then they told her of the field mice, and how they had generously saved her from death; and the Cowardly Lioness laughed, and said:
“I have always thought myself very big and terrible; yet such little things as flowers came near to killing me, and such small animals as mice have saved my life. How strange it all is! But, comrades, what shall we do now?”
“We must journey on until we find the road of yellow brick again,” said Dorothy, “and then we can keep on to the Emerald City.”
So, the Lioness being fully refreshed, and feeling quite herself again, they all started upon the journey, greatly enjoying the walk through the soft, fresh grass; and it was not long before they reached the road of yellow brick and turned again toward the Emerald City where the Great Oz dwelt.
The road was smooth and well paved, now, and the country about was beautiful, so that the travelers rejoiced in leaving the forest far behind, and with it the many dangers they had met in its gloomy shades. Dorothy and Toto played hide and seek, using their Hide and Perception skills alternately, until they were maxed (at 40 for Dorothy and 25 for Toto).
Once more they could see fences built beside the road; but these were painted green, and when they came to a small house, in which an NPC farmer evidently lived, that also was painted green. They passed by several of these houses during the afternoon, and sometimes people came to the doors and looked at them as if they would like to ask questions; but no one came near them nor spoke to them because of the great Lioness, of which they were very much afraid. The people were all dressed in clothing of a lovely emerald-green color and wore peaked hats like those of the Munchkins.
“This must be the Land of Oz,” said Dorothy, “and we are surely getting near the Emerald City.”
“Yes,” answered the Scarecrow. “Everything is green here, while in the country of the Munchkins blue was the favorite color. But the people do not seem to be as friendly as the Munchkins, and I’m afraid that without any of my Bard abilities being available we shall be unable to find a place to pass the night.”
“I should like something to eat besides fruit,” said the girl, “and I’m sure Toto is nearly starved. Let us stop at the next house and talk to the people.”
So, when they came to a good-sized farmhouse, Dorothy walked boldly up to the door and knocked.
A woman opened it just far enough to look out, and said, “What do you want, child, and why is that great Lioness with you?”
“We wish to pass the night with you, if you will allow us,” answered Dorothy; “and the Lioness is my friend and comrade, and would not hurt you for the world.”
“Is she tame?” asked the woman, opening the door a little wider.
“Oh, yes,” said the girl, attempting to use her Persuasion skill, although it was only 3 through lack of practice, “and she is a great coward, too. She will be more afraid of you than you are of her.”
“Well, I don’t know,” said the woman, unimpressed by Dorothy. But she looked again at Lioness who pulled such a ferocious face that the NPC failed a check against being Intimidated. “If that is the case you may come in, and I will give you some supper and a place to sleep.”
So they all entered the house, where there were, besides the woman, two children and a man. The man was lying on the couch in a corner. As was often the case with NPCs, they did not seem particularly surprised to see so strange a company, as if a party of adventurers coming inside was perfectly normal.
While the woman was busy laying the table, Scarecrow sighed.
“I wish I had my Bardic powers, for then I could make friends with these people and we could interrogate… I mean find out what they know about the Mighty Oz.”
The man asked:
“You mention the fearsome Oz? Where are you going?”
“To the Emerald City,” said Dorothy, “to see the Great Oz.”
“Oh, indeed!” exclaimed the man. “Are you sure that Oz will see you?”
“Why not?” she replied.
“Why, it is said that he never lets anyone come into his presence. I have been to the Emerald City many times, and it is a beautiful and wonderful place; but I have never been permitted to see the Great Oz, nor do I know of any living person who has seen him.”
“Does he never go out?” asked the Scarecrow.
“Never. He sits day after day in the great Throne Room of his Palace, and even those who wait upon him do not see him face to face.”
“What is he like?” asked the girl.
“That is hard to tell,” said the man thoughtfully. “You see, Oz is a Great Wizard with a ring of Polymorph Self, and can take on any form he wishes. So that some say he looks like a bird; and some say he looks like an elephant; and some say he looks like a cat. To others he appears as a beautiful fairy, or a brownie, or in any other form that pleases him. But who the real Oz is, when he is in his own form, no living person can tell.”
“That is very strange,” said Dorothy, “but we must try, in some way, to see him, or we shall have made our journey for nothing.”
“Why do you wish to see the terrible Oz?” asked the man.
“I want him to restore my Intelligence from the effects of a Curse,” said the Scarecrow eagerly.
“Oh, Oz could do that easily enough,” declared the man. “He has the most powerful Dispel Magic in all the land.”
“And I want him to give me an Atonement,” said the Tin Woman. “So I can resume my class as a Paladin.”
“That will not trouble him,” continued the man, “for Oz has a large collection of scrolls he can cast, of all levels and types of magic.”
“And I want him to give me Rage back,” said the Cowardly Lioness.
“Oz keeps a great pot of Restoration potion in his Throne Room,” said the man, “which he has covered with a golden plate, to keep it from running over. He will be glad to give you some.”
“And I want him to send me back to Kansas,” said Dorothy.
“Where is Kansas?” asked the man, with surprise.
“I don’t know,” replied Dorothy sorrowfully, “but it is my home, and I’m sure it’s somewhere.”
“Very likely. Well, Oz can do anything; so I suppose he will find Kansas for you. But first you must get to see him, and that will be a hard task; for the Great Wizard does not like to see anyone, and he usually has his own way. But what do YOU want?” he continued, speaking to Toto. Toto only wagged his tail; for, strange to say, he could not speak. He could, however, communicate with Dorothy, who smiled and spoke for him.
“Toto would like another level and for me to learn an Enlarge spell, so he can be as big and savage as the Lioness.”
The woman now called to them that supper was ready, so they gathered around the table and Dorothy ate some delicious porridge and a dish of scrambled eggs and a plate of nice white bread, and enjoyed her meal. The Lioness ate some of the porridge, but did not care for it, saying it was made from oats and oats were food for horses, not for Lionesses. Having the Unending Sustenance condition Scarecrow and the Tin Woman ate nothing at all. Toto ate a little of everything, and was glad to get a good supper again.
The woman now gave Dorothy a bed to sleep in, and Toto lay down beside her, while the Lioness guarded the door of her room so she might not be attacked or robbed if the NPCs turned hostile. The Scarecrow and the Tin Woman stood up in a corner and kept quiet all night, although of course they could not sleep.
The next morning, as soon as the sun was up, they started on their way, and soon saw a beautiful green glow in the sky just before them.
“That must be the Emerald City,” said Dorothy.
As they walked on, the green glow became brighter and brighter, and it seemed that at last they were nearing the end of their travels. Yet it was afternoon before they came to the great wall that surrounded the City. It was high and thick and of a bright green color.
In front of them, and at the end of the road of yellow brick, was a big gate, all studded with emeralds that glittered so
much in the sun that even the painted eyes of the Scarecrow were dazzled by their brilliancy.
“I wonder if it’s possible to loot those?” muttered Scarecrow.
“Even though I no longer adhere to the Code of Conduct for Paladins,” answered the Tin Woman, “I know that would be wrong.”
“Might they be evil gems?” offered the Lioness.
After a short pause, the Tin Woman shook her head. “I think not.”
There was a bell beside the gate, and Dorothy pushed the button and heard a silvery tinkle sound within. Then the big gate swung slowly open, and they all passed through and found themselves in a high arched room, the walls of which glistened with countless emeralds.
Before them stood a little man about the same size as the Munchkins. He was clothed all in green, from his head to his feet, and even his skin was of a greenish tint. At his side was a large green box.
When he saw Dorothy and her companions the man asked, “What do you wish in the Emerald City?”
“We came here to see the Great Oz,” said Dorothy.
The man was so surprised at this answer that he sat down to think it over.
“It has been many years since anyone asked me to see Oz,” he said, shaking his head in perplexity. “He is powerful and terrible, and if you come on an idle or foolish errand to bother the wise reflections of the Great Wizard, he might be angry and destroy you all in an instant.”
“But it is not a foolish errand, nor an idle one,” replied the Scarecrow; “it is important. And we have been told that Oz is a Lawful Good Wizard.”
“So he is,” said the green man, “and he rules the Emerald City wisely and well. But to those who are not honest, or who approach him from curiosity, he is most terrible, and few have ever dared ask to see his face. I am the Guardian of the Gates, and since you demand to see the Great Oz I must take you to his Palace. But first you must put on the spectacles.”
The Wonderful LitRPG Wizard of Oz (LitRPG Classics Book 1) Page 6
