Thus Spake Zarathustra

[Serori Yakedo-Satsumaimo]

Twas deep in ponderous thought, Serori as fleweth she over many an island. How quaint her visit had been, filled with many an adventure. Forsooth, she doth not know why to her these events transpire.

But soft! how lightly feet on yonder cobblestone touch. Serori maketh her way to the shoppe of threads. Upon entry, nothing was hither nor dither.Twould be but a normal day for the brunette wench.

The lady Miranda, ever present at her desk, was there today as well.

"Good morrow milady Miranda. And hast thou been given a profitable day?" spake Serori.

The eyes what belong to the older woman, frowneth in cnfusion. "Wherefore art thou talking like that Serori?" Upon which came a cocking of the head from the young woman.

"I have spake to you in the same way that I always have. My pattern has not changed. Thineself neither. Art thou feelingeth alright?"

The lady Miranda shhok her gray locks. "Mine own health is fine as ever, though I might question yours." A sigh escaped her lips. "But thou be an diligent and hard worker, well worth the pay thou doth receive."

"Thou receivest my sincere thanks, madam. Pray, might I inquire what work is to be done?"

"Jus tidying up some of the back rooms, if it does not interfere with thine own schedule." She waveth a hand in the direction afore mentioned.

"I am always eager to assist in what ways I can." And twas true. Serori would assist when possible, and twas a fine pay.

When the job was finished, Serori accepted her pay, and strolled to a new tavern she had found on a day previous to this one. Like unto the other one, save for more light hearted, and an unscared owner. Serori even participated in the quaffing games occassion. Twer like drinking games, but most of the drink woundeth upon you raher than inside.

But today was no game day. Instead was legends day, the telling of ancient creatures on one of the Gengoro Islands, creatures of myths, said to be seen bythose telling the tale. Serori walketh in currently on a man telling the tale of a giant lizard with jaws that bite and snatching claws, of jub jub birds and bandersnatches. Now, Jubjub birds and bandersnatches were both afeared creatures. But this man was saying that the creature he saw was much more devilish.

"And where shall I find this unfathomable creature?" Serori interrupted. The whole bar went silent and stared at Serori.

"Why, in the wabes by the slithy toves." Spake the teller of the tale. "But surely thou jest, a young wench like you cannot possibly even think of taking down such a beast."

[Serori Yakedo-Satsumaimo]

Serori furrowdeth her brow. "And what maketh me not fit for the task?" The man sweated, pulling at his collar.

"Well, thou needst a sword to take it down..."

"She has a sword, there, on her back!" cometh the cry from a fair patron.

"Er, thou needst to be strong."

"Here, she looketh stronger than you, Joe." heckled another patron. The man was at a loss, before a thought strucketh him.

"Thou needst a partner to go with you, lest you should fail."

Serori crosseth her arms. "What you say is fair." She turneth to the drinking patrons. "Then who among you is man enough to face this beast with the accompaniment of a woman?" Not a word was spoken as the drinkrs all buried there faces, avoiding eye contact. Turning back to the teller, Serori spake once more. "And what,prithy, is the bounty on the head of said beast?"

"Most certanly a handsome bounty, my young wench. But i repeat: thou mut bringeth unto me the head of this Jabberwock."

Serori oncemore turned to the crowd. "Hear this, drinkers of this fine establishment. A handsome bounty, should the head be turned in to this man. I will split the fee, 20 parts to me and 80 to he who helps me. What say you?" This was met with an absence of sound. "What say you?!" But still to no avail. She turneth to the teller. "Then I leave by myself. No assistance is offered, so I feel none shall be needed." She held out her hand, and the man grasped it in his while a third placed his on top, to confirm the deal.

"A gentleman's agreement!" The third man said to the crowd in general.

"Huzzah!" This exclamation was emitted simultaneously from both partie's mouths as they droppeth each other's hands, and Serori turneth to leave.

[Serori Yakedo-Satsumaimo]

And thus it was that Serori began her quest. She traveleth to the island of Wonder, and landed upon the beach front. The Wabes were a ways a way, and twas brillig yet, so Serori trekked forward.

Onward she went, til she was met by the sight of Toves, which could only be described as slithy. Gyring and Gimbling they were, and Serori knew she was in the wabes. Serori pressed forward, keeping a lookout for the dangerous beast, if it was ever so dangerous. After all, did not a man supposedly escape from its tight grasp?

Past mimsy borogoves, and outgrabing mome raths Serori traveled, trying hard as she could to remember exactly what it was the man had said. 'Beware the Jabberwock, the jaws that bite, the claws that snatch.' Would Serori find the Jabberwock, she surely would take that advice to heart. She didst not want to die on this quest, and should she succeed, which she had a faint suspicion was more likely than not, a handsome reward was in store for her. But damned were those cowardly men whom had held back on her offer! Shouldst she not succeed, who was to know?

The many-hued grass swayed, and crept upon the young wench's legs. Twas more and more unkempt, the farther into the Wabe Serori journeyed, but for a good cause. She had been following an overgrown path, what led to the middle, and along this path she found a notice, hung by some other adventurer.

'BEWARE!!
Jubjub birds!
SHUN!!
Bandersnatches!
Can be frumious!'

This confuseth the brown haired lady. Jubjub birds and Bandersnatches should not be in this part of Wonder Island. Forsooth, if they were, then danger was about. Serori crept carefully through the underbrush, taking her vorpal sword in hand.

Time passed, and she saw nothing, but only heard sounds. Caws from birds, snickers from rodent-like creatures. Shaking, Serori journeyed forth, thinking to herself, 'mayhap not bringing a companion could be considered a bad thing.' And when night fell, she was forced to take camp. Folding together leaves and using sticks found on the ground, a makeshift shelter was forged, and crawled under. There slept she, until daybreak occurred, with not a happenstance whilst she lay sleeping.

The next few days were the same, nothing seen, everything heard. Serori was confident that she'd been through the entire Wabe. 'But there must be something here, for have I not been hearing the sounds? These tricky bastards must be stealthier than they first appeared. But should I meet one, my vorpal sword shall end it. Damn manxome Jabberwock, I wish I could meet one now.' And so it was that Serori rested up against a Tumtum tree, standing in her own thoughts.

And in uffish thoughts she stood there, til suddenly a sound was heard, unlike what had been heard previously. A roar, a gush of sound, and off in the leftish distance erupted an evil red light, and flames blew above the trees. For out of the clearing those trees must have been hiding whifled such a creature as Serori had never seen. It came, burbling, its neck long, its teeth large, pointed. A round, bulbous head, eyes spouting fire, ended the neck, which protrudeth from a scaled body. Sinewy arms endeth in four long, barbed claws, whilst its feet were shorter, three-toed. It finished itself with a tenuous tail. This, my friends, was the Jabberwock.

Serori preparedeth herself for the first attack from the Jabberwock. Both hands wrapped around the handle of her vorpal blade, she rolleth a dodge from fire aimed at her from the creature's eyes. Landing with a deep thud, It swipeth at her with its claws, gouging the earth where it missed. Taking this oppurtunity, Serori swung her blade at the creatures arms, and cut into the skin, before blastingeth it with twelve shots of Renzoku Energy Dan. The ki blasts did nothing, but her sword had done damage. It screecheth in pain, pulling Its hand back, large drops of purple blood leaking from the wound.

It lungeth forward with Its head, gnashing its ugly teeth. The Saiyan wench barely managed a backwards jump, and hit the ground unbalanced, falling over. The creature's tail swepteth towards her, and knocked was she into a trunk of a tree. The breath left her, and dizzy were her eyes, her back and head stung. It swung at her whilst she layeth there, and scratched deeply, knocking her into another tree. But the fight was not over, no, for the Jabberwock had just angered the young woman. She shakily standeth back up, sword clutched tightly in her hand. She cryeth out in battle, and her shout was returned by the Jabberwock. A blue aura erupted around Serori, as she went kaioken, and prepared her bukujutsu for use.

The creature shot forward, mouth open to engulf the young wench's body, but for nought, for the Saiyan girl herself had forseen this attack, and jumped at the last second. The Jabberwock bangeth its head against the trunk of the tree, and Serori speedily descendeth. One, two, she swung her blade, and only gouged the neck, the scales were tough. The Jabberwock screamed in pain, and turned around, woozy. It made a mis-aimed grab at the flying girl, shot fire at her as well, which Serori dodgeth. It aimed another bite at her, and this would be its last. As it lungeth forward, being dizzy from hitting the tree, it tripped on its tail, and fell forward, giving Serori one more chance to kill it, and this chance she took.

One, two, the swings at the base of the head, went through the scales, the vorpal sword going snicker-snack, through, and out the other side. The Jabberwock let out one final, piercing scream, heard all around the islands, before falling, dead, its blood forever bleaching these grounds purple. Serori fell limply to the ground, clutching at her struck side. The warm dampness was gradually covering her hand. She teareth off most of her shirt, and make a bandage which she covereth the wound with. Limping to the head, she left the dead body, worried only about the head, and gallumphed* back to Metropolis Island.

*In most cases, gallumphing would be a mix between galloping and jumping. However, in Serori's, it is flying, landing, hopping, resting, repeat.

[Serori Yakedo-Satsumaimo]

Returning to the afore mentioned island, Serori immediately collapsed on the pavement, Jabberwock head in hand. A crowd formed so fast, if anyone had blinked, it would have been like people just grew out of the ground. The young Saiyan pushed herself up, cougheth up a bit of blood.

'Someone get her medical attention!' A man tried to help her, attempting to take the Jabberwock's head from her hands, but she snarled, and they backed off, until an ambulance arrived. They wrapped true bandages around the wound, and set Serori up against the side of a building, and calleth Mrs. Miranda. 'Now, don't move. We're having your tenant cometh here immediately to pick you up. You shall require many weeks of rest.' But Serori's warrior spirit prevailed, and she forced herself up. 'Young lady, thou art going to bust open again your wounds!' But she pushed them off, and carried the head back to the bar.

The doors slammeth open, as Serori limped into the bar. A hushed silence felleth over the crowd, and she swung the head upon a table, with a squelchy thud.

"Bringeth the teller of tales to me!" She barkethe the order, and the man was pushed to the spot across the table. Serori pusheth one hand against the table to maintain her balance, and the other raised palm flat up. "I believeth you owe me something." The intake of breath cometh from all the patrons as they put two and two together. This wench, whom they all knew to work in the clothes outlet, had gone out herself, and...

"Hast thou slain the Jabberwock?" Spake the teller of tales. "Why, come to my arms, my beamish lass! Oh, frabjous day!" The entire crowd bringeth themselves in around Serori, hugging, tugging, some just wanting to touch such a legend. There were shouts of 'Callooh!' and 'Callay!' but Serori just chortled in her joy. The teller of tales pushed the owed zeni into her hand.

"Thou hast more than earned this, milady. If not were it for all my savings, I would give you more!" But Serori told him that this was enough, and thanked him kindly, before leaving the bar, although she had trouble with this, as everybody was trying to by her a round to get her to tell the tale. She told them some other day, but they persisted, however to no avail, as the new Teller left the doors.

She returneth to the shop, and found Mrs. Miranda, fretting. "Come now Serori, thou art severely injured! Thou needst rest!" And Serori was all to happy to accept the lady's help up the stairs to her room, where she slept soundly as a new born babe.

Twas brillig and the slithy toves,
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe.
All mimsy were the borogoves;
And the mome raths outgrabe.

(Finished, Zeni please)

[Zach]

Review in progress.

900Z awarded. Enjoy.