Adventures in Knowhere (x50)(WIP)

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Things weren’t the same. This wasn’t where Drexx normally found himself when the gravity chamber malfunctioned. For one were the colors, bright, brilliant, everywhere. The shadow realm Drexx seemed to frequent because of Benjin this was not. The tug of the gravity was ever present so the android knew he was still in the chamber, bit if not the shadow realm… the where was he? Tall brightly colored flowers the size of redwoods surrounded the android, utterly dwarfing him. Beautiful songs of birds floated down around him, music notes literally trickling down through the sunlight around him, disappearing when they struck anything.

“Where in the universe am I?” He asked aloud. This was like nowhere he had ever been to before. Nowhere he had ever seen.

“You’re Knowhere!” A loopy voice called out behind him. The android turned with an eyebrow raised to face a tall gangly man. Patchwork swatches covered what once might have been a nice suit; it hung loosely from the man like a furled sail. A friendly large toothed grin plastered itself on his face. He reached up and gripped his bowler hat, swishing it off in the same motion as his bow. “And you’re late!” He said suddenly his back straightening with a large crack. The grin remained.

“nowhere?” the android asked skeptically. How could he be nowhere when he was definitely quite somewhere? He had to be didn’t he? Wouldn’t being nowhere mean he didn’t exist?

“Not nowhere… Knowhere! And you’re late.” The gangly man said. Drexx noticed his lips didn’t move when he spoke… an unnerving fact.

“How can I be late if I didn’t know I was coming?” Drexx asked as the man darted forward and grabbed his hand. Drexx made to pull back but the gangly man’s grip was iron-strong. The action elicited a chuckle from him.

“No harm meant metal-man. We’ve just been expecting you for some time.” He said it as if they truly had been waiting for just him. But why? Drexx had never been to this place. How could they have known of him?

The gangly man led him out of the tall forest of flowers onto a ledge. Sweeping out before them was a gorgeous valley a large purple castle stood in all its majesty at the center. Waterfalls fell defying physics from large rocks that floated around the valley, some of the waterfalls fell upwards, some downwards.

“Castle Knowhere. Come along the queen is expecting you.” The gangly man turned to walk off the cliff but Drexx grabbed his hand and stopped him. He had too many questions to just go along with him.

“Who are you?” Drexx asked.

“I’m the Slightly-Agitated Cobbler.” he answered with a smile. Then he stepped off the cliff clutching tight to his bowler hat as the wind whipped at his clothing. At the last second his body jerked ninety degrees and he continued walking as if he hadn’t just fallen three hundred feet.

Drexx stared in wonderment, lost in the strangeness and beauty of the land. Birds flew by in all different colors, rainbows trailing in their wake. Different calls of different animals filled the air like a beautiful orchestra of fauna. He turned when he felt a tap on his shoulder. The gangly man was standing there inexpiably.

“No dilly-dallying Tin Man.” he said with a giggle and vanished in a puff of dandelion seeds. Far below in the valley Drexx could just make our the Slightly-Agitated Cobbler skipping along a dirt road towards the castle.

“What have I gotten myself into…” The android sighed and lifted into the air, zooming towards the figure of the skipping gangly man.

“Why am I here?” Drexx asked once he gotten into range of the man. He wanted to ask how as well but refrained for the moment. The Slightly-Agitated Cobbler just continued to hum and skip, the tune unfamiliar to the android. They drew nearer to the castle as the sun was setting, lighting up the valley with a glorious glow.

Lights slowly began to flicker on all around the castle, not florescent, clearly only torches. Drexx wondered if these people had modern technology, or were still in medieval era technology wise. They crossed the drawbridge and two guards with halberds stepped in their paths, but upon seeing the gangly man stepped out of their way.

They entered through the large archway and Drexx was once against enchanted by the beauty around him. Within the walls of the castle a village was just getting ready to go to sleep. The Slightly-Agitated Cobbler continued to skip through the village and as Drexx followed the man he noticed people cracking open windows and doors to stare at him. He even overheard one woman whisper to another saying “It’s him! He’s here!”

They entered the castle, the large hall spreading out before him. There was a feast occurring, hundreds of people were seated at long tables, all of them eloquently dressed. The Slightly-Agitated Cobbler left his side and made his way through the middle of the tables towards the elaborate throne.

Seated on the throne before him was a woman. She was beautiful beyond words, golden curls cascading down over her shoulders like waterfalls of honey. Green eyes like deep pools of liquid emeralds shone in the light of the candles. Lips full and radiant parted showing teeth white as marble, combining to form a smile that could stop wars. Most surprisingly to the android, however, was the tapestry handing above her head. It featured her and the man who must have been the king locked in an embrace both looking quite happy. It was the striking image of Drexx.

“My love, you’ve finally returned.” she said rising, arms outstretched as if to pull him into them.

“The king returns!” Those gathered cheered raising cups and goblets to smile at the android. Drexx gulped loudly.

“What have I gotten myself into?” the android wondered aloud.

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Servants rushed forwards and draped a cloak over his shoulders, resplendent and majestic, covered in gems. Another stepped forwards and placed a heavy crown upon the androids head. He wasn’t sure if it was the crown or the responsibility it meant but Drexx felt suddenly that the world rested on his shoulders. He was rushed forwards and into the arms of the queen. Before he knew what was happening they were passionately kissing.
It was like nothing the android had ever felt before. The most likely reason being that he had never felt it before. She parted from him a smile on her face. If Drexx needed to breath, he wouldn’t be able to at this moment, as she had literally stolen it from him.

“My king. Thank the goddess you’ve returned.” She took his hand and led him to the throne sitting him down upon it and then placing herself in his lap. Drexx was speechless. Things had gone from weird to even weirder in no time at all. Who was the man in the tapestry that he so resembled? What had happened to him? And the even weirder question… why did this all feel so right?

“My love, where have you been these past hundred years?” She asked, turning to look at him and stroking his face lovingly. The way she looked at him… no one else had ever looked at him with that much love, with that type of love. He didn’t know how to feel, but he never wanted it to leave. He had no idea what to say.

“My love?” She asked, looking deep into his eyes. Drexx stuttered and tried to respond, but with those eyes looking at him like that he found it hard to talk. Their attention was suddenly pulled away by a large flash of black smoke in the middle of the chamber. Standing in the middle of the room was a tall dark skinned man. He was clothed in long dark robes, a large top-hat on his head and a long cane in the form of a snake clutched in his right hand. He flashed an ivory toothed grin at the men and women gathered, who gasped and leaned away from him. His eyes were perhaps the most surprising part, they were snake-like.

“People o Knowhere, It’s me Brudda Voodoo. I ad eard dat de king was back. I ad to see it wit me own eyes.” He swaggered towards the throne, smirking and looking at Drexx. He bowed forwards, his top-hat coming off and flipping all by itself.

“and ere e is. Da king. Tell me king, where ya been?” He rested himself on his snake cane and stared at Drexx expectantly. The air was filled with fear. Who was this man, and why did he inspire such feelings of the people of Knowhere? Even the queen was afraid; she had buried her head into Drexx’s shoulder, hiding from the man in front of her.

“I gotta tell ya king, I’m confused. I thot ya were dead. Oh dats right. I killed you.” He said with a shark like grin. A snake like tongue worked its way out of his mouth and played back and forth on his teeth. “So tell me king. Why you alive?”
Drexx once again didn’t know what to say. This Brother Voodoo character had killed the previous king? Was that why everyone was so afraid of him? It was understandable to fear him if he had killed the previous king, but if he had why was everyone so sure that Drexx was him? The queen stood from his lap and glared at Brother Voodoo.

“Obviously you failed Voodoo. Rex is alive and well. Now leave. Before I have the guards throw you in the dungeon.” She motioned for the guards, and they stepped forward, albeit slowly and cautiously. Voodoo laughed loudly.

“Dats a good one queen. We bot know what would happen if yer little gards tried anyting. Yer lack o hospitality erts. King. Good to see you.” He smiled again, showing the shark-like teeth and then vanished in a puff of black smoke. When he did Drexx noticed something he hadn’t previously. He couldn’t sense the power-levels of anyone in Knowhere. However strong they were, they didn’t give off power signatures. Were they all androids as well? That wasn’t possible… was it?

No… they didn’t seem like androids, they were too… too organic. They were eating and drinking and breathing, Drexx used his heightened senses to hear their hearts beating and their lungs inhaling. So if they weren’t androids, why couldn’t he sense their power-levels? How strong was this Brother Voodoo character?

The queen turned to face him, grasping his face in her soft hands. There was a look of concern on her face.

“My love, how can this be true? How can Brother Voodoo have killed you? Yet you stand here in front of me alive and in my arms. Tell me my love.” Drexx was taken aback again. How he explain something he didn’t know. How could he give her a satisfying answer? The Slightly-Agitated Cobbler seemed to sense the hesitation and confusion and rushed over.

“My lady perhaps the king needs some rest. He has been gone for quite some time.” He took Drexx by the elbow and started leading him away towards the stairs at the back of the great hall. The Queen nodded her consent.

“Goodnight my love.” She called after him. The gangly man led him up the stairs and down a hallway, but the room he led him into was not a bedroom, but rather… a museum?

“There are things you should know about Knowhere. This room will explain much, and what it cannot I can. I know you’re not King Rex, but for now you’ll have to be.” What did that mean? He would have to be Rex… how could he be someone he wasn’t? The room they were in was long and thin, glass cases at waist height covering most of the floor space. On the walls were pictures of treaties and battles. All of them featured Drexx very prominently, or rather featured King Rex, the man Drexx was supposed to be, the man everyone thought he was.

“Who is he… who was he?” Drexx asked walking up to a tapestry of King Rex fighting a dragon, large and purple breathing lightning rather than fire. The king was clearly winning. He must have been a powerful fighter… so how had Brother Voodoo killed him?

“He was King Rex. He was the greatest of us all, the savior of Knowhere. He was a kind man, the greatest the world had ever known. He came much in the same way you did, appearing out of nowhere, and within the first week of his arrival had brought peace to the land.”

They walked around the hall, The Slightly-Agitated Cobbler telling Drexx the story of Rex. Brother Voodoo had been the advisor to the previous king, but in one fell swoop had killed the king and wrestled the throne out from under him. He had brought a reign of terror to the land. Rex saved the kingdom, but had been unable to kill Brother Voodoo. Instead Voodoo had retreated and gone off into hiding, biding his time and restoring his power. Somehow he had managed to kill Rex, or at the very least managed to get rid of him.

“How?” Drexx asked, staring at a picture of Rex. The similarities were uncanny. If Drexx didn’t know any better he would say it was him. He turned to face the gangly man, but he wasn’t there anymore. He was alone in the museum. He reached up and touched the face of King Rex on the tapestry.

“I have some pretty big shoes to fill huh…?”

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Drexx sat down on the plush king size bed, aptly named for it was the softest material that the android had ever been seated upon. He sighed and put his hands between his heads. Nothing in this place made sense. How was he supposed to fill the shoes of King Rex? The man who brought peace to the entire world of Knowhere, those were the shoes he had to fill.

A noise brought his attention to the side of the room. It was the queen. He had to tell her the truth, had to tell her he wasn’t this Rex character that she believed him to be. But the way she looked at him… it tied his tongue and scattered his mind. She walked towards him and he felt inclined to withdraw, drawing a surprised look from her.

“I’m not…. I’m not who you think I am.” Drexx forced himself to say, biting his lip and looking away from her. He didn’t know how else to bring the subject about, but he was worried of the ramifications of not telling her this now. She took his face in her hands and turned him to face her.

“My love… what do you mean?” There was confusion in her eyes. She tried to look at Drexx as if he wasn’t Rex… as if he wasn’t the man she loved. He saw that she couldn’t, and he stood up taking her hands from his face.

“I’m not King Rex… I’m not who you think I am. I don’t know why the two of us look so similar or why I’m even here…” He trailed off, not knowing what else to say. He couldn’t stand to look at her, not with that much hurt in her eyes. Eventually he forced himself to look at her and was surprised to see there was no hurt in her eyes. Instead, there was pity. It took the android by surprise. She rose from the bed to look at him in his eyes.

“My love,” She began, the words stinging at his heart. He made to interrupt her but she held up her hand. “Let me say my peace. I know not what happened to you during your time away, or what Brother Voodoo might have done to you. I don’t care. That’s not to say that I don’t care that he tortured you, what I mean is that I don’t care who you think you are. You are my love, you are my king.” she placed her hand on his chest, right on his heart. She pulled him in tight against her body in a hug. He bit his lip and stared out the window into the starry night sky of the mysterious land of Knowhere?

How could he explain it to her in a way she would understand? The Slightly-Agitated Cobbler had known right away that he wasn’t King Rex… how could he see it when she couldn’t? Was she too blinded by love? Drexx tried to speak, but looked down when he realized her change in breathing. She had fallen asleep in her arms. He picked her up and laid her down on the bed, tucking her in. He walked out onto the balcony into the night air, trying to clear his head. This was almost too much for the android to process. Stars fluttered around him in the sky, forming constellations and then dispersing to form different ones.

The stars formed a constellation that said “are you okay king?” bringing a begrudging smile to his face. He shook his head. No. truthfully he was not okay. He didn’t understand what was going on, and no matter what happens the queen is going to end up getting hurt. If Rex is dead… she’s just going to lose him twice instead of only the first painful time. His thoughts were shaken away when he heard a scream from the bedroom. The stars rearranged themselves to spell out “THE QUEEN!” Drexx turned and rushed into the room.

Brother Voodoo was standing in the room; the queen was lying on the bed trying her damnedest to get as far away from his as possible. He lifted his staff and pointed it at Drexx; a force-field appeared in the doorway in front of him blocking him off. He pounded against it, yelling at Voodoo.

“I can’t ear ya king. But I know ya can hear me. I don’t know how ya came back ta life… but I betcha queen won’t.” He lashed his staff towards the queen, and it transformed into a snake, wrapping itself around the queen’s arm and pulling her towards him. They vanished in a puff of black smoke. The force-field fell as the guards and the gangly Slightly-Agitated Cobbler rushed into the room. Drexx fell on his knees and the guards rushed forward.

“King what happened?!” The Slightly-Agitated Cobbler said looking around the room and then sniffing. The scent of Voodoo’s magic was everywhere.

“They took her… they took the queen.” Drexx said helplessly. He clenched his fists and pounded them against the ground shattering the stone of the floor. The guards took a step back looking at him with shock.

“I’m sorry I’m letting my anger get the better of me.” Drexx said standing up and looking from face to face.

“King… shall I convene the counsel?” The Slightly-Agitated cobbler asked with eyebrow raised. Drexx nodded.

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The council chamber was a large circle, seats for the council members running the rim around a marbled pit. The seats were like thrones, each of the chairs had the symbols of the various members of the council engraved in their seat-backs. The king’s throne had a crown engraved in the back, and the queens a crown as well, but more feminine. Four other chairs sat around the circle, a sword and shield, a pile of coins, a lightning bolt, and a snarling face. The snarling face and the lightning bolts intrigued Drexx the most.

The pit was also intriguing, it didn’t look like it was for torture, but rather so that one may stand and be judged within its confines. No spikes stuck from the sides, and no chains dangled from the edges.

The Slightly-Agitated Cobbler entered the room first, taking a seat in the coin chair and crossing his legs. He smiled over at Drexx and gave him a little wave, a waggling of his fingers over at him. The android was willing to bet the gangly very odd fellow would be the only one he knew. He gripped his chair in anticipation. He wanted to get the council meeting over with and attend to the queen. Where Voodoo took her… well that was why he had convened the meeting in the first place.

“Where are the rest?” he asked, tapping his fingers anxiously on the wooden arms of his throne. They were elaborately detailed… but he cared for that not. The Slightly-Agitated Cobbler shrugged and rolled his head towards the doorway. A female entered, a chest plate covered her small frame, a single pauldron covered her left shoulder her other merely covered with the leather armor she wore under the plate. Daggers covered the visible areas of her body, everywhere there wasn’t armor blades rested easily accessible. A short-sword was strapped to her side and a broadsword was strapped to his back.

She took her seat in the chair with the sword and shield, a fact that did not surprise Drexx due to her clothing and being armed to the teeth. Once she had gotten settled she looked Drexx over and nodded, rising from her seat and falling to a knee in genuflection. Her red hair draped over her face and she reached up to brush it away. Ice blue eyes looked up at the man she perceived to be King Rex. She was beautiful, but it was a harsh beauty, scarred by war and the things she’d seen and done.

“My liege. I am Alura Kang. I am the Lord of War, daughter and rightful heir to the position. My father was your previous Lord of War. I serve you dutifully; I swear my allegiance to you.” She rose and returned to her chair. The Slightly-Agitated Cobbler smiled and nodded at Drexx, in some way reassuring him that she was a good person to have at his back.

The next person to enter was an elderly man. He slowly walked his way into the circle of chairs and over to the chair with the lightning bolt. Long blue robes covered with stars flowed down to the floor, and his staff doubled as his walking cane and he leaned on it heavily to support him. His beard nearly touched the floor as well, but he was completely bald on the top of his head. He sat with much effort and turned to smile at Drexx.

“You’ll have to forgive me for not bowing on one knee your highness; I lack the ability you see. I am Myrline, you Lord of Magic. I am the head of the mages guild and your own personal wizard. I apologize for my elderly appearance.” With a tap of his staff upon the floor he changed suddenly into a young man. Short curly red hair shown through his cone like hat, his beard was much shorter, closely cropped to his face. He offered a smile with perfect teeth, and then took a knee.

“My lord, I swear to serve you dutifully, I swear my allegiance to you.” He looked up and smiled a cocky smile, rose and returned to his chair. Thus far both had sworn their allegiances to Drexx… or was it Rex they were swearing their allegiances to? In the end did it matter?

A shuffling was heard before the next man ever arrived. When he entered Drexx stood, looking him over with surprise and caution. The creature smiled a many toothed grin. He was a nearly eight feet tall dragon-like man, purple in coloration of scale. He had multiple scars on his dragon-like face and a vicious weapon Drexx had never seen before strapped to his back. It was two planks of wood tied together with a black shiny stone in the middle, cut in jagged edges a long handle sticking from the edge. No armor covered his body, the creature seeming to rely on his scales for protection instead of armor, though a loincloth of leather protected his dignity. He walked over towards the chair with the snarling face engraved.

“My lord. With all due respect… You don’t smell like King Rex.” He sniffed in the air towards Drexx and snarled. “I don’t believe you’re the real king.”

The others rose shocked. Alura drew two daggers off of seaths in her shoulders and snarled at the dragonborn. The wizard seemed to be preparing a spell, muttering under his breath and moving his hands in short precise motions. All had risen. All except the Slightly-Agitated Cobbler. He tapped the arm of his chair like an impatient lord listening to petty squabbles of the peasants. He rose and spoke out, his voice carrying above the arguing.
“Enough!” He spoke calmly, but it resonated throughout the chamber as if he had yelled. The others stopped and turned towards him.

“Can you not see the king is distressed? Can you not smell his pain Lord Rahtok? Perhaps that is why the king does not smell as the items that he has used that you have smelled.” He offered it, and the look that passed between them told Drexx that that was not an even remotely plausible explanation, but it would have to be satisfactory. The dragonborn growled softly and turned to face Drexx.

“I am Rahtok Kinvan. I am your Lord of Dragons. I swear to serve you dutifully. I swear my allegiance to you.” He said the words but Drexx could tell his heart wasn’t in it.

“Shall we begin the meeting?

[Deleted]

“We have convened the council to deliberate our actions moving forwards in regards to the queen.” He said it so casually, as if they were talking of which dress she would wear to a ball. She had been taken by Brother Voodoo, and despite not being the true king Drexx felt a sense of responsibility for her, that and she was innocent in all this.

“King Rex, you have the floor.” he said motioning for Drexx to speak. Drexx rose and looked around the circle at the council members.

“As you all know by now brother voodoo has taken the queen. We need to take her back… I’ve been gone quite some time. Alura what is voodoo’s fortress like?” Drexx asked. Getting to Voodoo was his primary concern, or rather getting the Queen was. Alura rose and swept the red hair from her face, but it stubbornly fell back across to its original position.

“My lord, Voodoo’s fortress is located here.” she pulled a map from beneath her chair and unfolded it. Myrline waved from his chair and the map grew and grew until it took up the space of the pit. Alura rose and placed a small figure of Voodoo on a swampy area. It was over the ring of mountains that surrounded castle Knowhere.

“It is all but impenetrable.” She said with a finality that caused hope to withdraw from the room. Drexx stood again.

“That’s unacceptable.” he too said it with finality. And it was. He would not accept that he would be unable to rescue her. Alura gulped and nodded.

“The swampy area around the fortress makes it almost impossible to march our forces to his gates. A magical barrier surrounds the fortress as well, preventing teleportation into the castle, or any magical means of entry. Once inside, we’ve estimated his forces to be around fifteen to twenty thousand. A contingency of orcs, goblins, swamp hags and more. He keeps the monsters and terrors of legend within those walls. He lets the swamp take more than its share of victims and deals with the rest with his army, or his magic.”

“pfft. His magics…” Myrline said mockingly. Rahtok stood and roared at him, causing Myrline to flinch and grab his chair.

“His magics are nothing to be mocked. He’s killed… many.” he sat down hard, finishing softer than Drexx would have expected and the Dragonborn looked away when he felt the perceived kings gaze upon him. The Slightly-Agitated Cobbler cleared his throat to end the awkward silence that filled the room.

“The egos of the mages of our world aside, There are ways around the swamp.” He said it with an air of mystery. Drexx motioned for him to continue.

“Tales tell of an artifact of that will terraform the swamp into the woods it had once been. With the swamp gone our forces will be able to march right up to the walls of Voodoo’s fortress, and a siege once thought impossible will not only be possible but will also occur.”

“Well that’s great, but it doesn’t solve the problem of the magical barrier, we can march all the ladders and siege towers we want up to the walls of Voodoo’s fortress but the barrier will fry anyone trying to cross it.” Myrline said with an air of disdain. Once a problem was solved more seemed to spring up like the many heads of a hydra.

“Which brings up my next point. The crystal of the king. We happen to have it right here in the museum. The crystal was literally made to dispel the dark magics of Brother Voodoo. Have the front line carry it across and the field will be negated.”

“Well that solves two of the problems, but it doesn’t really take care of the problem of his horrors. His armies we can take care of, I’ve killed more than my fair share of Orcs goblins and swamp trolls… but those horrors of his. The monsters of nightmares themselves are aligned with Voodoo.”

“I may have a way to deal with that as well…” The Slightly-Agitated Cobbler motioned towards Drexx. They looked at him puzzled. “Our king is different than when we went away. He is much more powerful.”

They all looked at him with raised eyebrows. The king lifted a finger and a Dodonpa ray shot out, utterly vaporizing the small statue of Brother Voodoo. A collective gasp filled the chamber.

“Looks like we have our own secret weapon.”

[ammy]

Pre-grade: 6800