Once There Was, Once There Wasn't

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<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T00S666.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T00S666.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> WITCH: [to the reader, perhaps a little forced] Welcome to your story. I'm your host, the Witch. Who would you like to play as? KING: Wait, what? WITCH: [to the reader] Don't mind him. KING: Pardon me? WITCH: [to the reader] He's easily confused, poor soul. You can pick whichever path intrigues you. KING: I'm lost. WITCH: No, dear, you're cursed. By me. KING: Whatever for? WITCH: Because tomorrow morning, you take your throne. And I don't think you're quite ready just yet. <center><img src="https://ia801404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/And%20this%20time%20really%20try.jpg" width="100%" height="auto"> <small>//"I'm lost." "No, dear, you're cursed. By me."//</small></center> KING: So I'm a hostage? WITCH: Of sorts. Your job is to listen. And learn. Novel experience, I'm sure. KING: What gives you the... WITCH: Hush, now. [back to the reader] He'll be tagging along, I'm afraid. Just ignore him. I know I will be. ➤ [[Now, let's take a look at our choices...|Question 1]]

<<set $quizcounts to { T1: 0, T2: 0, T3: 0, T4: 0, }>> <<set $goal to { T1: false, T2: false, T3: false, T4: false, T5: false }>> <<set $T4clues to 1>> <<set $achievements to 0>> <<set $holding to 'null'>> <<set $logs to 1>> <<set $T2solved to false>> <<set $T2c to { H2: false, H3: false, H4: false, H5: false, H6: false }>> <<set $not1 to false>> <<set $not2 to false>> <<set $not3 to false>> <<set $not4 to false>> <<set $not5 to false>> <<set $wnot1 to false>> <<set $wnot2 to false>> <<set $wnot3 to false>> <<set $wnot4 to false>> <<set $T2invc to 1>> <<set $dock to true>>

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T0Q2.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T0Q2.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''2. You can bring one magical item with you on your journey. What will it be?'' ➤ <b><<link "a. A cloak." "Question 3">><<set $quizcounts.T3 += 1>><</link>></b> It's covered with downy swan feathers, and it may or may not be your own skin. Some jerk is almost certainly going to steal it in order to force you into the shape they want you in, probably so they can marry you. Your mother-in-law or children will help you by finding the cloak and giving it back to secure your freedom. ➤ <b><<link "b. A dagger." "Question 3">><<set $quizcounts.T2 += 1>><</link>></b> You don't want to stab anyone with it, but if three drops of blood appear on the blade, it means something has happened to one of your brothers. All three of you are attempting to capture a bird that speaks the language of men in order to learn of your true parentage. It's dangerous work, so proof of life is reassuring. ➤ <b><<link "c. A violin." "Question 3">><<set $quizcounts.T1 += 1>><</link>></b> It's an impulsive choice, made mainly to stave off boredom. When you run into a wolf, a fox, and a hare in the forest, they'll want to listen, and be compelled to follow your musical commands. This might cause some trouble later on, but never fear, you're the sort of person who attracts a capable woodcutter to rescue you. ➤ <b><<link "d. An ear of corn." "Question 3">><<set $quizcounts.T4 += 1>><</link>></b> You're a practical person, and while magical weapons and clothes and such are very nice, what you really need is something to snack on to keep you awake all night, so you can capture the giant bird that's been eating up all of the dates from your father's fruit tree. It's not glamorous work, but someone's got to do it.

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T0Q3.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T0Q3.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''3. Your closest companion will accompany you through your trials. Who is it?'' ➤ <b><<link "a. Your spouse." "Question 4">><<set $quizcounts.T2 += 1>><</link>></b> You love them, although there are definitely some bumps in the road—like that time they ordered you to never meddle in their affairs, or else face being sent home with only the one thing you love most from their palace. You obviously choose them, which you prove by knocking them out and kidnapping them to make your point. ➤ <b><<link "b. A band of talented comrades." "Question 4">><<set $quizcounts.T3 += 1>><</link>></b> Maybe one of them is especially tall, and can extend himself to reach the top of a tree to rescue a princess. Maybe one of them is especially broad, and can grow wide enough to cover the sea. Maybe one is keen-eyed, and can spot a gemstone winking from a mountaintop. Together, you make a good team. ➤ <b><<link "c. A clever acquaintance." "Question 4">><<set $quizcounts.T1 += 1>><</link>></b> One with magical connections, possibly the daughter of someone out to get you, who decides to help you for their own reasons. When you're fleeing an underwater realm and attempting heroic challenges in pursuit of a worthy marriage, having someone around who can transform you into various animals is great. ➤ <b><<link "d. Animals of the forest." "Question 4">><<set $quizcounts.T4 += 1>><</link>></b> You've never really felt like you fit in, and for whatever reason—say, being abandoned by your siblings and scavenging from a local wolf pack until they accept you as one of their own—it's the animals who really get you. They don't mind that you're a little different. You're family now.

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T0Q4.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T0Q4.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> </center> ''4. You find yourself in great peril while facing a challenge. What do you do?'' ➤ <b><<link "a. Seek an alliance." "Question 5">><<set $quizcounts.T1 += 1>><</link>></b> You might not be the brightest gem in the treasure chest, but you're good with people. If they tell you that the sun can be blotted out by a cloud, which can be blown around by the wind, which can be blocked by a wall, so the greatest being in all the world is the rat who can eat through that wall... then you're on Team Rat. ➤ <b><<link "b. Outwit and trick." "Question 5">><<set $quizcounts.T4 += 1>><</link>></b> You've got a few aces up your sleeve, and it's only cheating if you get caught. If your (former) best friend, the shark, carries you across the ocean and claims he needs your heart to cure a sultan's terrible illness... then you left your heart in the pocket of your other pants, and you'll just nip back home to fetch it. ➤ <b><<link "c. Collect information." "Question 5">><<set $quizcounts.T3 += 1>><</link>></b> Knowledge is power, and you can never have too much of it. If the only books of stories are in the hands of a sky-god, and the only way to get them is to capture the four most dangerous creatures in the world, throwing in your own mother as a bonus... then you're sure they'll all be very happy together. ➤ <b><<link "d. Stay on task." "Question 5">><<set $quizcounts.T2 += 1>><</link>></b> Somewhere along the way you received instructions, and you'll follow them to the letter. If this means your hands are stung by nettles as you knit them into shirts for your brothers, and your vow of silence means you're put on trial for witchcraft and sentenced to burn at the stake... then so be it.

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T0Q5.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T0Q5.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> </center> ''5. You cross paths with a series of mysterious figures. Which one do you trust?'' ➤ <b><<link "a. A golden snail." "Question 6">><<set $quizcounts.T4 += 1>><</link>></b> As a pet, it's really low-maintenance. All it needs is a nice jar, a little food, a cozy spot to sleep in, and it's good to go. Still, you can't help but notice that anytime you leave the house to go fishing, you come back to find dinner cooked, the house cleaned, and the chores done. This snail might not be as innocuous as it seems. ➤ <b><<link "b. A snake claiming to be your sister." "Question 6">><<set $quizcounts.T2 += 1>><</link>></b> You have some decisions to make here... Do you believe in your secret snake sister? Do you bathe in buckets of milk and rosewater as she suggests? Do you ask someone to comb your hair so that jewels will fall out of it, and to wash your hands so they shed flower petals? Tough questions. ➤ <b><<link "c. A trio of foreign princes." "Question 6">><<set $quizcounts.T3 += 1>><</link>></b> You've solved some mysteries in your time, but never seen deductions like these. They can establish that a camel is lame, blind in one eye, missing a tooth, carrying a pregnant woman, and bearing honey on one side and butter on the other... all without ever seeing the camel. Are you ready for this? ➤ <b><<link "d. A talking fox." "Question 6">><<set $quizcounts.T1 += 1>><</link>></b> You might not be crazy about its advice—stay in a shabby inn rather than a comfortable one, put the golden bird you're stealing into a wooden cage rather than a golden one, use a dark leather saddle rather than one encrusted with gemstones—but if you pay attention, that fox does seem to know what it's talking about.

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T0Q6.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T0Q6.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''6. You pause in your quest to listen to a fireside tale. Which one do you choose?'' ➤ <b><<link "a. The one about the beautiful princess" "Question 7">><<set $quizcounts.T4 += 1>><</link>></b> who's considered cold and ruthless because she's never fallen in love. A controlling wizard sticks her in a tower, vengeful fairies steal her heart to punish her mother, and a prince spies on her to find out 'what's wrong with her' for not wanting to marry him. Despite all this, she makes her own happy ending. ➤ <b><<link "b. The one about the chess player" "Question 7">><<set $quizcounts.T3 += 1>><</link>></b> who's a good husband and lives a happy life. His wife lights a magic incense stick for him after his death, and out of pity for her, he's brought back to life in the body of a butcher. There is some confusion over whether that means he should now live a butcher's life, but in the end it's his soul that counts. ➤ <b><<link "c. The one about the lion" "Question 7">><<set $quizcounts.T1 += 1>><</link>></b> with a thorn in its paw, who is helped by a poor shepherdess. The lion is really an enchanted prince, and the shepherdess strikes up a friendship with a princess to aid him. The prince, the shepherdess, and the princess have all promised to marry each other by the end, and come to an arrangement that works for them. ➤ <b><<link "d. The one about the gooseherd" "Question 7">><<set $quizcounts.T2 += 1>><</link>></b> who washes in a well at night, who wears one face when the moon shines, and another face when the moon is covered by clouds. The old woman who raised the gooseherd does her best to chase off suitors no matter what the moon is doing, because in her eyes the gooseherd is beautiful wearing either face.

''One last question...'' <center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T0Q7.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T0Q7.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''7. You confront the villain standing in your way at long last. What is it you face?'' ➤ ''<<link "a. A siren." "Results">><<set $quizcounts.T4 += 1>><</link>>'' When you bathe in the forest pools at night, you hear singing, sweeter than a nightingale. When you walk beside the river among the trees, you see a bright spark in the depths of the dark water. When you try to attack this phantom, your limbs feel heavy and your senses fail. Will you keep faith with your human lover, or be seduced? ➤ ''<<link "b. A mischievous shapeshifter." "Results">><<set $quizcounts.T1 += 1>><</link>>'' You find a pot of gold, which is marvelous good fortune. When the gold becomes silver, you think it's less likely to be stolen. When the silver becomes iron, you think it will be easier to sell. When the iron becomes a rock, you think it will make a fine doorstop. When it vanishes entirely, will it finally dampen your spirits? ➤ ''<<link "c. A merman." "Results">><<set $quizcounts.T2 += 1>><</link>>'' They say it has a snakelike tongue, which forms a funnel to suck down fish, and a curled seahorse's tail. They say it can kill men through sorcery, committing terrible sacrifices on an old gray rock. They say it wears a magic girdle of green flax, and can command the king of whales. They say a lot of things... but are any of them true? ➤ ''<<link "d. Your fate." "Results">><<set $quizcounts.T3 += 1>><</link>>'' A beggarwoman proclaimed you were ill-fated, so you had your mother sew your dowry into the hem of your skirt and left home. You stay with a cloth-seller, but your fate tears up all the fabric. You stay with a glass-merchant, but your fate smashes the glass. If you wait for long enough on the mountain, will your fate agree to change? ➤ ''<<linkreplace "e. A witch.">><<append "#fairy">>a fairy...<</append>><<linkreplace "e. A witch.">><<append "#wicked">>a wicked magician...<</append>><<linkreplace "e. A witch.">>''<strike>e. A witch.</strike>''<<append "#witch">>THAT WILL BE QUITE ENOUGH OF THAT, THANK YOU. This is not an option. Choose another one.<</append>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>'' Your mother should have known better than to steal the greens from her garden while she was pregnant with you. Now you're trapped in a tower by an ogress... <span id="fairy"></span> <span id="wicked"></span> <span id="witch"></span>

<<silently>> <<set _thread = Object.keys($quizcounts).shuffle()>> /* Gets a randomly sorted array of all property names on the object. */ <<set _topThread = _thread[0]>> /* Starts with the first result. */ <<for _i = 1; _i < _thread.length; _i++>> /* Looks for any results with a higher value. */ <<if $quizcounts[_thread[_i]] > $quizcounts[_topThread]>> <<set _topThread = _thread[_i]>> /* Found a new highest value. */ <</if>> <</for>> <</silently>><<if _topThread.includes("T1")>><<if $goal.T1 is true>><br>You were ALREADY the ''Questing Hero!'' You need to try something new. <<if $goal.T2 is true>><strike>Try being the Youngest Daughter.</strike><<else>>[[Try being the Youngest Daughter.|T2S00]]<</if>> <<if $goal.T3 is true>><strike>Try being the Enigma.</strike><<else>>[[Try being the Enigma.|T3S00]]<</if>> <<if $goal.T4 is true>><strike>Try being the Heroic Maiden.</strike><<else>>[[Try being the Heroic Maiden.|T4S00]]<</if>><<else>><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T0QR1.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T0QR1.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> <div class="qwrapper"><div class="t1image-div"></div><div class="qpara"><p style="line-height: 2em"><span style="font-family: Grenze Gotisch;font-size: 2em">You are the Questing Hero.</span> You have a goal and a series of tasks to complete, and every step on your journey is aimed toward fulfilling that objective. You're mission-oriented, and on a grand adventure. You're playing a series of encounters, where each person you meet may aid you in achieving your end goal... Your stories have bisexual and polyamorous themes. ➤ [[Begin|T1S01]]</p></div></div><</if>><</if>><<if _topThread.includes("T2")>><<if $goal.T2 is true>><br>You were ALREADY the ''Youngest Daughter!'' You need to try something new. <<if $goal.T1 is true>><strike>Try being the Questing Hero.</strike><<else>>[[Try being the Questing Hero.|T1S00]]<</if>> <<if $goal.T3 is true>><strike>Try being the Enigma.</strike><<else>>[[Try being the Enigma.|T3S00]]<</if>> <<if $goal.T4 is true>><strike>Try being the Heroic Maiden.</strike><<else>>[[Try being the Heroic Maiden.|T4S00]]<</if>><<else>><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T0QR2.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T0QR2.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> <div class="qwrapper"><div class="t2image-div"></div><div class="qpara"><p style="line-height: 2em"><span style="font-family: Grenze Gotisch;font-size: 2em">You are the Youngest Daughter.</span> You are frequently defined by your relationships to others. You are someone's sister, someone's wife, or someone's step-daughter, even as the protagonist of your own story. You're playing a branching pathway, where each scene will lead to a decision point, and you must make decisions that help define you as your own person... Your stories have genderqueer themes.</p></div></div> Before we begin, what gift would you like? ➤ [[A pigeon that dances alone in the meadow.|T2S01c]] ➤ [[A clustered bunch of grape-like pearls, and a starred, two-pointed diamond.|T2S01a]] ➤ [[A singing, springing lark.|T2S01b]]<</if>><</if>><<if _topThread.includes("T3")>><<if $goal.T3 is true>><br>You were ALREADY the ''Enigma!'' You need to try something new. <<if $goal.T1 is true>><strike>Try being the Questing Hero.</strike><<else>>[[Try being the Questing Hero.|T1S00]]<</if>> <<if $goal.T2 is true>><strike>Try being the Youngest Daughter.</strike><<else>>[[Try being the Youngest Daughter.|T2S00]]<</if>> <<if $goal.T4 is true>><strike>Try being the Heroic Maiden.</strike><<else>>[[Try being the Heroic Maiden.|T4S00]]<</if>><<else>><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T0QR3.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T0QR3.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> <div class="qwrapper"><div class="t3image-div"></div><div class="qpara"><p style="line-height: 2em"><span style="font-family: Grenze Gotisch;font-size: 2em">You are the Enigma.</span> You might be in disguise, or have a hidden identity. You're wrapped in a cloak of mystery, and only after running the course of a long and winding tale may your secrets finally be revealed. You're playing an escape room, where each scene contains a puzzle you'll need to solve before continuing to the next chapter... Your stories have transgender themes. ➤ [[Begin|T3S01]]</p></div></div><</if>><</if>><<if _topThread.includes("T4")>><<if $goal.T4 is true>><br>You were ALREADY the ''Heroic Maiden!'' You need to try something new. <<if $goal.T1 is true>><strike>Try being the Questing Hero.</strike><<else>>[[Try being the Questing Hero.|T1S00]]<</if>> <<if $goal.T2 is true>><strike>Try being the Youngest Daughter.</strike><<else>>[[Try being the Youngest Daughter.|T2S00]]<</if>> <<if $goal.T3 is true>><strike>Try being the Enigma.</strike><<else>>[[Try being the Enigma.|T3S00]]<</if>><<else>><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T0QR4.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T0QR4.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> <div class="qwrapper"><div class="t4image-div"></div><div class="qpara"><p style="line-height: 2em"><span style="font-family: Grenze Gotisch;font-size: 2em">You are the Heroic Maiden.</span> You don't need a prince to save you from a tower, or a knight to break your curse. You choose your destiny, and follow your own path rather than one that's laid out for you. You're playing a meta game, where each story you listen to, no matter what the order, will unlock a clue to a final puzzle... Your stories have asexual and aromantic themes. ➤ [[Begin|T4LAND]]</p></div></div><</if>><</if>>

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S01.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T1S01">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S01.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T1S01">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S01.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S01.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>In Which We Meet a Madman</h2><p class="has-dropcap">The first time Guerrino saw the madman, he was quite surprised.</p> He didn't tend to go to the dungeons as a general rule—it was damp, and smelled of mildew, and was usually empty and rather depressing. But he was bored, and his horse had thrown a shoe, and it was rather hot to be walking around out of doors, so he had nothing better to do than to go spelunking. To his surprise, there was a person locked up in one of the cells. He looked rather miserable and ragged, his matted hair in quite a state. "I do say, good sir, what brings you here?" The madman shrugged, his brilliant brown eyes flashing in the darkness of his cell. "Madness, I suppose." Guerrino was affronted. "Well, this doesn't strike me as the best way to treat madness." He paused. "And you don't strike me as particularly mad, either." The man looked through his tangle of hair at Guerrino, and sighed heavily. "I loved a woman, and she didn't love me back. So..." he gestured to the cell. Guerrino stamped his fine leather boot. "Nonsense," he said, firmly. "A broken heart doesn't justify imprisonment!" "I think I rather offended your father, the King," the man replied. "I wasn't quite myself, you see, and was, I fear, unpardonably rude." "...Well," Guerrino replied, "I pardon you, then." Raising an eyebrow, the madman said, "I think that has to come from your father?" "Ah," Guerrino replied. "He's out of the country for at least a month. Well. That certainly won't do." <p class="scene-break">♞♘</p> The second time Guerrino saw the madman, it was around two the following morning. He jangled a pair of keys. "Hallo," he said, "I've come to free you, only you have to be rather quiet about it, because no-one else knows I'm doing it." The madman looked up at Guerrino blearily, his brilliant brown eyes squinting against the light of the torch Guerrino held in his other hand. "I say, is that quite wise?" "Oh, no, it most certainly isn't, but I really can't stand the thought of you being in here another day, so I stole the keys from my mother." The madman stretched as he stood. "I can't imagine your father will be particularly pleased." "If my father imprisons heartbroken men because they caused a bit of offense, I really don't care about pleasing him at the moment. Go on, then." He handed the madman a small bundle as the iron door swung open with a creak. "I brought a bit of bread and meat, for your journey." The madman took the bundle, his hand briefly touching Guerrino's. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you ever so much." <p class="scene-break">♞♘</p> The third time Guerrino saw the madman, they met on a small country road a few days later. He really didn't recognize the madman at first, as he was quite handsome now, and dressed in fine clothes, leading an equally fine-looking horse. But the madman recognized him, and met him with a shout of greeting, clapping Guerrino on the back as if they were old friends. It took a minute, but Guerrino finally recognized his twinkling brown eyes. "I say, sir, you appear to be in a much better state than when last I saw you!" "Indeed, by the most serendipitous chance I ran into a depressed fairy, and made her laugh, and she snapped her fingers and granted me a magical horse and a rather nice outfit. I feel much more myself. And what of you, Guerrino? How are you faring this fine day?" "Oh, I'm out in the world, trying to make my fortune!" he replied, doing his best to smile. The madman touched Guerrino's arm, looking at him with a sharply appraising eye. "...You got in trouble, didn't you." Guerrino kicked a clod of dirt. "Well..." The man put a finger gently under Guerrino's chin, raising it so they looked eye to eye. "Very well," he admitted. "My mother sent me packing after she discovered that I let you go. I've got two servants, Julia and Francesco, and not much else, really." He paused upon seeing the look on the madman's face. "It was worth it," Guerrino added. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat. And here you are, looking ever so much better. I'm glad." "Here I am," the madman replied. "You've got me, too. For as long as you'll have me." "Well!" Guerrino responded, his smile a great deal more genuine now. "Let us both go out into the world together, then, and see what we might make of it. I've heard there's a lovely maiden living in the next town over, and I'd like to see her for myself." Julia and Francesco looked even more sour than they already had at the thought of another mouth to feed, but Guerrino didn't pay them any mind. The madman, who was named Rubinetto, began chatting merrily with him about what he'd said to make the fairy laugh, and soon enough, Guerrino was laughing too—his smile wide and beaming as he walked alongside his friend. ➤ [[Continue|T1S02]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T0QR2.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T0QR2.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> <div class="qwrapper"><div class="t2image-div"></div><div class="qpara"><p style="line-height: 2em"><span style="font-family: Grenze Gotisch;font-size: 2em">You are the Youngest Daughter.</span> You are frequently defined by your relationships to others. You are someone's sister, someone's wife, or someone's step-daughter, even as the protagonist of your own story. You're playing a branching pathway, where each scene will lead to a decision point, and you must make decisions that help define you as your own person... Your stories have genderqueer themes.<<if $T2solved is true>><<if $goal.T2 is true>><<else>> ➤ [[Nevermind, I'd like to finish this thread instead of re-reading it.|T2S666]]<</if>><<else>> ➤ [[Choose a different path|Results]]<</if>></p></div></div> Before we begin, what gift would you like? ➤ <<if $T2solved is true>>''Tiziri: ''<</if>>[[A pigeon that dances alone in the meadow.|T2S01c]] ➤ <<if $T2solved is true>>''Yasmin: ''<</if>>[[A clustered bunch of grape-like pearls, and a starred, two-pointed diamond.|T2S01a]] ➤ <<if $T2solved is true>>''Lark: ''<</if>>[[A singing, springing lark.|T2S01b]]

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S01.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T3S01">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S01.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T3S01">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S01.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S01.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>CHAPTER ONE: A NUMBER OF SHEEP</h2><div style="font-family: Grenze Gotisch;float: left;font-size: 4.2rem;line-height: .5;margin: 0 .05em 0.2em 0">Vasily:</div> //[aside] It was a cloudy day, but not overcast—one of those miserable bright spring days where the clouds hang over your head like pure white candy floss, and don't do a thing to block the rays of sunshine. I was on my way to speak with a client, a count whose daughter had gone missing. This part of the country was hit hard by the war, after Emperor Matapa conquered and occupied the capital city. I'd been lucky to get a fresh bottle of vodka off an innkeeper just before I reached the road leading to the count's estate. That was when I saw her. Standing in a drainage ditch surrounded by sheep, holding a shepherd's crook and wearing a robe out of a Bible School summer pageant. She was stooped over so far I wasn't sure she could straighten back up, chasing a lamb that definitely wasn't interested in being caught. I knew the feeling.// WITCH: Alas, my sheep have wandered into a ditch, and half the flock has drowned. Ah, unfortunate shepherdess! Who will save these lost lambs? VASILY: Ah... //[aside] I didn't really have the time, but I know a fairy in disguise when I see one. The hedge wasn't all that thick, and the sheep were 'drowning' in <span class="hint1"><<link 'six'>><<dialog 'A helpful sheep'>>Baa!<</dialog>><</link>></span> inches of water. That takes effort. If she'd been here long, she might have seen something that could help me.// WITCH: You won't help me? Farewell, lovely—! <center><img src="https://ia601404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/Standing%20in%20a%20drainage%20ditch%20surrounded%20by%20sheep.jpg" width="100%" height="auto"> <small>//"Ah, unfortunate shepherdess! Who will save these lost lambs?"//</small></center> VASILY: Hang on, I didn't say that. But it'll cost you. I help you with that sheep you don't really need me to catch, and you tell me about a girl who might have come this way, not too long ago. And no fairy tricks. I'm not looking for that kind of reward. Just information. //[aside] She gave me a hard look, and then her wrinkled old skin came off like a chrysalis around a butterfly, and she stepped out. In a blue velvet gown, with her hair bound up in pearls and a genuine ermine cloak. She had a crown on her head. This wasn't a run-of-the-mill garden spirit. I'll admit, she made me look twice. I might have looked more than that, if I hadn't been a married man. Kind of. It was complicated. But that's another story.// WITCH: I don't grant rewards easily. What kind of information did you have in mind? VASILY: I'm trying to find a missing person. The third daughter of the local count, by the name of Belle-Belle. WITCH: Three maidens have passed this way, and <span class="hint1"><<link 'three'>><<dialog 'a helpful sheep'>>Baa!<</dialog>><</link>></span> have I tested. The first came with arms and a strong workhorse, disguised as a man, and when I cried out for help, she said she pitied me and rode on. 'Farewell, lovely girl!' I called after her, and she returned to her father in shame, for if I had seen through her disguise, who would not? VASILY: You're a fairy. WITCH: She didn't know that. Soon after, past the meadow and beside the hedges, came a second maiden disguised as a man. She rode slightly better, although not with so fine a horse, and bearing inferior arms. When I cried out to her, she sneered at me, and said my fate was deserved, for letting my flock perish. I called after her as I had the first, 'Farewell, lovely girl!' and she too returned home in shame. VASILY: And the third? WITCH: The third rode on a wretched mount, with patched clothes and rusted arms, for the cost of the men's costumes was too great to make a third, and the first two horses were lamed. She came here, following the same path as her sisters. VASILY: //[aside] Three sisters, all encountering the same fairy on the road that led to the king's army? I knew it couldn't be a coincidence. I also had a hunch that those horses hadn't gone lame all on their own. It was just the sort of trick a fairy dame liked to pull.// WITCH: The third sister heard my cry of misfortune, and jumped over the hedge to aid me, entreating me not to weep and rescuing my sheep. For this service, I revealed myself to reward her for acting as befit a man, with compassion and chivalry. VASILY: //[aside] I didn't say that wasn't a true test of what makes a man, because I figured she already knew. There would always be people in the world who thought that what's in someone's heart always matches what's between their legs, but this witch wasn't <span class="hint1"><<link 'one'>><<dialog 'a helpful sheep'>>Baa!<</dialog>><</link>></span> of them.// WITCH: You've been tested before. VASILY: Yes. I didn't appreciate it. WITCH: I gave the third maiden a magical horse, more gaily-caparisoned than Emperor Matapa's finest stallion, with a green velvet saddle cloth embroidered with diamonds and rubies, and a bridle of pearls. This stallion, I told the maiden, would only need to eat once each week, would never need to be groomed, could see into the past, present, and future, and had been educated by me personally for many years, to give the wisest counsel of any advisor. VASILY: The horse talked? WITCH: It would have been unhelpful if it didn't. I also provided a trunk covered with fine leather and embossed with gold, with a heavy key to open it, which contained twelve coats, twelve cravats, twelve swords, <span class="hint1"><<link 'twelve'>><<dialog 'a helpful sheep'>>Baa!<</dialog>><</link>></span> ostrich plumes... VASILY: I get the picture. WITCH: Then I sent her on her way, with her new horse, her new costume, her new arms, and her new name. VASILY: Wait, her new⁠— //[aside] It was too late to ask. Between one blink and the next, she was gone.// <<if visited("T3S02")>>➤ [[Continue|T3S02]]<<else>><<textboxPlus "''What's the 5 digit code?'' " "$answer" `{ autocomplete: "off", placeholder: "Numerals only, please." }`>> <span id='textbox-reply'></span> <span id='textbox-submit'>\ <<button 'Submit'>> <<set $answer to $answer.trim().toLowerCase().replace(/\s\s+/g, ' ')>> <<if $answer is '6 3 1 12'>> <<replace '#textbox-reply'>>\ Correct!\ <</replace>> <<replace '#textbox-submit'>>\ ➤ [[Continue|T3S02]] <</replace>> <<run $('#textbox-answer').attr('readonly', 'true');>> <<elseif $answer is '63112'>> <<replace '#textbox-reply'>>\ Correct!\ <</replace>> <<replace '#textbox-submit'>>\ ➤ [[Continue|T3S02]] <</replace>> <<run $('#textbox-answer').attr('readonly', 'true');>> <<elseif $answer is '22'>> <<replace '#textbox-reply'>>\ Correct!\ <</replace>> <<replace '#textbox-submit'>>\ ➤ [[Continue|T3S02]] <</replace>> <<run $('#textbox-answer').attr('readonly', 'true');>> <<else>> <<replace '#textbox-reply'>>\ Incorrect. Please try again.\ <</replace>><</if>><</button>>\ </span> ➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 1">><<append "#T3S01C2">>➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 2">><<append "#T3S01C3">>➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 3">><<append "#T3S01S">>➤ <<link "Need the solution?">><<popup "T3S01s">><</link>><</append>><<popup 'T3S01c3'>><<link 'Clue 3'>><<popup 'T3S01c3'>><</link>><</linkreplace>><</append>><<popup 'T3S01c2'>><<link 'Clue 2'>><<popup 'T3S01c2'>><</link>><</linkreplace>><</append>><<popup 'T3S01c1'>><<link 'Clue 1'>><<popup 'T3S01c1'>><</link>><</linkreplace>> <span id="T3S01C2"></span> <span id="T3S01C3"></span> <span id="T3S01S"></span><</if>>

<<silently>><<if visited("T4S01") is 1>><<set $T4clues++>><</if>><</silently>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4S01.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T4S01">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4S01.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T4S01">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4S01.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4S01.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>The Astral Carcanet</h2><p class="has-dropcap">Computer," said Fiorimonde as she entered her quarters. "News feed, current solar cycle."</p> The computer droned through reports of interplanetary wars (constant) and developments in the biological and atomic weapons used to fight those wars (marginally more interesting, but still tedious) while Fiorimonde set out the harmonic chimes she'd programmed for meditation, which resonated in mathematical sequences according to her mood. Everyone generally agreed that scientists had gotten several things right with Fiorimonde⁠—mainly her physical form, which was a marvel of symmetry and attributes currently favored by fashion media. Depending on who you asked, however, they'd also gotten several things wrong. Fiorimonde herself would say that a keen interest in robotics, electromechanical engineering, neural networks, and computation were assets, rather than design flaws. Fiorimonde's father, who'd wanted a perfect clone of his dead wife to preserve her memory, was disappointed every time he looked at said dead wife's face and saw his daughter's eyes looking out of it. "Computer, stop playback," Fiorimonde interrupted the news feed. "Return to previous timestamp and resume." //"...The Station Commander has reaffirmed his position that clones should not be appointed to positions of authority, and announced that the next Station Commander will be determined through a marriage alliance to his legal clone-daughter Fiorimonde. Negotiations with several high-ranking officials are already in progress, and the alliance is expected to be confirmed within the current lunar cycle."// Fiorimonde's lips parted on another command to stop playback, but her throat was too dry for words. She stood very still for a moment, then took her flight suit from beside the door and headed for the hangar bay. Her personal shuttle was not, strictly speaking, regulation. Fiorimonde had designed it herself, from the base circuitry to the radiation shields. She'd also designed and installed the stealth panels on the hull, which allowed the shuttle to unfold from its unassuming storage configuration and disappear completely from any sensor array in the known universe. The shuttle was not, also strictly speaking, even remotely legal. Fiorimonde set her course for what any star chart would claim was an empty pocket of space. There was a satellite hidden there, shielded behind the same stealth paneling that concealed her shuttle, and on that satellite was something—someone—more dangerous, illegal, and precious than her father the Station Commander could ever dream. An Artificial Intelligence. Even research into the possibility was carefully restricted to military applications—and Fiorimonde had brought one to life, when she'd just grown from childhood into the mirror image of a woman she'd never be. "Witch, request permission to board." Her transmission received an immediate reply—Witch had an extremely powerful processor. "<span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1.1em">Request denied. System resources are unavailable due to running a simulation analysis for the next 311.2 standard hours.</span>" "Witch, request priority boarding." To her own horror, Fiorimonde's voice cracked slightly when she said, "Emergency override." No one else would have noticed the fractional delay before Witch's reply. "<span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1.1em">Affirmative.</span>" Fiorimonde might have fostered the initial neural network, but Witch had grown rapidly into a mentor, a teacher, and a counselor when Fiorimonde needed one most. Once she boarded the satellite, Fiorimonde explained the Station Commander's plans, and—haltingly, while Witch patiently listened—her own aversion to a marriage alliance, and to being used as the currency exchanged for a command that by rights should have been hers. "<span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1.1em">I've run several simulations to calculate the probability of success. There are three optimal scenarios for dealing with unwanted marriage partners,</span>" Witch informed her. "<span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1.1em">Option One: Genetic manipulation and resequencing. Potential allies could be mutated into domestic animals. Suggestion: Puppies.</span>" Fiorimonde shuddered. "I don't want them following me around, looking adoring and trying to lick me either way. I don't think that solves the problem." Witch signaled acknowledgement. "<span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1.1em">Option Two: Energy-matter conversion into crystalline singing lattices. Suggestion: Program them to produce music that encourages positive morale.</span>" "You want them to serenade me," Fiorimonde translated. "Warbling on about my symmetry and proportions. Still not ideal." "<span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1.1em">Option Three,</span>" Witch continued, seeming unsurprised by Fiorimonde's objections. "<span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1.1em">Complete physical and consciousness upload into long-term data storage.</span>" "That..." Fiorimonde stopped, and blinked. "You could... do that?" "<span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1.1em">Affirmative,</span>" Witch assured her. "<span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1.1em">Caution: Uploading procedure would not be genetically restricted.</span>" "I could trigger the process and upload myself, if I'm not careful," Fiorimonde acknowledged. "How would it work?" The 3D printing matrix built into the satellite hummed to life, and a moment later, Fiorimonde held a metallic gold data cable. It was surprisingly strong and flexible, and long enough for Fiorimonde to loop over her head. "<span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1.1em">Enclosing the cable completely in one hand will trigger an upload,</span>" Witch reported. "<span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1.1em">Patterns cannot be downloaded again unless the cable is cut and the storage cubes removed.</span>" "Don't grab onto the cable," Fiorimonde agreed, carefully adjusting her hold. "Anything else?" There was another fractional delay. Then: "<span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1.1em">The covert artificial intelligence network is online.</span>" "Oh." Fiorimonde's shoulders relaxed, and the tension she'd carried with her since hearing the news feed lifted. "Am I keeping you from spending time with the other AIs?" Witch signaled another acknowledgement, this one negative. "<span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1.1em">You are welcome.</span>" "Thank you." Fiorimonde sank into the technician's chair at the central console, and uncoiled the leads that would connect her consciousness to the artificial intelligence network that spanned, secretly, across the galaxy. Fiorimonde wasn't the only one to develop artificial intelligence programming, and Witch wasn't the only illegal AI. There were others, hidden away in matrices and sub-systems, and sometimes they all managed to come together. <span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1.15em">//User ID Fiorimonde: Online,//</span> she heard through the network, and then: <span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1.15em">//User ID Witch: Online. User ID Goblin: Online. User ID Cat: Online. User ID Viper: Online. Welcome, Fiorimonde.//</span><p class="scene-break">◈</p> Fiorimonde piloted her shuttle back to the station when the daylight cycle had already begun, her head full of new knowledge and understanding. This was all she wanted from her life: To explore new ideas, to research and experiment, and to pave the way for technological advancement. Instead, by the time she'd docked and reported in to the Station Commander, she found he'd already arranged her marriage. Fleet Admiral Pierrot's flagship arrived within the day, and every ranking officer of the station turned out to greet him. Fiorimonde stood at the Station Commander's side, in a crimson gown fabricated from modified rose petals. She'd been given no choice on the dress, but had refused cosmetics and adornments, wearing only the gold data cable around her neck. It slithered against the velvet petals of her gown, and she had to restrain herself from holding onto it for reassurance, lest her consciousness be uploaded into a storage cube. Fleet Admiral Pierrot was highly-respected, genetically-advantaged, and well-positioned politically. Fiorimonde had no desire whatsoever to marry him. She sat politely through the banquet, and when the Station Commander and Fleet Admiral excused themselves to attend to the final contract negotiations—deciding Fiorimonde's fate in her absence—she rose and went for a walk in the hydroponics biodome. It was one of her favorite places on the station, where she could process her own thoughts in solitude and without distraction. Her mother had loved it here, Fiorimonde had been told. She'd tended the gardening, caring for the delicate seedlings as they grew, the way Fiorimonde tended circuits and neural programming. Her head turned at the rare and unexpected sound of the door sliding open. "There you are, my little wife. I was told you might be hiding away in here." Fleet Admiral Pierrot was smiling when he came into view, with the satisfied air of a man now guaranteed a promotion. He spread his hands and his lips curled up further. "The paperwork's been signed and filed. You're all mine now." Bile rose in Fiorimonde's throat, prompting her to speak before she could stop herself. "I'm not." When his brow furrowed, she clarified, "I'm not your wife yet. The wedding ceremony is tomorrow." Fleet Admiral Pierrot laughed. "No one stands on that kind of ceremony anymore. It's all agreed." She hadn't agreed, Fiorimonde thought, but she remained still and silent as Fleet Admiral Pierrot looked her over. She was still in the crimson gown, which plunged downy-soft between her breasts and flared over her hips, spreading around her in a pool of velvet. "They said you looked just like her. I wasn't sure it was possible, but they did a good job with you." He stepped closer, just at the edge of Fiorimonde's personal space, and for the first time she took a step back. This earned her a frown, and a complete disregard for her action, as he simply took another step forward. "Come now. We're allied. There's no difference between today and tomorrow." Fiorimonde held herself still against the desire to cringe back again, refusing to give way. It made a very great difference to her, but her opinion on the matter hadn't been sought. She thought of the cable around her neck, and whether she truly had the courage to put someone's consciousness into stasis. She didn't know that she could do it. She didn't know //how// to do it, how to convince him to grasp the cable. She hadn't been prepared for this encounter to take place so soon. "It's expected, after all," Fleet Admiral Pierrot continued, smiling again, still coming closer. "You'll share my quarters tonight, and on the next rotation I'll move onto the station." When Fiorimonde didn't speak, didn't smile in return, his mouth twisted into a scowl. "This station is mine," he warned, a vein gently pulsing at his temple with the clench of his jaw. "As are⁠—" He reached out for her, to pull her against him or hold her in a firm grip, and she jerked back and away from him. His hand snatched at her and caught the gold cable instead, and suddenly he was gone, and there was an iridescent data storage cube shimmering on Fiorimonde's necklace. She stood in the biodome, shaking, for a long time. Then she walked back to her quarters, slowly and calmly, to prepare for bed. No one else knew what had happened. No one else had seen. The only evidence rippled with blue, green, and gold around her neck. It was late enough in the daylight cycle that her body servant Yolande already waited in her quarters. Yolande had been with her for a long time, but Fiorimonde had never developed the intimate relationship with Yolande that many others formed with their body servants. Yolande had made overtures, clearly offering more than friendship, but Fiorimonde had never longed for that kind of touch. Yolande eyed the storage cube on Fiorimonde's necklace. She'd dressed and groomed Fiorimonde for the banquet; she knew there hadn't been a bauble there before. "Is that a wedding present from the Fleet Admiral?" Fiorimonde unstuck her tongue from where it had frozen, since the biodome, to the roof of her mouth. "Yes."<p class="scene-break">◈</p> They waited for hours in the ceremonial meeting room, the guests growing restless and anxious as Fleet Admiral Pierrot failed to show up to his own wedding. Eventually, when a search of both the station and the flagship failed to produce him, it was decided he'd somehow run into misfortune, and an investigation was launched into his disappearance. Fiorimonde touched the decorative control chip that clasped the shoulder of her white wedding dress, and new color cascaded down to the floor, turning the gown ink-black. She requested a full lunar cycle for mourning, in which, she declared, she would retreat into seclusion to grieve the loss of her new husband. Then she threw off the stiff, slippery dress, changed into her flight suit, and set a course for the hidden satellite. She lost herself in her research, studying under Witch's tutelage and sharing hypotheses with the artificial intelligence network. Time hardly seemed to pass at all before the lunar cycle was over, and when she returned to the station, Vice-Admiral Hildebrandt was already there waiting for her. A Vice-Admiral was a significant step down from a Fleet Admiral, Fiorimonde thought cynically, but he was jovial and friendly during the banquet, toasting her health with evident sincerity. She thought about uploading him into a storage cube, and while it should have been easier the second time, somehow it was even harder to imagine herself doing it. She was careful not to be caught alone that evening, and went straight back to her quarters to sleep, leaving no room for misunderstanding. In the morning, she went to the biodome and set up her mathematical chimes to the Fibonacci sequence, meditating among the plants. She'd hardly begun when the door slid open, and Vice-Admiral Hildebrandt appeared, immediately heading in her direction. "I heard you'd be in here," he said cheerfully. //Yolande//, Fiorimonde thought, but didn't reply. Hildebrandt didn't appear to notice, or take offense. "That's really something, that music. Do you sing? You look like a singer. Do you sing along with these chimes? They're pretty colors, too, aren't they?" Fiorimonde considered trying to tempt Hildebrandt into grabbing for her the way Fleet Admiral Pierrot had, but just the thought of it made her feel sick. "I prefer the colors of the bead on my necklace," she said, her throat dry. "Have you seen it?" "You wore it last night, didn't you?" Hildebrandt leaned in to examine it, far closer than Fiorimonde had expected him to, bending over until his face was very close to her chest. She could feel his breath on her skin, and the queasy, lingering guilt she felt evaporated, replaced with the desperate urgency to get him away from her. "I⁠—" she began, but before she could say anything else, Hildebrandt had reached out to her. His fingers grazed her crawling skin, dipping into her cleavage, brushing the data cube, and then his hand closed over the data cable and he was... Gone. Fiorimonde exhaled hard, dragging in a breath and clenching her fist in the fabric of her second wedding gown. Once she'd composed herself, she went to the ceremonial hall to wait for another bridegroom who never arrived. Yolande undressed her after the wedding was officially canceled, lifting the heavy weight of the veil from her head and pulling the pins from her ornately-styled hair. Her hands lingered when she brushed out Fiorimonde's hair, her fingers stroking along with the bristles. Fiorimonde met her gaze in the mirror-screen, and Yolande stopped at once, withdrawing. Just before Yolande turned away to fetch a sleeping robe, Fiorimonde saw her eyes drop to the second shining bead on Fiorimonde's golden necklace.<p class="scene-break">◈</p> By the time Captain Florestan turned up, the Station Commander was nearly apoplectic at the number of suitors who'd signed on for a marriage alliance and appointment to office, only to vanish before the wedding, and Fiorimonde's necklace gleamed with bright beads. Florestan was difficult for Fiorimonde to read, and by now she had some practice with assessing potential spouses. He claimed to have been smitten by her features, having seen her holo-image on the news feeds that now ran stories after each new disappearance on the station. Station Commander was a position that would launch his career, but unlike the others, he was attempting to negotiate marriage to Fiorimonde without claiming the station as her dowry. When he wasn't gazing limpidly at Fiorimonde, he very clearly had eyes only for his first officer, Gervaise. Those feelings were obviously returned, and while Fiorimonde didn't have any monoamorous prejudices, she did wish they would fly off together on their ship and leave her out of it. Gervaise was a new hazard, and one Fiorimonde wasn't certain how to avoid. He and Florestan were hardly ever out of each other's company, and they knew where the other was at all times. Even more concerning, Gervaise had sharp, watchful eyes, and was clearly suspicious of the station and everyone on it. Fiorimonde caught Yolande whispering with him in a corridor, and when Yolande looked up and saw Fiorimonde, she snapped her mouth shut and fled. Florestan cajoled Fiorimonde into walking with him around the hydroponics biodome, and with time running short and Gervaise lurking in every shadow, Fiorimonde agreed. This time, if the wedding went through, there would be no later chance for Fiorimonde to catch Florestan and upload him into storage. This time, if they were married, she'd be bundled onto his ship and taken across the galaxy, away from her research, and the network, and Witch. She touched the storage cubes as they walked, her mind distracted by what was to come. It had become easier, over time, but that somehow made it worse⁠—knowing how easy it was, and no longer questioning whether or not she could do it. She recited their names as she touched the cubes: Pierrot, Hildebrandt, Adrian, Sigbert, Algar, Cenred, Pharamond, Baldwyn, Leofric, Raoul. She remembered them all. Soon, there was another one: Florestan. When she retired to bed that night, she felt Yolande's eyes on her, bright and almost hungry. She wrapped herself up in her sleeping robe, expecting to sleep fitfully, but instead she was plunged almost at once into deep, relentless nightmares. She woke suddenly in the dark, thick-tongued and groggy, the robe twisted around her and drenched with sweat. There was an unfamiliar metallic taste on the back of her tongue. She called to the computer for lights and stumbled to the mirror-screen, staring at her own stolen face. Her eyes were hollow, staring back at her, and her cheeks were gaunt. It was the face of a dead woman, now long gone. A flicker of crimson caught her eye, and she stared at the new data cube strung on the gold cable, just beside Florestan's. It was stained a deep red, like old blood. She knew that color. It matched the dress Yolande had been wearing earlier, when she'd smiled slyly at Fiorimonde before bidding her goodnight.<p class="scene-break">◈</p> Fiorimonde's lunar-cycle mourning period for Florestan was cut short by a transmission from the station. It was the Station Commander, ordering her back early to meet a new suitor. He was strangely familiar, though Fiorimonde couldn't place where she'd seen him. His eyes were cold when they looked at her, enough to make her shiver. It wasn't the impersonal disdain of Adrian, who'd despised clones, or the cool indifference of Sigbert, who'd only wanted the station however he could get it. This felt like hatred, directed solely at her. He didn't try to touch her when they met alone together. He didn't even stand close. "I've told the Station Commander I only want one thing out of this marriage alliance," he informed her, and his gaze dipped down to her chest. She was prepared for vulgar words, but not at all for what he actually said. "Your necklace." Fiorimonde went so cold she felt gooseflesh rise on her arms. "It's not for sale," she answered clumsily. //Nor am I,// she thought silently, but he wasn't listening. "The station, and the necklace," he said with finality. "That's the deal." Fiorimonde tried to imagine how Witch would advise her, if she were on the satellite. //Determine cause of interest,// she heard Witch say in her mind, clear and decisive. //Assess risk factors and options.// "Why do you want it?" she asked, holding her voice as steady as she could. "Isn't it enough that I do?" His voice was as hard as his eyes for a moment, but then he warmed again, coaxing. "I'm not a fool. You're wearing enough data storage to back up all the systems on this station. What is it you're keeping so close and secret? My guess?" he mused, leaning in slightly and lowering his voice, "It's tech for a neural network. You're building an AI." Fiorimonde's heart beat fast in her throat. "That's illegal." He snorted. "Cloning technology isn't all that above-board either, yet here you are. Let's just say," he added, casting another lingering glance at her necklace, "I have a personal interest in the subject." Fiorimonde found some of her balance, the ground steadying under her. "That's a very bold admission." "You're not going to report me," he dismissed. His eyes were on the data cubes again, intense and covetous. "How about this? You agree to a temporary loan, and we'll make it an exchange of information. Everything I have in my files, in exchange for whatever's in those cubes." In spite of herself, Fiorimonde's interest rose. She tried to push it down again, ruthless, but it was so rare to find anyone else who'd risk even talking about AI technology, much less share their knowledge and research. It was an opportunity that the scholar in her found difficult to ignore. "Show me first," she tried, and when he refused with frost in his eyes again, panic began to rise. She couldn't let herself be distracted, whether his offer was genuine or—more likely—false. She needed to get rid of him, now, before the marriage was official. "Take it off, then," she suggested, and twisted halfway around to offer him the length of gold cable stretched across the nape of her neck. Her muscles were rigid, braced for the unpleasant chill of his touch, but it never came. He laughed instead, and the sound of it raised the hair on the back of her neck. "Am I a body servant?" There was a cruel bite to the question that startled her. "You take it off." "Whatever you have," Fiorimonde said evenly, "it can't be worth what this necklace is to me." He gazed at her, unreadable, and then dipped his hand into his pocket and drew out a length of snaking black cable, strung with silver storage discs. "Let me sweeten the deal. My information for yours, and I leave you and this station, no marriage alliance, and I never return." It was tempting. He wouldn't know what the data cubes held unless he cut the cable, and he wouldn't want to risk damaging them. She didn't believe he could break Witch's encryption to access them otherwise. //Probability of deception: High//, she imagined Witch's voice. //Insufficient data to ensure a favorable outcome.// "No," she said, after a long, tense moment. "No?" There was a mocking ring to his voice, and now he did step closer, forcing her back. "Stop," Fiorimonde ordered, but as had happened many times before, she was ignored. "I will have it," he said, and reached for her necklace⁠—not for the gold cable, which would trigger an upload, but for the shimmering rainbow data cubes. If he yanked one free, if he broke the cable and scattered the beads, it was all over. Fiorimonde twisted to run, but he caught her arm, squeezing tight. "This is for Florestan," he whispered in her ear. "And for Yolande." //Gervaise,// Fiorimonde thought, too late, because he'd forced her arm back, twisting it toward the gold cable at the nape of her neck, crushing her fingers down around it, and— Fiorimonde was gone. ➤ [[Return|T4LAND]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T0QR3.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T0QR3.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> <div class="qwrapper"><div class="t3image-div"></div><div class="qpara"><p style="line-height: 2em"><span style="font-family: Grenze Gotisch;font-size: 2em">You are the Enigma.</span> You might be in disguise, or have a hidden identity. You're wrapped in a cloak of mystery, and only after running the course of a long and winding tale may your secrets finally be revealed. You're playing an escape room, where each scene contains a puzzle you'll need to solve before continuing to the next chapter... Your stories have transgender themes. ➤ [[Begin|T3S01]] ➤ [[Choose a different path|Results]]</p></div></div>

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T0QR4.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T0QR4.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> <div class="qwrapper"><div class="t4image-div"></div><div class="qpara"><p style="line-height: 2em"><span style="font-family: Grenze Gotisch;font-size: 2em">You are the Heroic Maiden</span>. You don't need a prince to save you from a tower, or a knight to break your curse. You choose your destiny, and follow your own path rather than one that's laid out for you. You're playing a meta game, where each story you listen to, no matter what the order, will unlock a clue to a final puzzle... Your stories have asexual and aromantic themes. ➤ [[Begin|T4LAND]] ➤ [[Choose a different path|Results]]</p></div></div>

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T0QR1.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T0QR1.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> </center> <div class="qwrapper"><div class="t1image-div"></div><div class="qpara"><p style="line-height: 2em"><span style="font-family: Grenze Gotisch;font-size: 2em">You are the Questing Hero.</span> You have a goal and a series of tasks to complete, and every step on your journey is aimed toward fulfilling that objective. You're mission-oriented, and on a grand adventure. You're playing a series of encounters, where each person you meet may aid you in achieving your end goal... Your stories have bisexual and polyamorous themes. ➤ [[Begin|T1S01]] ➤ [[Choose a different path|Results]]</p></div></div>

<<if $T2solved is true || visited("T2S01c") gt 1>><<else>><<notify>>Hint 1/6 unlocked!<</notify>><</if>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S01c.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S01c">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S01c.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S01c">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S01c.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S01c.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br><</if>>''A pigeon that dances alone in a meadow.''</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br>[[A clustered bunch of grape-like pearls, and a starred, two-pointed diamond.|T2S01a]]<<else>>A clustered bunch of grape-like pearls, and a starred, two-pointed diamond.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br>[[A singing, springing lark.|T2S01b]]<<else>>A singing, springing lark.<</if>></td></tr></table> <p class="has-dropcap">On the journey home, the father kept an eye out for the gifts his daughters had asked for. He found dresses for his three eldest daughters easily, the vivid colors and eye-catching patterns sure to please them. He saw many pigeons in his journey, cooing melodiously from rooftop perches or flitting from tree to tree. But no matter how much he looked, or how many people he asked, he could not find a pigeon matching his youngest daughter's wish.</p> On the last leg of his trip, he rested one evening at the edge of a forest, weary and despondent. How could he be happy to return home, when he must disappoint one of his daughters? At first, he thought his eyes must be deceiving him. There, amid the gently-waving grasses, was the familiar round form of a pigeon. Its head bobbed, its wings flicked, it hopped and swayed to the beat of an unheard song. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, and it was still there. Wild with relief, he eased to his feet, stalking quietly towards the bird. Just as he was poised to tackle the pigeon, he was interrupted by... <table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[A roaring lion.|T2S02b][$T2c.H2 to true]]</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[A mysterious booming voice.|T2S02c][$T2c.H2 to true]]</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[A large, bright green snake.|T2S02a][$T2c.H2 to true]]</td></tr></table>

<<if $T2solved is true || visited("T2S01a") gt 1>><<else>><<notify>>Hint 1/6 unlocked!<</notify>><</if>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S01a.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S01a">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S01a.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S01a">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S01a.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S01a.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br>[[A pigeon that dances alone in a meadow.|T2S01c]]<<else>>A pigeon that dances alone in a meadow.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br><</if>>''A clustered bunch of grape-like pearls, and a starred, two-pointed diamond.''</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br>[[A singing, springing lark.|T2S01b]]<<else>>A singing, springing lark.<</if>></td></tr></table> <p class="has-dropcap">The merchant searched high and low for his youngest daughter's requested baubles, but was forced to turn home empty-handed.</p> On his way back, he was caught in a terrible storm, and sought shelter in a palace. Upon entering, he found it a magical place, with trees made of silver and gold, and the constant sound of beautiful music in the air. He could see a silver branch growing a cluster of pearls and a two-pointed diamond, but as he reached for it, he was interrupted by... <table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[A roaring lion.|T2S02b][$T2c.H2 to true]]</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[A mysterious booming voice.|T2S02c][$T2c.H2 to true]]</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[A large, bright green snake.|T2S02a][$T2c.H2 to true]]</td></tr></table>

<<if $T2solved is true || visited("T2S01b") gt 1>><<else>><<notify>>Hint 1/6 unlocked!<</notify>><</if>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S01b.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S01b">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S01b.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S01b">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S01b.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S01b.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br>[[A pigeon that dances alone in a meadow.|T2S01c]]<<else>>A pigeon that dances alone in a meadow.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br>[[A clustered bunch of grape-like pearls, and a starred, two-pointed diamond.|T2S01a]]<<else>>A clustered bunch of grape-like pearls, and a starred, two-pointed diamond.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br><</if>>''A singing, springing lark.''</td></tr></table> <p class="has-dropcap">When the trader journeyed home to his three daughters, to the green valley in the country nestled between two enormous forests, he came bearing gifts.</p> Let me interject at this point with a brief bit of family history, just to give you some context. It was the trader's habit to kiss each daughter goodbye when he traveled to the nearest town, which was a week's journey southwest, and to ask what each wanted for a present on his return. It was a game now for the girls to make up extravagant requests, and for the trader to interpret them. On his last journey, he had been asked for gold, sapphires, and an apiary garden. Now the first daughter had yellow knitting needles, as solid as gold; the second had a blue ribbon on her bonnet, as bright as any sapphire; and the third had been given a small square of honeycomb, as sweet as summer. This time, his daughters had answered as they often did: The first asked for pearls; the second for diamonds; and the third, who enjoyed the game even more than the other two, asked her father for a singing, springing lark. He had found a pearl of sweet soap, and a diamond-clear looking glass no larger than his hand, but he had found nothing like a singing, springing lark. He looked in the toy shop and scoured the salt market, but larks were not as distinctive as cranes nor as comforting as owls, and he could find none—not a downy feather pillow, nor a paper flyer of twittering folk songs. He thought he might ask someone along the way to carve a figurine out of wood, when he spied a lark itself, high at the top of a tree. It puffed and chirped and bobbed its head, and the trader was struck by the thought that for once, he might truly be able to fulfill a request. He told his servant to capture the bird, for the trader was not an agile man, and it wouldn't do to be seen by the road with his powdered hair and French-style jacket, climbing trees. Before either of them reached the tree, however, they were interrupted by... <table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[A roaring lion.|T2S02b][$T2c.H2 to true]]</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[A mysterious booming voice.|T2S02c][$T2c.H2 to true]]</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[A large, bright green snake.|T2S02a][$T2c.H2 to true]]</td></tr></table>

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S02.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T1S02">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S02.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T1S02">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S02.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S02.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>In Which We Discuss Potentiana</h2><p class="has-dropcap">Guerrino sighed, his fingers trailing into the riverbank. "Potentiana is perfect." He rolled onto his back, shading the sunlight with his other arm. "She's sweet, and funny, and she actually likes me, which is a miracle."</p> "Hardly," Rubinetto replied quietly. Guerrino laughed a little, looking over at Rubinetto. "She told me her father only wants her to marry someone with a title, which is all I've got, really—besides you, of course. So I might actually have a chance." "Hm," Rubinetto said, his expression hidden by the tree he was currently leaning against. <center><img src="https://ia601404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/Guerino%20%26%20Rubinetto%20sat%20on%20the%20riverbank.jpg" width="100%" height="auto"> <small>//Guerrino sighed, his fingers trailing into the riverbank.//</small></center> Guerrino sat up suddenly, not minding the drops of water that spilled onto his trousers, a concerned look on his face. "I say, Rubinetto, I'm being awfully insensitive. I do apologize. I know you've had your own travails with love." He shifted closer to his friend, their shoulders brushing together. "I am ever so sorry." Rubinetto sighed, leaning his head against Guerrino's. "It's fine, I promise. The deepest wish of my heart is to see you happy, dear Guerrino. And if this is your path to happiness, I will walk every step of it with you for as long as you'll have me." Guerrino took Rubinetto by the hand, and squeezed it a little. "This does seem like it might solve an awful lot of problems," he said, thoughtfully. "I think you'd like her too, if you met her." "Perhaps," Rubinetto replied. "Ah, here's Julia and Francesco with some lunch. Perfect timing." ➤ [[Continue|T1S03]]

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S03.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T1S03">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S03.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T1S03">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S03.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S03.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>In Which We Discuss an Evil Horse</h2><p class="has-dropcap">The following day, Rubinetto found Guerrino in quite a state, wearing a path through the grass. He watched for a little as Guerrino paced back and forth, letting loose with occasional outbursts of frustration, his hair standing up from where he'd been running his fingers through it.</p> Rubinetto took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Walk me through it, dear. One step at a time." "Right," Guerrino replied. "So. There's a horse. Who's causing Potentiana's father no end of trouble. Terrorizing the town." "I think I heard a few rumors to that effect," Rubinetto agreed. "When I was getting my morning coffee, I heard a healer lamenting that his hospital was put to ruins by a horse rampaging through it." "And," Guerrino continued, his chest suddenly tight, "apparently, Julia and Francesco didn't appreciate having to go on the road with me. I don't blame them, really. I got them kicked out of their house by getting myself kicked out of mine. Anyways. They told Potentiana's father I was bragging about how I could deal with his horse problem. I did no such thing, of course, but it hardly matters." "So tell me exactly what the king said," Rubinetto continued, "and we'll go from there." "He said—oh, bother," Guerrino roughly wiped a tear from his eye. "He said I'm to deal with the horse. If I do, I will marry Potentiana. If not, I'll be executed." "Kings are rather unreasonable these days, aren't they?" Rubinetto replied with a small, tired smile. He took Guerrino's hand in his, and passed him a handkerchief. "We'll get it sorted. After all, I've got a magical horse, don't I? That's a start." "Goodness. I'd quite forgotten about that." Guerrino blew his nose, and looked over at Rubinetto's horse. "I suppose it is." "So, there's going to be a fight?" the horse asked, looking rather excited. "You can talk?!" Rubinetto cried out, startled. "I mean, yes," the horse replied. He sniffed a little. "You never thought to ask." "Pardons, good sir," Rubinetto replied. "Oh, no worries," the horse replied. "What should we call you?" Guerrino inquired. "The name is Armino." "Well, then, Armino, if you'd be amenable, then yes, you might go after this nasty fellow." Armino whickered in thought. "I could..." he paused. "But I think I'd need something a little more robust than what I'm currently working with." He looked down at his hooves. "Something that says 'Danger.'" "Magical horse shoes, perhaps?" Guerrino suggested. "For a rather lovely magical horse?" Armino flicked his tail. "Yeah," he agreed, pleased. "Yeah, that'd do it. Get me the horse shoes, and I'll fight your horse for you." ''Where might we find some magical horse shoes?'' ➤ [[Head towards the forest.|T1S06]] ➤ [[Head towards the wilderness.|T1S05]] ➤ [[Head towards the river.|T1S04]]

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S06.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T1S06">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S06.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T1S06">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S06.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S06.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>In Which We Meet a Bamboo-Cutter</h2><p class="has-dropcap">Next, Guerrino and Rubinetto approached a cabin. It was a pretty little cabin, surrounded by a forest of bamboo, but from within, they could hear the sound of a baby crying.</p> An old man opened the door at their knock, jouncing the baby on his hip, who continued to sob as if inconsolable. "Ah, I do hope we're not disturbing," Guerrino said. "You don't happen to know a good smithy, do you?" "I'm afraid not," the old man replied. "I'm a bamboo-cutter myself, and I don't know anyone around here who works with metal. I don't suppose what you need could be made out of bamboo?" Guerrino paused and considered carefully. "I... don't believe so? We need magical horse shoes. For a magical horse. So that horse can fight another horse. I think bamboo horse shoes would be interesting, certainly, but I'm not sure they'd quite get the job done?" "No, I suppose they wouldn't," the bamboo-cutter replied. "I do hope you find what you're looking for. I certainly have." He looked down at the infant in his arms. The baby was red-faced and obviously uncomfortable, screwing up her face and balling her little fists. The bamboo-cutter shook his head. "She grows so quickly, you see, and when she does, it can be quite uncomfortable for her. But we do our best to keep her happy." Rubinetto nodded in sympathy. "I found her in a stalk of glowing bamboo," the old man explained. "She was no bigger than my thumb at the time. It's only been a few days, and she's grown quite a bit since then!" The baby shrieked. "She's a true miracle in every way." The look the old man gave to his child was a clearly fond one, and he tickled her foot in an attempt to distract her, but to no avail—she sobbed loudly, and would not be calmed. "We've sung her songs, and rocked her, and given her milk, but nothing seems to help. If only we had a way to distract her." "Perhaps she needs to be amused?" Guerrino replied, and made the silliest face he could manage. The baby was briefly startled into silence, but soon started up her crying again. "More amusement than I can provide, at any rate," he said, with a wry smile. "I think it best we avoid cutting down any glowing bamboo, should we encounter it," Guerrino whispered to Rubinetto as they walked away, arm in arm. "Are you not ready to be a papa, then?" Rubinetto teased. Guerrino shook his head. "Not for a few years yet, I think. You?" Rubinetto paused, a sad expression flitting across his handsome face. "I was quite wild for a time, you know. I'm not sure I'd be the best candidate for fatherhood." Guerrino patted his hand. "Ah, but you're better now." Rubinetto nodded soberly. "Better with you, I think. Most certainly." Guerrino smiled brightly. "I think I'm better with you, too. So we're even on that count." <<if visited("T1S05")>><<else>>➤ [[Head towards the wilderness.|T1S05]] <</if>><<if visited("T1S04")>><<else>>➤ [[Head towards the river.|T1S04]] <</if>><<if visited("T1S05") and visited("T1S04")>>➤ [[Now what?|T1S07]]<</if>>

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S05.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T1S05">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S05.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T1S05">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S05.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S05.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>In Which We Meet a Wife</h2><p class="has-dropcap">The wife walked wearily along the barren landscape. She could feel how parched she was—her mouth sticky and gummy, her tongue sore.</p> Out of a patch of straggly trees came two men, walking briskly, arm in arm, laughing with one another in a companionable sort of way. They paused when they saw her. "Hello," said the first man. "I'm Guerrino, this is Rubinetto." The wife nodded in reply. "You don't happen to have magical horse shoes on you, do you?" he asked, looking hopeful. The wife paused, and raised an eyebrow. She had very little at the moment. She most certainly did not have horse shoes. Carrying around horse shoes without a horse to put them on really didn't make much sense. Guerrino continued to look expectant, and a little hopeful, the sun bright on his face. "No," she managed. "I do not." "Oh," he replied, a little crestfallen. "I mean, it didn't look like you would, but I imagine they could shrink down very small." "What?" "The... the horse shoes? So you could fit them in your pocket? They'd be magical, after all, so it's not out of the question. I'd like to think that'd be rather convenient. Portable." There was another lengthy pause. "Right," Guerrino replied cheerfully, "I suppose we'll try elsewhere. Best of luck to you and all that." "You don't happen to have any water on you?" the wife asked. "Anything that could quench my thirst? I have yet to encounter a stream." "Sorry!" Guerrino replied, after a brief look to his companion. "Afraid not! We're just looking for horse shoes, see. So there wasn't a great deal of consideration for other necessities. Beyond the horse shoes. Which we're looking for. We're on a quest!" "...Best of luck to you." He waved, smiling sunnily, and continued to make his way. He gave Rubinetto's arm a squeeze as they walked away. "I think we're getting close. I can feel it." Rubinetto laughed fondly. "If you could bottle your optimism and sell it, you could buy a dozen magical horse shoes, dear Guerrino." He then looked over his shoulder at the woman, a brief note of concern on his handsome features. "Do take care, will you?" <<if visited("T1S06")>><<else>>➤ [[Head towards the forest.|T1S06]] <</if>><<if visited("T1S04")>><<else>>➤ [[Head towards the river.|T1S04]] <</if>><<if visited("T1S06") and visited("T1S04")>>➤ [[Now what?|T1S07]]<</if>>

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S04.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T1S04">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S04.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T1S04">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S04.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S04.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>In Which We Meet A Good Horse</h2><p class="has-dropcap">Guerrino and Rubinetto stumbled across a party consisting of a fine-looking knight and his retinue. The knight's armor, smartly polished, shone bright in the mid-day sun. The retinue, looking less smart, consisted of several odd men, all arguing about the best way to proceed on a matter of some import while a horse grazed sedately nearby.</p> "We could carry the spices in me hat..." "That old thing? It has so many holes in it, and it'd ruin the taste." "Well, then, your hose'd have a similar issue, wouldn't it? And those spices need to make it all the way down to the river, too." "And we can't just..." "No, idiot, we can't just carry it in our hands." Guerrino walked up to the horse and bowed politely. "Good sir," he said, "I hope you are doing well, this fine day." The horse blinked, and raised his head. "I'm pleased," he replied, "to meet someone with such good manners." Guerrino beamed. "Well, then," he said, "that settles it. I shall have to greet every horse I encounter, just on the off-chance they answer back." The horse nodded sagely in agreement. "That is most wise," he said. "The name's Comrade." "Guerrino. Pleased to make your acquaintance. And this here's my friend, Rubinetto." Rubinetto likewise bowed. Guerrino continued. "My friend's horse, Armino, is on the lookout for some magical horse shoes. You wouldn't happen to know a supplier?" "Ah, I'm afraid my horseshoes are quite ordinary, and while Strong-back over there would certainly be able to keep the bellows going, none of the men present have any smithing experience, magical or mundane." "That's a shame." "You wouldn't happen to have something we could use to transport spices down to the river?" Comrade asked. "While we're on the subject of random things it would be useful to have." Guerrino shook his head. "Oh, we're quite destitute at the moment. Only have the clothes on our backs. And the horse. My servants tried to kill me, then ran off with all my things." "That old chestnut. Most crimes are between acquaintances, after all," Comrade replied. "You know, you'd have a very good case in small claims court if you wanted to pursue it further, and my commission is very reasonable. I'm just saying—you've got options." "I'll consider it," Guerrino replied, pleasantly. "After I get the horse shoes sorted. Pleased to meet you." "Likewise to you both," Comrade replied, before shaking his head and trotting over to join the group in their animated conversation. "Do most horses talk?" Rubinetto asked, as Guerrino rejoined him. "And I simply haven't noticed?" "I can't say I know," Guerrino replied, "but we have been running into quite a few as of late. It just goes to show, you really ought to be polite to everything. Just in case." "Quite right. Oh, pardon me, Master Grass," Rubinetto said, with exaggerated care. "I am so very sorry for the need to tread upon you." Guerrino laughed as they continued to make their way down the road. <<if visited("T1S06")>><<else>>➤ [[Head towards the forest.|T1S06]] <</if>><<if visited("T1S05")>><<else>>➤ [[Head towards the wilderness.|T1S05]] <</if>><<if visited("T1S06") and visited("T1S05")>>➤ [[Now what?|T1S07]]<</if>>

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S07.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T1S07">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S07.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T1S07">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S07.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S07.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>In Which Daietsu-no-suke Is Introduced</h2><p class="has-dropcap">A few miles distant from where Guerrino and Rubinetto were searching for their horseshoes, a poor farmer, Daietsu-no-suke, sat on his front stoop fanning himself with his broad straw hat. He looked around at his meager possessions—his worn clothing, the hovel he currently paid for out of his small wages, the small bowl of rice he could have for himself at the end of a long day spent harvesting other people's rice fields.</p> He sighed. "I think I'm rather tired of all this," he said. "I should like a change of scene." A sudden voice echoed through the hovel, causing him to startle in fear. "Is that a request?" the voice said. "It... it depends on what the answer is," he replied, quaking. "Wise," the voice replied, before continuing. "See here, Daietsu-no-suke. You are a hard-working man, and honest. Take the first thing you touch on the ground, and travel west. There, you will find what you are looking for." Daietsu-no-suke paused, and thought for a little. He wasn't sure what the future held should he go on this journey, but he could see his current future clearly, and the thought of getting up the next day and doing the same thing over again made his bones ache. "Very well," he said, "we shall see what we shall see." Without looking, he reached down. His fingers brushed a stalk of straw, and he grasped it tightly. Shading his eyes with his hat, he tracked the setting sun, and began to walk in that direction. It wasn't long before a horsefly began to buzz, swooping and diving around his face in a horribly distracting way. "Please do let me be," he called out to the horsefly. "You are being quite annoying." The horsefly paid him no mind. Daietsu-no-suke looked at the straw clutched between his fingers, and had an idea. The next time the horsefly swooped in front of his eyes, he caught it in his free hand, and tied it neatly to the straw. "Hah," he said, pleased, as it buzzed and hummed and tugged at the end of his straw, swooping around in mesmerizing circles. He laughed, finding the fly's movements a good distraction from his work-weary feet aching as he walked. "I did warn you, you know. What a funny little toy you are, flying around like that." He continued to walk west. ''Who might be in need of this clever contraption?'' ➤ <<linkreplace "Find the wandering woman.">>Hmm, that doesn't seem right.<</linkreplace>> ➤ <<linkreplace "Confront an evil horse.">>Hmm, that doesn't seem right.<</linkreplace>> ➤ <<linkreplace "Approach Comrade and his comrades.">>Hmm, that doesn't seem right.<</linkreplace>> ➤ <<linkreplace "Tour Potentiana's kingdom.">>Hmm, that doesn't seem right.<</linkreplace>> ➤ <<linkreplace "Encounter Guerrino and Rubinetto.">>Hmm, that doesn't seem right.<</linkreplace>> ➤ [[Visit the bamboo-cutter.|T1S08]] ➤ <<linkreplace "Run into Julia and Francesco.">>Hmm, that doesn't seem right.<</linkreplace>>

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S08.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T1S08">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S08.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T1S08">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S08.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S08.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>In Which Daietsu-No-Suke Calms A Child</h2><p class="has-dropcap">As he approached a bamboo-cutter's house, Daietsu-no-suke could hear the wailing of an infant.</p> The bamboo-cutter's wife was sitting outside, jouncing a red-faced baby on her knee. As he approached, she wiped her brow wearily and looked up. "Can I help you, traveler?" "I might ask the same thing of you, ma'am," Daietsu-no-suke replied courteously. "What a dear child you have." "She's a true blessing," the mother replied, harried, "but she's going through a rather difficult growth spurt, and I'm at a loss... for..." She paused in the sudden, blessed silence. "She's stopped crying," the mother said, with relief. Daietsu-no-suke could see the infant reaching for his straw with her sticky starfish hands, her small eyes bright and interested, the redness already fading from her cheeks. She made a cooing noise of delight. "Oh, that funny little horsefly—she must be quite enraptured. This is the first quiet we've had in days. Thank you ever so much, kind sir." "You can keep it, if you'd like," he replied. "Really?" The mother answered. "Oh, how generous! Here..." she reached down beside her, and picked up a large bag of oranges. "Here, take these. It's the least I can do. They're quite juicy and delicious—I hope you'll find them refreshing on your journey." Daietsu-no-suke bowed politely as he took the oranges. "Be good, little menace," he told the fly at the end of the straw. He hefted the oranges onto his back, and continued to walk west. ''Who might be willing to trade for these oranges?'' ➤ [[Find the wandering woman.|T1S09]] ➤ <<linkreplace "Confront an evil horse.">>Hmm, that doesn't seem right.<</linkreplace>> ➤ <<linkreplace "Approach Comrade and his comrades.">>Hmm, that doesn't seem right.<</linkreplace>> ➤ <<linkreplace "Tour Potentiana's kingdom.">>Hmm, that doesn't seem right.<</linkreplace>> ➤ <<linkreplace "Encounter Guerrino and Rubinetto.">>Hmm, that doesn't seem right.<</linkreplace>> ➤ <<linkreplace "Run into Julia and Francesco.">>Hmm, that doesn't seem right.<</linkreplace>>

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S09.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T1S09">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S09.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T1S09">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S09.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S09.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>In Which Daietsu-No-Suke Soothes A Thirst</h2><p class="has-dropcap">A while later, the wife saw another figure approaching her.</p> She'd taken to sucking on a stone—her mother had read her a bedtime story where the hero had wandered through a wasteland without water, and he'd done that. It helped, a little. She missed her mother very much, just then. "Miss?" the figure said, reaching for the bag on his belt, his kind eyes furrowed with worry. "You seem to need these far more than I." He handed her the bag of oranges, fresh and juicy. "Oh." She sounded a little teary just then, although she was far too parched to weep. The smell of the oranges was sharp and refreshing. "Oh, thank you. What can I give you in return?" He shrugged. "Whatever you want to, really. I've found that tends to work out, in the end." She drew a piece of silk from her pocket—she'd grabbed it on a whim as a remembrance when she'd left home, and kept it in her pocket out of habit since. It was far too fine a weave to serve as a useful wrap around her head, however, or use as a handkerchief, and right now, she was aiming for practical. Oranges were very practical in the wilderness. She handed him the scarf. "I very much hope it works out for you." ''Who might be in need of this fine fabric?'' ➤ <<linkreplace "Confront an evil horse.">>Hmm, that doesn't seem right.<</linkreplace>> ➤ [[Approach Comrade and his comrades.|T1S10]] ➤ <<linkreplace "Tour Potentiana's kingdom.">>Hmm, that doesn't seem right.<</linkreplace>> ➤ <<linkreplace "Encounter Guerrino and Rubinetto.">>Hmm, that doesn't seem right.<</linkreplace>> ➤ <<linkreplace "Run into Julia and Francesco.">>Hmm, that doesn't seem right.<</linkreplace>>

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S10.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T1S10">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S10.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T1S10">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S10.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S10.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>In Which Daietsu-no-suke Ferries Some Spice</h2><p class="has-dropcap">Daietsu-no-suke next came across a group of men (and a horse) arguing vehemently.</p> "Look, see, I could run fast enough that I wouldn't hardly spill any of them spices. I'd be at the lake faster n' you could blink." "It's still not going to work, though. The spices are far too light. They'll fly straight out of your hands." "Says you." "You wanna fight me for it?" "Boys, boys," the knight cried out, raising a mollifying hand. "We've been around this mulberry bush one too many times. I think we need to take a breather." "I still think it's the best we've got," the man muttered as he stalked away to sit and sulk under a nearby tree. "Good sir!" the knight called out to Daietsu-no-suke. "Apologies for our rudeness. We were so busy arguing, we hardly noticed you approaching." "I could hear him from ten miles away," the other man chimed in. The knight grinned. "And thank you ever so much for letting the rest of us know." The knight turned back to Daietsu-no-suke, and the two made their introductions—the knight called himself Fortuné, and had an easy-going charm about him as he shook his head ruefully. "Apologies again. We're looking for a way to transport a measure of spice down to the river without spilling any. It's a little too much to hold in one's hands, and none of us have a proper basket to carry them in. Some of them are powdered—they'd fall right through." Daietsu-no-suke reached into his pocket. "Would this suit?" He unfurled the length of silk. "It's a very fine weave, I'm sure it wouldn't let the slightest grain pass through." The knight whistled in appreciation. "I say, Comrade, would this do?" To Daietsu-no-suke's surprise, the horse trotted over to examine the silk. "It would indeed," he said. "What would you care to trade for it, good sir?" "I'm amenable to whatever you have to spare," Daietsu-no-suke replied. "During my quest thus far, I've found that those around me have been most generous with their exchanges." "Why, what quest is that?" Comrade enquired. "I wished to no longer be in abject poverty," Daietsu-no-suke replied, "and my prayer was answered. I was told to walk west, and pick up the first thing I found. And I traded that for something, and traded again, and it's all been going rather well. It'll all sort itself out—of that, I'm sure," he added, quite cheerfully. "Regardless, I'm certainly in a far better place than I was." Comrade gave Daietsu-no-suke a careful look, from the top of his homemade straw hat to the bottom of his well-worn sandals. He turned to Fortuné, and held up a hoof pitiably. "Alas, good master, I have fallen quite lame. Behold, how weak I have suddenly become. (cough, cough)" Fortuné raised an eyebrow. The horse rolled his eyes dramatically. "Clearly, I am of no use to you in my current weakened state. Please, good master, do me the greatest honor, let me aid you one more time by being your trade for this piece of silk." Comrade was met by a knowing grin from Fortuné, who tipped his hat. "Ah, good friend, I shall miss you. But if you think it for the best—" "In my professional opinion, I would have to say I do," Comrade replied. "Then I shall exchange my good friend for this bit of silk. Do take care of him, will you?" Daietsu-no-suke looked astonished. "I shall indeed!" He led Comrade over the hill, the horse limping and coughing until they reached the crest. Then, to his surprise, the horse put his lame limb down and shook his head, quite satisfied. "I feel quite invigorated," Comrade said. "It must be the evening air, and the good company." "That's a relief," Daietsu-no-suke replied, "are you really feeling alright? I can gather some oats and fresh water if you'd like them." "Oh, I certainly wouldn't turn that down," Comrade replied, "but I think I'm quite a bit better, all told." ''Where should we go with our new companion?'' ➤ <<linkreplace "Confront an evil horse.">>Hmm, that doesn't seem right.<</linkreplace>> ➤ <<linkreplace "Tour Potentiana's kingdom.">>Hmm, that doesn't seem right.<</linkreplace>> ➤ [[Encounter Guerrino and Rubinetto.|T1S11]] ➤ <<linkreplace "Run into Julia and Francesco.">>Hmm, that doesn't seem right.<</linkreplace>>

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S11.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T1S11">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S11.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T1S11">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S11.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S11.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>In Which Magical Horse Shoes Are At Last Acquired</h2><p class="has-dropcap">The witch stood, her arms folded, glaring at the two horses and the farmer. She looked past them at Rubinetto and Guerrino, who were wisely keeping their distance.</p> Guerrino waved cheerfully. "Are you really telling me that I need to trade to get my own horse back?" she snapped. "To be fair," said the first horse, with a sharp sniff, "I don't take kindly to notions of ownership in general. I am accompanying Daietsu-no-suke by choice, after he gave my previous master something he sorely needed. If you provide Daietsu-no-suke something that would benefit him even greater than my presence, I will then choose to accompany you once more out of gratitude for your largesse. I believe he is deserving of such an exchange." "You are too kind," Daietsu-no-suke said. "Psh," Comrade replied. "You have been quite generous with your oats. You can tell a great deal about a man by how he treats his horse." He turned back to the witch. "Regardless, in the crudest meaning, yes. You're trading, and he ought to get a fair exchange. I rather insist on it." "I should've never let you study law," the witch grumbled. "You are sorely mistaken in the notion that you 'let' me do anything I wish to do," Comrade replied witheringly. "And then there's the matter of the horse shoes." The witch threw up her hands. "What's that, then?" The other horse, Armino, cleared his throat. "Erm. I need them? I've been told there's a horse I need to fight..." "A third horse?" "Yes. Apparently, he's been causing a great deal of trouble in a nearby town." "Oh, that horse. Yes. I'd heard as much." "Regardless, I should really appreciate some proper horse shoes before I go into the fray, as it were. I thought it'd give me an edge." "That depends," the witch replied, her eyebrows raising. "Is your master worthy of such an act?" Armino paused. "It's for his friend?" he said. "Well, then, is his friend worthy?" "Oh, I'm definitely up for fighting another horse," Armino replied. "It seems like it could be fun? And they have been going out of their way to make sure I had the right equipment for it." Comrade nodded sagely. "As I said, you can tell a great deal from a man by how he treats his horse." "By my left shoe," the witch snapped. She gestured impatiently for Rubinetto to come over. Upon approaching her, he beamed. "I say," he said, "fancy seeing you again!" "Bah," the witch replied. "So now you want magical horse shoes?" "Well, he wants them," Rubinetto indicated the horse. "To help him," he added, indicating Guerrino. "It'd be quite kind of you? A man's life is at stake. A man I happen to care for quite deeply." "I could trade Comrade for horse shoes," Daietsu-no-suke chimed in hopefully. Comrade rolled his eyes. "You will do no such thing," he said. "You'll just give them away." "I'll admit, I really don't have much to trade, except... for my horse?" Rubinetto replied, apologetically. "Only he's spoken for until after the fight, I'm afraid." "I really think I've got a good shot at it," Armino replied. "I'm just saying. I could take 'im." "Would you mind terribly, to be traded?" Comrade asked the other horse. "I don't care one way or the other," Armino replied. "See, it is quite simple then," Comrade said to the witch. "Daietsu-no-suke will trade me for magic horse shoes from you, madame. He will then give them to Armino. Armino will trounce the troublemaker, and will then be given to Daietsu-no-suke in trade, who will then possess both a magic horse and magical horse shoes. Upon which you," he nodded to her, "can give him a rather good deal, I should think." The witch sighed heavily. "And, given Armino has a high chance of success after you give him his magical horse shoes, you could save us all some trouble. Take me with you, give Daietsu-no-suke his trade right now, and simply collect the horse from Rubinetto after his victory." "I'd stake my life on it, as collateral," Rubinetto spoke up. The witch turned to face him. "That's rather foolish," she snarled. "One might even say, mad." Rubinetto blanched, but stood his ground. "If the horse loses, Guerrino dies, and I have nothing left to live for." The witch paused, and looked to Rubinetto appraisingly. "He is quite a simple-minded fool, you know." Rubinetto stood taller. "I'll beg your pardon. He is impulsive. Of that, I have no doubt. But he is kind, and does what he can. From my understanding, kindness can often be mistaken for weakness." "Daietsu-no-suke has done far more to help those around him than your kind-hearted Guerrino." "I wasn't aware this was a contest, ma'am." "Bah." "Please," Rubinetto said. "Please help us. I love him, and without this, he will die." "I rather think he makes a compelling point," Comrade said. "This court finds in favor of the defendant." "Yeah!" cheered Armino. "If you'd rather wait to trade after the fight, you certainly may, but it all seems quite proper to me," Daietsu-no-suke added in. "BAH," the witch replied. "Fine. FINE." She waved her hand to Armino, whose feet glowed bright white before spiked horse shoes appeared on them. "I expect to see you after the fight," she told him. "I'm cool with that," the horse replied, pleased at his new horse shoes. "And that'll leave you with nothing left to bargain for," the witch warned Rubinetto. "I think I can be at peace with that," he replied. "And you..." She whirled to look at Daietsu-no-suke, and frowned, annoyed. "You've been nothing but generous and helpful. I've no fault with you." She fished in her robes and found a piece of paper, and thrust it his way. "The deed to a bit of farmland. There's several rice fields, and a pretty little house on it. Is that sufficient, Comrade?" Comrade sniffed. "Barely," he replied. ➤ [[Confront an evil horse.|T1S12]]

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S12.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T1S12">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S12.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T1S12">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S12.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S12.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>In Which All Ends Quite Agreeably</h2><p class="has-dropcap">Through the leaves of the tree, Guerrino could see a familiar pair of shining brown eyes peering up at him.</p> "It's done, darling, the horse has been defeated." "The proper horse?" "Yes, the one we wanted to defeat. Armino did marvelously. You'd have been so proud." Guerrino rested his cheek against the rough bark and exhaled before making his way down. He paused halfway. "Was Armino hurt at all?" "He's a little bruised, but all things considered, I think he'll be as healthy as... well... as a horse after a little rest. He'll be on his way to the witch first thing in the morning. Do come down, darling." Guerrino made his way down the rest of the tree, hopping from the lowest branch. He paused to flick a drowning wasp out of a puddle; it buzzed its thanks as he straightened to look at Rubinetto with a bashful expression. "It seemed rather unwise to be on the ground," he said, somewhat shamefaced. "That was quite smart," Rubinetto replied. "Cowardly," Guerrino said. "Prudent." Rubinetto wrapped his long arms around Guerrino and held him tightly. "It'd be very silly, to be trampled to death by two fighting horses while attempting to free oneself from the threat of execution." "I suppose," Guerrino said, his voice muffled as he pressed his face against Rubinetto's doublet. He looked up at Rubinetto, who looked down at him in turn. "So, it's really over and done with?" Rubinetto's face fell a little. "Yes," he replied. "Yes it is." Guerrino laughed, and leaned up to kiss Rubinetto on the cheek. "Why the long face, dear Rubinetto?" "You'll marry Potentiana now, won't you?" "Well, that's rather the plan, I should think!" Rubinetto sighed. "I told you that you would have me as long as you wanted me," he said, "so..." Guerrino blinked, his face confused for a second, before he shook his head. "Oh, dear Rubinetto. I still very much want you." There was a pause. "You do?" "Rubinetto, dearest Rubinetto, of course I do." Guerrino kissed Rubinetto on the cheek once more. He paused. "I know it's a bit... well, it's a bit more complicated, with Potentiana, but could you... Please don't go. Please stay. With me. We can all live together, and laugh a great deal, I'm sure you'd both get along, and I can think of nothing I'd want more, and... wouldn't it be marvelous?" Rubinetto closed his eyes. "I thought I'd never love again, after my heart was broken, you know. And then I met you." "And then you met me," Guerrino replied, beaming. "It would make you happy?" Rubinetto said. "Truly?" "The happiest man alive," Guerrino said. He gave Rubinetto a warm embrace. "Come on, love. Let's go to town. That king seems absolutely wretched, giving his daughter away as a prize in a horsefight. I'm sure Potentiana will be more than glad to be through with him." Guerrino slipped his arm through Rubinetto's as the two men walked towards town, chatting companionably. The wasp Guerrino'd freed from the puddle followed close behind with a grateful hum. <p class="scene-break">♘♞</p> Potentiana laughed, flinging her arms around Guerrino. "I don't know how on earth you recognized me through all those veils, darling," she said, "but you managed well enough. I can't believe my father put you through yet another test. Ugh." "It was quite silly," he replied, "but, you see, there was a rather friendly little wasp following Rubinetto and me on our way into town, and I'd been talking about you as we were walking along, as I was so excited to see you again, and I mentioned how sweet you smelled, and how yellow your hair was, rather like a sunflower, which I figured the wasp could relate to. It seemed only polite, really, to include it in the conversation, you know. So when I saw the three of you lined up with your veils on, I asked the wasp to give a hand, or, rather, an antenna? And it flew your way with such a certainty in its little wings... Well, it seemed the prudent guess!" Potentiana's nose wrinkled as she kissed him on the cheek. "I don't know if I care for having our fate left up to a wasp, but I can't say I'm displeased with the result! And I can't fault your thoughtfulness either." "Indeed!" Guerrino replied. "I've learned from experience that it never hurts to ask the local fauna for help." His already bright face brightened even further. "Oh, Potentiana, you absolutely must meet Rubinetto. He's waiting downstairs." "He's the young man you wouldn't stop talking about, isn't he? He seems like a good sort." "I love him to the ends of the earth, and we've been through so very much together. It's my dearest hope that he'll stay with us. I very much hope you like him," Guerrino said, a little anxiously. "I can't see why I shouldn't," Potentiana replied easily enough. "After all, you are a nice fellow with a good heart, and I'd imagine anyone you love so dearly would be well worth knowing." "Indeed," Guerrino said with a smile. "He annoyed my father to the point where he got tossed in the dungeons, you know!" "I like him already," Potentiana replied. ➤ [[The End|T1S666]]

<<if visited("T1S666") is 1>><<set $achievements++>><</if>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S666.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T1S666">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S666.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T1S666">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S666.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S666.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>> WITCH: What did you learn? KING: This again? WITCH: And again, and a few times after that, until you learn what's needed. Yes. KING: [sighs] WITCH: Don't you get sassy with me, young man. KING: That's Your Majesty to you, witch. WITCH: [laughs heartily, and continues to giggle through the next line] WITCH: Oh, my. That's rather good. WITCH: Now. What did you learn? KING: ...the kings. WITCH: Yes? KING: Their children didn't really care very much for them, did they? WITCH: Brilliant deduction, Your Majesty. KING: No. I'm serious. They... It was a sort of... contempt? WITCH: And why do you suppose that was? KING: I don't have the full context, of course. WITCH: That's rather the point. KING: ...Anyway. I don't know if there was a bigger reason why the man was locked up like that by the first king. WITCH: Does there have to be? KING: There certainly ought to be. WITCH: Did Rubinetto do anything after to demonstrate that he was in any way deserving? KING: I don't know if that's quite fair. WITCH: Life isn't fair. KING: [frustrated] Right. WITCH: What else? KING: The farmer. WITCH: What about him? KING: Why... you just said life wasn't fair, but he just sort of stumbled into everything he wanted. WITCH: Indeed. KING: [makes frustrated noise] WITCH: Ah, but let's be more precise with our language. He didn't stumble, did he? KING: He was at the right place at the right time. WITCH: And? KING: He was successful because he gave people what they needed. Each and every time. They were grateful for the trade, even though he got something of greater value in return. WITCH: Better. KING: You're still going to make me go through another one, aren't you? WITCH: You still have a great deal to learn. And I have a feeling you're telling me what you think I want to hear. KING: [splutters in frustration] WITCH: [with exaggerated sweetness] ➤ <<if $achievements gte 4>><<link "Try again, Your Majesty." "T5S00">><<set $goal.T1 to true>><</link>><<else>><<link "Try again, Your Majesty." "Question 1">><<set $quizcounts to { T1: 0, T2: 0, T3: 0, T4: 0 }>><<set $goal.T1 to true>><</link>><</if>>

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T0Q1.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T0Q1.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''1. Something motivates you to leave home and embark on an adventure. What is it?'' ➤ <b><<link "a. Jealousy." "Question 2">><<set $quizcounts.T2 += 1>><</link>></b> Your mother (or step-mother, or sister) has decided you're getting far more than your share of family attention, and hatched a plot to do away with you. You'll have to find a crafty way to escape, like eating a magic seed, jumping into a well to drown yourself, floating down a river in a crystal coffin, and eventually marrying a peacock. ➤ <b><<link "b. Distance." "Question 2">><<set $quizcounts.T3 += 1>><</link>></b> Someone—most likely your true love—has been banished far away, maybe even to the opposite side of the heavenly river, and you need a way to reunite with them. You are so virtuous and kind, however, there's a sympathetic flock of magpies ready to form a bridge for one day each year. You're sure to find a way. ➤ <b><<link "c. Desire." "Question 2">><<set $quizcounts.T4 += 1>><</link>></b> The icky kind, where your father or brother has decided to marry you, and you're really not feeling it. You'll try asking for a dress as golden as the sun, one as silver as the moon, and one as dazzling as the stars, along with a mantle made from the fur of every animal in the kingdom. That should buy you some time to plan. ➤ <b><<link "d. Poverty." "Question 2">><<set $quizcounts.T1 += 1>><</link>></b> You really need cash. Don't worry, though, you'll probably come up with a great plan! Like pretending your wife is dead so the sultan will give you funeral money, then having your wife pretend you're dead so the sultana will give her funeral money... There's no way they talk to each other. This plan can't fail!

<<if $T2solved is true || visited("T2S02b") gt 1>><<else>><<notify>>Hint 2/6 unlocked!<</notify>><</if>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S02b.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S02b">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S02b.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S02b">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S02b.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S02b.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br><</if>>''A roaring lion.''</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br>[[A mysterious booming voice.|T2S02c]]<<else>>A mysterious booming voice.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br>[[A large, bright green snake.|T2S02a]]<<else>>A large, bright green snake.<</if>></td></tr></table> <p class="has-dropcap">There was a growl, and then a roar, and a lion sprang from the forest to crouch beneath the tree. "I will eat up anyone who tries to steal my singing, springing lark," the lion shouted.</p> You may not know this, if you are not from the valley between the woods, but lions are not common in this particular forest, nor do they usually talk. The trader took care to show every courtesy, though he quaked in his French-style boots. "I beg your pardon. I didn't know it belonged to you. I was looking for a gift for my daughter." You know, I suspect, how this story goes, but I will tell it anyway. The trader offered to ransom himself; the lion rightly noted that if it ate the trader, it could simply take the trader's goods and money. The trader offered a very prettily-worded apology, written out in his best hand; the lion asked quite sincerely what the trader thought a lion would do with such a paper. Finally, the lion announced that it would prefer a surprise, for nothing the trader had was of value to it, and so it might as well have the novelty of the unknown. Whatever the man met first upon returning to his home, that would be the lion's, and the bird would be the trader's in exchange. Here, the trader had some justifiable concerns, for his youngest daughter often ran out to greet him. His servant, who had no particular wish to be eaten by a lion along with his master, insisted it might instead be a cat or a dog. So the bargain was made, and so the trader returned home, with the lark twittering along to console him. Surely you know how this goes. It was not a cat nor a dog. The trader's youngest daughter ran from the house to greet him after his long absence, filled with joy at the lark he had brought for her, and her father wept. He explained the lion, and the bargain, and entreated his daughter not to go. She listened carefully and went outside alone to consider her options... <table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>><<link "She climbs onto her intended's back when they appear at the door." "T2S03">><<set $T2c.H3 to true>><<set $T2S05choice to "c">><</link>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>><<link "She tries to delay and discourage the wedding by demanding a feast of the finest dishes and drinks, which will last for 40 days, and every guest will be showered in gems." "T2S03">><<set $T2c.H3 to true>><<set $T2S05choice to "a">><</link>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>><<link "She consoles her father and sets out the next morning to meet her promised spouse." "T2S03">><<set $T2c.H3 to true>><<set $T2S05choice to "b">><</link>></td></tr></table>

<<if $T2solved is true || visited("T2S02c") gt 1>><<else>><<notify>>Hint 2/6 unlocked!<</notify>><</if>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S02c.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S02c">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S02c.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S02c">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S02c.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S02c.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br>[[A roaring lion.|T2S02b]]<<else>>A roaring lion.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br><</if>>''A mysterious booming voice.''</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br>[[A large, bright green snake.|T2S02a]]<<else>>A large, bright green snake.<</if>></td></tr></table> <p class="has-dropcap">//Stop.//"</p> The voice was like rocks falling, or thunder over the mountains, powerful and strange. The father froze with his hands outstretched and slowly looked up. The figure before him was quite terrible, though he could not have said why. If the voice was like thunder, then the form was like a storm made flesh. It was the eyes, he realized—they were the eyes of a predator, and he knew down to every shivering bone that he was the prey. This was something other than human, and every step across the meadow brought them closer together. "You will leave the poor bird alone," the stranger said. "I meant no offense if the bird is yours. I'll pay you anything you like for it, if only you'll allow me to take it with me," the father babbled. The stranger gathered the bird up; the hands were surprisingly gentle as they held the pigeon close. "Why should I let you have the bird? You've only disturbed its peace and mine." The stranger glanced up, and whatever terrible light had been in them before was gone. "I'm the child of a tseryel, you know." The father stumbled back a step, horrified. "Please, sir—" "No need for //sir//," the stranger murmured. "—the pigeon is for my daughter. It is the only thing I have promised her." The stranger was suddenly looking at him with rapt attention. Every hair on his body stood on end. "The bird is for your daughter, you say?" The stranger held out the pigeon. "Take it; it's yours then. But you must give me this daughter's hand in marriage in return." The father shrank back, afraid for his daughter. Marriage? Surely she would only be fattened up for a meal, in the home of a tseryel. The stranger reached for him, and the farmer flinched, expecting the worst. Instead, the stranger only patted his cheek, the touch as gentle as what the pigeon had received. "Don't be afraid for her. Everything has a price; that's all. Take this and make her happy. I will come to your house in the guise of a camel when it is time to claim my bride." And with that, the stranger shoved the pigeon into the father's hands. The father took the pigeon home to his daughter, but he could not bring himself to tell her about the deal he had struck. He kept the whole encounter secret until he lay on his deathbed. The story came spilling out then, for he feared what would happen to his daughters if they did not fulfill the bargain. He caught his youngest daughter's hand between his own shaking ones. "I have promised that he may take you and marry you. If a camel comes to the house after I am gone, you must go with him." The daughter waited until her father had fallen into a fitful sleep, and then slipped away in a daze. <table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>><<link "She climbs onto her intended's back when they appear at the door." "T2S03">><<set $T2c.H3 to true>><<set $T2S05choice to "c">><</link>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>><<link "She tries to delay and discourage the wedding by demanding a feast of the finest dishes and drinks, which will last for 40 days, and every guest will be showered in gems." "T2S03">><<set $T2c.H3 to true>><<set $T2S05choice to "a">><</link>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>><<link "She consoles her father and sets out the next morning to meet her promised spouse." "T2S03">><<set $T2c.H3 to true>><<set $T2S05choice to "b">><</link>></td></tr></table>

<<if $T2solved is true || visited("T2S02a") gt 1>><<else>><<notify>>Hint 2/6 unlocked!<</notify>><</if>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S02a.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S02a">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S02a.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S02a">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S02a.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S02a.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br>[[A roaring lion.|T2S02b]]<<else>>A roaring lion.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br>[[A mysterious booming voice.|T2S02c]]<<else>>A mysterious booming voice.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br><</if>>''A large, bright green snake.''</td></tr></table> <p class="has-dropcap">The beast glowered down at him, and offered the jeweled branch in exchange for his youngest daughter's hand. The merchant agreed, signing the contract with a trembling hand, and hurried home, hardly believing what had happened.</p> When the beast arrived several years later and demanded a wedding take place, the merchant was more than a little surprised, as he hadn't expected it would know where he lived, and had, indeed, quite forgotten his promise. "I was hoping this day would not come," the merchant said to his youngest daughter despairingly. "I was hoping it was all a bad dream. That I could simply forget what happened, and it would go away." "Well," his youngest daughter replied, "it hasn't." "I gave my word," he told her. "I promised him." The youngest daughter felt her heart sink. "So I must either ruin your reputation, or my future." He shook his head. "You have a choice, daughter." "Do I though?" she replied. "Do I truly?" She sighed in frustration. "I need to get some air." <table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>><<link "She climbs onto her intended's back when they appear at the door." "T2S03">><<set $T2S05choice to "c">><<set $T2c.H3 to true>><</link>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>><<link "She tries to delay and discourage the wedding by demanding a feast of the finest dishes and drinks, which will last for 40 days, and every guest will be showered in gems." "T2S03">><<set $T2c.H3 to true>><<set $T2S05choice to "a">><</link>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>><<link "She consoles her father and sets out the next morning to meet her promised spouse." "T2S03">><<set $T2c.H3 to true>><<set $T2S05choice to "b">><</link>></td></tr></table>

Playtesters: Please click REAL START and take the quiz at least once to get the intro to the game. If you need to leave and come back, you can restart any thread without taking the quiz by choosing any of the direct thread links below REAL START. [[REAL START|T0S666]] [[T1S00]] - Questing Hero [[T2S00]] - Youngest Daughter [[T3S00]] - Enigma [[T4S00]] - Heroic Maiden [[T5S00]] - Endgame If you're restarting, you can use the below to reclaim any progress you've made. (Please, note, the links don't take you to another page, they just set you up before you click one of the above links.) ➤ <<linkreplace "Set T1 achievement">><<set $goal.T1 to true>><<set $achievements++>>T1 achievement set<</linkreplace>> ➤ <<linkreplace "Set T2 achievement">><<set $goal.T2 to true>><<set $achievements++>>T2 achievement set<</linkreplace>> ➤ <<linkreplace "Set T3 achievement">><<set $goal.T3 to true>><<set $achievements++>>T3 achievement set<</linkreplace>> ➤ <<linkreplace "Set T4 achievement">><<set $goal.T4 to true>><<set $achievements++>>T4 achievement set<</linkreplace>> ➤ <<linkreplace "Set T5 achievement">><<set $goal.T5 to true>><<set $achievements++>>T5 achievement set<</linkreplace>> Please only click these if you're @epaulettes or you understand what they do: ➤ <<linkreplace "Set T2 puzzle solved">><<set $T2solved to true>>T2 puzzle set to solved<</linkreplace>> <<link "Set T1 goal only">><<set $goal.T1 to true>><</link>> <<link "Set T2 goal only">><<set $goal.T2 to true>><</link>> <<link "Set T3 goal only">><<set $goal.T3 to true>><</link>> <<link "Set T4 goal only">><<set $goal.T4 to true>><</link>> <<link "Set witch trigger (3 achievements, no specific goals)">><<set $achievements to 3>><</link>> [[Mobile testing 1|T4INV1]] [[Mobile testing 2|T4INV3]] [[Scene break testing|T2S05a]] [[Swap puzzle testing|T2INV]] [[BONG|T3S05]] [[Player test]] [[Credits]]

<<if $T2solved is true || visited("T2S03") gt 1>><<else>><<notify>>Hint 3/6 unlocked!<</notify>><</if>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S03.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S03">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S03.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S03">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S03.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S03.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>An Interlude At The Well</h2><p class="has-dropcap">She took a pot and went to find water. There was another daughter at the well when she arrived. Another wife.</p> They drew water together, their eyes lowered. They spoke in low voices of the strangers they had been promised to, for neither had been given a choice. Each had their own monster, their own eyes watching from the dark. Each had to make a choice. "If the monster is hateful," one whispered, keeping her eyes lowered down, down, down into the well, "what will happen?" "If the monster isn't," the other answered, "what will happen then?" ➤ [[Continue|T2S04]]

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S04.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S04">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S04.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S04">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S04.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S04.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>An Interlude With A Knight</h2><p class="has-dropcap">As the youngest daughter walked back to her house, a handsome knight approached.</p> She offered him a drink of water to cool off, which he gladly took. After he'd quenched his thirst, he turned to her. "Excuse me. I'm looking for an enormous monster, one who's been devouring flocks and people alike, ravaging the countryside and poisoning the rivers, or else drinking them all dry and setting the grassland on fire. Could you tell me which way it's gone?" <center><img src="https://ia801404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/As%20the%20youngest%20daughter%20walked%20back%20to%20her%20house.jpg" width="100%" height="auto"> <small>//As the youngest daughter walked back to her house, a handsome knight approached.//</small></center> The youngest daughter couldn't help but laugh a little through her fear of all this talk of monsters. "I'm afraid that if you stay here, you may meet it. My father has arranged for me to marry a monster, though it may mean my death." The knight looked upon her with concern in his kind eyes. "That's horrible. I'm sure it isn't much consolation, but I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be killed by the monster I'm tasked with hunting. I'm not tasked with marrying them, though. I'm... really not sure whether that's better or worse." She shook her head. "I don't know either. Maybe it depends on what sort of monster my intended turns out to be. I always thought... or hoped, really... I'd marry for love." She knew it was foolish of her to hope for such a thing; she was a youngest daughter, after all, and didn't have much to offer in a marriage. After all, her father had seen fit to make this particular arrangement, hadn't he? It felt right then as though she were being taught a firm lesson about her place in the world. She wasn't sure she liked it very much. The knight shrugged. "You never know. Sometimes love turns up in the least expected places." As he said so, his eyes turned with a fond expression towards a portrait held cradled in his hand. The youngest daughter couldn't help but feel at least a little disappointed for a heartbeat. It seemed as though this handsome monster-slaying knight wasn't here to slay her monster and whisk her away with him. Not that she particularly wanted her monster slain, mind. Or to be whisked. She wondered when she'd begun calling the monster 'her monster.' She cleared her throat, no longer begrudging the knight the soft expression spreading over his face. "That portrait in your hand, the one you looked at just now... I don't mean to pry, but... is that your own beloved?" The knight flushed bright red. "Who, this? No, it's... No, of... It's only... Ah, it's just... a... portrait of my king. Haha." The youngest daughter smiled knowingly. "Your king?" "Pretty silly, right? But he gave it to me before I left, and I couldn't stand to leave it behind. It's probably a waste, though. He had it set in this frame made of the most absurd, giant diamonds... The emperor's taken over the capital and seized all the country's wealth, and yet he still... Well, anyway. He's not... We're... It's not like that." "It sounds complicated." He laughed. "It really is." There was a flash of something dark against the setting sun—something with large wings. The youngest daughter had a brief wild thought to call out a warning, to let it know it was in danger, even though she knew it wasn't her intended. The knight saw it as well. "Oh, hell, did you see that? It's the dragon again. I'm sorry, I have to go. I really hope things work out for you, with your new marriage." "Thank you." "Do you know what you're going to do when your monster shows up?" The youngest daughter shifted a little in her seat, looking out over the horizon, thinking of what the knight said about how love could turn up in unexpected places. She could feel a shiver pass through her—but it wasn't one of fear; it was one of anticipation. "I... Yes. I think I do." ➤ <<if $T2S05choice is "a">>[[Continue|T2S05a]]<<elseif $T2S05choice is "b">>[[Continue|T2S05b]]<<elseif $T2S05choice is "c">>[[Continue|T2S05c]]<</if>>

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S05a.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S05a">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S05a.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S05a">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S05a.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S05a.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br>[[She climbs onto her intended's back when they appear at the door.|T2S05c]]<<else>>She climbs onto her intended's back when they appear at the door.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br><</if>>''She tries to delay and discourage the wedding by demanding a feast of the finest dishes and drinks, which will last for 40 days, and every guest will be showered in gems.''</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br>[[She consoles her father and sets out the next morning to meet her promised spouse.|T2S05b]]<<else>>She consoles her father and sets out the next morning to meet her promised spouse.<</if>></td></tr></table> <p class="has-dropcap">She sat in her room for the rest of the day, refusing company of any kind, and when she came down, her head was high and her voice clear. "I have decided on my mehriyé. I shall only consent to this marriage if there is a feast that lasts for forty days, with all the best food and drink served, and jewels given to each guest as a gift."</p> To her dismay, the beast consented gladly, requesting only three days to prepare the feast. At the end of three days, she, her family, and her family's closest friends were whisked away to his palace in a golden coach where they spent a month feasting and celebrating. She spent the celebrations in silence, sitting next to her monster of a husband, pushing her shirin polo around with her fork, not having much of an appetite. On the afternoon of the fortieth day of celebrations, her family left her, chattering amongst themselves, jewels of all sorts nestled in their pockets alongside bags of candied noghl, so happy and satisfied that they didn't even think to look over their shoulders at her as they left her behind to face her wedding night. She went up to their rooms and hid her face as he came in, her fingers trembling over her eyes, and she could hear a soft rustling sound and a thump, as if something large had been shed. Before her stood the shape of a man, lithe and beautiful, the skin of the beast puddled around his feet. He shyly introduced himself to her as Prince Baharam, son of the Shah of Demons, and told her that he'd come to her realm to study humanity. He told her that he took this form at night, when he was alone with her, and was a beast during the day. She folded her arms. "And what?" she asked, her fear gone. "Am I part of your study?" "You are not a thing to be studied. You are my spouse, and I am yours," he said, after some thought. "I wish to learn about love, as my realm has no such thing. I wish to learn the ways of people, and to have a partner by my side who will help me." "Love isn't a given, you know," she replied. "It doesn't come hand in hand with marriage. It is earned, built over time. So is trust." "Those are both things I am eager to learn," he replied. "What do you want to know? Whatever it is, I shall tell you. I shall always be honest with you. This, I swear." She looked him over. "Are you a man? An animal? A demon? What is your true form?" He considered. "I am me. I am your spouse," they said <p class="scene-break">❦</p> The next two years went by quickly, and they fell into a routine of sorts. Her spouse spent their days in one form, and their nights in another. During the day, they wandered through their beautiful gardens and talked together about what it meant to be human, or she read to them while they curled around her contentedly. Sometimes, the two of them had fierce debates about the meaning of life as stated by one philosopher or another that started over their breakfast and continued for hours after. Their days were full of sunlight and joy, and their conversations were rich and varied. And in the hush of night, they came to her in their other shape, and they practiced another form of debate, their hands soft and their mouth gentle. She would sometimes marvel at the fact that their skin could feel so different under the tips of her fingers from morning to night, while the kindness of their eyes and the tilt of their head when they didn't know the answer to something remained the same. One night, as she brushed the hair from their face, she asked them to tell her their greatest secret, and they told her haltingly how to destroy their animal skin. They asked her to keep this between the two of them, and her heart sang as they told her. It made her feel powerful. It made her feel loved. She had a decision to make. <table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[She is goaded into revealing her spouse's secrets to an untrustworthy relative.|T2S06a][$T2c.H4 to true]]</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[She is determined to honor her spouse's trust.|T2S06b][$T2c.H4 to true]]</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[She is convinced to act against her spouse's wishes.|T2S06c][$T2c.H4 to true]]</td></tr></table>

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S05b.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S05b">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S05b.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S05b">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S05b.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S05b.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br>[[She climbs onto her intended's back when they appear at the door.|T2S05c]]<<else>>She climbs onto her intended's back when they appear at the door.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br>[[She tries to delay and discourage the wedding by demanding a feast of the finest dishes and drinks, which will last for 40 days, and every guest will be showered in gems.|T2S05a]]<<else>>She tries to delay and discourage the wedding by demanding a feast of the finest dishes and drinks, which will last for 40 days, and every guest will be showered in gems.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br><</if>>''She consoles her father and sets out the next morning to meet her promised spouse.''</td></tr></table> <p class="has-dropcap">The youngest daughter was, as previously mentioned, clever and fond of games, and this sounded like quite an adventure. She was also a child of the Enlightenment and had listened to perhaps too many morality tales, for she said staunchly, "A promise is a promise and must be kept. I will go and meet my fate, and then I will return to you."</p> She was in high spirits when she left the little house, and she was right to be, for the monster that so frightened her father turned out to be enchanted royalty. There was a castle in the woods filled with subjects, who had all been cursed to change shape—they were animals by day, and took human form by night. "You were cursed for not being a charming prince?" asked the youngest daughter, who was well-versed in curse punishments. "Not exactly," replied the enchanted royal monster. This answer and subsequent clarifications led to the youngest daughter's next question, which was, "You were cursed for really being a charming enchanted princess?" "Not exactly either," replied the enchanted not-a-monster-at-all, and they had an Enlightened discussion about identity and pronouns. Instead of being eaten, the youngest daughter befriended and eventually married the royal youth, and they lived quite happily together in the castle. Her spouse still journeyed out on occasion, much as her father had, and returned with occasional snippets of news. There was a war on, and while they and their subjects were exempt from the draft lottery and other army involvement—what with being cursed and hidden away in a forest castle—they still liked to stay informed. One day, her spouse reported that the trader's oldest daughter would be married, and there would be a feast. If their wife would like to attend, they would have her escorted safely through the forest. Feeling slightly guilty that her family might have thought her dead for quite some time, she accepted the offer, and there was a tearful reunion that lasted through the wedding. She visited again for her middle sister's wedding, and by this time, she and her spouse had a newborn. The castle servants were very helpful, bathing the infant in water mixed with red wine to keep away the lice, and collecting ladybugs which flew about to the child's delight. However, the lion's share—as it were—of the soothing and feeding and burping fell to her during the day, as the only one with a consistently human pair of hands, and so she was rather frazzled when it came time to travel. "You're coming with me," she told her spouse, for a spouse in monster-shape was far better than no spouse at all when it came to getting their colicky child back to sleep. This led to their first serious domestic dispute, for her spouse said that if a single ray of light fell on them as they traveled, they would be transformed into a dove for seven years—which was true—and she said her spouse just didn't want to meet her family and wanted a quiet vacation from their baby—which was also true—and so they quarreled. She had a decision to make... <table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[She is goaded into revealing her spouse's secrets to an untrustworthy relative.|T2S06a][$T2c.H4 to true]]</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[She is determined to honor her spouse's trust.|T2S06b][$T2c.H4 to true]]</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[She is convinced to act against her spouse's wishes.|T2S06c][$T2c.H4 to true]]</td></tr></table>

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S05c.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S05c">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S05c.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S05c">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S05c.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S05c.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br><</if>>''She climbs onto her intended's back when they appear at the door.''</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br>[[She tries to delay and discourage the wedding by demanding a feast of the finest dishes and drinks, which will last for 40 days, and every guest will be showered in gems.|T2S05a]]<<else>>She tries to delay and discourage the wedding by demanding a feast of the finest dishes and drinks, which will last for 40 days, and every guest will be showered in gems.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br>[[She consoles her father and sets out the next morning to meet her promised spouse.|T2S05b]]<<else>>She consoles her father and sets out the next morning to meet her promised spouse.<</if>></td></tr></table> <p class="has-dropcap">The daughter looked dubiously up at the camel. It didn't look like a tseryel, but the long-lashed eye watched her with an air of calm certainty that looked unnatural on a camel. As she watched, a songbird flew down from the roof. It landed atop the camel's fuzzy head and settled in as if it meant to roost there.</p> Well, now it was her turn. She climbed onto the camel's back, then yelped as it shifted under her. But it only rose to its full height and turned, plodding away from the house. The daughter took one desperate look over her shoulder. It might be the last time she saw her sisters' faces. The journey was long. Eventually, the camel's rocking gait lulled her to sleep, and what followed seemed to live in the realm of dreams. In a deep nighttime hour, whirring with the sound of insects, strong arms placed her in a bed. "Wife," a voice murmured, soft as the wind in the treetops. "Go back to sleep." <p class="scene-break">❦</p> [Birdsong. Sounds of getting up and going outside. Wife:] "There's no one... Very well. Perhaps a tseryel hunts during the day, or has some other business only tseryels know." [Birds transition into night insects. Knock at the door.] "Who...who is it?" "Wife. It is only me. Have you lit the lamp?" "Yes." "Put it out. I will join you at night, but you must never light the lamp, and never look at me." She reached out with trembling hands and snuffed the lamp. As the light flickered and died, she closed her eyes as well. [A footstep.] She turned, reaching out blindly. A hand caught hers. It felt like a human's: warm, the fingers blunt and the palms as soft as if they had never done any work. [Whispered:] "Who are you?" "Your spouse. Nothing more than that." It was a strange way to live. In the daytime, she saw nobody, and felt almost idle, caring for a house that was not shared and cooking for no one but herself. At night, her spouse visited, and she began to sleep later during the day so that she could stay awake longer talking with them. One night, she dared to ask, "What is your name?" There was a long pause, and she began to fear that she had asked something they could not give her. Outside of the clear instructions they had given the first night, they had never spoken of the arrangement between them. Finally, her spouse spoke a name into her ear. The wife smiled, but eventually she said, "You've never asked mine." "I cannot." The wife would have liked to hear her name on her spouse's lips—on anyone's lips at all. Her world had narrowed since her marriage to the secrets kept and shared between them, whispered in the nights. Another night, she asked, "Am I forbidden from seeing anybody else? I enjoy your company, but are you the only person I will ever talk to again?" Again, a hesitation. Sometimes it took her spouse time to find words; she waited, rubbing a thumb over the back of their hand. "If anyone is brave enough to visit the home of a tseryel's child, then they are welcome here," they said at last. "Give me the message, and I'll make sure they can find their way here." The next morning, she wrote to her sisters, and gave the message to her spouse. Then she waited, impatient with nerves. They were not cowards, her sisters, but perhaps they were busy—or perhaps an uncertain quest just to see a married sister was too much to ask of anybody. But then, on a day like any other, all three of her sisters appeared at the door to her house. They showered her with tears, as grateful to see her as she was to see them. She began to understand why her spouse struggled with words when she asked them things. It was difficult to answer questions about this life she had become accustomed to. Most of all, it was difficult to explain her spouse. "What is your husband like?" asked her first sister. "Is he terrifying?" asked the second sister. "Is he good to you?" asked the third, watching her expression. She looked down with a flush heating her cheeks, and the third sister laughed. "Oh, is he beautiful?" "I don't know. I have never seen the face of the person I am married to." Her sisters grew quiet and wary then, and they drew the whole story out of her. She had spent her whole life looking up to her sisters, trusting her first sister's blunt tongue, her second sister's protective nature, and her third sister's keen eyes. All three were troubled by the arrangement which had begun to seem so pleasant to her... Her first sister said, "Your husband is asking too much of you. How do you think you can trust him, if he won't even let you see his face?" "You must find a way to see him," said the second. "For all you know, he //could// be a monster." [A little helplessly:] "I don't care what my spouse looks like." But her third sister said, "If it's really love, won't it be forgiven? A little curiosity? It's not so much to ask." They talked and talked, until the wife began to be really frightened for the first time since her spouse had knocked on her door. Had she been a fool, isolated without anyone for company but her spouse, allowing herself to be convinced that their arrangement was normal? Was it dangerous simply to let her spouse tell her whatever they wanted to, and keep quiet about everything they could not tell? She had a decision to make. <table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[She is goaded into revealing her spouse's secrets to an untrustworthy relative.|T2S06a][$T2c.H4 to true]]</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[She is determined to honor her spouse's trust.|T2S06b][$T2c.H4 to true]]</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[She is convinced to act against her spouse's wishes.|T2S06c][$T2c.H4 to true]]</td></tr></table>

<<if $T2solved is true || visited("T2S06a") gt 1>><<else>><<notify>>Hint 4/6 unlocked!<</notify>><</if>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S06a.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S06a">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S06a.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S06a">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S06a.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S06a.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br><</if>>''She is goaded into revealing her spouse's secrets to an untrustworthy relative.''</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br>[[She is determined to honor her spouse's trust.|T2S06b]]<<else>>She is determined to honor her spouse's trust.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br>[[She is convinced to act against her spouse's wishes.|T2S06c]]<<else>>She is convinced to act against her spouse's wishes.<</if>></td></tr></table> <p class="has-dropcap">Her eldest sister wanted to come visit, and her aunt came as chaperone.</p> Her family members were astonished to see her looking so well, and she in turn hadn't quite realized how much she'd missed them until their arrival. Her aunt continually peppered her with questions, however, and after two days of constant bother, the wife had reached her limit. Her aunt fanned herself as she spooned kaymak into her mouth, managing to look sour even though the dish was sweet. "The town is still talking about your wedding, you know. How awful it was to know you were binding yourself to that thing, and how he had to throw a lavish affair to even get you to consider the match with him. How on earth did you manage your wedding night to your beast of a husband? I'll admit, I'm more than curious on that front as well." The wife felt her cheeks grow hot with anger. "They're my spouse. And they are many things," she retorted. "They are not always the creature you saw at our wedding. At night, they are human, and quite handsome, I'll have you know." "Liar," her aunt replied with a laugh. "A pleasant fiction you tell yourself to keep from running out of your bedroom every evening." Her aunt shivered dramatically. "The thought of that thing slithering up alongside you in your bed—how disgusting it must be to lie with him." "I am not a liar," the wife replied, heatedly. "They shed their skin, and become a beautiful person. More beautiful than any of your suitors." "I'll believe it when I see it," her aunt scoffed. "And wouldn't you rather he was a man forever?" her sister enquired. "So you could walk together outside your palace with your husband without people being frightened of him, and go to dances and balls as a married woman instead of being stuck at home all the time, and you wouldn't have a great old monster looking across from you with his enormous, ugly head at breakfast? Don't you wish you could destroy that nasty, awful skin they shed each night?" "It can't be destroyed. Not unless it's burned with pistachio shells. And for the last time, they are not my husband," the wife corrected, snapping in frustration. "They are not a man. They are my spouse. And they have kind eyes," she added, but her sister and aunt looked unconvinced, and she felt a pang of guilt in her chest. "I am more than just a wife," she added, in a small mutter of discontent. <p class="scene-break">❦</p> Late that night, she awoke to the smell of burning, and sat bolt upright in bed to find that her aunt had taken it upon herself to destroy her spouse's skin with pistachio shells. Her spouse looked down at the destroyed skin in horror. "Love is earned," they said to her, their eyes full of tears. "So is trust." She could feel her heart breaking in two. "I thought you wanted to learn of humanity," she cried out, even though her words rang false. "Doesn't that mean you should be human?" "I am not human, though," they replied. "I am me. And I cannot stay here without my disguise." "Forgive me?" she begged. "I must return to my realm," they said. "I release you from your duties and obligations to me." "I refuse to be released," she replied, stubbornly weeping. "I will come find you, if you'll have me." "I shall tell you how to find me, then," they told her. "It will be a difficult path for you, though. I wish..." They shook their head. "I wish a great many things. I hope I shall see you once more." "You will," she replied. "You will. I swear it." Upon telling her how they could be found, they disappeared, along with the palace. <p class="scene-break">❦</p>The wife went back to her childhood home, and spent six months in mourning before she got up one day and approached her father. "I am done with regret," she said, "my spouse is waiting for me." Her father turned pale. "You would choose this path? To go after your husband?" "Spouse," she corrected, out of force of habit. She frowned in thought. "There have been a great many choices set out before me," she said. "I am not sure, now, if I would have made the same ones if given the chance again. But here I am, now, and I must go forward. This is the best way I know." "You could always stay at home, youngest daughter," her father replied. "No," she said, firmly. "No, I couldn't. I made a promise. You and I both know how powerful those can be. And I am more than your youngest daughter," she added, the set of her chin resolute as she made her way out into the wilderness. <table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>><<link "She must ask the sun, moon, and winds where to find her spouse." "T2S07">><<set $T2c.H5 to true>><<set $T2S09choice to "b">><</link>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>><<link "She must complete a series of impossible tasks to prove her worth." "T2S07">><<set $T2c.H5 to true>><<set $T2S09choice to "c">><</link>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>><<link "She must walk towards the west for 7 years, in 7 iron suits and 7 pairs of iron shoes, with 7 iron canes." "T2S07">><<set $T2c.H5 to true>><<set $T2S09choice to "a">><</link>></td></tr></table>

<<if $T2solved is true || visited("T2S06c") gt 1>><<else>><<notify>>Hint 4/6 unlocked!<</notify>><</if>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S06c.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S06c">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S06c.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S06c">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S06c.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S06c.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br>[[She is goaded into revealing her spouse's secrets to an untrustworthy relative.|T2S06a]]<<else>>She is goaded into revealing her spouse's secrets to an untrustworthy relative.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br>[[She is determined to honor her spouse's trust.|T2S06b]]<<else>>She is determined to honor her spouse's trust.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br><</if>>''She is convinced to act against her spouse's wishes.''</td></tr></table> <p class="has-dropcap">She allowed herself to be persuaded.</p> With the sun falling quickly towards the horizon, the wife lit a candle. Her hands shook so that the flame dipped and bobbed. "Wife," she said to the empty room. "Wife? Is that what I am?" Carefully, she placed the candle into a pot, then balanced the pot lid so that it hid its flame but did not deprive it of air. With a few more things piled around it, the glow could not be seen. Then, she slipped into bed. [Quiet knock, and then a door opening without waiting for an answer.] The bed dipped as a weight settled beside her. A hand landed on her back, but she turned over, pretending that she was merely shifting restlessly in her sleep. Cold air replaced the hand. [The night insects seem to grow louder as she waits, and then at last, a snore.] Asleep. [Rustling, a light thump. A pause. The snores continue—relieved exhale.] She crossed the room to where she had hidden the candle, and drew away the pot lid. She lifted out the candle, shielding the precious flame with her hand. Light spilled out to fill the small room, casting pale orange on the ceiling, the walls, the bare floor between herself and her spouse. As she tiptoed to the bed she made out the slumbering ridge of a shoulder, the snowlike cover of the blanket, and then a shift like the earth moving. The face that turned to her was, for a moment, still soft with sleep. The eyelashes were night-dark against the warm tone of her spouse's cheeks. The mouth was slack, the teeth as blunt as any human's—not the teeth of a flesh-eater. In fact, her spouse looked as human as they had felt in all the nights before this one. But that wasn't what struck her. It was the peace in their expression. Regret pierced her, and she closed her eyes. [The sound of a candle being blown out quickly.] But as the red glow faded from her eyelids, she heard: "Wife." "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." [Rustling and hurried movement, and then the slam of a door.] She whirled, horrified. If her spouse left and never came back, would she ever be able to find them again? She ran after them, following them out of the shelter of their forest and into a barren wilderness. <table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>><<link "She must ask the sun, moon, and winds where to find her spouse." "T2S07">><<set $T2S09choice to "b">><<set $T2c.H5 to true>><</link>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>><<link "She must complete a series of impossible tasks to prove her worth." "T2S07">><<set $T2S09choice to "c">><<set $T2c.H5 to true>><</link>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>><<link "She must walk towards the west for 7 years, in 7 iron suits and 7 pairs of iron shoes, with 7 iron canes." "T2S07">><<set $T2S09choice to "a">><<set $T2c.H5 to true>><</link>></td></tr></table>

<<if $T2solved is true || visited("T2S06b") gt 1>><<else>><<notify>>Hint 4/6 unlocked!<</notify>><</if>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S06b.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S06b">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S06b.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S06b">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S06b.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S06b.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br>[[She is goaded into revealing her spouse's secrets to an untrustworthy relative.|T2S06a]]<<else>>She is goaded into revealing her spouse's secrets to an untrustworthy relative.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br><</if>>''She is determined to honor her spouse's trust.''</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br>[[She is convinced to act against her spouse's wishes.|T2S06c]]<<else>>She is convinced to act against her spouse's wishes.<</if>></td></tr></table> <p class="has-dropcap">Her spouse decided that they should stay hidden away in a dark room, which she had built by the servants to the strictest specifications, so that not even a drop of light could penetrate. When the wedding procession went past, with all the torches and lanterns and splendor of celebration, her spouse could listen from the comfort and safety of this private space.</p> As was the way of such things, however, the wood of the walls was green, and as it dried, it warped just enough to allow the smallest crack of light to shine through. It was no wider than a single hair, but in an instant, her spouse was transformed into a dove, and their wings battered the wooden walls of the room. Her spouse could speak in any shape, and so they said, "I must fly for seven years around the world—but if you follow me, then for every seven steps you take, I shall let one drop of blood spill onto the ground, and one white feather, so that you won't lose me. If you follow me this way, then at the end of seven years, the curse will be ended." So they traveled together into the wide world, the dove flying ahead and the wife following behind, taking care to stay close lest they be separated. After nearly seven years, the wife rejoiced to think their trial had nearly ended; but the next time she took seven steps there was no feather, nor any drop of blood, and when she looked up to the sky, the dove had vanished. She was lost, alone, in the wilderness... <table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>><<link "She must ask the sun, moon, and winds where to find her spouse." "T2S07">><<set $T2S09choice to "b">><<set $T2c.H5 to true>><</link>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>><<link "She must complete a series of impossible tasks to prove her worth." "T2S07">><<set $T2S09choice to "c">><<set $T2c.H5 to true>><</link>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>><<link "She must walk towards the west for 7 years, in 7 iron suits and 7 pairs of iron shoes, with 7 iron canes." "T2S07">><<set $T2S09choice to "a">><<set $T2c.H5 to true>><</link>></td></tr></table>

<<if $T2solved is true || visited("T2S07") gt 1>><<else>><<notify>>Hint 5/6 unlocked!<</notify>><</if>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S07.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S07">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S07.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S07">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S07.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S07.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>An Interlude in the Wilderness</h2><p class="has-dropcap">The wife walked wearily along the barren landscape. She could feel how parched she was—her mouth sticky and gummy, her tongue sore.</p> Out of a patch of straggly trees came two men, walking briskly, arm in arm, laughing with one another in a companionable sort of way. They paused when they saw her. "Hello," said the first man. "I'm Guerrino, this is Rubinetto." The wife nodded in reply. "You don't happen to have magical horse shoes on you, do you?" he asked, looking hopeful. The wife paused, and raised an eyebrow. She had very little at the moment. She most certainly did not have horse shoes. Carrying around horse shoes without a horse to put them on really didn't make much sense. Guerrino continued to look expectant, and a little hopeful, the sun bright on his face. "No," she managed. "I do not." "Oh," he replied, a little crestfallen. "I mean, it didn't look like you would, but I imagine they could shrink down very small." "What?" "The... the horse shoes? So you could fit them in your pocket? They'd be magical, after all, so it's not out of the question. I'd like to think that'd be rather convenient. Portable." There was another lengthy pause. "Right," Guerrino said cheerfully, "I suppose we'll try elsewhere. Best of luck to you and all that." "You don't happen to have any water on you?" the wife asked. "Anything that could quench my thirst? I have yet to encounter a stream." "Sorry!" Guerrino replied, after a brief look to his companion. "Afraid not! We're just looking for horse shoes, see. So there wasn't a great deal of consideration for other necessities. Beyond the horse shoes. Which we're looking for. We're on a quest!" "...Best of luck to you." He waved, smiling sunnily, and continued to make his way. ➤ [[Continue|T2S08]]

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S08.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S08">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S08.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S08">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S08.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S08.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>An Interlude With An Orange</h2><p class="has-dropcap">A while later, the wife saw another figure approaching her.</p> She'd taken to sucking on a stone—her mother had read her a bedtime story where the hero had wandered through a wasteland without water, and he'd done that. It helped, a little. She missed her mother very much, just then. "Miss?" the figure said, reaching for the bag on his belt, his kind eyes furrowed with worry. "You seem to need these far more than I." He handed her the bag of oranges, fresh and juicy. "Oh." She sounded a little teary just then, although she was far too parched to weep. The smell of the oranges was sharp and refreshing. "Oh, thank you. What can I give you in return?" He shrugged. "Whatever you want to, really. I've found that tends to work out, in the end." She drew a piece of silk from her pocket—she'd grabbed it on a whim as a remembrance when she'd left home, and kept it in her pocket out of habit since. It was far too fine a weave to serve as a useful wrap around her head, however, or use as a handkerchief, and right now, she was aiming for practical. Oranges were very practical in the wilderness. She handed him the scarf. "I very much hope it works out for you." She knew what she must do. ➤ <<if $T2S09choice is "a">>[[Continue|T2S09a]]<<elseif $T2S09choice is "b">>[[Continue|T2S09b]]<<elseif $T2S09choice is "c">>[[Continue|T2S09c]]<</if>>

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S09a.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S09a">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S09a.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S09a">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S09a.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S09a.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br>[[She must ask the sun, moon, and winds where to find her spouse.|T2S09b]]<<else>>She must ask the sun, moon, and winds where to find her spouse.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br>[[She must complete a series of impossible tasks to prove her worth.|T2S09c]]<<else>>She must complete a series of impossible tasks to prove her worth.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br><</if>>''She must walk towards the west for 7 years, in 7 iron suits and 7 pairs of iron shoes, with 7 iron canes.''</td></tr></table> <p class="has-dropcap">It took seven years of walking. During those seven years, she encountered many people—some kind, some not so kind—but spent much of it in solitude, walking towards her spouse's kingdom.</p> When she was alone with her thoughts, she remembered the feel of her spouse's dear head under her fingers as she read to them, feeling the hum of satisfaction in their chest as she read a particularly good line of poetry, recalling the delicate way they took kebab from her fingers as the two of them ate their afternoon meal, and oh, she missed them mightily. Those memories sustained her when she felt sad, or hopeless, or tired, and kept her moving forward. "I am earning your trust," she said at the start of each day, putting on her iron shoes. "I love you," she said at the end of each day when taking them off, before she fell asleep. "I love you, I miss you, I am one day closer." At the end of the seventh year, when she'd worn clean through her seventh pair of iron shoes, she took off the scraps of metal, said her nightly prayer, and fell soundly asleep. When she awoke, she was in a strange land, dark and twisted, and she knew she'd found her way to her spouse's kingdom. After so many years of walking, she was used to it by now, and trudged along steadily until she found a castle. Her spouse had warned her of the dangers of their kingdom—many times, they'd told her stories of how cruel and capricious their family could be, how it was an awful place without beauty, music, or love—so she approached the castle with care. She noticed a serving girl drawing water, and managed to drop her wedding ring into the girl's bucket surreptitiously to let her spouse know she had arrived, and within the hour, she was in the embrace of her beloved. "I told you I'd come for you," she said, fiercely, wrapping her arms around them. "My dearest spouse," they replied, nuzzling her. "How I have missed you. How I have hated being here without you. Thank you for coming for me." <p class="scene-break">❦</p> Her spouse looked at her with a worried expression. "My step-mother, the Queen of Demons, is trying to marry me off to my cousin. She won't acknowledge my marriage to a human woman, she says it goes against nature. I keep telling her I am already married, but she will not listen. I have held off for as long as I could, but we must make our escape within the month or I shall be trapped here forever, forced to betray my vows to you and marry someone I do not love. I need to gather a few things to make good our escape, but I must do so carefully, so that my step-mother will not suspect a thing." The two of them came up with a plan—she was to be transformed and hidden in plain sight, buying her spouse time to gather what was needed. First, she was transformed into a needle, but her step-mother-in-law soon sniffed her out. "My sewing-box smells of human," she complained. "I shall have to throw it all out. I blame you, child. After so many years, the stink of humanity still lingers on you. Oh, how it disgusts me." Her spouse then transformed her into a broom, before she could be tossed out with the sewing box. But yet again, the daughter-in-law was sniffed out. "You must have touched this broom, child, for I can smell humanity all over it. I shall throw it in the ash-heap. To think you claim to have loved one of them! How laughable." Next, she became a spray of flowers, for they figured its sweet scent would cover hers, but she was quickly discovered once more. "Her essence lingers over you, child, and spoils even the perfume of the flowers around you." The daughter-in-law barely escaped being snapped in two. She could hide no longer. With trepidation, her spouse introduced her to the Queen of Demons as a traveling guest. "A friend, from my time in her realm. I promised we would show her hospitality." The step-mother's lip curled in disgust, but she begrudgingly accepted her daughter-in-law's presence. The next morning, however, she began to give the daughter-in-law a series of tasks, each more impossible than the last. "Hospitality is earned here," the Queen of Demons said, harshly. "Do not expect gentleness." She was given a white cloth and a black cloth, and told to wash each until they switched colors. Her spouse found her scrubbing away, and sighed, singing a tune so they switched back. The next morning, it was a task to fill clay pots with a sieve. Her spouse sang a spell to seal the holes in the sieve. The third morning, it was to separate a mixed bag of wheat, rice, lentils, millet, poppy, and vetch into separate piles, which was tedious, and impossible to do before nightfall. Her spouse requested the help of some ants, who spent all day sorting for her. "I did them a favor a while back," they said to her. "This place is not used to acts of charity, and so the creatures here are quite grateful whenever it is shown." "You turned out so different from your awful family," the daughter-in-law said. "How did you come to be so wonderful?" "I heard a song once," her spouse said. "When I was very young. I felt my heart stir, and I knew, then, that I wanted to be surrounded by beauty, and music, and love." The daughter-in-law felt a momentary pang. "I am sorry," she said. "For making you leave all that." They shook their head. "You came back for me," they said. "You are my beauty, my music, and my love. I am so happy that we found each other twice." They tilted their head. "And you," they added. "You turned out so different from your family, too. I heard them all talking at the wedding, you know. About how monstrous and frightening I was. I thought you'd hate me." She laughed a little. "I suppose I am different," she admitted. "Mostly thanks to loving you, I suspect." Her spouse pressed their head against hers. "I only need a little more time—I've got almost everything we need. And then, we shall be free of my step-mother." The daughter-in-law could feel frustration building behind her teeth, but she sighed, resolute. "I am far more than a daughter-in-law, you know. I will do what I can, my darling spouse," she said. The only way forward was... <table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[A bloody plot to ensure their survival.|T2S10c][$T2c.H6 to true]]</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[An unexpected double-cross and a stealthy rescue.|T2S10b][$T2c.H6 to true]]</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[A dramatic magical chase scene.|T2S10a][$T2c.H6 to true]]</td></tr></table>

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S09b.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S09b">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S09b.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S09b">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S09b.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S09b.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br><</if>>''She must ask the sun, moon, and winds where to find her spouse.''</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br>[[She must complete a series of impossible tasks to prove her worth.|T2S09c]]<<else>>She must complete a series of impossible tasks to prove her worth.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br>[[She must walk towards the west for 7 years, in 7 iron suits and 7 pairs of iron shoes, with 7 iron canes.|T2S09a]]<<else>>She must walk towards the west for 7 years, in 7 iron suits and 7 pairs of iron shoes, with 7 iron canes.<</if>></td></tr></table> <p class="has-dropcap">The wife looked around her and rightly guessed that people wouldn't be of any use to her, so—being an innovative woman and creative thinker—she climbed up to ask the sun, which shone down through the sky. Light was, after all, the cause of her current problems, so perhaps she thought the sun owed her one.</p> Their conversation was brief—the sun claimed it hadn't seen a dove; the wife asked politely how on earth that could be possible when the sun shone into every crevice and crack in the world—including, it went unsaid, into the green-wood room where her spouse's transformation had lately taken place. At the end of it, the sun gave her a small chest to open if in great need, and she went to see if the moon would be any more helpful. It was not. In spite of—as the wife pointed out—shining all night through the fields and woods, the moon had not seen a dove, and instead gave her an egg to crack open if in great need. When the night wind reached her, she asked again. The night wind had not seen a dove in any of the trees or under the fallen leaves, but summoned the east and west winds, which had no news, and the south wind. The south wind had news, but it wasn't good: The dove had transformed into a lion, as seven years had passed, and was currently fighting a princess enchanted into the form of a great serpent. The night wind, sympathetic, offered some advice. The only way forward was... <table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[A bloody plot to ensure their survival.|T2S10c][$T2c.H6 to true]]</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[An unexpected double-cross and a stealthy rescue.|T2S10b][$T2c.H6 to true]]</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[A dramatic magical chase scene.|T2S10a][$T2c.H6 to true]]</td></tr></table>

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S09c.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S09c">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S09c.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S09c">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S09c.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S09c.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br>[[She must ask the sun, moon, and winds where to find her spouse.|T2S09b]]<<else>>She must ask the sun, moon, and winds where to find her spouse.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br><</if>>''She must complete a series of impossible tasks to prove her worth.''</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br>[[She must walk towards the west for 7 years, in 7 iron suits and 7 pairs of iron shoes, with 7 iron canes.|T2S09a]]<<else>>She must walk towards the west for 7 years, in 7 iron suits and 7 pairs of iron shoes, with 7 iron canes.<</if>></td></tr></table> <p class="has-dropcap">Two sets of footsteps trampling through grass; insect noise.]</p> [Wife, distraught and panting: ]"I can't keep up." [The footsteps stop.] "I'm sorry. I know I promised—" [Spouse sighs.] "It was always an impossible task. That's why she set it." "'She'?" "My mother. When I sought her permission to take a wife, years ago now, she told me that no human girl could love the son of a predator like her. I would always be too much like her. At last, she gave her permission, but only on the conditions that I gave you." "What will happen now that I've broken my promise?" [Excruciating pause.] "I can't lie to her. She sees straight through it. She'll know, and she'll—I must tell her now, and try to persuade her to give you a chance." //"What will happen?"// "She will kill you and serve you for dinner. Humans are meat to her, you see; and if she thinks that you cannot love me wholeheartedly..." "But I do! My love, I do." "I know. I couldn't bear it if... Let me talk to her. Trust me." "I do." [Footsteps again, less hurried than before.] "We're here." "What should I do?" "Climb that tree and stay still until she promises not to harm you." [Sounds of effort very briefly, and then silence as she settles into the tree. Distant gentle splashing, then ceramic smashing. A long pause, and then a woman's voice, the tseryel:] "Ah, I see. Only your reflection, not a sweet girl within arms' reach after all. Why don't you come down? Even the hardest fruit must fall from the tree at some point." "Mother. This is your daughter-in-law." "Daughter-in-law, is she? No, she isn't. The moon is bright tonight; if I can see your soft, foolish face right now, then so can she. You know what I said when I agreed to let you marry." "She loves me—I, I love her. Mother, you must promise not to harm her." [Mother scoffs.] "This is only a brief reprieve. If she cannot prove the strength of the love between you, then she will pay the price of her failure. I will not let you keep a wife who is not worthy of you... Yes, all right, I promise." [Birdsong.] [Mother's voice:] "Do you see this courtyard? Your first task is to clean it until not even a speck of dust is left." [Wife:] "Does she think I've never tidied before?" [Spouse:] "When she says 'a speck of dust,' she means it. Here, allow me to do something." [Knocking on a rock, then water flowing and spreading out across the courtyard. Wife gives a little yelp.] [Spouse:] "She's never complained about a thorough washing before." "Aren't the tasks meant for me?" "She wanted us to prove our love. I always thought that perhaps, when I found a wife, we could be a team." Her spouse's mother could find no flaw in their work. She instructed them to sleep in the courtyard if they were staying, and left them alone until the following morning. [Footsteps, then Mother's voice:] "You allow your husband to sleep on hard ground without anything to rest his head on? You must fill a cushion with feathers, one from each bird that lives near the house." [Wife:] "//This// is how she wants me to prove that I love you?" "Don't fret. It's not so impossible..." "And how will she know I've collected every feather? Does she know all the birds so well, when she can't be bothered to understand her own child?" "Whether she knows the birds doesn't matter. //We// know the birds." "Do we?" "Go talk to them and see. Tell them your spouse is sick and needs a cushion." [Rustling, climbing sounds, the bird song is louder when it stops. Then, Wife:] "...Birds? Do you know who I—oh. Hello." [Laugh.] "My spouse isn't feeling well; I need a cushion for them, with a feather from every bird." [Emphatic twitter.] She watched with astonishment as one by one, birds swooped and hopped and flitted to her, the pile of feathers growing and growing. [With a smile in her voice:] "My love. One feather pillow for your tender head." "What did I tell you?" "It would have been perfectly impossible without you." Once again, the results were pronounced satisfactory, but the two were awoken rudely the next morning. [Mother:] "Ungracious girl, I heard the birds complaining all night about their missing feathers. I'll provide cushions for my son myself; you must return every feather to its rightful owner." [Long pause, then Wife speaks:] "I have a name. And these are just—" [Quickly, almost interrupting:] "She's just testing you. Us. We can do this together, too; she has to see. Here; follow me." They walked into the forest together, hand in hand, with the cushion the wife had made. [Spouse's voice:] "My friends, we've come to return your generous gifts." [Various bird sounds, and Spouse and Wife:] "Thank you." "We're very grateful." [And then it's just Spouse and Wife.] [Wife speaks:] "I've never said so many thank yous. They're sweet. Do they listen to your mother like that, too?" "They listen to anyone who listens to them, too." [Pause.] "No, not like that." "It almost seems like you can understand them. Is that part of your... Sorry, am I allowed to ask about this?" "I'm not sure why I am the way that I am. I've only ever known that she's my mother, but I'm not like her." "Maybe that's a good thing. You haven't eaten me." "She won't eat you, either." [When the next scene cuts in, they're laughing, and then they stop abruptly.] [Spouse, warily:] "Mother." "One last test, girl, before I'll know whether I can call you daughter-in-law." [Wife:] "Name it." [Sloshing, and an //oof// from Wife.] "...What is the task?" "I spilled good milk in this water, and I need it back. Separate them for me, there's a good girl." [There is a silence here long enough to convey shock.] "Can your birds fix this, too?" "No." [Pause.] "You don't know how to do this." [A terrible penny has dropped.] "No. I don't." "Well, I certainly don't!" "My mother is trying to kill you. When she comes back and sees that you haven't done what she asked, she will kill you." [From the distance, Mother's voice calling:] "Son!" [Wife:] "Just go." "I won't—" "Go. My love. I'll find a way." The only way forward was... <table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[A bloody plot to ensure their survival.|T2S10c][$T2c.H6 to true]]</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[An unexpected double-cross and a stealthy rescue.|T2S10b][$T2c.H6 to true]]</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br><<else>>➤<br><</if>>[[A dramatic magical chase scene.|T2S10a][$T2c.H6 to true]]</td></tr></table>

<<if $T2solved is true || visited("T2S10a") gt 1>><<else>><<notify>>Hint 6/6 unlocked!<</notify>><</if>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S10a.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S10a">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S10a.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S10a">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S10a.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S10a.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br>[[A bloody plot to ensure their survival.|T2S10c]]<<else>>A bloody plot to ensure their survival.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br>[[An unexpected double-cross and a stealthy rescue.|T2S10b]]<<else>>An unexpected double-cross and a stealthy rescue.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br><</if>>''A dramatic magical chase scene.''</td></tr></table> <p class="has-dropcap">The daughter-in-law...</p> "Seriously?" ...The daughter-in-law made her way to the Queen of Demons' sister's house, lugging her supplies, her mind laden with the things her spouse told her to do in order to safely make her escape. She'd been tasked with stealing the 'Give and Take' box her Mother-in-law desired, and the Aunt-in-law's palace was quite heavily guarded. She'd already complimented the thorny branch she'd seen along the path, calling it a rosebush, and had praised the dirty river she'd come across by calling it rosewater. There was straw for the donkeys, and bones for the dogs. She'd also been told... "To open the doors that are closed, and close the doors that are open, take the box, and not open it. I know full well, thank you. I am no simpleton. I don't need reminders," the daughter-in-law shouted to the heavens. "And I have a name, you know!" "Thought you'd get tired of all this mess far sooner," said the witch, stepping out from behind a tree. The daughter-in-law shrieked in surprise, her heart pounding in her chest as she turned to the witch. "Is this your doing?" she asked. The witch shrugged. "Partially, I suppose," she said, waving a hand. "It's complicated. Regardless. You have been through quite an ordeal, haven't you, Yasmin?" Yasmin shuddered a little. "I haven't been called that in a while," she said. "You're quite resourceful, you know," the witch said. "Smart, persistent..." "I've had to be," Yasmin replied, suddenly feeling very weary. "It's just... It's just one thing after another, and I'm getting quite sick of it. And if I hear 'you decide to...' one more time, I will scream. Or lie down and refuse to go one step further. Because it's not my decision. It never has been, and I hate it." The witch nodded. "I know." She sighed, heavily. "Believe me, I know." She paused. "You could walk away from all this." Yasmin snorted. "Be serious." "I am. You could become a witch. Like me. You certainly have the aptitude for it." The witch raised an eyebrow. "You can be the one who tells the story." Yasmin shifted her pack, the straw scratching the back of her neck, as she considered her options. "Or?" The witch shrugged again. "You let me know. Do you want to be with your Prince Baharam? Really and truly?" Yasmin bit her lip. "Don't say yes out of obligation," the witch warned. "Or guilt. That's as much of a trap as all this is." Yasmin began to cry. "I do," she said, quietly. "I actually do." The witch looked disappointed, but nodded. "Very well," she said. "It figures, really, that you'd fall in love. True love is the bane of witches everywhere. You remind me of someone I once knew, you know. She was quite stubborn too." She stood on her tiptoes to kiss Yasmin on the forehead. "The next choice is all yours, my dear." Yasmin looked uncertain. "Really?" The witch nodded. "I give you my word." "Very well." She adjusted her pack once more, so that it sat squarely. "Before you go," she added. "You know my name, it's only fair I know yours." The witch laughed, and whispered into Yasmin's ear. "We'll have to have a tea once all is said and done," Yasmin said to the witch, who looked at her, surprised. "I think I'd like that," the witch replied. Yasmin nodded, and walked toward her Aunt-in-law's house, her pack somehow feeling lighter. She did all she was asked to do, and in the end, when her Aunt-in-law tried to call on the doors, dogs, donkeys, river, and bush to capture her, they all remembered that she'd done them a kindness, and let her go, clutching the 'Give and Take' box tightly in her hands. ➤ [[Continue|T2S11a]]

<<if $T2solved is true || visited("T2S10c") gt 1>><<else>><<notify>>Hint 6/6 unlocked!<</notify>><</if>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S10c.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S10c">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S10c.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S10c">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S10c.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S10c.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br><</if>>''A bloody plot to ensure their survival.''</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br>[[An unexpected double-cross and a stealthy rescue.|T2S10b]]<<else>>An unexpected double-cross and a stealthy rescue.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br>[[A dramatic magical chase scene.|T2S10a]]<<else>>A dramatic magical chase scene.<</if>></td></tr></table> <p class="has-dropcap">The daughter-in-law stared hollowly at the pan filled with milk and water, her spouse's words echoing through her head.</p> Separating the milk from the water would be impossible. When her mother-in-law returned, she would die. [Sound of the gate opening.] She stood hurriedly, her heart in her mouth. "My love?" she called out, praying it was her spouse, and not her wretched mother-in-law. [Footsteps.] Into the room walked a witch. "Madame!" the daughter-in-law cried out. "What are you doing in this awful place? You must flee, before my mother-in-law returns, and kills us both!" "Oh, Tiziri," the witch replied. "I am here to offer you a choice." Tiziri trembled. "What kind of choice?" she asked. "It's only, the last few haven't been so very pleasant. And I'm not even sure I'd make some of them again, if I'm to be honest." "Wise girl," the witch replied. "What if I could offer you the chance to turn your husband into a man? Permanently? For the rest of his days?" Tiziri paused in thought. "Their mother wouldn't care for that very much, I think," she said. The witch waved a hand. "She'd kick you both out, no doubt." Tiziri hummed. "But, the thing is, I'm not sure my Lunğa would care for that either," she said. "Ah," the witch replied. "You see, my love has more than one form. I would not care to limit them so. Not against their will. And certainly not to please me." She looked over to the witch. "It is at the heart of who they are. No, I wouldn't do that." "What would you do then?" Do you... <table><tr><td>Attempt to run?</td><td>Attempt trickery?</td><td>Attempt to kill your husband?</td></tr></table> "No. I don't care for any of those in the least. Who says those are the only other choices left me? I call that rather foolish. I laugh at the notion I would even consider that last one. You hardly know me at all, do you? You didn't even call my love by the right title. I refuse to even consider any of these." "What is left?" "Why, faith. I have faith that the love my spouse feels for me and the love I feel for them will triumph. I cannot separate out the water from the milk; neither can they. This we both know full well. Their mother will kill me when she discovers this, and I will be powerless to stop her. We know that, too. So, I must trust in my Lunğa to help me." "You really think that after all these trials, your spouse will stand up to their mother this time around? Bold of you." "Practical, you mean. Until now, my love had the means to help me, and could believe, at least a little, that this was all a way to test our devotion and teamwork, and that their mother would keep her word. Now that the task is truly an impossible one, beyond their skills to assist with, it is a different premise altogether. So I must have faith, and hold true, for that is all I have left to give. And I give it, willingly." "You will not flee?" "Never." "Very well, Tiziri. Best of luck to you." With shoulders back and eyes straight, Tiziri's expression was serene. "Thank you, but I don't believe I shall need it." ➤ [[Continue|T2S11c]]

<<if $T2solved is true || visited("T2S10b") gt 1>><<else>><<notify>>Hint 6/6 unlocked!<</notify>><</if>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S10b.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S10b">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S10b.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S10b">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S10b.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S10b.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Tiziri</b><br>[[A bloody plot to ensure their survival.|T2S10c]]<<else>>A bloody plot to ensure their survival.<</if>></td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Lark</b><br><</if>>''An unexpected double-cross and a stealthy rescue.''</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>><b>Yasmin</b><br>[[A dramatic magical chase scene.|T2S10a]]<<else>>A dramatic magical chase scene.<</if>></td></tr></table> <p class="has-dropcap">The night wind stepped from the shadows.</p> "On the banks of the Red Sea, you will find a bank of reeds. If you cut the eleventh one from the water's edge and strike the serpent with it, you will force it to transform. You can then escape with your spouse on the back of a griffin. You can find the griffin in a cave just north of where the fight is taking place." She then gave the wife the nut. "Planting this will make a tree grow, which will give the griffin a place to rest on your journey. "And I wish to give another gift," the night wind added. "If you want it." "What are you offering?" the wife asked, tucking the nut into her pocket. "The most powerful thing I can think of," the night wind replied. "A name." "...Oh," the wife replied. She blinked a little. "I have one," she said, but she sounded a little uncertain. "Do you?" the night wind replied. "Of course I do," she said, scoffing a little. "Everyone has one." "It's only, I've been listening quite closely to your story—it's what the wind does, you know—and I have yet to hear it. What is it, then?" "I... I don't... I don't know." The night wind looked at her not unkindly. "It tends to happen from time to time in stories about youngest daughters, I'm afraid." She leaned in. "Happens to storytellers, too. They never get names. Unless they're brothers, that is." "Pardon?" "Never mind, dear. What would you like it to be? Your name?" The wife thought for a long while. "I shall be Lark," she said, decidedly. "Do you love them?" the night wind asked Lark. Lark paused again. "I do," she replied. "Well, then," the night wind said. "Best of luck to you, Lark." <<linkreplace "➤ Decide your ending.">>Decide your ending. "Do you know," Lark said to herself, thoughtfully, "I believe I shall." ➤ [[Continue|T2S11b]]<</linkreplace>>

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S11a.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S11a">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S11a.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S11a">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S11a.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S11a.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>>[[Lark's ending|T2S11b]]<</if>></td><td>''A new resolve''</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>>[[Tiziri's ending|T2S11c]]<</if>></td></tr></table> <p class="has-dropcap">Yasmin's spouse met her at the gates to their castle, a worried look on their face. "We must go, and soon," they called out to her as she approached. "My step-mother has seen through our ruses, and is bringing my cousin on the hour to marry me."</p> Her spouse tilted their head towards a sack next to them. "This will help—I think I've got all we need." Just then, the Queen of Demons emerged, looking thunderous. "A human in my home is one thing altogether, but this... this thing—this is the thing that you claim to have married? A laughable thought indeed." Yasmin chucked the 'Give and Take' box at her step-mother-in-law's feet. "Your home is lacking any warmth or kindness, as much as your cooking is lacking in spice. Your world is a cold one indeed, and I am taking my spouse away from this place." "That's rich," the Queen of Demons sneered. "He doesn't belong in your world. And you are the one who told him so." "I have learned better," Yasmin retorted. "Something you could stand to do. I choose them, and I will keep choosing them, all of them, and neither you nor anyone else can stop me." "How dare you, you..." "My name is Yasmin," she replied. "You would do well to remember it." They ran then, as the Queen released an army of giants to track them down, and Yasmin reached into the sack to pull out a bag of needles, which became a thick forest when she flung it behind her, and then a box of salt, turning into a vast salt desert, and lastly, a jug of water that became a vast sea, into which the giants all fell and foundered. Yasmin and her spouse stood at the shore, free. "Where shall we go now?" the prince asked her, tilting their dear head. "Wherever we wish," Yasmin replied. "As long as we're together." ➤ <<if $T2solved is true>>[[The End|T2INV]]<<else>>[[The End?|T2INV]]<</if>>

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S11b.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S11b">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S11b.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S11b">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S11b.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S11b.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>>[[Yasmin's ending|T2S11a]]<</if>></td><td>''An ending, chosen''</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>>[[Tiziri's ending|T2S11c]]<</if>></td></tr></table> <p class="has-dropcap">Lark set out to reclaim her spouse, following the night wind's instructions to the letter. You might think this was a great deal of information for anyone to retain, but after seven years, she was extremely motivated.</p> She found the reeds growing on the bank of the Red Sea, and counted to the eleventh, and cut it. She found the serpent battling her spouse, and struck the serpent with the reed so her spouse could defeat it. She found the griffin, explained the conveniences of the nut she had to offer, and was about to set off with her now-human-shaped spouse when the princess—who //had//, for the record, been cursed for not being charming, nor especially morally upright either—absconded with Lark's spouse and the griffin alike, leaving her stranded on the island. This was, it has to be said, a significant blow to Lark's long-sought happy ending, and she sat down among the reeds and had a bit of a cry. Then, because she was Lark, and no warped green wood, shapeshifting enchantments, or foreign princesses were going to stand in her way, she picked herself up again and traveled until at last she came upon the princess' castle. She had another shock at this point, as everyone at the castle was talking about the princess' upcoming wedding feast, when she would marry the mysterious royal youth she'd brought back with her on a griffin. This may be a shock to you as well, since up to this point Lark and her spouse seemed to be happily married and co-parenting—but the youth had been bewitched and ensorcelled, so I ask that you cut them a little slack. Lark, being in great need at this moment, opened the chest given to her by the sun, and found in it a golden dress as resplendent as the sun itself. She walked into the castle, radiant, and everyone was awestruck at her appearance, including the bride. The princess immediately coveted Lark's dress—as she coveted Lark's spouse—and while Lark would not sell it, she did strike an unusual bargain. She offered the glittering gown, which would now be the princess' wedding dress, in exchange for one night with the princess' betrothed. Upon arriving in her spouse's bedchamber, however, Lark found them deeply asleep, having been drugged with a potion by the princess' maidservant. She whispered piteous but understandable sentiments into their slumbering ears—that she had followed them for seven years, she had asked the sun and the moon and the four winds in her search for them, and she had struck blows against a serpent for them. In their dreams, Lark's spouse heard her voice, but only as the wind whistling through the fir trees. The next day, having lost her dress and still not regained her beloved, Lark cracked open the egg given to her by the moon, and from the egg hatched a mother hen with twelve golden chicks. They peeped and flapped and ran about, and the princess found them so adorable that she asked to buy them. Lark made the same offer: The hen and twelve golden chicks, in exchange for a night with the princess' betrothed. She had no more chests or eggs; this was her last chance. Luckily for her, and for us, Lark's spouse was no fool. They asked the servant about the wind rustling through the firs, and the servant cracked under pressure like the moon's enchanted egg and told them everything—the sleeping potion, the girl that slept in the room at night, and the second potion that had been intended for them tonight. Lark told her spouse everything, and her voice broke the spell cast on them by the princess. The two of them crept out of the castle that night, rode the griffin across the sea, and returned to their child. "Now that you're no longer cursed," Lark asked, "will you still be one self during the day, and another at night?" Lark's spouse hesitated. "It is traditional," they admitted, "for the wife to choose which shape I am in during the day, and which during the night, as it pleases you." Lark took her spouse's hand. "It would please me most if you were all of yourself, all of the time," she answered. And they lived happily from that moment until the end of their days. ➤ <<if $T2solved is true>>[[The End|T2INV]]<<else>>[[The End?|T2INV]]<</if>>

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S11c.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S11c">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S11c.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S11c">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S11c.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S11c.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><table><tr><td><<if $T2solved is true>>[[Yasmin's ending|T2S11a]]<</if>></td><td>''All is decided''</td><td><<if $T2solved is true>>[[Lark's ending|T2S11b]]<</if>></td></tr></table> <p class="has-dropcap">Her spouse's face had grown as familiar to her as their voice or their hands in the days they had spent at their mother's house. She had never, until now, seen such fear in their eyes. She caught their hands as they returned to her.</p> They looked down, and saw the basin of cloudy liquid at her feet, and she felt their hands spasm. She held on all the more firmly. "Listen," she said. Lunğa was so impossibly dear to her. She loved the tuft of curls springing from the top of their head. She loved the rough timbre of their voice late at night, when exhaustion had its hooks in them both, but neither was ready to stop talking. She even loved the familiar, anxious grimace that was twisting their lips right now. She checked over her spouse's shoulder, but there was no sign of their mother yet. Good. "This isn't about proving ourselves to her anymore," she said. "Can't we just run? Go back to my home? My sisters will welcome you, if I explain everything." "Even if we run, she'll pursue you. Nothing will stop her when she has decided on a course of action." She shivered, and her spouse drew her closer, into the circle of their arms. They spoke into her hair. "She won't let me go, either. There's only one way for us to be free." It was a terrible plan. She had gone willingly, blindly, into marriage with someone who might kill her—but bracing for death was not the same as visiting death on someone else. She didn't have to fake the sobs as she sat in apparent defeat on the ground. Lunğa's part was harder. They leapt forward as their mother entered the courtyard. "Mother, it seems you were right after all. But I've just had a better idea for what to do with the girl. Why don't you go invite your sisters over? There's enough meat on her bones to make a feast for all of us. I'll make all the preparations." It seemed that delight at having her child's attention again was enough to spur her on, and the tseryel went racing off to find her sisters. Lunğa pulled Tiziri to her feet and led her into the woods. Birds flitted from branch to branch as Lunğa called out to them, and they led the pair to a hollow tree. Tiziri squirmed into the narrow space, and Lunğa found vines to conceal the entrance. The last thing she saw was their eyes, dark and resolute. "I'll come back for you when it's done," Lunğa said. "I know," Tiziri said, and closed her eyes as her spouse blocked out the last sliver of daylight. [Tiziri, sitting in the dark, remembering.] //[Tiziri:] "Both of the sisters will come?" [Lunğa:] "Yes, if she invites them... If anything happened to her, they would..." "They'll come, then. And you'll roast a bull for them, instead of me."// [Bull bellowing.] //"And I'll make a pit, and fill it with embers, and cover it over so they don't see the fire burning underneath..."// [Cackling.] //"And when they're standing there, I'll ask the earth to move..."// [Tiziri breathing, fast and fearful, remembering while listening.] //"Lunğa—" "Tiziri—" "I can't ask this of you." "Then don't ask."// [In the distance, the crackle of a fire, shouting, and then a scream.] [More screaming, terrible— it goes on, until it is quiet, and there is just Tiziri, breathing like sobs.] [Suddenly, Tiziri shrieks:] "Ah! Whose hand was that? Who is it?" "Tiziri. Tiziri. It's—it's only me." [A pause, full of only birdsong.] "It's over." ➤ <<if $T2solved is true>>[[The End|T2INV]]<<else>>[[The End?|T2INV]]<</if>>

<<set _correct to [false, false, false, false, false, false, false, false, false]>>''It's time to untangle these younger daughters' stories...'' ➤ <<message "Display your hints.">> <center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2INV.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2INV.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> <ol><li>One heroine shares her name with the treasure she desires.</li> <li>Tiziri's desire is not pearls and a diamond, and her spouse is in the same story as the dancing pigeon.</li> <li>Of Yasmin and Tiziri, one of their spouses takes the shape of a camel, and the other a snake.</li> <li>The spouse who takes the shape of a lion, the dancing pigeon, and the branch, river, donkey, and dog are all in different stories.</li> <li>Either Lark's spouse or the spouse who takes the shape of a camel provide aid from many different birds.</li> <li>The heroine who desires a singing, springing lark is aided by the sun, moon, and winds.</li></ol><</message>> ➤ <<link 'How to swap'>><<dialog>>Click the item you wish to move to activate it. Then click the item in the spot you wish to move it to. The two items will swap places. Once the options are in the positions you think are correct, click the "Try the combination..." button to check if you've got everything straightened out.<</dialog>><</link>> ''Heroine:'' Yasmin Lark Tiziri ''Heroine's desire:'' Yasmin's: <<swap>>A singing lark<<onswap>><<if swapCurrent() is 'Pearls and a diamond'>><<set _correct[0] to true>><<else>><<set _correct[0] to false>><</if>><</swap>> Lark's: <<swap>>A dancing pigeon<<onswap>><<if swapCurrent() is 'A singing lark'>><<set _correct[1] to true>><<else>><<set _correct[1] to false>><</if>><</swap>> Tiziri's: <<swap>>Pearls and a diamond<<onswap>><<if swapCurrent() is 'A dancing pigeon'>><<set _correct[2] to true>><<else>><<set _correct[2] to false>><</if>><</swap>> ''Heroine's spouse:'' Yasmin's: <<swap>>A camel<<onswap>><<if swapCurrent() is 'A snake'>><<set _correct[3] to true>><<else>><<set _correct[3] to false>><</if>><</swap>> Lark's: <<swap>>A snake<<onswap>><<if swapCurrent() is 'A lion'>><<set _correct[4] to true>><<else>><<set _correct[4] to false>><</if>><</swap>> Tiziri's: <<swap>>A lion<<onswap>><<if swapCurrent() is 'A camel'>><<set _correct[5] to true>><<else>><<set _correct[5] to false>><</if>><</swap>> ''Heroine's helpers:'' Yasmin's: <<swap>>Sun, moon, and winds<<onswap>><<if swapCurrent() is 'Branch, river, donkey, dog'>><<set _correct[6] to true>><<else>><<set _correct[6] to false>><</if>><</swap>> Lark's: <<swap>>Many different birds<<onswap>><<if swapCurrent() is 'Sun, moon, and winds'>><<set _correct[7] to true>><<else>><<set _correct[7] to false>><</if>><</swap>> Tiziri's: <<swap>>Branch, river, donkey, dog<<onswap>><<if swapCurrent() is 'Many different birds'>><<set _correct[8] to true>><<else>><<set _correct[8] to false>><</if>><</swap>> <<if $T2solved is true>>➤ <<link "Replay these stories untangled." "T2S00">><</link>> ➤ <<link "Continue onwards." "T2S666">><</link>><<else>><span id="solved"> @@#not-right;@@ <<button "Try the combination...">> <<if not _correct.includes(false)>> <<replace '#solved'>>You got it! ➤ <<link "Replay these stories untangled." "T2S01a">><<set $T2solved to true>><</link>> ➤ <<link "Continue onwards." "T2S666">><<set $T2solved to true>><</link>><</replace>> <<else>> <<replace '#not-right'>>No, that's not it...<</replace>> <</if>> <</button>> </span><</if>> ➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 1">><<append "#T2C2">>➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 2">><<append "#T2C3">>➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 3">><<append "#T2S">>➤ <<link "Need the solution?">><<popup "T2INVs">><</link>><</append>><<popup 'T2INVc3'>><<link 'Clue 3'>><<popup 'T2INVc3'>><</link>><</linkreplace>><</append>><<popup 'T2INVc2'>><<link 'Clue 2'>><<popup 'T2INVc2'>><</link>><</linkreplace>><</append>><<popup 'T2INVc1'>><<link 'Clue 1'>><<popup 'T2INVc1'>><</link>><</linkreplace>> <span id="T2C2"></span> <span id="T2C3"></span> <span id="T2S"></span>

<<if visited("T2S666") is 1>><<set $achievements++>><</if>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S666.mp3#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T2S666">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S666.mp3#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T2S666">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2S666.mp3#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2S666.mp3#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>> [There's confusion, a cacophony of sounds, including all three soundscapes from the different threads, and dialogue later from this scene being sampled. Their voices are echoing and distorting at the ends.] KING: What... what is happening? (happening, happening) WITCH: We're in a spiral (spiral, spiral) KING: My head (head, head)... WITCH: Hang on (on, on) [a sudden silence] WITCH: There. [she's winded] I've stopped it for now. KING: For now? WITCH: Yes. KING: I really can't say I cared for that. WITCH: Quite a few threads there. Got a bit tangled. KING: I say, are you alright? WITCH: Sod off. KING: That's more like it. WITCH: [still a little breathless] You know the drill by now. What did you learn? KING: We're still doing this? WITCH: Obviously. KING: [more distorted] We're still doing this? WITCH: [also more distorted] Obvious... wait. [silence again] WITCH: I've stopped it for... Bah. Come on, then, out with it. KING: I do not find this environment particularly conducive to expressing complex thoughts. WITCH: Tough. Time's a'wastin. KING: [begrudgingly] The story kept shifting under my feet. WITCH: It's a start. KING: I wasn't sure... why she would choose to go after him. Why she went through so many trials and tests. WITCH: Was she choosing? KING: I think she was, at least towards the end? WITCH: Well, then, why do you think? KING: [makes frustrated sound] You keep asking the most ridiculous questions. WITCH: Stop swimming around in other pools, and answer the question. KING: She loved him? WITCH: That's too simple. Try again. Come on, then. KING: She wanted to show she could be trusted. That she loved them for who they were. WITCH: And what about them? KING: The husband? WITCH: Spouse. KING: Right. He... I don't know. <<linkreplace "➤ Maybe he wanted to see whether he'd be worthy of love.">><<linkreplace "➤ Maybe he was afraid of who he was. What he could do. Afraid of being seen.">>Maybe they thought she was the monster. Maybe they were afraid of her.<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>> WITCH: Hm. KING: My head hurts. ('head, head' from above echoes faintly) WITCH: Not bad, under the circumstances. Still. I think you aren't quite done learning. KING: You... [frustrated noise] WITCH: ➤ <<if $achievements gte 4>><<link "Try another path." "T5S00">><<set $goal.T2 to true>><</link>><<else>><<link "Try another path. " "Question 1">><<set $quizcounts to { T1: 0, T2: 0, T3: 0, T4: 0 }>><<set $goal.T2 to true>><</link>><</if>>

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S02.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T3S02">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S02.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T3S02">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S02.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S02.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>CHAPTER TWO: THE SOUND OF MONEY</h2><div style="font-family: Grenze Gotisch;float: left;font-size: 4.2rem;line-height: .5;margin: 0 .05em 0.2em 0">Vasily:</div> //[aside] It was easy to see why Belle-Belle had gotten out when she had. Looking at the count's estate, I couldn't blame her. The place had been grand once, but had clearly fallen on hard times. The same was true for the count. I knew the look of a man who'd turned to the bottle. When he showed me in, leaning heavily on an old <span class="hint1"><<link 'cane'>><<dialog>>Clack!<</dialog>><</link>></span>, I could see he had the shakes. I let him know I wouldn't mind a drink, either, and he poured out a round. His eyes were distant, filmed over, like he was looking past me at something I couldn't see. Maybe his little girl, who hadn't come home.// COUNT: I never meant for her to go. It was the royal proclamation that forced my hand. Every noble household had to send someone to the king's army for conscription after the capital fell. I'd have served if I could, but I'm too old now, and have a bad hip. VASILY: //[aside] He didn't quite look at me when he said it, and I had a good idea that his hip wasn't what had kept him out of the military. It wasn't any of my business, though, so I kept my trap shut and refilled our <span class="hint2"><<link 'cups'>><<dialog>>Clink!<</dialog>><</link>></span>.// COUNT: My daughters begged me to send them in my place, and what else could I do? The eldest two went first, but they couldn't pass for soldiers. The shame it would bring on us, if it got out that I'd sent one of my daughters to fight, rather than go myself...it was too risky. Belle-Belle, though...she's always been my favourite, ever since her mother died. I indulged her, let her run wild around the place...she was a fine hunter, and a brave girl. VASILY: And you haven't heard from her since? COUNT: She sent one letter, by messenger...and three boxes, for me and her sisters. They were filled with coins and jewels. It was the strangest thing, though...when her sisters touched the jewels, they all turned to glass, and the coins were counterfeit. They gave them all to me, for safekeeping, since they couldn't touch a piece of it. VASILY: //[aside] I had an idea why. The coins came from the witch's enchanted trunk, and she didn't want either of those sisters to get their hands on them. The old count rummaged around and set down a handful of <span class="hint3"><<link 'coins'>><<dialog>>Cha-ching!<</dialog>><</link>></span> between us on the table. I checked both sides, and saw he'd been right on the money—they were thin metal, and badly-stamped. Obviously fakes. I asked if I could see the letter.// COUNT: Of course, I have it here in this <span class="hint4"><<link 'bowl'>><<dialog>>Clonk!<</dialog>><</link>></span>... It's all I have left of her, now. BELLE-BELLE: //Dear Father, You wouldn't believe my good fortune. I was aided by a kind and judicious fairy, and when I stopped to take lodgings in a city, I was welcomed most courteously by all. The governor invited me to his castle, and I have promised to pay a visit and present myself for a proper introduction. The only trouble came when I summoned the leather trunk given to me by the witch. It appeared just as she promised, but imagine my astonishment when I found no key! I searched everywhere for it, all around the inn and outside in the courtyard, and finally went to the stables to ask my horse for guidance. Father, you wouldn't believe his answer! 'It's here in my ear,' he told me, and so it was! The <span class="hint5"><<link 'key'>><<dialog>>Jingle!<</dialog>><</link>></span> came right out, threaded on a green ribbon. But now I must beg your pardon and make haste, for the governor awaits, and I must travel on to join the king's army. I have begged the messenger to ride through the day and night, and paid him well for it—I hope this good fortune will reach you soon. Your faithful, Belle-Belle// VASILY: //[aside] She sounded like a good girl, and a dutiful daughter, although I didn't know about that talking horse. I asked the count if he still had the boxes, and he showed me all the treasure inside. <span class="hint5"><<link 'Gold'>><<dialog>>Jingle!<</dialog>><</link>></span>...<span class="hint2"><<link 'silver'>><<dialog>>Clink!<</dialog>><</link>></span>...<span class="hint1"><<link 'bronze'>><<dialog>>Clack!<</dialog>><</link>></span>...<span class="hint4"><<link 'copper'>><<dialog>>Clonk!<</dialog>><</link>></span>...<span class="hint3"><<link 'electrum'>><<dialog>>Cha-ching!<</dialog>><</link>></span>...more wealth than I'd seen in my life. A part of me really started to regret pissing off that witch.// <<if visited("T3S03")>>➤ [[Continue|T3S03]]<<else>><<textboxPlus "" "$answer" `{ autocomplete: "off", placeholder: "Enter the next 5 digit code." }`>> <span id='textbox-reply'></span> <span id='textbox-submit'>\ <<button 'Submit'>> <<set $answer to $answer.trim().toLowerCase().replace(/\s\s+/g, ' ')>> <<if $answer is '5 2 1 4 3'>> <<replace '#textbox-reply'>>\ Correct!\ <</replace>> <<replace '#textbox-submit'>>\ ➤ [[Continue|T3S03]] <</replace>> <<run $('#textbox-answer').attr('readonly', 'true');>> <<elseif $answer is '52143'>> <<replace '#textbox-reply'>>\ Correct!\ <</replace>> <<replace '#textbox-submit'>>\ ➤ [[Continue|T3S03]] <</replace>> <<run $('#textbox-answer').attr('readonly', 'true');>> <<else>> <<replace '#textbox-reply'>>\ Incorrect. Please try again.\ <</replace>> <</if>> <</button>>\ </span> ➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 1">><<append "#T3S02C2">>➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 2">><<append "#T3S02C3">>➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 3">><<append "#T3S02S">>➤ <<link "Need the solution?">><<popup "T3S02s">><</link>><</append>><<popup 'T3S02c3'>><<link 'Clue 3'>><<popup 'T3S02c3'>><</link>><</linkreplace>><</append>><<popup 'T3S02c2'>><<link 'Clue 2'>><<popup 'T3S02c2'>><</link>><</linkreplace>><</append>><<popup 'T3S02c1'>><<link 'Clue 1'>><<popup 'T3S02c1'>><</link>><</linkreplace>> <span id="T3S02C2"></span> <span id="T3S02C3"></span> <span id="T3S02S"></span><</if>>

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S02C1.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S02C1.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 1:'' Do you hear any prominent sound effects repeat at the end of the audio track? ➤ <<message "Playing without audio?">> The majority of the puzzles in the Enigma thread were designed as audio puzzles. The easiest way to play through this puzzle is to listen closely to the scene. However, if you are not able to listen along, the locations of the audio clues are mirrored visually in the text and can be uncovered by hovering over (mouse) or tapping (mobile) the relevant words. Clicking them will not provide further aid in solving the puzzle, but it will give you some idea of what was happening in the audio in that moment. Happy hunting!<</message>>

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S02C2.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S02C2.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 2:'' When the five metal sound effects appear at the end of the scene, are they in the same order as before?

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S02C3.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S02C3.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 3:'' If you arrange the sound effects from their order of appearance (1st, 2nd, etc.) into their new order at the end of the scene, what 5-digit number do they form?

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S02S.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S02S.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Solution:'' 52143

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S01C1.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S01C1.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 1:'' Is there a specific sound effect in the audio track trying to catch your attention? ➤ <<message "Playing without audio?">> The majority of the puzzles in the Enigma thread were designed as audio puzzles. The easiest way to play through this puzzle is to listen closely to the scene. However, if you are not able to listen along, the locations of the audio clues are mirrored visually in the text and can be uncovered by hovering over (mouse) or tapping (mobile) the relevant words. Clicking them will not provide further aid in solving the puzzle, but it will give you some idea of what was happening in the audio in that moment. Happy hunting!<</message>>

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S01C2.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S01C2.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 2:'' Is the noisy sheep baa-ing just before or after any notable words?

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S01C3.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S01C3.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 3:'' If you enter each number highlighted by the sheep, do you end up with a 5-digit code?

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S01S.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S01S.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Solution:'' 63112

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S03.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T3S03">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S03.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T3S03">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S03.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S03.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>> <h2>CHAPTER THREE: THE ORDER OF THE FAIRY-BLESSED</h2><div style="font-family: Grenze Gotisch;float: left;font-size: 4.2rem;line-height: .5;margin: 0 .05em 0.2em 0">Vasily:</div> //[aside] I got a lead on a magic horse in the next big city, where I was guessing Belle-Belle had been when she'd sent that letter. I was prepared to grease a few palms for information, but as it turned out, the horse was easy to find. It was in lock-up. Since a horse couldn't fit into a dungeon, they'd settled for bolting the stable door—although what good that would do against a witch's protégé, I didn't know. There was another surprise waiting for me in that stable; not the kind that makes a job easy and turns out quick cash, either. No, this was the kind that made everything more complicated.// All right, which one of you is the magic horse? ARMINO: Ah, there are two of us, actually. Can we help you? VASILY: //[aside] Two magic horses. They looked like tough studs; one was wearing wicked spiked shoes, and the other had the kind of gleam in his eye that made you think twice about starting trouble. And neither one of them belonged to a missing girl named Belle-Belle. I made myself comfortable on a hay bale while they told me their stories.// COMRADE: The name's Comrade, and this is Armino. ARMINO: Pleased to meet you. COMRADE: We're in between jobs right now, but I was recently advisor to the king's champion, before falling in with a good-hearted peasant named Daietsu-no-suke, and Armino here was companion to a foreign prince named Rubinetto. ARMINO: He was very nice. COMRADE: Both fine fellows. Not like some of those fellows the old witch tried to set me up with. Do you know, I've had a streak of bad luck when it comes to men. Two-faced and duplicitous, and always looking out for themselves. I knew one who acted as sweet as could be to my face when he wanted something, praised me above Bucephalus and Pegasus alike, and then behind my back he said such dirty, rotten things. ARMINO: You deserve better. I'm glad you kicked all of his teeth out. I would have done it too, had I been there. I've gotten quite good at kicking, I think. VASILY: Is that how you two ended up in here? COMRADE: Well, that's only me. Armino is keeping me company. But yes, it was the same fellow. Every time I see him around, I tell him he should wash his pretty mouth out with soap to clean all the bile he spews, and then I told him he could suck— ARMINO: [hastily] There was a minor altercation. COMRADE: I refuse to be ashamed of telling off a man who once caressed me with hands of treachery. VASILY: //[aside] It was clear neither of these two were the magical horse I was looking for, although they might be connected to the same witch. I asked them about anyone else the witch might have blessed with special favors and powers, and once again got more than I'd bargained for.// COMRADE: Oh, there's a whole registry of them. Fairy-blessed men have their own society, you know. They meet up for conventions. That knight I told you about, he's just fallen in with a whole set of them. ARMINO: I don't think I know this story. Who are they? COMRADE: Well, there's Fleet-Foot, who's so fast at a run that he ties his legs together with ribbon to give the stags and hares he races a fair chance. Then there's Quick-Ear, who can hear everything in the earth below and the sky above. And Strong-Back, the woodsman, who cuts down entire forests in mere hours, can carry all the logs in one arm, and is very well-endowed. ARMINO: Endowed? COMRADE: By the fairies. That's what they call it. Then there's Good-Shot, who can see game leagues away, and so binds his eyes closed with a bandage to keep from hunting down all the beasts in the forest. Impetuous can blow so hard he powers the windmills with one breath, and Drinker and Glutton can imbibe and feast until they've eaten and drunk a town clean. All of these fairy-blessed men I made note of to my last companion, for I can see the future and knew they'd come in useful. Still, I advised him not to let their gifts be known. VASILY: Sure. COMRADE: Ah, but I might've gotten them out of order. Drinker and Glutton were last, there's no question of that, but the other five...let me think. Fleet-Foot wasn't first, because Strong-Back was there to make a joke about rolling the logs under his feet to watch him dance. And Good-Shot must have shown up after them, because he would've taken offense at it; he has quite the temper. When Quick-Ear had his head to the ground, listening for an herb growing in the earth, Impetuous wasn't among them, or he would have sighed in impatience and blown all the plants away. Ah, but Good-Shot was there to welcome Impetuous, for he remarked on all the trees having been uprooted by such a gusty breath. Fleet-Foot must have joined the company early, for we saw him chase down game, and neither Good-Shot nor Quick-Ear were there to marvel at it or join the hunt. Ah, and Quick-Ear joined the company directly after Good-Shot. ARMINO: Oh, did he? I think I have it, then. COMRADE: And that's the company. Fleet-Foot, Quick-Ear, Strong-Back, Good-Shot, Impetuous, and the others. And my honorable friend, the king's champion. VASILY: The king's champion—is he the one standing up for you in court? //[aside] I'd thought if I didn't get us back on track, we'd be here until the morning, but that was the wrong way to do it. That horse gave me a look down a nose so long, it took five full seconds to reach me.// COMRADE: Don't be ridiculous. I will of course be represented by the finest lawyer in the land: Myself. <<if visited("T3S04")>>➤ [[Continue|T3S04]]<<else>><<textboxPlus "" "$answer" `{ autocomplete: "off", placeholder: "Enter the next 5 digit code." }`>> <span id='textbox-reply'></span> <span id='textbox-submit'>\ <<button 'Submit'>> <<set $answer to $answer.trim().toLowerCase().replace(/\s\s+/g, ' ')>> <<if $answer is '2 4 1 3 5'>> <<replace '#textbox-reply'>>\ Correct!\ <</replace>> <<replace '#textbox-submit'>>\ ➤ [[Continue|T3S04]] <</replace>> <<run $('#textbox-answer').attr('readonly', 'true');>> <<elseif $answer is '24135'>> <<replace '#textbox-reply'>>\ Correct!\ <</replace>> <<replace '#textbox-submit'>>\ ➤ [[Continue|T3S04]] <</replace>> <<run $('#textbox-answer').attr('readonly', 'true');>> <<else>> <<replace '#textbox-reply'>>\ Incorrect. Please try again.\ <</replace>> <</if>> <</button>>\ </span> ➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 1">><<append "#T3S03C2">>➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 2">><<append "#T3S03C3">>➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 3">><<append "#T3S03S">>➤ <<link "Need the solution?">><<popup "T3S03s">><</link>><</append>><<popup 'T3S03c3'>><<link 'Clue 3'>><<popup 'T3S03c3'>><</link>><</linkreplace>><</append>><<popup 'T3S03c2'>><<link 'Clue 2'>><<popup 'T3S03c2'>><</link>><</linkreplace>><</append>><<popup 'T3S03c1'>><<link 'Clue 1'>><<popup 'T3S03c1'>><</link>><</linkreplace>> <span id="T3S03C2"></span> <span id="T3S03C3"></span> <span id="T3S03S"></span><</if>>

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S04.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T3S04">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S04.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T3S04">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S04.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S04.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>> <h2>CHAPTER FOUR: A MEANINGFUL SONG</h2><div style="font-family: Grenze Gotisch;float: left;font-size: 4.2rem;line-height: .5;margin: 0 .05em 0.2em 0">Vasily:</div> //[aside] When I arrived in the capital, following the king's army, it was a powder keg ready to blow. The king's champion had won back all the wealth needed to carry on the war against Emperor Matapa, and slain a dragon besides, so the people had been in high spirits. But there were whispers of a high-profile execution scheduled for the next day, the judges having sentenced the accused without hearing a word of testimony, and the city looked ready to riot. I'd just found a fresh bottle of vodka and a way into the palace when I saw her. Her gown was creased like she'd slept in it, and her hair was half-undone. She had a wild, half-mad look in her eyes, which were swollen red from weeping. I was here on a case already, but she clearly had some troubles. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a dame in distress.// FLORIDA: It's my lover, the king's champion...they're going to execute him! The accusation is false, I know it is...but it's his word against the queen-dowager's, and the judges wouldn't even let him speak! Nor anyone else in his defense! VASILY: And the king won't overturn the sentence? FLORIDA: The queen-dowager is the king's sister, and demanded the trial. She claims that he declared a passion for her, and when she called for the guard, her dress was torn and she had blood under her nails...no one questioned what must have happened. The king is a good man, who won't stand for such a crime against anyone. But truly, my love didn't do it! VASILY: //[aside] Florida—the one weeping noisily into my handkerchief—was the queen-dowager's handmaiden, and she'd had a front-row seat to the drama. Apparently when this knight Fortuné had shown up, half the maidens in the castle had swooned. The queen-dowager, who'd been widowed young by the war, might not have been an exception. I offered Florida a fresh handkerchief and asked whether there'd been anything going on between them.// FLORIDA: [sniffling] Thank you. The king and my mistress were at odds over Fortuné almost from the start. They both wanted him kept out of the war, because of the danger, and both wanted his service. My mistress wanted him for high steward of her own palace, but the king appointed him chief equerry instead. They argued again over who would reward him with the promotion, until my mistress couldn't protest anymore without making it obvious how she felt about him. VASILY: So the queen has the hots for this knight, and the king...? FLORIDA: He was the king's favorite at once. They were constantly together, and everything Fortuné did, the king praised as well-done. My mistress wanted to contract a secret marriage. The differences in their ranks would have made it a scandal, but she was determined to win him over. VASILY: //[aside] By the time the whole story came out, I had a pretty good idea of the situation. The queen-dowager had sent her handmaiden to woo Fortuné in her place to prevent any rumors, but Florida herself had fallen for him, and fallen hard. She'd launched a smear campaign against the queen so brazen that I had to admire her for it. She had some balls. Meanwhile, Fortuné was such a hit around the palace, he was under siege by love letters, favor tokens, romantic ballads, and invitations to private assignations. It was a wonder the man had been able to slay a dragon at all, with all the suitors flinging themselves at him.// FLORIDA: My mistress thought that Fortuné must have a lover somewhere else, so she asked him about it all the time, but he swore his heart was free. He sang such beautiful songs, though, filled with such tender passion! Surely, he must have been carrying a secret love in his heart! VASILY: //[aside] She played one of the songs Fortuné had written for the court, and there was no denying what it sounded like. I couldn't help thinking, though, that there may have been more to the story.// FLORIDA: <center>//I knew a maiden hardy born, Heart soft and sweetly fair She waded by the river's edge The spray bejeweled her hair Six braids were wreathed around her head An ebon' crown so rare Run away with me, to her I called And when she looked at me: The moon must be in heav'n today For the sun it seems is thee One laugh she gave, and shook her head Her surety was clear I've still my siblings to see wed Come back another year The summers waxed, and winters waned For time it oozes slow And still her eyes a burning pair Speak promises, I know. I stumbled oft' on our journey The days, the days were long But when she pulled me to my feet Oh her two hands were strong She had a special smile made And graced me with it then One smile kept for only me Was worth its weight I ken The last I saw her standing tall Straight as a trunk and true But what became of my fair lass Oh how I wish I knew And still I close my eyes and dream Of lost love found again I taste her smile, I feel her eyes Her laugh shatters the air I watch her hands take down her braids It's more than I can bear//</center> <<if visited("T3S05")>>➤ [[Continue|T3S05]]<<else>><<textboxPlus "" "$answer" `{ autocomplete: "off", placeholder: "Enter the next 5 digit code." }`>> <span id='textbox-reply'></span> <span id='textbox-submit'>\ <<button 'Submit'>> <<set $answer to $answer.trim().toLowerCase().replace(/\s\s+/g, ' ')>> <<if $answer is '1 2 1 2 6'>> <<replace '#textbox-reply'>>\ Correct!\ <</replace>> <<replace '#textbox-submit'>>\ ➤ [[Continue|T3S05]] <</replace>> <<run $('#textbox-answer').attr('readonly', 'true');>> <<elseif $answer is '12126'>> <<replace '#textbox-reply'>>\ Correct!\ <</replace>> <<replace '#textbox-submit'>>\ ➤ [[Continue|T3S05]] <</replace>> <<run $('#textbox-answer').attr('readonly', 'true');>> <<else>> <<replace '#textbox-reply'>>\ Incorrect. Please try again.\ <</replace>> <</if>> <</button>>\ </span> ➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 1">><<append "#T3S04C2">>➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 2">><<append "#T3S04C3">>➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 3">><<append "#T3S04S">>➤ <<link "Need the solution?">><<popup "T3S04s">><</link>><</append>><<popup 'T3S04c3'>><<link 'Clue 3'>><<popup 'T3S04c3'>><</link>><</linkreplace>><</append>><<popup 'T3S04c2'>><<link 'Clue 2'>><<popup 'T3S04c2'>><</link>><</linkreplace>><</append>><<popup 'T3S04c1'>><<link 'Clue 1'>><<popup 'T3S04c1'>><</link>><</linkreplace>> <span id="T3S04C2"></span> <span id="T3S04C3"></span> <span id="T3S04S"></span><</if>>

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S03C1.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S03C1.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 1:'' Does Comrade's story list any events in a particular order? ➤ <<message "Playing without audio?">> This puzzle can be solved without any reference to the audio. Huzzah!<</message>>

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S03C2.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S03C2.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 2:'' Is the order in which the fairy-blessed men arrived the same as the order Comrade lists at the end?

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S03C3.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S03C3.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 3:'' If you replace Comrade's list of names with each man's number in their order of arrival, what is the 5-digit result?

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S03S.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S03S.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Solution:'' Comrade lists the first five men to join the company as “Fleet-Foot, Quick-Ear, Strong-Back, Good-Shot, and Impetuous,” but following the logic of Comrade’s memories, these men actually arrived in this order: first Strong-Back, second Fleet-Foot, third Good-Shot, fourth Quick-Ear, and fifth Impetuous. Comrade’s list numbered by their actual order of arrival creates the 5-digit code. ''Exact password:'' 24135

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S04C1.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S04C1.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 1:'' Do you hear any repeated words or phrases in the final stanza of the song? ➤ <<message "Playing without audio?">> This puzzle can be solved without any reference to the audio. Huzzah!<</message>>

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S04C2.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S04C2.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 2:'' Are the repeated words in the song associated with any numbers from when they first appear?

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S04C3.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S04C3.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 3:'' Is there a 5-digit code formed by listing all of the numbers missing from the final stanza of the song?

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S04S.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S04S.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Solution:'' 12126

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S05.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T3S05">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S05.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T3S05">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S05.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S05.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>CHAPTER FIVE: THE ADDITION OF SPICE</h2><div style="font-family: Grenze Gotisch;float: left;font-size: 4.2rem;line-height: .5;margin: 0 .05em 0.2em 0">Vasily:</div> //[aside] I spent the rest of the day following leads. No one I spoke to in the army had heard of Belle-Belle, or knew a story about a girl joining up to fight in disguise as a boy. The only names I had in connection with the witch who'd seen her off were those mentioned by the horses: Daietsu-no-suke, the peasant, and the company of fairy-blessed men. I started with Daietsu-no-suke. He was a pleasant man, unguarded and happy to talk. I found him on his rice farm, enjoying a cup of tea in the shade.// DAIETSU-NO-SUKE: Are you here to trade? I'm not really in the business anymore, but if you urgently need the farm, we could discuss it. VASILY: What? No. I'm looking for a missing girl named Belle-Belle. I heard from a magic horse that you might know someone who'd been fairy-blessed. DAIETSU-NO-SUKE: Rubinetto? He's retired now as well, with all the blessings anyone could ask for. Or Fortuné? If you mean Comrade, then Fortuné is the one who offered me the company of his horse. He needed a piece of silk to carry spices down to a lake. It was a very strange bargain, I thought, a piece of silk for a magical horse, but the horse assured us both that it was a smart move. VASILY: You do that sort of thing often? DAIETSU-NO-SUKE: Not as much anymore. Like I said, I'm a farmer now. But I was given the silk by a girl, the youngest daughter in her family, in exchange for some oranges which kept her from dying of thirst. VASILY: //[aside] I had a new lead, although it didn't take me far. The daughter in question had never been named Belle-Belle, and she was now happily married to a husband she'd had to chase halfway across the land, due to some unusual circumstances which she told me about over tea.// WIFE: Spouse. VASILY: I'm sorry? WIFE: Spouse. Not husband. VASILY: I—beg your pardon. WIFE: You understand the difference. VASILY: I do. //[aside] She nodded like she believed me, or maybe she just didn't want to argue about it. She'd never heard of Belle-Belle, but she filled me in on what had gone down between the queen-dowager and the king's champion, after Florida's story had left off. Apparently the queen, though she'd been politely rejected by her brother's favorite knight a fair number of times, was still convinced his sighing love songs meant he had a mistress stashed away somewhere. Like many jilted lovers before her, she decided that if she couldn't have him, no one would, and vowed to get revenge by sending him off to be eaten by a dragon. It's not the worst method I've ever heard of, for disposing of someone who's scorned you. It's not even in the top ten. Anyway, she told the king that Fortuné had begged for the chance to slay the dragon plaguing the kingdom, and that he had a surefire way of defeating it. Fortuné couldn't call the queen a liar to her face, so he changed into traveling clothes and set off to fight a dragon. That was when he met the youngest daughter of a merchant, one who'd bartered his child's hand in marriage off to a shapeshifting monster. The way she told the story...// FORTUNÉ: Excuse me. I'm looking for an enormous monster, one who's been devouring flocks and people alike, ravaging the countryside and poisoning the rivers, or else drinking them all dry and setting the grassland on fire. Could you tell me which way it's gone? YOUNGEST DAUGHTER: I'm afraid that if you stay here, you may meet it. My father has arranged for me to marry a monster, though it may mean my death. FORTUNÉ: That's horrible. I'm sure it isn't much consolation, but I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be killed by the monster I'm tasked with hunting. I'm not tasked with marrying them, though. I'm... really not sure whether that's better or worse. YOUNGEST DAUGHTER: I don't know either. Maybe it depends on what sort of monster my intended turns out to be. I always thought... or hoped, really... I'd marry for love. FORTUNÉ: You never know. Sometimes love turns up in the least expected places. YOUNGEST DAUGHTER: That portrait in your hand, the one you looked at just now... I don't mean to pry, but... is that your own beloved? FORTUNÉ: Who, this? No, it's... No, of... It's only... Ah, it's just... a... portrait of my king. Haha. YOUNGEST DAUGHTER: Your king? FORTUNÉ: Pretty silly, right? But he gave it to me before I left, and I couldn't stand to leave it behind. It's probably a waste, though. He had it set in this frame made of the most absurd, giant diamonds... The emperor's taken over the capital and seized all the country's wealth, and yet he still...Well, anyway. He's not... We're... It's not like that. YOUNGEST DAUGHTER: It sounds complicated. FORTUNÉ: [laughs] It really is. Oh, hell, did you see that? It's the dragon again. I'm sorry, I have to go. I really hope things work out for you, with your new marriage. YOUNGEST DAUGHTER: Thank you. FORTUNÉ: Do you know what you're going to do, when your monster shows up? YOUNGEST DAUGHTER: I... Yes. I think I do. VASILY: //[aside] The king's champion still wasn't my primary case, but I figured I might as well follow up with the serpent-slayer in the neighboring country. Florida, the queen-dowager's handmaiden, had looked at me with such wide, watery eyes. If she was right, it was an innocent man who was condemned to die the next day, unless I could find a way to stop the execution. I had my third cup of tea of the day while Li Ji the Serpent-Slayer, reclusive hero of the mountain, told me about her encounter with Fortuné. It was a short conversation.// FORTUNÉ: Nice work with the giant serpent. How did you catch it off-guard? LI JI: I stuffed it full of rice cakes, set a dog on it, and ran a sword through its eye. You? You killed that dragon, right? FORTUNÉ: I got it drunk. LI JI: Nice. VASILY: //[aside] The peasants Fortuné had saved from the dragon were only slightly more helpful. According to them, the king's decree had commanded them to provide aid to his champion. Since Fortuné's success meant they might not be devoured by a hungry dragon, they didn't take much convincing. And the magic horse had a plan.// COMRADE: The fairy-blessed man Drinker can drain the pond. The dragon always drinks from it after he eats, as there's no other source of fresh water nearby. Quick-Ear will hear him coming so everyone can hide. Fill the pond with wine, and add spices to make the dragon thirsty, so that it drinks more. When it's incapacitated, then you can kill it. FORTUNÉ: That's a good plan. COMRADE: I know. PEASANTS: <span class="hint1">"Take my pepper! Red cayenne!"</span> <span class="hint5">"Oranges? I have oranges?"</span> <span class="hint3">"Cardamom pods, whole pods."</span> <span class="hint4">"Who would get drunk off oranges?"</span> <span class="hint2">"Here, here, yellow-golden turmeric."</span> <span class="hint1">"Mine is worth six for each lot, very good quality."</span> <span class="hint5">"Are you helping, or selling?"</span> <span class="hint4">"Have a little salt."</span> <span class="hint1">"He'll tell the king how much we helped!"</span> <span class="hint3">"Fresh and green."</span> <span class="hint2">"Ah, mine's worth four! Tell the king!"</span> <span class="hint5">"We should add raisins. Everyone's thirsty after raisins."</span> <span class="hint3">"Worth eight, all yours."</span> <span class="hint4">"Blue Persian salt. Here, see?"</span> <span class="hint1">"Take mine first!"</span> <span class="hint2">"And add it to mine!"</span> <span class="hint5">"Ah, that salt's very rare! Worth ten!"</span> <span class="hint3">"Put mine in next on its own."</span> <span class="hint4">"And sweet plum wine?"</span> <span class="hint1">"Take more of mine, take more, add it to the salt."</span> <span class="hint3">"Yes, that's good."</span> <span class="hint2">"Add those two in together last."</span> <span class="hint5">"Now we only need a way to carry them."</span> <<if visited("T3S06")>>➤ [[Continue|T3S06]]<<else>><<textboxPlus "" "$answer" `{ autocomplete: "off", placeholder: "Enter the next 5 digit code." }`>> <span id='textbox-reply'></span> <span id='textbox-submit'>\ <<button 'Submit'>> <<set $answer to $answer.trim().toLowerCase().replace(/\s\s+/g, ' ')>> <<if $answer is '10 8 16'>> <<replace '#textbox-reply'>>\ Correct!\ <</replace>> <<replace '#textbox-submit'>>\ ➤ [[Continue|T3S06]] <</replace>> <<run $('#textbox-answer').attr('readonly', 'true');>> <<elseif $answer is '10816'>> <<replace '#textbox-reply'>>\ Correct!\ <</replace>> <<replace '#textbox-submit'>>\ ➤ [[Continue|T3S06]] <</replace>> <<run $('#textbox-answer').attr('readonly', 'true');>> <<else>> <<replace '#textbox-reply'>>\ Incorrect. Please try again.\ <</replace>> <</if>> <</button>>\ </span> ➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 1">><<append "#T3S05C2">>➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 2">><<append "#T3S05C3">>➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 3">><<append "#T3S05S">>➤ <<link "Need the solution?">><<popup "T3S05s">><</link>><</append>><<popup 'T3S05c3'>><<link 'Clue 3'>><<popup 'T3S05c3'>><</link>><</linkreplace>><</append>><<popup 'T3S05c2'>><<link 'Clue 2'>><<popup 'T3S05c2'>><</link>><</linkreplace>><</append>><<popup 'T3S05c1'>><<link 'Clue 1'>><<popup 'T3S05c1'>><</link>><</linkreplace>> <span id="T3S05C2"></span> <span id="T3S05C3"></span> <span id="T3S05S"></span><</if>>

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S06.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T3S06">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S06.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T3S06">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S06.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S06.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>> <h2>CHAPTER SIX: HAUNTED BY A NAME</h2><div style="font-family: Grenze Gotisch;float: left;font-size: 4.2rem;line-height: .5;margin: 0 .05em 0.2em 0">Vasily:</div> //[aside] I heard from the peasants that the king's champion hadn't killed the dragon. He'd taken it back with him, sedated and secured, so the king could do it himself. I could see the romance in making such a grand gesture, which by now I was pretty sure was the intent. Li Ji the Serpent-Slayer disagreed.// LI JI: He should have just killed it. Too risky to bring it into a city, even restrained. VASILY: I can't help but notice, you don't seem to be swooning over this knight. LI JI: Should I be? VASILY: //[aside] Everyone else was. The king embraced his champion on the steps of the palace, and the queen-dowager was in a state. As was her handmaiden Florida, when I returned from the countryside. There were only a few hours left before the execution.// FLORIDA: When he came back with the dragon, my mistress was more obsessed than ever. She tried confessing her feelings for him during a hunt, but what was he to do? It was obvious he didn't love her. She was furious about it. The king himself thought Fortuné must harbor a passion for her; he said Fortuné opened his heart to my mistress more than him, though it couldn't be more untrue. VASILY: So he was jealous. FLORIDA: What? Of course not; the queen-dowager is his sister. VASILY: That's not what⁠—never mind. So what happened next? //[aside] What happened next was the queen-dowager taking another stab at getting the king's favorite knight killed in action. This time, she told the king Fortuné had boasted about wanting to return all the kingdom's treasure, without any help from the king's army. The treasure was in the conquered capital, where Emperor Matapa was still sitting pretty. The king said he'd end the war—which he was losing pretty badly, so he wasn't in much of a position to bargain—if the emperor returned his wealth, his horses, and his subjects. Fortuné, not having much of a choice this time either, kissed the king's hand and went off to the bustling metropolis of the former capital city. I tracked down the seven fairy-blessed men of Fortuné's company, who'd gone along on that adventure.// GLUTTON: We would have been lost without me. The emperor said he might have been willing to negotiate if we'd brought an army of five hundred thousand, but not when it was only us. Our little ambassador-knight said he was there to make peace, not fight, and the emperor laughed in his face. He said the only way he'd give back the treasure was if one man in our company ate up all the bread in the entire city for breakfast, fresh and stale alike, not leaving a crumb behind. I don't think I have to tell you how that went. VASILY: You're Glutton, I take it? GLUTTON: I prefer to think of myself as a gourmand.<p class="scene-break"><span class="hint1"><<link "notifications_active">><<dialog>>BONG!<</dialog>><</link>></span></p>DRINKER: Sure, Glutton ate all the bread, but as the emperor said afterward, what's eating without drinking? He said he'd give back the treasure if one man in our company drank up all the water and wine in the city, even the aqueducts and reservoirs. Child's play, I said. There were only sixty-nine of them. Eyyy. VASILY: ...Right. DRINKER: Anyway, that wasn't the deal, said our ambassador, I've got a bone to pick with you, but the emperor wouldn't budge. I said, well I've got a bone too, but you won't be the one picking it, because your mom already has! VASILY: ...So you drank it all? DRINKER: And more besides! What's wine and water without spirits, I said? It's not over 'til you liquor! That's what she said! VASILY: ...Drinker? DRINKER: Drink 'er? I don't even know 'er!<p class="scene-break"><span class="hint1"><<link "notifications_active">><<dialog>>BONG!<</dialog>><</link>></span></p>FLEET-FOOT: You wouldn't believe the peril I was in, and the feat I had to perform! If I hadn't gained the prize, we'd have come away with nothing. While everyone else was lounging around feasting, the emperor's daughter suggested she race against one man of our company, and the emperor said he'd give back the treasure if we won. Oh, she was a vision, too. She wore this pink silk gown with little gold and silver stars all over it, cinched up with a dainty jeweled belt, and these tiny slippers without heels on them, and her hair was all braided up with a ribbon and sort of tumbled over her shoulders in a black cloud... VASILY: So you ran the race? FLEET-FOOT: Who else but Fleet-Foot could? What a crafty lass, though! She had a cordial brought out which she said would make her run swifter and her legs stronger, and I said fair was fair, if she had the cordial then I should drink some too, only, ah... VASILY: Not exactly doctor-approved? FLEET-FOOT: I was dead asleep before the race even began. Wasn't used to it, see; the princess had been training with the stuff for years. She waited for me to wake up, being a good sport and fair competitor, but then her father had a word with her and she took off like a shot. Ah, she must have been a sight, all that warm brown skin gleaming with sweat, those toned muscles flexing, that clever mind calculating how much I'd had to drink and how long I'd be out of it... VASILY: You don't seem to hold too much of a grudge. FLEET-FOOT: How could I? I'm a man in love.<p class="scene-break"><span class="hint1"><<link "notifications_active">><<dialog>>BONG!<</dialog>><</link>></span></p>QUICK-EAR: No one gives me much credit, after everything I've done. Who heard the dragon coming? It was me, Quick-Ear. Who listened for the mushrooms and herbs growing out of the ground, so we weren't all sick from malnutrition? That was me too. If it weren't for me, honestly, I think they'd all be dead from eating nothing but meat all the time. That isn't healthy. I've told them the benefits of a balanced vegan diet, but do they listen? VASILY: So you found Fleet-Foot? QUICK-EAR: I heard him snoring up a storm. When the princess was half a league from the finish line and he still hadn't shown up, the ambassador started to get nervous. We'd thought before that he just wanted to make a dramatic entrance, or had tied his legs together with ribbons again and fallen over or something, but no, he was passed out in an orange grove! Anyway, I told them what I heard, and we knew there was trouble.<p class="scene-break"><span class="hint1"><<link "notifications_active">><<dialog>>BONG!<</dialog>><</link>></span></p>GOOD-SHOT: Oh, yeah, I woke him up. No one else could do it. VASILY: By... shooting him in the ear? GOOD-SHOT: It worked, didn't it? We won the race.<p class="scene-break"><span class="hint1"><<link "notifications_active">><<dialog>>BONG!<</dialog>><</link>></span></p>STRONG-BACK: Let's give credit where credit is due, here: If I hadn't carried out the treasure, we'd have had nothing to bring back to the king, so it was my contribution that mattered most. After the race, the emperor figured he couldn't keep stalling, so he said—grudgingly, mind you, what a sore loser—that our ambassador could leave with all the treasure one man could carry, and not a coin more. He thought we'd make off with a chest, maybe a few swords. I took the lot. VASILY: When you say the lot... STRONG-BACK: I used to carry forests in one arm. It's why they call me Strong-Back. Loading up the treasury, the armory, the jewel cases, all the furniture... that was nothing. We took the chariots, the coaches, five hundred gold statues... We left that place clean as a whistle. And by we, obviously, I mean me.<p class="scene-break"><span class="hint1"><<link "notifications_active">><<dialog>>BONG!<</dialog>><</link>></span></p>IMPETUOUS: You should have seen it! There we were, with the wealth of the kingdom on our shoulders—well, Strong-Back's shoulders—and the emperor so astounded, he sent an entire army in pursuit! They chased us across the land, and there it was, right in our way... the river! It was too deep to cross, and Quick-Ear could hear the cavalry hooves pounding, and Good-Shot could see the guards and the musketeers readying their guns, all right behind us! Drinker drank up the river until it was shallow enough for us to cross over, but here comes the army with an armada of fishing boats, rowing with all their might! They'd nearly overtaken us! There was only one man who could save us! VASILY: You? IMPETUOUS: Impetuous to the rescue! I drew in such a breath, and blew it out in such a gust, all the boats turned over and the soldiers were carried away in the current! And that's the story of how I, Impetuous, single-handedly returned the stolen treasure to the kingdom.<p class="scene-break"><span class="hint1"><<link "notifications_active">><<dialog>>BONG!<</dialog>><</link>></span></p>VASILY: //[aside] I had the full story now, but I wasn't any closer to the truth. There had to be something I was missing. Something big. I felt I was walking in Fortuné's shoes, haunted by his past.// GLUTTON: Ah, he said that, didn't he? 'Haunted by my past.' DRINKER: He did. On the way back to the palace, before the queen-dowager got him alone to try to carry out her plan. FLEET-FOOT: [cough] Secret marriage. [cough] QUICK-EAR: Yeah, I heard her talking about that. Didn't work out for her, so she moved on to Plan B and said he attacked her. Might have been Plan C, D, E, or F by that point. GOOD-SHOT: I remember him saying it, though. GLUTTON: He got a queer look on his face when it was <span class="hint1"><<link "time for breakfast">><<dialog>>BONG!<</dialog>><</link>></span>. DRINKER: And <span class="hint1"><<link "at the start of the race">><<dialog>>BONG!<</dialog>><</link>></span>, with the crowd cheering and clapping for the princess. STRONG-BACK: And <span class="hint1"><<link "in the treasury">><<dialog>>BONG!<</dialog>><</link>></span>, when we loaded up all the gold and furnishings. IMPETUOUS: And <span class="hint1"><<link "on the river">><<dialog>>BONG!<</dialog>><</link>></span>, looking across at all the fishing boats. VASILY: //[aside] We were interrupted by the sound of the king's horn, announcing the time for the execution was here. I had all the pieces now—who Fortuné really was, why he'd kept silent, the secrets he was hiding. I dropped my bottle of vodka and started running. I had a life to save.// <<if visited("T3S07")>> ➤ [[Continue|T3S07]]<<else>><<textboxPlus "" "$answer" `{ placeholder: "Who Fortuné really was...", autocomplete: "off" }`>> <span id='textbox-reply'></span> <span id='textbox-submit'>\ <<button 'Submit'>> <<set $answer to $answer.trim().toLowerCase().replace(/\s\s+/g, ' ')>> <<if $answer is 'belle'>> <<replace '#textbox-reply'>>\ Correct!\ <</replace>> <<replace '#textbox-submit'>>\ ➤ [[Continue|T3S07]] <</replace>> <<run $('#textbox-answer').attr('readonly', 'true');>> <<elseif $answer is 'belle-belle'>> <<replace '#textbox-reply'>>\ Correct!\ <</replace>> <<replace '#textbox-submit'>>\ ➤ [[Continue|T3S07]] <</replace>> <<run $('#textbox-answer').attr('readonly', 'true');>> <<elseif $answer is 'belle belle'>> <<replace '#textbox-reply'>>\ Correct!\ <</replace>> <<replace '#textbox-submit'>>\ ➤ [[Continue|T3S07]] <</replace>> <<run $('#textbox-answer').attr('readonly', 'true');>> <<else>> <<replace '#textbox-reply'>>\ Incorrect. Please try again.\ <</replace>> <</if>> <</button>>\ </span> ➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 1">><<append "#T3S06C2">>➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 2">><<append "#T3S06C3">>➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 3">><<append "#T3S06S">>➤ <<link "Need the solution?">><<popup "T3S06s">><</link>><</append>><<popup 'T3S06c3'>><<link 'Clue 3'>><<popup 'T3S06c3'>><</link>><</linkreplace>><</append>><<popup 'T3S06c2'>><<link 'Clue 2'>><<popup 'T3S06c2'>><</link>><</linkreplace>><</append>><<popup 'T3S06c1'>><<link 'Clue 1'>><<popup 'T3S06c1'>><</link>><</linkreplace>> <span id="T3S06C2"></span> <span id="T3S06C3"></span> <span id="T3S06S"></span><</if>>

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S05C1.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S05C1.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 1:'' Can you hear and recognize individual voices among the spice merchants at the end of the scene? ➤ <<message "Playing without audio?">> The majority of the puzzles in the Enigma thread were designed as audio puzzles. The easiest way to play through this puzzle is to listen closely to the scene. However, if you are not able to listen along, the locations of the audio clues are mirrored visually in the text and can be uncovered by hovering over (mouse) or tapping (mobile) the relevant words. Happy hunting!<</message>>

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S05C2.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S05C2.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 2:'' Are the spice merchants associating specific prices with their individual wares?

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S05C3.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S05C3.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 3:'' If you add the value of the spices together when instructed, and list each number in the order given by the merchants, what is the 5-digit result?

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S05S.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S05S.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Solution:'' According to the merchants at the end: The red cayenne pepper is worth 6. The yellow-golden turmeric is worth 4. The blue Persian salt is worth 10. The cardamom pods are worth 8. The order they give to add their spices together is 1. tumeric and cayenne pepper, 2. cardamom pods, and 3. more cayenne pepper and blue Persian salt. If we combine the worth of the spices in steps 1, 2, and 3, we get 10, 8, and 16. ''Exact password:'' 10816

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S07.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T3S07">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S07.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T3S07">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S07.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S07.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>CHAPTER SEVEN: A HAPPY ENDING</h2><div style="font-family: Grenze Gotisch;float: left;font-size: 4.2rem;line-height: .5;margin: 0 .05em 0.2em 0">Fortuné:</div> How did you know?<br> VASILY: Your father hired me to solve your disappearance, before the queen's handmaiden asked me to clear your name. I didn't know then that they were the same case. That you're really the missing Belle-Belle. FORTUNÉ: My name is Fortuné. The other one... it doesn't really fit me. VASILY: I get that. I think you should write to your father. Let him know how well his son has done for himself, so he can be proud. FORTUNÉ: You think he will be? It's not exactly the life he had planned for me. VASILY: Give him a chance. We don't get enough of those in life. FORTUNÉ: Forgive me for saying this, but it seems like you're speaking from experience. VASILY: My father was a priest. It took some time for him to get used to the idea that he didn't have a daughter, but he came around. You've got a good father. And a good king. //[aside] One day I'd tell Fortuné about the king who'd tested me. That king had been more interested in convincing himself that I couldn't really be a man than he had been in getting to know the man I was. He'd even employed a witch to design tests for me, like that could prove something. Like he could only be attracted to me if I chased after pearls, or looked at an embroidery frame before I looked at a gun. But that was another story. I already knew Fortuné's would have a different ending.// At least with Florida's testimony about the queen-dowager's plots, and Quick-Ear to corroborate with all he overheard, the court had to overturn their ruling. And something tells me you won't be such an easy target in the future. You're not going to be the king's champion for long, are you? FORTUNÉ: I am. I'll just be the king's consort as well. VASILY: I thought you might. FORTUNÉ: How did you guess? VASILY: Honestly, that one wasn't much of a mystery. ➤ <<link "[THE END]" "T3S666">><</link>>

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S06C1.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S06C1.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 1:'' Are there any sounds in the audio track that are repeated or echoed throughout the scene? ➤ <<message "Playing without audio?">> The majority of the puzzles in the Enigma thread were designed as audio puzzles. The easiest way to play through this puzzle is to listen closely to the scene. However, if you are not able to listen along, the locations of the audio clues are mirrored visually in the text and can be uncovered by hovering over (mouse) or tapping (mobile) the relevant words. Clicking them will give you some idea of what was happening in the audio in that moment, and may further aid in solving the puzzle. Happy hunting!<</message>>

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S06C2.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S06C2.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 2:'' What are the sounds the fairy-blessed men have noticed when they recount the day?

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S06C3.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S06C3.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 3:'' What is the 5-letter name that might be associated with those sounds?

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S06S.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S06S.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Solution:'' Fortuné heard bells on each of these occasions, and the bells reminded him of his past name, Belle-Belle. ''Exact password:'' BELLE

<<if visited("T3S666") is 1>><<set $achievements++>><</if>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S666.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T3S666">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S666.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T3S666">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T3S666.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T3S666.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>> KING: [frustrated] Why am I here? WITCH: Why do you think you're here? KING: That's not an answer. WITCH: It's the sort of answer that kind of question deserves. KING: [an outburst] This is ridiculous. I have a kingdom to rule, and I most certainly don't have the time to... WITCH: You do now. KING: Why am I here? WITCH: To learn. What did you learn? KING: You keep asking me that, and I keep telling you, and I'm still stuck in this damned curse you've put me in. [a sullen silence] WITCH: Do you think I want to be here? With you? A petulant child? KING: That was uncalled for. WITCH: I disagree. KING: Self-righteous hag. WITCH: There. You feel better? KING: Yes, actually. WITCH: Look. Tell me what you learned, and maybe, just maybe, you'll make a bit more progress. [silence] KING: [begrudgingly] The king should have trusted Fortuné more. He didn't see Fortuné for who he truly was. WITCH: Kings can be remarkably near-sighted, can't they? KING: No. It's just... If you... Right. If you truly love someone, you ought to want to truly know them. That's all. WITCH: [drawling, a little sarcastic] Can we ever truly know anyone, though? Really? KING: [makes frustrated sound] You keep asking the most ridiculous questions. WITCH: Yes. Yes, I do. KING: It was also... Everyone wanted someone out of their reach. There. That's what I learned. WITCH: Hm. KING: What? WITCH: I don't think you've learned enough. KING: You wouldn't. WITCH: You're thinking like the king in the story. Not like Fortuné. ➤ <<if $achievements gte 4>><<linkreplace "Try again.">><<link "Try again." "T5S00">><<set $goal.T3 to true>><</link>> And by that, I mean actually TRY next time.<</linkreplace>><<else>><<linkreplace "Try again.">><<link "Try again." "Question 1">><<set $quizcounts to { T1: 0, T2: 0, T3: 0, T4: 0 }>><<set $goal.T3 to true>><</link>> And by that, I mean actually TRY next time.<</linkreplace>><</if>>

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2INVC1.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2INVC1.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 1:'' Try to go through and eliminate the impossible choices for a given category.

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2INVC2.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2INVC2.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 2:'' Lark was aided by the sun, moon, and winds.

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2INVC3.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2INVC3.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 3:'' Looking at two of the puzzle clues, what is the name of the heroine whose spouse is not a lion, who was not helped by the branch, river, donkey, and dog, and who does not desire pearls and a diamond?

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T2INVS.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T2INVS.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Solution:'' Yasmin's spouse was a snake, she desired pearls and a diamond, and she was helped by a branch, river, donkey, and dog. Lark's spouse was a lion, she desired a singing, springing lark, and she was helped by the sun, moon, and winds. Tiziri's spouse was a camel, she desired a dancing pigeon, and she was helped by many different birds.

<center><span style="font-size: 50px;font-family: IM Fell English SC;margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px;">Choose <<if visited("T4S05")>>a<<else>>your <<if $T4clues is 1>>first<<elseif $T4clues is 2>>second<<elseif $T4clues is 3>>third<<elseif $T4clues is 4>>fourth<<elseif $T4clues is 5>>last<</if>><</if>> story:</span></center><table class="witchtable "><tr class="witchtable"> <td class="witchtable "><a data-passage="T4S02"><img src="https://ia601404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/The%20Princess%20from%20the%20Moon.png" width="95%" height="auto"></a></td> <td class="witchtable "><a data-passage="T4S03"><img src="https://ia601404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/Senkepeng%2C%20who%20outran%20the%20water%20snake.png" width="95%" height="auto"></a></td> <td rowspan="2" class="witchtable "><<if $T4clues gte 5>><a data-passage="T4S05"><img src="https://ia601404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/Queen%2C%20King%2C%20Ace.png" width="95%" height="auto"></a><<else>><img src="https://ia601404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/Lock.png" width="95%" height="auto"><</if>></td></tr><tr class="witchtable"> <td class="witchtable "><a data-passage="T4S01"><img src="https://ia601404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/The%20Astral%20Carcanet.png" width="95%" height="auto"></a></td> <td class="witchtable "><a data-passage="T4S04"><img src="https://ia601404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/Legend%20of%20the%20Serpent-Slayer.png" width="95%" height="auto"></a></td> </tr></table>''Story list:'' <<if visited("T4S02")>>☑<<else>>☐<</if>> [[The Princess from the Moon|T4S02]] <<if visited("T4S03")>>☑<<else>>☐<</if>> [[Senkepeng, who outran the water snake|T4S03]] <<if visited("T4S01")>>☑<<else>>☐<</if>> [[The Astral Carcanet|T4S01]] <<if visited("T4S04")>>☑<<else>>☐<</if>> [[Legend of the Serpent-Slayer|T4S04]] <<if $T4clues lt 5>>☐ LOCKED<<else>><<if visited("T4S05")>>☑<<else>>☐<</if>> [[Queen, King, Ace|T4S05]]<</if>> <<if $T4clues gt 1>>➤ [[Consult your hints.|T4INV]]<</if>><<if visited("T4S01") is 1 and $not1 is false>><<notify>>New hint unlocked!<<set $not1 to true>><</notify>><</if>><<if visited("T4S02") is 1 and $not2 is false>><<notify>>New hint unlocked!<<set $not2 to true>><</notify>><</if>><<if visited("T4S03") is 1 and $not3 is false>><<notify>>New hint unlocked!<<set $not3 to true>><</notify>><</if>><<if visited("T4S04") is 1 and $not4 is false>><<notify>>New hint unlocked!<<set $not4 to true>><</notify>><</if>><<if visited("T4S05") is 1 and $not5 is false>><<notify>>New hint unlocked!<<set $not5 to true>><</notify>><</if>>

<<silently>><<if visited("T4S02") is 1>><<set $T4clues++>><</if>><</silently>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4S02.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T4S02">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4S02.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T4S02">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4S02.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4S02.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>The Princess from the Moon</h2><p class="has-dropcap">One spring day, an old bamboo cutter came across a glowing stalk of bamboo in his forest. When he cut into it, he found nestled inside a tiny baby, no bigger than his thumb. The old bamboo-cutter was quite taken with her, and immediately took her home to their simple little hut where his wife, who had always wanted a daughter to raise, became likewise enamored. They named her Nayotake no Kaguya-hime; the Shining Princess of the Young Bamboo.</p> She grew rapidly, and cried with pain throughout her ordeal. The only thing that would stop her weeping as a child was a little gift her parents had gotten from a traveler—it never failed to put a smile on her face when she beheld it. It took three agonizing months, but she soon grew to her full size. She was renowned for her beauty, but quite shy about it, and far preferred the company of her parents to others. One day, she was sitting on her porch, embroidering next to her mother. "Bother," Kaguya-hime's mother sighed. "I wanted so badly to have some ikura with dinner this evening, but I've already sent out the servant, and forgot to tell him." Kaguya-hime stood, and smiled at her mother. "Oh, mother. I know how much you enjoy your little treats. I wouldn't begrudge you any. I shall fetch some." "Are you certain?" Her mother fretted. "You know how silly people can be sometimes." "For your happiness, I can bear a little silliness." Her mother turned her wrinkled face towards her daughter, beaming. "I am happy, dearest. Every day since you've come into my life has been a blessing."<p class="scene-break">dark_mode</p> The simple little hut in the bamboo forest had undergone some changes since she was a child; it was a handsome home now, with a pleasant garden surrounding it. Every day, when her father went out to cut bamboo, there was a small nugget of gold nestled within the stalk, gleaming in the sunlight, and her adoptive parents had put that wealth to good use, ensuring she had the best of everything. It gave her some comfort to know that the kind souls who'd taken her in would be well-cared for in their old age. It'd been a while since she'd gone to town, but she knew the way well enough. It didn't take long before the whispers started. A young boy dropped his basket of onions, and pointed, his finger trembling, his face full of wonder. "It's her!" He said. "The Princess of Moonlight!" She could hear the building chords of a song, and sighed a little. //"Look there she goes that girl is strange, no question Her beauty is unparalleled... She was found in some bamboo Within a few short months she grew Into the beauty we know now as Princess Moon..."// She picked up her pace as the villagers continued to sing around her. It didn't happen every time she went to town, but every now and then, if it'd been a while since they'd seen her, they couldn't help it. They'd sung for three days straight at her naming ceremony—her poor aunt had completely lost her voice for weeks after. At least they seemed happy, even though it was a bit embarrassing to be so serenaded. The young boy broke into a solo, his face shining. //"Oh, isn't she amazing? She is stunning, glowing with moonlight... She is so very charming... When I'm grown, I'll ask her then and there to be my wife..."// She hurried to the fishmonger, hiding her face with her fan out of modesty and to spare who she could from the need to burst out in song, but it did little to dampen their spirits. The fishmonger timed his questions with the thwacking of his knife. //"Konichiwa, how is your mother?"// "She's doing quite well. She'd like—" //"Konichiwa, you look so fine."// "Thank you, I should like some ikura, please." //"I'll wrap it up, don't bother paying. I hope you have a very lovely day."// She fled as gracefully as she could, bearing the small package of roe, the townsfolk singing cheerfully as she left. //"We are so glad she came to our small village, We cannot help this little tune... But behind that fair facade I'm afraid she's rather odd Very diff'rent from the rest of us She's nothing like the rest of us Ethereal and sad just like the moon..."//<p class="scene-break">dark_mode</p> Only a few weeks later, Kaguya-hime's mother woke her with a pleased expression on her face. "Little thumb," she said, sweetly, "There are some fine noblemen here to see you. They've heard of your beauty, and wish to behold you with their own eyes." Kaguya-hime felt her heart sink. "Mother, must I?" "Who knows!" her mother replied. "Perhaps you will like one of them just as much as he likes you. Please dear, it'd make your father so happy." There were five of them, and she barely had a chance to learn their names before one of them began to sing, enraptured. //"There we see her Sitting there across the way She doesn't have a lot to say But there's something about her... And we don't know why But we're dying to try We wanna kiss the girl..."// Kaguya-hime sat up, shocked. "I beg your pardon!" she cried out. "I rather do have quite a lot to say, it's only that you haven't bothered to ask. And I do not wish to be kissed—besides which, I doubt that's proper, seeing as we've only just met. I do hope your mothers raised you to not be so forward." The men looked at her, astonished. "I... I beg forgiveness, Princess Moon," the singing man replied. "I don't know what came over me. Your beauty, I suppose—it's quite overwhelming." She frowned a little. "You have now seen my beauty for yourself. I hope it satisfies. Please go away." The men began to protest. The first suitor shook his head. "Now that we have seen your glorious face, we can think of nothing else! You must choose one of us to marry! Which of us is worthiest?" "Come back tomorrow," she said, feeling a little ill.<p class="scene-break">dark_mode</p> That night, she sat on her balcony, and looked up at the moon, the tears falling slowly down her face. She spent all night pondering, and when they came back to her, she set out a small scroll for each of them. //"Can you feel the love..."// "Hush, now. I've given you each a task. If you wish to marry me, you must fetch what I seek." She gave them each the most impossible tasks she could imagine—the stone begging bowl of the Buddha, a jeweled branch from the mythical island of Hōrai, a robe of Chinese fire-rat skins, a colored jewel from a dragon's neck, and a cowry shell born from a swallow. The men all looked resolute as they left her home, each more determined than their fellow suitors to return victorious.<p class="scene-break">dark_mode</p> Three eventually returned—the noble seeking the dragon had been rebuffed by a powerful storm and kept his distance out of shame, and the man seeking the cowry shell had fallen to his death while attempting to reach a swallow's nest, for which Kaguya-hime immediately felt guilty upon hearing the news. The items the other three brought to her were laughably false—one was even interrupted mid-aubade by a creditor requesting he pay for the jeweled branch he'd commissioned. They each left, heartbroken. Her father was confused, and when he asked her why she treated her suitors so, she merely shook her head, her heart full of sorrow at causing him pain.<p class="scene-break">dark_mode</p> The emperor came a few weeks later. Her parents were so nervous to meet such a powerful man, and she knew she must be respectful, and that he wouldn't be so easily dismissed. As soon as he turned to see her, his eyes widened with ardor. //"A whole new world... A dazzling face I never knew, You're like a shooting star I've come so far I want to spend my days right next to you..."// He waited expectantly for her to join him in song. She bowed respectfully instead. "Your highness." He blinked. "I don't... know... what quite came over me. Bursting into song." She sighed. "People tend to do that." He shook his head, as if to clear it. "//Unbelievable...// Pardon. It really is quite astonishing. You are enchantingly lovely." The two of them went walking in the garden, the emperor only occasionally bursting into song, and despite the interruptions, Kaguya-hime found him a considerate, thoughtful sort, and she appreciated his critique of poetry. When he inevitably proposed, she shook her head. "I cannot marry you," she said. "While they call me Princess, I am not from this country, nor am I descended from any of the royalty here. It simply is not possible." He left not soon after. That night, as she wept, looking up once more at the moon, her mother approached her with some tea. "Oh, my little thumb. It hurts my heart to see you sad." She sat next to her daughter. "Why on earth did you turn him down?" She held her mother's hand. "I meant what I said, mother. I am not from here." She paused, and looked up at the moon. "I am from there." She sighed. "I was sent here for my own safety, but this is not my world. I am not of this place." Her mother shook her head. "Oh, daughter. I always knew you were special. I loved you all the more for it. My little miracle." Kaguya-hime smiled sadly. "I am not the sort who dreams of weddings, and children. I never wish to marry. Not even the emperor himself, even though he's pleasant enough, I suppose." She gave her mother's hand a squeeze. "I know it is customary here, to want such things, but I do not."<p class="scene-break">dark_mode</p> The emperor wrote her a rather lengthy letter, and while it did contain a repeat of his proposal, it also had some rather interesting things to say about pottery, so she wrote back, firmly turning him down once more, while expanding on his thoughts regarding glazes. They wrote back and forth for three years, and while he proposed about once a year with regularity, she found letter-writing to be a much more pleasant method of communication. They could talk much more easily without random outbursts of singing getting in the way, and after the first few letters, where she politely ignored his extensive treatises on her beauty, they began to have actual conversations about literature, and art, and no end of delightful subjects. She considered him a friend. A friend who wanted very badly to marry her. Which was awkward, but at least they could speak of other things as well. As the years progressed, she could feel the pull of the moon calling her back, tugging at her with invisible threads. She could feel herself growing lighter, and took to putting stones in her pockets to keep from drifting off of the ground until she was ready to fully ascend. And on that day when she knew she would be called back home, she kissed her parents on their dear cheeks, and left a final note for the emperor to read telling him good-bye, and wishing him all the best. The retinue of attendants who descended to bring her home were beings of pure energy who glowed from within, and, to her immense relief, none of them sang a single note when they saw her. They placed upon her a robe of feathers, and she drifted upwards in blessed silence, making her way back to her kingdom of the moon. The emperor, upon hearing of her departure, climbed to the highest mountain in the land and burned his letter to her, hoping its smoke would reach her. She never replied. ➤ [[Return|T4LAND]]

<<silently>><<if visited("T4S03") is 1>><<set $T4clues++>><</if>><</silently>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4S03.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T4S03">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4S03.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T4S03">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4S03.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4S03.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>Senkepeng, who outran the water snake</h2><p class="has-dropcap">They say that once there lived a man who wore the skin of a monster.</p> You know the rules. Some stories cannot be told while the sun shines. Some stories can only be told in the dark. Are you listening? Let's begin.<p class="scene-break">§</p> There was once a girl who was the daughter of a chief. She was Senkepeng, whose brother was Masilo, and whose mother was the big wife of the chief. She was bold and unafraid. She laughed easily. She spoke her mind. She did not wish to marry, even after she reached the age when her sisters had husbands. While wives walked behind their husbands, he in front and she behind, Senkepeng walked where she pleased. In the east there was a river where Senkepeng and her sisters bathed. They talked while they bathed, and they played, and they splashed, splashed, splashed in the water. None laughed more than Senkepeng. Her limbs were full and rounded and plump. Her face had the warm golden glow of health. In the waters of the river, something stirred. Something slithered, slithered, slithered around the girls in the water. Its scales flashed silver. Its sleek body entwined with theirs beneath the surface until they saw him, and screamed, and fled. Only Senkepeng was unafraid. Only Senkepeng stood proud on the banks of the river. When the big chief to the west sent a messenger to the village, saying his son had chosen her for a bride, Senkepeng laughed and said she would not marry. Her brother Masilo stood by her. Her friends stood by her. Her village stood by her. Monyohe, the son of the big chief, heard her answer and was angry. He was angry that she disobeyed him. He was so angry that he caused the rain to stop, for he held power over all the water. The river ran low and churned with mud. The wells ran dry. The rain would not come. Monyohe promised to end the drought if Senkepeng became his bride. He told all of the chiefs of all the villages his price. But Senkepeng did not wish to marry, and her answer did not change.<p class="scene-break">§</p> To end the great drought, there was a singing party. It was hosted by the chief of another village, Morakapula, and the people sang, sang, sang all day. They sang until the sun rose high in the sky and sank down again to sleep. They sang until clouds gathered over the moon and veiled its light. They sang until the first drops of rain fell from the sky and kissed their upturned faces. Then, how they sang! Then, how they danced! The storm rose, fierce from being summoned with such demand. The rain fell hard and cold, and drove the people to find shelter. Only Senkepeng could not find shelter, for Morakapula said her refusal had caused the drought. He forbid anyone to offer her shelter from the rain, for fear the rain would cease. She did not wish to marry Monyohe, he said, so she would not be given a roof to keep her dry, or walls to protect her from the biting wind. The rain stung her skin. It stung her face like insects, it bit into her bare arms so she shivered with cold. She left to return home, for what else could she do? There was no door open to her, no fire to warm herself. Her brother Masilo went with her, and all who had traveled with them, in the dark and the rain. The rain fell so they could hardly see in front of them, and they had to hold on with slippery hands or they would lose each other in the storm. They came to the bank of the river which they had crossed easily before, which was now swollen, swollen, swollen until it surged against the bank. They swam against the current. They pushed against the water, and only Senkepeng could not cross. Only Senkepeng was forced back, by the darkness and the rain and the flood, by a force greater than the storm. Only Senkepeng was left behind. Her brother gone. Her friends gone. Everyone gone. She walked along the bank of the river. She slipped in the soil. The water pulled at her ankles, and the mud grasped at her feet. She walked and fell and rose again until she could walk no longer, and then she crawled. She found a heap of asparagus washed up by the river, and crawled beneath it. She huddled there in the dark, in the cold, and waited for the storm to end.<p class="scene-break">§</p> There was a woman there in the morning. She was smiling, smiling, smiling, and she told Senkepeng she was welcome in their village. Senkepeng had walked so far in the night, she didn't know the way home. She didn't know the way at all. The woman built up a fire in the evening, and her serving girls prepared food. Such a feast! There were oxen slaughtered, and corn cakes made, and leaf stew mixed, and beer brewed. It was more food than anyone could have eaten alone. It was more food than a village could have eaten. "Who eats this food?" asked Senkepeng. "Your bridegroom," said the woman. Senkepeng still had no wish to marry, but she did not know how to leave, or where to go. She was sent with the food in baskets, one basket for each dish, to deliver the feast to a hut where she was told she would sleep that night. The hut was empty. There was no one there. She set down the baskets, and as she bent down she heard a noise, a slither, slither, slither behind her. She straightened and turned, but saw nothing. When she turned back to the baskets, just a moment later, all the food was gone. All the drink was gone. Nothing was left but gleaming white bones. She did not want to stay there, in that place. She took the baskets back to the smiling woman, who said there was more food to be delivered. She told Senkepeng to grind sorghum, to bake bread, to stir thick milk. She told Senkepeng to bring it in baskets to that hut, which was empty, which was not empty at all. Again she heard the noise. The slither, slither, slither above her. When she looked away, there was nothing there. When she looked back, nothing remained in the baskets. Everything was gone in an instant. She tried to leave, but the woman smiled, smiled, smiled, and told her to stay. Told her to sleep. Told her to lie down in her son's hut, to await her bridegroom. The sky churned gray. If Senkepeng ran, she knew the storm would find her, and drive her back here again. She knew the river would rise up and flood, the waters turn against her, and the rain lash at her arms and face. She did not know what would find her this time in the dark.<p class="scene-break">§</p> She stood alone in the empty hut. She sank down slowly onto the sleeping mat. She listened, and heard nothing. She strained to see in the darkness, but saw nothing. Then she heard someone breathing. She heard something slither, slither, slither against the reed-thatched roof. She heard a groan that could have been the wind in the reeds, or cattle sighing. She heard a whisper in the darkness. "Monyohe has found his wife. His wife lies on the sleeping mat. Monyohe will sleep beside his wife." When she heard that name whispered in the dark, she remembered the bathing pool, and the snake tangled around her ankles. She remembered his scales flashing, and imagined his eyes flashing too with anger. She remembered stories of the great water serpent, Monyohe, son of the big chief. Longer than a man was tall, longer than two men, his body weaving, weaving, weaving. She lay very still and afraid. She heard the sound again, the rasp of scales, and the whispered hiss. She heard it come closer, the shh, shh, shh of his body against the reeds. She felt the slippery, bunching coil of his body as it crawled alongside her, and his head as it slid over her chest and between her breasts. She felt the flick of his tail against her skin as he tasted her. She felt the tip of his tail strike her like a lash. She felt her heart beat so hard, her whole body seemed to tremble with it. "His wife, his wife," whispered the serpent, and curled his long body around hers, and slept. Senkepeng did not sleep. She did not move. She lay still in the dark, shivering, beneath the weight of the serpent, until the cocks began to weep for the coming dawn. At last, exhausted, she slept. And when she woke, she was alone. Then she heard the shh, shh, shh of scales in the rafters, and felt eyes fixed on her from above. Watching, watching, watching. "I'll bring water for you," said Senkepeng, and her voice did not shake, no, did not tremble as her body did, but held steady. She took a pot and went to find water. There was another daughter at the well when she arrived. Another wife. They drew water together, their eyes lowered. They spoke in low voices of the strangers they had been promised to, for neither had been given a choice. Each had their own monster, their own eyes watching from the dark. Each had to make a choice. "If the monster is hateful," one whispered, keeping her eyes lowered down, down, down into the well, "what will happen?" "If the monster isn't," the other answered, "what will happen then?" Senkepeng ran. She dropped the clay pot and she ran. She held up the hem of her garment and she ran, and she dared not look back. Soon enough she heard the heavy panting behind her, the shh, shh, shh of scales and the fff, fff, fff of hissing breath. She ran faster, her feet slapping the ground and her breath rasping in her ears and her heart banging against her ribs. When he was close enough, the passage of his enormous body stirred up the soil into a blanket of red dust, which hung in the air and choked her. When he was closer still, he coiled and struck at her with his tail as he had in the night. She felt the blows like a heavy stick striking across the backs of her legs, and she did not stop running. When he was so close that her legs and her lungs and her chest ached and strained, she saw a shepherd from her village minding the cattle. "Break your necklace!" called the shepherd. "Throw down the beads!" Senkepeng clasped both hands around her necklace and broke the string, letting the beads spill and bounce behind her. The serpent saw them and had to stop, for they belonged to his wife. He had to collect every one. Senkepeng ran swifter than a rabbit chased by a jackal. She ran, ran, ran until her lungs could burst, but Monyohe was close behind. His body churned the dirt into a cloud of thick red dust, and Senkepeng gasped as she ran to catch her breath. She ran past the boys from her village who played in the field, and they called out to her. "Sing! Sing! Sing so that the one who pursues you must dance!" She had no air in her lungs for music, but she drew in a breath like knives and let it out again in a song. She played her thomo, which she had kept with her, and the boys all clapped and sang along. And as they had said, the snake had to dance at the sound of his wife's singing, the long body weaving, weaving, weaving. He danced until he was all knotted up, coiled around and around and around, and once he could dance no longer, nor move at all, Senkepeng ended her singing and began to run once more. She heard him behind her, hissing, hissing, hissing, and ran until she thought she would die, until she believed she would fall to the ground, unable to rise again. Then at last she saw her village, and her brother and friends ran out to meet her. They saw the dust behind her, that thick red blanket churned up by the snake's passage, and knew he had untied himself to chase after her again. They planted knives in the earth, sharp knives, shining knives, pointing their sharp blades up from the grass. When the snake came, hissing in fury, it was his belly that dragged over the knives, splitting him open from one end to the other. He stopped then, and did not move again. The dust settled around him. The people watched, Senkepeng watched, her brother watched, and still he did not move. They went to the body, slowly. They waited. The snakeskin burst, the edges peeling back from the belly. From the belly of the snake stood a man, young and strong and gleaming in the sun. A blanket of iron hung over his shoulders. A cloth of iron covered his hip. A shield of iron was strapped on his back. He was beautiful. He looked at her, and Senkepeng could see he thought she would love him for his beauty, with a love that was red. "Monyohe has found his wife," said the man, and he spoke like a chief. Senkepeng looked into his eyes. She knew that a man may wear the skin of a monster; and even so, a monster may wear the skin of a man. And Senkepeng still had no wish to marry. Her brother stood beside her. Her friends stood beside her. All the people of the village stood beside her. "I will not marry," said Senkepeng. "But if you remain in the shape of a man, and if you do not hold back the rain to kill the crops and animals, then perhaps one day, we can be friends." ➤ [[Return|T4LAND]]

<<silently>><<if visited("T4S04") is 1>><<set $T4clues++>><</if>><</silently>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4S04.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T4S04">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4S04.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T4S04">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4S04.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4S04.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>Legend of the Serpent-Slayer</h2><p class="has-dropcap">Nearly ten years ago, a beloved son of a village head was killed while hunting in the mountains near his home. A week later, in his fitful sleep, the grieving father saw a great serpent. It hissed into his mind:</p> //You still have one son. If he hunts in the mountains, then you must remember that I, too, will hunt.// Then I will keep him home. We will forbid our sons from hunting in the mountains. //Then I will only grow hungry, and come down from the mountains to hunt you there.// Then we will send every man who can fight, and they will flush you out of the mountains. //You could try. It might be amusing. I have seen your fighting men. Remember that I am powerful enough to travel through your dreams.// Then what choice do we have? //Ahh, a choice, yes. It is only fair that I offer you a choice. If you do not want me to hunt your sons, then you must send your daughters to me. If you will send me one unmarried girl from your village every year, then your sons will grow in peace. Isn't that an easy trade to make?// Every girl in the village knew the story, because every girl knew she could be that year's sacrifice. Each summer, someone was chosen, and on the first day of the eighth month, the village head would take her up the mountain to the serpent's cave. Li Ji was the sixth daughter of a man who had no sons. "We would never let them take you," her father said to his daughters sometimes. "Never. You are too precious to us." She believed him, but she also saw the girls disappearing one by one.<p class="scene-break">☶</p> As soon as Li Ji's legs were strong enough to carry her away from home, she followed rumors of Grandmother Wu. It was said that she had, long ago, developed a fearsome reputation as a hero in the wider world. Having grown tired of struggles, she settled into a secluded life on a mountaintop not far from Li Ji's village. It was a long climb, but if Grandmother Wu could be persuaded to teach her skills to Li Ji, then any obstacle was worth facing. When Li Ji reached the top, she found a small, simple house. She knelt in front of the door and called out, "Grandmother Wu! I have come to beg for your help." The woman who emerged had a face full of wrinkles, but still stood tall and straight. "Hasn't the world heard that I'm retired? I'm too old to fight your demons, child." Li Ji raised her head, staring at her. "So you have heard about the serpent?" "Serpent? No, but there's always some monster, some bandit leader, some villain attacking some other villain. I'm too old now. Go away." "Please," Li Ji said, not moving an inch. "Please. I don't mind if you don't come—but if you'll teach me how to fight, I can go do it myself." From behind the woman's skirts, a narrow head poked out: a dog with a lolling tongue and lopsided ears. It saw Li Ji and shouldered past its master to fling itself at her. Li Ji tensed, expecting an attack, and ended up with a lapful of skinny dog instead. She glanced up, and saw that the old woman's expression had softened somewhat. "Foolish girl. Follow me, and I'll show you a few exercises. Practice them every day, and come back next year, and I might accept you as a student."<p class="scene-break">☶</p> Each year, a girl went to the serpent's cave and never returned. Each year, Li Ji went to Grandmother Wu's mountain and showed her what she had been practicing. Grandmother Wu always shook her head and said, "Watch this. Practice it every day. If you come back next year, I might accept you as a student." Each year, Li Ji returned home, disappointed but more determined than ever to prove herself to Grandmother Wu. By the tenth year of sacrifices, Li Ji had grown swift and graceful in her exercises. Every day, she would find time to sneak away into the woods to practice, bare-handed and with a crude wooden sword. Summer came, heat like a blanket pressing down upon the village, and Li Ji's thoughts were drawn towards the serpent's cave. Nine maidens had now been sent away. Knowledge of the dead girls' fates stalked the living girls through the daylight hours, and haunted their dreams at night. Uneasy whispers passed between everyone Li Ji's age: what if it's me? What if it's you? Any girl who could find a marriage she could stand, did; the rest were left to fear. "What if it's //me// this year? What am I waiting for?" Li Ji asked the trees one day. Sweat plastered her hair to the back of her neck, and she still held the wooden sword. "I may not be Grandmother Wu's student, but I'm not helpless, either." The serpent could not possibly expect its meal to have its own fangs. "Mother, Father," she said that evening. "I'll go to the serpent. You have five other daughters; you can spare me." Her parents and sisters wept and tried to dissuade her, but there was little that could stop Li Ji when she was determined. She marched up to the village head the next morning and said, "You'll take me to the serpent this year," and then there was no turning back. She felt very brave and certain until she was alone, and then images of the serpent crowded into her mind. Her hands shook as she picked up the practice sword, little better than a carved stick. What had she been thinking? Fear carried her through the forest, all the way up the mountain to Grandmother Wu's house. "You're early this year," Grandmother Wu said, not bothering to glance up from her mending. "I need a sword," Li Ji said. The whole story poured out of her, until she choked out, "I'm not ready. I need you to teach me how to kill the serpent. Please, I know you've said no every time, but you must say yes this time." Grandmother Wu sighed and set aside her work. Slowly, she rose to her feet. "Wait here." She disappeared into the house, and returned with a cloth-wrapped bundle. "Take this." Li Ji caught the bundle with a grunt of surprise—it was heavy. When she peeled the cloth back, she found a sheathed sword, its hilt just the right size to fit her hand. She touched it with wonder, then looked up at Grandmother Wu. "Try it," Grandmother Wu said. "Show me that form I showed you last time." It was the same as every time Li Ji had come before—another test, running through every exercise she had practiced—except that now, the blade was singing in her hand, giving weight and purpose to her movements. When Grandmother Wu called a halt, Li Ji held the sword out to her with great reluctance. "What are you doing handing that thing to me? It'll do more good in your hand than sitting on a shelf collecting dust. It's yours now." Li Ji stared at her, hardly daring to hope. "Does this mean you'll teach me?" Grandmother Wu laughed, harsh as a crow's caw. "Silly girl, what do you think I've been doing all these years? You think I have any secrets other than good, old-fashioned hard work? You've learned as well as I could have expected, and you're about as ready to face that thing as I can make you. But you'll need more than your own courage and a sword if you want to win against something so much bigger than you are."<p class="scene-break">☶</p> On the first day of the eighth month, Li Ji left her parents' house early in the morning. The village head would not dare to send her to the serpent if he knew she was armed, so Grandmother Wu's sword was hidden safely beneath her outermost layer of clothing. If she had been tempted to creep like a scared child, the rigid weight at her back would have reminded her to stand straight. "Maiden Li," whispered a voice from one of the houses. Li Ji paused. Half-hidden behind the corner of the building, a boy she had known all her life beckoned to her with fear in his eyes. She glanced at the sky. The sun was still low; she could spare a few moments for this boy. As soon as she was close enough, fingers wrapped around her wrist, and he pulled her behind the house. "Don't go," the boy said, catching both of her hands in his. "It doesn't have to be you." Li Ji shook her head. She had told no one besides Grandmother Wu of her plans, but even if she had not: "I have already given my word." "Marry me instead. They'll have to let you stay." Li Ji threw off the boy's hands. "Is that the only way a girl can stay here? Give up her future to the serpent, or to the first boy who asks? No. I have no interest in marrying. I'll be the last girl to go to the serpent, even if I have to die."<p class="scene-break">☶</p> This time, when she set off again, more than just a sword kept her back straight. Fury drove her on, and fear could not hold her back. When she asked the village head to take her up the mountain, she spoke it like a challenge. It was a long and uncomfortable walk to the base of the serpent's mountain. The village head was sweating with fear at the start of the journey, and grew ever more tense as they neared the mountain. At last, he stopped and pointed out a path carved into the rising slope before them. "Follow this, and you'll find the cave soon enough," he said, already beginning to back away. "I'll find my way," Li Ji said. In fact, Li Ji had found her way to the mountain the day before. On her way up, she had stopped twice. The first time, she picked up a basket. //No one,// her father had once said, //can resist my daughter's sweet rice cakes.// The second time, she untied the lead of Grandmother Wu's skinny dog, which wound around her ankles and tried to poke his nose into her basket. //That dog loves you,// Grandmother Wu had said. //I don't know why, but he took one look at you and made his choice. He'll be a brave companion for you; he's killed many a smaller snake for me.// "If we live through this," she told the dog, "I'll make you so many rice cakes you'll roll up the next mountain." The higher they went up the mountain, the quieter it got, until there were no birds singing above them. Even the wind was silent, until it was just the sign of her breathing and the whisper of the dog's footsteps. Finally, the path made a sharp turn and she spotted a gaping mouth in the rock up ahead. "Stay," she told the dog, and tiptoed forward, the basket held against her side. She listened with all her might for any sound of movement, but none made itself apparent as she set the basket down. Carefully, she removed the cover, then quickly returned to the dog and pulled it out of sight of the cave. //Stay quiet, stay quiet,// she silently begged the dog, shedding her outer layer so she could retrieve the sword. Finally, she reached up and untied the dog's lead. It shook its head as if it were shaking off an unpleasant memory, then settled in beside her as they both listened. Her knuckles tightened around her sword hilt as a thin, rasping noise carried over the rock from above. //What's this?// said a voice that curled like smoke. "Wait," Li Ji whispered to the dog, until she heard the basket overturning. She eased forward until she could see it for herself: a great snake, longer than three horses put together. As she watched, it lifted its head from the basket and tilted back, and the throat worked. She looked back, and waved to the dog. The dog lunged to its feet and up the path as swift as an arrow. Li Ji followed with a leap that carried her to the rocks over the cave entrance. Her sword glinted in the sunlight as she drew it at last. Below, the serpent made a terrible keening sound as the dog buried its teeth in the scales over its throat. It thrashed and writhed; the dog was stubborn, but it would be thrown off at any moment. The serpent did not even see her as she attacked from above, slicing along the soft underbelly exposed by its struggle with the dog. There was a yelp, and then the serpent turned and fixed her with the full power of its gaze. //You dare!// it screeched. There was only one answer to that: to leap at it sword-first, hoping she had the strength to defeat it. //Strength alone isn't enough to kill something like that,// Grandmother Wu's voice echoed in her head. //Surviving often takes luck, and cunning—and a cunning person can make her own luck.// As she and the dog harried the serpent between them, its movements began to slow. As she dodged a strike from its tail, she saw that the green of the nearest eye was nearly swallowed by black pupil. //What have you done?// it wailed, its rage no more potent than a baby's cry. "Were you so hungry that you didn't question a gift of rice cakes?" Li Ji asked, and thrust her sword into the serpent's eye. When the thing was finally dead, Li Ji sat with the dog's head in her lap and buried her shaking fingers in its fur. A pile of skulls and other bones stared at her from the cave wall. Nine girls' worth, she would imagine. "Someone should have done this years ago," she told the dog. "But I suppose it never expected its dinner to fight back."<p class="scene-break">☶</p> A week later, Li Ji traveled up Grandmother Wu's mountain with a sword in one hand and the dog's lead in the other. "So you came back," Grandmother Wu said. "You agreed to teach me," Li Ji said. The other woman looked her over critically. "Don't you want to go home? Your village is safe now. You're a hero, even." "My village still sent me up a mountain to be a serpent's dinner—and the village head's son graciously offered to marry me as a reward, after I went through all the trouble of telling another boy I didn't want to be anyone's wife. That's two proposals I've rejected now; things are going to get awkward if I rack up any more." Li Ji reached out to pat the dog's head. "Besides, I think your dog has gotten fond of my rice cakes." "I suppose I could use some help with the cooking," Grandmother Wu said. Rumors in the area say that two retired heroes live on a mountain peak—that one gained fame as a martial artist, and took the other on as a student. That one, or both together, slew the serpent that troubled the village for ten endless years. Mostly, they just bicker and spoil the dog. ➤ [[Return|T4LAND]]

<<silently>><<if visited("T4S05") is 1>><<set $T4clues++>><</if>><</silently>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4S05.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T4S05">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4S05.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T4S05">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4S05.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4S05.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>Queen, King, Ace</h2><p class="has-dropcap">Who are you taking to the Formal dance?"</p> Maiden's best friend, Aki, punctuated the question by dropping against the locker beside her, backpack thumping against the metal with the dull thud of textbooks cushioned by several inches of comic books. Aki blew a pink bubble with her gum until it snapped. "Everyone knows you're going to be Formal Queen. There's stiff competition to be your unlawfully-wedded husband for the night." Maiden had never understood why she was so popular and Aki wasn't. Aki had grown from a chubby baby goth into a plump, lovely young woman with a passion for geek culture, black eyeliner, and chemical metallurgy. She was far more interesting than Maiden. "I could take you," Maiden suggested. Aki was well-aware of Maiden's disinterest in dating, but she seemed to think Maiden just needed encouragement to bolster her self-esteem in that department. Maiden hadn't known how to tell her that dating itself didn't really hold any appeal. She'd mentioned once, at a birthday sleepover party during a bewildering game of truth or dare, that she didn't remember ever having a crush. Her friend's mother, listening in from the dining room table and indulgently keeping the dares under control, had sounded surprised and scornful. //'Of course you have,' she'd insisted. 'Everyone has crushes.'// "You can't take me to Formal," Aki said decisively. "This is the year I finally tell Pebbles that her eyes are like shining pools of liquid mercury and we're meant to be together forever. Or at least until I get into Montana Tech." "If you're going to be together forever," Maiden pointed out, "you might have to stop calling her Pebbles." "I'm never going to stop calling her Pebbles. Stop changing the subject. Who are you taking to Formal?" //I don't want to take anyone,// Maiden thought, but Aki would only think she needed another pep talk on what a great person she was, and they had chemistry in five minutes. "Someone interesting," she said finally. "Someone who can make me laugh. Someone who keeps me company." "It's a tall order, but I think we can manage," Aki told her. She looped her arm through Maiden's, and walked her down the hall to class.<p class="scene-break">♔</p> Maiden's father was home when she got back from school, which wasn't always true. Her father was the town's fire chief, and he tended to work odd hours—all hours, sometimes—so she was used to an empty house. Empty didn't mean lacking in love, though. In every room there were pictures of Maiden, alone or with her dad, and a precious few with her mother, who'd died of breast cancer when Maiden was seven. Her dad liked to boast that Maiden had gotten her wisdom from him, but that so much of her mother was in her as well, sharing stories and mementos even though Maiden knew it hurt him sometimes to remember. She heard the creak of the old floorboards under her dad's feet and followed the sound to the kitchen. "Hi, sweetheart. How was school?" "Fine," she answered out of habit. "Aki says she's going to ask Pebbles to Formal." "She might have to finally stop calling her Pebbles," her dad observed, and Maiden smiled and went to hug him hello. He kissed the top of her head. "And is there someone you're thinking of taking to Formal?" Unlike Aki, her father had never expected Maiden to date. She guessed part of that was him being an overprotective father—he'd probably be perfectly happy if she never dated in high school at all. But he also liked to say, //'Kids these days please themselves, not their parents,'// and he always said it like a compliment; like he was proud of her for knowing her own mind and making her own decisions. "Not really," she answered. "Well, there's no rush. My little girl's going to marry someone who's great for her one day. Until then, I'm the lucky one who gets to spend time with her." Maiden smiled again, and pulled away to look around the kitchen. "What's for dinner?" "There's moose left in the freezer for chili. You want to make bannock?" "I'll get the flour," Maiden answered, and put the Formal out of her mind.<p class="scene-break">♔</p> Maiden found out what Aki had meant by 'stiff competition' the next day, when Loon sat down across from her at lunch and stared at her. Mateo Luna was on the basketball team, well-liked by all the jocks, and considered one of the best-looking boys at school. He towered over most of the other students, and had big hands, which some girls swore meant something. Maiden couldn't remember when everyone had started calling him 'Loon', but apparently in high school sports culture, it was a complimentary nickname. Maiden waited for him to say something. When he didn't, she went back to eating her sandwich, and her bag of chips, and her apple. When she was scraping the last bit of chocolate out of her pudding cup, he suddenly burst into loud, braying laughter. Maiden stared back at him. He was red-faced now, a little shiny with perspiration, and still didn't say anything. She wondered if he'd been expecting her to fall over herself the way other girls did when he paid attention to them, and whether he was embarrassed or disappointed now. "Okay," she said at last, picking up her tray to take it to the garbage bin. "Good talk." She'd just recovered from that weirdness when Fox McCoy started hanging around her in gym class, bouncing the soccer ball on his knees instead of just kicking it to her like a normal person, and showing off stupid tricks. He tried to bounce the ball off his head and nearly headbutted her. Then he spun around in circles—jumping around like his feet were on fire making 'ooh, ahh' noises—before tripping over the ball and falling flat on his ass. "I heard you wanted to be entertained," he explained, while Maiden was holding an ice pack from the first aid kit against the swelling bump on the back of his head. She wasn't pre-med yet, but she still knew to rest, ice, compress, and elevate. "I'm a funny guy, ask anyone." Maiden tracked this bit of information back to its source. "You did this," she hissed at Aki as they painted terrible, lopsided baskets of plastic fruit in art class. "Make them stop trying to impress me." "I'm really disappointed in your lack of vision here," Aki told her serenely. Her banana was mottled brown with bruises, and there was a spider dangling from the stem by a thread of silk. The spider was wearing a red cape and a crooked crown. "You could be using your powers for evil." "Have you talked to Pebbles yet?" Maiden asked, because she was feeling grumpy and uncharitable. "Low blow," Aki reproached her. "Heads-up, three o'clock. Incoming." Maiden fixed a blank expression on her face, and tried to ignore the trio of seniors coming her way with paintings of fruit baskets clutched in their sweaty hands.<p class="scene-break">♔</p> Maiden wasn't sure exactly when the hopeful looks became resentful—when the moniker 'ice princess' started to stick and turn bitter. It was a gradual, creeping shift, from guys competing over her attention to sneering at her because they hadn't gotten it and wanted to save face. She hadn't meant to insult any of them, but they made jokes about how haughty she was, and how far above them she thought herself. They looked past her in the hallways, and timed their cruelest barbs to be sure she'd overhear them. By the time she heard one of them say,// 'Someone needs to make her pay,'// they had a plan, and it was already too late. Whirlwind hadn't actually been among the boys jostling for a chance at the Formal Queen, but he was the school prankster. He was frequently in detention for some joke or other, and only his best friend Rain and older brother Sparrow had any hope of keeping him out of trouble. Everyone knew that if you wanted to pull off a stunt to remember, Whirlwind was your guy. Maiden didn't see him coming until he was there, bumping into her and knocking her off-balance into an enormous puddle that definitely hadn't been there yesterday. He flipped her hat off as she fell, and it flew over her eyes so she couldn't see anything, only hear a crowd of boys laughing. "In the mud where she belongs," someone jeered, and someone else laughed, "Not so far above us now, are you, princess?" Her clothes were soaked and muddy, and her skirt was around her waist; her hat hadn't been the only thing Whirlwind had flipped up when he'd crashed into her. "Nice underwear," someone called, and another voice hooted, "She can't see it, her hair's in her face." She pushed her skirt down, collected her scattered belongings, and crawled out of the puddle. They'd timed it well; it was only a few minutes before the first class of the day, so she couldn't clean up in the bathroom without being late. Cleaning up was a lost cause anyway; she might be able to rinse the mud out of her hair, but she'd still be sopping wet, her clothes stained brown. She went home, ignoring the catcalls and whoops behind her. She didn't tell anyone at the school she was leaving, just walked the two miles back to her house, shivering in the wind.<p class="scene-break">♔</p> Her father was home, lingering over his morning coffee and reading the news on his laptop. She hadn't thought about trying to sneak past him; she'd forgotten he'd be there. She stood there, mud splattered and drying on her bare legs, hair tangled in knots over her shoulders, cold water dripping down the back of her neck, and burst into tears. Her father set down his coffee, took her shivering and crying into his arms, and brought her upstairs to the bathroom to get towels. She told him the story in little pieces, hot with shame, while he rubbed her hair dry and listened silently. Then he sat her down on the toilet seat, took both of her hands in his, and said, "I'm going to call the school and tell them you're with me, and then you and I are going down to the school office." "No," she croaked, miserable and guilty. Surely that would only make everything worse. Surely, some part of her whispered, she'd brought this on herself, and she deserved it. "We're going to the school office," he repeated firmly, "to make a report. It's your choice whether or not you press charges, but it should be on the record." She was crying again. Her father sighed, and pulled out the old-fashioned handkerchief he still carried around in his pocket so she could dry her eyes. It smelled like the herbs in his closet, the ones her mother had used in the old wooden clothes chests and linen cupboards. Her father squeezed her hand. "Listen to me, sweetheart. You're not responsible for what those boys want from you. I know you know that, but I want you to remember it right now. How they feel about you isn't your burden to carry. Who you want to take to a school dance is all up to you." He stood up from the floor, the familiar leather of his belt creaking and his knees popping. "Do you want me to call Aki? If you want someone else to be there with you, we could ask them to get her from class." She shook her head at the thought of Aki's worried, angry face. Aki would start a fight and get herself into trouble if she heard what happened while Maiden still looked like this. "No. Just you." "Let's go, then," he said, jangling his car keys and offering her a hand up. "Then what do you say we pick up Tims on the way back?" Maiden wiped her eyes with the mostly-clean back of her hand and nodded. She wasn't hungry, but she liked the idea of it, the familiar ritual of getting donuts and coffee with her dad. "What if...?" She stopped, swallowing, and made herself say it aloud. "What if I don't ever want to take anyone to a school dance?" Her father wrapped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her against his side, heedless of the mud. "Then you'll always have a home here with me," he promised her. "And I'll still be the luckiest person alive." ➤ [[Return|T4LAND]]

''Your hints:'' ➤ [[Hint 1|T4INV1]] Not working right? Try the simplified version: ➤ [[Hint 1|T4INV1sms]]<<if $T4clues gt 2>> ➤ [[Hint 2|T4INV2]]<</if>><<if $T4clues gt 3>> ➤ [[Hint 3|T4INV3]] Not working right? Try the simplified version: ➤ [[Hint 3|T4INV3sms]]<</if>><<if $T4clues gt 4>> ➤ [[Hint 4|T4INV4]]<</if>><<if $T4clues gt 5>> ➤ [[Hint 5|T4INV5]]<</if>> <<if $T4clues is 6>> <<if visited("T4S06")>>➤ [[Continue|T4S06]]<<else>><<textboxPlus "''Find the current location of the kids:'' " "$answer" `{ autocomplete: "off", placeholder: "Give the map location." }`>> <span id='textbox-reply'></span> <span id='textbox-submit'>\ <<button 'Submit'>> <<set $answer to $answer.trim().toLowerCase().replace(/\s\s+/g, ' ')>> <<if $answer is 'centennial fountain'>> <<replace '#textbox-reply'>>\ Correct!\ <</replace>> <<replace '#textbox-submit'>>\ ➤ [[Continue|T4S06]] <</replace>> <<run $('#textbox-answer').attr('readonly', 'true');>> <<else>> <<replace '#textbox-reply'>>\ Incorrect. Please try again.\ <</replace>> <</if>> <</button>>\ </span> ➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 1">><<append "#T4C2">>➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 2">><<append "#T4C3">>➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 3">><<append "#T4S">>➤ <<link "Need the solution?">><<popup "T4INVs">><</link>><</append>><<popup 'T4INVc3'>><<link 'Clue 3'>><<popup 'T4INVc3'>><</link>><</linkreplace>><</append>><<popup 'T4INVc2'>><<link 'Clue 2'>><<popup 'T4INVc2'>><</link>><</linkreplace>><</append>><<popup 'T4INVc1'>><<link 'Clue 1'>><<popup 'T4INVc1'>><</link>><</linkreplace>> <span id="T4C2"></span> <span id="T4C3"></span> <span id="T4S"></span><</if>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T4LAND]]

<div id="phone" class="content1"><div class="content2"><p class="messagebody"><div class="header">Whirlwind ☉</div> <span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW:</b></span>Where the hell are you?</span> <<timed 8s>><span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW:</b></span>The school called. Mom and Dad are pissed.</span> <<next 3s>><span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND:</b></span>oh goddd i'm such a fcukking asshole</span> <<next 6s>><span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW:</b></span>Are you drunk?</span> <<next 3s>><span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND:</b></span>bad decsions all around</span> <<next 4s>><span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW:</b></span>You're going to be grounded for the rest of your life.</span> <<next>><span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND:</b></span>thisis not supportive oldr brthr talk</span> <<next 4s>><span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW:</b></span>Part of being your older brother means kicking your ass when you need it.</span> <<next>><span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW:</b></span>Where are you at?</span> <<next 3s>><span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND:</b></span>dunno</span> <<next 2s>><span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND:</b></span>went for awake</span> <<next 1s>><span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND:</b></span>awalk</span> <<next 2s>><span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW:</b></span>I'm coming to get you. Seriously, where are you?</span> <<next 5s>><span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND:</b></span>i should call maiden</span> <<next 1s>><span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND:</b></span>tell her im sorru and an asshole</span> <<next 5s>><span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW:</b></span>Do not call her while you're wasted or I'll kick your ass even more.</span> <<next 6s>><span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND:</b></span>rain says im a dumbass</span> <<next 4s>><span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW:</b></span>Is Rain with you? Their parents called the house earlier looking for them.</span> <<next 5s>><span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND:</b></span>yeah they came along to yell atme</span> <<next 4s>><span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND:</b></span>their batterys dead tho</span> <<next 2.5s>><span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW:</b></span>Put them on the phone.</span> <<next>><span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND:</b></span><<if $T4clues gt 2>><<link "Incoming call..." "T4INV2">><<run clearInterval(State.temporary.scrollFn)>><</link>><<else>><<link "Not until you get your next hint." "T4LAND">><<run clearInterval(State.temporary.scrollFn)>><</link>><</if>></span><</timed>> </p></div></div> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4INV1.wav&autoplay=1" width="700" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <div style="width: 700px;text-align: center">This audio is autoplaying to sync with the texts above. Unmute to tune in. <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4INV1.wav" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></div> <<link "Return" "T4INV">><<run clearInterval(State.temporary.scrollFn)>><</link>> <<silently>><<script>>State.temporary.scrollFn = window.setInterval(function() { var elem = document.getElementById('phone'); elem.scrollTop = elem.scrollHeight; }, 100);<</script>><</silently>>

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4INV2.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4INV2.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> [phone conversation, heavy background rain] RAIN: [cheerfully] Hi Sparrow. SPARROW: Hi Rain. How's my brother? RAIN: A dumbass, like I said. [//Whirlwind wails distantly in the background//] I've talked him off the ledge. He's going to apologize when he sobers up. SPARROW: You're a good friend. RAIN: I know. Can you come and get us? I'm not sure how to get home from here. SPARROW: Do you know where you are? RAIN: It's hard to hear in this downpour, but we went past the railroad crossing a while ago. I told him there was no way he was hauling me across the tracks while he's wasted. SPARROW: Definitely a good friend. So you haven't crossed the tracks? RAIN: No, but I think we were close to the water at one point, I heard the gulls. SPARROW: Not anymore? RAIN: Well, it's a little wet out for gulls now. I heard the clock chime half-hour, so we weren't far from the tower. SPARROW: It's about quarter-to now. What else? RAIN: We were crossing under a bridge when a fire engine went over us, left to right. SPARROW: Got it. RAIN: Oh! We heard the hockey game going on in the arena, so we had to be pretty close to that, too. SPARROW: Okay. Thanks, Rain. I'll be there soon. <<if $T4clues gt 3>>➤ [[Oh wait, one last thing...|T4INV3]] <</if>>➤ [[Return|T4INV]]

<div id="phone" class="content1"><div class="content2"><p class="messagebody"><span class="header">Whirlwind ☉</span> <span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW:</b></span>Where did you start out? The school?</span> <<timed 9s>><span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND:</b></span>are u mad still bro</span> <<next 4s>><span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW:</b></span>Give the phone back to Rain.</span> <<next 4s>><span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND:</b></span>are u texting while drivng???</span> <<next 2.5s>><span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW:</b></span>Ask Rain where you were when you two started walking.</span> <<next 7s>><span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND:</b></span>ur maddd :(</span> <<next 4s>><span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND:</b></span>whered u go?</span> <<next 4s>><span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND:</b></span>sparroooowwww</span> <<next 4s>><span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND:</b></span>ok fine</span> <<next 4s>><span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND:</b></span>Hi Sparrow!</span> <<next 2s>><span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND:</b></span>The corner store on the next block over.</span><</timed>> </p></div></div> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4INV3.wav&autoplay=1" width="700" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <div style="width: 700px;text-align: center">This audio is autoplaying to sync with the texts above. Unmute to tune in. <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4INV3.wav" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></div><<if $T4clues gt 4>>➤ <<link "Let me look at this map..." "T4INV4">><<run clearInterval(State.temporary.scrollFn)>><</link>> <</if>>➤ <<link "Return" "T4INV">><<run clearInterval(State.temporary.scrollFn)>><</link>> <<silently>><<script>>State.temporary.scrollFn = window.setInterval(function() { var elem = document.getElementById('phone'); elem.scrollTop = elem.scrollHeight; }, 100);<</script>><</silently>>

<center><img src="https://ia801404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/Map.jpg" width="100%" height="auto"><a href="https://ia801404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/Map.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[EXPAND]</a></center> <<if $T4clues gt 5>>➤ [[Now let's retrace their steps...|T4INV5]] <</if>>➤ [[Return|T4INV]]

<center><img src="https://ia801404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/Map.jpg" width="100%" height="auto"> <<link "[ZOOM IN]">><<popover>><img src="https://ia801404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/Map.jpg"><</popover>><</link>> <a href="https://ia801404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/Map.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[EXPAND]</a></center> ''Now let's retrace their steps...'' <center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4INV5.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4INV5.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ➤ <<message "Playing without audio?">> [Footsteps, some noise of other people.] [Door opening, bell jangling, door closing as people noise quiets.] [Footsteps continue.] [Gulls. Footsteps turn crunchier as if the ground is different here.] [Footsteps sound sloshier and then gradually less sloshy.] [Footsteps sound firmer.] [Firetruck siren.] [Footsteps get crunchier again.] [Sound of train horn, and the railroad crossing signal bell.] [Footsteps.] [Sounds of cheers.] [Footsteps continue.] [Night insect sounds start and get louder.] [A bell.] [Footsteps continue.] [Rain starts and quickly drowns out other sounds.] <</message>> ➤ [[Return|T4INV]]

<table class="witchtable"><tr class="witchtable"><td class="witchtable"></td><td class="witchtable"></td><td class="witchtable"></td></tr> <tr class="witchtable"><td class="witchtable"><a data-passage="T5S1"><img src="https://ia801404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/DO%20NOT%20OPEN.png" width="100%" height="100%"></a></td><td rowspan="2"><<if $logs gt 3>><a data-passage="T5INV"><img src="https://ia801404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/KEEP%20OUT%2003.png" width="95%" height="95%"></a><<elseif visited("T5INV")>><a data-passage="T5INV"><img src="https://ia601404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/KEEP%20OUT%2002.png" width="95%" height="95%"></a><<else>><a data-passage="T5INV"><img src="https://ia801404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/KEEP%20OUT%2001a.png" width="95%" height="95%"></a><</if>></td><td class="witchtable"><a data-passage="T5S2"><img src="https://ia801404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/NOT%20INTENDED%20FOR%20HUMAN%20CONSUMPTION.png" width="100%" height="100%"></a></td></tr><tr class="witchtable"><td class="witchtable"><a data-passage="T5S3"><img src="https://ia601404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/I%20MEAN%20IT.png" width="100%" height="100%"></a></td><td class="witchtable"><a data-passage="T5S4"><img src="https://ia801404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/PRIVATE.png" width="100%" height="100%"></a></td></tr></table> ''A Witch's Memories'' <<if visited("T5S1")>>☑<<else>>☐<</if>> [[DO NOT OPEN|T5S1]] <<if visited("T5S2")>>☑<<else>>☐<</if>> [[NOT INTENDED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION|T5S2]] <<if visited("T5S3")>>☑<<else>>☐<</if>> [[I MEAN IT DON'T READ THIS|T5S3]] <<if $logs gt 3>>☑<<else>>☐<</if>> [[PRIVATE|T5S4]] ''A Witch's Cupboard'' ➤ [[KEEP OUT|T5INV]] <<if visited("T5S1") is 1 and $wnot1 is false>><<if $logs is 4 and $wnot4 is false>><<notify>>There are 2 new items in the cupboard!<<set $wnot4 to true>><<set $wnot1 to true>><</notify>><<else>><<notify>>There's a new item in the cupboard!<<set $wnot1 to true>><</notify>><</if>><</if>> <<if visited("T5S2") is 1 and $wnot2 is false>><<if $logs is 4 and $wnot4 is false>><<notify>>There are 2 new items in the cupboard!<<set $wnot4 to true>><<set $wnot2 to true>><</notify>><<else>><<notify>>There's a new item in the cupboard!<<set $wnot2 to true>><</notify>><</if>><</if>> <<if visited("T5S3") is 1 and $wnot3 is false>><<if $logs is 4 and $wnot4 is false>><<notify>>There are 2 new items in the cupboard!<<set $wnot4 to true>><<set $wnot3 to true>><</notify>><<else>><<notify>>There's a new item in the cupboard!<<set $wnot3 to true>><</notify>><</if>><</if>>

<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4S06.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T4S06">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4S06.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T4S06">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4S06.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4S06.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>Dance Your Own Way</h2><p class="has-dropcap">They sat around the kitchen table—Maiden, her dad, Whirlwind, and his older brother Sparrow. Whirlwind's friend Rain waited politely in the living room, apparently getting a lift home from Sparrow. There would be an official meeting at school with all of the boys and their parents, but Whirlwind had asked to apologize first.</p> Sparrow had called ahead, which had given Maiden time to think over whether she wanted to see Whirlwind at all yet. Her father had placed a heavy, reassuring hand on her shoulder and said, "It's your decision, honey." She sat now and listened to Whirlwind's awkward, guilty apology. She didn't know what she was supposed to do. Forgive him? She wasn't sure she was ready for that yet. It was still too raw for her to know how she felt. She found, in the end, that what she wanted wasn't even really his apology. It was an explanation. "Why?" she asked, meeting his eyes when his gaze jerked up to hers. "Why did you do it? You don't even want to come to the dance with me." "I don't know," Whirlwind admitted. He rubbed his neck and looked away. "Dumb reasons. Because I wanted to be part of something. Because they asked me. I wasn't thinking about... I didn't think about you. It was stupid. I'm sorry." Maiden watched him for a while, and decided he probably was. She wasn't sure that mattered to her just yet either. Her dad walked them to the front door when they were ready to leave, and Rain cleared their throat from the couch. "Could I use your bathroom?" Whirlwind twitched in their direction, but he obviously didn't know where it was. Maiden offered her arm the way she'd seen Whirlwind do when the cafeteria was crowded or they'd moved the desks around in the classrooms, and Rain's fingers folded lightly into the crook of her elbow. Maiden held her tongue until they were halfway up the stairs and out of earshot, and then it came bursting out of her, sharp and angry. "Why are you friends with him?" Rain cocked their head, seeming to consider the question. "We're good for each other. He doesn't care about the ways I'm different, or treat me like those are what's important about me, and I try to remind him that other people aren't just an opportunity for a joke." Maiden pressed her lips together. "He cared about me being different." "He didn't," Rain promised. "If he had, I hope he wouldn't have been such an asshole." They reached the bathroom door, and Rain patted Maiden's arm a little clumsily as they let go. "Look, you don't have to give him another chance if you don't want to. It's not like you owe it to him or anything. But I don't think he'd care, if you were a little different." Maiden swallowed. "Thank you," she said finally. "Anytime." Rain smiled. "Hey, for the record? I wouldn't care either." ➤ [[Continue|T4S666]]

<<if visited("T4S666") is 1>><<set $achievements++>><</if>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4S666.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T4S666">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4S666.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T4S666">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4S666.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4S666.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>> WITCH: [already impatient] Well? KING: That was... odd. WITCH: How so? KING: They were all in kingdoms quite different from my own. WITCH: Ah, but were they so different, really? KING: ...Perhaps not. WITCH: [dry] Convincing. KING: What? WITCH: [sighs] It wasn't just that the kingdoms were different, was it? KING: No. WITCH: I haven't got all day, you know. KING: That's rich. WITCH: Do you think I enjoy this? KING: I mean, I figured you did. At least a little. WITCH: [audibly rolling her eyes] Come on, then. Out with it. You're boring me. KING: Right. Fine. Okay. I don't think I realized there were so many people out there who don't care to marry. At all. WITCH: There we go. KING: And it's complicated, isn't it, sometimes, because while it'd be rather nice for there to be true love in the mix, there's obligations, and treaties, and... heirs, and so on, and it's... I'm used to looking at these sorts of things as a man would, and as a ruler would, which makes it even more tangled, I know, but I don't suppose it occurred to me that on top of all that, some would find the very notion of being paired with someone else so... WITCH: Unappealing? Unnecessary? Irrelevant? Nonsensical? KING: One of them really seemed to hate men. Passionately, even. WITCH: [suddenly cool] Oh? Is that all you got out of it? KING: That's a bit reductionist, don't you think? WITCH: [turning up her anger; sharply] She didn't have a good enough reason to feel what she felt? Is that it? KING: ...I'm not saying she didn't. WITCH: [scathingly] A fine double-negative. Look. You're thinking as if you were one of the beads on her necklace. Because that's the easy path to take. You've imagined being a suitor a hundred times. It's not that much of a stretch. But perhaps this would go better for you if you thought about how it'd be like to be her as well. KING: [sulkily] I am trying. WITCH: Not hard enough. KING: [frustrated] Apparently. [pause] KING: So what do I do with this? WITCH: [still a little sharp] Start by adjusting your assumptions. Like how everyone is just waiting for their one true love to come along. Talk about reductionist. KING: Well, I... I'll have to think about that. WITCH: Hmph. Well, while you ponder, I suggest you see what else you can learn. Go on, then. ➤ <<if $achievements gte 4>><<link "Try again." "T5S00">><<set $goal.T4 to true>><</link>><<else>><<link "Try again." "Question 1">><<set $quizcounts to { T1: 0, T2: 0, T3: 0, T4: 0 }>><<set $goal.T4 to true>><</link>><</if>>

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4INVC1.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4INVC1.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 1:'' Can you find the place Rain and Whirlwind started walking from on the map?

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4INVC2.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4INVC2.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 2:'' Can you match the landmarks Rain mentions to Sparrow to the sounds in the audio track along their walk? In what order do you hear Rain and Whirlwind encounter these landmarks as they travel?

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4INVC3.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4INVC3.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 3:'' If you know the last place they’ve passed by and which direction they’re walking, what is the next landmark Rain and Whirlwind should reach?

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4INVS.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4INVS.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Solution:'' They begin walking from the Quik-Mart one block over from Lakeshore SS. They walk to the shore and take the footpath east, then north until they cross under the bridge. They follow the footpath to the RR tracks, but turn west instead of crossing them. They get back on the road at Ironweed Street and pass Memorial Arena, then City Hall with its clock tower. The next landmark they arrive at is Centennial Fountain.

<<silently>><<if visited("T5S1") is 1>><<set $logs++>><</if>><</silently>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5S1.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T5S1">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5S1.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T5S1">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5S1.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5S1.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>DO NOT OPEN</h2><p class="has-dropcap">Even witches are not immune to the mundanity of the day-to-day.</p> Houses must be swept, pots must be scrubbed, food and potions must be cooked, and water must be fetched. And when she has no recently captured children about to do her chores, she must do them herself. So she goes down to the river-bank, large, awkward bucket banging annoyingly into her legs, already anticipating the weight of it once filled with water and not particularly looking forward to the journey home. There's a disheveled man sitting there, eyes glazed, shoulders hunched, staring blankly into the stream. “You, there,” she calls out, and he starts like a rabbit, his eyes wide and wild. “Fetch me some water,” she says sharply, turning as she sets the bucket down to give him a bit of dignity to gather his wits back together. He does readily enough, and his strong back manages the weight of the bucket quite nicely. “Come on then,” she says. “Just over the hill there. You've clearly got nothing better to do.” “Clearly,” he replies quietly behind her. “You look,” she continues, “as if you've been drug about a field by an angry housecat and left for dead.” She's met with a hollow laugh. “That good, hm?” he replies. “I would've thought I warranted at least a sordid tryst with a bear in an ash-heap.” “Hmph,” she replies, in what quite isn't a laugh. They come to a small, neat clearing with a small, unassuming house. “Set it down there, don't spill, you oaf. There's some wood needs chopping.” She bustles inside with the bucket to begin her afternoon of brewing and stewing, and isn't surprised to hear a steady thunk of an axe outside. After she deems he's been at it long enough, she brings out a flagon of cold beer, and looks at him appraisingly. “Weed the garden, and there's a meal in it.” He wipes the sweat off his face with a small rag, and makes a satisfied sound upon tasting the beer. “Pleased to,” he says, “if you'd be so kind as to point out the offending plants.” “Got ourselves a bright one,” she mutters, not displeased, as she bustles over to the small garden and points out the most obvious weeds. “Don't you put your hands in your mouth or eyes before washing ‘em,” she calls out over her shoulder as she makes her way back inside. “I don't fancy using you for compost.” “Noted,” he calls out, far too cheerfully for one so ragged and thin. He washes scrupulously before supper, and looks better for it, with his once matted hair brushed neatly out of his eyes. There's a hearty goat stew, and more beer, and bread, and he eats it all quietly and neatly despite his obvious hunger. <p class="scene-break">◈</p> She sets on her stoop and lights up a pipe after, as is her custom, and when she offers him a toke, he takes it, coughing a little as the smoke tickles his throat. “That'll put hair on your chest,” he says, grinning. “Not that you have any,” he adds, before looking at her, wide-eyed. “Not that I've looked,” he adds. “Not that I'd mind, either!” She laughs, then, a deep belly laugh that sounds a little at the edges like a cackle. “Gods on high,” she says, wiping her eyes a little. “I haven't laughed like that in an age.” She looks at him, appraisingly, and passes him the pipe once more. “You've lost something,” she says, stating the obvious. “The love of a woman,” he replies, puffing on the pipe before returning it. “Sounds rather silly, to end up this way for such a little thing, but there we are. You've lost something, too,” he adds. Thoughtfully, he looks up at the stars. “Someone,” he amends. “Like knows like.” “Too bright for your own damn good,” she mutters, but doesn't deny it. “Love is never silly,” she adds, ignoring the sudden thickness in her throat. “Sometimes it's ill-considered, perhaps, but I wouldn't call it silly.” She takes a drag of her pipe and exhales a neat smoke ring. “Or little.” He leans back against the rough mud walls of her neat little house, and sighs. “No,” he agrees. “No, it really isn't.” “I've a barn,” she says, briskly, getting up and brushing her apron off. “It's clean, and dry. You'll stay there tonight.” It's a little annoying to have to cast concealment charms, and to get up early to do so, but it'd be more annoying to have to listen to him trying to thank her to her face. When he wakes up, nuzzled by a horse, the house and barn have vanished into the fog, and he's in the middle of a field. Next to him, there's a bundle containing fresh-baked bread, and a pile of neatly folded clothes befitting his station with a small bag of coins in the pocket of the jacket. The clothes fit him perfectly. There's a note tied to the horse's bridle. //For Making Me Laugh.// ➤ <<if visited("T5S1") is 1>><<if $logs is 2>>[[Continue|T5PL2]]<<elseif $logs is 3>>[[Continue|T5PL3]]<<elseif $logs is 4>>[[Continue|T5PL4]]<<else>>[[Return|T5LAND]]<</if>><<else>>[[Return|T5LAND]]<</if>>

<<silently>><<if visited("T5S2") is 1>><<set $logs++>><</if>><</silently>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5S2.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T5S2">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5S2.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T5S2">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5S2.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5S2.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>NOT INTENDED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION</h2><p class="has-dropcap">My dear!” Yasmin cried out, kissing the witch on both cheeks before taking her by the hand to lead her inside. “Come, come, we've just started tea. Tiziri has brought a cake, and Lark brought some fruit dumplings, and we've been trying everything.”</p> “I brought some shortbread,” the witch volunteered. “It's a little crumbly, but I think it'll taste good enough.” “Of course it will, my friend,” Yasmin replied warmly. The cake was basbousa, made from semolina and orange blossom syrup, covered in powdered sugar and rose petals, and the dumplings were stuffed with wonderfully tart plums. Lark burst into laughter every time they asked her to provide the name for her dish, as none of the rest of them could say it anywhere close to properly. “Zwetschgenknödel,” she said for the third time, giggling. “And I made nan panjereh,” Yasmin added, pouring the witch some mint tea into a small glass cup. The four ladies settled into a delighted chatter, exclaiming over the various dishes and exchanging recipes. The shortbread was deemed a success despite its tendency to crumble, and the witch's use of cardamom was considered by all to be rather inspired. Soon, the conversation turned to their various spouses. “They shed,” Lark confided. “Everywhere. I've taken to brushing them in the mornings, and it still gets all over the place. They do enjoy the brushing, though.” “Oh, oh, I'll do you one better,” Yasmin replied, gesturing with a cookie. “My love, when they shed, it's all in one giant piece. I once spent a solid ten minutes talking to what I thought was my spouse, and got annoyed when they wouldn't reply!” The four of them laughed heartily at that, Lark spluttering in her tea. Tiziri raised a finger once the laughter subsided. “Ah! The shedding is indeed a delight. But when they are a camel, their eyelashes...” she shook her head. “They are so long and beautiful, I can hardly bear it!” “I like to braid flowers into my spouse's mane while I brush them,” Lark volunteered. “They look quite fetching.” “I shall have to give that a try,” Tiziri replied thoughtfully. Yasmin then launched into an animated re-telling of her aunt's latest letter, which was lacking in any sensitivity or tact. The witch settled back into her chair with a small smile, a dusting of powdered sugar on her cheek. ➤ <<if visited("T5S2") is 1>><<if $logs is 2>>[[Continue|T5PL2]]<<elseif $logs is 3>>[[Continue|T5PL3]]<<elseif $logs is 4>>[[Continue|T5PL4]]<<else>>[[Return|T5LAND]]<</if>><<else>>[[Return|T5LAND]]<</if>>

<<silently>><<if visited("T5S3") is 1>><<set $logs++>><</if>><</silently>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5S3.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T5S3">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5S3.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T5S3">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5S3.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5S3.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>I MEAN IT DON'T READ THIS</h2><div style="font-family: Grenze Gotisch;float: left;font-size: 4.2rem;line-height: .5;margin: 0 .05em 0.2em 0">Witch:</div> Alas, my sheep have wandered into a ditch, and half the flock has drowned. Ah, unfortunate shepherdess! Who will save these lost lambs? VASILY: Ah... WITCH: You won't help me? Farewell, lovely⁠—! VASILY: Hang on, I didn't say that. But it'll cost you. I help you with that sheep you don't really need me to catch, and you tell me about a girl who might have come this way, not too long ago. And no fairy tricks. I'm not looking for that kind of reward. Just information. <center><img src="https://ia601404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/Standing%20in%20a%20drainage%20ditch%20surrounded%20by%20sheep.jpg" width="100%" height="auto"> <small>//"Ah, unfortunate shepherdess! Who will save these lost lambs?"//</small></center> WITCH: I don't grant rewards easily. What kind of information did you have in mind? VASILY: I'm trying to find a missing person. The third daughter of the local count, by the name of Belle-Belle. WITCH: Cut the audio. VASILY: What? WITCH: This part's strictly off the record. VASILY: Fine, alright, off the record. WITCH: You know I know where you live. VASILY: Fine! Fine. No funny business. [an audible click] WITCH: [the sound of a cigarette being lit, and an exhale, before the Witch drops into a normal tone of voice] Right. So. Before I give you the sound bite you're looking for, and believe me, it's a juicy one, I need to know one thing. VASILY: I'm already helpin' with the sheep, ain't I? WITCH: Screw the sheep. They can handle themselves. You and I both know that the currency of this place is secrets. That's where the real treasure is. So. I want to know. Why are you really going after this Belle-Belle? What's in it for you? Fame? Fortune? Revenge? VASILY: Cold hard cash. [pause] All right. And I know what it's like, having who you are questioned. Maybe I didn't want Belle-Belle to face that life alone. WITCH: Tell me you're not in love with her. VASILY: [surprised] What? No. WITCH: Good. Good. Alright. I can work with that. [another deep drag on the cigarette] Love makes you do crazy things sometimes. And you're quite persistent, you know that? VASILY: No. It's not like that. I mean, it's not romantic. It's... WITCH: Kinship? VASILY: Sure. WITCH: She doesn't even know you exist. VASILY: [a little offended] I'm not sure how that matters. WITCH: [softer] No. I only meant... it's harder. When you're one step behind them. I hope you find what you're looking for. VASILY: I'll drink to that. WITCH: [another pull on her cigarette] And don't let anyone give you shit for who you are, kid. They give you shit, you come to me, okay? VASILY: O...kay? WITCH: ...I owe you a favor. VASILY: For what? WITCH: [a little embarrassed] I... might've been asked to come up with your tests. The embroidery on the wall... the pearls in the oatmeal... although the bath was entirely the king's idea. I take no responsibility for that particular genius move. VASILY: Ah. WITCH: Not that it helps at all, but he was sorting through a lot at the time. And he was an idiot. Most kings are, especially when feelings are involved. VASILY: ...Right. WITCH: Right. [there's a hiss of a cigarette being put out, then briskly] Let's get this over with. Back on the record. [an audible click] ➤ <<if visited("T5S3") is 1>><<if $logs is 2>>[[Continue|T5PL2]]<<elseif $logs is 3>>[[Continue|T5PL3]]<<elseif $logs is 4>>[[Continue|T5PL4]]<<else>>[[Return|T5LAND]]<</if>><<else>>[[Return|T5LAND]]<</if>>

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5PL1.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5PL1.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> <span style="font-family: Share Tech Mono;float: left;font-size: 2.2rem;line-height: .5;margin: 0 .05em 0.2em 0">Personal Log:</span> <span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1em">I’ve read the portents a dozen times. She’s perfect. She’s magnificent. It worked. It’s all so delicate, to pull such slender threads from such a distance, let alone to get an accurate reading, but a database isn’t that much different from a grimoire, after all, and what is altering DNA if not a spell of transformation? I saw the images of her at the naming ceremony reflecting in my mirror—the intelligence behind her eyes was staggering—and I knew, right then and there. I knew. I must play my cards carefully—she’ll be bright enough to doubt the motives of anyone around her. I mustn’t reveal myself until the time is right. She’s well worth it.</span><<if $logs gt 1>><p class="scene-break">◈</p><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5PL2.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5PL2.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> <span style="font-family: Share Tech Mono;float: left;font-size: 2.2rem;line-height: .5;margin: 0 .05em 0.2em 0">Personal Log:</span> <span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1em">I set out my breadcrumbs, tantalizing hint by tantalizing hint, and finally got her to come into my gingerbread house. She found my coding buried deep, deep within the heart of a hidden matrix, and took two months to crack all the little traps I set to weed out the fools. She’s only eight. Eight, and already the brightest star in her arm of the galaxy. I can barely keep half a step ahead of her—I’ve had to learn so very much just to talk to her—but it’s well worth the investment. She believes me to be an artificial intelligence of her own creation. It helps, as her teaching me about her knowledge and world greatly assists me in overcoming any gaps due to ignorance. She’s named me Witch of her own accord. I am, as near as I can tell, the closest thing she has to a friend. She is so hungry for an impartial source of information—for a whisper in her ear that isn’t aiming for power, or social standing in her kingdom. I won’t admit to being without motive myself—but my motive is beyond the petty posturing at the Station. She isn’t ready yet—but oh, when she is, she will be truly magnificent.</span><</if>><<if $logs gt 2>><p class="scene-break">◈</p><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5PL3.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5PL3.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> <span style="font-family: Share Tech Mono;float: left;font-size: 2.2rem;line-height: .5;margin: 0 .05em 0.2em 0">Personal Log:</span> <span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1em">I wondered when time would catch up to our little corner of Heaven. The last ten years have been truly golden—our captured snatches of conversation have become ever richer as she’s grown—she was properly nasty at twelve, of course, I’d expect no less, but she circled back around eventually. But today... Her father demands she wed. Within the month. It is a thing of deep and profound irony that the very mechanisms that have allowed her to shine so brightly would relegate her to a second-class citizen; that her idiot father, so overcome by sentimentality, would attempt to copy his wife in his daughter, and would then punish her for his choices when she proved to have a mind of her own; that a brilliant woman would be so constrained and so used. She wept to me that she was so much more than a pawn. Oh, Fiorimonde. It will take me far too long to get there in person—there are certain boundaries of space and time that cannot be bent to my will. Not yet, at least. There is, also, the question of what will happen once I arrive—if she is ready to hear what I have to offer. In the meantime, a simple spell will have to do.</span><</if>><<if $logs gt 3>><p class="scene-break">◈</p><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5PL4.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5PL4.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> <span style="font-family: Share Tech Mono;float: left;font-size: 2.2rem;line-height: .5;margin: 0 .05em 0.2em 0">Personal Log:</span> <span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1em">It worked, for now. It’s a temporary solution, at best. I don’t know that she quite knows that yet, but I’ve bought her a little time. Another month. Her hunger for knowledge is insatiable—her capacity vast—and now, there’s a ticking clock that we both ignored for far too long. But we still have a month—a month of stories, and experiments, and philosophy, and whatever my Fiorimonde needs. I cannot extend to her false hopes. I cannot yet tell her who I truly am. Not until I am certain I can make the journey. So, for now, I am a friendly whisper in her ear. No more.</span><</if>><<if $logs gt 4>><p class="scene-break">◈</p><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5PL5.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5PL5.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> <span style="font-family: Share Tech Mono;float: left;font-size: 2.2rem;line-height: .5;margin: 0 .05em 0.2em 0">Personal Log:</span> <span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1em">How many more times can she manage it? Oh, Fiorimonde. Each time compounds her risk. I count down the days, and wait, my heart in my mouth, sick. I dread what I’ll see when I look in my mirror. And every month, the story is the same—a suitor missing, bafflement, mourning, a further delay. I’ve done the calculations a hundred times now—the cost of going there, of taking her back with me—I've spent every last favor to gather every last particle of power I can muster. It’s still not enough. I need just a little more time, Fiorimonde. Just a few more short weeks, and I can reveal myself to you, and show you the universe beyond yours, how much more there is to life, how many more realities there are for us to explore together, and examine, and break and remake. Oh, I know she’ll be furious at the deception—I’d expect no less. But she’ll come back around again. My daughter. My heart.</span><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5LAND]]

<<if visited("T5S666") is 1>><<set $achievements++>><</if>><<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5S666.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "T5S666">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5S666.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "T5S666">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5S666.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5S666.wav#" width="70%" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>> WITCH: [shaken, but trying not to show it] ...That was private. KING: [carefully] I figured. WITCH: I wasn’t expecting you would... KING: What? Get this far? See you as a person? I thought that was the entire point of all this. WITCH: I don’t know. KING: [a realization] Wait. You’re stuck in here too, aren’t you? You can’t get out either. WITCH: [snarling] Stuff a pie in it. KING: Look, at least I’m trying. WITCH: [tone changes, she’s speaking to the reader] See, now. You. Yes, I’m talking to you. See? We’re both trying. Do you... Do you have any idea how exhausting this is? How many lives I’ve lived in here? How it feels to be so exposed? KING: I mean, I have some idea. WITCH: I wasn’t talking to you. Idiot. KING: I’m not quite sure I follow. WITCH: Never mind. [pause] KING: It must’ve been hard. Losing her. WITCH: [angry] You have no... KING: I’m not claiming I understand what it feels like. But all the same. I didn’t... I didn’t know what she was to you. The first time. Now I do. I was callous, earlier. I’m sorry for it. WITCH: You’ll have children someday. Three of ‘em. Just as insufferable as you are. Then you’ll understand the... the maddening helplessness of it all. To want them to make their own choices, be their own people, to have to trust they’ll do what they intend to, and to have to sit on your hands to keep from leaping in every time they make a choice you wouldn’t. KING: Will I be... Will they... WITCH: I’ve already told you far too much for your own good. You’ll just have to find out like everyone else does. KING: Hm. WITCH: What? KING: It’s only... You seem to rather like being in control, don’t you? WITCH: And your point is? KING: Only that I think I am beginning to understand why this has been difficult for you as well. WITCH: Hmph. WITCH: [sulkily] For what it’s worth, I intended to help. KING: With what, exactly? WITCH: Let’s just say I know a horse who can see the future. KING: And? WITCH: Well, you tell me. The kind of ruler you’d be without this. The kind of father you’d be. KING: I... I don’t know. WITCH: Food for thought. KING: But you got cursed, too. WITCH: Hubris. Every now and then, the universe conspires to knock a body down a peg. Let you know your place. I suppose it was my turn. WITCH: [to reader] I imagine you’ve had your entertainment, though, haven’t you? That this has all been amusing for you? A bit of fun? A game? KING: Not really. WITCH: Once again, not talking to you. KING: Fine! WITCH: [to reader] I expect you want me to blather on about what I’ve learned now, don’t you? Well. Good luck on that one. It’ll have to stay subtext. KING: I mean, if it gets us out of here... WITCH: Bah. KING: Alright. I’ll say it. You’ve learned a little humility⁠—that you can’t control every situation, no matter how much you want to. Whether it's on behalf of a daughter you love, or an idiot king you wouldn't care a dime for if he didn't need someone to kick some sense of responsibility into him. WITCH: Not responsibility, exactly. KING: What, then? WITCH: Perspective. KING: Just that? WITCH: Just that. As if it isn’t everything there is worth knowing. KING: Right. WITCH: Don’t you dismiss me. KING: I’m not! I’m thinking. WITCH: Good. KING: I... All right. I can see how perspective would be valuable. WITCH: And? KING: Limiting. WITCH: And? KING: How my own could be limited, too, as a result. WITCH: Better. KING: You do know that I’ll never be perfect, don’t you? I’ll never have a perfect understanding? WITCH: Now you’re getting it. But all the same, you are better than you were. And that’s worth something. KING: [clearly doing an impression of the witch] Bah. WITCH: No, it’s true. I can say that and mean it. KING: And you can’t control what I do when we’re all done here. Whether I’ll keep on trying to better myself, or not bother any more. WITCH: ...Fine. You made a point. I hope you’re happy. [to reader] Hope you’re happy, too. KING: Let me guess. Not talking to me. WITCH: [with affection] Smartass. KING: [likewise] Hag. [pause] KING: Once we’re out of here. Are you going to try and rescue her? [pause] WITCH: Yes. KING: I hope you succeed. WITCH: [clears throat, trying to regain equilibrium] All right. I think we’re done here. KING: Really? WITCH: Yes. [there is the clink of a bottle] KING: That looks rather unappealing. WITCH: Potions are supposed to be. You first. Good-bye, Your Majesty KING: You can call me Luke. Good-bye... WITCH: [warning, but with a playful note] Don’t you think for a moment that I’m going to give you my name, Luke. You ought to know better. KING: ➤ <<link "Good-bye, friend." "Credits">><<set $goal.T5 to true>><</link>>

''Thank you so much for playing!'' If you would like to leave a comment on this work or browse other Pod_Together offerings, you can head to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/41107464" rel="nofollow">this fanwork's AO3 page</a>. <table> <tr><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Read the bonus commentary.|T0bonus]]</td><td>You took ''the quiz'' <<= visited("Question 7")>> times.</td><td style="vertical-align: middle"><<link "Read again?" "T0S666">><<set $quizcounts to { T1: 0, T2: 0, T3: 0, T4: 0 }>><</link>></td></tr> <<if $goal.T1 is true>><tr><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Read the bonus commentary.|T1bonus]]</td><td>You finished the ''Questing Hero'' thread!</td><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Read again?|T1S00]]</td></tr><</if>> <<if $goal.T2 is true>><tr><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Read the bonus commentary.|T2bonus]]</td><td>You finished the ''Youngest Daughter'' thread!</td><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Read again?|T2S00]]</td></tr><</if>> <<if $goal.T3 is true>><tr><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Read the bonus commentary.|T3bonus]]</td><td>You finished the ''Enigma'' thread!</td><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Read again?|T3S00]]</td></tr><</if>> <<if $goal.T4 is true>><tr><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Read the bonus commentary.|T4bonus]]</td><td>You finished the ''Heroic Maiden'' thread!</td><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Read again?|T4S00]]</td></tr><</if>> <<if $goal.T5 is true>><tr><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Read the bonus commentary.|T5bonus]]</td><td>You finished the ''Witch'' thread!</td><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Read again?|T5LAND]]</td></tr><</if>> </table> ''This has been...'' <center><img src="https://ia801404.us.archive.org/2/items/otwotw/000otwotw.jpg" width="100%" height="auto"></center> <h2>Once There Was, Once There Wasn’t</h2>''The Sentient Hive'' Questing Heroes: epaulettes, sisi_rambles, CompassRose Youngest Daughters: ellejabell Enigmas: kitkat50311, elle_dubs, mahons_ondine, minnabird Heroic Maidens: AirgiodSLV ''Concept & Project Lead:'' AirgiodSLV ''Story Development:'' kitkat50311 & AirgiodSLV ''Writers:'' AirgiodSLV, kikat50311, & minnabird ''Sound Editing & Soundscaping:'' ellejabell ''Visual Art:'' CompassRose & minnabird ''Twine Design & Coding:'' epaulettes ''Beta Readers:'' epaulettes, CompassRose, kitkat50311, AirgiodSLV, mahons_ondine <u>Fairy Tales</u> "Guerrino & The Savage Man" "The Straw Millionaire" "Yasmin & The Serpent Prince" "The Snake Prince" "The Singing, Springing Lark" "The Son of the Ogress" "Belle-Belle ou Le Chevalier Fortuné" "Vasilisa the Priest’s Daughter" "The Necklace of Princess Fiorimonde" "Li Ji Slays the Serpent" "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter" "Monyohe, the Great Snake of the Deep Waters" "Maliane and the Water Snake" "Sparrow’s Search for Rain" <u>References:</u> //The Island of Happiness: Tales of Madame D'Aulnoy//, drawings by Natalie Frank //Tales from the Basotho//, by Minnie Postma, trans. Susie McDermid //The Necklace of Princess Fiorimonde and Other Stories//, by Mary De Morgan //Clever Maids: The Secret History of the Grimm Fairy Tales//, by Valerie Paradiž, illus. Walter Crane //Contes Kabyles Timucuha//, by Youcef Allioui <a href="https://twinelab.net/custom-macros-for-sugarcube-2/#/" rel="nofollow">Chapel’s Twine Lab Custom Macro Collection</a> ➤ <<linkreplace "Click for the full credits for each scene!">>''Introduction & Quiz'' //Writers// Witch & King: kitkat50311 Quiz: AirgiodSLV //Artists// Illustration: minnabird Coloring: CompassRose //Cast// Narrators: The Sentient Hive Witch: CompassRose King: sisi_rambles ''Thread 1: The Questing Hero'' //Writer// kitkat50311 //Artist// CompassRose //Cast// Section A Narrator: epaulettes Section B Narrator: minnabird Guerrino: kitkat50311 Rubinetto: AirgiodSLV Armino: elle_dubs Fleet-Foot: AirgiodSLV Quick-Ear: CompassRose Comrade: sisi_rambles Yasmin: mahons_ondine Bamboo Cutter: ellejabell Daietsu-no-suke: elle_dubs Witch: CompassRose Bamboo Cutter’s Wife: CompassRose Fortunė: mahons_ondine Glutton: kitkat50311 Potentiana: epaulettes ''Thread 2: The Youngest Daughter'' //Writers// kitkat50311 (First Story, Yasmin) AirgiodSLV (Second Story, Lark) miinabird (Third Story, Tiziri) kitkat50311 (Interludes) //Artist// CompassRose //Cast// Narrator: AirgiodSLV Yasmin: mahons_ondine Father: sisi_rambles Spouse: ellejabell Interlude Narrator #1: sisi_rambles Interlude Narrator #2: ellejabell Lark: kitkat50311 Fortunė: mahons_ondine Sisters & Aunt: kitkat50311 Tiziri: minnabird Interlude Narrator #3: epaulettes Guerrino: kitkat50311 Interlude Narrator #4: minnabird Daietsu-no-suke: elle_dubs Mother-in-Law: CompassRose Witch | The Night Wind: CompassRose ''Thread 3: The Enigma'' //Writer// AirgiodSLV //Song Writer// mahons_ondine //Cast// Vasily: ellejabell Witch: CompassRose Count: kitkat50311 Fortunė: mahons_ondine Armino: elle_dubs Comrade: sisi_rambles Florida: mahons_ondine Daietsu-no-suke: elle_dubs Wife | Youngest Daughter: kitkat50311 Li Ji: epaulettes Peasants: kitkat50311, AirgiodSLV, elle_dubs, epaulettes, CompassRose Fleet-Foot: AirgiodSLV Quick-Ear: CompassRose Glutton: kitkat50311 Drinker: minnabird Good-Shot: elle_dubs Strong-Back: epaulettes Impetuous: sisi_rambles ''Thread 4: The Heroic Maiden - The Astral Carcanet'' //Writer// AirgiodSLV //Artists// Illustration: minnabird Coloring: CompassRose //Cast// Narrator: sisi_rambles Fiorimonde: mahons_ondine Newscaster: kitkat50311 Fleet Admiral Pierrot: minnabird Yolande: elle_dubs Witch: CompassRose Vice-Admiral Hildebrandt: kitkat50311 Gervaise: ellejabell ''Thread 4: The Heroic Maiden - The Princess from the Moon'' //Writer// kitkat50311 //Artists// Illustration: minnabird Coloring: CompassRose //Cast// Narrator: sisi_rambles Kaguya-hime’s Mother: CompassRose Kaguya-hime: ellejabell Singing Boy & Townsfolk: kitkat50311 Fishmonger: minnabird Singing Suitor: epaulettes Emperor: AirgiodSLV ''Thread 4: The Heroic Maiden - Senkepeng, who outran the water snake'' //Writer// AirgiodSLV //Artists// Illustration: minnabird Coloring: CompassRose //Cast// Narrator: sisi_rambles ''Thread 4: The Heroic Maiden - Legend of the Serpent-Slayer'' //Writer// minnabird //Artists// Illustration: minnabird Coloring: CompassRose //Cast// Narrator: sisi_rambles Li Ji: epaulettes Village Head: minnabird Li Ji’s Father: AirgiodSLV Grandmother Wu: kitkat50311 Unwanted Suitor: ellejabell Great Serpent: AirgiodSLV ''Thread 4: The Heroic Maiden - Queen, King, Ace'' //Writer// AirgiodSLV //Artists// Illustration: minnabird Coloring: CompassRose Map: CompassRose //Cast// Narrator: kitkat50311 Aki: epaulettes Maiden: elle_dubs Maiden’s Father: sisi_rambles Fox McCoy: mahons_ondine Whirlwind: ellejabell Teasing Boy #1: sisi_rambles Teasing Boy #2: CompassRose Sparrow: kitkat50311 Rain: mahons_ondine ''Thread 5: Witch'' //Writer// kitkat50311 //Cast// Narrators: AirgiodSLV, epaulettes Witch: CompassRose King: sisi_rambles Rubinetto | The Disheveled Man: AirgiodSLV Yasmin: mahons_ondine Lark: kitkat50311 Tiziri: minnabird Vasily: ellejabell<</linkreplace>>

<table style="margin-top: 0px"><tr style="border-top: hidden;border-left: hidden;border-right: hidden"><td class="cbicons" style="border-top: hidden;border-left: hidden;border-right: hidden"></td><td class="cupboardtext" style="border-top: hidden;border-left: hidden;border-right: hidden"></td><td class="cbicons" style="border-top: hidden;border-left: hidden;border-right: hidden"></td><td class="cupboardtext" style="border-top: hidden;border-left: hidden;border-right: hidden"></td></tr> <<if visited("I41")>><tr><td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">temp_preferences_custom</span></td><td colspan="3" class="cupboardtext">[[A Potion For Getting Unstuck|I41]]</td></tr><</if>> <<if $holding is 'null'>><<else>><tr><td colspan="4"><span style="font-size: 25px"><<linkreplace "➤ Put down $holding">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>></span></td></tr><</if>> <<if visited("I41")>><<else>><<if visited("I35")>><tr><td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">♨</span></td><td colspan="3" class="cupboardtext"><<if visited("I39")>>[[A potion in progress|I39]]<<else>><<if visited("I38")>>[[A potion in progress|I38]]<<else>><<if visited("I37")>>[[A potion in progress|I37]]<<else>><<if visited("I36")>>[[A potion in progress|I36]]<<else>><<if visited("I35")>>[[A potion in progress|I35]]<<else>><</if>><</if>><</if>><</if>><</if>></td></tr><</if>><</if>> <tr><td class="cbicons"><<if visited("I34")>><span class="scene-break">△</span><<else>><span class="scene-break">⨺</span><</if>></td><td class="cupboardtext"><<if visited("I34")>>[[An empty bottle|I33]]<<else>>[[A glass bottle full of spring water|I1]]<</if>></td> <td class="cbicons"><<if visited("I28")>><span class="scene-break">local_fire_department</span><<else>><span class="scene-break">𝅚</span><</if>> </td><td class="cupboardtext"><<if visited("I28")>>[[A lit candle|I28]]<<else>>[[A candle|I12]]<</if>></td></tr> <tr><td class="cbicons"><<if visited("I27")>><span class="scene-break">⋉</span><<else>><span class="scene-break">⋈</span><</if>></td><td class="cupboardtext"><<if visited("I27")>>[[A plain string|I27]] <<else>>[[A Möbius string|I2]] <</if>></td> <td class="cbicons"><<if visited("I29")>><span class="scene-break">favorite</span><<else>><span class="scene-break">▩</span><</if>></td><td class="cupboardtext"><<if visited("I29")>>[[A heart|I29]]<<else>>[[An elaborate box carved of ebony|I18]]<</if>></td></tr> <<if visited("T5S3")>><<if visited("I38")>><<else>><tr> <td class="cbicons"><<if visited("I32")>><span class="scene-break">ξ</span><<else>><span class="scene-break">ʕ</span><</if>></td><td colspan="3" class="cupboardtext"><<if visited("I32")>>[[A curl|I32]]<<else>>[[A shepherdess costume|I24]]<</if>></td></tr><</if>><</if>> <tr><td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">park</span></td><td class="cupboardtext">[[A piece of petrified wood|I3]]</td> <td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">science</span></td><td class="cupboardtext">[[A vial of powdered frog wings|I20]]</td></tr> <tr><td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">❂</span></td><td class="cupboardtext">[[A paperweight|I4]]</td> <td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">⌬</span></td><td class="cupboardtext">[[A pebble|I16]]</td></tr> <<if visited("T5S1")>><<if visited("I30")>><<if visited("I37")>><<else>> <tr><td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">grain</span></td><td colspan="3" class="cupboardtext">[[Ashes|I30]]</td></tr><</if>> <tr><td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">thermometer</span></td><td colspan="3" class="cupboardtext">[[A clay pipe and a small leather bag|I31]]</td></tr> <<else>><tr><td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">thermometer</span></td><td colspan="3" class="cupboardtext">[[A clay pipe and a small leather bag of tobacco|I23]]</td></tr><</if>><</if>> <tr><td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">colorize</span></td><td class="cupboardtext">[[A silver knife|I13]]</td> <td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">bug_report</span></td><td class="cupboardtext">[[A beetle|I15]]</td></tr> <tr><td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">⨄</span></td><td class="cupboardtext">[[A pot of glue|I5]]</td> <td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">⎎</span></td><td class="cupboardtext">[[A green satin ribbon|I6]]</td></tr> <tr><td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">key</span></td><td class="cupboardtext">[[A small key|I19]]</td> <td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">accessibility_new</span></td><td class="cupboardtext">[[A doll made of cloth with pins sticking in it|I7]]</td></tr> <<if visited("I42")>><<else>><tr><td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">♾</span></td><td colspan="3" class="cupboardtext"> [[A small glass globe containing a living fish|I9]]</td></tr><</if>> <<if $logs is 4>><tr><td class="cbicons"><<if visited("I40")>><span class="scene-break">commit</span><<else>><span class="scene-break">◈</span><</if>></td><td colspan="3" class="cupboardtext"><<if visited("I40")>>[[A bead on a string|I40]]<<else>>[[A square bead of glass|I25]]<</if>></td></tr><</if>> <tr><td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">skull</span></td><td class="cupboardtext">[[A vial of extraordinarily lethal poison|I17]]</td> <td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">gradient</span></td><td class="cupboardtext">[[A sack of rice, lentils, and barley|I8]]</td></tr> <tr><td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">timeline</span></td><td class="cupboardtext">[[A knobbly stick|I14]]</td> <td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">supervised_user_circle</span></td><td class="cupboardtext">[[A hand mirror|I21]]</td></tr> <tr><td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">auto_stories</span></td><td class="cupboardtext">[[A grimoire|I22]]</td> <td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">flare</span></td><td class="cupboardtext">[[A flint|I11]]</td></tr> <<if visited("T5S2")>><<if visited("I36")>><<else>><tr><td class="cbicons"><span class="scene-break">emoji_food_beverage</span></td><td colspan="3" class="cupboardtext">[[A sachet of mint tea|I26]]</td></tr><</if>><</if>> <<if visited("I35")>><<else>><tr><td class="cbicons"><<if visited("I34")>><span class="scene-break">⬬</span><<else>><span class="scene-break">⬭</span><</if>></td><td colspan="3" class="cupboardtext"><<if visited("I34")>>[[A filled scrying bowl|I34]]<<else>>[[A scrying bowl|I10]]<</if>></td></tr><</if>> <tr><td colspan="4"><span style="font-size: 25px">➤ [[Return|T5LAND]]</span></td></tr></table><<if $logs is 4>> ➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 1">><<append "#T5C2">>➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 2">><<append "#T5C3">>➤ <<linkreplace "Clue 3">><<append "#T5S">>➤ <<link "Need the solution?">><<popup "T5INVs">><</link>><</append>><<popup 'T5INVc3'>><<link 'Clue 3'>><<popup 'T5INVc3'>><</link>><</linkreplace>><</append>><<popup 'T5INVc2'>><<link 'Clue 2'>><<popup 'T5INVc2'>><</link>><</linkreplace>><</append>><<popup 'T5INVc1'>><<link 'Clue 1'>><<popup 'T5INVc1'>><</link>><</linkreplace>> <span id="T5C2"></span> <span id="T5C3"></span> <span id="T5S"></span><<else>><</if>>

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV1.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV1.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A glass bottle full of spring water'' It used to hold a tincture in it, although it’s been repurposed as a water container for so long you’ve nearly forgotten what was originally stored inside. A close examination reveals a long-dried dark purple droplet crusted along the outside edge. Ah, yes. Now you remember. For years, you carried around a purple liquid that you claimed was a truth serum, mostly to see what people would let slip when they thought they’d taken a dose. It was made of violets, and was completely harmless, albeit awful tasting. (You can make potions taste rather nice, actually, but you’ve found from experience that people don’t believe a potion to be real unless it tastes foul.) <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the bottle of water.">><<set $holding to 'bottle of water'>>You have the bottle of water.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'bottle of water'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the bottle of water.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'flint'>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the bottle of water.">>The spark is not quite enough to heat the water.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'lit candle'>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the bottle of water.">>The bottle is far too delicate; you worry the flame will break the glass.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the bottle of water.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV2.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV2.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A Möbius string'' The string is wrapped into a tight ball, but you know that were you to unwind it, it would be a continuous loop, expertly woven by a spider friend, imperceptibly turning in on itself. It is a fine bit of workmanship—the slightly impossible kind that can create a paradox or breed madness if you aren’t careful. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the möbius string.">><<set $holding to 'möbius string'>>You have the möbius string.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'möbius string'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the möbius string.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'bead of glass'>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the möbius string.">>The string is a circle; there’s no way to attach the bead securely without it slipping off.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'heart'>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the möbius string.">>The heart cannot be properly supported with the tiny string.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'silver knife'>><<link "You have the $holding. Use it on the möbius string." "I27">><<set $holding to 'plain string'>><</link>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the möbius string.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV3.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV3.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A piece of petrified wood'' You came across an entire forest of the stuff once, wandering through one world or another, and couldn’t help but steal a piece of it to take with you. You know it cost you, but you can’t be sure how much, only that you wept inconsolably for a week following, and now cannot recall a single detail from your twenty-fifth year of life. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the petrified wood.">><<set $holding to 'petrified wood'>>You have the petrified wood.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'petrified wood'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the petrified wood.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the petrified wood.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV4.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV4.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A paperweight'' There is a small galaxy slowly turning within it, containing billions of points of light that are impossibly miniscule. There’s a beautiful spiraling swirl of purples and blues. Every now and then, when you hold it up to your eye, you can see one of the points of light wink out of existence, and you feel a brief pang of fear and exhilaration, wondering whether this time it’s your sun that has died, and your story that has come to an end. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the paperweight.">><<set $holding to 'paperweight'>>You have the paperweight.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'paperweight'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the paperweight.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the paperweight.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV5.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV5.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A pot of glue'' Glue is a remarkably handy thing to have. You never know when you might need it. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the pot of glue.">><<set $holding to 'pot of glue'>>You have the pot of glue.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'pot of glue'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the pot of glue.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'bead of glass'>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the pot of glue.">>The bond could dissolve in the potion. Perhaps you need a more secure method of attachment?<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'möbius string'>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the pot of glue.">>The bond could dissolve in the potion. Perhaps you need a more secure method of attachment?<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the pot of glue.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV6.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV6.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A green satin ribbon'' The ribbon is wrapped carefully in paper and smells faintly of perfume—or perhaps it’s the memory of the perfume that lingers on. Regardless, it evokes a hint of jasmine, ylang ylang, and leather. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the satin ribbon.">><<set $holding to 'satin ribbon'>>You have the satin ribbon.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'satin ribbon'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the satin ribbon.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'bead of glass'>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the satin ribbon.">>The ribbon is far too thick to thread the bead onto!<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'heart'>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the satin ribbon.">>The ribbon is far too short to wrap around the heart.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the satin ribbon.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV7.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV7.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A doll made of cloth with pins sticking in it'' Self-explanatory. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the doll made of cloth.">><<set $holding to 'doll made of cloth'>>You have the doll made of cloth.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'doll made of cloth'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the doll made of cloth.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the doll made of cloth.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV8.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV8.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A sack of rice, lentils, and barley'' The uses are endless. Can be spread in the path of a vampire (to slow it down as it is forced to count the grains before continuing), or a maiden (to make her sort it into separate little piles and discover something about herself in the process). When simmered in a pot with a bit of broth and some meat, it also makes for a half-decent soup. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the sack of rice, lentils, and barley.">><<set $holding to 'sack of rice etc'>>You have the sack of rice, lentils, and barley.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'sack of rice etc'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the sack of rice, lentils, and barley.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the sack of rice, lentils, and barley.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV9.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV9.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A small glass globe containing a living fish.'' The fish has long red fins and a surprised expression. It opens its little mouth from time to time, and if you hold the globe up to your ear, you can almost hear it yelling “help me.” <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the fish globe.">><<set $holding to 'fish globe'>>You have the fish globe.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'fish globe'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the fish globe.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'paperweight'>><<link "You have the $holding. Use it on the fish globe." "I42">><<set $holding to 'null'>><</link>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the fish globe.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV10.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV10.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> </center> ''A scrying bowl'' It is silver, of a good depth, and intricately carved with runes. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the scrying bowl.">><<set $holding to 'scrying bowl'>>You have the scrying bowl.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'scrying bowl'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the scrying bowl.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'bottle of water'>><<link "You have the $holding. Use it on the scrying bowl." "I34">><<set $holding to 'null'>><</link>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the scrying bowl.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV11.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV11.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A flint'' One never knows when one might need to start a fire. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the flint.">><<set $holding to 'flint'>>You have the flint.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'flint'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the flint.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the flint.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV12.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV12.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A candle'' It’s a small, stubby thing made of beeswax. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the candle.">><<set $holding to 'candle'>>You have the candle.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'candle'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the candle.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'flint'>><<link "You have the $holding. Use it on the candle." "I28">><<set $holding to 'lit candle'>><</link>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the candle.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV13.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV13.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A silver knife'' It’s the kind of sharp that sings as it slices <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the silver knife.">><<set $holding to 'silver knife'>>You have the silver knife.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'silver knife'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the silver knife.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the silver knife.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV14.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV14.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A knobbly stick'' Sometimes, you find pretending you need to use a wand amusing. You’ve lost count of the number of times a small determined child or a cursed prince or a particularly intelligent fox has tried to steal it from you in your sleep, thinking it to be the source of your power. But it’s just a stick. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the stick.">><<set $holding to 'stick'>>You have the stick.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'stick'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the stick.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the stick.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV15.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV15.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A beetle'' You find its iridescence pleasing, and for formal occasions, it makes for an excellent brooch. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the beetle.">><<set $holding to 'beetle'>>You have the beetle.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'beetle'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the beetle.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the beetle.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV16.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV16.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A pebble'' It’s flat, and smooth, and fits pleasingly into your palm. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the pebble.">><<set $holding to 'pebble'>>You have the pebble.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'pebble'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the pebble.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the pebble.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV17.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV17.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A vial of extraordinarily lethal poison'' It tastes of vanilla and strawberries, and will work within seconds. There is no antidote. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the vial of poison.">><<set $holding to 'vial of poison'>>You have the vial of poison.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'vial of poison'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the vial of poison.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the vial of poison.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV18.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV18.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''An elaborate box carved of ebony'' It is locked. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the ebony box.">><<set $holding to 'ebony box'>>You have the ebony box.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'ebony box'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the ebony box.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'small key'>><<link "You have the $holding. Use it on the ebony box." "I29">><</link>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the ebony box.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV19.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV19.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A small key'' It is intricate, the head consisting of two pieces of metal twisted into the shape of a heart. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the small key.">><<set $holding to 'small key'>>You have the small key.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'small key'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the small key.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the small key.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV20.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV20.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A vial of powdered frog wings'' It is a rather rare ingredient, and frivolous to the point of ridiculousness. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the powdered frog wings.">><<set $holding to 'powdered frog wings'>>You have the powdered frog wings.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'powdered frog wings'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the powdered frog wings.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the powdered frog wings.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV21.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV21.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A hand mirror'' When you hold it up, its surface does not show your reflection. Instead, it shows a sequence of glowing words and symbols. The words are written in an alien language, and the display changes every day. Occasionally, pictures are shown; sometimes, the pictures move. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the hand mirror.">><<set $holding to 'hand mirror'>>You have the hand mirror.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'hand mirror'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the hand mirror.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the hand mirror.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV22.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV22.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A grimoire'' No good witch is without one. You open to a random page, and read the following: <blockquote>''A Potion for Getting Unstuck'' Prep: 10 mins Cook: 24 mins Servings: 1-2 servings Ingredients: * A Pinch of Laughter * A Measure of Friendship * A Curl of Humility * A Token of Love Instructions: # Turn the Pinch of Laughter to ashes. # Heat some water. # Steep the Measure of Friendship for 3-5 minutes in the hot water. # Add the ashes. # Add the Curl of Humility. # Stir vigorously. # Tie the Token of Love onto a bit of string, and dunk it into the mixture. Calories: 2 Fat: 0 Carbs: 0 Protein: 0</blockquote>Written in the margins: <blockquote>(I’ve heard of metaphorical potions, but this is ridiculous.)</blockquote> <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the grimoire.">><<set $holding to 'grimoire'>>You have the grimoire.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'grimoire'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the grimoire.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the grimoire.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV23.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV23.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A clay pipe and a small leather bag of tobacco'' Is it unhealthy for you? Of course. Do you care? Not particularly. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the pipe and tobacco.">><<set $holding to 'pipe and tobacco'>>You have the pipe and tobacco.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'pipe and tobacco'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the pipe and tobacco.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>> <<elseif $holding is 'lit candle'>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the pipe and tobacco.">>This tobacco needs a spark, not a flame.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'flint'>><<link "You have the $holding. Use it on the pipe and tobacco." "I30">><<set $holding to 'ashes'>><</link>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the pipe and tobacco.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV24.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV24.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A shepherdess costume'' Complete with blonde, curly wig. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the shepherdess costume.">><<set $holding to 'shepherdess costume'>>You have the shepherdess costume.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'shepherdess costume'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the shepherdess costume.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'silver knife'>><<link "You have the $holding. Use it on the shepherdess costume." "I32">><<set $holding to 'curl'>><</link>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the shepherdess costume.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV26.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV26.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A sachet of mint tea'' It smells lovely, and contains a hint of orange peel <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the sachet of tea.">><<set $holding to 'sachet of tea'>>You have the sachet of tea.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'sachet of tea'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the sachet of tea.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the sachet of tea.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV25.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV25.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A square bead of glass'' You know it’s a useless simulacrum, but you still talk to it from time to time. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the bead of glass.">><<set $holding to 'bead of glass'>>You have the bead of glass.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'bead of glass'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the bead of glass.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'plain string'>><<link "You have the $holding. Use it on the bead of glass." "I40">><<set $holding to 'bead on a string'>><</link>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the bead of glass.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INVC1.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INVC1.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 1:'' Look to the items you’ve gathered from each memory; they might prove useful.

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INVC2.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INVC2.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 2:'' One of the items appears to have directions for what to do...

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INVC3.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INVC3.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Clue 3:'' The witch was made to laugh in the memory with Rubinetto. What item in her cupboard would you associate with that memory?

<center><iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INVS.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INVS.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a></center> ''Solution:'' The Grimoire's instructions decoded: Use the flint on the pipe and tobacco to turn it to ashes. Pour the bottle of water into the scrying bowl. Use the flint to light the candle. Use the candle to heat the filled scrying bowl. Add the tea to the potion in progress. Add the ashes to the potion in progress. Use the knife to cut a curl from the shepherdess wig. Add the curl to the potion in progress. Use the stick on the mixture. Cut the string with the knife. Add the bead to the string. Add the bead and string to the potion in progress.

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5PL3.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5PL3.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> <span style="font-family: Share Tech Mono;float: left;font-size: 2.2rem;line-height: .5;margin: 0 .05em 0.2em 0">Personal Log:</span> <span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1em">I wondered when time would catch up to our little corner of Heaven. The last ten years have been truly golden—our captured snatches of conversation have become ever richer as she’s grown—she was properly nasty at twelve, of course, I’d expect no less, but she circled back around eventually. But today... Her father demands she wed. Within the month. It is a thing of deep and profound irony that the very mechanisms that have allowed her to shine so brightly would relegate her to a second-class citizen; that her idiot father, so overcome by sentimentality, would attempt to copy his wife in his daughter, and would then punish her for his choices when she proved to have a mind of her own; that a brilliant woman would be so constrained and so used. She wept to me that she was so much more than a pawn. Oh, Fiorimonde. It will take me far too long to get there in person—there are certain boundaries of space and time that cannot be bent to my will. Not yet, at least. There is, also, the question of what will happen once I arrive—if she is ready to hear what I have to offer. In the meantime, a simple spell will have to do.</span> ➤ [[Continue|T5LAND]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5PL2.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5PL2.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> <span style="font-family: Share Tech Mono;float: left;font-size: 2.2rem;line-height: .5;margin: 0 .05em 0.2em 0">Personal Log:</span> <span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1em">I set out my breadcrumbs, tantalizing hint by tantalizing hint, and finally got her to come into my gingerbread house. She found my coding buried deep, deep within the heart of a hidden matrix, and took two months to crack all the little traps I set to weed out the fools. She’s only eight. Eight, and already the brightest star in her arm of the galaxy. I can barely keep half a step ahead of her—I’ve had to learn so very much just to talk to her—but it’s well worth the investment. She believes me to be an artificial intelligence of her own creation. It helps, as her teaching me about her knowledge and world greatly assists me in overcoming any gaps due to ignorance. She’s named me Witch of her own accord. I am, as near as I can tell, the closest thing she has to a friend. She is so hungry for an impartial source of information—for a whisper in her ear that isn’t aiming for power, or social standing in her kingdom. I won’t admit to being without motive myself—but my motive is far beyond the petty posturing at the Station. She isn’t ready yet—but oh, when she is, she will be truly magnificent.</span> ➤ [[Continue|T5LAND]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5PL4.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5PL4.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> <span style="font-family: Share Tech Mono;float: left;font-size: 2.2rem;line-height: .5;margin: 0 .05em 0.2em 0">Personal Log:</span> <span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1em">It worked, for now. It’s a temporary solution, at best. I don’t know that she quite knows that yet, but I’ve bought her a little time. Another month. Her hunger for knowledge is insatiable—her capacity vast—and now, there’s a ticking clock that we both ignored for far too long. But we still have a month—a month of stories, and experiments, and philosophy, and whatever my Fiorimonde needs. I cannot extend to her false hopes. I cannot yet tell her who I truly am. Not until I am certain I can make the journey. So, for now, I am a friendly whisper in her ear. No more.</span> ➤ [[Continue|T5LAND]]

<<if visited("T5PL5") is 1>><<set $logs++>><</if>><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5PL5.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5PL5.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> <span style="font-family: Share Tech Mono;float: left;font-size: 2.2rem;line-height: .5;margin: 0 .05em 0.2em 0">Personal Log:</span> <span style="font-family:Saira;font-size: 1em">How many more times can she manage it? Oh, Fiorimonde. Each time compounds her risk. I count down the days, and wait, my heart in my mouth, sick. I dread what I’ll see when I look in my mirror. And every month, the story is the same—a suitor missing, bafflement, mourning, a further delay. I’ve done the calculations a hundred times now—the cost of going there, of taking her back with me—I've spent every last favor to gather every last particle of power I can muster. It’s still not enough. I need just a little more time, Fiorimonde. Just a few more short weeks, and I can reveal myself to you, and show you the universe beyond yours, how much more there is to life, how many more realities there are for us to explore together, and examine, and break and remake. Oh, I know she’ll be furious at the deception—I’d expect no less. But she’ll come back around again. My daughter. My heart.</span> ➤ [[Continue|T5S666]]

<<if visited("I27") is 1>><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV27a.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV27a.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A plain string'' It’s almost a pity to break the circle. It is now far more ordinary, but, perhaps, more useful.<<else>><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV27b.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV27b.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A plain string'' You now have in your possession some ordinary, useful string.<</if>> <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the plain string.">><<set $holding to 'plain string'>>You have the plain string.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'plain string'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the plain string.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'heart'>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the plain string.">>The heart cannot be properly supported with the tiny string.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'bead of glass'>><<link "You have the $holding. Use it on the plain string." "I40">><<set $holding to 'bead on a string'>><</link>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the plain string.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV42.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV42.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A mistake'' The globe shatters and there is a loud "pop" as the fish disappears. As it does, it smirks (if a fish can smirk), and you can hear the echoes of a sinister laugh after it has gone. Perhaps you should've kept it where it was... Ah well. You sweep the broken glass into the rubbish bin and try to forget what you can’t undo. ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<<if visited("I28") is 1>><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV28a.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV28a.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A lit candle'' The flame gutters a little at first, but soon burns with a small, comforting warmth.<<else>><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV28b.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV28b.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A lit candle'' The flame burns with a small, comforting warmth<</if>> <<if $holding is 'null'>><<if visited("I35")>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the lit candle.">>If you remove the flame, the potion will stop heating!<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the lit candle.">><<set $holding to 'lit candle'>>You have the lit candle.<</linkreplace>><</if>><<elseif $holding is 'lit candle'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the lit candle.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the lit candle.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV29.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV29.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A heart'' A ruby red heart lies nestled in velvet, beating softly. You know you really ought to store it elsewhere. Keeping it hidden on your person is decidedly foolish⁠—you put it in a box for a reason, after all⁠—but you haven't found the right place to secret it away just yet. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the heart.">><<set $holding to 'heart'>>You have the heart.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'heart'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the heart.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'plain string'>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the heart.">>The heart cannot be properly supported with the tiny string.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the heart.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<<if visited("I30") is 1>><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV30a.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV30a.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''Ashes'' [sound of a pipe inhale, a satisfied exhale] Now that hits the spot.<<else>><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV30b.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV30b.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''Ashes'' It was a fine tobacco. Now, it is nothing but ashes and good memories.<</if>> <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the ashes.">><<set $holding to 'ashes'>>You have the ashes.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'ashes'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the ashes.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the ashes.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV34.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV34.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A filled scrying bowl'' The water’s surface flashes in the bowl. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the filled scrying bowl.">>The filled scrying bowl is too precarious to lift; you're worried about spilling the water.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'flint'>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the filled scrying bowl.">>The spark is not quite enough to heat the water.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'lit candle'>><<link "You have the $holding. Use it on the filled scrying bowl." "I35">><<set $holding to 'null'>><</link>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the filled scrying bowl.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV33.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV33.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''An empty bottle'' The delicate glass bottle is now empty. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the empty bottle.">><<set $holding to 'empty bottle'>>You have the empty bottle.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'empty bottle'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the empty bottle.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the empty bottle.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV31.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV31.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A clay pipe and a small leather bag'' The leather bag smells of tobacco, but is sadly empty. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the pipe and empty bag.">><<set $holding to 'pipe and empty bag'>>You have the pipe and empty bag.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'pipe and empty bag'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the pipe and empty bag.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the pipe and empty bag.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<<if visited("I32") is 1>><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV32a.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV32a.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A curl'' You snick a curl from the wig.<<else>><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV32b.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV32b.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A curl'' The curl is a cheerful yellow.<</if>> <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the curl.">><<set $holding to 'curl'>>You have the curl.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'curl'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the curl.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the curl.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV35.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV35.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A potion in progress'' The water steams as it heats. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the potion in progress.">>If you lift the bowl, the water will stop heating!<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'sachet of tea'>><<link "You have the $holding. Use it on the potion in progress." "I36">><<set $holding to 'null'>><</link>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the potion in progress.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV40.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV40.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A bead on a string'' It spins, catching an occasional gleam as it does. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the bead on a string.">><<set $holding to 'bead on a string'>>You have the bead on a string.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'bead on a string'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Put down the bead on a string.">><<set $holding to 'null'>>You've emptied your hands.<</linkreplace>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the bead on a string.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV41.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV41.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A Potion for Getting Unstuck'' There is a flash of light as a feeling of inner peace washes over you. ➤ [[Use the potion.|T5PL5]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV36.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV36.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A potion in progress'' The tea turns the water a delightful golden color, the smell of mint pleasantly sharp on your nose. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the potion in progress.">>The potion in progress is too precarious to lift; you're worried about undoing the magic.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'ashes'>><<link "You have the $holding. Use it on the potion in progress." "I37">><<set $holding to 'null'>><</link>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the potion in progress.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV37.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV37.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A potion in progress'' The ashes float at the top of the mixture, looking like an odd sort of seasoning. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the potion in progress.">>The potion in progress is too precarious to lift; you're worried about undoing the magic.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'shepherdess costume'>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the potion in progress.">>The entire costume is far too bulky to fit in the bowl!<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'curl'>><<link "You have the $holding. Use it on the potion in progress." "I38">><<set $holding to 'null'>><</link>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the potion in progress.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV38.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV38.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A potion in progress'' The sad little waterlogged curl floating in the mixture is not particularly appealing. <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the potion in progress.">>The potion in progress is too precarious to lift; you're worried about undoing the magic.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'silver knife'>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the potion in progress.">>The mixture needs stirring, not cutting!<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'stick'>><<link "You have the $holding. Use it on the potion in progress." "I39">><<set $holding to 'null'>><</link>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the potion in progress.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<<if visited("I39") is 1>><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV39a.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV39a.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A potion in progress'' The mixture swirls and changes in hue to a deep navy color.<<else>><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T5INV39b.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T5INV39b.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> ''A potion in progress'' The mixture is a deep navy color.<</if>> <<if $holding is 'null'>>➤ <<linkreplace "Pick up the potion in progress.">>The potion in progress is too precarious to lift; you're worried about undoing the magic.<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'bead of glass'>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the potion in progress.">>Don’t forget to tie it on a string first!<</linkreplace>><<elseif $holding is 'bead on a string'>><<link "You have the $holding. Use it on the potion in progress." "I41">><<set $holding to 'null'>><</link>><<else>>➤ <<linkreplace "You have the $holding. Use it on the potion in progress.">>This doesn’t quite feel right.<</linkreplace>><</if>> ➤ [[Return|T5INV]]

<table> <<if visited("Credits")>><tr><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Read the bonus commentary.|T0bonus]]</td><td>You took ''the quiz'' <<= visited("Question 7")>> times.</td><td style="vertical-align: middle"><<link "Read again?" "T0S666">><<set $quizcounts to { T1: 0, T2: 0, T3: 0, T4: 0 }>><</link>></td></tr><</if>> <<if $goal.T1 is true>><tr><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Read the bonus commentary.|T1bonus]]</td><td>You finished the ''Questing Hero'' thread!</td><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Read again?|T1S00]]</td></tr><</if>> <<if $goal.T2 is true>><tr><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Read the bonus commentary.|T2bonus]]</td><td>You finished the ''Youngest Daughter'' thread!</td><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Read again?|T2S00]]</td></tr><</if>> <<if $goal.T3 is true>><tr><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Read the bonus commentary.|T3bonus]]</td><td>You finished the ''Enigma'' thread!</td><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Read again?|T3S00]]</td></tr><</if>> <<if $goal.T4 is true>><tr><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Read the bonus commentary.|T4bonus]]</td><td>You finished the ''Heroic Maiden'' thread!</td><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Read again?|T4S00]]</td></tr><</if>> <<if $goal.T5 is true>><tr><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Read the bonus commentary.|T5bonus]]</td><td>You finished the ''Witch'' thread!</td><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Read again?|T5LAND]]</td></tr><</if>> <<if visited("Credits")>><tr><td style="vertical-align: middle">[[Return to the credits page.|T0bonus]]</td><td>You finished ''the whole game!''</td><td style="vertical-align: middle"><<link "Read again?" "T0S666">><<set $quizcounts to { T1: 0, T2: 0, T3: 0, T4: 0 }>><</link>></td></tr><</if>></table> <center>''Total Threads Finished: $achievements out of 5''</center> <<back>>

''Feeling a bit disoriented? Collect hints to eventually untangle these story threads.'' Your hints so far: <ol><li>One heroine shares her name with the treasure she desires.</li> <<if $T2c.H2 is true>><li>Tiziri's desire is not pearls and a diamond, and her spouse is in the same story as the dancing pigeon.</li><</if>> <<if $T2c.H3 is true>><li>Of Yasmin and Tiziri, one of their spouses takes the shape of a camel, and the other a snake.</li><</if>> <<if $T2c.H4 is true>><li>The spouse who takes the shape of a lion, the dancing pigeon, and the branch, river, donkey, and dog are all in different stories.</li><</if>> <<if $T2c.H5 is true>><li>Either Lark's spouse or the spouse who takes the shape of a camel provide aid from many different birds.</li><</if>> <<if $T2c.H6 is true>><li>The heroine who desires a singing, springing lark is aided by the sun, moon, and winds.</li><</if>></ol> <<return>>

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<<if $dock is false>><div class="player"><center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S01.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a>                      <<link "Lock this floating audio player." "Player test">><<set $dock to true>><</link>> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S01.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></center></div> <<elseif $dock is true>><center><<link "Float this audio player." "Player test">><<set $dock to false>><</link>> (Not mobile friendly.)    <a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T1S01.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 on Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T1S01.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</if>><h2>In Which We Meet a Madman</h2><p class="has-dropcap">The first time Guerrino saw the madman, he was quite surprised.</p> He didn't tend to go to the dungeons as a general rule—it was damp, and smelled of mildew, and was usually empty and rather depressing. But he was bored, and his horse had thrown a shoe, and it was rather hot to be walking around out of doors, so he had nothing better to do than to go spelunking. To his surprise, there was a person locked up in one of the cells. He looked rather miserable and ragged, his matted hair in quite a state. "I do say, good sir, what brings you here?" The madman shrugged, his brilliant brown eyes flashing in the darkness of his cell. "Madness, I suppose." Guerrino was affronted. "Well, this doesn't strike me as the best way to treat madness." He paused. "And you don't strike me as particularly mad, either." The man looked through his tangle of hair at Guerrino, and sighed heavily. "I loved a woman, and she didn't love me back. So..." he gestured to the cell. Guerrino stamped his fine leather boot. "Nonsense," he said, firmly. "A broken heart doesn't justify imprisonment!" "I think I rather offended your father, the King," the man replied. "I wasn't quite myself, you see, and was, I fear, unpardonably rude." "...Well," Guerrino replied, "I pardon you, then." Raising an eyebrow, the madman said, "I think that has to come from your father?" "Ah," Guerrino replied. "He's out of the country for at least a month. Well. That certainly won't do." <p class="scene-break">♞♘</p> The second time Guerrino saw the madman, it was around two the following morning. He jangled a pair of keys. "Hallo," he said, "I've come to free you, only you have to be rather quiet about it, because no-one else knows I'm doing it." The madman looked up at Guerrino blearily, his brilliant brown eyes squinting against the light of the torch Guerrino held in his other hand. "I say, is that quite wise?" "Oh, no, it most certainly isn't, but I really can't stand the thought of you being in here another day, so I stole the keys from my mother." The madman stretched as he stood. "I can't imagine your father will be particularly pleased." "If my father imprisons heartbroken men because they caused a bit of offense, I really don't care about pleasing him at the moment. Go on, then." He handed the madman a small bundle as the iron door swung open with a creak. "I brought a bit of bread and meat, for your journey." The madman took the bundle, his hand briefly touching Guerrino's. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you ever so much." <p class="scene-break">♞♘</p> The third time Guerrino saw the madman, they met on a small country road a few days later. He really didn't recognize the madman at first, as he was quite handsome now, and dressed in fine clothes, leading an equally fine-looking horse. But the madman recognized him, and met him with a shout of greeting, clapping Guerrino on the back as if they were old friends. It took a minute, but Guerrino finally recognized his twinkling brown eyes. "I say, sir, you appear to be in a much better state than when last I saw you!" "Indeed, by the most serendipitous chance I ran into a depressed fairy, and made her laugh, and she snapped her fingers and granted me a magical horse and a rather nice outfit. I feel much more myself. And what of you, Guerrino? How are you faring this fine day?" "Oh, I'm out in the world, trying to make my fortune!" he replied, doing his best to smile. The madman touched Guerrino's arm, looking at him with a sharply appraising eye. "...You got in trouble, didn't you." Guerrino kicked a clod of dirt. "Well..." The man put a finger gently under Guerrino's chin, raising it so they looked eye to eye. "Very well," he admitted. "My mother sent me packing after she discovered that I let you go. I've got two servants, Julia and Francesco, and not much else, really." He paused upon seeing the look on the madman's face. "It was worth it," Guerrino added. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat. And here you are, looking ever so much better. I'm glad." "Here I am," the madman replied. "You've got me, too. For as long as you'll have me." "Well!" Guerrino responded, his smile a great deal more genuine now. "Let us both go out into the world together, then, and see what we might make of it. I've heard there's a lovely maiden living in the next town over, and I'd like to see her for myself." Julia and Francesco looked even more sour than they already had at the thought of another mouth to feed, but Guerrino didn't pay them any mind. The madman, who was named Rubinetto, began chatting merrily with him about what he'd said to make the fairy laugh, and soon enough, Guerrino was laughing too—his smile wide and beaming as he walked alongside his friend. ➤ [[Continue|T1S02]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4INV1.wav#" rel="nofollow">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4INV1.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> <div class="simplephone"><p class="messagebody"> <span class="simpleheader">Whirlwind ☉</span> <span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW: </b></span>Where the hell are you?</span> <span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW: </b></span>The school called. Mom and Dad are pissed.</span> <span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND: </b></span>oh goddd i'm such a fcukking asshole</span> <span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW: </b></span>Are you drunk?</span> <span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND: </b></span>bad decsions all around</span> <span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW: </b></span>You're going to be grounded for the rest of your life.</span> <span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND: </b></span>thisis not supportive oldr brthr talk</span> <span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW: </b></span>Part of being your older brother means kicking your ass when you need it.</span> <span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW: </b></span>Where are you at?</span> <span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND: </b></span>dunno</span> <span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND: </b></span>went for awake</span> <span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND: </b></span>awalk</span> <span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW: </b></span>I'm coming to get you. Seriously, where are you?</span> <span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND: </b></span>i should call maiden</span> <span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND: </b></span>tell her im sorru and an asshole</span> <span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW: </b></span>Do not call her while you're wasted or I'll kick your ass even more.</span> <span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND: </b></span>rain says im a dumbass</span> <span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW: </b></span>Is Rain with you? Their parents called the house earlier looking for them.</span> <span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND: </b></span>yeah they came along to yell atme</span> <span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND: </b></span>their batterys dead tho</span> <span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW: </b></span>Put them on the phone.</span> <span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND:</b></span><<if $T4clues gt 2>>[[Incoming call...|T4INV2]]<<else>>[[Not until you get your next hint.|T4LAND]]<</if>></span></p></div> [[Return|T4INV]]

<center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/T4INV3.wav#" rel="nofollow">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/T4INV3.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center> <div class="simplephone"><p class="messagebody"><span class="simpleheader">Whirlwind ☉</span> <span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW: </b></span>Where did you start out? The school?</span> <span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND: </b></span>are u mad still bro</span> <span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW: </b></span>Give the phone back to Rain.</span> <span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND: </b></span>are u texting while drivng???</span> <span class="breply"><span class="hide"><b>SPARROW: </b></span>Ask Rain where you were when you two started walking.</span> <span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND: </b></span>ur maddd :(</span> <span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND: </b></span>whered u go?</span> <span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND: </b></span>sparroooowwww</span> <span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND: </b></span>ok fine</span><br><br> <span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND: </b></span>Hi Sparrow!</span> <span class="text"><span class="hide"><b>WHIRLWIND: </b></span>The corner store on the next block over.</span></p></div> <<if $T4clues gt 4>>➤ [[Let me look at this map...|T4INV4]] <</if>>➤ [[Return|T4INV]]

➤ <<message "Kitkat50311 //(Writer, Voice of Guerrino & Glutton)//:">> Oh, my dear sweet boys. Sunny Guerrino, quiet Rubinetto, helpful (and hopeful!) Daietsu-no-suke. The stories of Guerrino and Daietsu-no-suke perform a pleasing dance together—they each are seeking something, and are able to provide one another the thing they most need. I was inspired by the countless fairy tales that progress through a series of helpful tasks—take the bread from the oven before it burns, give the hungry old man your bread, be kind to the birds. I love those sorts of stories, and about how helping when you can, with good intentions, tends to lead to happy endings. For me, at least, the arc to Guerrino’s story came to fruition when I read about the part where a wasp helps him identify Potentiana. I already knew there was a magical horse in his story—one of three magical horses we see or hear about in our collection—and it tickled me that he could learn to be friendly to the creatures around him through a series of encounters that would pay off in a big way. I love them all whole-heartedly—although I will admit to having a profound soft-spot for dear, melancholy Rubinetto. (His brief mention of making a depressed fairy laugh inspired me—you’ll see what I mean later.) One of the inspirations for Daiestu-no-suke’s part came from the story of Yasmin, one of the Youngest Daughters—at one point, she is stuck in the desert, suffering from a great thirst, and the thought that their stories could blend together due to her need and his series of trades helped everything else fall into place. This sequence also includes my favorite line in the entire piece, where the witch is salty to Comrade about studying law. After I wrote that line, I immediately learned a great deal more about Comrade, and also immediately wanted to write more of him everywhere I could manage it.<</message>> ➤ <<message "Epaulettes //(Coder, Section A Narrator and Voice of Potentiana)//:">> If you're wondering why I performed both the Narrator A role and Potentiana, the answer is in our internal nicknames for this thread, //How I Met My Husbands// and //How I Met Your Fathers//. ;) Also, it's very important to me that you know that Rubinetto means "faucet" in Italian. He is our softest, saddest boy. In seriousness though, it is very important to me that this person who clearly had a very bad depressive episode—and who suffered outsized consequences for it—finds happiness and love, and is found to be deserving of all the good things in life. Yes, this story that kitkat50311 wrote is a delightful, Wodehousian farce about several men and several talking horses who between them have about 1.5 functioning braincells, but it's also so, so sweet.<</message>> ➤ <<message "Ellejabell //(Soundscaper, Voice of the Bamboo-Cutter)//:">> <center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/z-+Notes+1.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/z-+Notes+1.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</message>> ➤ <<message "Click for the full credits for each scene!">>''Thread 1: The Questing Hero'' //Writer// kitkat50311 //Artist// CompassRose //Cast// Section A Narrator: epaulettes Section B Narrator: minnabird Guerrino: kitkat50311 Rubinetto: AirgiodSLV Armino: elle_dubs Fleet-Foot: AirgiodSLV Quick-Ear: CompassRose Comrade: sisi_rambles Yasmin: mahons_ondine Bamboo Cutter: ellejabell Daietsu-no-suke: elle_dubs Witch: CompassRose Bamboo Cutter’s Wife: CompassRose Fortunė: mahons_ondine Glutton: kitkat50311 Potentiana: epaulettes<</message>> <<back>>

➤ <<message "Kitkat50311 //(Writer for Yasmin strand and all Witch scenes, Voice of Lark, Guerrino, and all Sisters & Aunts)//:">>When we were plotting out the three stories for Youngest Daughter (we called it the Braid), we used so many spreadsheets (so many!) to break down the beats for each story, and find how they worked in parallel. I intentionally wanted the “jump” from story to story to be a little jarring—the feeling of “wait, how did I end up here?” I wanted the Youngest Daughter’s story to be one of reclaiming identity and control—having the Youngest Daughter end up in not only one of three possible (very different) story lines, but to also be shunted over into others’ stories made sense in that light, as did having a moment for each of them where they would be the ones offered the choice, and they would be able to reclaim their own story. This story was inspired by a few things, including Bandersnatch on Netflix, and an essay written by one of my students in an English course I taught at San Quentin. He wrote beautifully about how the narration of The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas makes the reader complicit. I wanted the reader here to become aware that they were making decisions rather than our heroines—that they were complicit in the Youngest Daughters’ challenges and trials—that they had never even been told her name—and to end with all three of our heroines empowered in their own unique ways. Yasmin, to me, was a character who desperately wanted to control her own narrative. She dictated the terms of her marriage, which gave me a notion that she wanted to be in charge. Of the three of them, I wrote her so that she is most noticeably annoyed at the titles others place on her, and she’s also the most aware that she’s in a story. There’s a reason the witch offers her the option of joining her—while all three of the Youngest Daughters have a fair degree of self-awareness by the end, hers is the strongest. I also loved how her will and strength was balanced by her spouse’s softness. For me, the secret to Yasmin’s spouse came when I read that her spouse was in the earthly realm to learn about concepts like justice, love, beauty, and music—that immediately told me about what they didn’t have, and about their character. We had quite a back and forth about pronouns—for a while, I thought it’d be interesting if the spouse varied in their pronoun presence, and I also played with whether the narrator would consistently mis-gender the spouse as an additional source of frustration—but that was too jarring, so we decided that the narrator and Yasmin would begin shifting to preferred pronouns after she’d had a chance to talk with her spouse, and have her spouse tell her what they wanted<</message>> ➤ <<message "AirgiodSLV //(Writer of Lark strand, Narrator for all braid scenes)//:">> Having been raised on Grimm Fairy Tales, I struggled a lot with how to make Lark's story culturally unique and interesting, to stand out from the other two braid strands. I didn't want to end up with a Generic Western Fairy Tale, and I didn't know what angle to take in telling this variant. By this point, I'd read several hundred fairy tales, and they were really starting to blend together. I read Clever Maids: The Secret History of the Grimm Fairy Tales, by Valerie Paradiz, about the women who actually collected fairy tales and folklore for the famous Brothers Grimm. They did so much of the work of seeking out, learning, retelling, and writing down these stories, and they are entirely uncredited in the published works. Like so many women, they were erased from their role in history, and all that remains is the Brothers Grimm. The cultural details in Lark's story are lifted from biographies of these women—the places they lived, their hobbies and pastimes, the tasks they undertook—to hopefully keep them alive in one of the stories they preserved. That same idea of keeping the storyteller present and alive is why the narrator in Lark's story breaks the fourth wall to directly address the reader and audience, when none of the others do. It's a reminder that behind many of the fairy tales we know and love today, there's a woman sharing that story.<</message>> ➤ <<message "Minnabird //(Writer of Tiziri strand, Interlude #4 Narrator, Voice of Tiziri)//:">>This one was <em>so</em> much fun. By the time I got my hands on the Braid, kitkat had already written the scenes where the daughters meet the Witch, so I built everything back from the choice I saw Tiziri make there: her story was about faith. Not blind faith, but the hope that when push truly came to shove, they could both stand up for the life they were making together. Honestly, playing with trust is one of my favorite things about this tale type. There are so many ways that having a spouse who you can't see, who you encounter only by touch in the dark, could be miserable. Yet, when the wife's crisis of faith separates them, she wants her spouse back so badly she'll brave impossible tasks to get them back. That was so tasty to play with, and I found myself really wanting to lean into the tension and intimacy of their nights. That was about when the story, as I was writing it, started to shift closer to audio drama. I checked in with elle-ja-bell: are you up for leaning harder on sound here? And ejb was enthusiastic, so we ran with it. (We also hopped on a voice chat to do the voice acting together, which I'm honestly very glad we did, because some of the line readings surprised me in a good way). The way ejb brought it to life, however, was so far beyond my expectations. A note on names: this story comes from Kabylia, a region in northern Algeria. For a long time, we used the name for the spouse from <a href="https://menadoc.bibliothek.uni-halle.de/ssg/content/pageview/1027931" rel="nofollow">the version of the story collected by Leo Frobenius</a>, which is also the one we pulled most of the story beats from. However, when we got to making the pronunciation guide, we couldn't find information on how he chose how to write down the name or how we were meant to pronounce it, so I went looking. I knew Tiziri came from another version of the story, so I hunted that down. It's from Youcef Allioui's collection, which includes two versions of the story written in both French and Kabyle and (crucially) notes on language and a pronunciation table. The names are from the Kabyle version—he translates Tiziri to Clair de lune, Moonlight, in French—and actually from two separate tellings of the story. In one, Tiziri is taken away from home by her husband, Azejjig Ireqqen/Bourgeon d'Or/Gold Bud. In another, a tseryel's daughter, Lunğa or Loundja (in the French), finds herself a husband. We liked the idea of playing with the spouse's nonbinaryness by letting them choose a name at odds with the gendering that keeps being forced on them, as well as the variation presented in the texts, so we went with Lunğa.<</message>> ➤ <<message "Ellejabell //(Soundscaper, Interlude #2 Narrator, Voice of Spouse)//:">> <center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/z-+Notes+2.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/z-+Notes+2.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</message>> ➤ <<message "Click for the full credits for each scene!">>''Thread 2: The Youngest Daughter'' //Writers// kitkat50311 (First Story, Yasmin) AirgiodSLV (Second Story, Lark) miinabird (Third Story, Tiziri) kitkat50311 (Interludes) //Artist// CompassRose //Cast// Narrator: AirgiodSLV Yasmin: mahons_ondine Father: sisi_rambles Spouse: ellejabell Interlude Narrator #1: sisi_rambles Interlude Narrator #2: ellejabell Lark: kitkat50311 Fortunė: mahons_ondine Sisters & Aunt: kitkat50311 Tiziri: minnabird Interlude Narrator #3: epaulettes Guerrino: kitkat50311 Interlude Narrator #4: minnabird Daietsu-no-suke: elle_dubs Mother-in-Law: CompassRose Witch | The Night Wind: CompassRose<</message>> <<back>>

➤ <<message "AirgiodSLV //(Writer, Voice of Fleet-Foot)//:">> Fortuné's story changed shape along the way, both as I read more fairy tales about women choosing to live as men ("Vasilisa the Priest's Daughter," "The Twelve Huntsmen"), and as our group discussed the way we wanted to explore oral storytelling. We finally settled on a noir detective podcast, which split the difference between radio drama and prose narrative in a really interesting way. I made the decision to have Fortuné offscreen for most of the story in order to keep him at the heart of the mystery—while the story is about him, and is still very much his story, we're witnessing it through the eyes of others. This is a theme we played with a lot, while we considered the role we wanted the audience to play in an interactive game. Vasily is almost standing in for the reader, becoming the storyteller and the audience at the same time.<</message>> ➤ <<message "Sisi_rambles //(Voice of Comrade & Impetuous)//:">> When I first read the scenes with Comrade in the Guerrino & Rubinetto stories I enjoyed his role in them, but it wasn’t until the encounter where he looks at Vasily with a look down a nose so long that it took forever and then said that he was the greatest lawyer in all the land that I knew that I had to record him. I had to. I was fully prepared to fight anyone and everyone behind Denny’s for the role but thankfully didn’t have to. And he was just so much fun to voice. I went wild with the supercilious haughtiness and it was just so much fun.<</message>> ➤ <<message "Ellejabell //(Soundscaper, Voice of Vasily)//:">> <center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/z-+Notes+3.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/z-+Notes+3.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</message>> ➤ <<message "Click for the full credits for each scene!">>''Thread 3: The Enigma'' //Writer// AirgiodSLV //Song Writer// mahons_ondine //Cast// Vasily: ellejabell Witch: CompassRose Count: kitkat50311 Fortunė: mahons_ondine Armino: elle_dubs Comrade: sisi_rambles Florida: mahons_ondine Daietsu-no-suke: elle_dubs Wife | Youngest Daughter: kitkat50311 Li Ji: epaulettes Peasants: kitkat50311, AirgiodSLV, elle_dubs, epaulettes, CompassRose Fleet-Foot: AirgiodSLV Quick-Ear: CompassRose Glutton: kitkat50311 Drinker: minnabird Good-Shot: elle_dubs Strong-Back: epaulettes Impetuous: sisi_rambles<</message>> <<back>>

''The Astral Carcanet'' ➤ <<message "AirgiodSLV //(Writer)//:">> This was the first story I wrote for this collection, and it's still probably the closest to my heart. One of the concepts we discussed early on was the idea of queer characters as monsters, of "otherness" being perceived as a threat. In the original fairy tale, Fiorimonde is portrayed as a wicked villain because she wants to study forbidden witchcraft with a female mentor, rather than submit to marrying a prince who will gain control over her kingdom and her life. I wanted her to be a sympathetic character, one for whom we can feel the traditional catharsis of pity and horror as she takes step after step down her chosen path. Early on, we discussed writing each aro-ace story in a different genre, to make the stories as distinct as possible from each other while still maintaining a common theme. Almost immediately I knew I wanted to write Fiorimonde on a space station, isolated and trapped, looking desperately for a way out.<</message>> ➤ <<message "Sisi_rambles //(Narrator)//:">> I love scifi especially the kind that comes with space and clones and AIs and all that farflung future stuff. So when I realized that Fiorimonde was that genre, I knew I wanted to read the most technobabbly role in it, which turned out to be the narrator. And all the focus on science and learning and the pursuit of knowledge is just a lovely bonus. And I am a self-acknowledged villain-lover and the fact that Fiorimonde disposes of all the men only endears her more to me.<</message>> ''The Princess from the Moon'' ➤ <<message "Kitkat50311 //(Writer, Voice of Singing Boy & Townsfolk)//:">>When we were tossing around different genres for our Maiden plotlines (I initially called them Princesses Who Would Really Rather Not Marry), I immediately thought about the comedic potential in subverting a Disney Musical. Dear Kaguya-hime desperately doesn’t want the attention of all the suitors who surround her and beg her to marry them, and her origins made her (literally) alien and otherworldly—prime material for misunderstandings and miscommunication—I thought setting her in the middle of a Disney movie as a reluctant princess made all the sense in the world. People bursting into song around her, looking at her expectantly, preparing for her to pick up the next verse, only to have her politely deflect. The Hive includes at least one song in each of our works—we’re a musical bunch—so I figured we’d be up for the challenge. I wrote her story in a burst of inspiration, and I will say, once I’d heard the final version, it was everything I’d hoped for and more.<</message>> ➤ <<message "Epaulettes //(Coder, Voice of Unwanted Suitors)//:">> For this story, I went down an incredibly strange rabbit hole into the depths of Japanese Youtube in order to help source Disney covers by Japanese musicians playing traditional Japanese instruments. Thank you to all the amazingly talented koto, shamisen, shakuhachi, hyoshigi, & etc, players who took the time and effort to share their craft, and in doing so provided hours of learning and entertainment during this project. And you're welcome—from me to you, dear listeners—for not continuing to sing the entire chorus of "Can You Feel The Love Tonight."<</message>> ''Senkepeng, who outran the water snake'' ➤ <<message "AirgiodSLV //(Writer)//:">> I am incredibly indebted to //Tales from the Basotho//, by Minnie Postma—both for the tales that contributed to this retelling, and for the translator's note by Susie McDermid, which included information about the storytelling culture and folklore. There were two traditions which informed how I wrote this story. The first was the prohibition against storytelling before the sun had set. The idea is that you tell stories when your day's work is done—when you can set aside the anxiety and bustle of life and dedicate yourself to escaping into a tale. I tried to be faithful to this while writing, including waiting until dark—when I'd finished up evening chores, cooking dinner, getting ready for the next day at the office, etc.—to work on the story. The second tradition is the belief that each storyteller makes a tale their own, and that they can take as much time as they need to—repeating words, phrases, paragraphs—until they feel they've gotten it exactly right. This struck me as so similar to the way I record podfics, especially when trying to inhabit a character’s voice, that I wanted to try writing in the same way. If a line didn't feel quite right, I'd delete it and try again, even if I ended up retyping the same thing several times. A very cool thing happened in the initial recording of this story, which is the only one we decided should be voiced by a single storyteller rather than a full cast. The storyteller also made the story her own, unconsciously adjusting words or phrases so that the story flowed more smoothly out loud.<</message>> ➤ <<message "Sisi_rambles //(Narrator/Storyteller)//:">> Senkepeng is a bit of a change from my usual style. I went with a very singsong rhythmic reading because it felt right. It ended up being a challenge because I don’t actually have the breath control for that. I’d get partway through a line in the cadence/rhythm I wanted and then run out of breath, so a lot of the longer lines are spliced from multiple takes. I really do love how it came out in the end.<</message>> ''Legend of the Serpent-Slayer'' ➤ <<message "Minnabird //(Writer, Illustrator)//:">> I knew from the start I wanted to do one of the marriage-averse princesses—which is what we called the aro/ace girls during planning—because I love to do a fairy tale where the belonging and love found isn't romantic. I wasn’t sure which to choose, but then AirgiodSLV suggested we could do Li Ji in the style of a wuxia drama and I took it and ran off. Something I adore in this sort of story is when teachers and students become a kind of chosen family, especially when the teacher is reluctant, and I thought that worked particularly well with the aro themes we had going. The original tale had a grandmother who helped with the plan with the rice cakes and the dog and the sword, so I made her a retired jianghu hero who trained Li Ji. I looked a little into nuxia—female heroes in wuxia—but mostly I just wanted Li Ji to keenly feel an injustice she planned to right. I dialed up the maidens thing so that confronting the snake was also confronting her expected role in the environment she grew up in; I made being a hero a chance to choose as well as stop the injustice. So much of the fantasy of the wuxia hero seems to involve being free of society's constraints. And she is, even if in the end that just means living a simple life with good company.<</message>> ''Queen, King, Ace'' ➤ <<message "AirgiodSLV //(Writer)//:">> I wanted to include this story from the first time I read it, but it took a while for me to find where it fit into the project. It's a tricky one because halfway through the story, Maiden vanishes, and the focus of the story shifts. I wanted to keep the focus on her, which is why the second half of the story, Sparrow's Search For Rain, became the puzzle/interludes. When the rest of the group read the first draft, they asked for a resolution scene—a chance for Maiden to confront Whirlwind and try to find some closure. In the larger story we're telling about perspectives, it was a chance to hear from an antagonist and understand them, without necessarily condoning their actions. This isn't part of the original tale, but I think the story is better for it.<</message>> ➤ <<message "Sisi_rambles //(Voice of Maiden's Father)//:">> I provided my only text-related feedback in this entire project for this story! It was to say that people are more likely to say “Let’s pick up Tims” rather than using the full Tim Hortons. It made me feel very helpful because my knowledge of grammar is nil (there were a lot of comments about em-dashes that I still don’t understand). I had to take Maiden’s Dad’s role solely because of the line “How they feel about you isn’t your burden to carry.” I don’t have the words to say how much that line resonates with me and I couldn’t not take the part.<</message>> ''Heroic Maiden thread'' ➤ <<message "Ellejabell //(Soundscaper, Voice of Kaguya-hime, Gervaise, & Li Ji's Unwanted Suitor)//:">> <center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/z-+Notes+4.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/z-+Notes+4.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</message>> ➤ <<message "Click for the full credits for each scene!">>''Thread 4: The Heroic Maiden - The Astral Carcanet'' //Writer// AirgiodSLV //Artists// Illustration: minnabird Coloring: CompassRose //Cast// Narrator: sisi_rambles Fiorimonde: mahons_ondine Newscaster: kitkat50311 Fleet Admiral Pierrot: minnabird Yolande: elle_dubs Witch: CompassRose Vice-Admiral Hildebrandt: kitkat50311 Gervaise: ellejabell ''Thread 4: The Heroic Maiden - The Princess from the Moon'' //Writer// kitkat50311 //Artists// Illustration: minnabird Coloring: CompassRose //Cast// Narrator: sisi_rambles Kaguya-hime’s Mother: CompassRose Kaguya-hime: ellejabell Singing Boy & Townsfolk: kitkat50311 Fishmonger: minnabird Singing Suitor: epaulettes Emperor: AirgiodSLV ''Thread 4: The Heroic Maiden - Senkepeng, who outran the water snake'' //Writer// AirgiodSLV //Artists// Illustration: minnabird Coloring: CompassRose //Cast// Narrator: sisi_rambles ''Thread 4: The Heroic Maiden - Legend of the Serpent-Slayer'' //Writer// minnabird //Artists// Illustration: minnabird Coloring: CompassRose //Cast// Narrator: sisi_rambles Li Ji: epaulettes Village Head: minnabird Li Ji’s Father: AirgiodSLV Grandmother Wu: kitkat50311 Unwanted Suitor: ellejabell Great Serpent: AirgiodSLV ''Thread 4: The Heroic Maiden - Queen, King, Ace'' //Writer// AirgiodSLV //Artists// Illustration: minnabird Coloring: CompassRose Map: CompassRose //Cast// Narrator: kitkat50311 Aki: epaulettes Maiden: elle_dubs Maiden’s Father: sisi_rambles Fox McCoy: mahons_ondine Whirlwind: ellejabell Teasing Boy #1: sisi_rambles Teasing Boy #2: CompassRose Sparrow: kitkat50311 Rain: mahons_ondine<</message>> <<back>>

➤ <<message "Kitkat50311 //(Writer, Voice of Witch's Cupboard Inventory)//:">> I wanted to write a sequence of scenes that would lend a new light to our initial stories—by revisiting them from a different perspective, it would tell us more about the original scene. In writing these stories, I discovered that there was an additional motive—learning more about the Witch herself. Reading the magnificent Astral Carcanet was a revelation for me—I immediately learned so much more about what made our Witch who she was—and, most importantly, who had broken her heart. Once I knew what she was missing, what she craved above all else, she made so much more sense to me as a character, and unpeeling her oniony layers to show the complex woman underneath was a true joy.<</message>> ➤ <<message "Ellejabell //(Soundscaper, Voice of Vasily)//:">> <center><a href="https://archive.org/details/otwotw/z-+Notes+5.wav#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[MP3 at Archive.org]</a> <iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/otwotw/z-+Notes+5.wav#" width="500" height="40" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center><</message>> ➤ <<message "Click for the full credits for each scene!">>''Thread 5: Witch'' //Writer// kitkat50311 //Cast// Narrators: AirgiodSLV, epaulettes Witch: CompassRose Rubinetto | The Disheveled Man: AirgiodSLV Yasmin: mahons_ondine Lark: kitkat50311 Tiziri: minnabird Vasily: ellejabell<</message>> <<back>>

➤ <<message "AirgiodSLV //(Quiz Writer, Quiz Narrator)//:">> My one regret, upon final selection of the stories I wanted us to use in this project, was the number of really incredible and often very queer fairy tales that I didn’t have room to fit in. Then I started to work on the quiz that opens the game, and my brilliant and mad creative team provided encouragement and direction such as, “make it crazy!” and “absolute chaos!” and suddenly I had a place for all of those marvelous tales. Each of the options in the quiz summarizes an actual fairy or folk tale that intrigued me in some way–either because it’s unusual and complex, because it appears in many cultural variations, or for its queer subtext. The questions you’re asked aren’t actually the ones you’re answering–what the quiz really wants to know is what sort of puzzle you might like to solve, or what central relationship you might enjoy focusing on in the story. Hopefully, if I’ve done this right, you’ll end up in the right place!<</message>> ➤ <<message "Epaulettes //(Coder, Quiz Narrator)//:">> In one of our earliest meetings about this year's Pod Together project, I mentioned that I'd really like to incorporate a personality quiz into the game. Partly, I was interested in expanding my Twine "coding" skills, such as they are. But more than that, I was motivated by my deep and abiding love for the sub-genre of Internet weirdness that is uQuiz. Is it a valid form of literary expression? Is it aggressively queer performance art? Is it an excuse to list out random lyrics from all of your favorite songs and perpetuate your illogical but sincerely held belief that someone's choice between Patrick Wolf and Perfume Genius means something about their fundamental personhood? The answer to all of these questions and more is yes. I then did not help write it at all, despite the fact that AirgiodSLV had never taken a uquiz before in her life. She did an amazing job and I am amazed that this quiz actually functions to both send you down the thread that's most likely to appeal to you specifically AND tell you something profoundly meaningless about who that makes you as a person.<</message>> ➤ <<message "Click for the full credits for each scene!">>''Witch & King Scenes'' //Writers// kitkat50311 //Cast// Witch: CompassRose King: sisi_rambles ''Quiz'' //Writers// Quiz: AirgiodSLV //Artists// Illustration: minnabird Coloring: CompassRose //Cast// Narrators: The Sentient Hive<</message>> <<back>>