The Gray Tower

The Gray Tower



"They will all fail, I guarantee," Naston grumbled as Gryfalcon looked on with obvious disdain.

"They had better, for your sake," Gryfalcon stated, "as I cannot tolerate failure or ignorance."

"Never am I referred to as ignorant, dear wizard, and I won't tolerate that much," spit Naston.

"Regardless, they are here, let the games begin" Gryfalcon said as his excitement grew.


Welcome to the tower


Yaorg lifted the heavy knocker and dropped it, and a loud knock reverberated through the great, gray tower.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Eternal Life said hesitantly.

"Yes, now stop asking," said Redwall, checking his nap sack subconsciously to make sure the cookies he always carried were still intact.

"Knock again," Seth said just as the large door started to open.

"Ah," Yaorg said, "looks like we are committed," as the group of four entered.

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"Welcome, my friends," Gryfalcon said with open arms, "No reason to be afraid."

"We are not afraid, we are here for the challenge ancient one," stated Yaorg with an unwavering voice. "It is All hollow’s eve, and we have the discovered the secret required for entering your
challenge. Eternal?"

"Speak 'Abnegate Jansenism' to enter the challenge," wavered Eternal Life.

"Ah, I see," Gryfalcon said, faintly amused, "and you all wish to take this challenge?"

The quartet agreed.

"And you accept the penalty if you fail?" he added.

"There is a penalty?" Seth questioned and looked at Eternal.

"Um, yes, I told you. I know it was in one of those messages I posted." insisted Eternal Life.

"Ugh, there were so many messages, I must have missed it. I couldn't possibly be expected to read them all," Seth said with some regret.

"I will take the challenge," Redwall stated. "You should all take the challenge, the reward is worth any possible penalty."

"What is the penalty?" asked Yaorg.

"Why, everlasting servitude in whatever capacity I require, youngling," Gryfalcon mused.

Yaorg and Seth looked to Eternal Life and he nodded in agreement.

"I will take the challenge," Redwall insisted louder.

"Very well Redwall, speak it and you shall so be bound," Gryfalcon grinned.

"Abnegate Jansenism", stated Redwall as he disappeared with a nod from Gryfalcon.

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Terror of Redwall
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Redwall came awake with a sudden awareness, not sure of how he arrived where he now was. He thought back to the last thing he remembered, something about getting to two-thousand. 2000 what
he could not recall when suddenly he was surrounded by hundreds of screeching savage monkeys.

Filled with shock and disbelief, he started to tremble in fear as the savage monkeys started to grab and tear at him and pelt him with bananas.
As the bananas hit him, reality sunk in as he began to run in terror, slipping and sliding while the monkeys continued to throw bananas.

Unable to escape, the monkeys grabbed him, picked him up over their heads and danced with him in some kind of insane gyrations all the way to a large ominous looking building. The monkeys tossed him in the door head first and he landed in a heap as he heard an evil chuckle fill the building.

"Ah, what have my monkeys brought for me today?" Fallen Avatar said with evil glee.

"I think monkeys are funny," laughed Bohm.

Redwall, realizing he was apparently in some type of tavern with an obvious lunatic, said hesitantly, "um, I am Redwall of Spammington."

More tavern patrons surrounded Redwall with evil grins as Fallen spoke again, "Ah Redwall of Spammington, brought to me by my monkeys, this must be our lucky day”.

Bobcat, Malogar, and Pebster took hold of Redwall, preventing his escape. "What do we do with him?" Malogar said with some excitement.

Coming from a smokey corner of the tavern a voice slurred, "Give him to the z."

"Excellent plan," cackled Fallen Avatar, "summon him, Drinkalot."

Drinkalot emerged from the smokey corner, beer in hand, and followed by smokesalot, and stated with some hostility, "Just because I agreed to stay in your run down, rat infested, poor excuse for a tavern doesn't mean you can hand out orders to me monkey man."

"Who is z?" questioned Malogar looking at the list of tavern patrons, "zoiped?"

"No, don't say it like that!" shouted Fallen Avatar too late as the lights flickered and dimmed, "You have to do it properly," he said defeatedly.

"indeed," said a quiet voice from the top of the stairs, as the group simultaneously started to fall on the floor, unable to stand as zoiped stared them down into submission.

Redwall, unaffected by the spell, stood with some relief, "Um, thank you sir, I don't know what is happening around here but I think they were planning on giving me to you."

zoiped listened to Redwall ramble on with mild interest, "cunning," he stated simply as he motioned for Redwall to approach him. zoiped blinked, as walls dissipated and he and Redwall were propelled some distance to a cheerful looking factory, with what looked like icing for roof tops.

Materializing inside what looked to be a giant bakery, a chef approached covered in flour.

"Good morning zoiped," Deana said in a happy voice. "Ah, what have you brought for me today?"

"Something you have been waiting for, that I now have, you silly woman," zoiped continued, "you have summoned me for the last time if you wish to have your minion returned, and your charm does not work on me."

Redwall looked around in confusion for whom zoiped was returning. "Don't look so confused Redwall," Deana said as her cheerful smile started to turn into a sneer, "You have been my puppet for quite sometime, and have done my bidding unaware, as I had control of you from the
beginning when you convinced your friends to follow this path to begin with," Deana proceeded as Redwalls confusion grew. "Enough of this," snapped Deana as she took control and Redwall stood zombie like.

"Spooky", said zoiped seemingly quite unsurprised at the sudden turn to evil by the joyful chef, "but the fact remains, I still have your minion."

"Spooky indeed zoiped," Deana said with mild amusement, "only you are missing something rather important, the fact remains that I know your weakness and you are no threat to me."

"Cunning, but you being able to summon me is no threat to me," zoiped interjected.

"Mwa ha ha , very well you force my hand. I will have Redwall, slaving in my birthday cake factory for all eternity," Deana said. "ZZZZZZZZZZZZ,"

Deana began as zoiped disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Hmmm, well I did warn him," Deana cackled as Redwall handed her a cookie from
his nap sack. "Ah, thank you Redwall, now get to work!"

Redwall could only agree and went about making birthday cakes. With a small tear escaping one eye he set about starting his new eternity.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seth's Fate
~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Redwall vanished in a puff of smoke as the rest of the group looked on,

"Anyone else brave enough to take on the challenge?" Gryfalcon asked knowingly.

"If Redwall can do it, I can do it too," Seth said thinking of the glory he would receive when he received his prize, " I am next."

"Speak and you will have what your heart truly desires," confided Gryfalcon.

"Abnegate Jansenism," said Seth just before vanishing.


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Seth appeared on the edge of what looked to be a large battlefield. Tendrils of smoke rose in the distance. Behind him loomed a large dark forest. "Meow," he heard in his left ear and turned to see nothing. "Meow," he heard again, and again saw nothing.

"Who is there?" Seth yelled into the still forest.

"Just a kitten," said a voice, "come to watch the battle."

"A kitten that can talk?" asked Seth.

"Of course a kitten who can talk," said Max appearing suddenly in front of Seth.

Seth looked up at a massive, ferocious looking beast, who hardly appeared to be what he would consider kittenish. Seth swallowed his fears, "Battle?" he questioned.

"Two great armies will meet there," Max pointed to the giant battle field, "Geraldo's and SirMaverick's armies to be precise," Max continued, "there will be a great many battles fought here today"

Seth, ever curious, inquired, "Why are they fighting?"

"Why, the victor gets you, my dear boy," Max stated and seemed to grow arger. "We all want one of the Grywizard's spoils of war."

"We?" Seth said with fear starting to show in his voice, while noting two large armies arrive at opposite sides of the battlefield.

Several more 'kittens' dropped down from the trees. As Max pointed at Seth, "get him kittens." One metal clawed kitty and another that looked like an evil daemon kitty lunged towards Seth, a large blinding light came barreling though, and Seth took off like a shot, risking the battlefield over the furry freaks pursuing him.

The battle had already started as fast avians, led by Valkryries, gouged chunks of meat from the armies of the undead that were trudging across the field. A few fell to the ground, plagued and unable to fly, crawling about in agony. Seth ran avoiding all he could as obvious battles raged
on all around him. Meows and caws erupted as kittens and birds met on the ground in a fight to the death.

In the distance Seth saw some tents set up, hoping to find civilized people, that was his new goal. Dodging and running, he made his way though Mandek's undead and Nightmare's hunters until he finally arrived at the small tent village.

He entered the first tent where Dennis and Smartie sat in an animated discussion. "Ah a new recruit to add to the family," Smartie said, as he and Dennis lunged at Seth grabbing hold of him and sitting him at a small desk.

"You will study and learn this," Dennis muttered while slamming a large book down in front of Seth, "or else." Seth got up and ran out of the tent and into the next one where he saw what looked like diplomats hard at work. Puck, Shockey, and Antares were discussing how to end the battle outside. When all of the sudden a streaker ran through the room.

"Emmissary!" they yelled put some clothes on and sit down for a
drink."

Well, Seth had seen enough and left that strange tent immediately, and entered the next one.

Apparantly it was an ambassador tent and several ambassadors came to greet Seth. Feeling finally safe, Seth confided in Nafta, "I am so glad to see people who are not trying to kill me."

"Of course not, I only snuggle and cuddle people", said Nafta. "I have a teddy and a blanket and I get people warm and cozy and warm up my nose, so it never gets people chilly."

"Um, that’s nice," said Seth mildly confused.

Nafta showed Seth his teddy, "look at my teddy, wanna touch it?" he said with a smile.

"Ok, I guess," Seth said and put his hand on they teddy’s paw.

"Now, warm up its nose," Nafta smiled some more.

Seth looked around at the other ambassadors who were gathering around. Lady Avari and Arwen nodded there heads to encourage Seth to do as he was asked.

He reached out and touched the teddy’s nose and suddenly got a severe shock. The group gathered around Seth as he realized he had been tricked and he fell to the floor.

Waking up, he looked around. He was in what appeared to be a bird cage hung high up in the air and chained with a collar around his neck as well. He heard an evil laugh and looked down. Nafta was there with what look to Seth to be a group of amazons.

"You get him and I get snuggles and cuddles anytime I want, Nyja," he heard Nafta telling the one who appeared to be the Amazon leader.

"That is a deal Nafta," she said. "I have wanted Seth in a cage dangling from my ceiling for a long time and I won't forget you brought him too me."

Hmmm, thought Seth, trapped by hot amazons might not be such a bad way to spend eternity.

"Lady Mystery! Bring me the hot coals, whips, clamps, and well just bring it all, time to introduce our new pet to an eternity of pain." shouted Nyja.

"Ah, Nyja, let me at him, I can't wait." said Lady Mystery as she cracked her whip.

Terror entered Seth. Ok, he thought, maybe I got more than I bargained for.

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Yaorg's Tale
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"Two gone, two left," said Gryfalcon. "Who's next?"

"Bring them back!" demanded Yaorg, "the penalty for losing is too much."

"They chose this path dear Yaorg, and they are not the only acquaintances you have who have taken my challenge today." Gryfalcon made a gesture and an image appeared of a young girl looking quite fearful.

"Sexy wizards! What have you done to her, you fiend!" Yaorg lunged at Gryfalcon.

Gryfalcon gestured again and let out an evil chuckle as Yaorg froze in his steps. "You forget who I am, and as for the girl, it seems that you did not keep your discovery a secret very well.

She came here seeking her hearts desire, which interestingly enough is you, my hostile friend."

"Let her go," pleaded Yaorg.

"Guess you should have told her she already had your heart my immobile friend." mused Gryfalcon.

"Stop calling me your friend, you are no friend of mine evil wizard," spat Yaorg, "now let her go!"

"Take the challenge," said Gryfalcon, "you succeed and she may leave here and don't make me wait long for you to accept my generous offer. Speak and you will be with her instantly."

Yaorg looked at Eternal Life, "You know what you have to do, and so do I, Abnegate Jansenism."

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Immediately, he appeared in what resembled a harem. Beautiful women surrounded him as he called out, "SexyWizards!"

"Yes?" she answered, "who are you?"

"What do you mean, who are you?" stammered Yaorg. "It's me Yaorg, your boyfriend, your hearts desire!"

"My what?" laughed SexyWizards and the others, "You are not my hearts desire."

"Seems you have been replaced," Greendale added, "probably due to inactivity."

Suddenly, Yaorg was struck from behind, and as blackness set in he fell unconscious to the floor. He awoke sometime later, his hearing returning as he heard what sounded like love poems being read and girls sighing.

Caer stood in front of the girls reciting as they all sat in a weird admiration. Yaorg struggled with his bindings and drew the attention of Crazy Mitch, Firo, and Mickey Poo who nudged Caer and took over the poetry reading.

"Must be a new record," Caer snarled, "failed your challenge in about 30 seconds, and now you already belong to us."

"Only you get to be our food and your girl will be one of us." said Crazy Mitch as he ripped off Yaorg's gag.

"Vampires," said Yaorg, "You mesmerized her with your sappy poetry! SexyWizards remember me!"

"She will remember you when you become her first victim," Caer laughed.
Just outside the vampires nest, Shadowz moved with stealth as he approached Dark Elves who stood near the entrance.

"Magic, come in Magic," Shadowz said quietly into a transmitter. Dark Elves jumped a bit, "I hate it when you sneak up on me."

"’Sup, Peons?" Magic’s voice crackled over the device.

Shadowz handed it to a happy looking Dark Elves, "Yes, Magic, they have fresh girls who are not turned yet."

"Yes, what are you waiting for, I want them!" Magic shouted as Dark Elves tried to muffle the sound.

"Yes sir," Dark Elves replied.

Dark Elves and Shadowz entered the nest stealthily and noticed most of the vampires busy while the girls were being read to.

Mickey Poo continued to read, concentrating hard to continue his poems that filled the girls with such delight. He was however concerned about his new friends apparently taking hostages. He heard the hostage say something strange about vampires and had been thinking about it ever
sense. Then he stopped reading when he understood a lot about his new friends. They were vampires. Mickey Poo filled with rage. "Vampires!!!" he shouted. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

Father Mickey Poo grabbed some chairs and made some stakes. "Prepare to die!" he shouted as he started to chase the vampires.

Shadows made his move and grabbed one of the sweet looking girls, who was still in kind of a haze. Dark Elves grabbed two and they both ran from the nest undetected. After securing the girls in cages and starting on their journey Shadowz looked at Dark Elves and shook his head, "you just had to get two girls didn't you?"

"Well, Magic couldn't possibly want all these girls, I am just getting my sharing odds up," said Dark Elves.

"You think so?" Shadowz replied. "I really don't think it is gonna work that way, Magic is very good at multitasking."

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Meanwhile, back at the vampires nest, the vampire slaughter was on, as Father Mickey Poo pursued the vamps. Yaorg managed to free himself and escape to the outside and set off in the recovery of his lost love. He just managed to catch sight of a motorized transport heading away and chased after it staying out of view.

Arriving at a beach, Shadowz and Dark Elves moved the girls to a boat and soon arrived at the Island of Magic just off shore. Well known for his freakish human experiments, people stayed well away from the dreary looking island.

"It's about time," Magic said to them, "how I'm supposed to achieve world domination with you two as henchmen, I will never know." Catching sight of the girls Magic grinned evilly," I see you have good taste in women though. Three for me this time," he continued, "of course three for me,
I deserve nothing less!"


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Yaorg swam, though he was quickly falling behind the boat, he was hoping that the island in view was the destination. Adrenaline kicked in as he struggled. The swim seemingly taking forever, he finally made it and collapsed on the beach exhausted.

[img]http://www.pocketdvd.ca/am/anibloodbr.gif[/img]


"Pfft," Dark Elves dejected at the loss of a potential fling, as a perimeter alarm sounded.

Shadowz went to the monitoring station and was surprised to see the guy from the vampires nest apparently unconscious on the beach near where they landed.

"Ah, riff raff," Magic said in delight, "go get him for experiment #22."

"Experiment #22, Magic, to commit such an atrocity against humanity?" said Shadowz maniacally, "I will get him for you immediately."

"Dark Elves, secure the girls and prepare my laboratory," Magic said excitedly. "So long it has been since some unlucky soul ended up on my beach."

"Yes sir," both said and set off on their duties. Dark Elves entered a small hut and entered a code that started the transporter to the "Evil Magic Underground Lab". Previous experiments stirred in their habitats. Dark Elves grinned at Cratti who growled with hostility, "ei, growl all you want," Dark Elves said, "I know your bark is worse than your bite."

Cratti growled some more, "One day, I will get out of here and pay you back ten fold you stinking elf, I am no softy."

Dark Elves laughed as Quizi in the next habitat looked on quietly. The man-gnome crossbred who turned out to be much too nice to help in the pursuit of world domination and Kaz the man-machine crossbreed. Dark Elves ignored the continuing moans and groans and prepared for
experiment #22.

Magic and Shadowz soon entered the lab with a Yaorg in tow. "Kill, kill, kill", chanted Magic as his excitement grew further.

A dejected looking Yaorg was thrown into one of three large glass jars the sat grouped together in the giant lab. Magic threw the switch and waited patiently as a countdown commenced. "Ding" went a timer as Magic chuckled, "Let's see what we have made this time, Shadowz."

Shadowz approached a central larger jar and slowly opened the lid revealing the new improved Yaorg crossbreed. "Finally, someone came to our island after all the waiting. Someone to cross with one of Naston's evil kittens in a jar, world domination is in my grasp." Crazy laughter erupted from Magic as Yaorg looked down at his new fur, claws, and tail and then curled up at his feet subservient and evil and the start of his new eternity.

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Eternal’s Life
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"All or nothing", said Eternal Life.

"What?" asked Gryfalcon.

"I call you Gryfalcon," Eternal Life began, "I will have my friends back."

"Sudden change of attitude," Gryfalcon pondered with mild curiosity.

"Attitude change or not, I will have them returned and you squashed," Eternal stated with impudence. "I wish to seek out the deepest shadows for my challenge, Abnegate Jansenism."

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Eternal Life appeared next to the entrance of a large labyrinth. "Ta, da" exclaimed Portugal, appearing suddenly behind Eternal. "Welcome to my maze, You will not succeed of course, and I can not be defeated. Enter now or face my wrath while you spend your days searching my scripts for
bugs," said Portugal.

"And speaking of bugs, you better get ready to run," he chuckled, "my bugs are already running."

Eternal heard a loud scurrying sound as large mechanical bugs approached very quickly. Portugal chuckled again, "and I can't wait to test my scripts," he said as he pointed to the maze entry point.

Eternal Life ran into the maze just as the bugs arrived, turning left and right as he ran and he soon ended up in a dark part of the huge labyrinth. Shadows grew long and dark as Eternal Life slowed to a brisk walk, checking behind him as he went even deeper into the shadows.

At the center of what seemed like the darkest depths Eternal saw a red glowing stone on a pedestal. He approached and looked at it curiously. Always wanting to learn about new things and hoping it was the very thing he was looking for, Eternal reached out to touch it.

Instantly a girl appeared around the stone, "Who disturbs my rest?" she said angrily.

"I am Eternal Life," Eternal said quietly, "who are you?"

"I am Shadowheart and I do not like to be disturbed," she said aggressively.

Eternal grew excited that he had indeed found the very person he was looking for, now all he had to do was to give her the bait he thought and broke out into a harsh laugh. "What could you possibly do to me?" he said.

Shadowheart said with a growing rage, "you must be kidding me, you throw yourself into my clutches, awaken me, then dare taunt me, and then question my powers?"

Eternal grew apprehensive as he hoped he was strong enough to take on this truly fear inspiring creature, "ha, haa, haaa, that is good, you are funny," he faked humor as his fear grew.

"You impudent fool, prepare to face my wrath," Shadowheart said, "I can draw upon anyone's power here and use it for my every whim." A pencil appeared and Shadowheart seem to draw on the very air what looked like a castle, a wizard, and a bottle marked FSO3H and three apparitions began to appear.

"Meet Merciless Slayer, Raistlin, and Acid Override you fool," Shadowheart raged, "they will tear you apart."

"Impressive," began Eternal Life, "but you will have to do better than that, you obviously missed your lessons when it came to the part about Eternal Life, you can never destroy me," he insisted.

"You dare enrage me further," spat Shadowheart as she drew what looked like a hammer and bird adding Naston and Gryfalcon into the group.

"You summon me?" Gryfalcon questioned.

"I compel you all to do my bidding! I will be obeyed!" she raged as she drew Gryfalcon and Naston’s compulsion as well. "I am all powerful," Shadowheart continued as she motioned for the group to attack, "and your Eternal Life is about to be no more!"

"There are creatures than you cannot summon!" Eternal Life snapped the trap with a quick statement.

"You would say anything to save yourself!" Shadowheart said with curiosity as she slowed and then stopped Eternal Life’s would be assassins, "tell me who now!"

"Just Tio," Eternal said. "You summon her and maybe your motley crew will stand a chance.

Shadowheart grew disgusted, "fine Tio it is then," she replied and began to draw.

Tio appeared, and looked a little annoyed, "what in the world do you all think you are doing?"

"Nice guys aren't supposed to finish last," she continued, "and Gryfalcon what do you have to say for yourself?" Gryfalcon looked as if he deserved a scolding as Vera appeared next to Tio.

"Gryfalcon! You are lucky to have gotten our attention. Guess we have Eternal to thank for that" Vera said sternly. "You are obviously turning evil and completely out of control."

"You will let Eternal Life and all his friends free immediately," said Tio, "and we will deal with you all later."

"Um, yes sir, I mean mam, I mean," stammered Gryfalcon and with a great flash of light Yaorg, Seth, Eternal Life, all appeared back at the door of the Gray Tower, Yaorg with the heavy knocker in his hand.

"What happened?" Redwall cried.

"Looks like we got returned to before anything ever happened," Eternal Life suggested.

"I am going home to see SexyWizards" Yaorg decided immediately and gently set the large door knocker back down.

Seth spoke up, "Let's go home and have a hayride, or carve a pumpkin, bob for apples, or anything else you can do for halloween that does not involve any kind of maiming, beating, chaining, or anything to do with crazy people chasing you and" Seth out of breath stopped talking.

"I agree," said Redwall, "and I would like to add that I would not like to have any kind of halloween cake, pastry, cupcake, well, nothing with any frosting of any kind."

"Let's get out of here", Eternal suggested.

The quartet agreed.