Part 12 (1/2)
”We'll have to call her,” Melody decided.
”Yes,” Harmony agreed.
”I'll do it,” Rhythm said. She brought out her little drum and beat a brisk cadence.
The sound of the drum was surprisingly strong. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! It reverberated through the forest, and made two innocent clouds shake in the sky. In fact one of them was so shaken it wet on the forest below. Cube was reminded again: these children were not mere little girls, they were Sorceresses, with power of magic ordinary folk could only dream about.
In two and a half moments there was an answer from the sky. It sounded like the roar of a dragon. That made Cube nervous, because she was not on an enchanted path at the moment. But the little princesses did not seem alarmed.
Then the dragon appeared, flying swiftly toward them. It had bright green scales with purplish tinges. It looked dangerous.
”We had better get inside,” Cube said apprehensively.
The three Princesses burst out laughing. Cube realized that she had made another mistake.
The dragon came to land before them. Then it changed form. It became a cute girl with blonde hair and brown eyes, about eighteen years old.
”Hi, Becka!” the three Princesses exclaimed together.
”Hi, Princesses,” the young woman answered. ”Who is your friend?”
”Cube,” Melody answered.
”We're showing her around,” Harmony added.
”And you're part of the sights,” Rhythm concluded.
Becka laughed. ”h.e.l.lo, Cube. I'm Becka Dragongirl, caretaker of the Princesses' castle.”
The Princesses' castle? There continued to be details those naughty little girls didn't tell her.
”I'm glad you were able to come so quickly,” Becka said to the Princesses. ”I was on my way to fetch you, but turned back when I heard your drumbeat.”
The Princesses were surprised. ”You wanted us?” Melody asked.
”Yes. I fear only you can solve my problem.”
”Problem?” Harmony asked.
”Brusque Bra.s.sy, my boyfriend, opened the forbidden door. He's gone, and I don't know what to do.” The girl wiped away a tear of grief and frustration.
”But doesn't he know better?” Rhythm asked.
”Well, I certainly thought he did. He must have gotten confused. I asked him to fetch a broom from the closet so I could sweep out a speck of dust, and he went, and then I heard a horrible sound, the Forbidden Chamber Door being slammed shut, and I rushed there and he was gone. He must have opened it, and the Random Factor got him, and oh, I don't know what to do!” She wiped away another tear.
”This is suspicious,” Melody said.
”Also a mystery,” Rhythm agreed.
”What do you think, Cube?” Rhythm asked.
Cube was startled. ”I don't know enough to have an opinion. I don't know who Brusque is, or what the Forbidden Chamber is, or anything about the Rancid Factoid.”