Tower of Lore

Chapter Two: Meeting Princess Liana

Dusty groaned and forced his blinded eyes as wide as they could go as he fought to see again. The chants had stopped and excited whispers caught his attention. Getting up on his elbows he turned to the direction and stared at the woman before him.

It was his princess straight from his game. He rubbed his head and looked around. He had to have hit himself hard on something to be hallucinating to this degree. “Is this some sort of VR experience that they’re surprising players with now?” He questioned as he looked around. “This can't be real.”

The princess watched as he got to his feet and smiled at him. She was his princess but she was still in a very disorganized state. She noticed his stare and flushed. “Hero, as you can see the mission to summon you took a lot more work than we first imagined it would. But it’s all okay now because you’re here!” She clapped her hands and grinned at him.

Dusty edged away from her overt enthusiasm. “What’s going on here? Is this a dream, a new reality, did I fall asleep playing the game? That can’t be possible, right?”

“Game?” the princess shook her head at him. “This is no battle of wits or for fun. This is a serious matter. You have been summoned to save my people and this tower. You are our hero, the one that can save us all.”

Dusty held up his hands. “Listen, dream princess, or whatever I might know all about this place, but I’m not the one you need. I do digital battling, not real battling.”

“Digital?” She shook her head again. “Apologies, where are my manners? I should introduce myself. My name is Liana, princess of this tower. I feared that we had failed in our ritual to bring a hero, but here you are. Now quite what I was expecting, I thought you’d be taller, and more muscular, but that matters not. The magic chose you for a reason.”

“Uh, what’s going on here?” Demanded a new voice. As if they were one everyone in the room turned towards the sound and inspected the woman standing there. “Dusty?” She demanded her mouth dropping as she noticed him.

“Linds?” Dusty shook his head. No way how could his ex be here? “Lindsey, is that you?”

Lindsey nodded as she dusted her jeans off. “Yeah, but what’s going on? One minute I was playing the game, and the next it started acting funky and when I went to fix it, I got sucked into here, where ever that is.”

“Lindsey, it’s Princess Liana!” Dusty gestured to the woman with one arm. His eyes were only for the Princess.

“Princess Liana?” Lindsey said the name slow. Her spine straightened and she glared at Dusty making him take a step backward. “Oh, I remember her. How could I forget her?” every word was edged with steel.

“You know of me?” the pink-haired princess edged closer to Lindsey. “How is that so?”

The corner of Lindsey’s eye twitched. “How? I know when your birthday is, your highness. I shared my anniversary with you.”

Liana clapped her hands in delight at the news, but Lindsey only scowled deeper. Liana was oblivious to the glare. “That is great news, I’m glad to hear that. I’m confused on how there are two heroes instead of one, so I’m even more grateful the magic served us so well.”

Lindsey grit her teeth as she held out a hand to the princess. “My name is Lindsey, Lindsey Overbeck.”

Dusty dusted himself off as well and held his out in turn. “My name is Dusty Bowling, Princess Liana. I still don’t think this is real, but what’s going on here? We’re in one of the most powerful rooms in the tower right now, this place is only used in emergencies.”

“I’m not surprised you can remember such small details like that,” Lindsey remarked with a growl before turning her back on them and walking away.

Dusty watched after her back for a moment his gut clenching in protest. He wanted to go after her, but this was just a dream what did it matter if he won her back here?

Princess Liana dipped into a picture-perfect curtsy even with her ripped outfit and mussed appearance. “My name is Princess Liana Sierra and I have summoned a hero to save my people. I am the last of my line and I’m not as strong in magic as my ancestors. To get straight to the point, when my magic runs out this tower will fall to ruin.”

“Why not just leave it?” Lindsey asked as she turned around. “Take yourself and your people and go, get to safety.”

Liana pressed her lips together in one thin line. “I wish that we could do that, however, I can not. Outside this tower are beasts, demons, and monsters that want nothing more than to end humanity once and for all.”

Lindsey glanced around the crypt. “Where are your people? All we have been introduced to is you, those in the shadows haven’t even come forward yet but I see their eyes watching us. What are you hiding?”

“Lindsey!” Dusty hissed her name.

Liana held up a hand. “It is quite all right, I can understand her fear. Guards, please come out. Introduce yourself to our honored guests.” She pointed to each in turn as they kneeled before her. “This is my guard captain, Raz.” She put her hand on the man with jet black armor with red piping a jagged bracelet of chains and spikes decorating his wrist. “He is loyal beyond all measure and a trusted companion. Next to him is Sha’Ra, my second in command. While he is not the friendliest guard, he would give his life for me and my people.” She moved down the line to the third member now. “This younger one is Kaji, he’s very protective and not as skilled as the rest, but he will be great one day, and finally we have my dearest friend. The one that has grown up with me as a child. This is Woofie, my life would never be the same without him.”

“Woofie?” Lindsey studied the red-head man. “That’s an odd name.”

“The princess named me when she was very young. She got names of things confused a lot, and that particular one stuck.”

“Well now, I see that you have all arrived here in safety. I am glad to see that you are well, Princess Liana.” The man that walked in froze all talk. He walked like a man, but his features were all of a fox. His long bushy tail followed him as he strolled into the room. “Greetings, Heroes, my name is Alexandrescu but I am aware that is quite the mouthful. You may refer to me as Alexander if you so desire. I shall be your guide up the tower.”