Brave New World

Tamora stumbled across something mildly interesting; a derelict old number of buildings, in close proximity. The place might have been a tribal settlement of some kind once, she figured. Still, despite the condition of it, it ticked the boxes for shelter provision. A bit of patching up here and there, and it would do...no one should expect a palace out of it though. It wouldn't be cozy. It would merely be adequate. She paused to think wistfully of her husband and his magic hammer; he could make light work of such a task...but then, she supposed even if he was here, he wouldn't have his hammer, as she had been stripped of her armour and weapons. So it seemed logical that the same thing would happen with the golden hammer.

Sighing, the Sergeant pressed forward, further into the settlement to look around. As she moved forward, she noticed a pile of something on the ground ahead, catching the light. As she neared, she realised it was a pile of weapons. Cautiously, she approached. Knives...spears...staffs...even the occasional sword. And a note? Tentatively picking it up, Tamora read: "I know the removal of your weapons, armours and powers must be terribly inconvenient...for you. So I decided to shake things up a little...enjoy these weapons, on me...it is my world, so I figure I should at least give you a sporting chance."

Suspiciously, Tamora reached down and retrieved two elongated knives; one with a smooth blade, the other with a serrated one. Glancing around, as if she would be ambushed merely for touching the weapons, Tamora waited. Nothing happened, so she cocked an eyebrow and let her guard drop the slightest bit to examine her new weapons. They were crude and primitive...but they would do. She tucked them into her leather belt and looked around the settlement once more.

"Finally! Signs of life!" Ralph exclaimed in relief. He'd been wandering through the jungle for what seemed like hours, and had discovered that, somehow, his hands hurt when he had knocked down a couple of big trees. He'd even got splinters. He'd been almost convinced that there was nothing but jungle when he'd stumbled out into this clearing. "Hello? Anyone here? Hellooooo?"

He frowned when no one answered. Was this place deserted? As he walked forward, he caught sight of a large green man standing nearby, looking as stumped as he was. Glad to see another face, even if the green man wasn't anyone he knew, Ralph headed in the man's direction. "Hey, buddy, you lost too?"

Hearing a very familiar voice call her name, Tamora gasped briefly, and whirled. "Pint-size!" she called, using one of the many fond nicknames she had for her husband. She began to run too, closing the gap between them more rapidly with her longer strides. Making sure her knives were out of the way, she knelt down as she reached her husband, and grabbed him roughly by the collar and pressed her lips firmly against his, glad to see him. She wasn't glad he was here in this forsaken jungle, but that could be addressed later. At least he was safe.

Felix latched onto Tamora and returned the kiss, utterly relieved that they had found each other. He pulled back and smiled at her. At least he knew that he wasn't completely alone here, and who better to be stuck in a random location, than with your wife?

"I'm so glad you're alright!" he said, pulling her into a hug. "Where are we?"

Schmendrick adjusted his hat as he pushed through the forest, his feet snagging on root and rock alike. "Well, Schmendrick, I suppose you've been in worse," he reassured himself. He frowned as a branch knocked off his recently adjusted hat. He leaned over and picked it up. Looking around himself, he realized that he was actually on the edge of a clearing.

The postulating magician replaced his hat and looked around, holding his chin in thought. "Well, it looks like a place I could rest for the night. Little rundown, but better than relying on some forest brigands to take in a weak magician like myself without gold." He began walking towards the nearest hut.

On his way, however, he noticed the lion at the puddle. Now, a normal person probably would have at least trembled at the sight of a lion, but Schmendrick only stumbled as his gaze was caught. Having been in a traveling circus of faux monsters and in an adventurous troupe with a unicorn, of all things, a mere creature of the heraldry seemed more like a reprieve than a fright. He tipped his hat and bowed. "Good m-morrow, good lion." He stood up and replaced his wizard's cap, smiling his greeting softly. "I hope I'm not bothering you or your home here."

Mega looked up from his puddle to stare at the robed man. "Good morrow?" Mega frowned in confusion for a moment before it finally clicked. "Ah, good morning to you sir," he said, moving towards Schmendrick at a leisurely pace. "No, you just caught me taking a drink" he said, smiling. "You also seem to be mistaken. This is not my home. In fact, I have no clue where I am. I come from the Pridelands, ruled over by the lion king King Simba, and his queen Nala" Mega explained. "I'm Mega. Who might you be?"

"Oh, yes, but of course. I should have guessed that this was far too thick of a wood for your kind," Schmendrick replied with a smile. The lion didn't attack him. That was a good thing. Better than his usual stroke of luck.

However, he had to hold his chin as he observed the lion's tales. The only King he knew of was the king of England, as was the same for his knowledge on lands with pride. However, his mentor had taught him about Heraldry and where the lion came from. It was neither from England nor here that such a beast should roam, but the plains of Africa. Still, that did not answer a lot of his other answers.

"Well, Mega, as you have introduced yourself, I am Schmendrick," he greeted with a bow. He looked up with a calm smile and continued, "A magician. A humble traveling magician. At your service." Being with a unicorn made him too calm about this sort of thing.

He stood back up and blinked. "Speaking of traveling, you weren't, perchance, taken in by a circus, were you?" Though Mommy Fortuna was gone, he doubted that many other circuses would pass up the chance to carry a lion.