Brian was suddenly transported to this world that was very pretty. It had flower fields everywhere, and birds chirping through the skies, and a long pink walkway heading into who knew where.
"This is Tzarphis?" Brian asked.
"Don't be deceived by it's looks, Brian" he heard Solomon's voice, "Tzarphis is dangerous"
Brian started looking around, but couldn't see any sign of the black smokey creature.
"The ring" Solomon said.
Brian looked down at the ring and saw Solomon's black face and white eyes inside the red orb.
"No spirit form here, remember?" Solomon said.
"Right" Brian said.
He felt his pockets for the scroll, and pulled it out.
"So, how do I get to the Kingdom, is there a map on this thing?" He asked, starting to unfurl the scroll.
"NO, NO, NO, NO!" Solomon yelled before he got any further, "You mustn't look at the message!"
"Why not?" Brian asked.
"If the Confidanteonce looks at the message before it arrives at the Kingdom, the rest of the journey will be cursed" Solomon replied.
"But I don't know where to go," Brian said, "I just want a map"
"The scrolls never come with maps" Solomon said.
"So, how do I get to the kingdom?" Brian asked.
"I believe it's called walking" Solomon stated.
Brian huffed as he began walking down the pink windy road. He walked for what felt like ages, past all the fields of flowers, past the few houses that looked like there were on Tzarphis. But then he came across a fork in the path. With three options.
"I don't suppose you know which way to go?" he asked Solomon.
"I can't see anything from in here, terribly sorry," Solomon said, "You'll just have to rely on your instincts...or confidence"
"Why don't you listen, I don't have confidence!" Brian said as he started heading for the right path.
"Oh, the ring is burning right now!" Solomon said.
"Just shut up" Brian told him.
"Not that way" said a voice.
Brian swivelled around to see if anyone was around, but there was nothing there. Anywhere. Just a patch of flowers in the middle of the fork, and in front of that patch, a pink flamingo stand. Brian shook his head and started heading down the right path again.
"I thought I said not that way" The voice said again.
"Then which way?" Brian said, annoyed, as he swivelled around again.
"That way" the voice said.
"Which way?"
"That way"
"Which way's that way?"
"That way's that way"
"Okay, who is saying that?!" Brian yelled.
"Wait, I recognise that silliness" Solomon said, "Is that you, Decky?"
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"Decky..?" Brian asked.
"Yes, he is a bright pink flamingo who loves to mess with people" Solomon stated.
Brian simply stood there, staring at the flamingo decoration. Or what he thought was a decoration. Until it's head tilted down to look at the ring.
"Sol!" it said, moving closer to Brian, "It's been awhile!"
"Yes, two millenia," Solomon said, "What have you been up to?"
"Oh, you know, just the usual" The flamingo said.
"What's the usual?" Solomon asked.
"The usual's the usual" said the flamingo.
"I'm Brian, by the way," Brian interrupted the little catch up, "The Confidantee, or whatever it is"
"Oh! Yes! Sorry!" The flamingo said, "Decky. Nice to meet you"
"Yeah," Brian said, "Anyway, we have a scroll to deliver to the kingdom so-"
"Ooh! The kingdom! I love the kingdom!" Decky said gleefully.
"You should come with us!" Solomon said.
"No, that-" Brian started but Decky cut him off.
"Where? To the kingdom?" Decky asked.
"Yes, to the kingdom" Solomon replied.
"Which kingdom?"
"You know the kingdom"
"The kingdom kingdom?"
"Yes, the kingdom kingdom"
"Oh, I love that kingdom kingdom"
"You said you know the way!" Brian said, annoyed, cutting the two off again.
"Yes! Yes-siree! It's this way!" Decky said, hopping along down the left path.
Brian followed him, not too happy about having an annoying, confusing flamingo on his journey.
Decky lead him down the path for miles more, and then they come across soemthing that almost stopped Decky's heart.
"Ohmygosh!" he said, as he stopped to a halt, causing Brian to stop aswell.
"What is it?" Brian asked as he walked up to Decky.
He then saw what it was. A small tiger cub was laying on it's side, blocking the path for them, underneath a bunch of forestry trees.
"I love tigers! It's so cute!" Brian said.
"Wait, it looks like it's hurt" Decky said uneasily.
Then they heard a growl, and suddenly saw a bear come out of the bushes on the opposite end of the cub. Both Brian and Decky gave scared gasps.
"What? What is it? Show me!" Solomon said.
Brian slowly raised his hand and turned the ring around so Solomon could see.
"Oh, no" Solomon simply said.
"Is it's parents around anywhere?" Brian asked, looking around.
But they couldn't see any other tigers coming to help the poor cub. Brian being an animal lover couldn't stand there and watch the poor cub be killed. He looked around, but all there was were fields of flowers, and the closest branches were hanging above the bear and cub. Then he realised.
"Decky, how brave are you?" he asked the flamingo.
"A little" Decky replied.
"How little is little?" Brian asked him.
"Little little is little" Decky said.
"We don't have time for this!" Brian said, picking up Decky by his two legs.
"Whoa, Brian, what are you doing?!" Solomon asked.
"Saving that tiger cub!" Brian said, running up to the two animals, and standing in between them, facing the bear.
The bear simply looked at them.
"You dare to interrupt my killing time?!" The bear growled.
"Yeah, I do," Brian said fiercely, "That's just a defenceless little cub, you have no right to go killing it"
"And what are you, a puny human going to do about it?" The bear snarled.
"I...I..," Brian looked at Decky in his hands, then turned back to the bear, "I have a flamingo and I'm not afraid to use him!"
"Waitwhat?!" Decky asked.
Brian swung Decky around in front of the bear's face, whilst Decky closed his eyes frightened for his life.
"Brian!" Solomon screamed from inside the ring.
Brian couldn't believe his eyes but his plan was actually working, the bear was backing away from them. Without a word, the bear simply turned around and ran the other way.
"It..it worked.." Brian said, gasping.
"Thank the stars!" Decky said, finally opening his eyes.
Then they heard a groan from behind them. Brian placed Decky back down as they turned around and walked up to the cub.
"Hey, little one, my name's Brian," he said as he kneeled down beside the cub, "Are you alright?"
"JoJo," the cub said weakly, "He...he got my back leg"
Brian looked down at his leg, where there was quite a big scratch, which was bleeding.
"Decky, can you get me some leaves off that tree there?" Brian asked.
"Which tree?" Decky asked.
"That tree" Brian said, pointing behind him.
"This tree?"
"Oh, for, any tree'll do!" Brian said, "Hurry up!"
At that, leaves came falling on his head. He gave a sigh.
"I said get them for me, not throw them at me" Brian said as he collected the leaves off his head.
"You said hurry up!" Decky stated.
"You did say hurry up" Solomon agreed.
"You; shut up," Brian said, looking down at the ring, then beginning to wrap the leaves around JoJo's leg, "Where are your parents?"
"That bear," JoJo said, "He, he killed both of them"
"Which way now, Decky?" Brian asked.
"Through this forest" Decky replied.
Brian looked at JoJo. Then at the forest.
"Can you walk?" he asked the tiger cub.
JoJo slowly got to his legs, and tried walking a little. Beside a little limp, he could walk fine.
"You should come with us," Brian said, "We're going to the kingdom. There's probably someone there who can look after you"
"This coming from the guy who didn't want Decky to join us" Solomon said.
"We can't just leave him here to die!" Brian said, "What do you say, JoJo?"
"Okay," JoJo said, "You have to go through the forest, and I still have some fight left in me if we come across any lesser enemies than the bear"
"If we do, you won't be doing any fighting," Brian said as the three started walking into the forest, "Leave it to me, I'll just hit them with Decky"
"Yeah!" Decky agreed, "...Waitwaitwait, what?!"
