The Trickster of CHS

Joker and the Secret Rings Part 2

Joker and Shantae ran along the Lost Prologue until they reached a portal of some kind, almost like an open door. It seemed like something out of science-fiction: a doorway to another dimension. Crossing over, they found themselves in some old ruins. Stepping outside revealed the duo was in a sandy location with palm trees and shrubs scattered all around. Various pools of water with more ruins and stone buildings were additionally in the landscape. In the distance the sun was setting. This was a place Shantae fondly called the "Sand Oasis". Appropriately named.

Joker didn't wait a second. Firing up, he bolted into the blazing heat, running across the surface of a pool of water. "First, let's find the king's palace!"

"Yes, let's hurry," Shahra reiterated.

Running across the water's surface kept him cool, but, even that wouldn't compensate for the water he'd lose in this heat. Reaching down with both hands, he was able to channel water up his arms and into his mouth while on the run by using a weak form of hydrokinesis taught to him by his teacher of the Yang style of Ta'i Chi Ch'uan back in his world. He would have to stay intensely hydrated throughout his stay here. Having drank as much as he could, Sonic continued to run towards the shore. Reaching solid ground, he bolted for a small trail leading through some foliage. Arriving at another body of water, he jumped and landed on a block of stone in the lake's center. While he glanced around for another route, two spears fired at his backside.

The speedster felt a buzzing in the back of his skull, right about where his hair is. Joker was highly keen to danger, aided by some kind of "sixth sense" which would alert him of incoming threats or surprise attacks.

Whoops! The wild card back-flipped over the two javelins, which impaled the rock where he once stood. Gazing in the direction of the attacks, he spotted two small humanoid monsters on a ledge ahead. Each looked similar to a cheap cloth ghost for Halloween but decorated with royal colors and Arabic text. The larger of the two even breathed fire.

"Erazor's henchmen!" Shantae pointed.

"Not to worry." Joker crouched and leaped towards the ledge. He then froze in midair as he began to somehow shoot himself at the smaller of the two djinns. Striking it with a kick, the fiend dissipated into Arabic text.

Well, that explains what happened to the words of this world...

Bouncing up from the impact, Joker jumped and bolted for the bigger henchman in a repeated blur. Although the evil spirit tried moving out of the way, Joker's attack followed the djinn's path, effectively destroying it.

Landing on the ledge, Joker looked down at Shantae, who was again surprised. "It's a sequential, enemy or object-seeking, aerial to land attack," he explained. "I call it an 'All-Out Attack' for simplicity's sake."

Joker jumped off the ledge to a higher stone platform. After running along it for a few minutes, he came across a small village in the Oasis.

"Just ahead is the king's palace," Shahra informed him.

Joker looked in the distance. "There it is! I see it!" He picked up the pace as the duo rushed for the palace gates.

Sonic and Shahra had been wandering about the palace for minutes calling for the sultan. The palace was empty like a ghost town. The silence was giving the speedster the creeps. Finally, after arriving in a large area with several large, clay water jars, Sonic stopped walking.

"Where is he...?" he asked. "Are we too late?"

—CRASH—

A jar toppled over and shattered.

Sonic whipped around.

Clay jars didn't fall by themselves.

He saw the reason: a six foot, eight inch, man who's attire is lavish to coincide with his kingly façade. His face is tanned with gold facial hair and bright sea blue eyes. The colors consist mostly of cream, gold, white, and bright sea blue. The outfit's appearance consists of a large cream cloth-materialized crown worn on his backside and pointed upwards leaving a hole behind the king's head, cream undergarments, and a matching top, with a white cape flowing down with a bright sea blue interior, just below his calves. The outfit is finished with gray-silver short boots.