「Final Fable」

The Third Spar

Falling down from clouds. Now that's a vivid and flowery imagery. But I'm actually falling down with great speed and I don't even know where I am. The only thing next to me is a vine. A huge vine, spanning from the earth to all the way up into the clouds.

That's right...
Giantslayer.

I fought those Giants all those years ago, and it was atop the clouds the beanstalk graced. It all comes back to me. Mother, the pudding she gave that day. My horse, the one I sold for the magical beans. The golden goose and the terrifying chase that happened in the castle of the Giants. The army of humongous behemoths, against one man and a cat. A cat. Yes, what was his name? Whiskers? I can't seem to remember that bit. And then.. and then.. blurry again. I must've hit a pumpkin on the ground or something, because I'm covered in unrecognisable slosh. My mother walks up to me and shoots a disgusted look.

"Too turdy"

"I'm sorry what?"

"Too turdy"

"Mom what?"

"Too turdy"
And the words kept repeating over and over, with the tone changing and growing deeper every time. And then I realize what mom was trying to say all along.

It was 2:30 in the night.
Too turdy.

How could I tell? Because the clock that was placed by my bedside kept yelling the time. It's like the Alexa my Uncle had, but only this time it's just a plain annoying alarm clock.

The innkeeper had instructed us. "Dial 101 using the clock and housekeeping will be with you in a jiffy. If there's any emergency, the clock will tell you"

Dorothy had questioned the funny statement.
"But how can an alarm clock speak?"

To this the innkeeper replied, "Only time will tell" and ominously telescoped out of the room. I couldn't tell whether the pun was intended or not.

。。。

Now that this clock was blaring out the time, it must mean something happened downstairs. And that by the innkeeper's words, was an emergency. Something had alarmed the clock.

Alarmed the clock. Heh.

"Alice.. there's somet—"

"I know, idiot. I'm already up. The darn clock was ringing for two minutes straight and you finally woke up from dreamland"

Oh...

"Dorothy's still fast asleep"

"Nothing could wake this lazy girl up. Let's go investigate this ourselves", I say, nonchalantly smashing the alarm clock.

"You've gotta pay for that, you know"

"What they don't know won't hurt 'em. Besides there's an emergency"

The two of us open the door and head down in our nightgowns. Near the entrance we hear a commotion.

"Why must you come at this ungodly hour?"
That must be the innkeeper.

"It does not matter to you. You are to provide us with the Lux or else", came a strict elderly voice.

"I'm sorry, we're just an inn in a forest. Try your luck in some other world"

"Don't play dumb with me, woman!"

The visitor slams his fist on the counter, sending shivers up the innkeeper's frizzled hair. Alice and I move forward to get a look. The visitor was a knight, of sorts. He wore nothing but black and soft armour, not the type you'd use in battle but instead just for showing off. I couldn't make out the details of his face, owing to the dim lighting against the wooden floor.