King's Quest

CHAPTER 5: ACQUIRING THE MAGIC HEN

Rosella travels north to the waterfall, then west to the dwarve's home, finally north to the giant's front door.

The door's latch is too high for her too reach, but only just. Luckily, a kind of bucket is near the door and she drags it, turns it over and climbs on top. Doubly lucky, the door is not locked and the latch releases allowing the door to swing wide.

On the other side is a very nasty looking bulldog that is twice her size. She had little time to react and figuring a dog, no matter how big, is susceptible to common canine tendencies. So, she pulls the bone from her belt and tosses it at the barking, snarling watchdog. It snapped at the bone and runs to a corner.

"Buckman!" a voice snaps from behind a door.

Rosella has to act fast. She throws the front door shut and scrambles up the oversized stairs to the second floor, where she finds a bedroom with a massive bed.

"What were you barking at?" the voice continues to shout beneath her, followed by a smack and a dog whining. "Now you stop that barking, or so help me..."

Everything in the bedroom is oversized and beyond her reach, but Rosella does find one item to aid, especially since she had sacrificed her weapon to save herelf from being a chew toy, it's an ax of normal size, which is leaning against the wall in a corner.

Thus armed, she returns to the steps and gazes at the room below. The room is clear except for the dog, who is still gnawing on the bone.

Carefully, Rosella traipses down the stairs and crosses the floor. There's a door directly to her front and she can see activity behind it, which means she's not going in there. Then there is another door, it seems safe enough. The knob's low enough that all she has to do is stand on tiptoe to reach it. She tuned it and the door comes open. It's a closet.

There's a loud booming voice, coming from outside the house. Rosella ducks inside and closes the door, making it too dark to see, except for a single beam of light pouring through the keyhole. From this vantage point, she observes the giant return home and sit at his table.

"Wife!" he bellows. "Bring me food!"

The giantess complies without a word uttered and serves her demanding husband. Rosella watches with both horror and disgust, as the massive brute tears at his meat, but she doesn't dare look away as she requires a way out. After a fashion, the meal is devoured and the dog gets a new bone.

"Wife!" the giant barks. "Bring me my hen."

Again the wife complies without a word and sets upon the table a plump, normal sized chicken.

"Lay!" the giant demands and the bird responds by laying a solid gold egg.

The massive brute laughed at the marvelous sight. Then yawns and stretches, before laying his head upon the table and snoring loudly.

Slowly, carefully, Rosella opens the door and slinks out into the open. She can see the brid, within reach, but she has to prepare an exit first. Before that, she tucks the ax handle into her belt, thus freeing her hands while maintaining a weapon. Though she doubts it would serve her against so large a man.

There's a chair near to the door, which proves to be very heavy, but no more so than she could handle. She then brought it closer to the door. She climbs it and opens the latch of the front door.

With her escape secured, Rosella moves back to the table and takes hold of the magical hen. She's just outside the door when the bird starts squawking, probably because it is overjoyed to at last be free.

The giant rises and gives chase, barreling out the door. He's fast on our heroines trail. She knows there's no way she can outrun her pursuer, so she has to act smarter. To this end, she hurries south into the trees, which she hopes will slow him down.

At length she loses sight of the giant and continues past the cemetery and the dwarves house, down to the mine. Then she goes east and is not surprised to find Lolette's guards waiting for her.

They snatch her up and a third takes the bird. Rosella is taken yet again to the throne room.

"Well done my dear," Lolette praises her. "That bird will give me riches beyond my wildest dreams, especially when I cut it open and get all the gold at once. Still, there's one more thing I want, a box?"

"A box?" Rosella can't help but ask.

"Yes, a box," Lolotte stats with a cryptic air. "It's somewhere in the graveyard, I'm not sure where. Ask the three witches of the single eye, they should be able to tell you something. But you best be careful, they're more likely to eat you, but I'm sure you'll find a way."

"They reside in the skull cave in the enchanted forest," the evil fairy explains before issuing a warning. "But be careful, the trees don't get you. That ax should do just nicely and don't forget, there's still a prize awaiting you after all this is done."

Rosella is again flown back to the ground and finds the sun has retreated from the sky, which means she will have to journey past the graveyard, not a welcome prospect.