Yellow Brick Road (DISCONTINUED)

The Land of Munchkins

Suddenly, I woke up with a sudden jolt. Everything around me suddenly smashed into a million pieces. I fell to the ground and Spirit fell on top of me. the barn collapsed and I felt buried under hundreds of pieces of wood. I felt like I couldn't breathe because of the crushing weight of it all. My fighting instincts kicked in and I punched and threw the wood away from me, crawling out from under the wreckage and pushing my way to safety. When Spirit and I finally reached daylight, I gasped at the beautiful landscape around me.

It was like the whole world was blanketed in snow. Everywhere I looked there was at least five inches of snow covering the ground. Tall, luscious evergreen trees were scattered across the frozen valley, and in the distance I saw the peaks of tall mountains. "Spirit" I said, "I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore". I suddenly noticed a large group of people walking towards me. They were all wearing large fur coats with huge hoods, plus humongous boots and gloves. "Are they Eskimos? Did the tornado send me to Antarctica?" I wondered. However, it was only till they got closer did i realize that all of their clothes were lined with thick fur. It was only then i noticed their furry clothing was bright blue! A very tall and old man who i assumed was the leader walked toward me, and for some odd reason kneeled on one knee and lowered his head as if I was royalty. "We thank you noble sorceress, for killing the Empress of the East". I stared at him, extremely confused. "What are you talking about? I'm not a sorceress"! He pointed at the corner of the wreckage from the barn and exclaimed "But how else did you drop the wooden dwelling from the sky". I looked over there and gasped at what I saw. A hand of a woman was sticking out from under the barn. In her hands she clutched an amulet decorated with three glowing rubies. 

"I didn't mean to kill her! It was an accident, I swear"! The leader smiled at me and said "There is no need to apologize, for she was a cruel and selfish woman who misused her magic and destroyed our towns and farms. But now that she is gone, perhaps the awful curse she caused will disappear and we will be free".  I stared at this man full of fear and confusion. "I'm truly sorry, but I have no idea where I am or who you people are. Could you please explain to me what this place is"? The old man looked at me oddly and said "I am Boq, leader of the Munchkin tribe. We were once ruled by a horrible woman named Hecate, who one day barged into our land and overthrew the original leader using her army of gnomes and dragons. She also had a powerful ruby amulet in her possession.  The power of he amulet can only be used through gaining the attributes of wisdom, kindness, and bravery, but Hecate was lazy and did not wish to go through the trouble of gaining these attributes. So she placed a hex on the amulet, allowing her many wishes to be granted. She enslaved our people, built herself a massive palace, and was given wealth and prosperity. However, the amulet was angry with Hecate's greedy ways, and as a result our land was plunged into eternal winter, destroying our farms and crops. We were forced to build igloos and wear the fur of the Blue Spotted Mountain Bear, which is why all of our clothing is tinted blue. We lived in sadness for many years, until you arrived and freed us". 

I pondered his story, letting all his words sink in before I asked my next question. "Are there other lands outside this one"? He nodded and said "There are four lands, one in the East, which is where we live, one in the North, one in the West, and one in the South. Each region is ruled by a witch. All of these lands together make the land of Oz". I asked "I come from a land far away from here. Is there a way to return to my home"? He looked like he was thinking, and after a moment he said "The boundary of Oz is surrounded by a great ocean that is so deep and so wide it is impossible to cross. But I do know of a person who has great power who may be able to help". I excitedly asked who it was, and he replied "The ruler of all in Oz is a wizard who lives in the Emerald city in the exact center of our land. He is very wise and powerful, and he could surely send you home". 

Boq gave me a map of the entire land of Oz,and he pointed out to me which direction I should go. He showed me a long, winding road, that lead directly to Emerald City, which he called the Yellow Brick Road because of the golden leaves that were always scattered over the bricks. Before I left with a basket of food and Spirit, he handed me the ruby amulet and said "I know not of it's true power, but it will protect you from the many dangers of the long journey ahead". I thanked him, and I started to head down the mountain. When Spirit and I reached the bottom, I could see the Yellow Brick Road shining ahead of us. I turned to Spirit and said "Well, I guess we're off to see the Wizard".