A girl awoke from her slumber as she began to rise from her back. Sleeping Beauty was dressed in a blue dress, with blonde hair, and green eyes. Beauty was just as the same before she fell into the curse which caused her slumber for a hundred years. Ever since the time of the curse was finished, the young girl had found herself in her own home, but it had now belonged to a new tenant.
He was a bitter old man. However, she knew him clearly since time in this realm was meaningless. Geppetto, the man who created a wooden boy named Pinocchio. The man-made person was his servant in the art of death. Whoever opposed Geppetto and his rule were to be killed on the spot for reasons of treason, but that was a long time ago. Pinocchio had somehow broken out of his father’s obedience and was said to have left this castle of his.
Sleeping Beauty, it was title which Geppetto mentioned when he found out about her presence in this castle. She would have told him to leave her home that he trespassed on, but her words didn’t mean much as he had an army he paid for. No one could try to oppose a man when he had such. However, it was mere luck that she didn’t have to sell her body to him while he kept her in this fancy prison.
Talia, her true name which was given by her parents, rose out from her bed and waited for her morning meal to come to her. She faced the wooden door closed from the outside hallways as she heard the sounds of large footsteps smacking against the cold, damp floors of the castle. Ever since Talia’s curse had begun, the maiden noticed the castle was hardly being maintained. It could have, but Geppetto didn’t have time for such ‘mundane matters.’
Three knocks came on her doors as the princess looked up from the floor and heard the locks open up. The mechanisms were created by Geppetto himself to prevent her to escape since she had some value in the land. It was both a blessing and a curse in itself, Talia was forced to stay in her prison and clear her boredom with whatever items and lady-like toys which had seen better days.
The door opened up to reveal a fully dressed orc in heavily plated armor. Creatures like these were smarter than the green goblins which served these warriors. The creature with the green skin held a wooden tray which contained a bowl of soup, a cup of water, a broken teacup with tea within its container, then a plate of bread and cheese.
“Princess Talia, here is your meal.” The orc began as Talia came forward and took hold of the tray from him.
“What is going on with the orcs and the goblins?” She asked. There was little sources of entertainment within the confines of her room, but whenever she opened the door the news of what happened with the orcs and the old man helped her cope with her sanity. The orc chuckled.
“A sorry gob decided to raise his hand and rebel against Geppetto. Didn’t really do much other than risk the wrath of the old man’s forces.” He answered.
“Thank you for the food.” The princess thanked him as he scratched his head.
“You know, princess. You are the first human I’ve met which thanked me.” He began. “That’s probably the nicest thing you’ve done ever since I was assigned to guard you.” Talia returned with a smile. “Even when you are imprisoned in your own home, you don’t show any hatred against me.”
“Just because you serve Geppetto, doesn’t mean I should hate you.” Talia returned with a reply. “The man is just bitter that Pinocchio left him and he can’t do much outside of the castle than raid a village or two of a nearby kingdom. You and your friends happen to be on his payroll.”
“Well, he’s the only human who is going to feed us and let us stay here.”
Talia turned away from the guard as she walked over to her bed. The orc guard closed the door locked it immediately. Then she placed the tray on the softness of her bed and began to look down at her soup. Before the beginning of her curse, she was used to the lavish food which the cooks had once gave to the princess and her family. Now, she was forced to eat the makeshift soups which few orcs knew out to cook up. Thankfully, they excellent hunters with spices that were best left unasked.
The princess took the spoon beside the bowl and began to pick at her soup without question. When her lips met the hot liquid within her eating utensil, she relaxed her shoulder and took pleasure that the food was cooked. Then Talia began to eat into her food before she took notice her broken teacup with three maggots swimming around.
“I pray to the gods that orcs could make them cleaner if they could.” The princess prayed to herself as she continued.
Suddenly…
An explosion erupted from the exterior of the castle. The entire castle itself shook from the powerful force which had detonated at a place she did not know, but she only knew that something was happening at hand.
Sounds of gunfire filled her home as she stopped eating while the soup spilled onto her bed. Talia was familiar with muskets, they were a stable weapon in some kingdoms who were held military power. However, they sounded completely different than the weapons she was used to a hundred years ago. War cries of orcs and goblins could be heard in the hallways outside of her room.
At the same time, the fighting grew closer as voices screamed outside.
“To the right! To the right!” Another burst of gunfire came out as Talia was filled with fear. Someone had killed the orc who was guarding her, but the question remained. Who was trying to rescue her? Of course she was a princess, but a hundred years had passed since the beginning of her slumber and it would seem that this realm had forgotten her. Maybe they were here for her?
“Hello, is there anybody in there?!” A man’s voice called out as he banged on the door. Talia was too shocked and afraid to even answer. “If you are, stay back and take cover.” Realizing something was at hand, the princess dove behind the safety of her bed while she watched the door over the horizon of her blankets. “Breaching!”
An explosion erupted from the door which had imprisoned her since she awoke from her slumber. The door flew open as she ducked her head behind the safety of her covers. Clouds of debris entered the room as footsteps began to make their way into her room. Then she rose her head from behind her bed to see four figures walking into the room.
The four held musket-like weapons in their hands as they pointed them into the room. However, they held this strange red light which glowed through the cloud of debris as Talia fearfully observed her rescuers. One of the figures stepped forward with his hand holding the grip onto his musket while he was looking down a spotting scope attached to his weapon.
The man was masked in black cloth while his eyes were covered. It had been such a long time since she had met another human being besides Geppetto. Uniformed men clad in black revealed themselves as the smoke and clouds rested from their disturbance. They wore vests of green with multiple pockets and pouches strapped to their vest. Their helmets seemed to give off the only protection for themselves while they had a strange device strapped in the front.
The stranger who stepped forward with his hidden eyes focused on Talia herself. It was amazingly terrifying and joyful altogether. Someone had rescued her from Geppetto and his minions on his payroll. The terrifying matter at hand was, who rescued her.
“Who are you?” The princess asked of the stranger who lowered his musket and gave his hand out.
“A friend of Pinocchio himself.” He replied with his words muffled behind his mask. “Now come with us, this place going to get scorched.”
“Why? This is my home?” Then the stranger looked back to his fellow man.
“Sorry to tell you right now, but have to go.” He rushed forward and snatched Talia by the wrist and dragged her off of the floor. Immediately, he carried her bridal style before turning his head to his men. “Clear out, we got to move!”
The princess attempted to fight them off as the strange four men rushed out of the only place she had known. When Talia was brought outside, the hallway was littered with bodies. Orcs and goblins, were laid upon the carpet and stone flooring. She looked at the closest orc, only to see the guard who gave her the meal this morning.
As she tried to budge out of his hold, Talia looked around to see the hallways littered with bodies. The interiors seemed to have seen better days with paintings and portraits worn down by time. The furniture made of wood was spoiled by the long years it sat in the castle. Dust was very clear on the wooden structure as she looked to the front to hear a gunfire. At the same time, there was a whole in the wall that she did not remember.
Outside of the opening, there were three more men with their weapons raised. When the four joined the other three, Princess Talia looked around to see themselves in a courtyard while she turned her head to the right to see a single man holding a silver pistol she had never seen before. His aim was towards the old man who kept his hands behind his back. A grin was on his lips as his glasses were enough to show how clear and observant he was towards the group of strangers Talia found herself in. Yet, she knew who he was, Geppetto.
“Ah, I see you were just only here for Princess Talia.” The old man began. “I knew you didn’t do things without any purpose.” His tone was towards the stranger who seemed to he be the head of the strange men.
Unlike the other men who were clad in black, this man was wearing a green uniform with a strange hat on his head. His black shoes glimmered in the sunlight while his holster, strapped to his body, was empty.
“Pinocchio, it has been some time since you have left me.” Geppetto continued. “Could it be that you merely miss your beloved father whom you left?”
“No…” The human named Pinocchio began. For Talia, seeing Pinocchio in his human form was a surprise. Rumors the wooden boy were true, but to see him as a human was a mere shock. How he came to be a human, would be a mystery in itself. “You bind me to completely obey your every order. I hated you, I hated you for forcing me to kill so many innocents.”
“True, they had to die for disobeying my rule, but it was necessary for a man such as myself. However, if the Blue Fairy didn’t mettle family manners, I wouldn’t be paying orcs for such petty materials and needs.” A smile fell on his lips. “I do know one thing, you will not kill me. I am the one who created you. I am the one who made you the person who you are. I am the only person who is willing to accept you back into the fold.” Pinocchio shook his head. “Are you not proud of who fathered you?”
“The Blue Fairy was the one who truly knew what I felt whenever I took the lives of people.”
“Please, come back to me. You are my son.” A click was heard from his weapon. “You wouldn’t kill your own father.”
“If you lived the life I had, you would be completely wrong.” Then his body tensed up while Geppetto watched.
“You are my son, you know tradition is how we handle matters.”
“Tradition can go to hell… now tell the Devil I said hello.” The weapon discharged as Talia watched the old man who imprisoned her fall back from the impact of the force which came from Pinocchio’s weapon. Shock and horror filled her mind as the killer lowered his weapon and began to turn away from his dying father.
When Pinocchio revealed his identity, his clean-shaved look was enough to earn some points of being a handsome man. Blue eyes offset his grim expression as Talia realized she was looking at her. It horrified her that this was the man who killed many at the obedience of his father, the wooden boy who killed those who disobeyed Geppetto. Then the man placed his pistol into his holster and locked it away.
“Princess Talia, we meet for the first time. I heard about you a hundred years ago before Geppetto killed your father and your mother.” Then he lowered his head. “It is an honor.”
“Why are you here?”
“To get you out of here.” Pinocchio answered. “That monster of a man had to go and you should leave this place as well.”
“Pinocchio, this is my home.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, but I have reasons to destroy this place.”
Turning his attention within the courtyard, Pinocchio looked around to see a gatehouse with the gates raised.
“Let’s get the hell out of here.” As Talia was carried away from her own home, the roads were covered with thorns and more dead bodies of the orcs and goblins who were strewn around the area.
The group began to jog their way out of the bushes of thorns before loud screams began to fall behind Talia’s ears. Immediately she covered them before she turned her attention towards her home. Great explosions smashed the stone structures, fires erupted and spilled into the courtyard of the castle. Tears fell from her eyes as the bushes of thorns were left behind.
. . .
Talia was transported out of the vicinity of her home through this strange contraption which allowed her to fly across the land. Her eyes looked down at the passing trees and landscape as Pinocchio took a seat beside her.
“I’m sorry I had to take you out of your home like that.” He began. “I can sympathize with that.”
“What could possibly cause you to destroy it?” Talia asked her rescuer.
“I really can’t tell you, but it was important enough for me to attack Geppetto’s castle head on.”
“You killed him, why?” She continued. “He was the one who created me.”
“Anyone who lives in this realm knows this, Geppetto was monster who ruined the lives of many.” Pinocchio answered. “Though it would be ironic for people to hear that I killed him. I guess some people have it coming.” Then his attention looked outside of the machine they rode in. “Pilot, take us down here.” He ordered as the man who was controlling the contraption began to decrease the altitude and touched the ground.
Pinocchio stepped out as his shoes met with the dusty road. He looked at where the road to see a settlement not far from here. Walls were high enough to keep it defended from bandits and possible war parties which could happen. Then he turned his head to Talia.
“This is your stop.”
“What do you mean?” The princess asked. “Why can’t you bring me closer?” A sigh escaped his lips.
“Most people don’t know I left Geppetto and killed him myself.” He answered. “Besides, everyone hates me enough for me to leave this realm.”
“Other realm?” She asked.
“Yes, I left this world and lived in another.” He answered.
“I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want be in this world.” Talia continued.
“When people see a person such as myself as a monster who kills people without remorse, I have to be treated as such.” Pinocchio helped the princess down from the transport as she finally touched hard ground. “Farewell, Princess Talia, I have to leave.”
“Where will you go?”
“A place I call home.” Pinocchio climbed back into the transport and strapped himself back into his seat. “Let’s go.” He said as the helicopter began to lift off.
. . .
After the Blackhawk had returned from deployment, it had returned through the world via portal. Most people don’t know about it, including those from the fantasy world and the world without magic. For Pinocchio, he was just glad he finished private matters with the help of the United States Military.
When he dismounted from the helicopter, he was met by a middle-aged Army colonel. Beside him was a retinue of two MPs.
“So, I heard you decided to run around behind my back.” The colonel stated. “Why didn’t you ask for my permission?”
“Private matters.” Answered Pinocchio. “I wanted it to be off of the books.”
“I’ll turn a blind eye just once, but don’t do it again. Major Petrovich.”
“No problem, I won’t do it again.”
ns 15.158.61.20da2
