 
### Theodore Gale in Oz

GENDERBENT FAIRYTALES COLLECTION

Book 5

By KuroKoneko Kamen

Copyright 2019 by KuroKoneko Kamen

Cover Design by Leah Keeler

Smashwords Edition, License notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or give away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. All characters are invented. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

### Chapter 1:

"Yeehaw!" Theodore Gale shouted as he whipped off his cowboy hat and twirled it through the air above his head. The young Southern belles seated in the rodeo stands squealed loudly in response, and Theo tossed them a roguish wink.

With only his left hand clutching the horn of the saddle Theo almost ended up flying right off the wild, bucking bronco he was currently riding. Theo quickly put his cowboy hat back on, and returned his right hand to the horn of the saddle.

_That's enough playing around._ Theo thought. He really needed to win this rodeo competition since he was hard up for cash. His Uncle Emilio was an alcoholic and had blown all their money on booze. Again.

Uncle Em was a dishonorably discharged marine. Theo didn't know the details of why Uncle Em had been discharged, but it probably had something to do with his uncle's bad drinking habits, volatile temper, and unwillingness to follow the rules.

Nowadays, Uncle Em spent his days drinking alone at the farmhouse, and trying to forget the past. Emilio's wife Henrietta had left him when he'd refused to stop drinking and go get a job.

Theo and his Uncle Em were both currently living at a rundown farm in the middle of the prairie fields of Kansas. Theo was only living with his uncle since he had no other living relatives. Theo was only six-years-old when a tornado hit the research facility where his parents worked. The tornado literally carried the entire facility along with his parents to God knows where. His parents' bodies were never found.

Even though Theo had managed to graduate from a public high school Uncle Em didn't have the money to send Theo to college. That's how Theo ended up trying to find a job right out of high school. Theo didn't really have any interests, however, and ended up just doing odd jobs for people who lived in his town. He ended up getting rather good at plumbing, carpentry, and gardening.

'Odd Jobs Theo' that's what people called him. Anytime Theo tried to get a steady job he usually did something stupid that ended up getting his ass fired. Unfortunately, Uncle Em's temper seemed to run in the family.

When Theo had started bartending at one of the few bars in town he'd been fired for refusing to serve a man who'd obviously been drunk off his rocker another drink. Theo supposed it wasn't really any of his business if the man died of alcohol poisoning, but he was a bit of a busybody.

Later, Theo had tried working at the local diner. But when one of the customers had groped one of the waitresses Theo had clocked the S.O.B. right in the jaw. The Sheriff had arrived and had thrown Theo's ass in jail for assault. Theo still didn't see what he'd really done wrong since he'd only been trying to defend a lady's honor. At least, the waitress had been grateful. _Very_ grateful. Best B.J. he'd ever had, in fact.

Theodore had a natural way with the ladies, and had gained the reputation of being a playboy. Even though he was a jobless bum, he had a handsome face, so the girls in town let themselves be seduced by his Southern charm, or had they seduced him? Theo suddenly mused.

Either way, Theo had gotten into the habit of bringing a girl or two back home with him to the farm. So that Uncle Em wouldn't find out what he was up to, Theo usually took the girls to the barn. Another thing he was surprised the girls put up with. But hey, maybe he was just _that good_.

After a literal romp in the hay, the girls would usually sneak out of the stable building before dawn, leaving Theo naked and sated inside of one of the horse stalls.

There _was_ one thing that Theo enjoyed, but that didn't really bring in any money, and that was horseback riding. It's how he'd ended up in the middle of this rodeo competition riding a bucking bronco, and hoping to win a large monetary prize.

As luck would have it, Theo won that day. To celebrate Theo went out to one of the local bars for a few drinks, and brought the cutest girl that had been flirting with him back home.

The following morning, Theo was awakened by the sound of the girl he'd fucked last night sneaking out of the barn. Theo sat up and groaned when he noticed his morning wood. It would have been nice if the girl...what was her name? Sara? Sally? Had stayed a little longer to help him out with his little problem. Well, _big_ problem, actually. But Theo didn't like to brag.

"Hey, Sara! Sally? Wait up, babe!" Theo called after her, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

The girl paused just as she was closing the barn doors. "It's Samantha!" she called back in an irate tone, and shut the door behind her a little harder than was probably necessary.

"I knew that!" Theo carelessly called after her, and brushed some hay off of his chest that had been stuck to his sweaty skin. "Shit."

Theo's gray Lipizzan horse, Toto, whinnied merrily in response as if making fun of Theo's plight. Theo shot his judgmental horse a heated glare. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Toto."

At that moment, the walls of the barn started to vibrate causing Theo to frown thoughtfully. "What the...?" Theo scrambled to his feet and started to search around the stall for his clothes. As soon as he'd found his jeans he tugged them on, and slipped into his cowboy boots next. His blue and white checkered shirt was covered in hay, and Theo grimaced at it before putting it on anyways. He spotted his cowboy hat perched on the stall door, grabbed it, and put it on.

By the time Theo had finished getting dressed, Toto was pawing at the ground with his right hoof in a nervous manner and his nostrils were flaring in alarm. "That can't be good." Theo rushed over to one of the windows and peered outside. Theo's sky-blue eyes widened when he saw an enormous green-tinged twister heading their way. "Holy shit!"

Theo knew that his best bet was to get down to the storm cellar and wait for the twister to pass. But...he couldn't just leave Toto behind like that. Toto was family.

Theo entered Toto's stall and started to stroke the side of the horse's neck in order to calm him. "Shhh, boy, it's gonna be alright. It's just a twister. It'll pass us by and we'll be just fine. At least, I hope it'll just pass us by." Theo swallowed a lump of fear.

The barn's walls started to vibrate harder as the tornado continued its approach, and the wooden floor beneath his feet began to tremble. Then, the strangest thing happened. The barn started to spin like a top, and Theo felt like he was suddenly in a kiddy carnival ride.

After that there was a strange feeling of weightlessness for a moment, and Theo was sent crashing to his hands and knees. Theo felt a strange pressure against the palms of his hands as if the entire barn was being lifted up off the ground.

_But that's impossible._ Theo struggled to his feet, made his way over to the window, and his jaw dropped at the sight before him. The barn was inside of the cyclone, and the strong winds were carrying various things through the air. Theo spotted an old bicycle, a wheelbarrow, and was that a live cow that was currently mooing in distress? "Dude...no way."

Theo rubbed at his eyes, wondering if he was still hung over from last night. Theo squinted at something that was flying through the air towards the barn. "What's that?" Theo narrowed his eyes at the object that was still flying towards him. Then suddenly a baseball was slamming into Theo's forehead. "Oh. A baseball," Theo remarked dryly, right before he passed out.

When Theo came to hours later, Toto was nibbling at his short ginger hair in an effort to wake him up. Theo groaned and batted Toto's nose away. He sat up, and blinked owlishly around at his current surroundings. He was still inside of the barn, and sitting right next to the window.

Theo's head was pounding, and he reached up to tentatively feel the bump on his forehead from where the baseball had hit him. He wondered briefly if he'd just dreamed the whole thing - a tornado picking up the barn and then carrying it away to God knows where. That couldn't have _really_ happened, right? "Naw, that's ridiculous. That had to have been a dream," Theo mused aloud.

As soon as he left the barn Theo was sure that he'd see that nothing had changed, and that he was still in Kansas at the Gale Farm. With a headache pounding behind his eyes, Theo pushed himself up to his unsteady feet and placed a hand on Toto's flank for support.

Theo took a couple of deep breaths before grabbing Toto's reins. "Come on, Toto. Let's go see how much damage that twister did to the farm. I'll probably be mending fences for days." Toto let out an exasperated huff as if to say: 'lazy ass'.

Theo kicked the barn doors open and stepped outside, leading Toto along behind him. "Whoa." Theo blinked and gawked at the sight before him.

Theo and Toto were standing in the center of a vast, rocky valley. And he was _not_ alone. The entire valley appeared to be filled with miners that were hard at work as they lifted up their pickaxes and brought them down upon some large, strangely shaped rocks.

Judging by the miners' heights they were just children. This observation brought a frown to Theo's lips. _Child labor?_ Theo's gaze was drawn to the iron shackles around their wrists and ankles that were connected by chains just long enough to allow them enough movement to be able to walk and swing their pickaxes. The miners' faces were covered in sweat and dirt.

One by one more of the miners seemed to notice Theo's presence, and when they did they froze mid-swing of their pickaxes, and their jaws dropped open. Theo noticed that there was a combination of awe and fear in their wide eyes as they stared at him.

"Okay...forced child labor. That's definitely a crime," Theo remarked. "Something tells me we're not in Kansas anymore, Toto." Toto neighed loudly and nodded his head in obvious agreement.

"He's...dead." "The Wicked Warlock of the East is dead!" "He killed him." "He killed Dr. Doppelganger!" "He must be a Good Wizard...he's wearing blue." The miners started to chatter loudly amongst themselves and with obvious excitement.

Theo immediately put his hands up before him. "Whoa, hey, I didn't kill anybody."

When one of the children stepped forward bravely, Theo realized that he wasn't a child at all, but merely a short young man. The man had sandy blonde hair, and wide blue eyes. His clothes were in tatters and he was wearing the same shackles as all the others. "But you did, Mr. Wizard, Sir," the young man began in what he hoped was a respectful tone, and pointed over towards the barn.

Theo followed the young man's line of sight and spotted two legs sticking out from underneath the stable building. "Oh crap!" The barn had actually landed on someone. This was so not good. He'd be arrested for murder at this point. _Shit, shit, shit._

"Whoa, look, man. I totally didn't mean for that to happen. It was an accident. I swear. I didn't mean to kill anyone." Theo gave the short miners a beseeching look. "Someone call an ambulance. Maybe the guy's not dead. I can only hope." Theo rushed over and crouched down by the legs. Theo reached out and placed his hand on one of the man's legs intending to try and pull the man out from under the barn.

That's when the strangest thing happened. At first, Theo thought they were ants crawling up from the body and onto his right hand. But they didn't really _look_ like ants. The tiny creatures that were crawling onto Theo's hand and arm had round silvery bodies.

If Theo didn't know better he'd say they were tiny machines or nanomachines. In seconds, the ants had covered Theo's entire right hand and forearm, and that's when he began to panic. "Ack! Get them off! Get them off of me! I hate bugs!" Theo tried to brush the 'ants' off his skin, but then all of the ants solidified at once, until-

"What the fuck?" Theo's right hand and forearm was now covered by what appeared to be a medieval, steel gauntlet decorated with glittering rubies. It looked like something a knight from Camelot would wear.

"Okay. Now I know I must be dreaming." Theo grabbed the gauntlet and tried to take it off, but it didn't budge an inch. Theo continued to try and pull the gauntlet off his right hand and ended up making constipated sounds as he did so. "Urgh...nnghhh!"

Theo shot Toto an impatient look. "Well, don't just stand there, Toto. Help me get this damned thing off!"

Toto obediently trotted over, bit down onto the gauntlet, and started to tug. Toto walked backwards and Theo ended up getting dragged across the sandy ground. "Hey! Wait! Stop, you stupid horse!"

Toto let go of the gauntlet, and let out an angry nicker at Theo for being so ungrateful. As soon as Toto had let go Theo fell back onto his ass. He stood up, dusted himself off, and that's when he noticed that all of the short miners were staring at him.

"Okay. That's not creepy at all," Theo muttered under his breath. He gave the crowd an expectant look and raised an eyebrow at them. "So, how about that ambulance?" he asked in a nonchalant manner.

The blond furrowed his brow for a moment, but then smiled. "I think you're misunderstanding something, Mr. Wizard. We're not angry with you that you killed Dr. Doppelganger. We're incredibly happy and grateful."

Theo blinked. "So, wait, you're happy I killed that guy?" Theo jerked his thumb in the direction of the body. "Was he that much of a douche?"

The blond gave Theo a confused look. "I don't know what a 'douche' is, but Dr. Doppelganger was an evil warlock. He used his dark magic to shrink us down to a size that would make us more manageable as his slaves."

Theo could feel a headache coming on. Dr. Doppelganger? That sounded like the name of a comic book supervillain. And 'dark magic'? Shrink? This guy was totally nuts. Unless...

A movie. Yeah. Theo had somehow ended up on a fantasy movie set. It was the only thing that made sense. Theo smirked confidently. "So, what movie is this set for? Lord of the Rings Four? That would make you all dwarves." Theo was nodding to himself since that made a lot of sense.

At a loss, the blond shook his head. "What is a 'movie'? And we are _not_ dwarves. We are called 'Munchkins'. At least, that is what Dr. Doppelganger called us."

Theo clapped the Munchkin on the back, and leaned over to say in a hushed voice, "Staying in character? I feel ya." As Theo was pulling his hand back it brushed against the chain between the Munchkin's wrists and a strange _whooming_ sound filled the air.

Then the shackles around the Munchkin's wrists and ankles glowed before they shattered to pieces. The Munchkin looked at Theo wide-eyed. "You...freed me."

"I...what now?" Theo frowned as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Great special effects."

The blond Munchkin turned to face the crowd. "Munchkins! Our Savior has arrived! The foretold Breaker of Chains has finally come to free all of Oz from Dr. Doppelganger's tyranny!"

Theo rolled his eyes at the Munchkin's theatrics. "Here we go."

The Munchkins were all acting suitably impressed, letting out startled gasps and allowing their eyes to grow wide. Theo thought it was very good acting. The Munchkins' murmurs swiftly turned into loud cheers. "The Foretold Savior." "The Breaker of Chains." "Chain Breaker! Chain Breaker! Chain Breaker!" the Munchkins began to chant with obvious excitement.

"Okayyyy," Theo muttered.

"The Wicked Warlock of the East is dead!" "Dr. Doppelganger is dead!" "Long live, Chain Breaker!" the Munchkins continued to shout out bizarre exclamations that didn't really make any sense to Theo.

_What is all this?_ Theo wondered uneasily. _Do they want me to ad-lib or something? Play the part of the hero?_ His shoulders lifted in a careless shrug. _I guess I can play along until I find a way off this set._

Theo raised his arms in a dramatic pose, and a cocky smirk curled his lips. "Your savior has arrived! And my name is...Chain Breaker!" Theo was having a hard time keeping a straight face as he said this.

The resulting cheer was defending. "Whooo!"

Toto bit Theo's ass in order to wipe the smug look off of Theo's face. "Ow! Toto!" Theo scolded his horse and rubbed at his sore behind. Toto just whinnied in amusement and tossed his head.

Theo lowered his arms and gestured for everyone to fall silent. They immediately did so. "Okay, I get that you're all extremely grateful and everything that I killed the bad guy, but I really should be getting back home to my Uncle-"

"He can free the others!" the blond Munchkin declared suddenly.

"That's right...he can free the prisoners!" another Munchkin added with a happy expression on his face.

"Prisoners?" Theo shot the blond munchkin a questioning look. "Uh...who?"

"Dr. Doppelganger kept some of us in cage and ran magical experiments on them." The blond shuddered and rubbed his arms. "They're still trapped inside of his lair. We cannot enter because of the protective spells he has placed on the entrance. Please, Chain Breaker, we need your help to free the others."

Theo had already decided to play along with all this acting bullshit, and so shrugged. "Yeah, sure, um, lead the way to Dr. Doppelganger's evil lair."

The Munchkin flashed Theo a happy grin before starting off. "It's this way, Mr. Wizard, Sir."

"Uh, enough with the whole 'Mr. Wizard' thing. Please, just call me 'Theo'," Theo requested as he and Toto started off after the Munchkin. "What's your name, bro?"

"My name is Blueberry."

Theo snorted, as he had to hold back a laugh. "Wow. I bet you were bullied a lot as a kid. Were your parents hippies or something?"

Blueberry glanced over his shoulder and gave Theo a confused look. "Hippies?"

"Right. You gotta stay in character." Theo winked at Blueberry. "I get it. Still, this movie set is impressive," Theo remarked as he looked around the valley with interest. There were several wheelbarrows filled with strange, glowing orbs. More cool special effects.

"Hey, Blueberry, what are those glowing orb thingies supposed to be?" Theo asked curiously.

"Dragon hearts," Blueberry said as if Theo should have known this already. When Theo just stared at him blankly he continued, "They are the most powerful energy source that exists in Oz."

"Uh huh," Theo said, but didn't sound all that convinced.

Blueberry waved a hand at the enormous stone structures that the other Munchkins had been hacking away at with their pickaxes. "Those are the fossilized remains of dead dragons."

Theo squinted at the piles of rocks, and now that Blueberry mentioned it they did look like the skeletal remains of dragons. Dragons that had to have been eighty-feet-long when they'd been alive. Of course, Theo quickly reminded himself that dragons weren't real and neither were these skeletal remains. "It's just like an elephant graveyard...minus the elephants."

"I suppose." The Munchkin stopped outside of what appeared to be a modern research facility. It was so similar in appearance to the place where Theo's parents had worked that a chill of unease crawled up his spine. But, he supposed most research facilities had plain cement walls and metal doors. He was just being stupid. "This the place?" Theo asked.

Blueberry nodded. "Yes. We are unable to enter because of the protective spells Dr. Doppelganger has placed on that door."

"Protective spells, huh?" Theo noticed the fingerprint ID pad next to the door and shrugged. "Well, here goes nothing." He lifted his right gauntleted hand, pressed it against the ID pad, and watched as it scanned the gauntlet.

" _Access granted_ ," a synthesized female voice intoned before the metal door slid open.

Startled, Blueberry jumped backwards and eyed the door warily. "The door spoke!" He turned to look at Theo with wide, starry eyes. "You are a most powerful Wizard."

"Yeah, sure, kid. Whatever you say," Theo agreed, and gave Toto a stern look. "Stay here, boy."

Toto let out an irritated huff and pawed at the ground in front of him with his right hoof. He never liked being left behind. Theo thought that Toto would have enjoyed being a smaller creature. Like a dog. Toto probably would have never left Theo's side if he were a dog.

Theo chuckled at Toto's antics, which had earned a suspicious look from Blueberry. "Hey, don't worry. I'll be right back, boy. Apparently, I've got some more people to rescue."

Theo and Blueberry entered the building and started their way down a hallway with a linoleum floor and bright, overhead fluorescent lights. It wasn't very long before they reached another metal door with a fingerprint ID pad next to it.

Theo pressed his gauntlet against the ID pad, and the door slid open easily. The duo entered what appeared to be a mad scientist's laboratory. There were several workbenches covered with strange looking high-tech, mechanical devices. Most of these devices looked like weapons and guns. And there were super computers. "Yep. A mad scientist's laboratory alright. Great special effects." Theo commented in a blasé manner. "Welcome to Tony Stark's Lab."

As Theo scanned the lab's interior his attention was drawn to the cages lined up against the far wall, and which increased in size. The smallest cage was about a foot high, and largest cage was twenty feet high.

Theo approached the largest cage and peered inside to see a twenty-foot-tall Munchkin. "Great special effects." Theo leaned forward and his gauntleted hand brushed against the cell's lock. A _whooming_ sound filled the air before the door unlocked itself and swung open.

The Munchkin started to emerge from the cage and Theo had to step back to give the guy some room. "You look so real," Theo murmured to himself before reaching out and intending to wave his hand through the hologram. Only, his hand didn't pass through the giant, but hit something solid. And very real.

"Thank you for freeing me, Chain Breaker," the giant said in a low, gruff voice.

Theo gasped and stumbled backwards in shock. His back hit one of the workbenches causing the items on it to rattle. "You're not real," Theo breathed. "You're just a hologram."

Blueberry was giving Theo a concerned look. "What is wrong, Mr. Wizard, Sir?"

Theo's mind was reeling. "Will you stop calling me that? I'm no wizard. I'm Theodore Gale: playboy, bronco rider, and currently unemployed bum." Theo reached out to grab the table in order to steady himself, and ended up accidentally knocking something off the table. Theo automatically bent over to pick the item up, and was then blinking down at the strange looking device he was holding.

It looked like some kind of high-tech gun. There was a dial on the gun that pointed to two settings: 'SHRINK' and 'ENLARGE'. "A size manipulation ray gun? No freakin way. This can't be real. None of this is real. This is just a movie set, and I'm ad-libbing like a jackass. And these are all just special effects. Right, guys?" Theo gave Blueberry and the giant Munchkin an almost pleading look.

Blueberry and the giant shared a worried glance. Theo let out a frustrated noise before walking over to the cage that was only a foot tall. "Look, I'll prove it." He crouched down before the cage and touched the lock with his gauntlet. That same _whooming_ sound filled the air before the lock clicked and the door swished open.

A foot-tall Munchkin girl stepped out of the cage and smiled up at Theo. "Thank you for saving me, Chain Breaker."

"You're not real, Barbie." Theo told the girl sternly. "You're just a hologram. Special effects. I get two people dressed up inside of a giant suit, but there's no way a tiny person can be real." Theo reached his index finger out and poked the girl's stomach.

Theo expected his finger to pass right through the hologram. It didn't.

"Tee-hee. That tickled," the Munchkin girl giggled at Theo just like the freakin Pillsbury Doughboy, or in this case Theo supposed it would be 'doughgirl'.

"Holy shit!" Theo straightened and stumbled backwards in shock. That little girl was real. He looked down at the size manipulation ray gun in his hand. "I'm holding a freakin ray gun." He started to panic, and then began to hyperventilate.

Blueberry approached and placed a hand on Theo's arm. "Are you alright, Mr. Wizard, Sir?"

"I told you to...just call me 'Theo'." The cowboy removed his hat and ran a shaky hand back through his short, coppery hair. "If this isn't a movie set then...am I dreaming? Yeah. I must be dreaming."

Blueberry's befuddled expression turned concerned. "Mr. Wizar-er, Theo?"

Theo noticed that all three 'beings' were looking at him with obvious concern.

"Chain Breaker," the Barbie doll began. "Can you return me to my original height? Please?"

Theo looked down at the ray gun in his hand and shrugged. "Maybe." He moved the dial on the gun to 'ENLARGE' and pointed it at the Munchkin girl. "Here goes nothing." _Even if this is a dream...these people still need my help._ Theo thought before pulling back on the trigger, and a blue ray of energy exited the gun before hitting the little Munchkin girl.

The Munchkin girl began to increase in size until when she was five-three she told Theo to stop. "Stop. This is my original height."

Theo immediately let go of the trigger. "Mondo bizarro." While watching a foot-tall girl get big he couldn't help but notice that the size of her breasts had also increased dramatically along with her height.

The Munchkin girl noticed that Theo's hooded gaze was focused on her breasts but wasn't angry. On the contrary, she smiled saucily, and batted her eyelashes at Theo. "Thank you, handsome."

Theo flushed, and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "You're welcome, Ma'am."

The giant Munchkin cleared his throat to get Theo's attention. "Me next. Please."

Theo smirked, and spun the ray gun in his hand. "You got it, buddy." After he'd returned the giant Munchkin to his original size of six feet, Theo used his gauntlet to unlock the rest of the cages, and then used the ray gun to return all of the Munchkins to their original heights.

"Let's head back to the others," Blueberry told Theo. "You still need to use your power to free everyone from their enchanted shackles."

"My power?" Theo murmured softly as he looked down at the gauntlet. "Sure." _This is one hell of a dream._ He thought to himself.

Just as Theo, Blueberry, and the newly restored Munchkins started to leave the lab Theo noticed something sitting on top of one of the workbenches. It looked like a journal.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Theo walked over and grabbed the small, leather-bound book before sticking it into his back jeans pocket. Theo recalled someone saying that you weren't supposed to be able to read anything inside of a dream, but maybe Theo would be able to read the journal anyways and learn more about the strange place this dream was set in. What had Blueberry called it? Oz?

As soon as Theo and the others had exited the research facility he used his magical gauntlet to free the rest of the Munchkins from their enchanted shackles. After that, Theo used the size manipulation ray gun to return everyone to his or her original heights. The Munchkin girls were shooting Theo flirtatious looks afterwards, but he hardly noticed.

An elderly man approached Theo with a grateful look on his face. "Greetings, Chain Breaker. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Mayor Kumquat. Or rather...I _was_ the mayor of Munchkin Land before the Wicked Warlock of the East enslaved my people. As mayor I would like to invite you to our village where you will be our guest of honor. Tonight we shall celebrate the death of Dr. Doppelganger, and our freedom."

Theo raised an eyebrow at the old man. "You inviting me to a party, old man?"

The mayor blinked. "Well...yes."

A wide grin spread across Theo's face. "I'd never turn down an invitation to a party. I'm a party animal. There will be booze at this party, right?" Theo gave the mayor an expectant look.

Mayor Kumquat furrowed his brow at the unfamiliar term. "Booze?"

"You know, drinks." Theo made a drinking motion with his hand.

Mayor Kumquat chuckled in amusement. "Oh, why, yes, of course, dear boy. And very good food too. Munchkin Land boasts having the best bakers in all of Oz!"

"Great," Theo said and watched as the mayor sauntered off to talk to some of the ladies who Theo thought were probably bakers. Blueberry was standing next to him and Theo nudged his elbow into the young man's side. "Good food, drinks. What more does a man need? Except for maybe, women. Am I right, bro?" Blueberry just blushed in response.

Theo followed the caravan of Munchkins on horseback as they led the way through the valley, over a hill, and into a forest beyond. Once they'd reached the edge of the forest Munchkin Village came into view.

"Whoo," Theo whistled at the sight of the picturesque, fanciful village that was made up of quaint cottages with white picket fences, thatched roofs, and little vegetable or flower gardens. The village was what Theo would expect a postcard from Holland to look like.

The colorful tulips were abnormally large, and Theo wondered if Dr. Doppelganger had used his ray gun on them. That phenomena appeared to have been created by 'science' and not 'magic'. And with a name like 'Dr. Doppelganger' Theo wondered why the Munchkins had bothered to call him a 'warlock' at all. He was obviously some kind of mad scientist.

"Hey, Blueberry, why does everyone call Dr. Doppelganger a Wicked Warlock when he's obviously a mad scientist," Theo voiced his thoughts.

Blueberry tilted his head at Theo and gave him a funny look. "What is a 'scientist'?"

Theo blinked. "Seriously, man? You don't know what a scientist is? You know, people who study science. My parents were brilliant scientists way ahead of their time. They were building robots, and developing artificial intelligence." There was a wistful note to Theo's voice as he reminisced about his genius parents.

"Were?" Blueberry asked tentatively.

Theo seemed to catch himself about what he was talking about, and shook his head. "Never mind." Theo didn't really feel like telling a total stranger about his parents' mysterious disappearance. Besides, this was just a dream anyways, right? So it didn't really matter.

Blueberry noticed Theo's sad look though. "Hey, why don't you come with me to my house. You can take a bath and get ready for the party."

Theo shrugged. "Sure."

Blueberry led Theo through town and stopped outside a sky-blue picket fence, which surrounded a property that had a flower garden and a blue cottage. The tulips in the garden were blue, and Theo wasn't really surprised to see some blueberries growing in the garden too. "Whoo," Theo whistled. "Eiffel 65 would like you, Blue. All you're missing is a blue corvette."

Blueberry looked amused, but didn't really understand what Theo was saying. "What's a 'corvette'?"

Theo shook his head sadly. "Are there no cars in Oz? How do people get around? You know...transportation wise?"

"People mostly travel by horse and carriage, or just horse," Blueberry explained before opening the gate, and letting Theo and Toto into the garden. The duo left Toto grazing in the garden before making their way to the cottage. Theo noted that the door wasn't locked as Blueberry simply opened it and ushered Theo inside.

The interior of the cottage had about as many blue accessories as Theo had been expecting, which meant there were a lot. Blueberry led Theo to the bathroom that had a blue and white tiled floor, and a pale blue, claw-footed, Victorian bathtub.

Once Blueberry had left Theo alone, he was surprised to discover that the tub filled with hot water. "Magic? Or science?" It was hard to tell the difference in this strange land called Oz.

After a relaxing bath that left Theo feeling reenergized, he redressed in his blue gingham shirt, jeans, cowboy boots, and Stetson. When Theo entered the living room he spotted Blueberry seated on one of the couches reading. Blueberry gave Theo a nod before closing his book and heading off to the bathroom.

Theo took a seat on the couch and picked up the book that Blueberry was reading. He thought it might be an adventure book or perhaps a romance book, but found that it was actually a cookbook instead.

Theo let out a snort and tossed the book down onto the couch. He then realized that now would be the perfect opportunity to read a little of the journal he's stolen from that strange facility. Theo reached into his back pocket, grabbed the journal, opened it up and read the first page headline:

Human Evolution Experiment #1:

Munchkin Land

Theo started to read about Dr. Doppelganger's experiment, which was studying the effect of a person's size on their intellect. Dr. Doppelganger wanted to test the theory that if a person's body were smaller they would be smarter since their body would be consuming less energy.

Also, Dr. Doppelganger wanted to test the theory that when a person's size increased their brain would also increase in size, and so it would make sense if their intellect increased also. The results of the experiments revealed that size didn't really affect a person's intellect at all.

With a sinking feeling inside of his chest, Theo began to realize that the people of Munchkin Land were basically Dr. Doppelganger's guinea pigs. The mad scientist even referred to them as his 'specimens'. Theo shook his head in disgust. "What an egomaniac."

Theo skimmed through the pages of the journal and it became clear that Dr. Doppelganger was trying to figure out how to evolve humanity into what he believed to be 'superior beings'. Theo snorted. "What a nutter!"

Theo found it strange and unsettling that he was able to even read the journal though because wasn't it supposed to be impossible to read within a dream? Theo had almost been looking forward to discovering that he couldn't read, which would mean all this was just some crazy dream. But, now that Theo discovered that he _could_ read that meant that all of this could very well be _real_.

Theo stopped at a page that had the blueprints for the size manipulation ray gun. There were also notes about how Dr. Doppelganger had come up with the idea for the gun, and how he'd then developed it. "Yep. This is definitely advanced scientific technology. _Not_ magic," Theo muttered to himself.

When Theo flipped to the next page, however, it was about the enchanted shackles that had been used to keep the Munchkins in check. Powerful ancient runes and glyphs had been engraved onto the shackles. " _Enchanted_ shackles..." Theo murmured. "No freaking way."

Theo looked down at the gauntlet on his right hand. What was the gauntlet? A creation of science or of magic? Or perhaps it was a combination of both? Theo's money was on the theory that the gauntlet was some kind of advanced scientific technology that had to do with nanomachines. It was also obviously some kind of anti-magic device. One touch from Theo's gauntlet appeared to be able to cancel out or break spells.

Theo recalled the way Blueberry's shackles had just disintegrated and how any lock Theo's gauntlet encountered would magically open. "Magic breaker...is that why they're all calling me 'Chain Breaker'?"

Anytime Theo unwittingly used the gauntlet he'd noticed that the rubies decorating it would glow brightly with...magic? Energy?

Theo decided to keep reading to see if he could find out anything about the Ruby Gauntlet. He stopped on a page that had the following ominous headline:

Human Evolution Experiment #2:

Genetic Engineering and Selective Breeding

"Breeding?" Theo breathed out in shock, and felt his cheeks heat up.

"Hey," Blueberry greeted at that exact moment as he exited from the bathroom fully dressed. Gone were the dirty rags Blueberry had been wearing and the Munchkin was now dressed in a crisp, white, button-down shirt, blue tie, blue pantaloons, white knee socks, and a pair of shiny dress shoes. Blueberry's blonde hair was slicked back over his head.

Theo quickly hid the journal by sticking it into his back pocket again before he gave Blueberry an innocent look. "Oh, hey, looking good, Johnny Bravo!"

Blueberry was smiling, but confusion was swimming in his blue eyes. "Um, thanks. My name is Blueberry though, remember?"

"Sure." Theo stood up, strolled over to Blueberry and slung an arm over his shoulders. "I think we've kept the Munchkin ladies waiting long enough." The sound of people celebrating was passing through the front door from outside.

"L-L-Ladies?" Blueberry stammered nervously and began to fidget.

Theo gave Blueberry a scrutinizing look. "Don't tell me you're a virgin? How old are you, Blue?"

"Nineteen."

Theo laughed. "Nineteen! Stick with me, Blue. Tonight I'll make sure you become a _real_ man! Now, come on. The ladies await." Theo started to steer Blueberry towards the front door.

"Whoa, wait, what?" Blueberry squeaked.

The duo made their way to the village square where all the Munchkins were celebrating. Theo's gaze instantly went to the Munchkin girls who Theo noted cleaned up nicely. The girls were now dressed in pretty blue and white dresses that had puffed sleeves and knee-length, belled skirts. The dresses were surprisingly low-cut, showing off their now ample cleavage. "Dutch Milkmaids here I come."

Blueberry shot Theo an amused look, but didn't comment. With the lecherous look on Theo's face Blueberry was pretty sure he knew what Theo meant by the term 'Dutch Milkmaid'.

Theo sauntered over to the girls and said one word: "Hey." Instantly, they let out excited squeals and two girls latched themselves onto Theo's arms. Blueberry was standing close by and was surprised when one of the girls latched himself onto _his_ arm.

"Is it true?" one of the girls asked Theo with wide eyes. "Are you really the foretold Savior of Oz?"

"Well..." Theo started, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Of course, he's the Foretold Savior," another girl interrupted in a snooty tone. "With one touch of his gauntlet the enchanted shackles were removed. He's the Chain Breaker."

"Besides, he freed us from Dr. Doppelganger's tyranny," another girl added in a dreamy tone. "He's our hero."

"That's nice of you to say, ladies," Theo was saying before the girls started to drag him and Blueberry over towards an enormous bonfire. Theo took a seat on a log and a mug was shoved into Theo's hand. He looked down at the bubbly golden liquid and prayed to God that it was beer. "So, ladies, what are your names?"

There was really no point in learning the names of his one-night stands, but...it was polite. Seriously. He wouldn't remember their names come morning. And yeah, okay, so Theo was a bit of a jackass. So sue him.

The girls readily introduced themselves: "I'm Cherry Pie." "My name is Pudding." "My name is Bonbon." "I'm Coco."

With a wolfish grin playing on his lips, Theo was having a very hard time keeping a straight face. "So, let me get this straight. Your names are: Cherry Pie, Pudding, Bonbon and Coco?"

The girls nodded innocently. Theo shot Blueberry a pleased look. "Blue, my man, I officially love Oz." Blueberry gave Theo a timid smile in return.

Theo was disappointed to discover that what he thought was beer was actually just Ginger ale. He pouted, but was distracted enough by the sexy 'Beer Girls' to forget his lack of actual beer that night.

Theo ended up with the pink-haired Cherry Pie and the brunette Coco in his bedroom that night. Fucking Cherry Pie had felt exactly like fucking a warm pie right out of the oven. Not that Theo had ever fucked a pie out of curiosity just because Jason Biggs had or anything. Because that'd be weird. Yeah...

Anyways, Coco's sweet nectar had tasted just like melted chocolate. The girls had definitely been aptly named. When one of the girls bit into Theo's shoulder as she came against him, and Theo _felt_ the pain...it bothered him since if all this was just a dream he shouldn't have been able to feel pain.

But as Cherry Pie's pussy clenched around his cock and tipped him over the edge, he decided that he really didn't care whether this was a dream or not. Because _what a dream_.

In the bedroom next-door Theo could hear Blueberry getting a little too excited as he lost his virginity: "Wait! But, that's-! Oh. Ohhh. Wow. You feel so good, baby."

An amused smirk curled Theo's lips as he listened to the sound of a headboard banging repeatedly against the wall as either Pudding or Bonbon got fucked into the mattress. _And so the apprentice becomes the master._

The following morning, Theo awoke to the pleasant sensation of someone's hot, wet mouth swallowing his cock all the way to its base. _Oh, yeah. I could get used to this._

Theo sat up and looked down at the sheet covering his lap. Beneath the sheet Cherry Pie was giving him a blowjob. He knew it had to be her because her friend Coco was currently nibbling at his ear, causing him to shudder. He had incredibly sensitive ears. Theo was just about to pull Coco in for a kiss, when-

"What is the meaning of this?" a haughty male voice demanded.

"Shit. Uncle Em, this isn't what it looks like. Well, yeah, it totally is, but-" Theo started automatically, but paused when he glanced over to the doorway to see someone who was definitely _not_ his drunk Uncle Em. "Who da fuck?" Theo blurted out. He blamed his potty mouth on the fact he hadn't had his morning coffee yet.

"The Good Wizard of the North," Coco breathed, her voice laced with awe and respect. "King Noryn."

Theo raised an eyebrow at the wizard suddenly in their midst. With the pointed hat on the man's head he definitely looked like a real wizard too. The wizard had short, wavy, snow-white hair, icy blue eyes, and a scholarly monocle perched on his nose. He was wearing blue robes that had the pattern of snowflakes embroidered into the material with silver thread. The pointed hat with its small brim also had the pattern of snowflakes on it.

"Hey there, Dumbledore," Theo joked, even though the wizard was much younger than Dumbledore had been, and was probably in his late twenties or early thirties. "Man, I have one hell of an imagination to dream all this up."

A vein at Noryn's temple throbbed in irritation. "This is no dream."

Theo waved his hand dismissively through the air. "Yeah, that's just what a dream person would say."

Noryn held up his right hand, summoned a dagger, and launched the dagger at Theo. The dagger imbedded itself into Theo's shoulder, and he let out a howl of pain. The two Munchkin girls screamed in fright by this bloody turn of events, and ran out of the bedroom with the bed sheet wrapped around them both.

"Ow! Why the hell would you _do_ that? Crazy son of a bitch..." Theo yanked the dagger out of his shoulder and tossed it to the floor. Theo watched the girls go with a disappointed look on his face. "Great. Now, I'm not going to get laid because of you. Thanks a lot. What the hell do you want anyways, Dumbledore?"

"Still think this is a dream?" Noryn sneered while giving Theo a condescending look. "And my name is _not_ Dumbledore. It is Noryn."

"Ha, ha. I guess this _is_ real. Whoopdeedoo." Theo frowned. "Where the hell am I?"

"This is the land known as Oz," Noryn replied.

Theo had already heard Blueberry call this land by that name, but at the time he hadn't wanted to believe it. "Never heard of it," Theo muttered darkly to himself. "I'm from a place called Kansas."

Noryn narrowed his icy blue eyes at Theo. "You claim to come from another world?"

Theo shrugged and gave Noryn an uneasy look. "Only if you've never heard of Kansas."

"Are you a Good Wizard or an Evil Warlock?" Noryn questioned.

Theo couldn't help it. He burst out laughing at that and it took him a few minutes before he was able to bring himself under control. He wiped a tear from his eye. "You can't be serious." When Noryn just continued to glare at him Theo's incredulous expression turned concerned. "Wait, you _are_ serious. Look, I'm no wizard or warlock, man."

"And yet you were able to kill Dr. Doppelganger," Noryn challenged. "A near impossible feat. He is supposed to be immortal. Tell me how you managed that?"

"I accidentally dropped a barn on him," Theo revealed.

Noryn blinked in surprise and then shook his head. "A disgusting pervert like you cannot possibly be the Savior...the Breaker of Chains..." He started to chew on his bottom lip out of irritation. "This cannot be."

"Hey! I'm not a disgusting pervert!" Theo objected with obvious offence. "Well, okay, so I may be a pervert, but I'm definitely _not_ disgusting. I'll have you know that the ladies find me to be _very_ attractive." He waggled his eyebrows at the wizard with the stick up his ass.

Noryn could feel a headache building behind his eyes and started to rub at his temples with his index fingers. "There's no way this imbecile will be able to kill Jadyn..."

"Kill _who_?" Theo snapped.

"Jadyn. The Wicked Warlock of the West. My... _brother_ ," Noryn sneered, his voice dripping with venom.

Theo's eyebrows rose. "Yeah, that sounds like a family issue. And I'd prefer not to get involved. Also, I'm not here to kill anyone."

"What is it that you desire?" Noryn asked with a cunning glint in his eyes.

"Well, I'd really just like to get back home to Kansas so shit can start making sense again," Theo admitted. "I think I've had enough of this magic mumbo jumbo to last me a lifetime."

Noryn bristled. "Magic mumbo jumbo?" He shook his head, and gave Theo an apologetic look that Theo _knew_ was fake. "Alas, teleportation magic isn't my forte. Perhaps, the Sultry Sorceress of Oz will be able to help you."

Theo raised an amused eyebrow. "Sultry Sorceress? She actually calls herself that?"

"Indeed." Noryn coolly inclined his head in Theo's direction. "She is a bit...eccentric, but very powerful. And she has a brilliant mind. She may be able to send you back home to Kansas."

"Great," Theo said with an easy grin. "Where can I find her?"

"You just have to follow the yellow brick road all the way to the Emerald City," Noryn explained. "You can't miss it." Noryn twirled his right hand and disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke.

"Hey, wait...dammit. He could have healed my arm before he left. Good Wizard my ass. Stingy wizard is more like it." Theo got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. He pressed a towel to the stab wound and applied some pressure to stop the bleeding. It hurt like a bitch. The pain was _very_ real. "I guess that tornado really did take me to some other world. What a mindfuck."

This actually wasn't the first time Theo had been stabbed. He'd gotten into a bar fight with some rowdy drunks once and had ended up with a knife in his thigh. He didn't have the money to go to a hospital and so had looked up a YouTube video on how to stitch the wound closed himself.

Theo rummaged around in the medicine cabinet and was able to find a needle and thread that he used to sew up the wound. Theo had a penchant for getting into fights, but this time he hadn't even started it or meant to start anything. _Crazy wizard._

Theo decided to take another bath to wash the blood off his chest and afterwards went in search of Blueberry. Blueberry was currently standing at the stove in the kitchen and scrambling some eggs in a pan.

"Morning, dude," Theo greeted.

"Hey!" Blueberry greeted with a quick glance over his shoulder. "Good morning, Theo. Wasn't last night... _amazing_ ," he continued in a conspiratorial tone.

Theo's grin turned lopsided. "Yeah, sex is amazing, Blue. Try not to get addicted to it like I am. This morning sucked though since the Good Wizard of the North kinda interrupted the best B.J. of my life."

Blueberry spun around and gawked at Theo. "The Good Wizard of the North was here? What did he want?"

Theo's shoulders lifted in a careless shrug. "He wanted to know if I was a Good Wizard or an Evil Warlock...and how I managed to kill Dr. Doppelganger. If you ask me, he seemed almost jealous about it. That I was the one to kill Dr. Doppelganger, I mean."

"Well, are you a Good Wizard or an Evil Warlock?" Blueberry questioned tentatively.

Theo shot Blue an incredulous look. "Neither, dude. I'm just a regular ol' playboy cowboy from Kansas."

"A regular playboy who managed to kill the most powerful Wicked Warlock in all of Oz?" Blueberry said with obvious skepticism.

"Accident," Theo reminded.

Blueberry hummed in a thoughtful manner. "Did Noryn confirm or deny whether or not you're the Foretold Savior?"

"He definitely had his doubts about that," Theo said.

"What about you? What do you think? Are you here to save Oz and kill the Wicked Warlock of the West?" Blueberry asked, and Theo didn't like the hopeful look on the young man's face.

"I don't want to kill anyone," Theo said, rubbing the back of his neck in an uncomfortable gesture. "I just want to go home, back to Kansas where things make sense."

Blueberry visibly deflated. "You want to leave Oz?"

"Yeah," Theo confirmed with an adamant expression on his face. "And to do that I apparently have to travel to the Emerald City and ask this Sultry Sorceress chick for her help. If her name is any indication to go by I'm guessing she's hot." A lecherous grin spread across Theo's face. He had a few ideas about how he'd convince the sorceress to grant him her help.

"I hate to burst your bubble there, Theo," Blueberry started in an amused tone. "But I don't know if anyone's actually seen her before. I have heard that she's very powerful though. If you follow the yellow brick road it should lead you directly to the city."

A sudden idea occurred to Theo. "Hey, you want to tag along on an adventure, Blue?"

Blueberry looked surprised but then chagrined. "Wow. Thanks for inviting me, but I'm needed here. I don't want to leave Pudding behind. Unprotected. Especially since the Wicked Warlock of the West is still out there."

Theo waggled his eyebrows at the Munchkin. "Pudding, huh? You only slept with _one_ girl?"

Blueberry's eyes widened in a dramatic fashion. "Of course, I only slept with one." He frowned. "How would you...Oh. Ohhhh." The Munchkin's face turned bright red.

Theo laughed uproariously at the conflicted expression on Blue's face. The poor guy couldn't seem to decide if he was intrigued or horrified by the idea of being with two girls at the same time. "Amateur."

To be continued in...Chapter 2:

### Chapter 2:

Blueberry handed Theo a girlie picnic basket that was decorated with a blue ribbon. "Here. I packed you some food in case you get hungry on your journey along with a few things that might come in handy."

Theo took the basket with a grin and discovered it was a lot heavier than it looked when he almost ended up sliding sideways off Toto's saddle due to its weight. "Whoa, what's in here? Rocks?" Theo let out an amused chuckle as he quickly righted himself. "Hey, I just want to say 'thanks' for all your help, man."

A flash of surprise crossed Blueberry's face since he wasn't too used to receiving thanks. "It is I who should be thanking you. You liberated us from Dr. Doppelganger, _Chain Breaker_." The nickname was laced with wry amusement.

Theo grimaced. "What did I tell you about calling me that?"

Blueberry offered Theo an apologetic look. "Thank you, Theo. And good luck."

"Thanks. And that's a whole lot of 'thank yous'." Theo chuckled and shook his head. "I'd better get the hell out of here before I end up needing to say another one! See ya around, Blue!" The cowboy squeezed Toto's sides with his thighs and snapped the reins. "Hyah!"

Toto started to trot down the yellow brick road, which wound its way through Munchkin Village. The Munchkins all exited their homes so that they could yell out 'goodbye' as they stood on their stoops and watched Theo leave their village.

Theo caught sight of the two Munchkin girls he'd slept with. Both of the girls were crying a little overdramatically and waving brightly colored handkerchiefs in Theo's direction. "Goodbye, Chain Breaker!" "We love you!"

Theo blew the girls a kiss and one of them swooned in response. He cringed when the girl ended up on the ground. " _Okayyy_."

Once Theo had exited the village the yellow brick road began to wind its way through a picturesque countryside with well-maintained farms. From far away the cornstalks had appeared to be normal sized, but once Toto drew closer Theo saw that the cornstalks were ten feet tall. Theo let out a whistle. Dr. Doppelganger must have used his size manipulation ray gun to increase the size of the corn.

As Munchkin Village faded out of sight, this journey started to feel more 'real' to Theo. He still wasn't entirely convinced he wasn't dreaming, but the throbbing pain in his shoulder from the dagger Noryn had stabbed him with was making a pretty good argument that this wasn't a dream.

If this really wasn't a dream then...Theo really had wound up in some strange new land. A land where _magic_ existed.

At least, Theo was headed towards the Emerald City where there was someone who could theoretically help him get back home to Uncle Em.

Theo was admiring some fruit trees that had apples the size of melons when the peaceful setting was disrupted by a woman's cry for help. "Help! Somebody, please, help me!"

A couple of bluebirds that had been sitting on one of the fruit tree's branches grew startled by the sound, and flew off into the sky. Theo let out a resigned sigh. That peace and tranquility had been too perfect to last. "Of course, it couldn't be that easy...getting to the Emerald City without any problems," Theo muttered darkly to himself. "Oh well. Whatever. Let's go see if this damsel in distress is hot, Toto. Hyah!"

Toto let out a whiney in agreement before breaking into a gallop and taking off in the direction the cry for help had come from, which happened to be in the middle of a cornfield.

Once Theo reached the center of the cornfield the strangest sight met him. "Is that a scarecrow?" he wondered aloud.

Secured to a wooden cross was what at first definitely resembled a scarecrow, but was in fact a five-foot-three tall doll made of cloth and stuffed with straw. The doll had a white round face that had been painted in great detail. She had large dark eyes, a triangular shaped nose, and red lips.

The doll's hair was made out of long, apple-red yarn. The doll was dressed in a knee-length blue dress with the pattern of red polka dots on it, a white frilly apron, red and white striped stockings and a pair of black patent leather shoes.

The apron was tied tightly around the doll's thin waist and accentuated her curves. She was just a life-sized doll, but...she was pretty. Those breasts of hers were obviously fake and filled with straw, but...

Theo's cock twitched in his jeans with interest at the sight of her anyways. Theo stared down at his crotch, and raised a disbelieving eyebrow. _Really? You want to boink that? She isn't even real!_

"Help!" the doll cried out again, a little more desperately this time. Theo's attention was drawn away from his half-hard cock and back to the matter at hand. The doll's wrists were tied to the horizontal pole of the wooden cross, and she was struggling to free herself to no avail.

Meanwhile, a flock of black crows were circling the scarecrow girl before swooping down and snapping their beaks at her viciously. One of the crows started to rip the poor doll's arm off and she let out a scream of fear.

At this point, Theo had seen enough. "Hey! Why don't you birds pick on someone your own size! Hyah!" Theo galloped over towards the scarecrow girl and waved his gauntleted hand at the swarming crows. "Shoo!"

The crows immediately set their sights on Theo instead and started to dive-bomb him. That's when Theo noticed the crows weren't exactly 'normal' in appearance. "Oh shit!" The crows had glowing red eyes and sharp teeth inside of their beaks. "What the hell is up with these demon crows?"

Theo waved his hand frantically in front of him to keep the crows back, and his gauntleted hand made contact with one of the crows' bodies. A strange _whooming_ sound filled the air and abruptly the flesh and blood crow turned into a small, paper, origami crow.

"What the? Oh, I get it now." Theo started to bat his gauntleted hand purposefully at the demonic crows, and when his gauntleted hand made contact with their bodies they turned into harmless origami.

The scarecrow girl had stopped screaming at this point, and was watching what Theo was doing with wide eyes filled with awe and curiosity. "Magic canceling..." she murmured to herself, the wheels in her sharp mind beginning to turn.

When Theo had finally turned the last crow into origami he plucked it out of midair and inspected it curiously. It was definitely paper. He shrugged and stuck the origami crow into his pants pocket so that he could get a better look at it later.

Theo dismounted Toto and approached the scarecrow girl, who was watching him intently. Theo put his hands up before him in order to make himself appear less threatening. "Hey, don't be afraid...I'm going to get you down from there, okay?"

The doll surprised Theo by smirking at him. "I'm not afraid, cowboy."

Theo grinned back at her and started to untie the ropes from around her wrists. As soon as she was free she started to slide down the pole and Theo instinctively put his hands on the doll's waist to help her down to the ground.

For a moment, they were face to face, and Theo couldn't get over how lifelike she appeared even though her features were just made of paint. His gaze lowered to her red painted lips and he had this insane urge to kiss her.

Before Theo realized what he was even doing he was leaning in for a kiss. The doll's eyes widened in surprise and she slapped Theo hard across the face. Theo blinked in bewilderment, but her slap hadn't really hurt. In fact, it reminded Theo of getting hit by a pillow during a pillow fight.

Theo set the doll down on her feet, put his hands up before him, and took a step back as she glared heatedly at him. "Sorry, Sweetheart. Habit."

The doll arched an eyebrow at Theo. "You make it a habit to go around kissing girls without their permission?"

"Sweetheart, I _always_ have their permission," Theo bragged and waggled his eyebrows at her.

The doll rolled her eyes. "Oh my God, I can't believe I thought that you were..." She trailed off.

"The Foretold Savior of Oz?" Theo smoothly suggested. "Chain Breaker?" The doll's red eyebrows rose up almost to her hairline. "Yeah, I get that a lot," Theo explained nonchalantly.

"You're _not_ him?" the doll asked with a tilt of her head.

Theo shrugged lackadaisically. "I don't think so."

"But, you have the power to cancel out magic spells just as prophesized," the doll pointed out while giving Theo a suspicious look.

"I can what now?" Theo asked, and his brow furrowed in confusion.

"You are able to break magic spells and enchantments with the anti-magic weapon in your possession," the doll readily explained. Theo just gave the doll a blank look. The doll let out an impatient sound and waved her hand in the direction of the gauntlet Theo was wearing. "The Ruby Gauntlet."

Theo looked at the gauntlet on his right hand and his eyes flared. "You're saying this gauntlet is some kind of anti-magic weapon?"

"Exactly. Didn't you already know that?" the doll asked with an air of impatience. "You broke the enchantment placed on the origami crows. He won't be too pleased that I've escaped my punishment." The doll started to nibble on her lower lip.

It was interesting to watch how the paint on her face shifted to show what the doll was doing and feeling. _Magic paint?_ Theo wondered. Her face was starting to remind him of an Etch A Sketch. Then, Theo's mind caught up to what she had just said. " _Who_ won't be pleased?"

"The Wicked Warlock of the West," the doll said with a shudder of unease. "Jadyn."

"Of course, why am I not surprised?" Theo scrubbed his left hand down his face in an exasperated gesture. "I already got involved with one of these evil warlock guys and now I unwittingly got myself involved with the other one. Shit."

The doll narrowed her eyes at Theo. "What are you talking about?"

"I kind of accidentally dropped a barn on top of the Wicked Warlock of the East, Dr. Doppelganger," Theo admitted. "And...killed him."

The doll's jaw dropped open in shock. " _You_ killed Dr. Doppelganger? Then, the prophecy _is_ true. You really are the Savior!"

"Whoa," Theo objected, raising his hands up before him. "Hold your horses there, Sweetheart. Like I said, it was an accident."

The doll gave Theo a skeptical look. "You defeated an immortal warlock _by accident_?"

"Well, I had a little help," Theo began to explain. "There was this weird green tornado that picked up my barn and dropped it down on the warlock dude. That's how I ended up in this strange land."

"You mean Oz?" the doll asked.

Theo nodded. "Yeah. Oz. Anyways, how about I walk you home, Sweetheart? Your owner must be missing you terribly. Or do you live at a Toy Store?"

The doll's eye twitched with obvious irritation. "My name is _not_ 'Sweetheart'. It's Anne Raggedy. And I don't have an owner nor do I live in a Toy Store." She stomped her foot on the ground in an indignant manner.

"Anne Raggedy?" Theo echoed and a secret smile curled his lips. He knew the doll had looked familiar for some reason. Now Theo realized that she looked exactly like a Raggedy Anne doll. He eyed the doll with obvious skepticism. "Okay, Anne. Where do you call home?"

A sad look flitted across Anne's face. "My village. It's not far from here. But, it's more of a 'prison' than a 'home' these days ever since Jadyn and his goblin minions took it over. Jadyn used his dark magic to curse us all, and turned everyone in the village into toys. We're forced to brew potions for him day and night."

"Whoa, hold up." Theo held up his hand to stop Anne from continuing. "You were turned into a doll by magic? That would mean you used to be _human_?" A lascivious grin started to spread across Theo's face. _And if Anne returns to being human then she'd be fuckable._ Theo thought, and his cock twitched happily in response.

Anne rolled her eyes. "Of course, I used to be human."

"Maybe I can break your curse. Let's give it a shot." Without further ado, Theo reached out and placed his gauntleted hand over Anne's breast. The seconds ticked by and nothing happened. Theo went ahead and squeezed her straw-filled breast experimentally.

Anne raised her hand and slapped Theo. "Hands off, perv. I don't know why I even let you try that. Jadyn used powerful blood magic to enact the curse. It's supposedly unbreakable, and apparently that's true if even the Ruby Gauntlet can't break it. I fear the only way to break the curse is with Jadyn's death."

Theo's hand dropped and a disappointed look formed on his face. "Well, that sucks."

Anne nibbled on her lower lip thoughtfully for a moment. "I may be wrong about that though. Magic isn't really my forte. Potions are. Speaking of potions...I'm worried about my parents. I hope they weren't punished because of me."

Theo gave Anne a curious look. "What did you do?"

"I tried to lead a revolution against the goblins." Anne let out a defeated sigh. "Obviously, it didn't work out. One of the goblins is good at elemental magic. We were no match for him. His name is Bazzuta."

"Bazzuta?" Theo raised an amused eyebrow. "Hell of a name."

"I decided to take full responsibility for the revolution so that Jadyn would spare the others." Anne raised her chin proudly. "He sentenced me to be torn apart by crows and to never be put back together again. That's because an enchanted toy can be broken, but once it's fixed it comes back to life again."

"That's horrible," Theo said, sympathy shinning in his blue eyes.

Anne shrugged carelessly. "It could have been worse. Jadyn could have sentenced me to be burned alive. Fire is actually the only thing I'm _truly_ afraid of." She shuddered at the thought of being tied to a stake and then burned to ashes.

Theo nodded. "Understandable since you're stuffed with straw and everything. Well, I really wish I could help, but..." Theo looked down at his gauntleted right hand. "Wait, maybe I _can_ help. You said Bazzuta uses _magic_ , right?"

Anne inclined her head in the cowboy's direction. "That's right."

"Do you think my anti-magic gauntlet would work against his magic?" Theo questioned with a tinge of excitement to his voice.

"I don't see why not," Anne said, the wheels in her mind beginning to turn at the possibilities.

"How many goblins are at your village?" Theo asked.

"There are twenty one goblins," Anne revealed. "Most of them are soldiers except for Bazzuta, who wields magic."

Theo cracked his neck from side to side, and then cracked his knuckles. "So, I just need to kick the asses of twenty one goblins in order to free your village? Does that sound about right?" Anne nodded. "Hell, I've taken on more guys in a regular old bar fight back in Kansas. This should be a piece of cake."

Startled, Anne's dark eyes widened. "You intend to fight them all on your own? My fellow villagers will likely rise up and fight by your side if they think you have a chance of winning. Really, you should be concentrating on taking down Bazzuta."

A cocky smirk curled Theo's lips. "Just one douche bag then? I've got this. Lead the way, Princess."

Anne gawked at Theo in shock for a moment. "You're really going to help me free my village from those goblins? But I thought you said you weren't Chain Breaker?"

Theo rubbed the back of his neck uneasily. "I still don't think I am, but...I've never run from a fight. Especially, if it's for a _good_ cause. And you said your folks might be in danger. I wish I'd had the chance to help save my parents before..."

"Your parents?" Anne gave Theo a searching look when he'd trailed off.

"Yeah...they were both at work when it happened," Theo began. He was surprised that he was even telling Anne all this since he'd never even told his closest friends about what had really happened to his parents. "One day a tornado hit their research facility and carried it and my parents away. Their bodies were never found."

"A tornado?" Anne asked and her brow burrowed thoughtfully. "Like the one that brought you here to Oz?"

Theo blinked. "Yeah. Kind of. Now that I think about it."

There was a keen twinkle in Anne's dark eyes. "Theo, what if your parents didn't die that day? What if they were brought here to Oz just like you?"

Theo stumbled back a step, literally thrown by the possibility. "I don't know. I suppose it's possible since here I am." He offered Anne a tremulous smile. "I guess this is just another thing I'll need to ask the Sultry Sorceress about once I get to the Emerald City."

"You're going to the Emerald City?" Anne questioned with interest.

"Yeah, I was on my way there when I heard your cry for help, Sweetheart," Theo explained.

"You interrupted your journey to save me?" Anne questioned with a startled look on her face, and Theo merely nodded. Even though Anne's eyes were just made of black paint Theo thought he could see them swirling with emotion. "Thank you. You may not be the Chain Breaker, but...you're definitely a hero."

Feeling uncomfortable with Anne's praise, Theo scratched the back of his neck. "I'm no hero. I'm just a playboy cowboy prone to violent tendencies. That's why if I manage to free your village, I want something in return, Anne." Theo reached out and cupped Anne's cheek and let his thumb run over her bottom lip.

Anne sucked in a breath even though she couldn't really feel what Theo was doing. "What?"

"A kiss," Theo said in a husky voice. "I've never kissed an enchanted doll before. And if I get to kiss you I can cross off 'kissed a doll' from my Sex Conquests Bucket List, which may or may not include getting it on with a blue-skinned alien chick, and a pointy-eared elf." Theo watched as two round circles of pink paint suddenly appeared on Anne's cheeks and he realized that she was blushing. _Too cute._

"Alright, cowboy," Anne said, trying to make her tone casual. "If you manage to free my village from the goblins you'll get to kiss me."

Theo took his cowboy hat off and waved it through the air. "Yeehaw!" He grinned at the doll. "Let's go, Sweetheart."

Anne looked Theo over from head to toe. "You can't go to my village looking like _that_." She clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "You'll never get past the front gate." She tapped her chin in a pensive gesture. "I'll have to disguise you as a toy."

There was a mischievous glint in Anne's dark eyes that caused Theo to start backing away from the doll. "Whoa, what kind of toy?" he asked nervously.

***

With Theo and Anne both mounted on Toto they made their way to Toy Village with Anne giving Theo instructions on how to get there. Once they'd reached the edge of the forest Anne's village could be seen in the distance through the trees, and they decided to dismount in order to make the rest of the way on foot. Anne said that bringing Toto to the village would be too conspicuous.

The duo dismounted Toto, and Theo tethered his horse to a nearby tree. "Sorry, Toto, but you'll just have to wait for us here." Toto let out an angry whinny and pawed the ground with his right hoof. Theo patted the side of Toto's neck in an apologetic gesture. "I know, boy. But we really don't want to get arrested before we find out whether or not Anne's family is safe." Toto let out a snort as if to say that he understood. "Attaboy." Theo grinned at his horse.

Theo and Anne exited the tree line, and Theo got a better view of the twenty-foot-tall wooden fence that surrounded the entire village. On either side of the main gate were two elevated, wooden platforms that a couple of goblin archers were standing on. The fence was rather primitive looking and the tops of each wooden pole that had been used to make the fence had been sharpened into a deadly point.

Theo's attention was riveted on the goblins for a moment. He felt like he'd just fallen into a fantasy movie. Anne had mentioned the goblins, of course, but actually seeing them in person was another thing entirely.

The goblins were about four feet tall, and had spindly limbs. They were wearing animal skins wrapped around their waists, and crudely fashioned breastplates. The goblins' unnerving yellow eyes had slit pupils, and made Theo's gut clench. The goblins' elfish ears and short black hair was a surprise, and started to make them look more _human_. Still, Theo lamented that he wasn't dressed a little more _manly_ at the moment.

"I feel ridiculous in this getup," Theo complained to Anne in a low voice as he grabbed the front of his pants and tugged a little. "And you made these pants way too tight."

"Shhh," Anne said. "And you look great, _Andy_." An amused smile had the corners of her red mouth lifting. Using a sewing kit that Blueberry had included in Theo's picnic basket and a blue tablecloth, Anne had somehow managed to make Theo a pair of blue overalls and a matching hat that fit right over his tanned cowboy hat. Anne had cut off some of her red yarn hair and sewn it into the brim of Theo's hat so that it looked like he had yarn for hair too. The sewing kit had also come in handy for Anne to sew up a tear in her arm that had been caused by the crows.

Theo let out a snort. 'Andy' was obviously a fake name. He was supposed to be posing as Anne's brother. Now that he thought about it...why wasn't he posing as Anne's _lover_ instead?

Anne was holding a large bouquet of daisies and Theo still hadn't gotten to ask why she needed them. One of the goblin archers standing on the left platform was the first to spot them and called out: "Halt! Who goes there?"

"It is, I, Anne." Anne raised her chin so he could get a better look at her face and smiled innocently. "I've just now returned from picking more daisies. Hurry up and let me in. The daisies need to be added to the healing potion as soon as possible for maximum effect."

"Is it smart to use your _real_ name?" Theo hissed in her ear. "And daisies? Really?"

"Don't worry. Goblins aren't that smart," Anne said back in a hushed voice. "They've probably already forgotten all about how I started a revolution. And daisies happen to have a wide variety of healing properties such as riding the body of toxins."

The goblin quirked his head at Anne and scratched his bald head with his long, black, claw-like nails in a confused manner. Anne and her brother seemed familiar to him for some reason, but he couldn't remember _why_. He also didn't remember letting Anne and her brother outside of the village to pick daisies.

But if the flowers _were_ needed for one of his Majesty's healing potions...he didn't want to get in trouble for screwing up the brewing process. It could mean his head. The goblin swallowed and unconsciously rubbed at his throat. Jadyn wasn't a very forgiving King. "Open the gates!" the goblin called out in an authoritative voice.

"You see," Anne murmured softly to Theo and her smile widened. Theo smirked back.

The goblins opened the gate, and allowed the duo to pass through into the village beyond. Theo looked around the village curiously. It reminded him of the Munchkin Village with its quaint cottages with thatched roofs, but there were no gardens or picket fences. Also, instead of most of the houses being painted blue all of the cottages had been painted green.

Theo spotted an enormous glass greenhouse and could see several toys working inside and taking care of plants. Theo did a double take. _Toys._ He thought to himself. _Anne really wasn't lying when she said everyone had been cursed into toys._ A five-foot-tall teddy bear was watering a pot of flowers with a watering can, a stuffed monkey was clapping two cymbals together as it used the cymbals to prune a potted bush, and a wooden puppet appeared to be harvesting some flower buds while placing them in a basket.

Theo didn't notice that he'd stop to stare at the working toys until Anne grabbed his hand and began to tug him down the deserted sidewalk. Apparently, all of the toys were 'at work'. "I feel like that girl Clara from _The Nutcracker Prince_..." Theo remarked when he caught sight of an actual Nutcracker Prince watering some flowers. "I can't believe all these toys used to be real people. It's pretty amazing."

"Amazing?" Anne shot Theo a bleak look. "They are now toys that can no longer _feel_."

Theo looked down at Anne's hand in his. It felt like he was holding a pillow, or one of those squishy stress balls. There was no warmth from her touch. Theo felt a pang of sympathy in his chest at the thought of not getting to experience the touch of another, especially intimately. "No sex," Theo said and then flushed when he realized he'd said that out loud. "Whoops."

But Anne gave him a sad look. "Yeah...no sex."

Theo paled at the idea of never getting to have sex again. "That's horrible. I really feel for all of you. I don't think I could survive without sex." Theo's dour expression turned thoughtful. "When was the last time you...?" He trailed off and waggled his eyebrows at Anne suggestively.

Anne smacked Theo upside the head. "That's none of your business, horny cowboy."

"That long, huh?" Theo nodded while giving Anne a compassionate look that quickly turned teasing. "You know, if I manage to find a way to break your curse I want you to know that I am completely at your service, Sweetheart." He threw her a roguish wink.

Anne let out a sigh. "I already told you that I think the only way to break the curse might be killing Jadyn. And that won't be easy."

Theo frowned and his expression suddenly turned serious. "I don't want to kill anyone."

"Shush. We're almost to the potions lab," Anne warned as she pointed ahead of them. "We don't want Jadyn's goblin minions overhearing us plotting the demise of their Master. I don't think they'd take that very well."

Theo followed Anne's line of sight and spotted what appeared to be a large barn. Its exterior was painted green and it had black accents. "That's the potions lab? Looks like a barn to me."

"My parents should be inside there," Anne added distractedly, and Theo noticed that she was nibbling on her lower lip again.

Theo tried to act as casual as possible as he and Anne approached the barn. "How you doing?" Two goblin guards had been posted just outside the door, but they merely raised their eyebrows at Theo's strange greeting and shared an amused glance.

Anne jabbed Theo in his side with her elbow and he was glad that she was just made of straw in that moment or else that would have really hurt. "Ow," Theo said anyways.

"Act normal," Anne hissed at him.

"But I _was_ acting normal," Theo shot back.

Anne just gave him a look of disbelief. "Just stay silent then. Come on." Anne pushed the door open and dragged Theo inside before closing the door behind her. That...had been strangely easy. Their disguises must have the goblins completely fooled, Theo realized. Well, that and the fact that the goblin guards were probably supposed to just keep the toys from _leaving_ their workplace.

Theo glanced around the potions lab and let out a soft, appreciative whistle. There were several long workbenches covered with small black cauldrons the size of watermelons. Standing in front of each cauldron was a toy that was currently working on brewing a potion. Also, on the workbenches were test-tube holders, test tubes and vials filled with different colored liquids, and beakers stoppered with corks.

If this were a video game the red potions would be healing potions, and the blue potions would be _mana_ or magic restoring potions. Theo had no idea what the yellow, green, and purple potions could be though.

A few goblins were patrolling around the interior of the barn and making sure the toys kept working nonstop. Theo's gaze was drawn to the weapons in their hands: flaming torches, scissors and hammers. Theo frowned and thought that was a strange assortment of weapons until he realized that they were being used to threaten toys. Toys that were either made out of cloth, wood, or porcelain.

Theo shuddered, and was suddenly really glad that Anne wasn't made out of porcelain. That's when Theo spotted two dolls that resembled Anne. One was a male doll with black yarn for hair and who was wearing a red and white checkered shirt, blue jean overalls, and black patent leather shoes. The female doll that was standing next to him had a bun of red yarn for hair, and was wearing a frilly blue dress and patent leather shoes.

Anne casually approached her father. "Hey, Dad, I brought the daisies you needed."

At the sound of Anne's voice Bauble Raggedy dropped a test tube he was holding, and it hit the floor and shattered. Bauble turned to face Anne with wide eyes. "Anne!"

Lala Raggedy, Anne's mother, gasped with a hand upraised in front of her mouth.

Bauble pulled Anne in for a hug. "Anne! You're alive, and in one piece. How is that even possible?"

Lala joined in on the hug. "Oh, Anne! I'm so glad you're alright!" Anne pulled back, and gave her parents a warm, reassuring smile.

As Theo watched the touching family reunion he felt his heart clench painfully inside of his chest. He was really happy for Anne, but...sad that he would never have this kind of reunion with his own parents. His eyes grew misty and he was sure someone was chopping up onions for one of these potions.

With a flourish Anne waved a hand at Theo. "I was rescued by him."

Theo took off his cowboy hat and bowed. "Theodore Gale. At your service, Mr. and Mrs. Raggedy."

Bauble looked Theo over with a shrewd eye. "You're not a toy. You need to leave. It's not safe for you here. If they discover you here..." He shot a nervous glance in the goblins' direction. "They'll kill you."

"It's okay, Dad," Anne said, placing a hand on her Dad's arm. "Theo's here to help us."

Bauble's expression turned grim. "No one can help us. The Wicked Warlock of the West is too powerful."

By this time, a goblin had noticed that the Raggedys were standing around in a circle talking when they should have been working and stalked over to rectify this immediately. "Hey! Get back to work, toys!" He waved a burning torch in the Raggedys' direction.

Anne, Lala, and Bauble all let out shocked gasps and cowered back in fear from the burning flames.

Theo stepped in front of them protectively. "Hey. Back off, buddy." Theo narrowed his eyes at the goblin in what he hoped was a threatening manner.

Unfortunately, Theo had forgotten that his disguise made him look anything but threatening. The goblin snorted and raised an eyebrow at Theo. "I said 'get back to work, toys'! Before I burn you all to ashes!" He thrust the burning torch right in Theo's face.

With lightning fast reflexes, Theo reached out and closed his gauntleted hand around the top of the torch, quenching the flames with an audible sizzle.

The goblin gawked down at his smoking torching in bewilderment. A toy shouldn't have been able to touch the fire like that. "What the...?"

Theo yanked the torch out of the goblin's hand and tossed it aside. After that Theo pulled back his fist before slamming it into the goblin's face. The goblin let out a yelp of pain, stumbled backwards, and then collapsed to the floor unconscious.

All of this commotion drew the attention of the other goblins inside of the potions lab, and they turned their sights on Theo. The goblins ran towards Theo and started to attack him with their hammers, scissors, and flaming torches.

Theo let out a snort. He found it difficult to be intimidated by a pair of scissors or small hammer. The only weapons Theo was really worried about were the flaming torches and the larger hammer that could shatter bone if used properly.

Theo dodged their attacks with ease, however. He was so much taller than the goblins he was able to see their attacks coming from a mile away. Theo had to crouch down before he was able to punch any of the goblins' in the face and that was a bit of a nuisance.

Theo leapt up onto one of the workbenches and kicked one of the goblins in the face so that he was sent flying backwards. The goblin slammed into one of his comrades, and the two goblins ended up slamming into the wall together where they slid down it and remained on the floor unmoving.

The toys were watching Theo fight the goblins fearlessly in astonishment, and with baited breath. The toys were too shocked and scared to help, but Theo didn't really mind. If he were a toy he'd be scared of fire, hammers, and scissors too.

When Theo knocked a flaming torch out of one of the goblins' hands, it fell to the floor and started to catch the leg of the closest workbench on fire. Preoccupied with fighting the goblins, Theo didn't notice but the fire started to spread through the barn rapidly since all of the furniture was made out of wood. Seconds later, the flames reached one of the cauldrons and it caused a small booming explosion.

Anne let out a startled scream. Theo's gaze searched for Anne and he spotted her standing next to one of the worktables. The table was on fire and Theo didn't like how close she was standing to it. "Anne!" Theo shouted at her. "Get everyone out of here! I got this!"

Anne swallowed a lump of fear and nodded. "Come on, everyone, you heard the Chain Breaker, let's get out of here! Hurry up and follow me!"

The toys' eyes widened at Anne's words and a few started to mutter various comments: "He's the Chain Breaker." "The Foretold Savior of Oz."

Anne led all of the toys out of the burning barn to safety while Theo continued to fight against the remaining goblins. At this point, the fire was spreading through the barn rapidly and climbing up the walls. Anytime the flames reached the potions inside of the cauldrons or beakers it caused a small explosion. Pieces of broken cauldron and glass were sent whizzing through the air dangerously.

Anne stood outside of the barn and watched in horror as flames started to explode out of the glass windows.

A wooden female puppet was looking around at the crowd of gathered toys with a frantic look on her face. "Has anyone seen my son, Pinocchio?" She started to wring her hands together out of desperation.

Anne quickly scanned the crowd of gathered toys and didn't see Pinocchio either which meant that he must still be inside of the barn. _Oh no._ Anne's gaze shifted to the open doorway and she only hesitated for a moment before she ran back inside of the potions lab before her parents could stop her.

"Anne, no!" Bauble called after her.

As soon as Anne entered the barn she scanned its interior swiftly for any sign of Pinocchio. "Pino!" she called out when she still didn't catch sight of him.

"Anne?" Pinocchio called back in a tremulous voice. "Help. I'm over here. A table fell on top of me and I can't move. I'm trapped."

"Don't worry, Pino. Just hang on. I'm on my way." Anne bravely followed the sound of Pino's voice and discovered the small, wooden, puppet boy trapped beneath an overturned table.

Anne grabbed the edge of the table and tried to lift it off of Pino but it was no use. She looked around and spotted a smoking torch that was no longer dangerous and used it for leverage to begin to shift the table off of Pino. As soon as there was enough space Pino was able to crawl out from beneath the table. Anne immediately let go of the torch and the table crashed back onto the floor.

The interior of the barn had become filled with smoke, making it hard to see. Even though Anne didn't really 'breathe' she still felt choked up. And even though her eyes couldn't tear up because of the smoke she still found it hard to see and felt dizzy. "Run, Pino. I'm right behind you."

Pino nimbly took off running for the open door. Anne ran after him, but ended up tripping over a fallen cauldron and landed flat on her face. Anne momentarily forgot that she was a doll and started to have trouble breathing. _There's too much smoke. I can't breathe._ Anne thought wildly.

Anne looked up and could see her parents just past the open doorway, but her body wouldn't move. She remained paralyzed with fear as the flames edged closer and closer to her fallen form. Anne's body started to tremble when she realized she was about to catch on fire at any second. _I'll be burned to ashes!_

"Anne!" Theo spotted Anne collapsed and unmoving on the floor, and ran to her aid. The cowboy scooped Anne up into his arms bridal-style and carried her out of the burning barn. He couldn't help but notice that Anne was literally as light as a feather.

Mr. and Mrs. Raggedy both cried out when they caught sight of Anne in Theo's arms and rushed over to them. "Anne! Are you alright?" Lala asked with tears shimmering in her painted eyes.

"I'm...okay," Anne replied dazedly and looked up at Theo. Two round pink circles appeared on her cheeks. "Thanks to Theo."

Theo carefully set Anne down on her feet. When she swayed precariously Bauble reached out and put a hand on Anne's arm to steady her. "Take care of Anne, Mr. Raggedy," Theo requested.

Bauble's brow furrowed in confusion. "Of course, but...?" Bauble was saying when Theo took off running and reentered the burning barn. "Where are you...? Oh dear."

A few minutes later that felt like hours to Anne, Theo appeared in the doorway of the barn. He was carrying the bodies of the goblins he'd knocked unconscious, and for some reason this didn't surprise Anne.

Theo knew that it was probably strange that he'd decided to risk his life to save some monsters, but it just hadn't felt right to leave them in there to burn to death. Theo berated himself that he was probably just being stupid.

The toys were as surprised as Theo was by his own heroic actions. "He saved the goblins..." "Chain Breaker decided to save them." The toys murmured amongst themselves.

As the smoke from the burning barn began to rise up into the air this drew the attention of the other goblins inside of the village. A group of nine goblin soldiers led by one goblin that was dressed differently from the rest approached the barn. The soldiers were dressed in primitive armor while their leader was dressed in a brown hooded cloak.

Theo's gaze was drawn to their leader and he noticed the necklace of what appeared to be human finger bones around his neck and shuddered. This goblin must be the one that Anne had mentioned, the goblin warlock, Bazzuta. In his right hand Bazzuta was wielding a gnarled wooden staff.

As Bazzuta strode forward his cloak billowed out behind him, lending to his air of authority. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded as his gleaming yellow eyes scanned the crowd of frightened toys in front of him before stopping on Anne and narrowing in suspicion and anger.

The goblin warlock pointed his staff at her. "You! How are you still in one piece, girl? I would have thought the crows would have torn you to pieces by now. You're behind this mess as well, aren't you? This time, I will destroy you myself!"

Anne raised her chin and began to speak, "I-"

But Theo stepped in front of Anne protectively. "No. Anne isn't the one who started the fire and caused all this chaos. "I did."

Bazzuta's eyes narrowed into thin slits as he regarded Theo. "And who the hell are you? I don't remember you..."

"I'm Theodore Gale," the cowboy said boldly.

"Well, Theodore Gale, prepare to di-" Bazzuta was saying when Theo interrupted him.

"I challenge you to a duel, Yoda!" Theo said loudly.

"You challenge me?" The goblin warlock arched a condescending eyebrow at Theo. "Preposterous. And my name is Bazzuta!"

"If I win I want you to leave this village with your little green friends to never return," Theo continued.

A vein at Bazzuta's temple throbbed visibly out of irritation and anger. "Enough of this nonsense. I'm going to tear you apart!" The goblin warlock slammed his staff against the ground and summoned his power.

The ground beneath the staff started to bubble and then the earth appeared to explode until a ten-foot-tall humanoid being made of hardened mud stood before Theodore.

"Earth Golem...attack!" Bazzuta pointed his staff at Theo, and smiled revealing sharp teeth. "Tear him apart!"

The earth golem let out a roar and charged towards Theo with thundering steps. Theodore stood his ground and ran forward to meet the golem. As soon as he was close enough Theo jumped up into the air and punched the golem, sending a right hook flying into the side of the golem's face.

When Theo's gauntleted fist collided with the golem's face a strange _whooming_ sound filled the air as the power of the gauntlet canceled out the elemental earth magic.

Then the golem began to simply fall apart and crumble to pieces until it was just a harmless pile of dirt.

Bazzuta's eyes were wide with alarm. "What? That's impossible." He pointed a knobby finger at Theo in an accusing gesture. "You're no toy!"

A cocky smirk spread across Theo's face. "I never said I was a toy, Yoda. I'm a playboy cowboy." All of the gathered toys started to cheer.

Bazzuta started to tremble with rage. "You won't defeat me that easily! King Jadyn gifted me with this magical staff so that I could create and control earth golems! I _won't_ let him down!" The goblin warlock summoned his magic again and this time three earth golems rose up from the ground and circled Theodore.

As they swung their massive fists his way Theodore ducked and dodged their punches. Once Theo saw an opening he punched one of the golems in its leg and the golem immediately crumbled to dirt. "One down, two to go," Theo muttered softly to himself.

Bazzuta stomped his foot angrily on the ground. "No! This...can't be happening!"

Theodore punched the second and third golem, and they crumbled to dirt next. The cowboy then ran towards the Bazzuta.

Bazzuta's eyes flared out of fear, and he held up his staff before him. "W-What are you doing? Stay away!"

Theo sent a straight right punch into the magical staff that shattered upon impact. Bazzuta gawked as pieces of wood flew through the air. Destroying a magical artifact like the staff was no easy feat and yet this young man had made it look easy. A powerful magical energy shield had protected the staff, but with one punch this young man had utterly destroyed it. "No! My staff!" Bazzuta sank to his knees and hung his head in defeat.

"Looks like I win, Yoda," Theo remarked. "I guess that means it's time for you and your little friends to skidattle."

Bazzuta pushed himself up off the ground and gave Theo a searching look. "With your power why not just kill us all?"

"I'm not a killer," Theo said, frowning at the goblin. "I already said I'm a playboy cowboy."

Bazzuta still looked unsure, but then he nodded stiffly. "Very well. We goblins shall leave this village, but I cannot promise you that King Jadyn will not come here seeking vengeance upon you for the loss of his potions."

"I want you to send a message to this Jadyn dude," Theo began, puffing up his chest. "Tell him this village is now under _my_ protection and that if he has a problem with what happened here he needs to deal with me first. Got it?"

"Understood, Theodore Gale. I will give my King your message." Bazzuta turned to face the other goblin soldiers. "Soldiers, we are to leave this village to never return." A sly smile curled Bazzuta's lips then. "Unless, of course, Theo is defeated by Jadyn. Move out!" The goblin warlock started to head for the front gate. The rest of the goblins picked up their unconscious comrades before following Bazzuta out of the village.

As soon as the front gate to the village was closed behind the goblins the toys let out a victorious cheer.

Anne gave Theo a bright smile. "What now, hero?"

"Now?" Theo's eyebrows rose and he gave Anne a disbelieving look. "We have a party. _Duh_."

To be continued in...Chapter 3:

### Chapter 3:

That night at Toy Village, Theo, Anne, and all of the toys celebrated the village's liberation from the goblins. Theo thought that it was one hell of a party despite the fact that the toys didn't need to eat or drink, so there was a lack of variety in the food department.

Luckily, Theo had managed to find the goblins' food storage shed, and was happily nibbling away on a leg of smoked mutton while he watched the toys doing what they did best \- dance. Theo had been surprised when the toys went to their homes and gathered their musical instruments so they could add music to the impromptu party.

As soon as Theo had finished eating, two female toys had grabbed Theo's arms and pulled him out onto the dance floor. Theo chuckled and danced with the toys for a while before his eyes began to search for Anne. When he spotted her he excused himself from the female toys he'd been dancing with and walked over to Anne.

Without asking her whether or not she wanted to dance, Theo grabbed Anne's hand and tugged her out onto the dance floor. He'd been looking forward to getting to dance with her but unfortunately he discovered that Anne had two left feet. "You stepped on my foot. _Again_ ," Theo remarked dryly.

Two pink circles appeared on Anne's white face. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry!"

Theo let out an amused chuckle. "Chill, babe. I'm just messing with you. I don't really mind. You're lucky you're made of straw so it doesn't hurt." This earned him a pout that was part glare from Anne. "Stand on my feet," Theo instructed suddenly.

Anne raised an eyebrow at the odd suggestion. "What? I thought the entire point was that I wasn't supposed to stand on your feet."

"Come on," Theo insisted. "Just do it. Don't you trust me?"

"I trust you," Anne said softly before stepping up onto Theo's booted feet. She reached up and wrapped her arms around Theo's neck while Theo placed his hands on her small waist. They started to sway from side to side with the music. "My mother...taught me how to dance like this," Theo blurted.

"Your mother?" Anne prompted upon noticing the sad, wistful expression on Theo's face.

"She said I needed to become a good dancer that wouldn't step on a girl's toes," Theo recalled.

Anne snorted. "I bet she never thought the girl would be the clumsy one!"

"You _are_ a klutz," Theo agreed in a fond tone. "And seriously danger prone. I hate to think what would have happened to you if I hadn't been riding along the yellow brick road when you'd been tied up in that corn field..."

"Oh, I would have been ripped to shreds," Anne said nonchalantly. "I'd probably still be lying there, scattered around the cornfield in pieces." The doll started to nibble on her lower lip, and Theo once again marveled that watching her face was like watching an _Etch A Sketch_ pad. She glanced up at Theo and he could see the nervousness in her gaze. "Thank you for saving my life."

Theo was about to open his mouth to respond when Anne continued. "Thank you for freeing my people from the goblins. Thank you for teaching me how to dance. For the first time in a very long time...I'm happy." A beautiful smile blossomed on Anne's face.

Theo gulped. He was feeling strangely nervous. "I'm glad."

"I was on my own in the fight against the goblins for so long..." Anne began to recall aloud. "They kept overcoming every brilliant scheme I was able to come up with. I'd started to lose hope. I really thought I'd almost had them when I tricked them into going into an icebox. They'd all fallen asleep because of the cold. But when I raised my knife to slit their throats in their sleep...I couldn't do it. I was a coward."

"You're wrong," Theo swiftly said, giving Anne a fierce look. "You weren't being a coward. You were being a good person. You're not a murderer, Anne."

Anne shrugged. "I suppose I'm not. And you...you were able to defeat them all so easily and without killing them. And in less than a day. I've been trying to free my village from their tyranny for _years_. It's amazing. You're amazing."

Theo flushed out of embarrassment, and rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. "Er, thanks."

"You made everything look so easy. I guess things are just easier for the Foretold Savior of Oz," Anne teased to lighten the suddenly somber mood that had fallen over them.

Theo's expression turned serious. "I still don't think I'm this Foretold Savior dude, remember?"

Anne hummed. "Oh, I remember. You might not be the Savior Oz was expecting, but you're definitely the Savior that Oz needs, Theo."

"I just want to go home," Theo argued. "And Dr. Doppelganger is already dead. Oz no longer needs saving."

"Dr. Doppelganger may be dead, but his legacy lives on in Oz," Anne said grimly. "There are other villages out there similar to Munchkin Village where the people are treated like Dr. Doppelganger's guinea pigs or lab rats. Those villages are his 'experiments'." Anne shuddered at what she'd heard about those poor villages. "They have it even worse than we did here. Those people _still_ need a savior. A hero. They need you, Theo."

Theo shook his head with a lost expression on his face. "I'm no hero...I'm just a playboy cowboy. And I just want to get home."

"What about your parents?" Anne questioned. "What if you find out they're living here in Oz?"

Theo's broad shoulders lifted in a careless shrug. "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, I guess."

Anne gave Theo a searching look, and appeared to come to a certain conclusion when she let out a thoughtful hum. "I'm coming with you."

Theo's eyes went wide. "What?"

"I still need to find a way to lift the curse on my people," Anne started, glancing at the dancing toys. "There must be a way to turn us all human again, and maybe the Sultry Sorceress knows of a way or maybe she can even cast the spell herself."

Theo reached out, cupped Anne's cheek, and let his thumb brush over her painted red lips. "Human, huh?" What would Anne's skin feel like beneath his hand once she was human again? Would it be soft? Warm? Theo nodded. "Yeah. You're right. She may know of a way to break your curse, or may even be able to handle it herself. You should definitely come."

Anne pressed her cheek against the palm of Theo's hand, her dark eyes wide and expressive. "I wonder what it would be like to feel the warmth of your hand pressed against my cheek, Theo."

The sultry sound of her voice was making Theo's cock harden in his pants and he almost let out a moan of despair. _Oh, not this again. What is with these confused boners I get around, Anne. She's not real._ _Down, boy._ Theo berated himself silently.

Anne raised an eyebrow at the strange, conflicted expression on Theo's face. "Aren't you going to take your reward? You saved my village."

"Uh, right." Theo _had_ asked Anne for a kiss. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Anne's red painted mouth. He almost laughed aloud. It felt like he was kissing a pillow and for some reason his eyes burned and his gut clenched with disappointment. Theo pulled back and gave Anne a searching look. "You feel anything?"

"Not...physically," Anne started slowly with a mystified look on her face. "This may be hard for you to believe, but you know what? I think I did feel something... _emotionally_."

Theo arched a skeptical eyebrow at the doll. "Oh, yeah?"

Anne gave Theo an irritated look. "Why do you sound so surprised? The man who saved my life, my family, and my village just kissed me...I think it would be stranger if I felt _nothing_."

All this talk of 'feelings' was making Theo feel slightly claustrophobic. Even if he had felt _something_ too. A spark between them. "Don't fall in love with me, Anne," he warned in a stern tone. "I'm not a one-woman kind of man. In fact, I'm a commitmentphobe."

Anne's dark, painted eyes seemed to sparkle with mischief. "Who said anything about 'love'?"

Theo's mouth dropped open slightly. "Touché."

"Look, I don't want to freak you out or anything, but...I thought I was going to fight alone for the rest of my life, and then you showed up. Suddenly, I wasn't alone anymore. I had a friend, an ally by my side, and things just felt _better_. It was a nice feeling...not being alone. And maybe, just maybe, we were supposed to meet."

Theo laughed nervously. "What do you mean...like we're destined soulmates or something?"

Anne smiled. "I never mentioned 'soulmates', Theo." Theo flushed out of embarrassment. "I just meant...what are the chances for us to meet when you're from a completely different world. That has to mean something, right?"

"I guess," Theo found himself agreeing.

"Haven't you ever felt lonely?" Anne asked.

Theo swallowed a lump of sadness. Ever since his parents' mysterious disappearance Theo had been alone. Sure, Uncle Em, had been there, but...Theo's uncle had pretty much ignored him the entire time they'd lived together. Uncle Em's priority was booze. "All the time," Theo admitted in a gruff voice.

Anne's eyes widened and then her expression softened. "You don't have to be alone anymore, Theo. You have _me_ now."

"That's...nice," Theo said.

"I don't feel lonely when I'm with you, Theo," Anne said. "I feel at ease. I've never really felt that way before. I know that probably sounds strange..."

Theo wanted to say that it didn't sound strange at all because he felt the exact same way. Sure, they'd just met, but when he was with Anne he didn't feel alone. He felt happy and content. He'd never say something so sappy out loud though.

_First of all, she's a doll._ Theo began a mental tirade. _She's not even real. Well, at least not real in the human sense. Oh my God...now I know how that guy in the 1987 movie The Mannequin was probably feeling. What was his name? Jonathan Switch? Whatever. My cock seems to have made up its own mind about Anne..._

Theo glared down at his cock. He had a full-blown erection that was pressing against Anne's crotch. Luckily, she couldn't _feel_ it and so wasn't slapping him _yet_. But if she became aware of his current state...well...

_I wish she could feel my desire for her._ The traitorous thought flitted through Theo's mind and he vigorously shook his head to clear it of further stupidity. This was wrong on so many levels. Theo glanced down at her fake cleavage. Her boobs were obviously stuffed with straw. _Am I really standing here thinking about what it would be like to fuck straw? Maybe I never came to Oz. Maybe I went crazy and ended up in an insane asylum somewhere._

With an apologetic look on his face Theo grabbed Anne's shoulders and pushed her back. She stepped off his cowboy boots and looked up at Theo with obvious confusion. "Sorry, I, uh, need a moment." The cowboy ran off and stopped when he caught sight of a stable building. Theo ran into the barn, and shut and locked the door behind him.

Suddenly, Theo felt like he was fourteen-years-old again, sneaking into the barn to have some 'alone time' in a place where his uncle wasn't likely to walk in and catch him masturbating.

Theo stumbled into an empty horse stall and closed the stall door behind him. He flopped down on the straw and almost let out a slightly hysteric laugh at the sight of it. "Straw!" He glared down at the bulge in his jeans. "Stupid confused boner. What am I? Twelve?"

Theo unbuttoned the top button on his jeans and slid the zipper down. He reached into his boxers, pulled out his aching erection and started to stroke. A low groan slipped past his lips.

The barn was empty. No one could know his inner thoughts, and so Theo allowed himself to think about the well-constructed doll he'd gotten a confused boner for.

Anne was just such a pretty doll with her intricately painted face, and apple-red yarn for hair. She had nicely sized breasts and long legs that made her well proportioned.

Anne was also as light as a feather. Theo had always been drawn to the petite girls he could swoop up into his arms easily, and Anne was only five-three.

Anne was also incredibly smart and brave. Her teasing smile flashed through his mind and made him grin and his cock throbbed in his hand.

_She's just a doll._ Theo tried to remind himself. But that wasn't exactly true. She was cursed. She was actually human. And if they could find a way to break the curse she'd have a flesh and blood body with real skin, real breasts, and a real pussy Theo could thrust his cock into and fuck.

_I bet that little doll would be tight._ The cowboy bit his bottom lip to stifle a groan as he gripped his cock tighter and stroked a little faster. He was almost there...

Theo pictured Anne spreading her legs and crooking her finger at him as she begged him to fuck her. He'd make her scream his name in ecstasy.

With a grunt and a full-body shudder Theo came in his hand. "Anne!" He looked down at his cum-covered hand in disgust. _I really am a pervert. Who the hell gets off thinking about fucking a doll? How messed up is that?_

Masturbating to Anne's image felt wrong. Theo felt like he was dirtying Anne somehow. But why did he care? _I barely even know her..._

Her words echoed inside of his head: _You don't have to be alone anymore, Theo. You have me now._ Theo shook his head. Nope. He wasn't going to let himself fall for some living doll. Especially not when she appeared to be one of those clingy girls he usually avoided like the plague. He didn't want to be tied down to _one_ girl. Theo was young and still needed to sow his oats...

I'm not going to let some girl I just met and who doesn't even have a pussy tie me down. I'm a free agent. Theo's gut twisted painfully at his own cruel thoughts. Theo cleaned himself off, and fell asleep alone in the horse stall on a pile of hay.

***

Meanwhile, at the Wicked Warlock of the West's castle, somewhere in the Black Forest...Jadyn sat at one of the many long mahogany tables inside of the enormous library. The tabletop in front of him was covered with various heavy, leather-bound, ancient, spell books. A couple of the books were about the art of war.

The spell book Jadyn was currently absorbed in contained different methods for summoning magical beasts to do his bidding. A sly smile curled his lips when he imagined setting a beast loose in his brother Noryn's castle. Oh, the chaos. It would be lovely.

The smile was wiped off Jadyn's face, however, when there was a loud knock on the library door. A muscle beneath his eye ticked in irritation. He hated when his reading was interrupted. "Come in," he snapped.

Bazzuta entered the library and hastily made his way over to the table. Jadyn arched an eyebrow at the goblin, who was wringing his hands together and wouldn't meet his eyes. "What are you doing here, Bazzuta? Shouldn't you be keeping an eye on Toy Village?"

At the mention of Toy Village Bazzuta flinched guiltily. "About Toy Village...we were forced to relinquish our control there."

"Relinquish? That's a big word," Jadyn drawled with barely disguised anger. "Why the hell did you leave!" he snapped.

"This...toy that wasn't really a toy showed up," Bazzuta began to explain. "He was really a man and he possessed an enchanted gauntlet that had the ability to cancel magic. The gauntlet destroyed my earth golems with just one punch."

An enchanted gauntlet that canceled out magic? A wave of dread swept over Jadyn and his gut clenched with unease. This was sounding all too familiar. "Describe the gauntlet."

"It was encrusted with rubies that would glow brightly as it canceled out the magic," Bazzuta eagerly explained. As long as Jadyn's attention was focused on something other than him he may walk away from this confrontation alive.

Jadyn sucked in a breath. "The Ruby Gauntlet. What did he say his name was?"

"He called himself Theodore Gale," Bazzuta revealed, and then leaned forward in a conspiratorial manner. "But the toys were calling him 'Savior' and 'Chain Breaker'."

The blood started to drain out of Jadyn's face as soon as his suspicions were confirmed. The Ruby Gauntlet. Theodore Gale. Chain Breaker. Everything that had been mentioned in his brother Noryn's prophecy was coming to pass.

"He had a message for you..." Bazzuta continued, oblivious to his King's inner turmoil. "Toy Village is under his protection. If you want the village you have to go through him first."

Jadyn was seized by the urge to rip Bazzuta's head off in a fit of rage. He resisted, but just barely. He didn't want to give into his base desires, however. After all, he wasn't a mindless beast. He wasn't a monster. He was a civilized warlock and a King. "Leave me," Jadyn ordered curtly and waved his hand dismissively in the goblin's direction.

"Please, forgive our failure, Your Majesty," Bazzuta said.

"I meant... _now_. Do not try my patience, Bazzuta," Jadyn drawled in an icy tone that made Bazzuta shiver in fear. Bazzuta fled the library and the door slammed shut behind him.

"Argh!" Jadyn let out an enraged growl and with a sweep of his hand he sent several books crashing to the floor. He gripped the edge of the table and tried to pull himself together. It was hard when fear and anger were warring against each other inside of him. "Dammit..."

The prophesized time of his death at the hands of Theodore Gale had come. According to his brother Noryn's prophecy a man possessing the Ruby Gauntlet with the ability to cancel magic would come to Oz from another world and liberate it from evil.

"Theodore Gale..." Jadyn murmured, his voice laced with hatred. That was the name of the man destined to kill him. The Wicked Warlock stood up from his chair and started to pace across the library. "So, my Archnemesis has arrived in Oz to kill me at last."

Jadyn bit into his lower lip causing it to bleed. Just the thought of staying at his castle and _waiting_ for Theodore to come and kill him was nerve-wracking. "No! I won't just sit around and wait for him to come kill me! I will go and kill him first!" He shouted angrily.

Only silence met his bold declaration and he let out a defeated sigh. "So much for living my life in peace," he muttered darkly.

For the past seven years, Jadyn had ruled the West in such a way as to protect it from Dr. Doppelganger - the man who was impersonating the former Wicked Warlock of the East.

Because of Theodore Gale all his careful planning had just gone down the tubes. He'd wanted those healing potions in case the West had to go to war against Dr. Doppelganger since it would have given his army an edge in battle.

Very few knew the truth, and that the real Wicked Warlock of the East had died eighteen years ago when a strange building had fallen on top of him and crushed him to death. A man had put on a metal mask and had taken his place, ruling the East.

Jadyn had discovered the truth when he'd traveled to the East to try and form an alliance with the Wicked Warlock of the East only to find an imposter in his place. Those who knew the Wicked Warlock of the East's true form...would find his new form laughable. Jadyn had known of the Wicked Warlock of the East's true form because of a book he'd read on the warlock's past feats.

Jadyn had decided to kill the imposter then and there, and they had battled. Jadyn was able to kill Dr. Doppelganger, or so he'd thought. Just a few months later, Jadyn began to hear rumors about the Wicked Warlock of the East, who now liked to refer to himself as 'Dr. Doppelganger', and of his experiments on several villages in the East.

Apparently, the man in the silver mask was back from the dead. Frustrated, Jadyn had returned to the East and had killed Dr. Doppelganger all over again. But only a few weeks later, Dr. Doppelganger was back, wreaking havoc upon another village. No matter how many times Jadyn killed the man...he always returned.

Jadyn began to wonder whether or not his opponent could even be killed. Perhaps, Dr. Doppelganger was some kind of immortal or undead being. Whatever the case, Dr. Doppelganger was unbeatable and that made him a threat.

Jadyn started to make plans on how to better protect the West from Dr. Doppelganger should the mad scientist ever set his sights on Jadyn's Kingdom. Jadyn decided what he needed most was an army. In order to gain control over the goblins, hobgoblins (otherwise known as Winkies), and flying monkeys, Jadyn did battle with each of their champions, and was able to defeat them using his dark magic.

According to the flying monkeys, who were Jadyn's spies, the largest force under Dr. Doppelganger's command were the demi-humans - beings that were half-human half-animal. The demi-humans possessed superhuman speed and strength, and sharper reflexes when compared to normal humans. They were a formidable force indeed, and supposedly completely loyal to Dr. Doppelganger.

Dr. Doppelganger's next largest force was composed of the robots and cyborg assassins that were under his control.

Jadyn had been painstakingly making preparations in case he needed to wage war against Dr. Doppelganger, and Theodore Gale had to come along and ruin everything. Without the healing potions how was he supposed to even the odds against Dr. Doppelganger's army now?

Dr. Doppelganger was expanding his Kingdom in the East rapidly. It was only a matter of time before he set his sights on the West.

Jadyn's brother, King Noryn, only cared about protecting the Northern Kingdom, and didn't care about what happened to the 'lesser races' such as goblins and hobgoblins that lived in the West.

Jadyn knew that left on their own the goblins and hobgoblins would have ended up as Dr. Doppelganger's guinea pigs and so had forcibly taken them under his wing.

As for Jadyn's brother, King Reginald, the Good Wizard of the South...he was vain, egotistical, and selfish. Reginald only cared about outward appearances, and as long as he was perceived to be a hero he was content. But if someone needed saving and it would put Reginald's life at actual risk, that person was most likely on their own.

Reginald's picture-perfect city was filled with weaklings: Tinkers and Quadlings, which were farmers. Reginald liked to think his Kingdom was filled with the most beautiful people in all of Oz, and the elves did live in the nearby forest. Of course, none were as handsome as him in his book. Reginald presented himself to his people as a gallant hero, but Jadyn was aware of his dark side having been subjected to it when they were kids.

Jadyn knew that no help would be forthcoming from Noryn or Reginald. He was on his own to protect the West, and the monster races that lived there: goblins, hobgoblins, trolls, flying monkeys, and direwolves. Noryn and Reginald both discriminated against the monster races, and called them the 'lesser races'. Also, the lesser races were considered to be evil.

Good. Evil. To Jadyn this was merely a matter of perspective. The monster races thought he was 'good' while the Quadlings, Munchkins, Tinkers, and Toys thought Jadyn was 'evil' and 'wicked'. Jadyn along with Dr. Doppelganger were the villains of Oz. And Theodore Gale was a hero destined to defeat them both.

Toy Village had been Jadyn's own experiment to see if goblins and humans could co-exist peacefully side-by-side. A goblin couldn't eat a toy, and so his experiment had been a success, for the most part. Besides, Jadyn had discovered that goblins eating humans had turned out to be mostly a myth anyways.

Just like with humans there were good goblins and evil goblins. Why couldn't those ungrateful humans see that Jadyn had done them a favor by turning them into toys? Toys didn't need to eat, drink or sleep. They didn't feel pain. They didn't age. They didn't die. He'd made them immortal.

But apparently that wasn't good enough. They wanted to _feel_. They wanted to love.

"Love," Jadyn sneered, his lip curling in disgust. "Ha! Love is a _weakness_." The Wicked Warlock decided to head to Toy Village immediately. He'd wasted enough time stewing in his own juices.

With a wave of his hand Jadyn concentrated on teleporting to Toy Village and disappeared from the library in a cloud of green smoke.

***

Theo and Anne had mounted Toto and were riding through Toy Village while following the yellow brick road that would lead them out of the village and ultimately to the Emerald City. The toys had gathered outside of their homes and were waving goodbye to Theo and Anne from their front stoops.

Abruptly, a cloud of green smoke exploded in front of Toto, causing the horse to rear up and whiney loudly out of fright. "Whoa. Easy there, Toto. Easy," Theo soothed as he sought to get Toto under control and stroked the side of the horse's neck.

Anne had tightened her grip around Theo's waist so that she wouldn't fall off, but Theo hardly noticed.

When the smoke cleared it revealed a tall figure wearing wrinkled, black robes, and a black, pointed hat with a wide brim. Right away, Theo knew that he was looking at another of these warlocks or wizards that Oz seemed to be filled with, and groaned.

The man looked up to reveal a pair of emerald green eyes that gleamed with cunning. His black hair was shoulder-length and looked a little greasy in Theo's opinion. With the man's lanky physique Theo knew he wasn't a warrior and pictured him in a dusty library hunched over his spell books somewhere.

Theo thought the ladies would probably find the man handsome if he washed his hair and maybe went out in the sun more. He had a long nose, thin lips, and overall sharp facial features. _He looks oddly familiar. Oh my God, I'm looking at a young and slightly better looking version of Severus Snape._

Theo raised an eyebrow at the man. "Let me guess...you're a wizard."

Jadyn smiled silkily. "Warlock, actually."

That's when Theo noticed that all of the toys had ducked for cover and were hiding behind flower bushes and trees as they peered fearfully out at Jadyn. Jadyn noticed the toys watching him and acted like he was going to run in their direction: "Boo!"

The toys screamed in fear and crouched down even lower behind the flower bushes until they were completely out of sight. Jadyn's attention returned to Theo. "I'm looking for Theodore Gale."

"Yeah...that's me," Theo reluctantly admitted.

A flash of surprise crossed Jadyn's face before he gave Theo another once over, taking in his cowboy hat, white and blue checkered shirt, jeans, and muddy cowboy boots. Jadyn's dark eyebrows shot up to his hairline. " _You're_ Theodore Gale?" There was a skeptical note to his voice.

"Yep," Theo confirmed again as he suddenly started to feel a little self-conscious that his jeans were torn and his boots were muddy.

"Muahaha!" Jadyn started to cackle loudly and he didn't stop for several minutes. Finally, he appeared to compose himself and wiped a tear from his eye. _This buffoon...is the one prophesized to kill me? Ha! Noryn must have made some kind of mistake._ Jadyn thought gleefully to himself.

The warlock raised his right hand and conjured a fireball. Theo watched as the ball of orange and red flames hovered above Jadyn's palm. "I am Jadyn, the Wicked Warlock of the West, and I am here to kill you, Theodore Gale."

Anne's eyes widened at the sight of the fireball.

_Shit._ Theo mentally swore. The Wicked Warlock of the West was here already. "Wait!" Theo quickly dismounted Toto and slapped his hand on the horse's flank. "Get Anne to safety, Toto!" Toto let out a loud nicker before galloping off with Anne on his back.

Theo turned to face Jadyn, and put his hands up before him in a surrendering gesture. "Why don't we talk about this first-"

"Die!" Jadyn snarled as he flung the fireball at Theo.

Theo raised his right arm instinctively to protect himself, and when the fireball hit the gauntlet a _whooming_ sound filled the air as the spell was canceled out and the fireball was dissipated.

Jadyn's eyes narrowed dangerously. "So, it's true then...you wear the Ruby Gauntlet. No matter, I'll just have to defeat you using more powerful magic!"

The warlock summoned his power again and concentrated on creating an enormous fireball between his two hands. "Try this one on for size! Hah!" Jadyn threw the watermelon-sized fireball at Theo next.

"Hey! Would you just wait a minute! Shit!" Theo raised his gauntlet, and the enormous fireball hit it and was dissipated with a _whoom_. A muscle in Theo's jaw ticked out of irritation. "Oh, that's it! You asked for it, buddy!" Theo cracked neck from side to side, and charged Jadyn.

Jadyn immediately started to conjure another fireball. Theo raised his fist. Jadyn threw the fireball at Theo's face. Theo punched through the fireball, and it dissipated. He quickly pulled his fist back before sending it flying forward into Jadyn's face.

Jadyn's green eyes widened in a mixture of shock and disbelief when his protective energy shield shattered, and Theo's fist went flying into his mouth.

Theo was surprised when the _whooming_ sound the gauntlet made when it canceled out magic happened not only when Theo broke through Jadyn's protective shield, but again when it connected with the warlock's mouth.

Jadyn let out a cry of pain as a few teeth were knocked right out of his mouth, and he fell backwards to the ground, landing on his behind. His teeth were bloody, and blood was dribbling down his chin.

Then, the strangest thing happened.

Theo watched as Jadyn's pale skin started to turn green. "What the...?" Theo began. "You okay there, Kermit? You're looking a little green."

Jadyn flinched at the word 'green' and looked down at his hands. His eyes widened in horror. "No...impossible." Jadyn looked up and gave Theo an accusing glare. "How did you break my glamour spell!"

The toys started to emerge from their hiding places and formed a circle around Jadyn. Their expressions were no longer fearful, and were now filled with hatred and disgust. "Look! His skin is green!" "Jadyn isn't human at all!" "He must be a hobgoblin!" "He's a monster!" "Kill the goblin!" "Kill the monster!" the toys started to cry out as they waved their fists angrily through the air. The toys picked up stones and started to throw them at Jadyn.

Theo froze and watched what was going on in shock. Their words had been filled with so much hate. He hadn't expected the peaceful, kind toys to suddenly start acting this way.

Jadyn had thrown up his arms to shield his body from the barrage of stones but one rock still managed to make it past his defenses and hit him right in the forehead. A trickle of blood streamed down Jadyn's face and this snapped Theo out of his stupor. At this rate they were going to kill him.

"Stop!" Theo yelled, placing himself between the toys and Jadyn. He glared angrily at the toys. "What the hell is wrong with you people? Were you actually going to try and stone him to death!"

Stunned, Jadyn's jaw dropped open as he looked up at Theo's back. The last thing he'd expected was for Theodore Gale to defend him. All of the toys appeared to be just as shocked as Jadyn was by Theo's unexpected actions.

"The Wicked Warlock of the West is _evil_!" one toy shouted and then others began to join in. "And look at his skin. It's green. He's been pretending to be human all this time!" "He's a monster!" "A goblin!" "Evil!"

Jadyn flinched at their harsh, cruel words. His most closely guarded secret was now out in the open. Only his adoptive father, King Caidyn, knew the truth of Jadyn's origins, and that he was half-goblin. Even Noryn and Reginald didn't know the truth...but Jadyn was pretty sure they would find out soon. Rumors tended to travel fast in Oz.

"Well, right now all of you are acting like monsters!" Theo accused hotly, and then shot an impatient look Jadyn's way. "Look, you should probably just use your magic and get the hell out of here already."

Jadyn's eyes flashed with anger, but he slipped his hand into his pocket to grasp one of the vials he usually had with him that contained a magic restoring potion. "This changes nothing! I _will_ kill you!"

"Yeah, yeah, go ahead and try," Theo agreed easily. "But later. When we don't have an angry mob of toys trying to stone you to death."

Jadyn stood on shaky legs, uncorked the vial, drank the potion, and once a modicum of his magic had returned he twirled his hand through the air. The warlock disappeared in a cloud of green smoke.

"What have you done?" Bauble demanded, his voice trembling with anger and fear. "You let the Wicked Warlock of the West get away. Jadyn needs to die in order to break the curse upon us all!"

Theo let out a frustrated sigh. "Mr. Raggedy, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not a killer. Anne and I are off to see the Sultry Sorceress in order to find an alternative way to break your curse. One that doesn't end with someone having to be killed. We'll find another way. A better way. I promise."

At this moment, Toto trotted over to Theo. The cowboy grabbed the saddle horn and swung himself up into the saddle in front of Anne. "Hold on tight, sweetheart," Theo told Anne before he squeezed Toto's sides and urged the horse into a swift trot.

Anne wrapped her arms tightly around Theo's waist and smiled. She was on Theo's side in this instance. Stoning Jadyn to death...would have made her people the very monsters they feared.

"Wait!" Bauble called after him, but Theo ignored the toy and they left Toy Village behind.

After Theo figured they were far enough away from the village he slowed Toto down into a trot. "Whew. It doesn't look like a mob of angry toys is following us with pitchforks. Look, Anne, I'm sorry I didn't kill Jadyn when I had the chance. But it just didn't feel right..."

"You don't need to apologize, Theo. Taking the life of another...is wrong. Even if it means breaking the curse," Anne said softly. "I'm so proud of you."

"Why did everyone react that way to seeing Jadyn's skin turn green?" Theo asked, his voice laced with curiosity.

Anne's expression grew thoughtful. "Well, it means he's not human. Or at least not _entirely_ human. And humans have never really gotten along with the lesser races: goblins, hobgoblins, orcs, trolls, direwolves, and flying monkeys."

" _Lesser_ races?" Theo questioned, a frown forming on his face. "Why are they considered to be lesser?"

"Well, they're evil and driven by their primal beast-like instincts. They're violent and bloodthirsty. They're also stupid," Anne recited the words she'd heard her father say to her so many times before.

"Stupid?" Theo mused aloud and there was an obvious skeptical note to his voice. "Jadyn didn't seem stupid to me. He seemed like a pretty powerful and intelligent warlock, if you ask me. Unless, I'm wrong and conjuring fireballs is easy to do around here."

A pensive frown formed on Anne's face. "No. Performing such magic isn't easy. In fact, it can take years of studying and training."

"If I didn't have this gauntlet," Theo started, thinking back to how the fight had gone down between him and the mysterious warlock. "I would have been toast."

"That's true." Anne let out a thoughtful hum. "I suppose it would be wrong to describe Jadyn as being _stupid_."

"And maybe there are other smart goblins out there," Theo suggested.

Anne giggled. "You know, what? I never really thought about it. But yeah, maybe you're right, Theo."

"Whatever." Theo shrugged. "I have the tendency to root for the underdog."

Worry swirled in Anne's eyes. "Theo, Jadyn is evil. Don't forget that. You need to be careful. If you underestimate him...you could wind up dead."

"Don't worry. I won't." Theo offered Anne a reassuring smile over his shoulder. "Besides, I have my...what did he call it 'Ruby Gauntlet' to protect myself with. I'll be fine."

"I sure hope so..." Anne said, nibbling on her lower lip.

Theo, Anne and Toto's journey down the yellow brick road was uneventful until the sun started to dip below the horizon painting the clouds orange and purple.

"No...stay away!" a female voice cried out. "Leave me alone!" From out of the forest to their right a woman abruptly emerged and ended up right in front of Toto. Toto reared up out of surprise and came to a stop.

The woman's startling golden eyes with slit pupils flared in alarm as the horse's hooves came precariously close to her head, but she kept on running across the road and into the wheat field beyond with a fearful glance over her shoulder.

Theo had never seen such a stunning woman before. Her long, wavy hair looked like spun gold, and her eyes were a beautiful gold color that matched her hair perfectly. She was wearing a simple yellow and white cotton dress, and didn't have on any shoes. But even more intriguing was the pair of yellow cat ears on the very top of her head and the lion-like tail that was swishing behind her.

A few seconds later, three males emerged from the forest. They barely spared Theo, Anne and Toto a glance before they caught sight of the woman with the golden eyes running across the wheat field. "Look! There she is!" "After her!" "Don't let her get away!"

The males were even stranger looking than the gorgeous woman who'd run by. One of the males had a similar appearance to the woman with a pair of yellow cat ears on the top of his head of short, curly blonde hair. He was wearing a blue vest and matching pants, but no shoes.

One of the other males had a very reptilian appearance. His entire face was covered by green, black and yellow scales. He was wearing a black leather vest, matching pants, and a pair of combat boots. Theo thought he almost looked more normal than the others until he saw his forked tongue flick out of his mouth for a moment. Theo shuddered at the sight.

The last male instantly reminded Theo of a werewolf. He had the head of a wolf, but the body of a man. He was wearing a brown vest, matching pants, and didn't have any shoes on. The lack of shoes was probably due to the claws on their feet, Theo realized.

The cowboy rubbed at his eyes. "Okay. Please tell me you saw a lion girl being chased by a lion guy, wolf dude and snake man."

"That sounds entirely accurate," Anne replied dryly. "They're demi-humans, by the way. Half-human half-animal."

"Oh, okay." Theo nodded to himself. "At least, I'm not going crazy. Guess I'll go help her. Come on, Toto. Hyah!" Theo turned Toto to face the left side of the yellow brick road, and the wheat field. He kicked his horse's sides and Toto broke into a gallop as they headed in the direction the group of demi-humans had gone.

"So, this happens to you a lot?" Anne asked, her voice tinged with amusement. "Rescuing damsels in distress, I mean."

"No," Theo responded somewhat distractedly. He'd caught sight of the fleeing lion girl and well, she had enormous breasts that were bouncing up and down as she ran. _Baywatch moment._ Theo thought to himself with a leer and had to wipe some drool from his chin with the back of his hand. "Well, yeah. I guess. More so ever since I came to Oz though that's for sure."

"And here I thought you said you weren't a hero," Anne said in a playful tone. "I'm beginning to think you might be a fairytale prince in disguise."

Theo barked out a laugh. "Fairytale prince my ass!" The cowboy rode right past the three male demi-humans and turned Toto around so that they were blocking the males' way to the lion girl. The lion girl was trembling in fear and looked up at Theo with wide, astonished eyes.

Anne could relate to what the girl was probably feeling in that exact moment. Theo's sudden appearance in the cornfield had given her hope, and Anne could see the hope blossoming in the lion girl's golden eyes in that moment.

Theo turned his attention to the three males. The lion man and wolf man were both over six feet tall and had bulging muscles. The snake man was a little lankier than the others, but the large snake-like tail that was swishing behind him gave Theo the creeps. Theo flashed the sexy lion girl a roguish grin. "Hey, need some help, babe?"

The lion girl's eyes widened like saucers. "Um, y-yes, p-please..."

"You stay out of his, _human_ ," the lion man snarled, his lip curling and showing off his sharp canines. "This doesn't concern you. Leona is my _mate_!"

Theo raised an eyebrow at that strange declaration and shot Leona a questioning look. "You his girl?"

Leona shook her head vigorously. "No! At least, I don't _want_ to be his mate. Leroy was _assigned_ to be my breeding partner-"

Theo held up his right hand to silence her. "I'm going to go ahead and stop you right there. I think I get the just of this fucked up situation you're in, lady." Theo returned his attention to Leroy and gave him an exasperated look. "She doesn't like you, buddy. Scram."

Leroy's golden eyes flashed with anger. "Leona belongs to me! And if you continue to get in my way, I will rip your head off, foolish human!" The lion man then let out a threatening growl.

Theo let out a heavy sigh. "Why do they always want to do things the hard way?" He shrugged. "Oh well. Another day, another brawl." Theo dismounted Toto and approached the three demi-humans with a casual air about him. "Guess I have no choice but to kick your asses." The cowboy cracked his neck from side to side, and then cracked his knuckles.

The three demi-humans watched Theo get into a boxing fighting stance and put his fists up before him with varying degrees of disbelief playing on their faces. "Come on, what you waiting for?" Theo beckoned them on with his right hand.

Leroy and snake man exchanged an amused glance. "You are no match for our superior speed and strength, human," the snake man hissed.

"We'll see about that," Theo challenged. "Try me."

"Gerwulf. Ryuu. Stay back. I've got this." Leroy let out an enraged growl and charged towards Theo. Theo dodged his claw swipe and threw a punch in retaliation. It connected with the side of Leroy's face, but surprisingly didn't appear to do much damage.

Theo was forced to quickly dodge another claw swipe coming his way. Three tears appeared on the front of Theo's shirt. _This lion man is fast._ Theo thought. _But he's overconfident and leaves himself open. Like right now!_ Theo snuck past Leroy's defenses and sent a harsh upper cut punch into the bottom of the lion man's jaw. The blow sent Leroy flying up into the air and then he fell back to the ground where he remained unmoving.

"Leroy!" Ryuu and Gerwulf both cried out in a mixture of shock and horror that their comrade had been defeated so easily by a mere human.

"You'll pay for that, human," Ryuu hissed before attacking next.

Theo was forced to dodge and duck vicious claw swipes and his poor shirt was getting shredded to ribbons. He really hoped that Anne would be able to mend his shirt with the sewing kit that Blueberry had stuck inside the picnic basket Theo still had with him. Unexpectedly, Ryuu managed to trip Theo up using his tail.

"Uh oh," Theo muttered as he landed on his ass.

"Theo!" Anne called out in concern.

"He's mine!" Gerwulf suddenly declared and leapt at Theo, claws outstretched.

_Oh, shit._ Theo let out a startled sound before rolling across the ground sideways to avoid the attack.

Gerwulf landed where Theo had been only seconds before and his claws sank into the dirt with such force that a small crater formed there.

Theo quickly sprang to his feet and Gerwulf charged towards him. Theo shrugged and charged towards the wolf man. As soon as Theo was close enough he jumped and sent his knee into the bottom of Gerwulf's chin.

Gerwulf hadn't been expecting the bold move and so hadn't been able to avoid it. The wolf man's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell unconscious. Gerwulf's body hit the ground with a heavy thud and he too remained unmoving.

"K.O." Theo said to himself and smirked before setting his sights on his remaining opponent - Ryuu, the reptile man.

"Cocky human," Ryuu snarled before attacking Theo again. Theo made sure to watch his tail this time, and when he saw an opening he wrapped his arms around Ryuu's waist and performed a suplex maneuver - flipping Ryuu over his shoulders so that the snake man's shoulders slammed into the ground with enough pain to knock Ryuu unconscious.

Theo let go of Ryuu and dusted his hands off. _Not bad._ Fights were easier to finish when one didn't have to hold back, and it's not like the cops were about to spring out of the bushes to arrest Theo or anything.

As soon as the three demi-humans males had been defeated Anne jumped off Toto and ran to Theo. "Theo! Are you alright?"

The knuckles on Theo's left hand were a little bloody, but the small cuts were just minor flesh wounds really. "Yeah. How's our damsel in distress?" Theo looked around and his eyes landed on Leona.

Leona flinched under Theo's intense, searching gaze. "I...I'm alright. Thank you for saving me." Then, the lion girl fainted.

Theo took off his cowboy hat and scratched his head in a befuddled manner. "Yep. She totally just fainted. I guess we can't just leave her lying here?" He gave Anne a questioning look.

"That would kind of defeat the entire purpose of saving her," Anne said, looking down at the lion girl with a sympathetic look on her face. "Those creeps will just wake up and take her with them."

Theo let out a defeated sigh. "Yep. That's what I thought. Toto, get your ass over here. Stop being lazy. I need help with this lion girl." Toto let out an insulted snort and pawed the ground before trotting over.

Theo chuckled as he picked Leona up and draped her over the saddle. "I'm just kidding, Toto." Then he grabbed the reins and turned to Anne. "Let's look for a nice place to set up camp for the night."

"Sounds like a plan," Anne agreed with a nod.

To be continued in...Chapter 4:

### Chapter 4:

Twenty-five years ago in Oz, Jadyn's birthmother, Orabella, was captured by the goblins, and taken to the Goblin King, Irvine Verdant, who'd fallen in love with her from afar due to her beauty.

By the time King Caidyn traveled to the West to rescue his wife from the Goblin King's clutches she was already pregnant with Irvine's child. When Orabella returned to the North she was in poor health from her time living in the dungeons at the Goblin King's castle.

Since she was weak and malnourished, her healer recommended that Orabella terminate her pregnancy. But Orabella refused and was determined to give birth to her child. "A child is a gift from the gods," she'd said to her healer.

A few months later, Orabella gave birth to Jadyn - a sickly, half-goblin, half-human child with green skin and startling emerald green eyes.

As soon as King Caidyn saw the child's green skin he wanted to have the child killed on sight. But Orabella begged and pleaded for Caidyn to spare Jadyn's life, and even requested a boon from her husband. For him to cast a powerful glamour spell on the child to hide his green skin so that Jadyn could live as a true brother to Noryn and Reginald.

Orabella wanted it to be kept a secret that the Goblin King was Jadyn's true father. King Caidyn reluctantly agreed to his wife's request, but only because he loved Orabella very much. He cast a powerful glamour spell, which turned Jadyn's green skin a pale white.

Queen Orabella was mostly bedridden after giving birth to Jadyn. But the child's health was even worse off than her own. Orabella cared for her sickly child with great vigilance, and rarely let Jadyn out of her sight. As a result, Orabella didn't have the time or the strength to give her other sons - Noryn and Reginald - much of her attention.

Unfortunately, Noryn and Reginald took this personally, and felt as though Jadyn had replaced them in their mother's heart. The two boys felt abandoned and unloved by Orabella, and these dark feelings twisted into bitterness, jealousy, and hatred towards their younger brother, Jadyn.

Seven years passed, and then one night Orabella passed away in her sleep. Her death was peaceful, and apparently she'd died with a smile upon her lips. King Caidyn felt a combination of great sadness and rage over the death of his beloved queen. He drank heavily that night, and while in the midst of a drunken rage he yelled about how if Orabella had terminated her pregnancy seven years ago as she'd been advised that she'd still be alive and by his side.

Unbeknownst to King Caidyn, his sons, Noryn and Reginald, had been watching their father yell about how Orabella's death was Jadyn's fault. Their father's venomous words only served to fan the flames of Noryn and Reginald's hatred for their little brother, and they were quick to place all of the blame for their mother's death on Jadyn's shoulders.

Noryn and Reginald waited for the right opportunity when there were no witnesses to tell Jadyn that Orabella's death was his fault and that he was a cursed child that had brought about the death of their mother. Jadyn was only seven-years-old and he didn't really understand why he was being blamed for his mother's death, but still believed this lie that his brothers had told him for many years.

With the death of Queen Orabella King Caidyn was tempted to kill Jadyn, as he'd wanted to do all those years ago. But he'd made Orabella a promise to raise Jadyn as his own son, and for a wizard to break his word would have dire consequences and the universe would exact a price. For the most part, King Caidyn continued to keep his promise and raised Jadyn as a prince of the Northern Kingdom.

But King Caidyn had no reason to be kind to Jadyn, and treated him as if he were inferior to his brothers, Noryn and Reginald. As children were wont to do they followed the example of their father, and treated Jadyn as if he were inferior to them.

Jadyn may have lived inside of the castle with King Caidyn, Noryn and Reginald, and may have been called 'son' by Caidyn, and 'brother' by Noryn and Reginald, but he felt like an outsider. An interloper. An unwanted guest.

King Caidyn was a proud warrior wizard, and taught all three sons Light Magic and swordsmanship. Noryn and Reginald both had a natural talent for swordsmanship, and were also very talented in wielding Light Magic.

Jadyn, on the other hand, could barely find the strength to pick up a sword due to his sickly body. And he had trouble wielding Light Magic. Jadyn's lousy sword and magic skills only gave his brothers another reason to tease and ridicule him.

Noryn usually ignored Jadyn and pretended he didn't exist. When Jadyn tried to speak with Noryn, Noryn would pretend that he couldn't hear what Jadyn was saying. This made Jadyn feel like a ghost.

Jadyn almost preferred Reginald's treatment of him, as a result. At least, Reginald didn't ignore him when Jadyn tried to talk to him. But, Reginald only really talked to Jadyn when he was insulting Jadyn for his pathetic swordsmanship and pitiful attempts at magic. Reginald was incredibly vain and obsessed with things being 'beautiful'. And, of course, Jadyn's swordsmanship and magic were another _but_ beautiful, which Reginald was happy to point out to Jadyn on a daily basis.

As the years passed and Jadyn reached adolescence he began to understand what his father and brothers meant when they'd blamed Jadyn for Orabella's death. He also understood that deciding to give birth to him had been a risk his mother had been willing to take. In a way, Orabella had been willing to sacrifice her life for his. Jadyn's heart swelled with love for his mother at this startling realization.

At the same time, his heart also swelled with self-loathing. In a way, his father and brothers were right, and he'd killed the kind, beautiful Orabella by coming into this world. He understood his father's hatred a little better now, but was still hurt by King Caidyn's indifference.

Jadyn remembered how King Caidyn had treated him while Orabella had still been alive - with distant kindness, but kindness nevertheless. After Orabella's death, however, Caidyn had only treated Jadyn coldly. The change was almost suspicious, and Jadyn started to wonder if there was another reason why his father appeared to hate him.

And maybe this reason had something to do with the fact that Jadyn was so different from his brothers. Noryn and Reginald were tall, muscular, and fair-haired while Jadyn had a lanky physique and dark hair. They didn't _look_ related. And a tiny seed of doubt started to form within Jadyn's mind.

_Are we truly brothers?_ Jadyn had thought sadly to himself one day. _Why am I so different from them? Why can't I wield a sword or perform simple spells like they can?_

Jadyn's magic continued to be pitiful until his 18th birthday when he discovered an old, dusty spell book in the castle library and started to perform spells that for some reason King Caidyn had never tried to teach him or his brothers before.

Jadyn found it strangely easy to conjure fireballs, create lightning, and bring small animals back from the dead. A feeling of triumph and pride had welled up inside of him at the discovery that he was able to perform magic as well.

Jadyn had immediately gone to his brothers to show them his newfound abilities, and had expected to impress them. But, when Jadyn showed them his ability to conjure fire and bring dead animals back to life they were anything _but_ impressed. Noryn and Reginald had been absolutely horrified and disgusted. They'd called him 'evil' and 'wicked' and had run away from him in fear.

After that, Jadyn had run to the throne room in order to ask his father, King Caidyn, for answers. King Caidyn's eyes had narrowed dangerously when Jadyn had recounted the magic he'd performed and he let out a defeated sigh. Caidyn decided that the time had come to finally tell Jadyn the horrible truth of his origins.

Caidyn then recounted what had happened to Orabella and how the Goblin King, Irvine Verdant, had kidnapped her. Caidyn made sure that Jadyn understood that he was an unwanted child from an unwanted union. Caidyn also explained how upon Orabella's request he'd placed a glamour spell on Jadyn that hid his green skin. "You are half-goblin, Jadyn. Half monster. This is why you are able to perform Dark Magic."

As Jadyn's world crumbled down around him he didn't notice the sly smile that was curling King Caidyn's lips. _I am an unwanted child?_ Jadyn shook his head in denial. _No!_ He thought fiercely. He knew that that was a lie, at least. Jadyn knew the truth. His mother, Orabella, had loved him with all her heart. She'd wanted him.

Jadyn could still remember the sweet sound of his mother's voice as she sang him to sleep on nights that his fever kept him awake. He remembered the feeling of her cool hand against his heated brow as she'd stroked a hand back through his sweaty hair in a soothing gesture. Orabella had always been concerned with Jadyn's poor health and had cared for him constantly.

But Jadyn _had_ learned something important from Caidyn. The identity of his real father - the Goblin King. He'd also learned that it was the Goblin King who'd hurt his mother, Orabella. A powerful wave of anger and hatred washed over Jadyn at the thought of anyone ever harming his mother and he came to a quick decision: the Goblin King, Irvine Verdant, needed to die.

"I'm going to kill him," Jadyn said, clenching his hands into fists. He looked up to give Caidyn a fierce look. "I'm going to kill the Goblin King."

Caidyn inclined his head in Jadyn's direction. "Your mother would be proud, son."

Because Jadyn had yet to master the art of teleportation, using a simple levitation spell on a broomstick, Jadyn used it to fly to the West. Jadyn landed on the drawbridge of the Goblin King's castle, dismounted his broom, and faced the goblin guards that charged towards him with their short swords raised. Jadyn raised his right hand and conjured a fireball. He tossed it at a goblin that was running towards him on his left.

The goblin let out a surprised sound, and held up his sword before him instinctively, but the fire rushed past the sword's blade and incinerated the goblin to ashes in seconds. Jadyn made quick work of the other goblin guards that attacked him in much the same manner.

Unhindered at last, Jadyn made his way to the throne room and pushed the large, ornate double doors open before striding inside with purposeful steps. On the far side of the chamber and seated on a throne that Jadyn was surprised wasn't made out of human skulls, sat the Goblin King, Irvine Verdant.

The Goblin King was much larger than the other goblins had been, and was six-foot-three. The goblin guards had only been four feet tall. Jadyn wracked his brain for facts he knew about goblins, and deduced that the Goblin King was a hobgoblin, otherwise known as a Winkie. When a goblin's magical power and strength got to a certain point they evolved into a hobgoblin, and also gained a more humanoid appearance.

Irvine's skin was green, but his ears were only slightly pointed compared to the goblins Jadyn had just faced. Also, Irvine was incredibly muscular, whereas, the goblin guards had had a lanky physique. The Goblin King had short black hair, and Jadyn noticed they had the same emerald green eyes. The resemblance to this monster before him infuriated him and only confirmed what Caidyn said to be true.

Irvine raised an eyebrow at Jadyn. "Who are you? And why have you brought death and violence to my doorstep, Young Warlock?"

"If I gave you my name, you'd only get it dirty, Monster," Jadyn sneered, his lip curling in disdain. "And I have come to kill you and rid this world of a great evil!"

The Goblin King stood up from his throne, and Jadyn took an unconscious step back due to the male's intimidating aura. "Evil? I am not the one who attacked someone's home without just cause and killed those living there."

Jadyn conjured a fireball into his right hand and then flung it at the Goblin King. "Die!"

Irvine nimbly dodged the attack with an easy sidestep. "A fireball?" His voice was laced with surprise. "You practice the Dark Arts, and yet you call _me_ evil?"

A muscle in Jadyn's jaw ticked in anger. "Shut up, Monster. No one cares what you think!" Jadyn created a large fireball between his two hands and threw it at the Goblin King next.

Irvine calmly raised his hand, summoned his magical power, and concentrated on creating an energy shield to block the attack. When the fireball hit the shield it was with enough force that the Goblin King was pushed back across the floor. Irvine's eyes widened and he looked impressed. "Very good. You're quite powerful, Young Warlock. Who was your teacher? Your father, perhaps?"

A flash of anger crossed Jadyn's visage. "I have no father!" Jadyn spat, his voice dripping with venom and hatred.

Irvine blinked. There was something about that statement that stirred something within him and made the Goblin King lower his guard for a moment. Irvine hadn't failed to note that the young male before him bore a startling resemblance to himself when he'd been younger. They had the same black hair and startling green eyes with golden flecks. "What do you mean by that, Young Warlock? Tell me, who is your father?"

"Shut up! Die! Die! Die!" Jadyn threw fireball after fireball at the Goblin King until he started to cough violently. Jadyn bent over and continued to cough until he spat a glob of blood onto the floor.

Feeling strangely concerned for the Young Warlock's well-being, Irvine approached and reached out to him. He was starting to suspect the male's true identity. "Are you alright?"

Jadyn saw his chance and took it. He summoned a dagger to his hand from his pocket dimension and stabbed the Goblin King - right in the heart. Irvine staggered backwards in pain, and looked down at the dagger hilt protruding from his chest in shock. He grabbed the hilt of the dagger, wrenched the dagger free, and tossed it aside. He then placed a hand over the wound as blood gushed out of the wound and down his chest.

"Y-You fool!" Jadyn wheezed and smiled, revealing his bloody teeth. "Now I have finally avenged my mother, Orabella!"

Irvine gave the Young Warlock a desperate, searching look. "You are Orabella's son. My son?"

Jadyn's triumphant expression turned to disgust. "Yes, Father. Because of you I was an unwanted child from an unwanted union."

"No..." Irvine gasped as his lifeblood left him. "I loved your mother..."

"Lies!" Jadyn snapped, starting to tremble with rage. "What game are you playing at? Why would you bother to lie now? I already know the truth. You kidnapped her. Held her captive and you raped her!"

"Is that what King Caidyn told you?" Irvine let out a sad sigh. "Your mother, Orabella, had run away from your adoptive father, Caidyn, when my soldiers found her alone and injured in the woods. They brought her to me and I cared for her. I treated her wounds and nursed her back to health. I fell in love with her, and surprisingly enough she returned my feelings. I was going to make her my Queen."

Jadyn shook his head with a lost expression on his face. "No. That can't be true. Why would my mother run away from King Caidyn? He's a _hero_ of Oz!"

Irvine arched a dark brow at Jadyn. "And do you consider Caidyn to be a kind, loving man?"

Jadyn's lips pressed into a thin, grim line. "No. Not really."

"Your mother, Orabella, was trapped in a loveless marriage that had been arranged for her by her parents. At first, Caidyn was kind to her, but after she'd given him two sons he began to change. Caidyn grew rough with her, and began to hurt her when they were intimate with each other. That's why she decided to run away."

The blood started to drain out of Jadyn's face. "Caidyn...hurt my mother?"

"Orabella was a brave woman. She risked everything when she ran away from King Caidyn. If my soldiers hadn't discovered her when they did the direwolves probably would have eaten her. But she told me that she'd made up her mind and that she wanted to be in control of her own life. She'd wanted the freedom to give her heart to the man she chose to love."

"And you're saying she fell in love with you?" Jadyn asked, his voice dripping with skepticism.

Irvine let out a low chuckle and a little blood trickled down his chin. "I was as surprised as you are now. To a human woman I should have looked monstrous...but she said she found me handsome." A fond, lopsided smile curled his lips as he remembered the human woman he'd fallen in love with. "She was very kind and was able to see the good in people. Your mother had the loveliest singing voice..." Irvine said wistfully.

And those words were all it took for Jadyn to believe Irvine's story. "She sang to you?" Jadyn demanded, shock swirling in his green eyes. When Irvine sank to his knees suddenly, Jadyn rushed to the fallen king's side.

"Yes," Irvine croaked out, and started to sing one of the songs Orabella used to sing to him in a soft voice. "She had the voice of a nightingale."

Jadyn's heart clenched painfully inside of his chest when he recognized the song that his mother used to sing to him in order to help him fall asleep at night. Tears filled his eyes when he realized King Caidyn had manipulated him into coming here and slaying the Goblin King. "I'm such a fool. Caidyn lied to me. Manipulated me. He made me kill my own father. I'm so sorry," Jadyn lamented in a cracked voice.

With the last of his remaining strength, Irvine reached out and grabbed Jadyn's arm. "You are my son. This is your kingdom now. It is your responsibility. You must protect the West from Caidyn and his hypocrisy."

Jadyn gave the Goblin King a lost, distraught look. "I don't know if I can. I'm not strong enough."

"Caidyn only pretends to be a hero," Irvine started through gritted teeth. "He discriminates against the monster races: goblins, hobgoblins, trolls, orcs, direwolves, and the flying monkeys. He demonizes them and makes people think they are _all_ bloodthirsty monsters that crave man-flesh. But...he's wrong. There are good and bad in the monster races too. You must find a way to protect the lesser races before they are all wiped out. You are their only hope. Only you can protect the monsters now."

"I thought the lesser races were evil?" Jadyn questioned with a dazed look on his face. His entire world had suddenly been flipped upside down.

"There is no such thing as pure evil," Irvine said. "And whether or not you're on the side of 'good' or on the side of 'evil' is just a matter of perspective depending on which side you're on in a war. Peace between the monster and human races _is_ possible. Your mother and I proved that. Now, it's up to you to prove we can co-exist with the humans. If the humans stop treating us like monsters then we'll stop being monsters..."

"I'll try my best, Father," Jadyn said tremulously.

"Good. Here." Irvine handed Jadyn a golden cap. "This enchanted cap gives you control over the flying monkeys. You can only command them to fight for you three times before the cap shall have a new Master."

Jadyn took the cap and his fingers clenched around it. "Thank you. I will use it well. I will protect the Kingdom of the West as its new King."

"You will henceforth be known as the Wicked Warlock of the West..." Irvine said with a twinkle in his green eyes.

"Wicked? I thought you said we're not evil?" Jadyn asked in a sardonic tone.

"Fear will keep the West safe for a time," Irvine explained.

"I understand, Father," Jadyn said, sensing he didn't have much time left with his father. "I...I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Irvine said with a passionate look on his face. "I'm happy I got to meet you before the end, my son."

Jadyn sucked in a breath as he watched the light leave his father's eyes and then the Goblin King's body went limp in Jadyn's arms.

At the unfairness of it all Jadyn tilted his head back and let out a roar of rage and despair. He'd just managed to find his real father only to lose him. The need to get revenge on Caidyn for his venomous lies welled up inside of him, but protecting the West was now his priority and his responsibility. He'd made a promise to his birthfather, and one he intended to keep.

Jadyn quickly composed himself, dried his tears, and stood. He had a Kingdom to rule.

Present Day...

Materializing in the center of his bedroom, Jadyn collapsed to his hands and knees and coughed violently. More blood dribbled out of his mouth and onto the cold, stone floor. _Curse this sickly body of mine!_

One punch. That's all it had taken to reduce Jadyn to this pitiful state. One touch from that anti-magic gauntlet and Jadyn's magical core had been almost completely drained.

Jadyn reached his hand up and felt around inside of his mouth. That punch had knocked several of his teeth out. Jadyn would have to make a potion that would regrow his teeth. And regrowing teeth was a nasty and painful business.

Jadyn pushed himself up off the floor on shaky legs. He staggered over to the full-length mirror in his room, and gawked at his newly changed appearance. His skin was green and his ears had become slightly pointed. He looked just like a hobgoblin or Winkie now.

Jadyn stared at his reflection for several minutes. He'd never actually seen his true appearance until now. He'd never been interested to see what he looked like beneath the glamour spell that Caidyn had cast on him, and so had never broken it. Or perhaps, in truth, he'd been too afraid to break the spell and see his monstrous appearance.

Hysterical laughter bubbled up Jadyn's throat until he was laughing loudly. He laughed for several minutes before he managed to get himself back under control. "I really am a monster," Jadyn sneered, his lip curling in disgust. "I'm hideous."

And now the toys from Toy Village knew the truth - that he wasn't fully human. They knew that he was a monster. "No!" Jadyn cried out and dug his nails into his scalp painfully. Isn't this what he'd been trying to change with his experiment at Toy Village? This prejudice against goblins and the lesser races?

Jadyn had thought that if he turned all the humans in Oz into toys that they could co-exist with the goblins, trolls, orcs and even the direwolves. But Theodore Gale had put an end to his experiment and had liberated Toy Village by defeating him.

Jadyn took several deep breaths and let one breath out slowly. It had been a stupid idea anyways - humans in the form of toys and goblins co-existing. The humans were obviously unhappy trapped in the form of toys.

Now that the toys knew of his true appearance, word would spread through Oz like wildfire. In just a matter of days, everyone throughout the land would know he was a monster. He had to hurry and restore his glamour spell...

Jadyn closed his eyes, summoned his magical power, and concentrated on restoring the glamour spell. He opened his eyes and glared down at his green hand. It wasn't working. His magic wasn't working...! He started to inwardly panic.

"Argh! Theodore Gale!" Jadyn punched the full-length mirror, and it shattered, shards of glass tinkling as they hit the floor. Jadyn's breathing rate started to increase until he was panting angrily for breath. He couldn't restore his true form. No. This _was_ his true form.

He started to laugh hysterically again. What did it matter anyways? The cat was already out of the bag as they say. Everyone in Oz would assume the Wicked Warlock of the West was a hobgoblin that had been masquerading as a human. None would know he was half-human half-goblin.

Only Noryn and Reginald would realize that their brother was in fact their half-brother. Of course, they would probably also jump to the conclusion that their mother had been taken advantage of by a goblin, and that Jadyn was the spawn of that unwanted union.

"Wonderful," Jadyn said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. If his brothers hadn't hated him before they sure would now. "I will no longer be 'King of the Monsters' in name only. In the eyes of the monsters, I am one of them now."

Jadyn spread his arms wide at his sides in a dramatic pose. "Fine, then! Let them see me this way! What does it matter? They will always think me evil and wicked whatever my skin color is. This is no different. Nothing will really change."

Jadyn wiped the blood on his chin away with the back of his hand. "I won't do down without a fight! I need to at least try and come up with some way to kill Theodore Gale before he kills me." The warlock stalked over to his bedroom door, flung the door open, and exited out into the hall.

The two goblin guards that were posted on either side of his door startled at his sudden appearance, and their yellow eyes widened when they caught sight of Jadyn's green skin. "Y-Your Majesty?" one of the goblins squeaked out.

"Yes?" Jadyn asked archly.

The goblin quickly composed himself, and offered Jadyn an amiable smile. "Nothing. Glad you're back home safe."

A flash of surprise crossed Jadyn's face at the unexpected friendliness. "Ah, yes..." Jadyn took off, heading for the library with a small smile tugging at his lips. Maybe some things would be different after all.

Jadyn entered the massive library and immediately began to peruse the shelves. If he couldn't defeat Theodore using magic there had to be some other way. The warlock stroked his chin in thought.

Jadyn's sharp gaze landed on a particular spell book he'd just recently returned to the shelf. "Ah, yes. If I recall correctly this book explained how to summon creatures that were ready to do one's bidding. If I can't kill Theodore myself I'll just have some powerful monster do it for me! Brilliant."

Jadyn grabbed the book, carried it over to a table, and sat down to read. There were so many choices of creatures that he could summon. "Pick your poison, Theodore Gale. Oh wait, I'll be picking for you. Muahaha!" An evil cackle slipped past the warlock's lips and echoed throughout the library.

***

Meanwhile, Theo and Anne were trying to choose a good spot to set up camp when it started to rain. Anne's eyes widened with panic. "Rain! I can't be out in the rain. I'll get waterlogged and then it takes me _days_ to dry out."

"Shit. That doesn't sound fun." Theo looked around the surrounding forest and spotted the entrance to a cave. "Hey, check out that cave over there. You think it goes deep enough to keep you dry?"

Anne followed Theo's line of sight and spotted the cave entrance. "Only one way to find out."

"Hyah!" Theo kicked Toto's sides and galloped towards the cave. The cave opening was luckily high enough for Toto to trot right on inside and out of the rain. Theo dismounted and held his hand up to help Anne down. "How you doing?"

Anne smiled as she took Theo's hand. "I only got a little moist."

Theo gulped at her words, which could have been a double entendre. Or at least, they had a double meaning to a pervert like him. Theo let go of Anne as soon as her feet touched the ground, and took a step back. He tried to look interested in their surroundings as he glanced around the cave and tried to will his stirring cock to quit it. The cave was surprisingly spacious. "I'll build a fire," Theo declared upon spotting some dry branches lying on the ground. "That should help you dry off."

Anne shuddered at the mention of a fire, but nodded bravely. "Sure."

"How's sleeping beauty doing?" Theo mused aloud as he pulled Leona off the back of the saddle, and carried her over to the center of the cave. "She's a lot heavier than she looks."

Anne let out an amused snort. "I wouldn't tell her that when she wakes up. She may end up using you as a scratching post."

"I was just comparing her to you," Theo said with a shrug. "You're as light as a feather, Sweetheart."

"Oh," Anne said. She couldn't quite decide if she was offended or flattered by Theo's words.

An awkward silence descended upon them while Theo wandered around the cave gathering up a bundle of dry twigs and branches that previous travelers must have gathered outside in the nearby forest.

Theo carried his bundle of sticks over to the center of the cave where he dropped them onto the ground. Theo then crouched down and began to arrange the sticks into a conical shape. Using some flint that he always kept handy in his jeans pocket, Theo had a small fire going in no time.

Anne settled down by the fire about five feet away from it, brought her knees to her chest, and wrapped her arms around her legs as she stared into the flickering flames.

Theo snuck peeks at Anne while she dried off. "You...okay with the fire?"

Anne startled at the sound of Theo's voice in the silence. "Oh...yeah. As long as someone isn't trying to use it on me." She let out a nervous laugh and wrapped her arms tighter around her legs.

Leona started to stir, and a soft moan left her as she awoke. She sat up and blinked her eyes owlishly at her unexpected surroundings. "Where...am I?"

Theo offered her a charming grin. "Hey, you're awake! We're in a cave. Sorry. You're probably used to better accommodations." He rubbed the back of his neck in a chagrined manner.

Leona lifted her shoulders in a flippant shrug. "It's better than a cage."

Theo's hands clenched into fists at her words. "Excuse me. Did you just say 'a cage'?"

"Thank you for saving me," Leona said, steering the conversation in another direction. "I really didn't want to be Leroy's mate."

"If you don't mind," Anne began, giving the girl a friendly smile. "Can you explain to us about what was going on?"

"You've both heard of Demi-human Village, right?" Leona asked.

"Yes," Anne said while Theo said: "No."

Leona raised an eyebrow at Theo.

"He's new to Oz," Anne supplied helpfully.

"Ah, I suppose I'll have to start at the beginning then," Leona said, tucking a strand of golden hair behind her ear in a nervous gesture. "Dr. Doppelganger took over my village years ago and started to run genetic experiments on us. We used to be normal human beings until he combined our DNA with animal DNA. Dr. Doppelganger claimed it was for the evolution of mankind."

"The evolution of mankind..." Theo muttered darkly to himself. This wasn't the first time someone had said that phrase to him before. As he tried to remember where he'd heard the phrase he recalled having seen it written down in the journal he'd taken from the research facility that had been doing experiments on the Munchkins.

"Because Oz is a land of magic...Dr. Doppelganger's scientific experiments on us had some unexpected but not unwanted effects. My people started to develop supernatural abilities and special powers. Dr. Doppelganger decided to find out whether or not these abilities could be passed down to our children, and that's how the breeding experiments began. Dr. Doppelganger started to choose our mates for us." Leona shivered and rubbed at her arms as she thought about Leroy's unwanted touches.

"That's horrible," Anne said on a gasp.

"And your people just agreed to this insanity?" Theo asked in a harsh tone.

"My people are being mind controlled by Dr. Doppelganger," Leona explained.

"How?" Theo asked, his expression darkening.

"Did you notice the metal headbands that the three demi-human males that were pursuing me were wearing?" Leona questioned.

Theo thought back to the three demi-humans males and then nodded. "Yeah." Theo's gaze went to Leona's forehead and he couldn't help but notice that she wasn't wearing one. "What about you? Where's your headband?"

"My special power was able to counter the headband's affects on my mind," Leona revealed nervously. "As soon as the mind control was broken and I had my free will back I knew that I didn't want to become Leroy's mate. That's why I fled Demi-Human Village."

"If you don't mind me asking," Anne began tentatively. "What _is_ your special power?"

Leona raised a hand to her throat. "My voice. It's magical. My songs can put people to sleep, heal wounds, and even create powerful sound waves that can be used as an offensive attack. It was one of my sound waves that disrupted the headband's signal and freed me from Dr. Doppelganger's mind control."

"Dr. Doppelganger..." Theo started. "You're talking about the Wicked Warlock of the East, right?"

Leona nodded. "Yes."

"Well, you don't have to worry about him anymore," Theo declared as a cocky grin spread across his face and he jabbed a thumb into his chest. "I killed him."

Leona's golden eyes widened in shock. "How?"

"I accidentally dropped a barn on him," Theo admitted.

Leona's hopeful expression turned skeptical. "I wonder if he will stay dead this time. You are not the first to claim to have vanquished Dr. Doppelganger. Heroes claim to have killed him only for him to turn up a few weeks later. Some say he's immortal. Perhaps he's some kind of undead being or vampire. All I know is that I shouldn't get my hopes up. Dr. Doppelganger being dead would be too good to be true."

"Is there some place safe we can take you?" Theo asked.

"I was on my way to the Emerald City," Leona revealed, twirling a strand of gold hair around her finger in a nervous gesture. "I have a request I wish to make of the Sultry Sorceress. Apparently, if she deems one worthy enough she will fulfill a person's wishes."

"That's a funny coincidence," Anne said with a twinkle in her eye. "We are also headed to the Emerald City. My request for the Sultry Sorceress is for her to break my people's curse and to restore us to our human forms."

Leona did a double take and gawked at Anne. "You used to be human?"

"Yes," Anne confirmed with a nod. "The Wicked Warlock of the West, Jadyn, cursed my entire village by turning us into toys."

Leona sucked in a shocked breath. "That's horrible." Her brow furrowed. "And also very strange. Why 'toys'?"

Anne shrugged. "I have no idea. But we were forced to brew healing potions for Jadyn day and night without rest. He also sent a squadron of goblins to keep an eye on us and to make sure we didn't slack off or try to escape the village."

"Goblins?" The blood started to drain from Leona's face and she trembled in fear. "Did they try to eat you?"

To Leona's great surprise Anne started to laugh. "They can't eat a toy!"

Leona pouted, her fear abruptly leaving her. "I suppose not." Her golden eyes sparkled with amusement. "Healing potions. How nefarious of him."

Theo stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I wonder what Jadyn wanted all those healing potions for anyways."

Anne gave Theo a disbelieving look. "Probably to strengthen his goblin army as he plots world domination."

Theo let out a hum but didn't appear to be too convinced. "As for me, I'm going to request that the Sultry Sorceress send me back home to Kansas."

"And he's going to ask her if she knows about the whereabouts of Theo's missing parents," Anne added. "They might actually be here in Oz."

"What about you, Leona?" Theo smoothly interrupted Anne. He didn't want to get his hopes up about his parents. He was pretty sure they were dead and had come to terms with that a long time ago. "What are you going to ask the Sultry Sorceress for?"

A pink tinge rose to Leona's cheeks out of embarrassment. "My dream is to become a famous singer," Leona revealed shyly. "I want to sing for the people of Emerald City."

"You want to be a Pop Idol?" Theo asked, and then chuckled to himself out of amusement. "Some things never change, and pretty girls wanting to be famous is definitely one of them."

Leona's brow furrowed with confusion. "What is a Pop Idol?"

"A famous female singer who wears cute, skimpy outfits while she sings and dances up on stage," Theo explained with a careless wave of his hand, and a lecherous grin spread across his face as he pictured Leona's wearing a sparkly tube dress. "And occasionally they even wear cat ears on their heads...like Josie and her pussy cats."

Leona's confused expression turned contemplative. "Skimpy outfits?"

Anne shot Theo a reproachful glare. "I wouldn't trust his word completely, Leona. He's from another world, and he's also a total playboy."

Instead of Leona looking put off she started to look intrigued. "A playboy, huh?" Theo gulped at the heated look Leona was suddenly giving him.

Anne's stern expression turned befuddled when she caught sight of the look that was now on Leona's face. Anne's little plan to keep Leona away from Theo by calling him a playboy had completely backfired apparently. She started to nibble on her lower lip.

Theo abruptly stood up and dusted himself off. "Um, you girls hear that? It sounds like running water. I'm gonna go explore the cave. We could use some clean drinking water."

"I don't need food or water, remember?" Anne pointed out in a slightly irritated tone.

"Ah, well, Leona and I still need water." Theo grabbed a stick, wrapped a piece of cloth around it, and made a makeshift torch.

"I'll go with you," Leona said, standing up, walking over to Theo and looping her arm around his. "I have very good hearing. I'll be able to find the water's source easily."

"Ah, alright, let's go," Theo agreed reluctantly and with forced enthusiasm. The entire reason Theo had suggested that he go find water was to give him an excuse to give the girls who'd looked about ready to claw each other's eyes out some space. Theo had good instincts when it came to impending catfights. "We'll be right back, Anne."

"Yeah, yeah." Anne waved them off in what she hoped was a casual manner. "Have fun, you two."

Tracking the sound of running water with her sharp feline ears, Leona led the way as she and Theodore took off to explore the adjacent tunnels. When they reached the end of one of the tunnels they discovered a chamber filled with several hot springs pools. The cavern was illuminated by bioluminescent moss that was growing on the cave's walls and the sight reminded Theo of a starry night sky.

"Oh, how romantic," Leona breathed, her golden eyes glittering as she watched steam rising lazily off the surface of the pools. She skipped over to one of the pools of water excitedly, bent over, and stuck her hand into the water to test its temperature. She nodded to herself and smiled. "Purrrrfect. The water's not too hot."

"Oh, yeah?" Theo mumbled distractedly, his eyes pinned to the nice view of Leona's behind as she bent over to test the water's temperature.

Leona spun around and there was a mischievous glint in her golden eyes now. "We should take a bath."

Theo gulped nervously at the suggestion. "A bath? You mean...like together?" Taking a bath meant getting naked, of course, and Theo didn't know if he would be able to control himself around this stunning woman if she was naked.

"Oh, yes." Leona started to strip off her dress until she was standing fully naked in front of Theodore.

Theo's blue eyes raked hungrily over her luscious curves. Her breasts were enormous, the size of cantaloupes. He'd have to use both of his hands to knead one of her breasts properly. His gaze traveled down to her thin waist, over her shapely hips, and lingered on the golden triangle that covered her sex.

A sly grin curled Leona's pink lips as Theo stared at her open-mouthed. "Well, what are you waiting for, Cowboy? Don't be shy. Hurry up and take off your clothes." Leona turned around, giving Theo a nice view of her firm behind, and stepped into the hot springs pool with graceful movements.

Theo's already half-hard cock throbbed in his jeans at the delectable sight. "Oh, what the hell." Theo decided to throw caution to the wind and stripped off his clothes. He swiftly entered the hot springs pool before Leona could turn around and notice his disrespectful erection.

Leona turned around when Theo was already waist deep in the pool and smiled at him innocently. "Isn't this nice?" She ran her hand through the water.

"Yeah," Theo grunted as his gaze went to her bare breasts again. They were glistening from the water and her pearled nipples appeared to be beckoning to him to place his mouth on them.

Leona's smile faltered when Theo didn't move closer. "Why are you so far away?" Her expression turned teasing. "I won't bite. Unless you want me to, that is."

Theo scratched the back of his neck in a sheepish gesture. "Look, you're drop-dead gorgeous, and I'm incredibly attracted to you. But I know it's wrong to feel this way about you right now after everything you've just gone through. You were almost forced to become Leroy's mate, so sex is probably the last thing on your mind. I'm trying to hold myself back and be a gentleman...but you should really keep your distance because this is hard for me. Really _hard_."

Leona tilted her head, and gave Theo a quizzical look. "You want me, but are holding yourself back for my sake?" Theo nodded. "Well, don't hold yourself back for _my_ sake. I want you too."

Theo's embarrassed expression turned befuddled. "But how could you possibly want sex right now?"

"How could I not?" Leona countered, walking towards him through the water and swaying her hips. "I was a mind-controlled prisoner for many years. The choice of whom I gave myself to was out of my hands. Now, I am free to make my own choices. I can finally decide whom I want to give myself to. And I want to be with the man who saved me. My hero. You." Leona reached up and placed a hand on Theo's chest.

Theo gazed into Leona's golden eyes searchingly. "Hero? I'm not entirely comfortable with that word."

Leona let out a frustrated huff. Most men would be eating out of the palm of her hand by now. "Would it help if I said I just wanted to fuck you because you have a handsome face and hopefully a very large cock?" she challenged.

Theo's conflicted expression morphed into an intrigued one and he grinned lopsidedly at her. "It might."

"I want you, Theo," Leona purred, drawing circles on his bare chest before letting her claws slide over his muscles in a way that made Theo shudder with lust. "I want to give myself to you. I want to use you for my own pleasure. This would just be some meaningless but very pleasurable sex."

"I'm definitely okay and onboard with that offer." Theo gave her a thumbs-up.

"Good boy," Leona purred as she started to push Theo back with both of her hands on his chest. Theo took a few steps back until the back of his knees hit a rocky ledge, which he sat down on.

Leona smoothly straddled Theo and suddenly her core was brushing against his aching erection. Theo groaned when Leona started to wantonly grind herself against him.

"You're so hard already," Leona noted with a pleased note to her sultry voice. "You want me that badly?"

"Yeah, well, that's what a stunningly beautiful naked woman does to me-" Theo was saying when Leona leaned over and captured Theo's lips with her own in a fiery, blazing kiss.

Theo's eyes flared in surprise. He wasn't used to aggressive women. The women he slept with usually liked him to be in control, but this was a nice change of pace letting the woman be in control for once.

With her teeth Leona bit lightly onto Theo's bottom lip and pulled back, demanding entrance. Theo gasped and Leona plunged her tongue into his mouth. Her tongue swirling around his own caused his cock to twitch and a drop of precum formed on its tip.

_Shit._ Theo inwardly swore. At this rate he was going to come just from kissing like a pathetic hormonal teenager. Theo raised his hands from her waist to Leona's shoulders and gently pushed her back. "Leona." His voice was deep, husky, and filled with need. He gave her a beseeching look.

Leona seemed to instantly understand what Theo wanted, and placed her hands on Theo's broad shoulders to that she was able to steady herself as she positioned herself over Theo's cock. The head of his penis brushed against her entrance and they both shuddered.

"I've never slept with a cat girl before," Theo remarked as he admired the cat ears on the top of her head.

"Lion girl," Leona corrected before lowering herself onto his erection. They both gasped as just the head slipped inside her. Theo returned his hands to Leona's waist and his fingers dug into her soft flesh as he tried to remain still. But she was so damned tight. All he wanted to do was start thrusting away inside of her, but he didn't want to hurt her and so used all of his willpower to let Leona remain in control.

Leona took her time impaling herself fully on Theo's cock until she was sitting comfortably on his lap. "It's deep," Leona purred in a husky voice, wriggling on his lap a little to get used to the feeling of being so stretched and filled. "You have a very nice cock, Theo."

"Thank you," Theo said gruffly, a twinkle in his blue eyes. "I aim to please."

Leona wrapped her arms around Theo's neck and pressed her breasts against his chest. Her nipples were aching and she rubbed them up and down Theo's hard muscular chest. A pleasured moan slipped past her lips at the delicious friction.

Theo watched Leona's lewd antics in awe. She hadn't been kidding when she'd said she wanted to use Theo for her own pleasure. "You are a naughty kitty."

A lascivious smile spread across Leona's lips. "Oh, you have no idea. Try not to come too soon, Theo. I want this to last."

"I'll give it my best shot," Theo assured.

Then Leona started to move over him, boldly riding his cock as she sought her own pleasure. Her movements started to speed up as tension coiled inside of her stomach causing her enormous breasts to bounce up and down.

Unable to hold himself back any longer from the tantalizing sight, Theo reached out and placed his hands over her breasts. He kneaded and fondled them before pinching both of her nipples at the same time.

Leona cried out and arched her back. Theo felt her inner walls clenching around his cock in response to his ministrations and groaned. Leona looked at him with eyes glazed and hooded with lust. "N-Not bad, Cowboy," she panted. "You're pretty good at this."

A cocky smirk appeared on Theo's face. "Baby, you ain't seen nothing yet." Theo reached down and began to tease Leona's clit.

Leona cried out again and grinded herself against Theo. He started to thrust his hips up and Leona bounced on his lap. She was starting to lose herself in her own pleasure and began to cling to Theo desperately as he started to take control of their lovemaking.

"Oh...mmm...Theo...I'm going to..." Leona panted, her body trembling with pleasure.

"Do it, baby," Theo urged her in a deep, rumbling voice. "Come for me." He pinched her tender bud.

Leona cried out as she came against Theo and dug her claws into Theo's back. He didn't mind though because the feeling of Leona's inner walls clenching around his cock felt great and sent him over the edge to meet her in ecstasy. "Leona," he grunted as he spent himself deep inside of her.

Leona let out a possessive growl as she felt Theo's hot seed filling her insides, and sank her teeth into a spot between Theo's neck and shoulder. Theo grunted at the mixture of pain and pleasure that assaulted his senses at that bite, but it only seemed to heighten the pleasure of his orgasm. He felt marked, and liked it. _Sex with a lion girl is so hot._ He mused to himself in a daze.

Leona pulled back and licked her bloody lips as she watched Theo with a feral look on her face. Theo gulped at the intensity of her stare. Then their mouths met in a heated kiss.

Theo and Leona were so wrapped up in each other, and their carnal pleasure that neither of them noticed the glowing, magic circle shaped like a pentagram that appeared in the very center of the cavern's ceiling. An enormous, black, hairy spider began to lower itself down towards the amorous couple on a sticky thread of webbing.

To be continued in...Chapter 5:

### Chapter 5:

A few minutes earlier at the Wicked Warlock of the West's castle, Jadyn waved his hands over a large crystal ball that was filled with swirling, green smoke. "Show me Theodore Gale," he demanded in an imperious tone. An image began to form inside of the crystal ball until Jadyn was staring at an unexpected sight.

Theodore Gale was seated on a rocky ledge inside of a hot springs pool and he wasn't alone. A naked lion girl was straddling his lap, and from her movements appeared to be riding his cock. Jadyn flushed, and his green cheeks turned brown. "Gah!" Jadyn exclaimed stumbling back a few steps out of sheer disgust. "I really did _not_ need to see that."

Warily, Jadyn approached his crystal ball and took a look inside again. The cavern Theodore was currently located inside of was a halfway point to the Emerald City. A dark scowl formed on Jadyn's face as he eyed the gorgeous lion girl. "Who the hell is she anyways? Where did Theo even meet her? The last time I saw that imbecile he was hanging out with that beautiful doll, err, I mean the revolutionary Anne Raggedy."

Jadyn began to pace across his chamber as a wave of jealousy swept over him. "And now all of a sudden he has the attention of a gorgeous lion girl and they're already having sex even though they obviously just met!" The warlock started to grind his back molars out of frustration. "Well, it must be nice having a handsome face all the girls love."

Jadyn started to chant the words of a powerful incantation that would summon a loyal monster to Theodore's location. "I hope it was worth it, Theodore, letting your guard down, because the time for such depravity is over!" Jadyn watched triumphantly as a large, glowing pentagram appeared on the ceiling of the cavern and then the head of a spider with large, clicking mandibles emerged from the portal.

Rubbing his hands together gleefully, Jadyn watched as the hideous spider began to lower itself down into the cavern from a sticky thread of webbing. The spider's body was covered with black fur and it had eight glowing red eyes, giving it a demonic appearance. A sinister grin spread across the warlock's face at the sight of that fearsome creature. "Oh, yes! This is going to be good. Muahaha!" Jadyn started to cackle wildly.

***

Theo and Leona were locked in a passionate kiss as they came down from their orgasm high. After a few minutes, Theo pulled back so that he could catch his breath and smiled lopsidedly at Leona. "That was-" he started to say when he glanced over Leona's shoulder and spotted an enormous spider dangling down from the ceiling.

"Holy shit!" Theo swore loudly at the unexpected sight, his eyes widening in horror. The spider was directly behind Leona and starting to open its mandibles wide. Those pincers not only looked dangerously sharp, but a suspicious purple substance was dripping down from them.

With his hands wrapped around her waist, Theo spun around so that his back was to the giant spider and he could shield Leona with his body better. The spider swung forward and its mandibles closed down around Theo's upper right arm, just above the gauntlet.

A scream of pain was wrenched from Theo's lips as the pincers dug into his flesh. Theo placed his hands on Leona's shoulders and pushed her off his body. He shuddered as his limp cock slipped out of her. "Go! Get out of here! I'll handle this overgrown Demon Aragog."

Leona's golden eyes were wide with terror as she looked over Theo's shoulder at the gigantic spider that was trying to rip his arm off. The lion girl gulped, nodded and then sprang out of the hot springs pool. She landed on the edge and then took off running towards the entrance to the tunnel that led to the cave where Anne was waiting for their return.

As soon as Leona was safely out of the hot springs pool, Theo spun around and using his left fist he punched the spider right in its ugly face. "Let go of my arm, you bastard!" The spider's eyes gleamed in response and it only tightened its hold on Theo's arm in a show of stubbornness.

"Oh, so that's how you want to play it then? Time to fight dirty." Theo raised his left hand and formed a peace sign with his fingers. "Peace," Theo said before jabbing his two fingers right into two of the spider's eyes. "Not!"

The spider let out a screeching wail of pain mixed with rage and ended up releasing Theo. As soon as Theo was free he scrambled out of the hot springs pool. The cowboy turned around to watch as the spider continued to have its tantrum. A dark scowl formed on Theo's face as he wondered where the hell that thing had come from. He looked up at the ceiling and that's when he noticed the glowing pentagram that was flooded with a green and gold colored energy. Theo narrowed his eyes at it. It looked like some kind of magical portal. _Magic? Jadyn!_

Call it a gut feeling but somehow Theo just knew that the Wicked Warlock of the West had literally caught him with his pants down. "And that's a good question actually. Where the hell are my pants?" Theo wondered aloud as he started to scan the ground around him.

Having no luck in finding his pants, Theo started to back up as quietly as possible while trying to make it to the tunnel entrance unnoticed by the spider.

Theo had almost made it to the tunnel when abruptly the spider shot a thread of webbing in Theo's direction. Theo thought the spider had missed him, but then noticed how the webbing had attached itself to the wall directly next to Theo's head. The spider began to climb the webbing as it headed in Theo's direction. Due to the spider's weight it was upside down as it approached Theo.

Theo stood his ground and raised his fists before him in a boxing stance. "I can't believe I have to fight a giant spider while I'm buck-naked and with my half-hard dick bouncing up and down. This sucks, man! If you're watching this...I fucking hate you, Jadyn, you son of a bitch!"

The spider dropped to the ground with a heavy thud and surged forward in attack using its clicking mandibles. Theo blocked the attack with his gauntlet, and the mandibles wrapped around it but didn't appear to be strong enough to bend the metal. The move jarred Theo's wounded arm, however, and caused him to wince in pain.

With its mandibles occupied Theo took that opportunity to throw a punch towards the spider's head. Theo's left fist connected with one of the spider's eyes, and it let out a pained cry as its eye exploded from the force of Theo's blow. The spider released Theo's gauntlet and leapt backwards to put some distance between itself and Theo.

Theo was just thinking about how maybe he'd have a chance if he took out all the spider's eyes when a wave of dizziness swept over him suddenly and his vision blurred. Theo shook his head and blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision. His arm was burning. He looked at the wound on his arm, and noticed that some of the purple liquid that was on the spider's mandibles had gotten into the wound. _Poison!_ Theo realized in shock. _I am so fucked._

***

Leona had managed to grab her yellow dress on her way out of the cavern, and quickly slipped it on over her head as she ran down the tunnel. The material clung to her damp skin and accentuated her curves. Leona's body was trembling, and her teeth were chattering, she was so terrified.

As Leona ran through the tunnel images of that giant spider flashed through her mind. She remembered how it had appeared suddenly behind her and how Theo had used his own body to heroically shield hers from the spider's initial attack. She recalled how the spider's mandibles had been coated with a strange purple substance, and a sinking feeling formed in the pit of Leona's stomach. _Was that poison?_ She wondered. "Oh no," she murmured. If that substance turned out to be poison then Theo would need help fast.

Leona emerged from the tunnel into the cave to see Anne seated on the ground cross-legged a few feet away from the fire. The doll was currently sharpening a small axe with a whetstone.

"Anne!" Leona called out as soon as she'd spotted the doll.

Anne's expression was purposefully blank when she looked up from what she was doing, but when she noticed that Theo wasn't with Leona concern clouded her features. "Where's Theo?"

"Theo...he's...in trouble," Leona stammered as she wrung her hands together. "There's a...a...monster!"

That's when Anne realized that Leona was terrified. The lion girl's body was trembling violently and her pupils were dilated with fear. Anne stood up and quickly made her way over to the other girl. She placed a comforting hand on Leona's arm and gave her a searching look. "Hey, calm down. It's going to be okay. What kind of monster? Just breathe, Leona."

Leona took a few shaky breaths before continuing, "It was a giant spider. And I think Theo's been poisoned. He's going to need help."

"Poisoned?" Anne echoed as a flash of worry crossed her face. Her expression turned determined though and she gave Leona a curt nod. "I understand. Take me to him."

Leona's eyes widened at Anne's unexpected request. "Me?" she squeaked out and shook her head. "I...I don't think I can go back there. That monster is terrifying."

Anne gave the lion girl a beseeching look. "Please, Leona. Just take me to where the spider and Theo are. Then you can hide. As you said...Theo's going to need my help."

"You're not afraid?" Leona asked, giving the doll an impressed look.

"I'm terrified," Anne admitted.

Leona's brow furrowed in confusion. "Then why?"

"Theo saved my life," Anne said, her dark eyes sparkling with admiration as she recalled their first meeting where Theo had saved her from the crows. "And it's about time I returned the favor."

Leona could see the deep admiration Anne had for Theo suddenly. "You care for him, don't you?" Leona watched as two round pink circles appeared on Anne's painted face as she blushed. The lion girl's golden eyes swirled with guilt. "I didn't know. I didn't realize-"

"We don't have time for this right now," Anne interrupted. "We'll talk about this later, Leona. Please, Theo needs us."

Leona nodded. "Alright." Somehow, the lion girl managed to gather her courage and took off down the appropriate tunnel that would lead them directly to the cavern where the hot springs pools were. Anne was right behind her, but Leona didn't hear her light footsteps. "You would make a good assassin, Anne. Your footfalls are completely silent."

Anne smirked. "Hopefully that will come in handy against this monster."

A few minutes later, the girls had reached the end of the tunnel. They cautiously peered around the corner into the cavern to see Theo facing off against the giant spider. Leona sucked in a breath at the sight, and Anne's eyes widened like saucers.

Theo was amazingly holding his own against the creature; however, the cowboy's movements were obviously becoming more and more sluggish as the fight continued. Until-

Theo finally collapsed to his knees.

"The poison," Leona murmured, starting to wring her hands together again. "It must be taking effect."

The spider approached Theo with menacing steps, and stopped directly in front of him. The monster opened its mandibles wide, ready to cut Theo's head off.

_I'm so dead._ Theo thought grimly as he stared into the spider's glittering ruby-red eyes. _Well, at least I got laid._

"I can't watch this!" Anne declared before bravely rushing out into the cavern and charging towards the spider with her axe clutched tightly in her right hand. "Hey, Ugly! Get away from him!"

The spider turned its attention towards Anne, all seven remaining glowing, red eyes focusing on the doll. When Anne was close enough the spider attacked and one of its legs shot out towards her.

The hairy spider leg impacted against Anne's chest and with such force that she was sent flying back through the air until she hit the cave wall. Anne was so light since she was made out of cloth and straw that she'd traveled twenty feet through the air and the impact she made against the cave wall had been silent.

"Anne!" Leona shouted in concern. Luckily, that sort of impact didn't really hurt Anne, but it did look bad.

"Anne," Theo called out weakly as he watched Anne slide down the cave wall. He tried to will his body to move so that he could go and help her, but it was no use. The poison had paralyzed his body.

"I'm okay!" Anne announced, pushing herself up off the ground and dusting herself off. "No bones remember!" The doll's red lips dipped into a frown though. What good was a _weak_ scarecrow in battle? What could she possibly do to help? She had to think of something soon or else Theo was going to be killed by that monster. _Come on, Anne. Think!_

The spider had returned its attention to Theo, and was approaching the cowboy once more. Anne's desperate gaze went to the tunnel entrance where she caught sight of Leona peeking out at what was happening. Anne's frown deepened. _That cowardly lion girl is so useless. All she's good for is singing. That's it!_ "Leona! Sing! Sing the spider to sleep!" Anne shouted.

Leona's golden eyes widened in surprise and she shook her head so vigorously that she ended up stumbling into the cavern. "What? No! I can't..." She shot a fearful look in the giant spider's direction.

"Yes, you can," Anne assured her, giving Leona a pleading look. "And you must. Theo's life depends on it!"

Theo gathered his remaining strength to make a joke, "I'd like to hear your singing before I kick the bucket, kitten."

The corner of Leona's mouth twitched and she had to resist the urge to smile. Amazing. How could Theo keep his sense of humor during such a dark moment? Theodore Gale truly was an incredible person. Maybe he really was the prophesized Chain Breaker. Leona mused. And if he was Oz's Foretold Savior she couldn't let him die here.

Leona took a deep breath to steel her nerves, opened her mouth, and began to sing. Anne and Theodore both stuck their fingers into their ears so that they wouldn't be affected by Leona's enchanted song.

The lion girl closed her eyes and concentrated on empowering her voice with the desire to put the spider to sleep.

The spider was just about to close its pincers around Theo's neck when it suddenly started to sway on its eight feet and then stumbled backwards. A few seconds later, the enormous spider sank to the ground as it fell asleep.

Anne gave Leona a thumbs-up before she went to retrieve her fallen axe. She cautiously approached the sleeping spider. Once she was close enough Anne looked at the spider and tried to decide if it had any weak spots. She noticed that the spider had an unusually narrow and weak looking neck. Anne lifted her small axe up over her head and then brought it down upon the spider's neck, using gravity to give her blow more strength.

The axe's blade chopped right through the spider's neck and the spider's head hit the ground and rolled. Anne had successfully slain the spider, however, due to the forward momentum of her swing she ended up flipping through the air and landing on her behind with an 'Oof!'.

"Anne, you did it," Leona breathed, her voice laced with awe and disbelief. "You actually managed to kill that monster spider!"

A little dazed from her spin through the air, Anne pushed herself up off the ground and dusted herself off. She flashed Leona a cheeky smile. "Well, I didn't do it alone. That was amazing, Leona. I couldn't have done it without you. You were really brave back there."

Theo gathered the strength to say: "Yay, we won. Group hug. On second thought, I think I'm going to pass out..." A groan of pain slipped past the cowboy's lips that had started to turn a little blue.

"Theo!" The girls called out Theo's name before rushing over to him. Anne immediately started to inspect Theo's arm wound. "You were right, Leona. Theo has been poisoned."

Feeling overwhelmed with worry for Theo, Leona started to wring her hands together. "W-What should we do?"

Anne arched a red eyebrow at the cowardly lion girl. "Didn't you say you could heal wounds with your singing too?"

Leona swallowed a lump of nervousness. "Yes. But I've never had to try and save someone's life before. I don't know if I can."

"Well, if you fail...I die. No pressure," Theo joked darkly.

Anne whacked Theo on the back of his head. "Shhh!"

"Ow," Theo complained and shot Anne a disgruntled look.

Anne gave Leona a serious look. "You can do it, Leona. I believe in you."

Leona nodded, opened her mouth, and began to sing. This time she concentrated on the desire for her singing to heal Theo's injuries. A golden light formed around Theo's wound as it began to heal.

"It's working," Anne said softly.

Leona smiled crookedly. "Don't sound so surprised, Anne. You believe in me, remember?"

"Great team effort, girls," Theo praised as color started to return to his lips.

Leona's healing song not only healed Theo's wound, but also expelled the poison from Theo's body. Theo pushed himself up off the ground and turned to Leona with a fond look on his face. "Thanks, babe. You saved my life."

Leona smiled weakly back at Theo. "You're welcome," she said right before she swooned. Theo was there to catch her in his arms before she fell to the ground.

Anne watched Theo catch Leona in his arms and something stirred within her at the sight. "Why are you naked?" Anne blurted out.

A red flush crept up Theo's neck. "This isn't what it looks like," Theo started to deny, but Anne merely arched a skeptical eyebrow at him. The cowboy sighed. "Okay. So it's exactly what it looks like." He gave Anne a sheepish look. "I'm sorry...?"

"Why are you apologizing?" Anne asked, narrowing her eyes at the cowboy. "You warned me not to fall in love with you. You said you're not a one-woman kind of man."

Anne's blasé manner confused Theo and he rubbed the back of his neck. "I thought you'd be angry." He pouted.

Both of Anne's eyebrows rose. "Do you want me to be angry?"

"Yes," Theo said and then caught himself. "No. I dunno..."

Anne let out a huff. "I'm just...disappointed in you, Theo. That's all. I think you deserve more than a one-night stand." Anne's gaze turned to the unconscious Leona in Theo's arms. "And I think Leona deserves more too. Especially after everything she's been through."

Theo flinched out of guilt and looked down at Leona's sleeping face. "Yeah."

Anne couldn't help it when her gaze went to Theo's half-hard cock. Two bright red circles appeared on her pale cheeks. "Geesh, put some pants on." She spun on her heel and stomped out of the cavern before she said something she'd later regret.

Theo watched her go with a smug look on his face. _She's so jealous._ He thought before looking down at Leona's sleeping face again and letting out a heavy sigh. Anne was right. Leona deserved better than a fling, which is all she could have with a playboy like him.

Theo wasn't even planning on staying in Oz so anything they started together was destined to be temporary. "You deserve better than me," Theo whispered to the sleeping lion girl. "But I don't deserve better..." That's where Anne had been wrong. Theo just wasn't relationship or marriage material.

He was twenty-five-years old and currently unemployed. Because of his temper and the propensity he had for getting into fights he had a hard time keeping a steady job. Women wanted stability with a man and Theo's life was anything but stable. It was still all up in the air. Calling him an unemployed thug wouldn't be that far from the truth.

Theo scrubbed a hand down his face. "God, maybe I should join a biker gang or something when I get back to Kansas."

Theo had always ended his relationships before they'd even truly begun because he knew how they'd end - with the girl coming to her senses and running for the hills. That's why Theo preferred to do the leaving first. He tended to push girls away if they were starting to get too close...just like Anne. He'd purposefully pushed her away by using Leona.

He shouldn't have done that. He was being a coward. And...Leona didn't deserve that either. It wasn't fair to Leona. Theo decided that he needed to find a way to make it up to the lion girl somehow.

***

"No!" Jadyn raged before grabbing the crystal ball and throwing it to the floor where it shattered loudly. "Damnation! Those meddlesome wenches saved Theodore Gale! And I was so close to having the bane of my existence destroyed once and for all!" The warlock started to tremble in anger and his breathing grew ragged. "I was _so_ close..."

Jadyn began to pace back and forth across his room. "There must be another non-magic way to kill Theodore." He stroked his chin. "If only I were skilled with a sword like my brothers Noryn and Reginald. A sword would be pretty much useless in my hands. One touch from the Ruby Gauntlet and an enchanted sword would be rendered useless." Jadyn let out a thoughtful hum. "I could let the ghost of a swordmaster possess me, but then how would I control his will? Theodore _must_ die. Perhaps, a demon-possessed sword?" A sly smile curled Jadyn's lips at the idea. "Now that could work." He nodded to himself and left his chambers quickly, heading to the library.

As soon as he entered the library he started to peruse the shelves. "Where is it...where...ah. Found it." Jadyn removed a particularly heavy tome that was covered in a thin layer of dust, and carried it over to one of the tables.

Jadyn set the book down on the table with a thud before opening it and starting to flip through its pages. His sharp eyes skimmed the entries as he searched for the entry he was looking for, and then he found it. "Ah, yes, it's here. The entry about a legendary demon-possessed sword..."

On the page was a picture of the sword. It was a double-edged, black steel sword with an ornate hilt. Its crossguard or 'quillons' resembled bat-like wings and the sword's pommel was shaped like a horned demon's skull.

Also on the page was a passage about the sword's origins, and a list of its magical abilities. The sword's name was Marzanna, the Demon Queen of Death. Marzanna had been slain by the very sword, which now bore her name. A Demon Slayer had stabbed her straight through the heart and seconds later she'd fallen into an icy lake.

Not ready to leave the material plane, Marzanna's powerful and malevolent spirit left her body and chose to possess the sword. While alive Marzanna had been known for being an incredible swordswoman who'd been undefeated until her death at the hands of the Demon Slayer.

Legend told that later those who came into possession of the sword were weak-willed and were completely taken over by the spirit of Marzanna who proceeded to kill all in her path. The sword also gave its user the ability to create ice.

Currently, the sword was rumored to be deep inside of the Crystal Mountains, which were located in the Northern Kingdom of Oz. The Ice Dragon, Ladon, currently guarded the sword.

A scowl marred Jadyn's expression when he learned the whereabouts of the sword. "It just had to be the Northern Kingdom." He wasn't afraid of having to face off against the Ice Dragon, Ladon, he was more worried about two things.

First, goblins and cold didn't mix. He'd go into hibernation if he weren't careful. Secondly, his brother or rather half-brother Noryn ruled the North. Jadyn really didn't want to run into his asshole brother while he was there.

Unfortunately, retrieving the sword Marzanna was still the best plan Jadyn had for defeating Theodore. Not to mention his _only_ plan. Jadyn shut the book with a definitive snap. He was going, regardless of the risks. This was a matter of life and death anyways.

Jadyn twirled his hand as he summoned a thick, black, winter coat with a black and white marbled fur trim from his pocket dimension. The coat _should_ keep him warm enough so that hopefully he wouldn't go into hibernation once he reached the Crystal Mountains.

With another wave of Jadyn's hand he teleported himself to the North and as close to the Crystal Mountains as he could get.

The warlock materialized directly in front of the glittering, snow-covered mountain range that was known as the Crystal Mountains. Immediately, Jadyn's body started to shiver violently from the cold and his feet sank down into two feet of snow.

A biting wind slammed into Jadyn and he hugged his coat more tightly around him. It was also snowing reducing the visibility of the surrounding area. "Wonderful," Jadyn said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "It just had to be snowing."

Jadyn knew that he had to keep moving. Or else...

Jadyn scooped up a handful of snow, brought it close to his mouth, and chanted the words of a locator spell. The snow glowed with a green and gold light. When Jadyn tossed the snow up into the air it turned into a dove made out of snow. The dove took off, flying towards the mountain range.

Jadyn began to trudge his way forward through the snow while the wind tried to push him back. He clutched at his coat and blinked his eyes rapidly as the falling snow tried to obscure his sight of the bird.

Jadyn's sharp green eyes tracked the almost invisible white bird until it flew into a cave. "That's it. Almost there..." The warlock concentrated on continuing his way forward, putting one foot in front of the other.

But his movements were starting to slow down. _Damnation._ He was going to collapse any second, and go into hibernation at this rate.

Jadyn dug his nails into the palms of his hand until they bled. He focused on the pain, and kept moving forward.

When the warlock reached the cave entrance he collapsed to the ground. Jadyn started to crawl forward until his body was finally inside of the cave and he had protection from the falling snow. He immediately conjured a fireball to his right hand.

The fireball started to warm the air around Jadyn, and he felt infinitely better and more awake than he had seconds earlier. Jadyn stood up and brushed the snow off his clothes. His lips dipped into a dark scowl. That had been close. Too close.

Holding his fireball aloft in order to illuminate the rest of the cave, Jadyn discovered that there was only one tunnel entrance to choose from and decidedly made his way into the tunnel.

Eventually the tunnel ended and opened upon an enormous cavern. The ceiling was covered with glittering, pale blue and white stalactites made of ice. And there in the very center of the cavern was a gargantuan, eighty-foot-long dragon. Its body appeared to be made out of translucent blue ice. But it was very much 'alive'. The rise and fall of its chest as it breathed in and out could attest to that.

The dragon was currently asleep and its body was curled around a single white marble pedestal in a protective manner. Displayed on top of the pedestal was a black steel sword.

_Marzanna._ Jadyn felt a trickle of sweat slide down his temple. _And of course the dragon is right next to the sword._ The warlock held his breath and started forward. A loud _crunch_ filled the air.

Jadyn glared down at the snow beneath his feet. It was hard not to make noise when walking over snow. He made his way towards the dragon as quietly as possible, which wasn't very quiet as the snow crunched loudly beneath his boots. _Fucking loud snow!_ Jadyn inwardly swore.

Once Jadyn reached the pedestal he slowly started to reach his hand out towards the sword. However-

One of the dragon's eyes opened and stared directly at him. The dragon's eye was a sapphire blue and had a slit pupil. "Did you really think I did not hear your approach, Wicked Warlock?"

"I must confess I was beginning to wonder if you were deaf," Jadyn drawled dryly.

The dragon raised its upper body up off the ground, and smiled, revealing sharp teeth that were as long as Jadyn's arm. "I am, Ladon, the guardian of the sword Marzanna. Leave now, or become my dinner."

"I beg your pardon, but I don't plan to do either of those things." Jadyn raised his right hand and conjured a fireball before throwing it right at the dragon's face.

The fireball hit Ladon's forehead and he let out a roar of pain and outrage. Ladon shook his head from side to side and then set his sights on Jadyn. Ladon opened his mouth and started to spit spikes made of ice Jadyn's way.

Jadyn nimbly dodged the attacks, but unfortunately he was getting farther away from the sword. _Curses!_ The snow beneath his feet hindered his movements. He needed to be faster somehow.

A sudden idea came to him and Jadyn summoned his broom from his pocket dimension before mounting it and taking off into the air. "Muahaha!" He started to cackle maniacally as he flew circles around the dragon that didn't have very much room to move inside of the cavern.

Jadyn conjured a fireball and threw it at the dragon. This time it hit the dragon's back. Ladon roared in pain and aimed an ice spike Jadyn's way. Jadyn dodged the attack on his broom in midair.

Jadyn continued to cackle wildly and throw fireballs at the enraged dragon until his magic began to wane because of the cold. _Damnation!_ Jadyn needed to finish this dragon off now, but he couldn't gather the strength to perform a really big spell. He glanced up at the ceiling that was covered by stalactites and had a sudden idea. A wicked smile curled his lips. _Oh, it feels good to be bad._

Jadyn raised his hand and targeted the stalactites that were directly above the dragon. The stalactites broke off from the ceiling and fell down through the air towards Ladon. The spikes of ice hit Ladon's back and impaled it.

Ladon roared in pain as its body started to crack and then break apart before exploding into pieces. As large chunks of ice flew through the air dangerously Jadyn avoided them on his broom.

Once it was safe, Jadyn flew down on his broomstick and grabbed the demon-possessed sword. At that moment, the cavern rumbled, and more stalactites began to come down. Jadyn looked up and realized that the entire ceiling was collapsing. "Oh dear. Perhaps, I overdid it just a bit. That's my cue to leave."

The warlock flew towards the exit tunnel's entrance and entered just in time as the entire cave collapsed behind him. A blast of snow followed after Jadyn as he flew down the tunnel without looking back.

Once Jadyn reached the main cave he had to land in order to rest before he collapsed unconscious. Too much physical exertion was bad for him, but...he'd done it. He smiled triumphantly. He'd gotten the sword Marzanna!

With a twirl of his hand he returned his broom safely to his pocket dimension. He wanted to give the sword his full attention. Jadyn admired the black steel scabbard decorated with ancient runes in gold inlay. The warlock wrapped his right hand around the hilt of the sword.

Jadyn blinked. He was no longer inside of the cave in the Crystal Mountains, but that wasn't what was worrisome.

Jadyn was chained to a wooden cross that had been erected on a platform located in the Emerald Castle's courtyard. The courtyard was filled with the denizens of the Emerald City. The people, who were cheering loudly, were dressed in green, gold, and white clothing.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to all of you the monster of the West - Jadyn!" a familiar voice with a southern drawl said loudly.

Jadyn's sharp gaze snapped over to see Theodore Gale up there on the platform with him. A flash of fear crossed the warlock's expression. How...how the hell had this happened? How had he been captured by Theodore Gale and brought to the Emerald City without him realizing it?

Jadyn started to struggle violently against his bonds, causing the shackles around his wrists to cut into his flesh. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, he noted that he was only dressed in a pair of black undergarments, and that his green skin was completely on display for all to see. "No..." Jadyn murmured in despair.

"Oz has nothing to fear now that the evil goblin monster has been subdued and captured!" Theodore puffed his chest up with pride. "I bested him in single combat, and it was no small feat. But, I _am_ the Chain Breaker. In the end, he was no match for me." A cocky smirk spread across Theo's face as he shot Jadyn a condescending look.

"What's gong on? What's happening? Why am I here?" Jadyn demanded with a tremor of fear in his voice.

Theodore's smirk widened at Jadyn's obvious distress. "This is your public execution, _duh_."

Jadyn gulped. "Execution? For what crimes?"

Theodore's stare turned icy. "Existing." A shiver traveled up Jadyn's spine at the cold look Theodore was giving him. Theodore returned his attention to the gathered crowd. "He's all yours!"

That's when Jadyn noticed that the denizens of the Emerald City all had stones in their hands. They waited for Theo to stand back before they started to throw stones towards Jadyn.

Jadyn struggled against his bonds as the stones started to impact with his body painfully. _No, no, no._ Jadyn started to repeat in his mind. _I can't die like this. At least let me die honorably in battle. Not like this._

A stone hit Jadyn's forehead and he was dazed for a moment. Then a stone hit his ribs and cracked one. He let out a yowl of pain. "No! Stop! I'm _not_ a monster!" Jadyn cried out, his chest heaving as he panted for breath.

Theodore laughed loudly and everyone joined him. "Not a monster? Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately, Jadyn? You're a monster alright. A villain. You're evil. _Wicked_."

"I'm not..." Jadyn said, through bloody teeth. The warlock thought about his goblin father and his forbidden love for Orabella. Irvine had just been lonely and Orabella had soothed his loneliness.

Jadyn recalled Caidyn's duplicity. Noryn's coldness. Reginald's hypocrisy.

"If you treat someone like a monster - they will become a monster," Jadyn muttered darkly to himself and then looked up to glare at Theodore Gale in challenge.

"I'm...the King of Monsters! _Their_ savior! They need me! And I...I will protect them until my last breath! I'll be _their_ hero!" Jadyn declared.

"Hero," Theodore scoffed. "You're no hero. _I'm_ the hero. The Foretold Savior of Oz. The Chain Breaker. You're just...the unwanted and unloved bastard son of the Goblin King!"

Jadyn's brow furrowed in bewilderment at Theodore's words. How did Theodore know he was the son of the Goblin King? Only King Caidyn knew that.

Jadyn abruptly recalled how Theodore had stopped the toys in Toy Village from stoning him to death. Why would Theodore have a sudden change of heart and allow the people of the Emerald City to do this now when he'd seemed so against it before. It didn't make any sense.

Theodore Gale hadn't seemed like the type of person to play games and pretend one thing when really he felt something completely different. Theodore may be destined to kill him, but Jadyn hadn't considered Theodore as being a bad person. He'd seemed like an open book, and had acted sincere in his horror at Jadyn almost being stoned to death.

Jadyn glanced over at Theodore, who was smiling viciously. The cowboy's cold blue eyes were _glowing_. "Y-You're not Theodore Gale! This...this isn't real!"

Theodore's lips pressed into a grim line and his expression turned even colder.

Jadyn summoned his magic and his flesh started to heat up. In seconds, his shackles started to melt and then shattered. Jadyn dropped down to the platform and turned to face Theodore. He stalked forward and summoned a dagger to his right hand. When he was close enough he stabbed Theodore in the heart with it.

Theodore just laughed even as blood poured out of his mouth and dribbled down his chin.

"Who are you?" Jadyn demanded.

"Are you really so terrified of this mortal man named 'Theodore Gale'? How pathetic," Theodore sneered, his lip curling.

Jadyn came to a sudden realization. "You're the sword...Marzanna."

A slow, sinister smile spread across Theodore's face. "Indeed."

Jadyn removed the dagger and tossed it aside. It clattered to the wooden platform. "I need your help in killing Theodore Gale."

Theodore waved a hand over himself and shifted into another form entirely. Now standing before Jadyn was a tall, willowy woman. Jadyn would have considered her beautiful if it weren't for the fact that she oozed malevolence. Marzanna's long black hair was so dark it almost appeared dark blue.

The Demon Queen of Death was wearing a sheer black gown with belled sleeves that left little to the imagination. Her eyes were an icy blue and void of emotion. A pair of black horns curled out of the top of her head and looked like polished onyx. There were dark blue decorative tattoos on her face that made her look ancient and powerful.

"Why should I help you," Marzanna began in a lilting voice, "a weakling?"

Jadyn's cunning green gaze went to the two horns curling out of Marzanna's head. "Because...we're the same. Or correct me if I'm wrong and no one has ever called _you_ a 'monster'?"

A dark scowl formed on Marzanna's sharp face. "I'm listening."

"For once wouldn't it be nice if monsters won instead of heroes?" Jadyn drawled, a glint in his eyes. "With your help I could defeat Theodore Gale easily. He is a thorn in my side and without him around Oz would be our oyster, Marzanna."

"You are weak," Marzanna spat, giving Jadyn a haughty stare.

"No, I'm not," Jadyn rebuked stiffly. "My body may be weak, but my will is as strong as iron. It will not bend. It will not break."

Marzanna grew silent and thoughtful for several minutes. "You know what? It _would_ be nice for monsters to win for a change. Therefore, I shall grant you my assistance. Be honored, Warlock."

Jadyn smiled silkily. "I _am_ honored, My Queen."

When Jadyn opened his eyes inside of the cave within the Crystal Mountains, they were no longer green but a startling blue.

To be continued in...Chapter 6:

### Chapter 6:

After Theo had managed to find his clothes, and as Anne had put it 'finally put some pants on' the group left the cave the next morning and continued to follow the yellow brick road towards the Emerald City. Theo and Leona were mounted on Toto while Anne walked beside them.

Theo had offered to let Anne and Leona ride Toto, but Anne had claimed that since she was a scarecrow she didn't get tired and that there was no need for her to ride Toto. Theo still felt bad about making a girl walk though.

The girls were being strangely silent, and Theo shot Anne a questioning look. He noticed her glaring towards his waist and looked down to note that Leona's hands were on his stomach. Theo's brow furrowed as he wondered if Anne was jealous that Leona was riding Toto with him.

After an hour had passed the silence got to Theo and he decided he had to break it before he went crazy. "So, um, Anne...you were pretty amazing back there! You chopped off that spider's head without hesitation. I guess you're not afraid of bugs. I, on the other hand, _hate_ bugs." Theo shuddered at the thought of bugs crawling over his skin. They also made strange clicking sounds that were totally creepy in Theo's opinion.

"I hate bugs too," Leona spoke up, unconsciously tightening her arms around Theo's waist. "They terrify me." She shivered.

"I know, right?" Theo grinned, but his smile faltered when he noticed the pissed off look on Anne's face. What had Anne's panties in a twist now? Theo wondered. Was this more of her jealousy? She'd said that she didn't care earlier. Talk about mixed signals. _Women._ Theo internally groaned. "Ah, you sure you don't want to ride Toto, Anne?" Theo questioned. "I could walk..."

"I already told you, I don't get tired," Anne huffed and then a sad look flickered across her face. "I'm not like the two of you."

Theo winced at Anne's self-deprecating words. _Shit._ He was just making things worse. Open mouth - insert foot. "When we get to the Emerald City I'm sure the Sultry Sorceress will be able to break your curse. You'll be human again in no time, Anne!" Theo said optimistically.

"And what if the Sultry Sorceress can't break my curse, hmm?" Anne asked, a dark shadow falling over her face. "Then my people and I will be doomed to live our lives as un-feeling toys. Forever. We'll never again get to taste great food, or know the touch of another..." Anne's red painted lips dipped into a frown.

At the mention of food Leona's stomach grumbled loudly and her cheeks flamed. "What was that?" Theo asked, glancing around with a furrowed brow.

"Must have been an animal in the woods," Leona commented in a nonchalant manner before her stomach grumbled again and was much louder the second time.

Theo glanced over his shoulder at Leona and raised an eyebrow at her. "That was you, wasn't it?"

Leona's blush intensified until she was almost as red as a tomato. "No, I don't know what you're talking about."

Anne sighed. "Theo, Leona is _obviously_ hungry. Let's look for a place to eat." Leona shot Anne an apologetic look.

"Um, do you really think we can find a place like that out here in the middle of nowhere?" Theo asked Anne curiously.

"The yellow brick road was made for a reason, Theo," Anne began. "A lot of people travel daily to the Emerald City for various reasons. Some travel there for trade, others to find work or better jobs. And a handful of people are also seeking an audience with the Sultry Sorceress in order to solve bigger problems that are usually magic related. It's only logical that there would be taverns along the way."

Theo scratched his cheek with his index finger in a sheepish gesture. "Right. Of course there are taverns out in the middle of nowhere. Perfectly normal."

"We'll stop at the next tavern we come across," Anne announced.

"Righto, _Mom_ ," Theo teased due to Anne's bossy manner. Anne shot Theo an irritated look, but the corner of her mouth lifted into an almost-smile.

Unfortunately, a heavy, awkward silence descended upon the group again. Every couple of minutes, Theo would catch Anne glaring at him for some reason before she'd quickly look away, and he ended up feeling guilty. Leona noticed what was going on and frowned when she realized it was all _her_ fault.

Leona may not have been the sharpest tool in the shed, but even she could tell that Anne and Theo were no longer getting along because of her. With a frown marring her pretty face, she realized she shouldn't have selfishly seduced Theo.

It was obvious to her now that Anne had feelings for the handsome cowboy. And with the chastised way Theo was acting as Anne continued to give him the cold shoulder he must care for her too. This meant that Leona was the third wheel here.

Leona also felt bad for getting in Anne's way because without the doll's permission Theo might not have gone to rescue her. Leona recalled how she'd spotted the couple traveling together as she fled across the yellow brick road into the wheat field with Leroy and the other demi-humans pursuing her.

Also, Anne had not only saved Theo's life from that giant spider monster, but her own as well because that spider would have surely set its sights on her next. Leona couldn't help but admire Anne. She was kind, smart, and brave. Leona's nickname back at Demi-Human Village was 'The _Cowardly_ Lioness'.

_These kind people saved my life twice and this is how I repaid them._ Leona inwardly bemoaned. _I'm an awful person. Oh, there just has to be a way I can make it up to them somehow. I need to make things right._

Ironically, Theo's thoughts were of a similar nature. _I need to make it up to Leona somehow. I probably shouldn't have had sex with her. Why can't I just keep it in my pants for once?_

As for Anne, her thoughts were of a different nature. _Why am I acting so strangely? I can't possibly be jealous that Theo and Leona slept together and that Theo and I can never be together because I'm trapped in this doll form, can I? Oh my God...I am jealous._ Anne gripped the sides of her head with her hands in shock. She glanced up at Theo and saw him giving her a worried look. Anne laughed nervously in response and quickly tried to compose herself. _He's going to think I'm crazy. And guys don't like crazy girls. Act natural, Anne._

Less than an hour later, the group spotted a tavern on the side of the road. Theo let out an impressed whistle as he took in the sight of the establishment. With its thatched roof and swinging sign that read ' _Wonderful Wizard Pub_ ' it looked like a tavern that belonged someplace in Tolkein's Middle Earth. "You were right, Sweetheart. An honest to God tavern out here in the middle of freakin nowhere." Theo gave Anne a prideful look.

"I'm so hungry I could eat a cow," Leona remarked nonchalantly. Theo and Anne shot the lion girl a horrified look, which caused Leona to blush. "What did you expect? _Lion_ girl. But I shall refrain from eating an _entire_ cow in your presence. Not to worry."

With Theo and Leona astride Toto, Theo rode up the cobbled walkway that led to the tavern's front door at a trot, and then dismounted. He walked Toto over to a tree and tethered him up. He then helped Leona to dismount.

Anne was walking up the cobbled walkway when her foot got stuck between two stones and she tripped. The doll fell flat on her face with a soundless splat.

"Anne!" Theo was instantly crouching in front of her, and offering her a hand up. "You okay, Sweetheart?"

Anne looked up at Theo and two red circles appeared on her cheeks. She batted his hand away in a show of pride. "I'm perfectly fine." Anne pushed herself up off the ground, and started forward only to end up tripping again two seconds later.

Theo was ready for her this time, however, and smoothly caught her in his arms. Anne blinked up at Theo in a mixture of shock and surprise. Theo flashed her a brilliant smile. "Whoa, I've got ya. You really need to be more careful, you clumsy doll," Theo chided her in a fond tone.

"I'm _not_ a doll," Anne argued with a huff, putting her hands on Theo's chest and pushing him back. "I'm a scarecrow." Her tone of voice was matter-of-fact.

"Uh huh." Theo did not sound at all convinced. "A scarecrow that's not scary isn't a scarecrow at all. You were turned into a Raggedy Anne Doll, for Heaven's sake! You are a child's plaything."

A thoughtful frown marred Anne's face. "I'm a what now?"

"When little girls all across America are making their Christmas Wish Lists to send to Santa in the North Pole they all ask for a Raggedy Anne Doll," Theo continued to explain while Anne gave him a bewildered look. "Those little girls want to hug you and squeeze you and take your clothes off-"

"That is slightly disturbing," Anne interrupted dryly.

"I mean, they want to play dress up with you," Theo amended.

Anne was now looking at Theo as if he'd gone crazy and started to speak slowly, "Well, my name _is_ Anne Raggedy, but I really have no idea what you are talking about."

"Oh, come on." Theo gave Leona an expectant look. "You know what I'm talking about, right, Leona?" Theo pointed at Anne. "She looks just like one of those Raggedy Anne Dolls...you know with the black button eyes and little triangle nose." Theo pointed to his own nose. "Magic paint doesn't exist in America."

Leona offered Theo an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, but that's not ringing any bells."

"Never mind." Theo sighed, and shook his head. He gave the girls a frustrated look. "You girls are so weird."

" _We're_ weird?" Anne scoffed, flipping one of her long red braids over her shoulder. "You can't be serious. Hmph!" She stomped off for the front door of the tavern.

Theo's shoulders hunched as he watched Anne stalk away from him. She was angry with him _again_. _Great._

Leona noticed Theo's dejected posture and the longing look he was giving Anne's retreating form. "Trouble in paradise?" Leona asked slyly.

Theo shot the lion girl a surprised look. "What? No. We were never really 'in paradise' to begin with..." the cowboy trailed off.

"It's my fault. Isn't it?" Leona said sadly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have used you for my own pleasure."

A blush started to creep up Theo's neck. "Yeah...a girl should never have to apologize for that. Besides, I'm the one who should be apologizing. For once in my life I should have just kept my dick in my pants. You deserve better."

Leona raised an eyebrow. "For _once_ in your life? Is celibacy such a rare occurrence for you?" The lion girl couldn't help but tease.

Theo nodded seriously. "Very rare."

"It's never too late to turn over a new leaf," Leona advised in a cheery fashion. "Why don't you try to keep your dick in your pants from now on."

Theo sighed. "Easier said than done, but I'll give it the old college try."

"By the way, who's Santa?" Leona questioned.

"You've never heard of Santa?" Theo gawked at the lion girl. "Well, he's this old, fat man who dresses up in a red suit and goes around the world delivering toys to children in the middle of the night. He enters people's houses by climbing down their chimneys. Now, I know what you're going to say and that he sounds like some kind of criminal-"

"He sounds like a very nice old man," Leona interrupted with a smile. "It's a shame he doesn't visit the homes here in Oz."

Anne opened the door to the tavern and shot an impatient look over her shoulder at them. "Hurry up, slowpokes. We don't have all day."

The trio entered the tavern and right away Theo felt like Frodo entering _The Prancing Pony_. The décor was very simple and rustic. There were several wooden tables available for patrons and a long bar took up most of the left wall. The sight of that bar lifted Theo's spirits, however, because where there was a bar there was alcohol.

The tavern had the strangest assortment of patrons that Theo had ever seen and surprisingly none of them looked very sinister. Life-sized toys, people that looked like Dutch farmers, Munchkins of all different heights, Tinkers, Tin Smiths and Seamstresses all sat at the tables eating, drinking and chatting away in a carefree, upbeat manner.

Overall the tavern appeared to have a very wholesome crowd and atmosphere. Theo was used to the kind of bars where everyone inside was usually wearing a black leather jacket with a green serpent on the back of it. Everyone here was smiling, laughing and appeared to be getting along. There were no arguments, fights, or bets being placed on pool games or sports games playing on TVs.

The only normal thing about this place was that people appeared to be drinking beer in clear glass mugs. "Oh thank God. I could really use a drink right about now," Theo said with obvious relief.

A busty blonde waitress skipped over to them. "Table for three? Right this way, please."

Theo couldn't help it - his blue eyes raked over the waitress's sexy German Beer Girl outfit. She was wearing a low-cut, knee-length, grass-green dress with a white and red apron, and a brown, lace-up, under-corset that pushed her breasts up and increased her cleavage nicely. The waitress was wearing her blonde hair in two cute pigtails. "Hey, there, babe-"

Leona and Anne both smacked the back of Theo's head before he could finish his sentence. "Ow." Theo rubbed the back of his head. Anne's smack hadn't hurt, of course, but Leona's had. "What'd you do that for?" he whined. He didn't even know what he was going to tell their waitress.

Leona leaned forward to whisper in Theo's ear: " _Keep it in your pants, remember?_ "

Anne was shaking her head while giving Theo a disappointed look. "Pervy cowboy."

Theo nodded at Leona. "Right. Keep it in my pants," Theo muttered to himself. _You can do this, dude. Ignore your suddenly raging hard-on for that hot German Beer Girl._ Theo thought.

Once the trio had taken a seat at the table the busty waitress had shown them to she started to hand them menus. "What would you all like to drink?"

Theo jerked his thumb at a Tinker with a long beard who was seated at the table next to them and appeared to be chugging back a mug of beer. "I'll have what he's having."

"I'll have the same," Leona said with a smile.

"Nothing for me. Thanks," Anne said in a slightly bitter tone and offered the waitress a wan smile. Anne wasn't the only toy at _The Wonderful Wizard_ and the waitress gave Anne a sympathetic look before she skipped off to fetch their order.

Theo opened his menu and started to scan all of the available food options. "Boy, I'm starved. I hope they have hamburgers!"

"What's a hamburger?" Leona asked casually.

Theo looked up in horror from his menu. "You did not just say that." Theo shot a worried look towards Anne. "Anne, please tell me _you_ know what a hamburger is."

Anne shook her head with a lost look on her face. "Sorry. I've never heard of it."

Theo sucked in a shocked breath. "A world without hamburgers? Is this hell? At least tell me you have pizza in Oz."

Leona and Anne shared a perplexed look. "What is pizza?" Anne finally asked.

The blood started to drain out of Theo's face. "No pizza?" he choked out and looked down at the menu, quickly scanning it. The tavern offered chicken, fish, steak, potatoes, stews, freshly baked bread, and cheeses, but no 'normal American food'. "What is up with this medieval fare? I feel like I'm at a bloody Renaissance Fair. I just want some good old American food."

At that moment, their waitress returned bearing a tray with two mugs of fizzy amber liquid. Theo's bleak expression turned hopeful as he reached out to grab one of the glass mugs. "Well, at least you have beer here!" Theo held his mug up in Leona's direction. "Cheers!"

Leona picked up her mug as soon as the waitress set it down on the table in front of her, and clinked it against Theo's. "Cheers!"

Theo took a large gulp of the beverage and ended up spitting it out in surprise. "Blargh! What the hell is this?" That was definitely _not_ beer.

The waitress was giving Theo a wary look now. "That is our finest Ginger ale, Sir."

"Ginger ale? Oh," Theo said, his shoulders sagging in disappointment.

"Is the taste not to your liking, Sir? We offer a less sweet Ginger ale if perhaps you would like that better," the waitress suggested amiably.

"Naw, just get me a beer," Theo said.

The waitress blinked in confusion. "A...beer?"

Theo gawked at the waitress. "Oh my God, you know, beer?" When the waitress continued to stare at Theo blankly he shot Anne and Leona a slightly desperate look. "You know, alcohol? Booze? Wine? Whiskey? Vodka?" All three girls shook their heads at Theo, and his jaw dropped. "You seriously don't know what alcohol is? No wonder everyone here is nuts. I'm trapped in a world without beer, pizza, or hamburgers. What did I do to deserve this hell?" Theo put his face in his hands and groaned.

The waitress's confused expression grew concerned. "I'm guessing you're not from around here, Sir?"

Theo was too depressed to answer and so Anne answered for him while giving their waitress an apologetic look. "He's from a place called Kansas. He's Oz's Foretold Savior. The Chain Breaker. He killed Dr. Doppelganger."

The waitress gasped and raised a hand up in front of her mouth. "You're Theodore Gale? Ohhh! It's an honor to meet you, Sir!"

Theo removed his hands to look up at the waitress and saw that she was giving him a starry-eyed look. "Yeah, yeah." Theo waved his hand dismissively through the air. "It's nice to meet you too, babe. I only wish..." He trailed off.

"If you want to eat something in particular, perhaps, you should go talk to the kitchen staff directly," the waitress suggested thoughtfully. "I'm sure that if you explain to them what you want they can make it for you."

Theo's dour expression turned hopeful once more. "Really? I can go back there?"

"Of course, Chain Breaker," the waitress said, batting her eyelashes at Theo and giving him a sultry smile.

"Alright. Awesome!" Theo said before turning his attention to Anne and Leona. "I'll be right back, ladies! And I shall return with food that will blow your minds!"

Leona giggled. "I can't wait to try your traditional American food, Theo."

Anne lowered her head to stare at the empty plate in front of her in order to hide her disappointment at not being able to sample Theo's cooking.

Leona watched as the waitress led Theo away to the kitchen in the back of the establishment, and then realized that she was seated at the table with Anne alone. Now was the perfect opportunity to apologize to the doll. Leona cleared her throat to get Anne's attention causing the doll to look up. "Anne, I just want you to know that I'm sorry."

Anne raised a red eyebrow at the lion girl. "For what?"

"For having sex with Theo," Leona said nonchalantly.

Anne sputtered and two bright red circles appeared on her white cheeks. In a way it was a blessing she hadn't been drinking because she definitely would have spit her drink out just then. "Like I care!"

"It's pretty obvious you like him," Leona said, giving Anne a knowing look. "I didn't realize it. I'm sorry I got in the way. It was wrong of me. I owe you guys my life and I repaid you both by acting selfishly."

Anne snorted. " _You_ don't need to apologize, Leona. Theo is the one who-"

"No," Leona objected swiftly, cutting Anne off. She placed a hand over her chest. "I'm the one who seduced him using my feminine wiles. He was trying to be respectful after everything I'd been through, but I literally pushed him into a corner. I used him for my own pleasure."

"Why?" Anne questioned curiously.

"I wanted to be in control of who I chose to share my body with, for once," Leona admitted softly. "For me it was a liberating experience. I never meant to hurt you, Anne. You saved my life from that spider. You're so brave and amazing."

Anne found her anger and jealousy draining out of her at Leona's apology. "I'm not...amazing."

"Oh, but you _are_ amazing," Leona argued, giving Anne an impressed look. "I never would have been able to kill that hideous spider. I'm such a coward."

"Your enchanted singing is pretty amazing too, you know," Anne remarked.

Leona reached across the table and took Anne's hands in hers. "Do you think you can find it in your heart to forgive me, Anne?"

"Yes. Of course, I forgive you, Leona," Anne said, giving the lion girl an amused look.

Leona's expression turned shy, and she opened and closed her mouth a few times before gathering her courage to say, "Do you think we could be friends?"

"Sure," Anne replied easily.

A bright smile spread across Leona's face. "I've never really had friends. Back at Demi-Human Village everyone else is under the influence of Dr. Doppelganger's mind control and all they talk about is being loyal to him."

"I can see how it would be difficult to talk to mind controlled zombies," Anne agreed, giving Leona a sympathetic look. "I didn't have very many friends back at Toy Village either. I was usually the one stirring up trouble and trying to get everyone to rise up against Jadyn. Everyone except for my family started to see me as nothing more than a nuisance."

Leona's brow furrowed slightly. "You're anything but a nuisance, Anne." Anne gave the lion girl a lopsided smile.

Before the girls could continue their conversation, Theodore emerged from the kitchen carrying an enormous tray piled high with hamburgers. The blonde waitress was right behind Theo, carrying a tray with a large vegetable pizza on it, and another brunette waitress emerged from the back carrying a tray covered with French fries.

Theo set the tray of hamburgers down on the table in front of Anne and Leona with a flourish. "Prepare to have your mind blown, Leona." Theo made the sound effect of an explosion as if to prove his point. "Ka-boom!"

Leona giggled at Theo's antics and her golden eyes sparkled with interest. Anne rolled her eyes, but gave the hamburgers a curious look. The other waitresses set the remaining two trays down on the table.

With a cocky smirk playing on his handsome face, Theo waved his hand towards the first tray. "These are a traditional American food called 'hamburgers'." Theo then waved his hand over towards the second tray. "These are called French fries." Theo waved his hand towards the remaining tray. "And this...this food masterpiece is a pizza." There was a note of reverence in Theo's voice as he spoke about the pizza. "Dig in."

Leona tentatively reached out and picked up a hamburger while giving Theo a questioning look. Theo grabbed a burger, took a bite out of it, and groaned in bliss. "Oh, _yeahhh_."

Leona shrugged, took a bite out of her own hamburger, chewed, and swallowed. Her golden eyes widened in surprise at the delicious combination of ingredients: a cooked meat patty between two slices of bread topped with lettuce, and thin slices of tomato and onion. "Mmm. It's delicious."

"I know, right?" Theo said smugly with a mouth full of food. "Try the pizza next."

Leona reached out, grabbed a slice of pizza, and took a bite. Her eyes flared and a moan slipped past her lips. "Ohhh." The combination of thin, freshly-baked bread topped with tomato sauce, melted cheese and vegetables was incredible. Simple and yet delicious. "I've never eaten anything quite like this before. I've eaten all of these things individually, of course, but I never would have thought about combining them in this way."

"You haven't truly lived until you've tried pizza," Theo said in a serious voice. Suddenly, he noticed that everyone inside of the tavern was staring at him and Leona while they ate and some of the people watching even appeared to be drooling.

An amused smile curled Theo's lips and he decided to take pity on the spectators. "Hey, who here would like to try some traditional American food? Don't be shy, folks. There's plenty of food to go around!"

Theo almost regretted his generous offer when a sudden stampede of people swarmed his table and started grabbing hamburgers and slices of pizza. Theo chuckled and quickly grabbed another hamburger and slice of pizza before they all disappeared.

Anne was staring at the food with a longing expression on her face. She wondered what the food Theo had prepared tasted like. It looked really interesting and everyone appeared to be going crazy over it. It had to be good. She pouted and that's when Anne realized she wasn't the only toy inside of _The Wonderful Wizard_ that was shooting Theo's creations longing and curious looks.

"I wish I could try your traditional American food, Theo," Anne admitted to Theo while he licked and sucked his greasy fingers happily.

Theo flushed when he noticed Anne's sharp eyes on him. "Don't worry, Sweetheart. As soon as the curse is broken I'll cook you up a feast."

"You're a chef?" Anne asked, tilting her head slightly as she gave Theo a pensive look. "I thought you were a playboy cowboy."

Theo shrugged. "Being a cowboy doesn't exactly pay the bills. I've worked at a lot of restaurants and bars...for a short time, that is. Let's just say I have a lot of experience."

A keen glint formed in Anne's dark eyes. "Why so many?"

Theo scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "I usually managed to get my ass fired after working at a place for only a couple of weeks. I had the tendency to get into fights." Theo shrugged carelessly. "What can I say? I'm a hotheaded fool sometimes."

"Fights about what?" Anne pressed.

"Well, I never really liked it when patrons would grope the waitresses without their permission." A dark shadow fell over Theo's face. "My mom raised me to treat women with respect."

Curiosity shone in Anne's dark eyes. "You were being chivalrous?"

Theo let out a snort. "That's one way of looking at it, I suppose. According to the law I was just being a thug. I was arrested, charged with assault, and had to spend a few days in jail."

Anne's brow furrowed in confusion. "You were imprisoned for defending a girl's honor? That doesn't sound right. What kind of strange justice system persecutes heroes?"

Theo shook his head. "I'm no hero, Anne."

"You keep saying that, but I beg to differ," Anne countered with a confident smirk. "A hero saves people and you saved me _and_ Leona. The people in Kansas should appreciate your chivalry and courage instead of condemning you for it."

Theo's mouth dropped open and he stared at Anne for a couple of minutes before he snapped his mouth shut. "That's...the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me, Anne. It makes me want to be a better man."

Two pink circles appeared on Anne's white cheeks. "I'm just being truthful."

Unnoticed by Theo and Anne, Leona was watching the couple closely, and smiled as she continued to shove hamburgers into her mouth. _Love is in the air._ The lion girl thought to herself triumphantly.

It didn't take long for Theo, Leona, and some of the tavern's patrons to finish off all the food until only crumbs remained on the three trays. Theo rubbed his stomach in a contented manner. "Ah! That was great. We should get going, girls, and continue our way to the Emerald City. We might be able to travel a mile or two before dark." Theo started to get up from his seat.

"Ah, before you go, Sir," the blonde waitress began as she suddenly appeared at his side. "There is the matter of payment."

"Payment?" Theo asked, furrowing his brow. "Oh. I don't have any money."

"You...don't?" the waitress said, her eyes narrowing and a frown forming on her pretty face.

Theo gave Anne and Leona an expectant look. "You girls have any local currency on you?"

Leona shook her head and gave Theo an apologetic look. "No. Sorry. I didn't have time to go back to my home to get money when I decided to make my escape attempt from Demi-Human Village. It was a spur of the moment decision, really. I saw the opportunity to leave and took it."

"I don't have any money either," Anne admitted, suddenly feeling quite foolish. She should have asked her parents for some money for their journey before leaving Toy Village.

Theo turned his attention back to the waitress. "Yeah, we're broke. But, um, hey, I'm the Chain Breaker, remember? Shouldn't our food be on the house since we're in the middle of saving the world and everything?"

A muscle beneath the waitress's eye ticked in irritation. "As much as I'd like to give you a free meal, our establishment simply can't afford to do so. You can pay off your debt to us by working here temporarily."

"You mean wash dishes?" Theo asked, cringing. He was really bad at washing dishes. For some reason he always ended up breaking them. This was not good. Maybe they should just make a run for it. He wondered how Anne and Leona would feel about being criminals though.

"Yes," the waitress agreed. "Wash dishes."

"Shit. Some things never change," Theo muttered darkly to himself. He was just about to tell the girls to make a run for it when in a cloud of green smoke Jadyn suddenly materialized in their midst. The Wicked Warlock was wearing his usual black, wide-brimmed, pointy hat, and wrinkled robes. Theo was surprised to see that the warlock's skin was still green.

Jadyn's sharp gaze scanned the interior of the tavern and landed on Theodore. "Ah ha! There you are, Theodore Gale. There is no escape. I have you now. I have come to exact my revenge upon you for humiliating me and for defeating my spider monster. Muahaha!" Jadyn threw his head back and began to laugh evilly.

"Oh, great, the grumpy warlock is back." Theo sighed, wondering how the hell they were going to get out of this one now.

Due to the abrupt and unexpected appearance of the Wicked Warlock of the West inside of _The Wonderful Wizard_ everyone except for Theo, Anne and Leona began to panic, and some people even screamed out of fear.

"Ah! It's the Wicked Warlock of the West!" "It's Jadyn! Run for your lives!" the patrons shouted out panicked exclamations before they started to make a mad dash for the front door of the pub.

Theo shot Jadyn an irritated look. "I knew that giant spider was you, Mr. Grinch!"

Jadyn's angry expression turned smug. "Well, yes, of course, it was. And my name is not Mr. Grinch, it is Jadyn."

"Cockblock," Theo muttered to himself as he recalled how his and Leona's lovemaking session had been interrupted before they could have Round Two.

With Jadyn's sharp hearing, however, he heard Theodore just fine, and flushed. Jadyn's green cheeks took on a brown hue. "You are truly a disgusting man. This time you won't escape with your life, Theodore. I have found a way to beat you without using my magic!" He puffed up his chest with pride.

Theo raised an eyebrow at the warlock. "Is that so?" He stalked forward towards the overconfident Jadyn acting as if he was interested to hear more.

"Indeed." Jadyn smiled slyly. "When I reveal my trump card you shall know the taste of defeat!" The warlock started to cackle maniacally again. Apparently, he did that a lot.

Theo stepped right in front of the distracted Jadyn. "Uh huh. I'm trembling in my boots. _Not._ "

Jadyn stretched his hand out at his side, prepared to summon his demon-possessed sword Marzanna. "Behold. The sword-"

Theo punched Jadyn hard in the face before he could finish and a sickening crunching sound filled the pub. This time Theo's fist connected with Jadyn's nose, breaking it upon impact. The punch had also shattered Jadyn's protective energy shield again. The warlock swayed on his feet and fell back to the floor with a pathetic whimper. Blood trailed down his face from his broken nose.

Theo clucked his tongue as he looked down at Jadyn, and shook his head. "Anyone tell you that you talk too much? I mean, come on, what villain actually takes the time to explain their whole evil plan before executing it. Unless, they want the hero of the story to stop them, that is. What a rookie mistake. You need to go back to villain school."

"Damn you, Theodore Gale," Jadyn snarled, glaring up at the cocky cowboy. "I will kill you." The warlock held out his hand and tried to conjure a fireball. Only a few sparks appeared over the palm of his hand since Theo's anti-magic punch had once again depleted Jadyn's magic core. "Curses..."

Theo let out a relieved breath since Jadyn appeared to be pretty harmless without his magic. A sudden idea came to him then and a glint formed in his blue eyes. "You have perfect timing, Jadyn, my man." Theo turned his attention to the waitress and waved a hand towards the fallen warlock. "He's a _King_ so he's bound to have money. Charge him for the meal, Sweetheart."

The waitress smiled silkily. "I believe that can be arranged."

"Oh, and if he doesn't pay up make him wash the dishes." With an amused smirk on his face, Theo nudged Jadyn's fallen body with his boot. "You'll be a good boy and pay up or wash those dishes okay, Jadyn?"

Jadyn sputtered and was about to make a scathing retort before he noticed everyone's eyes on him. Without his magic it would not be wise to antagonize the people here. "Very well," he said through gritted teeth.

Theo turned his attention to Anne and Leona, a wide, triumphant smile spreading across his face. "Alright, girls, let's blow this joint."

***

A few minutes later, found the trio back on the yellow brick road heading towards the Emerald City once more. Theo and Leona were mounted on Toto while Anne skipped along the road beside them. Anne only ended up tripping over uneven bricks twice as their journey continued uneventfully for a couple of hours, and Theo felt this was an improvement for the clumsy scarecrow girl.

The group came to a halt when they reached a new obstacle in their path. This time it was a raging river. Unfortunately, the river looked too deep to simply walk across. Theo realized they would have to use Toto to swim them to the other side. The cowboy looked down at Anne and knew that it would be troublesome for the doll to get waterlogged.

"Okay, girls, here's how we're going to do this. I think Anne should let Toto take her across first. We don't want Anne getting wet." As soon as the words left Theo's mouth a lascivious grin spread across his face. "Well, perhaps under different circumstances."

Leona smacked Theo upside the head since she was closer than Anne. "Ow," Theo complained, rubbing the back of his head, and letting out a deep chuckle.

"Thanks, Leona," Anne said, rolling her eyes at the horny cowboy.

"After Anne has safely made it to the other side, I'll have Toto swim me across. Lastly, Toto will go back and get Leona." Theo offered Leona an apologetic look. "I hope you're okay being alone. I don't want to risk us riding Toto at the same time. He may sink and the current may be fast enough to wash us away."

"Alright," Leona murmured, looking at the river with wide, fearful eyes. She hated water and getting wet in general. Also, that raging river was terrifying. She definitely wasn't looking forward to her turn to cross the river.

Anne nodded in agreement to Theo's plan. "Sounds good."

Theo dismounted Toto and offered his hand to Leona to help her get down next. When Leona placed her hand in Theo's he noticed that she was trembling slightly. "What's wrong, babe?" he questioned as he helped her down.

Leona flinched. "Cats don't like water."

Theo nodded in understanding as he recalled a cat that lived at the Gale Farm back in Kansas. He'd tried to give that cranky cat a bath and the cat had nearly scratched his eyes out. "I feel ya."

With grace, Anne mounted Toto, and stood up on the saddle. In a standing position she was unlikely to get very wet. As soon as Anne had a secure hold of the reins Toto trotted over to the edge of the river with his head held high, and leapt right into the water before he started to swim towards the other side.

"Attaboy, Toto!" Theo called out as he watched his fearless horse swimming. Once Toto made it safely to the other side he whistled proudly and took his cowboy hat off to wave it through the air. "Good job, boy!" He watched as Anne hopped off the saddle.

Toto turned around and headed back to the river's edge. It only took a few minutes for the horse to return to Theo and Leona. Theo rubbed Toto's nose affectionately. "After you take me you have to come back for, Leona. Got it, boy?"

Toto tossed his head in a nod, and whinnied in response. Theo skillfully mounted Toto and headed for the river. The horse went right into the water and started to head to the other side.

Leona watched them go and started to chew on her nails out of worry. She didn't know if she was going to be able to do this. She was terrified of water, and a raging river was just the worse.

Leona saw Toto exit the river and make his way onto the riverbank. Theo dismounted, turned around, and began to scan the distant bank. When he spotted Leona he waved enthusiastically, and called out to her: "Leona! I'm going to send Toto back for you now!"

"Okay-mmph!" Leona began, but her words were cut short. A rag doused with chloroform had been held up against her nose. She glanced over her shoulder and spotted Leroy. Her eyes widened in alarm, and she tried to call for help. Unfortunately, she ended up breathing in the chloroform, which caused her to fall unconscious in his arms in an instant.

The blood drained out of Theo's face as he watched what was happening and was powerless to do anything to stop it. "Shit. Leroy! Get away from her, you bastard!"

Leroy followed the sound of Theo's angry shout and upon catching sight of the cowboy smiled widely before lifting the unconscious Leona up into his arms. "You lose, cowboy! Leona is mine!" A dark chuckle slipped past Leroy's lips before the demi-human took off into the forest at top speed. The lion man's speed was no joke.

"Son of a-!" Theo spun to address Anne: "We have to go after them!" The doll ended up saying the exact same thing at the same time. They smiled at each other. "Great minds think alike, babe. Let's go get our friend back."

With Anne perched on Theo's shoulders so that she wouldn't get wet, they set off across the river once more on Toto's back. Theo enjoyed getting to have his hands on Anne's thighs in order to keep her in place even if he felt no warmth from the contact.

As always Anne was as light as a feather and he barely felt her sitting on his shoulders. It made Anne feel ethereal to him. Anne was right by his side, but sometimes he felt as though she could slip through his fingers.

Once Toto exited the river onto the bank he started to sniff the ground like a dog as he tried to catch Leona's unique scent. Toto's eyes flared when he caught her scent and he neighed loudly before taking off into the forest. Toto tracked Leona's scent through the forest until they ended up exiting the tree line and arriving onto the riverbank again.

"Dammit!" Theo swore as he looked at the raging river in front of them. Obviously, Leroy had crossed the river with Leona in order to hide their scent. "They could be anywhere by now. But we can't just give up. Come on, Toto. Let's cross the river again. If you're lucky maybe you'll pick up her scent on the other side."

Toto whinnied loudly in response before galloping towards the river's edge and jumping right into the water with a splash. Anne placed her hands on top of Theo's head in order to steady herself on his shoulders as Toto surged through the raging river.

The group managed to reach the other side safely, and Toto immediately began to sniff the ground as he searched for Leona's scent again. The minutes ticked by slowly as Toto continued to walk up and down the riverbank searching for Leona's scent to no avail until an hour had passed.

When the sun started to set Anne put a tentative hand on Theo's shoulder. "Theo, I think we should make camp for the night before it gets too dark."

Theo's expression was grim, and his mouth was pressed into a thin line. "This totally sucks, but you're right, Anne. We'll make camp and tomorrow we'll continue our search for Leona." His shoulders sagged in defeat.

After Theo and Anne had decided on a nice camping spot, the duo gathered some firewood and Theo made a fire. By the time the sun disappeared below the horizon Theo had a nice fire going, and it was large enough to illuminate their immediate surroundings.

Theo plopped himself down on the ground cross-legged by the fire, and stared morosely at the flickering red and orange flames. He let out a heavy sigh. Anne took a seat a safe distance away from the fire, and watched Theo as he let out another sigh. She frowned. "Will you stop with the sighing already?"

"I can't help it," Theo grumbled, digging his fingers into his thighs. "I'm anxious about Leona. I really hope Leroy keeps his perverted paws off of her. If he touches a single hair on her head...I'm going to beat the crap outta him."

Anne let out a thoughtful hum. "Leona is stronger than she seems. But don't worry, we'll find her, Theo."

"We'd better," Theo said fiercely. "I don't turn my back on my friends."

Anne gave Theo a cheeky smile. "Neither do I."

***

When Leona regained consciousness she discovered that she was inside of a gigantic metal cage. _Not again._ Leona inwardly moaned as she peered through the bars at the familiar laboratory.

The laboratory was filled with many strange things that before Dr. Doppelganger's appearance in Oz hadn't existed there before. Leona was now able to recognize the computers sitting on the worktables, the microscopes, and the Tesla coils. The lab contained other complex, high-tech, scientific equipment; however, that Leona had no idea what it was for.

On one of the computer monitors three DNA strands were displayed. The strands' structure was a double helix, which resembled a twisted ladder. One was a strand of human DNA, the other was a strand of Lion DNA, and the last was a strand where the two DNA stands had been combined. That made Leona instantly nervous because the scientists that worked there were most likely studying _her_ DNA sequence again.

Another monitor was displaying the blueprints for the mind-control headband that controlled all of the demi-humans in the village, and made them blindly loyal to Dr. Doppelganger. The design looked different. This time, ancient runes and glyphs that possessed magical power were going to be engraved into the headband.

Leona's brow furrowed as she contemplated what this could mean. Had one of the scientists decided to combine science and magic? Would Leona's enchanted singing still be able to affect the headband or would she finally succumb to the headband's control and become a loyal follower of Dr. Doppelganger like the rest of her people? She shivered at the unsettling thought.

Leroy slammed his hands against Leona's cage to get her attention. "Boo!"

Leona startled fearfully, and her gaze focused on Leroy, who was standing right outside of her cage with an evil leer spread across his face.

"Leroy! Why am I in here?" Leona demanded with a slight tremor to her voice.

"You know why," Leroy growled. "You're a rebel. You ungratefully rejected Dr. Doppelganger's gift."

"Gift?" Leona scoffed, giving Leroy a look of disbelief. "That headband that you're wearing is a mind-control device! It makes you blindly loyal to Dr. Doppelganger!"

Leroy gave the lion girl a suspicious look. "He said you'd say something like that."

Leona blinked. "He? Are you saying Dr. Doppelganger is still alive? He's supposed to be dead." She started to nibble on her nail out of unease.

"Master Doppelganger is immortal," Leroy said, giving Leona a haughty look. "And he has figured out what went wrong with your headband and has designed a new one that won't be affected by your enchanted singing. You'll soon see the light like the rest of us. Right now you are drowning in ignorance. Dr. Doppelganger's headband increases our intelligence and reflexes. It is a gift, which you continue to ungratefully destroy." Leroy banged his fist against the bars of Leona's cage in a fit of anger.

"Superior intellect?" Leona scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, right. You're just a mind-controlled puppet!"

"You won't be so lippy for much longer," Leroy snarled, baring his sharp teeth at her. "Dr. Doppelganger left us with the blueprints for the new headband. It is already in production. This headband will be unlike all the rest and will combine magic _and_ science. Once you are smarter you will finally see the truth and your loyalty will be to Dr. Doppelganger. You will also finally accept your place as my mate." Leroy raked his eyes over Leona's pleasing form, lingering on her breasts. "Soon you will be mine."

A chill of fear crawled up her spine and Leona unconsciously wrapped her arms around her chest in a protective gesture. Leroy had just confirmed her suspicions. They were really going to make a mind-control headband that combined science and magic. The magic must be able to block sound waves, and if that were true Leroy was right. She'd lose her free will. "I will never want you. Not willingly. And Dr. Doppelganger will never have my _true_ loyalty either. He plays with people's lives like it's a game. I hate him. And I hate you!"

Leroy started to tremble with fury and he slammed his fist against the side of Leona's cage so hard that it rattled. "You ungrateful bitch! It is an honor Dr. Doppelganger has bestowed upon you to become my mate. According to his research our offspring will be superior to either of us. He or she will be a _superior being_. All of this is for the evolution of humanity!"

Crystalline tears filled Leona's golden eyes. "What about love?"

Leroy let out a dark, cruel chuckle. "Love has no place in a _perfect_ world. The one Dr. Doppelganger is trying to create."

"A world without love?" Leona dug her claws into her upper arms as she hugged herself more tightly. "What a cold world that would be. It is a world I want no part of, Leroy. Just...go away. I don't want to talk to you anymore."

Leroy bristled with irritation before he leered at Leona. "We'll be doing a whole lot more than talking later. Something to look forward to, my dear." The lion man turned on his heel and stomped off.

"Theo. Anne," Leona whispered, thinking about her new friends. "I wonder if they'll come for me."

To be continued in...Chapter 7:

### Chapter 7:

Theo was staring morosely into the flickering fire and wondering how they would find Leona when abruptly the fire turned emerald green, increased in size, and then standing in the middle of the fire was none other than a furious looking Jadyn.

"Theodore!" Jadyn raged as he stepped out of the flames and approached Theo.

Theo scrambled to his feet and started to back up, raising his hands up before him in a surrendering gesture. "Oh, shit."

When Jadyn held up his hands Theo flinched thinking the warlock was going to cast a spell on him. Instead Jadyn showed Theo his pruney hands. "Just look at what has become of my delicate hands! I was stuck in that god-forsaken tavern washing dishes for _hours_ because you left me there with your bill!"

"You washed dishes?" Theo rubbed the back of his neck in a sheepish gesture. "Why didn't you just pay up?" He gave the warlock a searching look. "You're a King, aren't you? Don't you have like piles of gold coins sitting inside of your castle?"

Jadyn bristled with anger, and was reluctant to explain himself to Theo, but found himself doing so anyways. "One punch from that accursed gauntlet of yours completely drains my magic core. I forgot to pack a magic restoring potion, and so had to wait until my magic restored itself on its own naturally before I could do anything. And that took hours. Without my magic I am unable to access my pocket dimension, which contains plenty of gold to pay a bill like the one you left me with. By the time I was able to pay up I'd already washed all the dishes so it became a moot point. But now that I have my magic back I'm going to make you regret leaving me behind back there. I'll-!"

"Whoa. Hold up," Theo smoothly interrupted him. "How did you even find us? We're literally out here in the middle of nowhere."

A vein at Jadyn's temple throbbed in irritation. "I summoned a crystal ball and scryed for your whereabouts before teleporting myself here-"

"Amazing!" Theo interrupted once more, reaching out with his left hand, and grabbing one of Jadyn's hands. He gave the warlock a beseeching look. "I need your help, Jadyn the Incredibly Powerful!"

Jadyn raised an eyebrow at this strange human. "What part about 'I'm here to _kill_ you' do you _not_ understand? Do you think flattery will stay my hand?"

"Just...put your bloodthirstiness on hold for a moment, would you? Leona's in trouble," Theo said, his expression grim.

"Leona?" Jadyn questioned in a droning, disinterested tone.

"The lion girl," Theo added.

"Ah." Jadyn nodded. "And I care about her well-being because...?"

"Look, dude, she was taken against her will to be some douchebag's mate. We have to save her!" Theo passionately exclaimed.

"I _still_ don't care. Now, prepare to die-" Jadyn raised his hand threateningly.

"Wait. How about we make a deal," Theo blurted out.

Intrigued, Jadyn lowered his hand. "I'm listening."

"You help me rescue Leona...and afterwards I'll give you _anything_ you want," Theo offered.

Jadyn's emerald green eyes glittered with malice and cunning. "Anything?"

Anne noticed that the warlock's sharp gaze darted towards the gauntlet for a split second before it darted back up to Theo's face, and she instantly grew worried for the cowboy's fate. "Theo! You can't make a deal with him! He's the Wicked Warlock of the West! You can't trust him."

Theo ignored Anne and kept his gaze locked with Jadyn's. "So, how about it? Do we have a deal?" He held out his left hand for Jadyn to take.

A sly smile spread across Jadyn's face and he took Theo's hand in a fierce grip. "Certainly."

Theo flashed the warlock a cheeky grin. "Awesome, bro. Glad to have you on the team."

"Team?" Jadyn drawled. "And does this team have a name?"

"Uh..." Theo scratched the side of his face as he thought about it for a moment. "We're called the...Avengers? No, that's probably copyrighted. Revengers? Well...we don't really need to get revenge yet. How about...The Rescuers? Rescuing Cowboys?"

"Forget I asked," Jadyn sneered coolly.

Anne slapped a hand to her forehead and sighed. "Oh my God, you just made a deal with the devil, Theo."

Theo's bravado deflated abruptly as he turned to regard Anne. "I know. But it's still worth it. We must save Leona. So..." Theo turned his attention back to Jadyn. "Can you use that crystal ball of yours to find out where Leona is?"

"Indeed." Jadyn took a seat on the ground cross-legged and summoned his crystal ball so that it appeared, sitting on the ground in front of him. It was the size of a basketball, Theo noted.

Jadyn waved his hand over the crystal ball, summoned his magical power, and chanted the words of a locator spell in his mind. _Find...Leona!_ He thought lastly. The green smoke inside of the crystal ball swirled until an image began to form.

Brimming with curiosity, Theo leaned over Jadyn's shoulder to take a look. The image inside of the crystal ball was of a village, not unlike Toy Village in appearance, but this one was completely populated by demi-humans that were going about their daily business seemingly without much concern. Theo's gaze lingered on the girls that were sporting rabbit ears or cat ears, and for the most part ignored the men who had reptilian and beastlike characteristics.

With a wave of Jadyn's hand the image changed, speeding through the village, and to its outskirts where an oddly modern, rectangular-shaped building was located.

_Another research facility._ Theo mused to himself. _Just like the one near Munchkin Village._

The image inside of the crystal ball zoomed in on the facility before revealing its interior. The image then sped down hallways with linoleum floors and bright fluorescent lights overhead, until-

The image stopped upon the interior of a laboratory. Theo blinked in surprise at the massive supercomputers and chemistry sets sitting on various tables. Towards the far end of the lab cages were lined up against the wall and inside those cages were demi-humans.

The image shifted to focus on one cage in particular before zooming in. Theo sucked in a breath when he saw Leona inside of it. She was sitting on the floor with her knees pulled up to her chest. Leona's arms were wrapped around her legs and she had her head lowered in a dejected pose. Her shoulders appeared to be trembling and Theo really hoped she wasn't crying. "Theo...Anne..."

"Leona!" Theo and Anne both yelled loudly in response to hearing their friend call out their names softly.

Jadyn flinched at their yelling. "Desist making such a ruckus at once, you fools! She can't hear you."

"Don't worry, Leona!" Theo ignored Jadyn, and continued to shout at the crystal ball. "We're coming to rescue you! Just hang on!"

"We don't abandon our friends," Anne added with a determined expression on her painted face. "We're coming for you, Leona."

"Did they hear a single word I just said?" Jadyn mused aloud with a sigh before glancing at the image of the forlorn looking lion girl. "Friends?" he muttered darkly to himself. Monsters didn't have friends.

"What?" Theo shot the warlock a challenging look. "We can't be friends with Leona because she's a lion girl?"

Jadyn's brow furrowed in befuddlement. "That's not..." He shook his head to stop himself from explaining himself to this fool of a cowboy again. He'd already revealed too many weaknesses to the man. "Never mind. Apparently, your friend Leona is being held inside of the laboratory at Demi-Human Village."

Theo gave the warlock an expectant look. "Well, what are we waiting for? Use your magic to teleport us all there."

Jadyn let out a huff and shot Theo's large horse a look. "I can't teleport all of you at once. We'll have to travel there by other means. You two on horseback and I..." The warlock summoned his broom and it appeared in his right hand. "Will fly and lead the way." Jadyn mounted his broomstick, pushed his feet against the ground, and hovered a foot over the grass.

"Someone's been to Madam Hooch's flying lessons," Theo muttered to himself before giving Jadyn a disappointed look. "So much for being an all-powerful sorcerer."

Jadyn raised an eyebrow at Theo. "I never claimed to be so. Now, cease your incessant and inane rambling, and let us depart."

Anne shot Jadyn a wary look. "I still don't trust him," she hissed in Theo's ear. "I haven't forgotten how he left me tied up to a wooden cross in the middle of a cornfield to be torn apart by crows."

"We have no choice but to trust him for Leona's sake," Theo whispered back, mounting Toto and offering Anne his hand. Anne took Theo's hand and allowed herself to be helped up onto the saddle behind him.

Anne wrapped her arms around Theo's torso and felt... _nothing_. She couldn't feel his body warmth beneath her hands. Even though she was _so_ close. Although, looking at Theo's big strong back stirred _emotions_ within her. She felt safe, protected, and comforted by being this close to him. It was a nice feeling. Anne unconsciously pressed her cheek to Theo's back in a show of tenderness.

Even though Theo couldn't feel what Anne was doing, Jadyn noticed the doll's dreamy expression and how she was practically rubbing her cheek against Theo's back. "What _are_ you doing, Scarecrow?" he sneered at her.

"Eep!" Anne let out a surprised squeak at being caught and instantly pulled back from Theo. "N-Nothing!"

"What _was_ she doing?" Theo asked curiously, his blue eyes sparkling in amusement, and his expression smug. "Was she groping my ass or something? I wouldn't be surprised. I know I'm just _that_ irresistible to the ladies." He waggled his eyebrows at the warlock.

Jadyn rolled his eyes. "Indeed. Let's be off, shall we? Do try and keep up." Without further ado, the warlock flew off into the forest.

"Oh, was that a challenge? Bring it on, buddy. You heard the warlock, Toto. Let's ride. Hyah!" Theo kicked Toto's sides and the horse broke into a fast gallop, speeding into the forest and dodging trees as he followed after the broomstick-riding warlock.

***

Leona's shoulders trembled as she sobbed into her hands. She tried to stop crying, but her tears just wouldn't stop. As the hours passed Leona's chances of getting rescued were growing slimmer.

"Cowardly Lioness," a female droning voice called out from the cage next to Leona. "Don't lose hope. I'm going to get us both out of here."

Leona lifted her head and stared into the cage beside her to see one of Dr. Doppelganger's cyborg assassins. Leona's eyebrows rose at the unexpected sight of one of the mad scientist's allies being in a cage.

All of Dr. Doppelganger's loyal assassins had a distinctive and similar appearance with their graceful, willowy bodies, and long, thick black hair. They were usually dressed in black leather bodysuits, boots, and silver facemasks that concealed the features of their faces entirely.

This particular cyborg assassin had a few dark blue streaks in her long hair, and dark blue accents on her bodysuit, which set her apart from the others. "Who are you?" Leona sniffled as she got her tears under control.

"My name is Tina Woodcutter."

"I'm Leona." Leona's curious gaze turned suspicious since the cyborg assassins were known for their undying loyalty to Dr. Doppelganger. "Why are _you_ in there, Tina?"

"I'm here to be re-indoctrinated into having loyalty for Dr. Doppelganger," Tina revealed with a tinge of bitterness to her voice. "Unlike the majority of my 'sisters' who now possess brain-chips instead of organic brains, I still possess free will. I wonder how they plan to try and brainwash me this time..."

A thoughtful frown formed on Leona's face. She didn't understand much about what the cyborg assassins really were. But had heard them refer to each other as 'sisters' before. Apparently, they had body parts replaced with metal ones to become stronger or something like that. They were also known for being one hundred percent loyal to Dr. Doppelganger. The lion girl shook her head in confusion. "You mean you were able to break Dr. Doppelganger's hold over you mind...like I was?"

"That's exactly what I mean," Tina smoothly agreed. "My will is my own now, and I'd like to keep it that way."

Leona nodded in understanding, and offered the cyborg a crooked smile. "Apparently, if you're not one hundred percent loyal to Dr. Doppelganger people around here think you're crazy."

"Or dangerous," Tina added.

As Leona nodded her gaze lowered to the cyborg's left arm that was made out of metal. "Did it hurt?" she asked softly. "Getting your arm replaced by tin?"

In a thoughtful manner, Tina raised her left hand, and a mechanical sound filled the air as she opened and closed her fingers into a fist. "No. And the metal my arm is made out of is _not_ tin. Though I suppose it does look similar. My arm is made out of gold-titanium alloy."

"Is it magic that allows you to be able to move it?" Leona asked with interest.

"No. This isn't magic. It is science. This device is called a cybernetic arm. I'm able to control it with my brain." Tina tapped the side of her head.

"It's not magic." Leona frowned. "I don't really understand 'science' and 'technology'. But ever since Dr. Doppelganger appeared at our village I have been learning more about it."

"Think of science as being a more primitive form of magic," Tina said. "Dr. Doppelganger sometimes combines magic and science together when neither are sufficient for whatever task is on his agenda at the time. I am a wholly scientific creation."

"Creation?" Leona asked tentatively. "But you used to be fully human before Dr. Doppelganger began to make alternations to your body, didn't you?"

"One day, I opened my eyes and simply was," Tina revealed with a wistful note to her voice. "And Dr. Doppelganger was there. He trained me to fight. I became a living weapon. While I was sparring against one of my sisters she managed to cut my left arm off and that's when Dr. Doppelganger replaced it with a cybernetic one. I believe she did it out of jealousy. Dr. Doppelganger always treated me differently from the others."

"That's horrible," Leona said with a shudder. "That must have really hurt."

"Oh, yes, the pain was excruciating," Tina readily agreed. "If it weren't for Dr. Doppelganger I would have bled to death right on the ground of the arena. After that Dr. Doppelganger gave me more private lessons to improve my skills. He said that he had a lot of hope in me. What Dr. Doppelganger wants is the evolution of the human race, you see."

Leona couldn't help but notice that Tina's droning tone had changed to one filled with awe and respect, and she grew suspicious of the cyborg again. "I thought you said you _weren't_ loyal to him?"

"I'm not," Tina floundered. "Though I must admit that I agreed with his vision, at first. But when I realized he was just _using_ me like a weapon..." The assassin's shoulders hunched in a dejected manner.

"You were in love with him," Leona said keenly.

"I-I w-wasn't in love with Dr. Doppelganger!" Tina sputtered with indignation. "I was simply his loyal servant. His 'star pupil'." The cyborg's voice had taken on a bitter edge. "It didn't take me long to realize that he didn't see me as an equal, but only as a his puppet. His pawn. His weapon. He never saw me as a woman. Not _really_."

_She was totally in love with him._ Leona thought, and let out a hum. "So you want revenge?"

"I want to live my life freely," Tina corrected, clenching her hands into fists on her lap. "But I know as long as Dr. Doppelganger is out there...I'll never be free. I just...want to live my life as any other normal woman would. I don't want to continue to be nothing but a weapon."

"I totally understand," Leona said, sympathy shinning in her golden eyes. "I also just want to live my life freely. My dream is to become a singer in the Emerald City. What is your dream, Tina?"

"My dream?" Tina echoed, sounding lost. "I suppose...my dream is to one day fall in love with someone nice." The cyborg began to twiddle her thumbs on her lap in a shy gesture that Leona thought was cute.

There was something about the gesture that made the assassin appear to be more human to Leona. She offered the cyborg a supportive smile. "That's a great dream, Tina. You know what? You should come with us to the Emerald City. I'm sure you could meet someone nice there."

"Us?" Tina asked with an inquisitive tilt of her head.

"Oh. My traveling companions," Leona explained as she thought about Theo and Anne. "We were headed to the Emerald City when Leroy captured me." A shadow fell over Leona's face at the unsettling remembrance.

"You think they'll come to rescue you?" Tina asked.

Leona nibbled on her bottom lip. "I hope they will. I believe in Chain Breaker."

Tina leaned forward. "Chain Breaker?"

"You know, the prophesized Savior of Oz," Leona began in a nonchalant manner. "He's finally arrived. At least, I believe that Theodore Gale is the one we've been waiting for even if he doesn't think so. He wields the Ruby Gauntlet. It _must_ be him."

"Oh... _that_ Chain Breaker," Tina agreed casually. "Why, yes, of course, I've heard of him. Theodore possesses the Ruby Gauntlet, you say?"

"Yep." Leona nodded, and a smile formed on her face as she recalled Theo beating Jadyn with just one punch back at _The Wonderful Wizard_ pub. "He's able to break most spells with just one punch."

"Really? How fascinating," Tina said airily. "Who else is traveling with you?"

"A scarecrow, who was formerly human, named Anne, and a horse named Toto," Leona said, her smile widening as she remembered Theo's horse that at times acted like a dog. He could be such a hoot. She giggled. "Although Anne really looks more like a doll than a scarecrow, if you ask me. And wait until you meet Toto...he's like a giant puppy trapped in the body of a horse."

"A doll and a horse," Tina mused aloud. "And Theo was able to free Toy Village from the Wicked Warlock of the West with just these allies?"

"Yep," Leona agreed, but then frowned when she realized something. "Did I tell you about Toy Village?"

"I heard rumors about what happened there," Tina explained. "You know how quickly rumors spread here in Oz."

"Well, I wasn't there. But Anne told me all about it," Leona began as she tapped her chin in thought. "Apparently, Jadyn got his teeth knocked out that time. At the pub he got his nose broken. It almost makes you feel sorry for the Wicked Warlock." Leona giggled. "Theo is...amazing." Her voice had taken on a wistful note.

"You sound like you're in love with him," Tina said, and it wasn't a question.

A pink flush rose to Leona's cheeks, and she placed her hands on her heated cheeks out of embarrassment. "What? No. Theo's in love with someone else, anyways."

"Oh, really? Who?" Tina asked, keeping her voice as casual as possible.

"Anne."

Tina started in surprise. "The doll? But how would they...?"

Leona giggled at what Tina was obviously implying. "They haven't exactly admitted their feelings to each other yet. But when they do I'm sure Theo will think of some creative way for them to do pervy things together until they find a way to break Anne's curse. That's why they're headed to see the Sultry Sorceress, by the way."

"I hope your friends come for you, Leona," Tina said. "They sound like very interesting people."

"Me too," Leona said softly.

***

The Wicked Warlock of the West landed on the ground once they'd reached the outskirts of Demi-Human Village. "Whoa." Theo pulled back on the reins and Toto came to a halt. "Why are we stopping, bro?"

Jadyn shot the cowboy an exasperated look. "We've arrived at Demi-Human Village. It's just beyond those trees. You didn't really plan on just riding into the village looking like _that_ did you?"

Theo's impatient expression turned insulted, and he shifted uncomfortably on the saddle. "What's wrong with the way I look?" Theo glanced down at his clothes and cringed. His white and blue checkered shirt had definitely seen better days. Anne had mended Theo's shirt after his fight against Leroy, but the tears were still visibly mended with dark blue thread. Okay, so maybe Jadyn had a point since his clothes now resembled a patchwork quilt, but at least he wasn't going around naked. "So my clothes are a little worn. Lighten up a little, Mr. Fashion Police." He folded his arms over his chest.

Jadyn rolled his eyes in an exasperated gesture. "That is _not_ what I was referring to, idiot. You can't just waltz into Demi-human Village looking, well, _human_. All of the demi-humans are one hundred percent loyal to Dr. Doppelganger because of those mind-control headbands. If they even suspect you to be the Chain Breaker they will tear you to pieces."

"What's the plan?" Anne asked.

Jadyn smirked at the quick-witted doll. "We disguise ourselves using magic, of course. Like so." The warlock twirled his hand and his entire body was enveloped by green smoke. Once the smoke cleared Theo and Anne noted that Jadyn's green skin now appeared scaly.

Theo couldn't help but quip: "Not much of a difference there, Indominus Rex."

A muscle in Jadyn's jaw ticked in irritation before an evil glint formed in the warlock's eyes. "As for you..." Jadyn waggled his fingers in Theo's direction, and his fingers were enveloped by a gold-green glow.

Theo's body was covered by green smoke and once it had cleared the cowboy looked down at his hands curiously. He frowned when his left hand still looked completely normal. "Uh. I don't feel any different." When Theo glanced at Anne, however, he noticed that she appeared to be trying not to laugh. "What-?" Theo questioned which seemed to push Anne over the edge and she started to laugh loudly.

"What's so funny?" Theo demanded, and shot Jadyn a suspicious look. "What'd he do?" Jadyn was smirking in amusement.

"Y-Your head..." Anne gasped out, pointing a trembling finger at the top of Theo's head. "On the top of your head!"

"Huh?" Theo reached up and patted the top of his cowboy hat. He felt that he had two long furry ears poking out of his hat somehow. As his hand ran along the long furry ears his eyes widened with the realization of what those ears actually were. He shot Jadyn a fierce glare. "Oh, hell no. You did not just give me bunny ears! I'm a man, bro!"

Anne started to laugh harder. "And now you're a cute little bunny," Jadyn said in a patronizing tone.

"Please don't tell me I have a-" Theo reached a hand behind himself, groped his ass, and felt the round, fuzzy, bunny tail. "Oh my God, I have a tail. And I can feel it growing out of my flesh! Get it off of me! Get it off!" The cowboy began to panic.

"Calm yourself, you fool," Jadyn snapped in such an authoritative tone that Theo stopped running around in circles. "It is just a glamour spell. Though a very powerful one. And don't touch your body with your gauntlet or else the spell will be broken."

Theo grew intrigued. "Glamour spell? Like the one that was making you look human?"

"I am-! I'm not-!" Jadyn sputtered before he coughed into his hand, and composed himself. Again, he had a troubling habit of revealing too much about himself to Theodore Gale - the man destined to kill him. It was really none of Theodore's business that he was half-human half-goblin. Even being only half-goblin would make him a monster in anyone's eyes. "Indeed."

Theo eyed the warlock curiously for a moment. "Now that your magic is back...why didn't you redo that glamour spell of yours?"

Jadyn lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "What would be the point really? By now the rumors have spread across Oz like wildfire. Everyone now knows I'm a monster." His voice was laced with bitterness and venom.

Theo frowned at Jadyn's self-deprecating words. "Is green skin uncommon in Oz?"

Jadyn blinked. "Not exactly."

"Only goblins and Winkies have green skin," Anne piped up.

Theo's brow furrowed at the strange word. "Winkies?"

Anne nodded. "Yes. Winkies, otherwise known as Hobgoblins. They are taller than your run-of-the-mill goblin and more humanoid in appearance."

Theo's attention shifted back to Jadyn. "So, you're a Winkie?"

Jadyn winced at the feeling of Theo and Anne's eyes boring into him. No one knew he was half-goblin half-human except for King Caidyn. Even his brothers, well, half-brothers, Noryn and Reginald didn't know the truth.

But they would hear the rumors surrounding his true identity soon enough. Jadyn's shoulders hunched as he thought about Noryn and Reginald assuming the worse and that a goblin had forced himself on their mother Orabella. They would draw the conclusion that Jadyn was the spawn of an unwanted union.

No one in Oz would believe the story about how Orabella and the Goblin King, Irvine Verdant, fell in love. Everyone in Oz would look at Jadyn thinking he was an unwanted bastard child.

Jadyn was the Goblin King's son and the true heir to the throne of the Goblin Kingdom. The goblins didn't even know this. They thought Jadyn was a human warlock who'd conquered their kingdom after having killed their former king.

Jadyn looked up and noticed that Theo and Anne's curious expressions had turned concerned as the minutes ticked by without a response from him. "That's none of your business, Gale," he snapped hotly.

Theo put his hands up before him in a surrendering gesture. "Whoa, okay, geez. Touchy."

Jadyn turned his attention to Anne and waggled his fingers at her. "You next, Scarecrow."

Anne's body was enveloped in green smoke, and when the smoke cleared, Theo couldn't help exclaiming, "Holy shit!" Anne looked...human. Except for the white bunny ears sticking out of the top of her head, of course.

Anne gasped when she looked down at her hands and looked up to give Jadyn a questioning look. "You broke the curse? I'm me again."

Theo let his eyes rake over Anne's form hungrily. So, this is what Anne looked like when she was human. Anne was a little on the short side at five-three, but had nice proportions. Theo was a firm believer that a man just needed a handful when it came to breasts. And Anne's breasts would fit perfectly in the palms of his hands.

Anne's hair was long, silky, wavy, and still the color of red apples. Her skin was porcelain white, and her eyes were dark pools that drew Theo into their mysterious depths. Her lashes were long, casting shadows upon her cheeks, and her lips were pouty, red and very kissable. Anne had some freckles sprinkled across the bridge of her nose, but Theo thought this flaw only made Anne look more beautiful somehow.

"It's only temporary," Jadyn swiftly interjected. "Don't get too excited. But a scarecrow with bunny ears would draw just about as much attention as a human. This is just part of our current deal. Nothing more."

Theo staggered backwards a step when a sudden realization hit him. "This means you could break Anne's curse anytime you wanted. Just like that. With a snap of your fingers?"

Jadyn snorted. "Certainly...if I were inclined to do so, which I am _not_." He shot a venomous look Anne's way. "I still haven't forgotten all the trouble you've given me over the years, Anne. Especially, that latest revolution of yours. I haven't forgiven you for it."

Theo clenched his hands into fists and his shoulders started to shake out of anger. "You're a real dick. You know that?" Jadyn just smiled widely in response.

Anne put a hand on Theo's arm when the cowboy started to stalk towards Jadyn with menacing steps. Anne had the feeling that Jadyn was about to have his teeth knocked out again. "Theo, we don't have time for this. Leona could be in troub-" Anne gasped before she could finish her sentence when her hand landed on Theo's arm and she was unexpectedly able to _feel_ his body heat.

Theo gasped at the same time since he was equally surprised to be able to feel Anne's body heat through her gentle touch.

Anne stared down at her hand on Theo's arm in awe. "You're so warm."

Theo placed his left hand over hers, and rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb in a tender gesture. "Your skin is so soft."

Jadyn rolled his eyes in disgust at the lovey-dovey couple. Just how much longer would they continue to stare into each other's eyes longingly? "I didn't put a glamour spell on you two so you could fuck like rabbits," Jadyn bit out through gritted teeth. "Or did you both change your minds about saving your friend?"

Theo and Anne jumped away from each other guiltily. "No." Theo met Jadyn's questioning stare. "We want to save Leona."

"Sorry," Anne muttered softly. "I'm ready to go whenever you are."

Jadyn sighed. "Yes, let's. Oh, I almost forgot." The warlock waggled his fingers at Toto. The horse's large body was enveloped in a cloud of green smoke, and when it cleared, standing in Toto's place was a small, gray terrier.

Theo barked out a laugh at the sight of his enormous horse reduced to a small dog. "Ha! Now your insides match your outsides, Toto!" he teased. Toto barked agitatedly at Theo in response and bit down on his ankle. "Ow!" Theo cried out.

Jadyn ignored the drama and continued his way towards the village, expecting the others to follow him. A tall, wooden fence surrounded the entire village, and there was only one gate. The gate was currently open since it was during the day. Jadyn approached the entrance and the two demi-human guards posted at the gate barely spared the group a glance as they entered the village.

Jadyn lowered his head to hide his smug smirk from the guards. Apparently, his glamour spells which made Theo and Anne look like half-human half-bunnies was working like a charm. And his reptilian appearance must have looked authentic as well.

Jadyn glanced over his shoulder at Theo and Anne, who were awkwardly trying not to look at each other. They looked...highly suspicious. The warlock sighed. "Will you two stop that? You're acting weird. You're supposed to be a couple."

"We are?" Theo blurted out in surprise.

"Yes," Jadyn said. "So hold hands and try to look 'in love', you imbecile."

"H-Hold hands...?" Anne stammered and glanced at Theo shyly.

Theo looked at her, and grinned. "Well, you heard the Wicked Warlock. We gotta hold hands." He reached his left hand out to her while Anne reached out her right hand. They both gasped softly as their palms touched and their fingers laced together.

Theo gulped. He was holding hands with a stunning young woman. His cock twitched in his pants with interest. Theo shot his crotch a glare. _Down, boy. Now is not the time! We have a friend to save._

Jadyn glanced over his shoulder at the blushing couple with the little terrier running around them at their heels, and couldn't help but feel irritated and a little jealous. _At least they're acting natural. They look...good together. They're a cute couple._ Jadyn _almost_ felt bad he was going to have to kill Theo.

But...it's not like he could let Theo live. According to Noryn's prophecy, Theo was destined to kill him. It was kill or be killed. And Jadyn's plan was to kill Theo first. It was nothing personal. Just survival.

Demi-humans were walking along the sidewalks and going about their daily business: shopping, socializing, dining, and working. It appeared to be a prosperous village. But it was a fake peace...

None of these people had 'free will'. And all were subjected to Dr. Doppelganger's breeding experiments where one's partner was assigned in order to produce superior offspring with special abilities. All of this was for Dr. Doppelganger's mad pursuit of the evolution of mankind. None of these people realized it, but they were just Dr. Doppelganger's guinea pigs.

Jadyn felt sorry for the demi-humans, but he wasn't here to save them or anything. He wasn't a hero. If anything he was a villain. He wanted to kill Oz's Savior just so he could survive. If he were a better man maybe he'd even let Theodore kill him...

Because of Jadyn's glamour spells the group blended in perfectly, and they were able to make their way through the village and to the research facility unhindered. The front door was guarded by two of Dr. Doppelganger's cyborg assassins. They always looked the same, and Jadyn had grown bored by their appearance. Same long black hair. Same silver facemask. Same leather outfit. Check, check, and check.

Theo spotted the two women, who were identical in appearance, and wondered if they could be twins. He was just about to start hitting on them when he noticed the samurai swords strapped to their sides. "Okay, what's with the freaky samurai girls?" Theo asked in a low voice to Jadyn. _My cock can't decide if it wants to get hard or shrivel up in fear._ He thought worriedly.

"Those are Dr. Doppelganger's cyborg assassins," Jadyn informed the ignorant cowboy.

"Cyborgs?" Theo's wary disposition did a one eighty and he was suddenly eyeing the two girls with interest again. " _Real_ cyborgs. This is awesome."

Jadyn jammed his elbow into Theo's side. "Do not lower your guard, you fool." Theo grunted in pain, rubbed at his side, and gave Jadyn an annoyed look. "Those cyborg assassins are deadly, extremely dangerous, and one hundred percent loyal to Dr. Doppelganger. They will kill for him. They will die for him. No questions asked. Play it cool though. They shouldn't be able to recognize us. Follow my lead and act natural."

"I'll be as cool as a cucumber," Theo assured.

"How is a cucumber cool?" Anne asked softly.

"Shhh!" Jadyn hushed them before approaching the door with a casual gait. Before Jadyn could try to open the door, however, the assassins unsheathed their swords simultaneously and crossed them in front of Jadyn to bar his path.

"Authorized personnel past this point only," one of the cyborgs informed them in a droning tone.

"Oh, we _are_ authorized personnel," Jadyn drawled smoothly. "We're geneticists."

"Where are your ID badges?" the cyborg questioned, narrowing her eyes at them beneath her silver facemask.

Jadyn shrugged lackadaisically. "We lost them."

"Initiate scanning sequence..." the cyborg said.

"Scanning?" Jadyn muttered to himself.

The cyborg's eyes glowed with a blue light behind her mask, and then a blue beam of light began to pass over Jadyn from head to toe. He stiffened. This was so not good.

"Magical energy signature detected. Warlock has been identified. He is the Wicked Warlock of the West, Jadyn. Current status...enemy. Proceed to...eliminate," the cyborg announced.

Jadyn grimaced. "Well...shit. That's a new ability. They didn't know how to scan for magical signatures the last time I encountered them. Time for a new plan." Jadyn raised his right hand and conjured a ball of fire. He threw the fireball at the door and it was blasted open. Jadyn shot an impatient look Theo and Anne's way. "Go on ahead! I'll handle the assassins. Save your friend!"

Theo hesitated upon leaving Jadyn behind, but he didn't think he'd be able to hit a girl anyways. It wasn't his style. He nodded. "Thanks."

Theo and Anne both ran through the open doorway, and Jadyn smoothly stepped in front of the doorway to block the path of the cyborg assassins. Jadyn smiled viciously at the cyborgs. He stretched his arms out at his sides and conjured two fireballs at once. "Let's play, Tin Ladies."

Jadyn threw a fireball at the closest cyborg assassin, and she raised her sword instinctively to block the attack. But the fire just continued past the blade and hit her body. She disintegrated to ashes in seconds.

Jadyn threw his remaining fireball at the other assassin, but now she knew not to let the fire come into contact with her body, and she gracefully dodged the attack. Jadyn summoned a dagger to his right hand, and threw it at the cyborgs. It impaled her neck and she sank to her knees. Jadyn smiled sharply at his victory. That silver mask of hers may have protected her face, but her throat was fully exposed.

"Hey, look over there! An intruder!" a cyborg assassin shouted when she spotted Jadyn, and now more assassins were headed the warlock's way.

Two cyborg assassins rushed forward and attacked Jadyn with their samurai swords next. Jadyn lithely dodged, side stepped, and ducked their vicious attacks. He considered summoning Marzanna, but it was too risky to let the sword possess him when Theo wasn't directly in front of him to ensure that the sword killed his nemesis at least before most likely going on an indiscriminate killing spree.

If Marzanna decided to betray him and decided _not_ to wait around for Theo's return he'd miss his chance to kill Theodore Gale. Unfortunately, Jadyn's meager physical strength and stamina were already waning. He'd felt confident enough to deal with two cyborg assassins on his own but hadn't expected reinforcements to arrive so quickly. He felt tired and his body was starting to ache. He knew that he had to end this fight. Now.

Jadyn started to chant the words of a complex incantation while the cyborg assassins continued to try to kill him. It was difficult to chant spells and concentrate on his magic when he was forced to duck and dodge their deadly attacks.

One of the cyborgs managed to impale his stomach with her sword just as he finished casting the spell. "Become toys!" he shouted at them imperiously.

A wave of green-tinged magical energy burst out from Jadyn's body, spread outwards, and hit the ten remaining cyborg assassins. The cyborg assassins instantly started to transform, and in seconds had been turned into Tin Soldier Girls.

The five-inch tall Tin Soldier Girls cried out in alarm at being turned into such tiny toys, dropped their weapons, and began to run around in circles as they panicked. Jadyn pulled the katana out of his stomach, and tossed it aside. He chuckled as he watched the Tin Soldier Girls' antics.

"Like that...they're kinda cute." Jadyn turned his back to the wall of the building and then slid down the wall to sit on the ground. He needed to rest and allow his magic to heal the wound in his stomach. "The rest is up to you, Theodore." A sardonic smile curled Jadyn's lips. "I'm not really supposed to be a hero anyways."

***

Theo had made a mental note of the building's layout when he'd watched the images inside of Jadyn's crystal ball pinpoint Leona's location, and so led the way with Anne right behind him.

It was weird seeing a linoleum floor and overhead fluorescent lighting while in a whole other world where magic existed. Was this due to an Earthling's influence? Theo wondered. In just a few minutes, the duo had arrived at the lab and they entered.

The sight before them was an odd one to Theo. This lab reminded him of the place where his parents had worked. Sitting at long tables in front of super computers were scientists dressed in long white lab coats. Some of the scientists were milling about the lab with pads of paper and pens in their hands, and checking on the readings of various high-tech devices.

But the similarities to his parents' lab and this one ended there. The scientists weren't completely human, and Theo noted the bunny ears and cat ears that several of them were sporting. One of the scientists had a reptilian appearance and green scales covered his entire face.

That's when Theo realized he actually knew that guy. The demi-human was one of the ones who'd been pursuing Leona. Theo stroked his chin as he tried to recall the male's name. _Ryuu?_ Theo's gaze scanned the rest of the lab and he spotted Leroy seated in front of one of the computers. The monitor's screen was visible and showed the unmistakable blueprints for a mind-control headband.

Sitting on the table next to Leroy was a large glass box that Theo recognized as being a 3-D Printer. The 3-D Printer was currently creating the new mind-control headband, and Theo had the sinking feeling that he knew just who that headband was for.

Theo's sharp blue eyes quickly scanned the lab for any sign of Leona, and spotted her inside of a large metal cage on the other side of the room. In the cage next to Leona there appeared to be one of those cyborg assassins that Theo had encountered earlier outside of the facility. Theo wondered fleetingly why she was in that cage. _A rogue cyborg, perhaps?_

Their presence had thus far gone unnoticed, and Theo spoke to Anne in a low voice to keep it that way. "I'll keep The Three Stooges busy while you go and get Leona out of that cage."

Anne nodded, a steely look in her dark eyes. She ducked low and using the worktables with computers on them as cover made her way to the back of the lab.

Theo cleared his throat loudly as he strode forward in order to draw the demi-humans' attention to himself. "Hey, guys, long time no see! How's it hanging?"

Immediately, Leroy's, Gerwulf's and Ryuu's eyes were on Theo. Gerwulf and Ryuu shared a worried look since they'd had their asses handed to them by Theo the last time they'd encountered the cowboy, and had little interest in an encore.

Leroy was braver than his comrades and narrowed his eyes at Theo angrily. "You," Leroy growled, spinning around in his chair to face Theo. "How did you even find this place, cowboy?"

"Google maps," Theo joked. Leroy, Gerwulf and Ryuu shared a confused look, and Theo chuckled. "Naw, I'm just messing with you guys. The Wicked Warlock of the West, Jadyn, helped me out." A smug smirk curled his lips.

A flash of alarm crossed Ryuu's face. "You're in bed with the King of Monsters!"

Theo cringed at Ryuu's words. "In bed? You know, I never really liked that expression. It's very misleading. I just made a deal with the devil, and he brought me here. It's that simple. Now, let Leona go, and no one gets hurt." Theo cracked his knuckles.

"Are you threatening us?" Leroy questioned, his voice dripping with disbelief. "We have you vastly outnumbered, you simpleton."

Theo raised an eyebrow at the lion man, and there was a twinkle in his blue eyes. "Yeah, that didn't seem to make much of a difference last time. I still kicked all your asses."

"He has a point," Ryuu agreed.

"We're going to get our asses kicked," Gerwulf said. "Again."

Leroy shot his comrades an angry and frustrated look. "Shut up, you cowards. We won't get our asses kicked again...because we're not going to be the ones fighting him." A sinister smile spread across Leroy's face. "I made the mistake of underestimating the cowboy last time. I won't make it again. Armand will fight him."

Theo watched with interest as the expressions on Ryuu's and Gerwulf's faces appeared to grow even more worried instead of relieved. "Armand?" Ryuu squeaked. "But...you can't. Dr. Doppelganger has forbidden us from letting him out of his confinement chamber unless it's an emergency."

"This _is_ an emergency," Leroy snapped hotly, causing Ryuu to flinch.

"It's too dangerous," Gerwulf said, shaking is head. "No one can control him. Not even you, Leroy."

"You guys are pathetic," Leroy snarled, giving his comrades disgusted looks. "I've already made up my mind. I'm doing it." He grabbed a remote control off the table that had a large red button on it.

"We're doomed," Ryuu moaned just as Leroy pressed the red button. On the left side of the lab a metal door opened with a _swooshing_ sound.

Theo's gaze snapped to the dark doorway and the sound of heavy footsteps reached his ears. Seconds later, an enormous male started to emerge. He was six-five, and had to weigh more than two hundred pounds, but was solid muscle. The man was built like a tank, and even Theo was intimidated by the male's fearsome appearance.

Theo wondered what kind of animal DNA had been combined with the male's DNA as he took in the rest of his appearance. The male was wearing a black tank top and a pair of matching board shorts, which left a lot of his skin on display. His skin appeared to be covered by bronze-colored scales. So maybe his DNA had been combined with some reptile's DNA. Theo mused. The male's head was bald and scaly.

Theo let out a whistle. "Whoo. Bringing out the big guns now are we, boys? Probably a good idea."

A muscle beneath Leroy's eye ticked in irritation and he pointed at Theo. "Armand, you see that bunny man over there. Kill him!"

"Bunny man?" Theo reached up and touched the top of his head. "Oh, man...I forgot I still had these damned things. So not cool, bro." An embarrassed flush crept up his neck.

Armand's dark gaze shot to Leroy and he stalked over towards the lion man. Abruptly, Armand's hand shot out and he wrapped it around Leroy's neck. Armand lifted Leroy up and he dangled from his grasp two feet above the floor. "I don't take orders from you, lion man. I take orders from no one!"

Leroy's eyes bulged and he extended his claws before starting to claw at the hand wrapped around his throat. Theo winced at the sound Leroy's claws were making as they scraped against the bronze scales that covered Armand's hand. It sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

"Stop...you imbecile," Leroy gasped out in pain. "Let me go!"

Ryuu shook his head disappointedly. "I tried to warn him."

"It's too late for him now," Gerwulf added cryptically.

Theo actually started to feel sorry for Leroy since his friends were writing him off so easily and he was really just a mind-controlled puppet of Dr. Doppelganger. "Hey, The Rock, why don't you pick on somebody your own size?"

Armand's black eyes shot to Theo and he looked him over. The male's lip curled back in a condescending sneer. "And where might I find this person, little bunny?"

"Ouch." Theo spotted an empty glass beaker sitting on a nearby worktable and picked it up before throwing it at Armand. The beaker hit Armand's forehead and shattered. "Whoops. Sorry about that. Me and my butterfingers," Theo apologized with an unrepentant look on his face.

Armand let out a roar of outrage before tossing Leroy across the room. The lion man's back hit the wall with a crack and he slid down the wall. Leroy sat on the floor coughing and gasping for breath.

"You dare!" Armand roared angrily at Theo, spit flying out of his mouth.

"That's right, buddy. Come and get me," Theo muttered to himself. As long as Armand's attention was focused on him it wasn't focused on anyone else - especially Anne and Leona.

Armand charged across the lab towards Theo with thundering steps that made the floor beneath Theo's feet vibrate. Theo put his fists up before him, and got into a boxing stance. "Come on, big guy! Let's dance!"

To be continued in...Chapter 8:

### Chapter 8:

While Theo kept Leroy, Ryuu and Gerwulf distracted, Anne stealthily made her way to the cages on the far side of the lab. As soon as Anne reached Leona's cage, she grasped the bars, and whispered Leona's name frantically, "Pssst! Leona!"

Leona's head snapped up and her gaze locked with Anne's. Leona's eyes were red-rimmed from crying. "Anne!" Leona's golden eyes raked over Anne's new form. "Is that really you? You're...human. Well, a demi-human now, anyways." Leona kept her voice equally low out of fear of being overhead by her captors.

"It's just a temporary glamour spell," Anne started to explain. "My curse hasn't been broken just yet." Anne started to inspect the cage and the lock. "I'm going to get you out of there."

Leona's golden eyes started to shimmer. "You actually came to rescue me." She crawled across the floor of the cage and grasped the bars. "I _knew_ we were friends." Tears started to stream down the lion girl's face. "I was so scared."

"You must have an unlimited supply of tears," a female voice commented dryly. "It's a good thing you're not made out of tin or else you would rust solid."

Anne's dark gaze shot to the cyborg assassin that was in the cage next to Leona's. She eyed the cyborg with suspicion. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"My name is Tina Woodcutter," the cyborg girl introduced herself in a polite fashion.

Anne's eyes narrowed at her. "You're one of Dr. Doppelganger's cyborg assassins." It wasn't a question.

" _Rogue_ Assassin," Tina smoothly corrected. "Because I am no longer loyal to Dr. Doppelganger I'm here to be brainwashed."

Anne gave the cyborg a skeptical look. "Oh, really? And how would they do that exactly?"

"Dr. Doppelganger has created many toys," Tina said, nodding her head in the direction of one of the worktables inside of the lab that was covered by several high-tech devices. "Some of them have the ability to hypnotize people. Or maybe he finally plans to replace my organic brain with a brain-chip so that he will have control over me once more."

Anne's eyes flared in alarm. "Replace your brain?" She shuddered.

"You can trust her, Anne," Leona piped up. "She has a dream!"

"A dream?" Anne's voice was laced with disbelief.

"We can discuss it later," Tina interrupted with an air of impatience. "Shouldn't you be getting us out of these cages? I believe your boyfriend is about to be in grave danger."

A pink tinge rose to Anne's peachy cheeks. "B-Boyfriend?" she stuttered out of embarrassment. "Theo's _not_ my boyfriend."

"Lover? Mate?" Tina questioned in a blasé manner. "What do people call it these days?"

Anne cupped her heated cheeks with both hands. "M-M-Mate?"

"Oh man, she's got it _bad_ ," Leona said teasingly, and waved a hand in front of Anne's face. "Hello, Oz to Anne. Come in, Anne."

Anne snapped out of her stupor and slapped her cheeks. "Sorry." She looked down at the padlock on the cage door. She needed to find the keys...

Anne scanned the lab for any sign of the keys. But then her eyes landed on a few labeled beakers filled with various chemicals sitting on one of the worktables. She let out a thoughtful hum. _Hmm. Maybe I don't need the keys._ "Be right back." Anne crawled over to the table, stood up, and quickly started to mix a few chemicals together in an empty beaker.

Once the potion inside of the beaker turned green and started to froth, Anne carried the beaker over to the cages and poured some of the liquid directly onto the padlock. The metal hissed as it started to melt.

Leona was suitably impressed. "Whoa. What _is_ that stuff?"

"It's hydrofluoric acid," Anne said.

"You're a chemist?" Tina asked with a tilt of her head. "Or should I say potions master?"

Anne shrugged casually. "Well, I was forced to brew magical potions for the Wicked Warlock of the West, Jadyn, for many years. Guess I picked up a few tricks." A proud smirk curled her lips.

"Impressive," Tina said with a nod. "Let's get out of here before-" The cyborg was saying when Leroy was suddenly sent flying across the room. The girls watched as the lion man slid down the wall and sat on the floor coughing.

Tina's attention was then drawn to the male that Theo was currently facing. "Your friend won't last long against Armand. His DNA was combined with Armadillo DNA. His skin cannot be pierced by any weapon."

"Armadillo DNA?" Anne mused aloud, picturing the animal in her mind. Armadillos were actually kind of cute, but this male that was charging towards Theo was anything but.

As soon as Armand was close enough he launched a right hook Theo's way. Using his quick reflexes, Theo dodged the punch. Armand let out a frustrated growl before sending a straight right punch Theo's way next.

Theo threw up his arms to block the punch. When Armand's fist connected with Theo's forearms it was with enough force that Theo was pushed back, his cowboy boots skidding across the floor for a few feet.

"Whoa. Okay. My turn. Ah!" Theo threw a couple of quick punches Armand's way. Armand smirked evilly and didn't even bother to try and dodge or block Theo's punches. _What the hell?_ Theo thought with a flutter of nervousness in his gut. In seconds, the skin on Theo's left knuckles was rubbed raw.

"Is that the best you got, little bunny?" Armand taunted.

"Oh, that's it!" Theo started to hammer punches against Armand's torso, arms and face. But Theo's punches appeared to have no effect on the bronze scales, and then one of the fingers on Theo's left hand became dislocated. Theo swore and waved his left hand through the air. "Ow. That fucking hurts." _What the hell are those scales made out of? It's like punching a solid metal wall. He has to have a weak spot somewhere._

Theo jumped and brought his knee up to hit the underside of Armand's chin. An audible crack filled the air and Theo howled in pain. "Oh, shit. Fuck." He lowered his leg and rubbed at his cracked kneecap. "I think I busted my kneecap."

Armand chuckled darkly at Theo's plight. "My turn." The male took advantage of Theo's distracted state and sent a right hook flying into the side of Theo's face.

Theo was sent flying sideways where he collided with one of the super computers sitting on a long table. The monitor was sent crashing to the floor and the sound of the 3-D Printer coming to an abrupt stop filled the air.

Leroy pushed himself up off the floor, dusted himself off and rubbed at his neck. "Armand! You idiot! Be careful with the computers! If they're destroyed...the headbands' connection to the signal tower will be severed."

_Signal tower?_ Theo thought as he pushed himself up to his feet. He glanced at the displays on the other computer monitors. One of the monitors showed the image of a signal tower that looked just like a cell phone tower. Theo started to connect the dots in his mind. The mind-control headbands had these little antennas on them that reminded Theo of cell phones from the 80s. _Heh. Now that's interesting. Sever the connection. Stop the mind control. I think I just came up with a brilliant idea. Time to blow shit up!_

Theo purposefully moved to stand in front of the other supercomputers and beckoned Armand forward with his hand. "Come on, big guy. You know you want some of this." Armand sent a heated glare Theo's way in response.

"Unless, of course, you're too chicken," Theo taunted with a cocky smirk. "Don't tell me these mad scientists added chicken DNA to your human DNA? Tough luck, man." Theo shook his head in a sympathetic gesture.

"Argh!" Armand let out a roar of outrage before charging blindly towards Theo.

Theo neatly sidestepped the male's charge. " _Ole Toro!_ " As a result, Armand barreled into one of the worktables covered with computers, and sent the computers and monitors crashing to the floor.

"No!" Leroy yelled out and then dug his nails into his scalp in a show of frustration. "I can't believe this! That idiot!"

"Theo! What are you doing?" Anne shouted as she watched one of the monitors hit the floor and explode. "You're going to get us all blown up!"

"That's what I'm _trying_ to do," Theo shot back. "If we take out all the computers...apparently the headbands' connection to the signal tower will be severed and the mind control on all of the demi-humans should be broken."

Anne blinked. "That's...genius!" The doll looked over at one of the workbenches covered with chemistry sets and a cunning glint formed in her dark eyes. "Allow me to assist with that." Anne ran over to the table and started to mix various chemicals together in different beakers.

When Anne was finished making her concoctions she picked up two of the beakers and faced Leona and Tina. "Stand back, girls." Anne threw the stoppered beakers at one of the electrical panels on the wall of the lab. The breaker box exploded a second later, sending sparks up into the air. The sparks started to set various things inside of the lab on fire.

Even though Anne was afraid of fire she smiled anyways. When the fires reached the tables with all the beakers filled with the potions she'd just finished mixing there would be an enormous explosion that should take out the entire lab. "Theo, time to go! I've rigged this place to blow!"

Theo was exchanging blows with Armand and the knuckles on his left hand were bleeding. By this time, the cowboy was panting for breath, and there was a thin sheen of sweat on his brow. "This jackass won't go down!"

"Allow me," Tina declared before picking up a katana from one of the tables, unsheathing it, and charging towards Armand. The cyborg leapt up into the air and brought her sword down upon Armand's chest in an overhead downwards slash. Her katana somehow managed to cut through Armand's hard scales, and blood gushed and sprayed out of the wound on his chest.

Armand let out a grunt of pain and sank to his knees heavily. As soon as Tina's feet hit the floor she spun, her katana arcing through the air horizontally, and decapitating Armand.

Theo, Anne and Leona gaped at Tina in shock. Tina slashed her katana through the air to remove the blood from its blade before sheathing it in a black lacquered scabbard. The cyborg turned to give the trio an expectant look. "Well, don't just stand there gawking all day. We need to move." Tina started off, heading for the exit.

Leona was following Theo and Anne out of the lab when she noticed that Leroy, Ryuu and Gerwulf weren't running and appeared to be frozen in either shock or fear. "Leroy. Ryuu. Gerwulf. You guys should evacuate too," Leona called to them.

"I don't take orders from you, Cowardly Lioness," Leroy growled, but there wasn't much heat behind his words.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Ryuu and Gerwulf called back as they emerged from their hidings places and headed for the exit at a run.

A muscle beneath Leroy's eye ticked in irritation as he watched his comrades leave him behind. "Lead the way, Leona," he said through gritted teeth.

The sound of small explosions going off followed the group as they all ran out of the lab. The heat of fire could be felt on their backs as they ran down the hall, heading towards the exit of the building.

A more powerful explosion rocked the entire building just as the group was exiting, flames and debris chasing after them dangerously. Another explosion could be heard in the distance on the outskirts of the village, and Theo spotted a tall signal tower catching on fire and then exploding. Theo smirked. "I totally stole that move from _Return of the Jedi_. The Force must be with me today."

The destruction of the computers and signal tower caused the mind-control headbands that the demi-humans were wearing to short circuit, and Theo watched as they started to spark dangerously, and appeared to burn out.

The demi-humans blinked owlishly as Dr. Doppelganger's mind control was broken. The demi-human's eyes widened as their free will and freedom of though was restored to them.

"We're...free," Gerwulf rumbled in a disbelieving tone.

"Freedom," Ryuu echoed, his voice laced with awe.

The blood appeared to be draining out of Leroy's face as he recalled all of the things he'd been doing while under Dr. Doppelganger's mind control. His gaze shot to Leona and his expression turned horrified. "Leona..." The lion man gulped. "Please, forgive my earlier actions. I can't believe I tried to force you to become my mate."

In a show of understanding and compassion, Leona reached out and placed a comforting hand on Leroy's arm. "It's okay. I forgive you. You were under Dr. Doppelganger's mind control. That...wasn't you."

Leroy's expression turned sheepish but relieved. "I'm truly sorry."

Leona offered the lion man a lopsided smile. "All is forgiven."

The sound of cheering and celebrating coming from the village reached their ears. Ryuu and Gerwulf exchanged an excited look. "Sssounds like a party," Ryuu remarked.

"I say we go and join them," Gerwulf said. "It's not every day one gets liberated from Dr. Doppelganger's tyranny. I remember a girl I used to like before Dr. Doppelganger decided that she wasn't good enough for me. I want to see her again."

Leroy was eyeing Theo with a speculative look on his face, and a minute later he appeared to come to a conclusion. "You have my thanks, Chain Breaker."

Still uncomfortable with the title, Theo rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah." Theo watched as the three demi-human males took off to join in on the celebrating. Apparently, the entire village was celebrating their newfound freedom and free will, and Theo realized that he was responsible for that. It made this warm feeling bubble up inside of him.

Anne casually sidled up beside Theo. "If you keep up this kind of heroic behavior I'll start to think you really _are_ the Chain Breaker," the doll teased as she gave his shoulder a playful shove. "The Foretold Savior of Oz."

"Oh, Theodore Gale _is_ the Chain Breaker," Jadyn drawled as he emerged from the shadows, his voice dripping with bitterness and malice. The warlock's calculating green gaze snapped over to Tina suddenly. "Looks like I missed one." He conjured a ball of fire in his right hand and prepared to throw it Tina's way.

Theo moved into Jadyn's path and raised his hands up before him. "Whoa, take it easy, man. She's on our side."

Jadyn tilted his head quizzically as he regarded the cyborg girl for a moment, and let the fireball in his hand dissipate. "As you wish." He returned his attention solely to Theodore. "Theodore, I'm here to collect on our deal. You have saved Leona. Now, you must honor your promise."

Theo's shoulders lifted in a careless shrug. "Yeah, sure. What do you want?"

Jadyn's emerald green eyes glittered with sinister intent. "I want the Ruby Gauntlet."

"No!" Anne instantly objected, shooting a glare Jadyn's way. "You can't give the Ruby Gauntlet to _him_ , Theo! He's pure evil. There's no telling what he would do with such power at his disposal. Oz would be doomed."

Theo grimaced at Anne's words, but he gave the doll an apologetic look. "Hey, a promise is a promise, and I keep my promises. Sorry, Anne." Theo regarded the warlock. "Okay, Jadyn, I'll give you the Ruby Gauntlet. Just, hang on a second..." The cowboy grabbed the gauntlet and started to try and pull it off.

Jadyn held his breath as he watched Theo tugging at the gauntlet, but the seconds ticked by and it wouldn't budge. "Oh, come on!" Theo exclaimed in frustration, and started to make constipated sounds as he continued to try and yank the gauntlet off. "Mnngghhh."

A muscle in Jadyn's jaw ticked out of anger. "What game are you playing at, Theodore? Do you take me for a fool? Are you trying to go back on your word?"

"What? No," Theo swiftly denied, and he started to wrack his brain for a solution to this that wouldn't end with him getting killed by a pissed off wizard. "I really can't get this damned thing off. Look, let's be men, and settle this with our fists. _Mano a mano_. I promise not to use the power of the gauntlet against you and you have to promise not to use magic against me."

"A duel? I accept." A sly smile curled Jadyn's lips.

Anne didn't like the triumphant gleam in Jadyn's eyes one bit. "No. Don't do it, Theo. It's a trap. He's up to something."

Jadyn spread his arms at his sides, and summoned Marzanna to his right hand and a generic medieval broadsword to his left hand. He tossed the generic sword at Theo, who caught it.

Theo looked down at the sword curiously. He'd never held a real sword before. "Um...I don't really know how to swordfight."

"More excuses," Jadyn sneered.

"Nope. Pointy end goes into you, right?" Theo quipped.

"If it helps you feel better my brother Noryn has told me on countless occasions that my swordsmanship is appalling and pathetic. You can use that sword to fight me, or you can use your gauntlet to counter my sword's blade. Your choice." Jadyn held his breath as he awaited Theo's response. He was taking a risk by making that offer. Marzanna's possession of the sword wasn't magic, but Jadyn had no way of knowing if one touch of the Ruby Gauntlet would still exorcise Marzanna from the sword or not.

"I thought we both agreed that my gauntlet would stay out of this," Theo countered. "Swords level the playing field between us. I'm game."

"Theo, do you really know what you're doing?" Anne hissed at him in a low voice.

"Nope. I just roll with it," Theo whispered back before unsheathing the sword and tossing the scabbard aside. He then placed both hands on the hilt of the sword and brought it up before him.

Jadyn followed suit, unsheathed Marzanna, and placed both hands on the hilt of the sword. As soon as Jadyn's hands touched the hilt his green eyes changed color to blue. But no one appeared to notice. "At last, I come face-to-face with _his_ most dreaded foe. I will kill you, Theodore Gale!"

Theo's brow furrowed at Jadyn suddenly speaking in the third person, but the warlock always seemed to be a bit eccentric, and so shrugged it off. Seconds later, Jadyn was charging forward and swinging his sword at Theo. "Ack!" Theo raised his sword to haphazardly block the attack.

Jadyn didn't stop there, brought his sword back, and then slashed it through the air at Theo again. Theo blocked each attack sent his way, but the tremendous force behind the blows was pushing him back.

Each time their swords clashed a loud clanging sound filled the air. Jadyn's movements started to increase in speed, and abruptly his sword darted past Theo's defenses and sliced in the side of Theo's arm.

Theo hissed in pain. "I thought you were supposed to suck at this."

Jadyn just smiled enigmatically and continued his relentless attack. With a skillful twist of his wrist Theo was disarmed, his sword flying up into the air. Jadyn darted forward and ran right past Theo, slicing his sword into Theo's upper arm, just above the gauntlet, and effectively cutting Theo's right arm off.

Theo howled in pain as his arm was cut off and fell to the ground out of shock. He'd never felt such excruciating pain before and dark spots swam in his vision as he fought to remain conscious. Blood gushed out of the stump that was all that was left of his right arm.

With a casual air about him, Jadyn strolled over and picked up the gauntlet that was still attached to Theo's right hand and forearm. "It is done," Jadyn said. "Theodore Gale is no longer a threat to you."

Marzanna allowed Jadyn to regain control of his body once more. Jadyn blinked and stared down at the defeated Theodore Gale in shock. He couldn't believe it. He'd actually won! A giddy smile spread across his face.

Theo blinked his blurry eyes so that he could meet Jadyn's haughty gaze. He swallowed a lump of fear, but his expression turned resigned. "Going to finish me off? If you are, make it quick, would ya?" Theo raised his chin to expose his neck to Jadyn.

Jadyn was startled by Theo's show of bravery in the face of certain death. A chill of fear crawled up Jadyn's spine and he unconsciously took a step back. He'd actually been planning on letting Theo live now that he had the gauntlet, but...Theodore Gale was simply too dangerous to leave alive.

Jadyn knew that this defeat wouldn't break Theodore Gale. No. Theodore would bounce back and probably be twice as strong the next time they faced each other. _If I don't kill him now while I have the chance, he'll kill me later. It has been foreseen._ Jadyn thought grimly, his smile vanishing.

Jadyn raised his sword and his hand was trembling slightly. "It's really nothing personal. Farewell, Theodore Gale." The warlock swung his sword, aiming at Theodore's neck.

"Theo!" Anne and Leona both cried out.

Leona covered her eyes with her hands. "I can't watch!"

In the blink of an eye, Tina had appeared in front of Theo and had blocked Jadyn's attack with her katana, steel clashing against steel with a loud clang.

Anne sucked in a breath. "Leona, open your eyes. You have got to see this."

Leona hesitantly lowered her hands from her face and opened up only one eye at first, but quickly opened her other eye when she saw what Tina had done. She let out a breath of relief. "Tina...oh thank God."

"Get out of my way, Tin Woman," Jadyn snarled.

"I will not," Tina said in a firm voice. "I cannot let this man die. If you want him, you'll have to go through me."

"Very well," Jadyn shot back. "It's your funeral." The warlock swung his sword at Tina with all the strength and speed he could muster, and she gracefully blocked the attack. "Not bad," Jadyn remarked out of surprise. He'd battled cyborg assassins upon many occasions, but never had they been this skilled before. "You're... _different_ from the others."

Tina stiffened at Jadyn's unexpected words. "Different...?"

"Oh, yes. You are superior to them for some reason. I wonder if you also look different..." Jadyn trailed off in a pensive tone before murmuring the words of a spell that would grant him temporary x-ray vision. Suddenly, he was able to see past Tina's metal mask and admire her face.

He blinked. Tina did have a somewhat different appearance when compared to the other cyborgs. They all had brown eyes, whereas, Tina's eyes were a silvery-blue. "You do look different from the others. You're quite beautiful." Jadyn's voice was laced with surprise and admiration.

Tina grew startled. "Beautiful?"

Jadyn chuckled at the note of disbelief in her voice. "Oh, please. This can't be the first time someone has complimented your beauty. It's almost a pity I have to kill you." _Marzanna, a little help here._ Jadyn thought in his mind. But there was no immediate response. _Marzanna? Marzanna! Shit..._

"Y-Your compliments do _not_ make me happy, Warlock!" Tina said, but there was an odd tremor to her voice. "And they will not save you from me!" The cyborg rushed forward and Jadyn was barely able to get his sword up in time to block her attack.

Jadyn could feel the toll this fight was taking on his weak, sickly body. His muscles were starting to ache and burn. Sweat beaded on his brow and he was panting for breath. His movements were slowing down and becoming more sluggish. _Curse this weak body of mine!_ Jadyn thought angrily. He felt like a wind-up toy that had run out of torque.

Tina was surprised when Jadyn's movements began to slow down dramatically. It was like all of the energy had suddenly been drained out of him. His movements became almost painfully slow to her, and when she swung her sword she realized she could slit his throat in seconds. This battle was already over.

For some reason, Tina ended up pulling her sword back at the very last second. The cyborg could kill Jadyn, but...she decided not to. And it wasn't because he'd called her 'different' or 'beautiful' or anything...

Tina's sword flashed through the air with lightning speed and Jadyn's black robes fell to the ground in shreds.

"Oh my," Leona gasped as a pink tinge rose to her cheeks. Tina had used her incredible swordsmanship skills to cut Jadyn's clothes off so that he was now standing before them all completely naked.

Jadyn glanced down at himself and gasped in horror when he realized his naked state.

Leona couldn't help herself and glanced down at his crotch. She let out a snort. "It's so small," she couldn't help but tease.

Jadyn flushed out of embarrassment, causing his green cheeks to turn brown. Feeling mortified and completely humiliated he quickly covered himself with his left hand. He ended up dropping the Ruby Gauntlet as he did so, but barely noticed. "It's cold out, you bastards! Damn you all!"

"Are you going to continue to fight?" Tina asked with a note of amusement in her voice.

"I yield, Tin Woman," Jadyn snarled at her, and then shot a glare Theo's way. "You may have won this time, Cowboy! But this isn't the last you'll be seeing of me! I'll get you Theodore Gale and your little dog...I mean, horse too!" Jadyn twirled his hand through the air and disappeared in a cloud of green smoke as he teleported to his castle in the West.

As soon as Jadyn was gone, Anne and Leona rushed to Theo's side. Tina bent over to pick up the fallen gauntlet before carrying it over to Theo.

"Oh, what should we do?" Leona asked, wringing her hands together as she watched the pool of blood forming around Theo's body from his arm wound.

"Can you heal him, Leona?" Anne asked.

"I don't know," Leona replied. "I've never had to heal such an extreme wound before."

"You should be able to do it, Leona," Tina said with an air of calm and confidence. The cyborg held Theo's severed arm against his stump. "Sing."

"I'll try." Leona opened her mouth and began to sing. A golden light surrounded Theo's wound and his severed arm started to reattach itself to his upper arm, flesh and bone knitting back together. Theo let out a groan of pain and struggled to remain conscious. Leona didn't stop singing until all of Theo's wounds had been healed.

Thirty minutes later, Theo opened his eyes and realized that sometime during the healing process he'd fallen unconscious due to the pain. He sat up and stared down at his right hand that was covered by the gauntlet. Theo took a deep, steadying breath and experimentally opened and closed his right hand into a fist. His eyes widened when there wasn't any pain and when he spotted Leona watching him with obvious concern he grinned at her. "Great job healing me, Leona. All the pain is gone. You're a real lifesaver. Thank you."

A pink tinge rose to Leona's cheeks. "You're welcome, Theo."

Theo looked around until he spotted Tina and nodded in her direction. "Hey, Tin Lady...thanks for saving my life. I owe you one too. You risked your life to save mine, and I don't even know you."

Tina inclined her head in Theo's direction. "Leona told me much about you. I couldn't let such an incredible man be killed so easily. You are the Foretold Savior of Oz. The Chain Breaker."

"Yeah..." Theo said uneasily. "I'm still not so sure about that."

"You possess the Ruby Gauntlet, and you have freed three villages now," Tina pointed out keenly.

"Yeah, I guess..." Theo said distractedly. He didn't really get why Jadyn had looked so afraid of him when the warlock had been about to kill him. Shouldn't he have merely been pleased? It didn't make any sense. "Tina, why didn't _you_ kill Jadyn?"

Tina grew startled by the unexpected question. "I...uh...it seemed unnecessary. It wasn't because he called me beautiful - if that's what you're thinking! I could care less about receiving such a nice compliment from such a handsome and mysterious man."

Theo raised an eyebrow at Tina. "You think Jadyn is handsome? Even with his green skin?"

"His green skin makes him rather _unique_ ," Tina said airily.

"You should tell him that the next time you two meet," Theo teased and waggled his eyebrows at the cyborg. "I bet he'd like that."

"It's Tina's dream to fall in love," Leona piped up.

"Is that so?" Theo asked in a playful tone.

"Leona!" Tina snapped in a betrayed manner. "Why are you bringing that up now? Are you implying that I may have _feelings_ for the King of Monsters? That would be absurd!"

A cat's paw smile formed on Leona's face. "I didn't say anything about feelings, but you just did."

Theo, Anne and Leona laughed as Tina sputtered indignantly.

***

With the new addition of a cyborg assassin to their traveling party, Theo, Anne and Leona continued their journey to the Emerald City. The glamour spell that Jadyn had cast upon Toto had already worn off and he was a horse again. Theo and Anne were currently riding him while Leona and Tina walked beside them.

Leona had slyly expressed her desire to walk and get some exercise, which gave Anne the chance to ride with Theo while she was still in her demi-human form. Tina appeared to catch on quickly, and had explained that due to her cybernetic enhancements she didn't grow tired from walking and would be joining Leona.

Anne's arms were wrapped around Theo's torso, and her hands were resting against his six-pack abs. She was savoring the warmth of his body that she could feel through his white and blue checkered shirt. Anne leaned forward, breathed in deep, and realized that she could smell Theo's unique scent - sandalwood and spices.

It had been so long since she'd felt this warmth - the warmth of another human being. Anne reveled in it and at this fleeting moment of peace and contentment that she wished could last forever. _God...I would be grateful if you could just freeze Theo and I in this moment forever._

Anne unconsciously ran her hands over Theo's abs and the cowboy shuddered at her touches in response. He, too, could _feel_ Anne. It was totally different now. The places Anne touched were tingling, and all the blood in his body seemed to be rushing south.

His cock was hardening in his jeans. And there was something hot about the way Anne's hips swayed forward with the horse's movements so that she was almost grinding herself against him from behind.

Having a cyborg assassin as part of their traveling party was turning out to be pretty damned useful. Using her katana, Tina cut down any and all obstacles that stood in their path on the yellow brick road from monsters to trees that could talk and attack with their branches.

The group was able to continue their way along the yellow brick road for an entire day before the sun finally started to set. "We're almost to the Emerald City, but we should go ahead and make camp. We will need the sunlight to make sure we avoid the poppy field," Tina said with an ominous note to her voice.

"Poppy field?" Theo questioned curiously.

"Yes. Deadly poppies. One whiff of those flowers and you'll fall into an eternal slumber," Tina revealed.

"Good to know," Theo said, giving a suspicious glance towards a yellow daffodil on the side of the road. "Avoid poppies while in Oz."

Theo was just arranging the wood for their nightly fire when Leona frowned at him. "You know, Theo, that won't be enough wood to last the night. You and Anne should go gather some more firewood. _Together_."

Theo scratched his cheek with his index finger. "I dunno. I think it will last."

Leona let out a frustrated little huff. She couldn't believe how dense the cowboy could be sometimes. She grabbed Theo's ear and yanked down so that she could whisper into it. "This is your chance to be with Anne, silly! Don't blow it."

Theo's eyes widened in realization. "Oh. Ohhhh." He awkwardly made his way over to Anne and leaned up against a tree in a casual pose. "Hey, Anne. Will you come with me to gather some more firewood? I don't think we have enough."

Anne arched an eyebrow at Theo's antics, wondering what the cowboy was up to now, but shrugged in assent. "Sure. We'll be right back, Leona. Tina."

"Do take your time," Tina said, smiling beneath her mask.

"Have fun!" Leona tossed them a wink.

Anne and Theo walked off into the forest together side by side, their hands brushing against each other. Theo gulped, reached out, and took Anne's hand in his.

Anne gasped and stared down at her right hand in shock. "I...can _feel_ you."

"And I can feel you, babe," Theo rumbled in a husky voice. They laced their fingers together to feel even more connected.

Anne smiled shyly at the handsome cowboy. "You know, I do believe Leona is trying to play matchmaker. It's totally obvious. Jadyn said that I'll be this way for forty-eight hours before I return to my usual cursed doll state..." She started to nimble on her lower lip out of nervousness.

Theo raised an eyebrow at Anne's theory, and thought back to how strangely Leona and Tina had been acting earlier, and realized Anne was right on the money. He chuckled lowly. "No one can pull one past you, Anne." He caressed the back of her hand with his thumb. "But, you know...nothing has to happen between us tonight."

"You...don't want me?" Anne gave Theo a searching look.

"Of course, I want you," Theo swiftly said, staring into Anne's liquid black eyes. He tugged her closer and then reached out to fondle her red hair. "You're a brilliant and stunning woman, and I am seriously attracted to you. But even if there's a time limit with your current demi-human form...I don't want to rush things between us because..." Theo was forced to swallow a lump of nervousness before he could continue. "You're not just another one-night stand. I don't want to fuck things up between us. This thing we have between us. This connection we feel...is special. You're special." He cupped her cheek tenderly and ran his thumb over her bottom lip.

Anne's cheeks heated at Theo's heartfelt words. "Theo, I...like you. A lot. I've never felt like this about anyone before, even when I used to be human. Even as just a doll you make me feel things. Emotions. And now in this demi-human form...I can hardly breathe being this close to you. My heart must be beating a mile a minute inside of my chest." Anne reached out, grabbed Theo's hand and placed it over her chest. "I'm surprised you can't hear it."

Theo resisted the urge to start kneading her breasts and just grinned at her in a cheeky fashion. He liked that he was making Anne feel so nervous around him because honestly he was feeling nervous too. "I've never felt like this about a girl before. When I'm around you I feel like I'm home. I'm at peace by your side. They say 'home is where the heart is' and my heart is with you, Anne."

Anne sucked in a surprised breath. That...was almost a love confession, and coming from Theo it probably was one. "But...what about Kansas?"

"Fuck Kansas," Theo said passionately, but then his determined expression turned nervous. "What if I told you...I want to stay here in Oz. With you."

Anne's dark eyes lit up with happiness, but when the reality of their situation came to the forefront of Anne's mind she sighed. "Theo, in less than forty-eight hours I'll be a doll again. And we don't know if the Sultry Sorceress will be able to break my curse or not. I could end up remaining a doll forever. And you know what that means..."

Theo nodded, a fierce look in his blue eyes. "I know, but we _will_ find a way to break your curse. I promise. And I'll wait for you as long as it takes." Theo's expression turned sheepish. "I'd really like to kiss you now...if that's alright?"

"I was wondering what you were waiting for?" Anne's dark eyes glittered with mischief. "A written invitation, perhaps?" Anne was saying when Theo cut off anything else she was about to say by capturing her lips with his own.

They both moaned at the sensation of their lips pressing together and exchanging body heat. Theo languidly moved his lips against hers, wanting to savor this kiss, and their connection.

Theo nibbled on Anne's lower lip causing her to gasp, and he took that opportunity to plunge his tongue into her mouth, deepening their kiss. His soft, gentle kissing turned more forceful and possessive as he used his tongue to map out the interior of her mouth.

Anne let out a surprised squeak into his mouth as Theo's tongue skillfully swirled around hers, making her feel dizzy and light-headed. Anne reached out and grasped the front of Theo's shirt as she tried to ground herself from all the overwhelming emotions she was feeling. Her knees felt weak and her legs were turning to jelly.

Theo backed Anne up so that her back hit the trunk of a tree, and just when her knees finally buckled, Theo smoothly moved his thigh between her legs to keep her standing so that they could continue kissing.

As their kissing intensified Anne started to unconsciously grind her core against Theo's thigh. The rough material of his jeans could easily be felt through the thin silk material of her panties.

When Theo started to rock his hips against her in response, Anne felt his erection pressing against her side, and blushed. _He's hard._ She thought dazedly. _He wants me._

And she realized that she wanted him. Badly.

Anne flattened her palms on Theo's chest and pushed him back so that she could voice her desire.

Theo stepped back and took a moment to admire his handiwork, and Anne's debauched appearance. Anne's apple-red hair had come free from her braided pigtails, forming a wild halo around her head. Her pink lips were kiss-swollen, and glossy from their mingled saliva.

Her dark eyes were glazed with lust and hunger. Theo scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry, babe. I got a little carried away. I meant what I said about waiting though..." He put his hands up before him, and started to back away from Anne in an apologetic manner.

Before he could get too far away, Anne reached out, and grabbed his shirt. "No. I want more. I want you."

Theo swallowed, and gave her a searching look. "You're sure?"

The corner of Anne's mouth quirked into a lopsided smile. " _Very_ sure."

Theo smirked, and walked forward until his body was pressing against Anne's. This time his throbbing erection was pressing against her stomach as he started to kiss her again. His hands slid up her sides and he started to knead her breasts through her blue cotton dress.

Anne moaned and grabbed Theo's shirt before she ripped it open, sending buttons flying through the air.

Theo pulled back and chuckled lowly. "You know, you're the one who's going to have to sew those buttons back on later since I suck at sewing, right?"

"Hmmm," Anne hummed as she boldly ran her hands over Theo's muscular chest. "Still worth it. I wanted to feel you. All of you..." She purred, reaching down and undoing the top button of Theo's jeans. Anne slid the zipper down and reached into his boxers to wrap her hand around his cock.

Theo groaned at the feeling of Anne's soft, warm hand wrapping around his pulsing length and starting to stroke. Anne teased the tip of his cock with her thumb and a drop of precum formed there. Using her thumb, she spread his come over the head of his penis and then lubricated the rest of his cock with his own come.

Then Anne let go of Theo's cock, wrapped her arms around his neck, and suddenly hopped up to wrap her legs around Theo's waist. Theo's hands automatically went to her waist so that she wouldn't slide down his body, and he backed her up against the tree trunk again. He slid his hands under her dress and up her thighs. He caressed her thighs a few times before he reached further up to stroke her sex through her damp silk panties.

Theo grabbed the flimsy material in his right hand and ripped it off of Anne. He then wrapped his hand around his cock and started to guide it towards her entrance. She was wet with her desire for him and Theo knew that she was ready.

Theo pushed the head of his cock inside of Anne, and they both moaned at the feeling of her sex opening for him. The cowboy then placed both his hands on Anne's hips again before rocking his hips forward and thrusting himself all the way inside of her with one smooth motion until he was balls-deep.

Anne cried out as she was filled fully, and raked her nails up and down Theo's back through his shirt. Theo stared into Anne's dark, luminous eyes for a moment. "I'm all in, Sweetheart. God, you feel so good," Theo praised, his voice deep and husky. He leaned forward and captured her lips again.

Theo wanted nothing more than to start moving, but Anne's inner walls were still fluttering around his length. He had to use all of his willpower to remain still until he could feel Anne relax around him. Then Theo pulled his cock halfway out of her before thrusting all the way back inside of her again.

Anne moaned into his mouth, and wrapped her thighs even tighter around his waist, urging him on. Unable to hold himself back anymore, Theo started to thrust in and out of her at a desperate, needy pace.

_She feels so damn good._ Theo thought to himself. Anne was hot, wet and tight around him. _I wish I could stay like this forever...balls-deep inside of Anne Raggedy. That would be Heaven._

Warmth pooled in his lower gut as he approached orgasm, his balls drawing up tight to his body. His thrusts grew faster and harder. But he wanted Anne to come before he did and so reached his right hand under her dress and headed towards her sex. With his fingers he searched for her clit and when he found it began to press at it.

Theo's skillful ministrations pushed Anne over the edge, and she came against Theo, shouting his name. "Theo!"

The feeling of Anne's pussy clenching around him like a vice pushed Theo over the edge and he came deep inside of her. "Anne...my Anne Raggedy..." he panted out.

Anne shivered with pleasure as she felt Theo's hot seed filling her insides, and she clung to him desperately, her nails digging into Theo's strong back.

Theo continued to thrust languidly in and out of Anne as his orgasm continued. Anne could feel the pleasure coiling inside of her again, and when Theo grinded against her she found herself coming for a second time. Theo stared at Anne with wide eyes as his cock started to soften inside of her. "That was..."

"Amazing," Anne finished for him in a breathy voice.

"Hell yeah," Theo agreed, his voice as rough as sandpaper. He placed his hands on Anne's tiny waist before pulling his cock out of her and lowering Anne carefully to the ground. Theo placed his hands on the tree trunk on either side of Anne's head, caging her with her body, and stared down into her eyes.

Anne was flushed and panting for breath. Theo's gaze lingered on the rise and fall of her chest. There was a slight sheen of sweat over the tops of her breasts. His lustful expression turned repentant. "I was rough. I should have found a bed or something for our first time."

"A bed in the middle of the forest?" Anne teased, smiling up at Theo with obvious amusement.

Theo scratched his cheek with his index finger. "I could have made you a bed out of wild flowers or tree branches or something."

A twinkle formed in Anne's dark eyes. "What are you, a squirrel?"

Theo moved his hands to caress Anne's back tenderly. "I didn't hurt your back, did I?"

Anne decided to be honest. "It _did_ hurt a little." She watched as Theo's expression fell and was quick to continue, "But I'm _glad_ it did. I felt pain and pleasure. I felt _something_ , and soon I won't feel anything anymore..." She bit into her lower lip as she tried to hold back tears.

"Anne..." Theo said sadly.

Anne looked down at Theo's half-hard cock and raised an eyebrow at it. "Looks like you'll be ready for Round Two soon."

Theo glanced down at his hardening cock and glared at it. He looked up at Anne with an embarrassed flush. "Sorry. Just looking at you turns me on like crazy. I used to get confused boners around you even before you had this demi-human form," he admitted.

Feeling incredibly flattered by Theo's confession, Anne blushed prettily in response. "Is that so?"

"We don't have to do anything though..." Theo started. "If you're sore..."

A mischievous glint came to Anne's dark eyes and she placed both of her hands on Theo's chest before suddenly shoving him backwards. Theo stumbled back a few steps before falling down on his ass on the grassy ground.

Swaying her hips, Anne sashayed over to Theo, and straddled him. "This time...I want to ride you, Cowboy."

Theo's eyes flared as he watched Anne raise her hips and then start to lower herself onto his already fully hard cock. "Whatever you wish, Sweetheart."

Anne placed her hands on Theo's chest before impaling herself fully on Theo's cock. They both cried out in unison as their bodies were fully joined. Anne smirked devilishly down at Theo, grabbed his hands, and guided them to her breasts. "Hang on for the ride of your life."

"Yes, Ma'am!" Theo quickly agreed as he started to knead her breasts.

When Anne started to surge over him, Theo's hands clenched around Anne's breasts in response and she cried out, throwing her head back in pleasure. Theo liked the way she reacted and decided to pinch both of Anne's nipples at the same time. Her pussy clenched deliciously around him in response. "Yeehaw!" he shouted out of pleasure.

"How much time do you think I have left as a demi-human?" Anne panted.

"I dunno," Theo responded dazedly as he watched Anne bouncing on his lap. "A few more hours?"

A wicked smile spread across Anne's face. "Think you can last that long?"

"Challenge accepted, Sweetheart," Theo rumbled before raising his hips to meet her downward grind. Anne moaned and leaned over to press her lips against Theo's in a desperate kiss.

Theo breathed in deep and could smell Anne's strawberry scent. _She smells like home._ Theo thought with a pang of longing in his chest. _I'm home when I'm with her. And there's no place like home._

To be continued in...Chapter 9:

### Chapter 9:

Jadyn lounged on his black iron throne that was located inside of his castle's main audience chamber. He was sipping wine from a gold goblet that was encrusted with emeralds while lamenting upon his latest defeat at the hands of Theodore Gale and his little friends.

Flushing out of embarrassment, Jadyn's green cheeks turned brown as he remembered how Tina had cut his clothes off using an incredible display of swordsmanship, and how they'd all laughed at the small size of his cock. It had been cold out, dammit! He'd never been so humiliated in all his life...

Jadyn chugged back the remaining wine in his goblet and held the now empty goblet out at his side in an expectant manner. "More wine!"

"Yes, Your Majesty," a female goblin said as she eagerly made her way over to his side and poured more wine into Jadyn's goblet from a crystal wine decanter she was carrying.

Jadyn glanced at his goblet to see that the wine had nearly reached the brim and held up his hand. "Enough."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the goblin female purred in a husky voice. "If there is anything at all that you wish for, you need only ask."

The sultry note to the goblin female's voice had Jadyn's gaze snapping to her. The goblin female looked like most of the goblin females that worked for him at the palace, and he couldn't differentiate her. She had the same green skin, yellow eyes, long black hair, and pointed ears as the rest of them. The goblin female was only four-feet-tall and had spindly limbs, but their height difference didn't seem to deter the goblin female's boldness.

When their eyes met the goblin female batted her eyelashes at Jadyn and smiled, revealing her sharp teeth. Jadyn shuddered in disgust. Now that he'd forgone wearing his glamour and his green skin was on display to all, a lot of the goblin females had started to make lascivious advances towards him. It was...incredibly unsettling.

He wasn't attracted to them _at all_. They were monsters. A dark scowl settled on Jadyn's face as he caught himself in his own thoughts. And wasn't that the pot calling the kettle black? In the eyes of the humans _he_ was just as hideous and monstrous as that poor goblin female.

Although...hadn't that cyborg assassin named Tina called him 'handsome'? She must have been mocking him.

At that moment, the distant sound of steel clashing against steel reached Jadyn's sharp ears. The clanging sound was soon followed by the sound of pained screams. This made Jadyn sit up a little straighter on his throne. "What was that?" he demanded of the two goblin guards that were posted in front of the double doors that led to the throne room. "What's going on?"

The goblin guards exchanged a hesitant look. "Intruders, Your Majesty," one of the guards informed him.

"Intruders!" Jadyn snapped hotly. "Why wasn't I notified at once?"

"We, goblins, decided that we would handle the intruders for you," the goblin guard explained.

"In order to keep you safe," the goblin female added.

"Safe?" Jadyn gawked at the goblins for a moment. "Safe! I don't _need_ protecting! Are you insinuating that I am _weak_? How dare you!" Jadyn threw his goblet at one of the guards who ducked. The goblet hit the double doors, spilled, and then clattered to the floor. "I am one of the most powerful warlocks in all of Oz!"

"You are very powerful, Your Majesty," the goblin female agreed quickly. "But no one can escape their destiny. And the prophecy foretells your doom at the hands of Theodore Gale."

Jadyn's green skin turned a sickly yellow color at the goblin female's words. "Theodore Gale...is here? _Why?_ "

The goblin female's expression turned solemn. "To kill you."

Jadyn clenched the arms of his throne, his nails digging into the iron. "I see. So, the time for our destined confrontation has come." Jadyn felt oddly surprised by this turn of events. There was a part of him that had started to believe that Theodore wouldn't try to kill him, and that his brother Noryn must have interpreted his vision of the future wrong. "I don't know why I ever thought Theodore Gale might be different from what I imagined." Jadyn stood up from his throne and stalked towards the double doors with a resigned expression on his face.

The two goblin guards stepped in Jadyn's path, and didn't appear to have any intention of opening the doors for him. A muscle in Jadyn's jaw ticked out of irritation. "Open the doors!" Jadyn demanded in an authoritative tone, and raised his chin.

"But, Your Majesty-" one of the goblin guards started to object with sad eyes.

"Do it," Jadyn snapped, glaring down at the guard that was two feet shorter than him. "Like she said - no one can escape their destiny. I have a date with Death. And I don't want to be late." A bitter smile spread across the warlock's face.

The goblin guards' shoulders hunched, but they opened the double doors to allow Jadyn to pass through. With swift strides that caused his black cloak to billow out behind him, Jadyn made his way through the castle corridors until he reached the front door of the castle. Another goblin guard was posted there and appeared to be reluctant to allow Jadyn to pass.

Jadyn rolled his eyes at this futile display, and merely shoved the poor guard aside. The guard stumbled and fell, and Jadyn was able to open the front door of the castle and stride into the castle courtyard beyond. Jadyn's confident steps faltered at the sight that met him - blood, carnage, and death.

The bodies of hundreds of dead goblin and hobgoblin soldiers littered the castle courtyard. Pools of bright red blood were forming around the bodies and sinking into the cobblestones. The once beautiful courtyard had been turned into a bloody battlefield.

Jadyn had to reluctantly admit to himself that this was impressive. With just the four of them - Theo, Anne, Leona and Tina - they'd managed to take out his entire goblin army.

There were only a few goblins left standing who were making a desperate last stand against the intruders. With one disastrous punch of the Ruby Gauntlet Theo sent goblins flying back through the air with cracked skulls spewing brains, and shattered ribcages that pierced lungs.

Anne was throwing stoppered glass beakers that contained various dangerous potions at the goblins. When a beaker hit a goblin and shattered - the potions had varied horrific effects. Some of the potions melted the skin from a goblin's bones, others paralyzed its victims, and some poisoned the goblins so that they would start to die slowly and painfully.

Jadyn had expected Leona to be singing, but apparently the lion girl had found her courage. She was currently using her sharp claws to slice into the goblins' chests and rip their hearts out. Jadyn cringed when he saw Leona started to consume one of the goblin's hearts.

Theo, Anne and Leona were all laughing evilly as they slaughtered the goblin army without mercy, and twisted smiles had spread across their faces. Only Tina was silent as she ran past the goblins, swinging her sword, and sending heads flying as she decapitated them with her _katana_.

Jadyn was startled to note that Tina was no longer wearing her silver facemask, and her beautiful face was visible. It was unfortunate, however, that her current expression was anything but beautiful. A wide, sadistic smile was spread across her face and her blue eyes looked as cold as ice. So cold was the expression in Tina's eyes that Jadyn shivered.

Her bloodthirsty expression made it obvious that she was _enjoying_ killing the monsters, and a chill of fear crawled up Jadyn's spine. She was reminding Jadyn of the Monster Hunters he'd encountered in the past, and that he'd barely managed to get away from. They had only targeted him because he was known as the 'King of Monsters'. Now that rumors of Jadyn's true origins had spread throughout Oz, the Monster Hunters would come after him, thinking him to be a true Goblin King.

Jadyn shook his head of such thoughts. Theodore Gale would most likely kill him before any of the Monster Hunters could, so his worries were for naught.

The mangled corpses of Jadyn's allies caused bile to rise up his throat. They were all dead because of him, and because they'd tried to protect him from his Destiny. Jadyn realized in that moment that they'd been more than just mere allies, and had been the closest thing to friends that Jadyn had ever experienced. _The goblins...they're all dead because of me._

When the last goblin fell with a strangled cry, Theo, Anne, Leona, and Tina turned their attention to Jadyn. Theo raised his fists before him as he got into a fighting stance and Jadyn's gaze went to the gore that covered the Ruby Gauntlet. Jadyn was able to recognize pieces of skull, a glob of brain, and a few strands of goblin hair. He had to swallow the bile that tried to rise up his throat again at the macabre sight.

Anne held up two beakers, one in each hand. Leona had her bloody claws raised before her. And Tina had her katana raised before her in a two-handed grip. Blood was dripping down from the steel blade onto the cobbled ground.

Who would have ever thought that a cowboy, scarecrow, cowardly lioness, and tin woman could make such an intimidating sight? All four of them wore matching looks of hatred on their faces as they approached Jadyn with menacing steps.

Such hatred. Jadyn shivered, as it seemed to wash over him.

Before the group could get any closer Theo raised his gauntleted hand. "Wait. He's mine." Anne, Leona, and Tina immediately fell back. Theo continued his approach with a twisted grin on his face. "You know why I'm here, Warlock?"

Jadyn nodded. "To kill me."

"The Sultry Sorceress of Oz told me that the only way to break the curse on Anne and her people is to kill you." Theo's expression turned mockingly apologetic. "I'm not a killer, but...you're just a monster anyways." The cowboy's expression turned cruelly condescending. "I'll be doing Oz a public service by killing you, _filth_."

"The Sultry Sorceress, Ozlyn, spoke the truth," Jadyn agreed with a nod. "Killing me is the only way to save your beloved. And...I _am_ a monster. The _King_ of Monsters!" Jadyn raised his right hand, conjured a ball of fire, and flung it at Theo.

Theo raised his gauntlet to block the attack and when the fireball impacted against the gauntlet it dissipated. "Resistance is futile, Warlock. You are no match for me."

"I am fully aware of that. I know that you _will_ kill me, but why should I make it easy for you!" Jadyn conjured two fireballs this time, one in each hand, and threw them at Theo.

Theo charged forward and used his gauntlet to protect himself from the first and then second fireball. When the fireballs impacted with Theo's gauntlet the magical attacks were dissipated instantly, and a _whooming_ sound filled the air.

In a last-ditch effort to protect himself Jadyn summoned the sword Marzanna and held it up before him. Theo was almost upon him and launched a straight right punch at Jadyn.

Jadyn blocked the blow with the flat of his sword. Marzanna vibrated violently in Jadyn's grasp and then the blade shattered, sending pieces of steel whizzing through the air dangerously.

Jadyn gawked down at his broken sword in shock, and Theo took advantage of his distracted state to punch Jadyn right in the nose. Jadyn's nose was broken and he was sent flying backwards from the force of the blow. Jadyn fell back onto the ground where he whimpered in pain as blood streamed down his face from his broken nose.

Theo strolled over to Jadyn's fallen form. "No more mercy." The cowboy bent over, wrapped his gauntleted hand around Jadyn's throat, and lifted the warlock up off the ground.

With his feet dangling a foot over the ground, Jadyn clawed at the gauntlet with his nails, but just as Theo had said resistance was futile.

"You have caused much pain and suffering," Theo growled as he started to tighten his grip around Jadyn's throat. "It's time you tasted suffering for yourself." As Theo's hand clenched around Jadyn's throat the warlock's body started to convulse.

The pressure on Jadyn's windpipe was excruciating. "Die, monster," Theo snarled as he closed his hand into a fist. A sickening crunching sound filled the air as Jadyn's neck was broken. Theo tossed Jadyn's now limp and broken body aside, and turned his attention to Anne with an expectant look on his face.

Anne's body started to glow with a golden light and began to transform. In seconds, Anne had transformed from a doll made out of cloth and straw into her original human form.

A wide, triumphant grin spread across Theo's face at the sight. "We did it, Anne." He spread his arms wide, beckoning Anne to run into his arms.

Anne ran towards Theo and once she was close enough she threw her arms around his torso and hugged him tight. She looked up at Theo with admiration shinning in her dark eyes. " _You_ did it, Theo. You kept your promise. You broke the curse on my people and I. You saved me, my love."

Theo placed his hands on Anne's waist, picked her up, and started to spin her around. "Oh, glorious day! The great evil that plagued the Land of Oz has been vanquished." Anne giggled as he spun her around and when Theo set her back down on her feet, he cupped her cheek with his calloused hand, and leaned in to capture her lips with his own.

Anne reached up to wrap her arms around Theo's neck and melted into the kiss. They kissed passionately for a few minutes before Theo pulled back. He gazed down into Anne's dark eyes with a loving expression on his face. He brushed his thumb over her flushed cheeks. "I love you, Anne Raggedy."

Anne grinned up at him. "And I love you, Theodore Gale, my valiant hero. The Chain Breaker. The Foretold Savior of Oz. Monster Hunter."

***

Jadyn awoke screaming. He sat up in bed and blinked owlishly around his dark bedroom in a mixture of fear and confusion. "W-Where am I?" he asked aloud, still feeling disoriented. He waved his hand and three candles in a bronze candelabra flared to life illuminating his bedroom. He was alone. Safe.

"A dream..." Jadyn groaned as he placed his face in his trembling hands. _It was just a dream. No. A nightmare._ He lowered his hands and raised one of his hands to his neck tentatively. The pain of having his neck broken in the dream...had been so real. He swallowed and it felt difficult.

With a sinking feeling inside of his chest Jadyn realized that it had been no ordinary nightmare but a premonition of things to come. The Grim Reaper was coming for him in the form of Theodore Gale. Jadyn could not and would not escape his destiny. He would die. Noryn's prophecies were _never_ wrong.

"The brave hero will soon be on his way to slay the monster..." Jadyn said in a bitter voice. And the goblins in his service would be slaughtered because of him. _No._ Jadyn thought. He could prevent their deaths easily by sending them away. "Yes..." He would empty the castle until he was the only one left inside of it. "Only I need to die." The goblins and Winkies would live on.

Jadyn slid out of bed, grabbed a black silk robe, slipped it on, and tied the sash belt around his waist. The Wicked Warlock strode towards his bedroom door with purposeful steps. He had a castle to evacuate.

***

With Tina's help the traveling companions were able to safely bypass the deadly poppy field and arrive at the Emerald City without further incident. A thick, green marble wall that was forty-feet-high surrounded the entire city. Theo noticed that the wall appeared to be studded with sparkling emeralds, and had to resist the urge to try to pry one of the emeralds off the wall, and pocket it.

The wood and iron gate that led into the city was enormous and twenty-feet-high. "Uh...I guess we just knock?" Theo raised his gauntleted right hand, and was just about to pound on the gate when Anne reached out and grabbed his arm to stop him.

"No! Don't!" Anne warned.

Theo shot Anne a bewildered look. "Why not?"

"The Emerald City is protected by a powerful, magical energy shield," Anne started to explain, glancing around at her feet until she spotted a small, round rock. She bent over and picked up the rock. "Watch this." Anne tossed the rock at the gate.

Immediately, a green-tinged energy shield flared to life. Theo let out an impressed whistle when he saw that the shield was shaped like a dome that encompassed the entire city.

"One touch from your gauntlet and the entire energy shield would be destroyed," Anne said in a grim tone. "Leaving the city vulnerable to attack."

Theo scratched the back of his neck in a chagrined gesture. "Yeah. That would have sucked. Thanks for the head's up, babe. What would I do without you, Anne?" Theo's embarrassed expression turned affectionate, causing Anne to blush.

"You'd probably wind up getting arrested and thrown into the dungeons without Anne around," Leona said, nodding to herself knowingly.

Theo couldn't disagree with that and so merely shrugged in response. "Maybe you should be the one to knock, Leona."

"Alright." Leona approached the gate, raised her fist, and knocked loudly.

A tiny wooden window was opened and a woman peered out at them curiously. The window was only large enough to see the woman's head. She was wearing a white porcelain facemask with dark green accents on it. Her long black hair that was streaked with gray was pulled into a ponytail. There was something oddly familiar about the woman's presence to Theo. "Who goes there?" the gatekeeper asked in a voice that was slightly muffled by the mask she wore.

"It is I..." Theo began in his most pompous voice. "Theodore Gale. Foretold Savior of Oz. Chain Breaker." He puffed up his chest and tossed a roguish smirk the gatekeeper's way.

The gatekeeper appeared startled as she regarded Theo, but quickly seemed to compose herself. "We've been expecting you, Theodore Gale."

"You have?" Theo blinked and muttered to himself, "I didn't actually think that would work." The cowboy continued speaking in a louder voice, "Of course, you have! Because I'm awesome."

"Word of your feats of valor has reached us, hero," the gatekeeper informed the group. "We know of your defeat of Dr. Doppelganger, and of the liberation of Munchkin Village, Toy Village, and Demi-Human Village. You and your friends are most welcome here. Ozlyn has told me that you are all to be treated as our most honored guests." The gatekeeper closed the window and not long after the gate started to open.

Theo, Anne, Leona, and Tina walked through the open gateway and into the city. Theo let out another appreciative whistle at the sight that met him. "This place is just like New York City," Theo remarked loudly to his friends. "Except everything here is a lot more...green."

Still, the city had towering skyscrapers that appeared to be made out of steel, concrete, and green glass. Street lamps also made out of green glass illuminated the sidewalks of the city, and appeared to be powered by electricity. "So...the Emerald City is powered by electricity?" Theo asked the gatekeeper who'd started to push the enormous gate closed again.

The gatekeeper visibly flinched before she turned around to regard Theo. "Electricity? What is that? It is the Sultry Sorceress's magic that makes this illumination of the city during the night possible."

"Magic? _Right_." Theo didn't sound very convinced, but he decided to let it go. There must be a reason why the Sultry Sorceress wanted the people who lived in the Emerald City to think her magic 'powered' the place.

And Theo didn't want to put his foot in his mouth and get his ass kicked out of the Emerald City so soon. Not when they'd been welcomed so easily and were being treated as honored guests. Theo was already beginning to feel impatient, however, due to the gatekeeper's unhurried attitude. "Hey, Gatekeeper Lady, when can we go see the Sultry Sorceress?"

"I'm afraid that Ozlyn is a very busy person," the gatekeeper began in an apologetic tone. "It will probably be some number of days before you are granted an audience. My instructions are to take you and your friends to stay at one of our finest hotels. There you will be able to eat fine food, and rest most comfortably. You must be exhausted after your long journey. Not to mention the many battles you have fought and won. You deserve a good, long rest, and to be pampered. A messenger will be sent to you when Ozlyn is ready to see you."

Theo shot Anne, Leona and Tina a questioning look. "What do you think, girls?"

"I think...that's very generous," Anne began with a tight smile. "We shall accept your kind offer of hospitality." Theo shrugged, deciding to follow Anne's lead.

The gatekeeper's attention turned to Toto who'd been trotting behind the others. "I see that you have brought your own horse with you. If you would allow me to, I shall have him harnessed to a carriage and we can begin our journey to the hotel."

Theo grinned since he hadn't wanted to leave Toto behind. "That'd be great. Thanks."

Theo was surprised by how easily the gatekeeper harnessed Toto to the carriage. She had a natural way with horses. Again, he felt a strange feeling of nostalgia wash over him as he observed her. The gatekeeper hopped up onto the driver's seat and grabbed the reins. "Get in."

Once Theo, Anne, Leona and Tina were safely inside of the open carriage, the gatekeeper snapped the reins and then they were off, trotting through the city down one of the main roads. On either side of the road were flowering trees.

The trees' white petals were floating along through the air carried on an invisible breeze, but only a few seconds later, Theo noted that the flowers had disappeared, and the branches of the trees became covered by green leaves.

A few more seconds passed and all of the trees' leaves started to turn yellow and then bright red. Another few seconds, and the leaves fell off the trees' branches. Then the entire process repeated itself as flowers started to appear on the trees' branches. "Whoa. Hologram trees doing a time-lapse of the four seasons. Nice," Theo praised, giving the gatekeeper a thumbs-up.

The gatekeeper visibly flinched at the word 'hologram'. "They are not holograms. They are _magical_ trees," the gatekeeper smoothly corrected.

"Hologram trees. Magic trees. I prefer _real_ trees myself," Leona said with a sniff. "How am I supposed to climb one of those trees and take a nap within its branches or sharpen my claws on its trunk if it's nothing but an illusion?"

The gatekeeper appeared to bristle at Leona's comment and her hands clenched around the leather reins. "You will be provided with your own room that will contain a luxurious bed. You have no need for trees to sleep in."

"I still agree with Leona," Anne said as she watched the trees' leaves turning red. "This city is beautiful, but...it's also cold. Even the birds are mere illusions."

"Why are there no real trees in the Emerald City?" Theo asked curiously.

"We have no need for them," the gatekeeper replied carelessly.

Theo gave the gatekeeper a skeptical look and almost brought up something about how trees produced oxygen and that in the end everyone needed trees, but then snapped his mouth shut. The gatekeeper would probably just retort that oxygen could be produced by magic.

That's when Theo noticed that Tina had been awfully quiet ever since they'd entered the Emerald City. In fact, Theo realized she hadn't said a single word since they'd passed through the front gate. "Hey, Tina, see any hot guys that capture your interest?"

Tina jumped and turned to stare at Theo. "What?"

Theo's playful expression turned concerned. Something was definitely bothering Tina. "I was just asking if you find any of the guys that live here to be attractive. It's your dream to fall in love, right?"

"Oh. Right." Tina started to look around at the people who were moseying down the sidewalks. The men were wearing green, Victorian-style suits, and most had dyed their hair green or had green highlights. "That's...a lot of green."

"I thought you liked the color green. Especially, green _skin_ ," Theo teased, nudging Tina gently in the side with his elbow.

Tina blushed furiously beneath her silver mask, and was grateful that her mask hid the blush that was now staining her cheeks. "I don't know what you're talking about! Hmph!" She flipped her long black hair over her shoulder.

"Green skin?" the gatekeeper asked curiously.

"Tina here has the hots for the Wicked Warlock of the West, Jadyn," Theo explained in a casual manner.

"Jadyn?" The gatekeeper visibly startled. "But isn't he your enemy?"

Theo gave the gatekeeper a searching look. "Why would you say that?"

"Well, Jadyn is a monster. A villain," the gatekeeper said with a flippant wave of her hand. "And you are a hero."

Theo shrugged noncommittally. "I think we may have just started off on the wrong foot."

"Started off on the wrong foot...with a monster?" the gatekeeper scoffed.

"Why does everyone call Jadyn a monster?" Theo demanded, as he suddenly grew irritated. "Is it just because he has green skin?"

The gatekeeper nodded. "Why...yes. It means he must have goblin heritage. That makes him evil."

"A person's skin color or heritage doesn't make them a monster," Theo argued, feeling his blood starting to boil out of anger. "Their evil deeds do."

"And what about Toy Village?" the gatekeeper challenged. "He turned the village's populace into toys, enslaved them, and forced them to brew dangerous potions for him."

Theo shot Anne a questioning look. "Was anyone in your village ever killed?"

Anne looked surprised by the question, but when she thought about it she came to a startling answer. "No...actually."

"Jadyn had you all making dangerous potions. But some of them were healing potions, right?" Theo continued.

Anne nodded. "We mostly made healing potions, actually."

"And why do you think that was?" Theo asked the group.

Anne shrugged. "I have no idea."

"I bet he had a good reason for it," Theo mused aloud. "And I intend to find out what that reason was eventually. I think there's more than meets the eye to the Wicked Warlock of the West. He didn't seem so monstrous to me, at least. And well, you're innocent until proven guilty where I come from."

The gatekeeper pulled back on the reins and suddenly stopped the carriage. "We're here. Verdant Hotel."

Theo's attention was snapped to the lofty hotel building. Unlike the other buildings in the city it had a dome-shaped roof with a golden pinnacle at its very apex. The entire building was made out of a dark green glass that was so opaque one couldn't see inside.

"This is where I leave you," the gatekeeper said as she waved her hand in the direction of the front door of the hotel. "I hope you all enjoy your stay. I will take Toto to a nearby stable building. He will be well cared for there."

"Thanks, Gatekeeper Lady," Theo grinned charmingly at her.

The gatekeeper nodded. "You're very welcome, Theodore Gale."

Theo watched the gatekeeper reach out and stroke Toto's neck in an affectionate and almost familiar manner. Theo frowned. Usually, Toto didn't like it when strangers pet him and would let out an irritated snort. But Toto was actually leaning into the gatekeeper's touch. _Odd._

Theo and the others got out of the carriage and approached the front door to the hotel. A doorman opened the door for them and they were ushered inside. The sound of retreating hoofbeats clicking on the ground as Toto trotted away followed them as they entered the lobby.

" _Damn_ ," Theo said as he glanced around the lobby's interior. The floor was green and black checkered marble that had been highly polished so that when Theo looked down he could see his own reflection.

There was a sitting area off to their right side that the group unconsciously gravitated towards. The green leather couches decorated with golden silk pillows were too inviting to resist, and Theo and the girls ended up taking a seat on them.

Theo let out a groan as he sank down on the comfy couch. He only now realized just how sore all of the muscles in his body were. "This is bliss."

"Definitely," Leona agreed.

Anne, who was now in her doll form again, pouted. "I'll just have to take your word for it." Tina remained silent.

Theo looked up and was dazzled by the magnificent, glittering chandelier made out of crystals and emeralds that was hanging from the ceiling. "You think those emeralds are real?" Theo wondered aloud.

Anne jabbed Theo in his side as hard as she could. "Yes. They are real. The Emerald City...is an incredibly wealthy city. It is blessed with peace and prosperity."

"The city has prospered under Ozlyn's rule," Leona added.

"Hmm," Theo let out a thoughtful hum and put his feet up on a diamond-shaped, green glass table in front of him. Anne gasped in horror and quickly shoved Theo's muddy boots off the table before anyone noticed his faux pas.

And apparently, not a moment too soon. A tall, willowy woman was approaching them with an authoritative air about her. The woman was wearing a white porcelain facemask with green and gold accents, and that was decorated with feathers. It was much more ostentatious than the gatekeeper's mask had been.

This woman was also wearing a green silk blouse and a matching pencil skirt. A pair of black leather stilettos completed her sharp, sophisticated look. But, Theo couldn't help but notice that this woman also had long black hair with gray streaks in it just like the gatekeeper had. The resemblance was uncanny.

"Greetings, Theodore Gale and friends, we have been expecting you," the woman started. "My name is Esmeralda, and I am this hotel's manager."

Theo arched an eyebrow at the hotel manager. "Aren't you the Gatekeeper Lady?"

Esmeralda flinched in a guilty fashion. "No. I can assure you that I am an entirely different person."

"Uh huh," Theo said in a skeptical voice.

"Allow me to escort you to your rooms," Esmeralda said, choosing to ignore Theo's rude behavior. "You'll be able to freshen up and rest a while before dinner. You must all be exhausted from your perilous journey."

"Sounds good. Lead the way, _Esmeralda_ ," Theo said in a mocking manner with an amused smirk playing on his face.

As soon as Esmeralda had turned her back on them and had started heading for the elevators Anne smacked Theo upside the head. "Theo!" she hissed in a low voice. "What's wrong with you? Behave yourself before we get kicked out of this nice place."

"Ow," Theo complained, rubbing the back of his neck and giving Anne a betrayed look. "Geez. Anyone ever tell you that you have violent tendencies?"

Anne shook her head at Theo in a disappointed manner. "You're being rude to our hostess."

"No, I'm not," Theo hissed back in a low voice. "She's playing us for fools. She's obviously the same chick from earlier. I swear. I can just...tell. Also, there's something strangely familiar about her. I can't quite put my finger on it, but...I feel like I know her from somewhere. Mark my words; something fishy is going on here. I don't trust her."

Anne's irritated expression turned contemplative. "Really?" She looked at Esmeralda. "That is strange. How could you know anyone from Oz?" Anne's red-painted lips dipped into a frown.

Theo nodded. "Yeah, I know. Very suspicious."

Once Esmeralda had reached the elevators she pushed the summoning button. A few seconds later, the doors of one of the elevators opened, and Esmeralda ushered them inside.

The group rode the elevator to the 14th floor. When the elevator's door opened, Esmeralda exited first and began to lead the group down the hall before stopping in front of room 1413. She handed Theo a keycard. "This is your room, Theodore Gale. Dinner will be in two hours. I shall return to escort you all to the dinning hall then."

Theo took the keycard and inspected it. Plastic. He bit his tongue to stop himself from making a smartass comment about how odd it was that they had plastic keycards in Oz. Things were getting more and more suspicious here in the Emerald City. "Thanks, Manager Lady," Theo said, using the keycard to open his door. He waved over his shoulder as he made his way into the room. "See you girls later."

"See you soon, Theo," Anne called after him.

"Later, Theo," Leona said.

"Until we meet again," Tina added.

Theo flicked on a light switch and it illuminated the room. "Huh." It looked just like a hotel room would back on Earth. "Mondo bizzaro." He closed the door and started to inspect the room.

There was a sitting area with comfy green leather couches, Persian carpets, and green glass coffee tables. White porcelain lamps with green accents sat on the end tables that were on either side of the couches. The lamps, carpets and green velvet drapes all appeared to have a diamond motif.

Then, Theo caught sight of the mini bar. "Oh, come to Papa!" Theo made his way over to the mini bar, opened it, and peered inside to see a couple of green bottles that looked like beer bottles. "Oh, please, let it be beer. Please, let it be beer." Theo grabbed a bottle, removed the cap using the edge of a table, and took a swallow. "More Ginger ale," Theo lamented aloud. "Oh, that's it. If I decide to stay here in Oz with Anne...I'm totally opening up a distillery!"

While taking small sips from his bottle of Ginger ale, Theo made his way into the bedroom. A king-sized, four-poster, mahogany bed that was covered with green sheets and pillows took up most of the room. Sitting on the two nightstands on either side of the bed were porcelain lamps with green lampshades.

The bedroom's décor was pretty much what Theo had expected except for the fact that the green sheets had the pattern of golden horses on them, and so did the green lampshades. Horses. That was a motif that his boyhood room back in Kansas had had.

Theo walked over and opened the door to the bathroom next. "Alright! Now, we're talking." Starry-eyed, Theo rushed over to the sink and turned one of the handles so that hot water began to gush out of the faucet. "Awesome. They have indoor plumbing! No more pitchers of water to bathe with and outhouses to do my business in!"

Theo set his bottle of Ginger ale down on the marble counter before walking over to inspect the toilet next. After taking care of business, Theo's attention turned towards the massive, emerald-green, porcelain tub that had copper fixtures.

Theo played around with the knobs until hot water was gushing from the faucet into the tub. Sitting on the ledge of the tub was a collection of bath salts, scented bath oils, and soaps. "Pffft." Theo snorted. "Check out all this girlie shit."

But then Theo looked around the empty bathroom, and shrugged. "Well..." It's not like anyone was actually watching him. He smiled lopsidedly and started to add sandalwood-scented oil and bath salts to the tub. Bubbles soon started to form on the water's surface.

As soon as the bathtub was filled, Theo stripped out of his clothes, and stepped into the tub. "Ah," Theo let out a sigh of contentment. "This is the life." There was nothing better than a hot bath to rid his body from all the dirt and grim he'd collected over the course of their journey to the Emerald City. Dirt and dried blood...

The smile on Theo's face faltered at the thought. This wasn't the first time Theo had had to wash blood off his hands and body though. Back in Kansas, it was almost sad how many bar fights he'd been in. Trouble just seemed to be attracted to Theo like a magnet and that hadn't changed much since coming to Oz. If anything...it'd only gotten worse.

Theo grabbed a sponge, scrubbed at his arms, and noticed the scar on his right arm now where Jadyn had cut his arm off, just above the gauntlet. He shuddered at the remembrance of that battle. That had hurt like a bitch.

That Wicked Warlock really _hated_ him for some reason. Theo mused as he ran the sponge across his scar carefully. But it was weird because Jadyn also acted like he was afraid of Theo at times. But why? Why would an all-powerful warlock be afraid of a mere mortal like Theo? It just didn't make any sense.

Theo knew that killing Jadyn would be a surefire way to break Anne's curse, but he didn't want to kill anyone. He really hoped that the Sultry Sorceress, Ozlyn, had another way to break the curse.

Theo had accidentally killed Dr. Doppelganger by dropping his barn on the warlock, and he still felt bad about that even if Dr. Doppelganger had been a villain, a tyrant, and an evil man according to all of the people Theo had thus far encountered.

Sure, Theo had kicked the asses of a lot of people since arriving in Oz, but the only person he'd killed so far had been Dr. Doppelganger.

_I'm not a killer._ Theo told himself firmly. _There has to be another way to save Anne._

Once Theo's hands started to prune he got out of the tub and grabbed a fluffy, green towel, which he wrapped around his waist. He opened the bathroom door and made his way into the bedroom. On a whim, he decided to see if the closet was empty and discovered that it was filled with clothes that were all in Theo's size. "Huh. That is so...creepy. Do I have a stalker here in the Emerald City?"

Theo shrugged and started to pick out some clothes anyways. He decided on wearing a dark green, long-sleeved, button-down, silk shirt, black pants, and a pair of black leather boots. Theo debated on wearing a tie and decided against it. Once his hair was dry he stuck his cowboy hat back on his head.

Just when he'd finished getting dressed there was a knock on his door. Theo sauntered over and opened it to reveal Esmeralda, Anne, and Leona. A lascivious grin spread across Theo's face as he took in the sexy outfits that Anne and Leona had changed into. Anne was wearing a frilly, knee-length, green and white dress.

The dress that Leona was wearing had a sinful, plunging v-neck that showed off a great deal of her cleavage. The green silk gown was floor length, but slinky and clung to Leona's curves.

"You girls look great," Theo complimented smoothly. Anne looked cute while Leona looked sexy. "They had clothes in your size in the closet too, I gather."

Anne gave Theo a strange look. "Yes. They did."

"And you don't find that at all creepy?" Theo asked, giving Anne a disbelieving look. "That someone knows your three sizes?"

"We obtained your sizes using magic," Esmeralda declared with an amused note to her voice.

"Magic. Right." Theo gave the hotel manager a skeptical look and muttered under his breath, "Probably used some sort of scanning device like JARVIS." Theo looked up at the ceiling. "JARVIS, you there, buddy?"

"Who is JARVIS?" Anne asked, looking at Theo as though he'd grown a second head.

"Never mind," Theo said, looking around expectantly. "Where's Tina? Still getting ready? _Women_."

Anne frowned. "She wasn't in her room."

"I wouldn't worry," Esmeralda said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "Tina is probably at our hotel's spa letting herself get pampered."

"This hotel has a spa?" Theo asked, his blue eyes sparkling. "Like where I can get a mani-pedi? Or hot rock massage?"

Esmeralda nodded. "Indeed, Sir."

"No way," Theo breathed and started to mutter to himself again, "Someone in Oz has definitely been to Earth. I swear. This is crazy, man."

"What is a mani-pedi?" Leona asked with a tilt of her head.

"Why is it comforting that you don't know what that is?" Theo said, patting Leona affectionately on the head. "At least someone around here actually makes some sense."

"A hot rock massage sounds painful," Anne put in with a visible shudder. "I would probably set on fire." Theo barked out a laugh, and then had to give Anne an apologetic look.

"Follow me, everyone," Esmeralda said as she started to head for the elevators. "You don't want to be late for tonight's dinner performance."

The group took the elevator down to the second floor where Esmeralda then led the way to the dining hall. Esmeralda pushed the door open and ushered the group inside. "This is the hotel's restaurant, so there are other guests dining here as well. But don't worry, anything you order is complimentary."

Theo's blue eyes scanned the restaurant's interior. Seated at round tables covered by dark green tables clothes were toys, demi-humans, and even Munchkins. The clothes everyone was wearing were a mixture of Victorian and Steampunk in style, and were mostly green or had green accents. A chandelier made of crystals and emeralds that resembled the one in the hotel's lobby was hanging overhead.

The trio took a seat at one of the tables, and Theo and Leona instantly began to peruse the menu. They ordered some food and when it arrived they eagerly started to dig in. Theo grinned when he noticed that Leona was really packing it away. Frankly, he liked a girl with a healthy appetite.

Back on Earth, girls would always pretend that they weren't hungry while on a date with Theo. Theo wondered briefly when girls on Earth actually ate if they couldn't eat in front of their boyfriends. Anne just sat there and watched them eat, but she was smiling.

Theo looked up just as he was taking a huge bite out of a chicken leg and cringed when he caught Anne watching him. He set his chicken leg down on his plate and gave Anne a sheepish look. "I feel bad...eating in front of you like this."

Anne reached out and placed her hand over Theo's. "It's alright. I really don't mind." The doll looked down at her cloth hand sadly.

Theo looked down at Anne's hand that was covering his own, and felt... _nothing_. He could no longer feel her body heat and he really missed it. He tried not to visibly pout.

Leona was watching the couple and gave them a sympathetic look.

"I'll find a way to keep my promise," Theo said softly. "I will save you, Anne."

"I know," Anne said with a bright smile. "I believe in you, Theo."

"I'm sure the Sultry Sorceress will-" Leona's words were interrupted by all of the guests breaking into applause as the hotel manager, Esmeralda, walked over to a platform stage towards the back of the restaurant.

Esmeralda walked up a short flight of stairs, and made her way to the center of the stage. She stopped in front of a microphone stand and spoke into the mic. "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight Verdant Hotel has a special treat for all of you! We have a very talented young singer who has come all the way from Demi-Human Village to sing for you tonight. May I present - Leona!" Esmeralda waved her hand in Leona's direction.

Leona's golden eyes widened in a mixture of shock, surprise, and alarm. "W-What?" She started to wring her hands together nervously. "Did she just say _my_ name?"

Theo grinned at the lion girl. "Hey, this is awesome. Right, Leona? It's your dream to sing in front of an audience. This is your big chance."

"You can do it, Leona," Anne added as she watched the blood drain out of Leona's face. "It's your time to shine."

Leona nodded at her friend and tried to take a couple of deep breaths to calm her nerves. If her friends believed in her...she could believe in herself. Feeling strangely confident due to her friends' support, Leona stood up from her seat at the table and made her way to the stage.

Soon Leona was standing in front of the microphone stand and reaching out to put a hand on the microphone. "Good evening, everyone. My name is Leona. And tonight I'm going to sing a favorite song of mine." Leona opened her mouth and began to sing: " _Somewhere over the rainbow..._ "

The hotel's guests were immediately captivated and awed by Leona's incredible voice and her performance. For such a shy girl, Leona had an incredible stage presence. All of a sudden she appeared to be full of confidence and even more beautiful than usual.

A smile was curling Anne's lips as she watched her friend sing her heart out. She was so proud of Leona. "Maybe dreams really do come true," Anne said wistfully.

"Well, it definitely did for Leona," Theo said, wiping a tear from his eye. Leona's song had really moved something deep inside of him. "Hopefully our dream will come true too, Anne." _Somewhere over the rainbow._ Theo thought to himself as he looked at Anne, his heart swelling inside of his chest. _That's where I met the woman I love._

To be continued in...Chapter 10:

### Chapter 10:

Days passed uneventfully with Theo, Anne, and Leona enjoying their stay at Verdant Hotel. Theo was pissed that it had been more than a week and there was still no messenger sent to inform them that the Sultry Sorceress would grant them an audience.

Even more unsettling was the fact that Tina was _still_ missing. This worried Theo and Anne greatly, but Leona seemed less concerned. The lion girl was thoroughly enjoying her time at Verdant Hotel. She'd discovered what a mani-pedi was, and began to take full advantage of the hotel's spa. Leona was also enjoying getting to sing for the hotel's guests every night. She was finally living her dream.

When two weeks had passed Theo realized with a sinking feeling in his gut that a messenger was _never_ going to come from Ozlyn to fetch them.

Theo and Anne were currently seated inside of the restaurant listening to Leona sing her heart out. Theo glanced around cautiously to make sure no one was eavesdropping on their conversation before he leaned forward to speak to Anne in a hushed voice, "That messenger is never coming. The Sultry Sorceress is stalling on meeting us for some reason."

"I feel the same way," Anne agreed in a soft voice, leaning across the table towards Theo. "What should we do?"

Theo stroked the stubble on his chin for a moment before coming to a decision. "We go to the Emerald Castle ourselves and demand an audience with the Sultry Sorceress. And we don't take 'no' for an answer." Theo cracked his neck from side to side. "If you catch my drift."

There was a mischievous twinkle in Anne's dark painted eyes. "Oh, I'm game." She glanced up at the stage where Leona was still singing. "What about Leona?"

Theo followed her line of sight and sighed. "We go without her. She's...happy here. She's living her dream. This is all Leona ever wanted. I don't want to ruin that for her. I have the feeling we may have to break a few rules in order to get to see Ozlyn, and we might even get arrested..."

"I agree." Anne nodded her assent. "She looks so content, and I'm happy for her." A shadow fell over the doll's expression. "What about Tina?"

"We'll ask the Sultry Sorceress about her whereabouts," Theo said with a determined expression on his face. "If this sorceress is as powerful as people say...she should be able to scry for her location like Jadyn was able to do for Leona."

Anne nodded. "Makes sense. When do we leave?"

"I'll meet you at the barn at first light," Theo said.

"Roger." Anne gave Theo a little salute.

A lewd smile spread across Theo's face. "It's a real shame I can't meet you at the stables for something else." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at her.

Anne giggled and smacked Theo's arm. "Oh, behave!"

When Anne arrived at the barn the following morning at first light, Theo was already mounted on Toto and waiting for her arrival. The cowboy held his hand down to her. "Come on, Sweetheart." Anne grinned up at Theo before taking his hand and allowing him to swing her up behind him on the saddle. "Hyah!" Theo squeezed Toto's sides with his thighs, and rode right through the open barn door.

Toto's pace sped up until they were galloping down the main road while heading towards the Emerald Castle. It was so early in the morning that the sidewalks and roads were completely deserted.

Theo figured that luck was on their side when they managed to make it all the way to the Emerald Castle unhindered. "Whoa." Theo pulled back on the reins to bring Toto to a stop directly in front of the stairs that led up to the front door of the castle. Theo dismounted first and then helped Anne down. "Wait here, Toto." Toto let out a loud whiney and tossed his head in agreement.

The couple started to ascend the stone steps and that's when Theo noticed that there were two guards posted before the front door. At first, Theo had thought they were statues since they were completely unmoving. But their blinking and the rise and fall of their chests as they breathed gave them away.

Theo was suddenly reminded of the British guards stationed at the gates of Buckingham Palace that weren't allowed to talk to anyone that addressed them. They were even dressed similarly in green and gold livery, and with tall, fluffy green hats on their heads. Each of the guards was armed with a long golden halberd.

When Theo and Anne reached the top step, both guards crossed their halberds to bar the way to the front door. "Halt," one of the guards spoke in a deep, rumbling voice. "Who goes there?"

Theo puffed up his chest and took a step forward. "It is I, Theodore Gale. Foretold Savior of Oz. The Chain Breaker. The Sultry Sorceress is expecting me."

The guard narrowed his dark eyes at Theo in a suspicious manner. "The Sultry Sorceress isn't currently receiving visitors. She's busy."

"Well, too bad, bro. I _demand_ an audience with the Sultry Sorceress. It's important." Theo folded his arms over his broad chest.

"You _demand_?" the guard echoed and shared an amused look with his comrade before turning his attention back to Theo. "You and what army?"

Theo let out a resigned sigh. Everyone always wanted it the hard way. "Me." Theo raised his gauntleted right first. "Myself." Theo raised his left fist. "And I." Theo moved into a boxing stance and attacked the guard on his right first.

Theo's straight right punch was blocked by the guard who'd raised his halberd to protect himself, but the pole bent from the force of the impact of Theo's attack. The guard looked down at his bent halberd in shock.

Theo took advantage of the guard's disbelief to launch a right hook into the side of the guard's face. The guard swayed sideways and crumpled to the ground unconscious from that single hard blow.

"Frank!" the guard's comrade shouted out in concern and glared at Theo angrily. "You'll pay for that, cowboy!" He spun his halberd impressively on his left side and then right side before lunging his weapon forward towards Theo.

Theo used his quick reflexes to sidestep and dodge the sharp axe-head aimed his way. Theo turned, reached out, grabbed the pole, and tugged the halberd right out of the guard's hands. Next, Theo jabbed the blunt end of the halberd into the guard's solar plexus and then up into the guard's chin.

The guard let out a grunt of pain, his body flying up into the air from the force of Theo's blow, and then he fell to the ground where he lay unmoving.

Theo tossed the halberd aside and then reached out to grab Anne's hand. "Come on, Sweetheart. Let's go!" He pushed the door open with his gauntlet and a _whooming_ sound filled the air. "Oops." Whatever protective spells the door might have possessed had now been broken.

Unbeknownst to Theo and Anne as they ran into the castle, a dark shadow followed behind them and disappeared into the shadows of the foyer. The couple ran down a corridor that had an emerald-green rug runner with the pattern of gold diamonds on it until they spotted a pair of towering, ornate, gold double doors encrusted with emeralds.

"Behind those doors must be the throne room," Theo remarked aloud as he continued to tug Anne along behind him. The couple paused directly in front of the double doors and then Theo used the Ruby Gauntlet to push the massive doors open. Another _whooming_ sound filled the air as they entered the throne room.

At the far side of the chamber was a raised dais with a golden throne. Seated upon the throne was a woman. Like many of the women in Oz she was wearing a white porcelain facemask that had green, black, and gold accents, and was decorated by green, yellow, and black feathers. This mask was even more impressive and flamboyant than the one the hotel manager, Esmeralda, had been wearing.

The Sultry Sorceress was wearing a regal, green, silk gown decorated with golden embroidery, and that had a plunging v-neck. When Theo's gaze automatically went to her cleavage he felt uncomfortable for some odd reason, and quickly averted his gaze. There was something strangely _familiar_ about Ozlyn that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

Theo scrutinized her appearance, and noted that although her long, wavy black hair was shiny and luscious - it was streaked with gray. Ozlyn had to be middle-aged, but Theo thought she was definitely rockin her age. Golden hoop earrings dangling from her ears, and a gold turban decorated by a single, large, emerald sat on her head lending to her exotic and otherworldly aura.

"Theodore Gale and Anne Raggedy, I presume," the Sultry Sorceress began in an authoritative manner.

"Sultry Sorceress, Ma'am," Theo said, dipping his cowboy hat at her in a show of respect.

"You may call me 'Ozlyn'," the sorceress declared, and there was a note of amusement to her voice as she regarded the cowboy. "Step closer." Theo and Anne approached the throne and stopped when they were only a few feet away. "What was so important that you couldn't wait for my messenger to invite you here?"

"One of our friends has disappeared," Theo said, focusing his gaze on Ozlyn's facemask. "Her name is Tina."

"Ah, yes, the cyborg assassin," Ozlyn said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I wouldn't worry about her. I'm sure she's fine. She is a living weapon. I'm more worried about my people's safety now that a rogue assassin is on the loose within the walls of my city."

Theo bristled at the implication that Tina was dangerous. "Tina wouldn't hurt anyone."

"How can you be so sure?" Ozlyn asked, straightening on her throne and looking down at Theo and Anne in a haughty manner. "What do you really know about her? Have you ever even seen her _face_?"

"Not much...and no, I haven't seen her face," Theo admitted, but then his expression turned keen. "But the same could be said about you, Ma'am. Why do you hide your face behind a mask?"

"What is the real reason for your coming here to speak with me?" Ozlyn replied, ignoring Theo's question. "Surely, you're not on a mission to discover my true identity. You must want something from me."

"I'm also here because I need your help," Theo admitted, squeezing Anne's hand with his own. "My girlfriend was cursed by the Wicked Warlock of the West, Jadyn. He turned her into a doll. She used to be human once. Everyone I've met in Oz has told me that you are the most powerful sorceress in all the land. Please, will you use your power to break her curse?"

"Anne Raggedy..." Ozlyn's attention was drawn to the red-haired doll standing by Theo's side, "is your girlfriend?"

"Yes," Theo replied without hesitation.

"Do you love her?" Ozlyn asked curiously.

"Hell yeah." Theo flashed the Sultry Sorceress a cocky grin.

"My spies told me that you wanted to find a way to return back home to Kansas," Ozlyn said as she twirled a lock of her hair around her finger in a pensive gesture. A gesture that Theo found strangely familiar for some reason. "Has that changed?"

"Home is where the heart is, Ma'am," Theo said, as he turned to give Anne a tender smile. "And my heart is with Anne." He looked back at Ozlyn with a determined expression on his face. "And there's no place like home."

"I see. _She_ is your family now," Ozlyn commented, but there was a strange sad note to her voice. The sorceress let out a sigh and put her hands out before her in a helpless gesture. "I wish I could help you. I really do. But I don't have the power to break the curse. It is an unbreakable curse that Jadyn used his blood to cast. It is dark blood magic. This means the only way to break the curse on Anne and her people is by killing the Wicked Warlock of the West."

"No," Theo said, shaking his head with a disbelieving look on his face. "There _must_ be another way."

"There is no other way," Ozlyn said sympathetically. "To save the woman you love you must kill Jadyn. That is your destiny."

"My destiny?" Theo scoffed.

"There is a prophecy that states the Foretold Savior of Oz, wielder of the Ruby Gauntlet, the Chain Breaker, will slay all of the Wicked Warlocks in Oz, ridding the land of Dark Magic and evil," Ozlyn explained in a solemn tone.

"A prophecy, huh?" Theo sneered. "Whoa, wait a minute, does Jadyn know about this prophecy?"

Ozlyn inclined her head in Theo's direction. "Indeed. All in Oz are aware of the prophecy."

Theo let out a groan and scrubbed a hand down his face. "Well...shit. No wonder the guy hates and fears me. It all makes sense now." Theo removed his hand from his face to look up at Ozlyn with a bleak expression on his face. "I guess there's no avoiding it. I have to confront Jadyn."

Anne gave Theo a startled and confused look. "Theo?"

"Yes," Ozlyn agreed with an approving nod. "There is no other way. It is your destiny to be the hero Oz needs."

"Come on, Anne. We're going," Theo turned around and started to head for the double doors.

"Going where?" Anne questioned, falling into step beside him.

"Uh? Where does Jadyn live again?" Theo asked.

Anne let out an amused snort. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume he lives somewhere in the _West_ , Theo."

Ozlyn laughed softly causing Theo to flush out of embarrassment. "Hey, I knew that. I meant where exactly in the West is his like evil lair or castle or whatever. How do we get there?"

"You must travel west through the Black Forest and then the marshes until you reach a foreboding black castle," Ozlyn began. "Your journey will be perilous and fraught with many dangers. There are monsters in those woods that will stand in your way. As well as strange creatures. The Hammer-Heads are humanoid creatures that have necks that stretch like an accordion when they attack-"

"Whoa. Hold up. I'm going to stop you right there," Theo interrupted Ozlyn and raised his hand. "I'm really sick of having to fight monsters. At this point my bruises have bruises. Isn't there like a secret shortcut we could use?" The cowboy gave the sorceress a hopeful look.

"Well, actually, there is a way I could get you there in the blink of an eye," Ozlyn said.

"Now we're talking." Theo grinned. "How?"

Ozlyn stood up from her throne and strolled over to what appeared to be a large painting stuck to the floor and covered by a large sheet. When Ozlyn grabbed the sheet and pulled it off she revealed an ordinary looking wooden door that had been painted green. On the door's thick wooden frame was a dial that looked like a compass. The Sultry Sorceress turned the dial until its red arrow was pointing left at a large 'W' that obviously stood for 'West'. Ozlyn then opened the door to reveal a portal of blue, shimmery energy.

"Cool." Theo's blue eyes sparkled with interest. "Is that like a dimensional portal?"

"It is a _magic_ gateway," Ozlyn smoothly corrected.

"Uh huh." Theo smirked, and shared a knowing look with Anne. "Dimensional portal," he mouthed silently.

"Just walk straight and you will arrive at the castle courtyard," Ozlyn directed.

"Awesome. Thank you, Ma'am." Theo nodded at Ozlyn before grabbing Anne's hand. "Let's go, Sweetheart." The cowboy started to walk into the portal with Anne trailing behind.

Ozlyn leaned over to whisper in Anne's ear, "Please, look after him."

Anne shot a surprised look over her shoulder at the sorceress, but then offered her a reassuring smile. "Someone's got to keep an eye on that fool!" the doll declared before stepping through the portal after Theo.

Seconds later, Theo and Anne found themselves in the center of Jadyn's castle courtyard. Unexpectedly, the place looked deserted. "Where is everybody?" Theo asked aloud. "I thought Jadyn had a goblin army..."

"I sent them away," a familiar drawling male voice reached their ears. "After all, this is between you and I, isn't that right, Theodore Gale?"

Following the sound of the warlock's voice Theo spotted Jadyn sitting on the stone steps that led to the front door of his castle. Jadyn's shoulder-length black hair looked oily and was disheveled. There were dark shadows beneath Jadyn's eyes from obvious lack of sleep and his cheeks appeared hollow.

The warlock's black robe was wrinkled and the point of his hat was folded over, reminding Theo briefly of the 'Sorting Hat' from _Harry Potter_. There was a slightly crazed gleam in Jadyn's emerald eyes and he held a bottle in his hand, which he took a swig from as he glared at Theodore hatefully.

"You look like shit, Grima Wormtongue," Theo said, wrinkling his nose at the drunken warlock. He could smell the alcohol from where he stood and was equal parts jealous that Jadyn had managed to somehow find alcohol in Oz, and disappointed by Jadyn's current slovenly state.

Jadyn's green eyes flashed with anger. "Yes, well, I _am_ a monster." He put the bottle of whatever he was drinking to his lips, gulped back the rest of the liquid, and tossed the bottle aside. The bottle shattered loudly on the stone steps.

A frown formed on Theo's face and he shook his head. "That's _not_ what I meant. When is the last time you slept or ate?"

Jadyn raised an eyebrow at Theo. "Since my last defeat at your hands. Not that you care."

"That was more than two weeks ago!" Theo blurted out, his eyes swirling with concern. "You should really just go back to bed, man. Maybe eat something before you go."

A bitter laugh slipped out from Jadyn's cracked lips. "Is this all a joke to you? I _know_ you have come here to kill me. It's the only way to break the blood curse upon your beloved." Jadyn shot Anne a pointed look, stood up, and dusted himself off. "Why don't we just get on with it and put an end to this charade!" Jadyn raised his right hand, conjured a fireball, and threw it at Theo.

"Hey! Wait!" Theo called out as he raised his gauntlet to block the attack. When the fireball hit the gauntlet it dissipated with a _whooming_ sound. "This isn't a joke. And...I _do_ care."

"Ha! Preposterous. Why would a hero care about a villain?" Jadyn conjured another fireball and threw it at Theo.

Theo blocked the attack with his gauntlet again. "Villain? But are you really? Why were you having the toys brew so many healing potions?"

Jadyn blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected question. "If you must know...I was making preparations in the event war broke out between my Kingdom of the West and Dr. Doppelganger's Kingdom of the East."

"Dude, I already killed that guy, remember?" Theo said with a wave of his hand. "I dropped my barn on him."

"Dr. Doppelganger is _not_ dead," Jadyn snapped hotly. "I've 'killed' him many times, but he simply returns. He is immortal. Undying." A shadow fell over the warlock's face. "After you have killed me Dr. Doppelganger will most likely make his next move."

"Next move?" A chill of fear crawled up Theo's spine. "Which is?"

Jadyn shrugged. "According to my spies he has set his sights on the Emerald City. His forces march upon the city as we speak."

"You mean the Emerald City is in danger?" Theo demanded.

"The Emerald City is protected by a powerful energy shield. Unless Dr. Doppelganger has found a way to bring down the shield his movements are _pointless_." Jadyn stroked his chin in thought. "He would need an ally on the inside. But, I wouldn't worry. They are very picky about who they let into the Emerald City."

The wheels in Anne's sharp mind had already started to turn as Jadyn spoke and she came to an unsettling conclusion. "Oh no," Anne moaned. "Tina." She shot Theo a worried look. "You don't think she's betrayed us, do you?"

"Ozlyn let a cyborg assassin into her city?" Jadyn said mockingly. "How foolish. It will be her undoing. All of the cyborg assassins are helplessly in love with Dr. Doppelganger. Everyone _knows_ that."

"In love?" Theo blinked. "That's funny because Tina seemed to have a 'thing' for you."

"Impossible," Jadyn snorted. "She cannot have a 'thing' for me. And if she said anything along those lines she was probably lying to win your trust or some such nonsense. Even if I wasn't a hideous monster she would never look my way."

"You're _not_ hideous," Anne piped up. "And Tina called you handsome."

"Hey, don't start falling for him too, Anne," Theo chided with wide eyes. "Girls are always weak for the 'bad boys'."

Jadyn raised his hands in front of him and began to form an enormous fireball. "Enough of this! How dare you mock me! If I can't defeat you, perhaps I can take you with me!" Jadyn's fireball grew larger and larger until it was four feet wide. Then he threw the fireball Theo and Anne's way.

"Oh, shit! Look out, Anne!" Theo stood protectively in front of Anne and raised his gauntlet towards the fireball. The fireball hit his gauntlet and started to dissipate. However, a few small flames snuck past Theo and hit Anne's arm. Anne cried out in fear as her arm started to catch on fire. "Anne!" Theo quickly used his hands to pat Anne's arm and squelch the flames. "You okay, babe?"

"Y-Yes," Anne said in a shaky voice.

Theo shot a heated glare Jadyn's way. "So not cool, man. Hurting my girl like that. Look, would you just stop attacking me for a second and listen."

Jadyn's hand twitched. He would summon Marzanna. Perhaps, he still had a chance in defeating Theo after all. "No," Jadyn snarled, spit flying out of his mouth. "I will _not_ listen! I will _kill_ you!"

Theo sensed Jadyn's intentions and charged forward. "Oh no, you don't!" Before Jadyn could summon Marzanna Theo punched Jadyn hard across the face.

Jadyn fell back to the ground with a cry of pain. He tried to summon Marzanna, but only green sparks appeared over the palm of his hand. It was futile. That one touch from Theo's Ruby Gauntlet had drained his magic core again. Theo started to walk over to him and Jadyn spread his arms. "Do it! Kill me!"

Theo cringed at the mocking smile Jadyn was giving him which revealed his bloody teeth. He grabbed Jadyn by the front of his robe, hauled him up off the ground, and stared him in the eyes. "And why would I do that?"

Jadyn's crazed smile faltered and he furrowed his brow in confusion. "Because...of the prophecy! You are destined to kill me. It has been foretold!"

"Foretold by who?" Theo asked with a curious tilt of his head.

"My half-brother. Noryn, the Good Wizard of the North," Jadyn sneered.

"Noryn? I remember him. I met him back in Munchkin Village." Theo said. "He was kind of a douche bag. Let me ask you something. Do you and your brother Noryn get along?"

Jadyn blinked. "Well, no. He hates my guts."

"So, let me get this straight. The half-brother who hates your guts says that I'm destined to kill you and you just believe him?" Theo questioned dryly.

"Well, yes. I don't understand where you are going with this," Jadyn said, giving the cowboy an irritated look.

Theo chuckled. "Don't you get it? That prophecy is just a bunch of bullshit! I bet Noryn just made it up in order to instigate you into attacking me first. He manipulated you."

"No..." Jadyn shook his head in disbelief. "But Noryn's prophecies are never wrong. And you do possess the Ruby Gauntlet and you have liberated entire villages from tyranny..."

Theo shrugged. "So _some_ of the prophecy was true. But what if he made up the rest?"

"Made up?" Jadyn frowned.

"That's right. _Lied_ ," Theo insisted.

"I suppose it is _possible_..." Jadyn grudgingly agreed. "Noryn blames me for our mother's untimely death. He could want revenge."

"Why don't we go ask him?" Theo suggested. "You can teleport us there, right?"

Jadyn blinked. "To the North? Yes, but...I don't see the point. Aren't you going to kill me to save Anne?"

"I'm not a killer," Theo said firmly. "Come on, Jadyn, take us there. What do you have to lose?"

"Absolutely nothing," Jadyn said, his voice laced with bitterness. "Alright. I shall take you both to visit my brother Noryn. First, I'll need to drink a magic restorative potion so that I have enough magic to teleport us there and back." Jadyn reached into his pocket and pulled out a small glass vial filled with a blue potion. After he'd drunk the entire potion he placed a hand on Theo's arm and held his other hand out to Anne expectantly. Anne warily placed her hand in Jadyn's.

The warlock closed his eyes, concentrated, and teleported them to Noryn's castle in the North. The trio materialized in the throne room of Noryn's castle. The sight that met them was...unsettling.

Noryn sat on an impressive, high-backed throne that was made entirely out of white and blue ice. A female goblin was pouring wine into a crystal goblet that Noryn held in his right hand. The female goblin was dressed in a tattered brown leather dress and there were shackles around her wrists and ankles.

"Yo, how's it hanging, Frosty?" Theo raised his hand in greeting.

Noryn coolly arched an eyebrow at Theo, Jadyn, and Anne. "Theodore Gale..." His sharp blue gaze went to Jadyn and his expression turned pleased. "I see you have defeated my wayward brother. Why haven't you finished him off yet?"

Theo folded his arms over his chest. "Yeah, and _why_ would I do that?"

Noryn blinked. "Jadyn is evil. A monster. And only his death will break the curse on your love - Anne Raggedy."

"Huh. You're well informed. You even know who my girlfriend is." Theo's eyes narrowed. "I bet you've been spying on me. You can probably use crystal balls to scry like Jadyn can."

Noryn shifted uncomfortably upon his throne. "For the sake of Oz and its future it is true that I have been keeping tabs on you and your exploits. You have proven yourself to truly be the Chain Breaker, the Foretold Savior of Oz. Now, Theodore Gale, you must face your destiny and kill Jadyn. I have foreseen his death at your hands!"

"Have you now?" Theo scoffed. "What a load of bullshit."

"I beg your pardon?" Noryn demanded with a scandalized expression on his face.

"You heard me. Bullshit," Theo said. "You never foresaw jack shit about me killing Jadyn. You completely made that part up!"

The blood started to drain out of Noryn's handsome face. "W-What? Why would I lie...?"

"Maybe because you hate his guts and blame him for your mother's death?" Theo challenged.

Noryn grew startled. "How do you know about that?"

"Jadyn told me," Theo said nonchalantly.

Noryn shot Jadyn a disbelieving look. "He told you about that? What else did he tell you?" Sweat was starting to bead on Noryn's brow.

Theo grinned. "You're looking a little nervous there, buddy. Guilty conscience much?"

"How dare you?" Noryn growled, handing his goblet to his goblin slave so that he could clench his fists on his lap. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

"Yeah. A big fat liar. A fraud. And do you want to know why I'm sure of this?" Theo taunted. "It's because I'm never going to kill Jadyn. I don't just go around killing people. That's not normal. And that's not who I am."

"But then Anne will be cursed to live as a doll forever!" Noryn snapped.

Theo reached his hand out to Anne and she took it. "We talked about it...and we both decided that our happiness can't be based on the unhappiness of someone else. You'll never gain true happiness that way."

Jadyn was gawking at Theo and Anne in open astonishment. "Theo. Anne." The warlock's voice was thick with emotion.

"Alright. Fine. I'll admit it." Noryn stood up from his throne. "I did lie about that particular part of the prophecy. But it seemed like such a golden opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Why should the mighty Theodore Gale stop at only killing one Wicked Warlock when he could rid Oz of two?"

Jadyn sucked in a shocked breath. "Brother, how could you?"

Noryn whirled in Jadyn's direction and slashed his hand angrily through the air. "Do not address me as such! You are _not_ my brother. I can see now that the rumors that have been spreading through Oz like wildfire are true. You possess goblin blood. And that can only mean one horrible truth. Our poor mother..." Noryn clenched his hands into fists until his nails were digging into the palms of his hands causing them to bleed.

Jadyn gulped. "Noryn...it's not what you think."

"Silence! I will avenge our mother by destroying the evidence of her pain!" Noryn used his elemental magic to create a sword made out of ice. With this new sword raised before him he stalked towards Jadyn with menacing steps.

Malice and hatred were pouring off of Noryn in waves and Jadyn backed up in fear at his half-brother's approach.

Theo stepped in front of Jadyn and raised his fists before him in a boxing stance. "Ohhhh showing your true colors now are you? What kind of hero are you? Good Wizard, my ass!"

"I _am_ a hero!" Noryn bellowed, his blue eyes flashing. "Jadyn is a monster. Just look at his green skin. Goblin blood flows through his veins. He is evil. He is a villain. If you will not rid Oz of this great evil, Theodore Gale...then I will. Now, get out of my way!" Noryn swung his sword at Theodore.

Theodore ducked the horizontal sword swing. "That's a cool sword. How'd you make it?"

"With magic, of course!" Noryn snapped.

"That's what I thought." Theo smirked cockily before punching Noryn's sword. It shattered instantly.

Noryn gaped down at his broken sword in shock as the shards of it slipped uselessly through his fingers. "What the?" He looked up to glare at Theo. "What did you do?"

Theo's only answer was a straight right punch slamming into Noryn's nose.

Noryn cried out in pain as his nose was broken, and he stumbled backwards a few steps before falling onto the floor and landing on his behind. "My nose," Noryn moaned and tentatively raised his hand to feel it. "He broke my nose!"

"That's for lying about a prophecy with me in it, Pinocchio," Theo growled. "You know what? I should sue you for defamation of character! I am _not_ a murderer, jackass!" Theo turned to give Anne and Jadyn a thumbs-up. "I'm done here. Let's blow this Popsicle Stand. It's freezing in here. I can't feel my balls."

Jadyn offered Theo a tremulous smile. "Quite. Let us depart." The warlock touched his hands to Theo and Anne, and teleported.

The trio materialized in the center of the Emerald City's market square. An unexpected sight lay before them - the city was under attack. Masked cyborg assassins wielding katana were chasing after screaming civilians through the streets and down the sidewalks.

Dozens of six-foot-tall, metal, human-shaped robots were also running through the city chasing after civilians and blowing things up using energy blasts that shot out from the palms of their hands and lazer beams that came out of their eyes. Theo and Anne shot Jadyn a questioning look.

Jadyn put his hands up before him in a surrendering gesture. "I didn't do it."

Theo let out an exasperated huff. "I know that. Do you have any idea what the hell is happening? I leave the Emerald City for like five minutes and it's gone to hell in a hand basket. Dammit. Is this Dr. Doppelganger?"

"Undoubtedly," Jadyn agreed, glancing upwards. "The energy shield which protects the city is gone. That explains how Dr. Doppelganger's forces got into the city. If the shield is down that most likely means the Sultry Sorceress, Ozlyn, has been defeated."

Theo paled. "Defeated? You mean... _killed_?"

Jadyn shrugged. "I dare not presume to know what Dr. Doppelganger's aims are. Does he want Ozlyn dead or alive? Your guess is as good as mine."

"Then we must get to the castle and save Ozlyn before it's too late," Theo declared.

"Will you leave the citizens of the Emerald City to their gruesome fate, hero?" Jadyn sneered.

"Actually..." Theo rubbed the back of his neck in a sheepish gesture. "I was hoping that you could help out with that. Anne told me about how you have a magical cap in your possession that enables you to summon and command an entire army of flying monkeys."

Jadyn shot Anne an impressed look. "I'm surprised you found that out. Your brilliant mind is surely not to be underestimated, my dear." He returned his attention to Theo and arched an eyebrow at the cowboy. "You want me to summon the flying monkeys to protect the Emerald City?"

"Yeah, man," Theo confirmed.

"And why should I help the citizens of the Emerald City?" Jadyn sneered. "I'm a monster. A villain. Evil. _Wicked_."

"Are you really though?" Theo gave the warlock a searching look. "You were having the toys in Toy Village brew healing potions to be used if war broke out between the East and the West. You were ready to protect the West from Dr. Doppelganger. But in defeating Dr. Doppelganger you would have been saving all of Oz. You would have been Oz's hero."

"My Kingdom is filled with monsters," Jadyn drawled. "I was going to protect my fellow monsters. Why should I protect a group of humans that hate and fear me?"

"Because...it would be awesome?" Theo asked with a grin.

"How so?" Jadyn asked skeptically.

"How often does a monster decide to be a hero?" There was a mischievous glint in Theo's blue eyes. "What would everyone in the Emerald City _think_ if you suddenly saved their asses? They'd be so surprised. I can just picture the looks on their faces."

The corner of Jadyn's lips rose slightly in a lopsided grin. "True. They'd be quite shocked."

Theo casually slung his arm over Jadyn's shoulders and continued speaking in a conspiratorial tone, "You could lord the fact that you saved the city and Noryn didn't over his head for years."

Jadyn's sour expression grew thoughtful. "I could...couldn't I?" A sinister grin spread across the warlock's face. "I could best Noryn at being a hero and then rub it in his face. Oh, he would hate that."

"A man's actions determine whether or not he is good or evil, hero or villain," Theo said. "Why don't you show everyone in the Emerald City that the Wicked Warlock of the West isn't all that Wicked. That he might be a tiny bit good."

"A Wicked Warlock being good?" Jadyn's green eyes glittered with mischief. "It would be wonderfully chaotic and unexpected. Oh, yes. Ahahaha!" He cackled. "That would greatly amuse me. Alright. I'll do it."

"Awesome, bro." Theo gave Anne a thumbs-up. Anne smiled tentatively back at Theo feeling a little bewildered by this unexpected turn of events. She never would have thought that Theo could befriend the Wicked Warlock of the West so easily. But then again, Theo was extremely charismatic, and she'd fallen in love with him in just a matter of days.

Jadyn summoned the magical cap to his hand from his pocket dimension. He placed it upon his head and concentrated on summoning the army of flying monkeys. _I summon thee, flying monkeys. Come and do my bidding!_

The blue sky darkened ominously overhead as gray clouds swept in from seemingly out of nowhere. The clouds started to swirl in a maelstrom, and then a portal opened up directly above the Emerald City. The portal was a swirling vortex of green and gold energy. Hundreds of flying monkeys started to emerge from the portal and descend upon the city.

When Anne had first mentioned Jadyn having control of an army of flying monkeys, Theo wasn't sure what he'd expected, but this wasn't it. The monkeys were wearing what appeared to be a red and gold bellhop uniforms. Though some of the larger monkeys were wearing steel breastplates and helmets, and wielding short swords.

"Protect the citizens of the Emerald City!" Jadyn called up to the swarm of monkeys flying overhead. "Destroy Dr. Doppelganger's Tin Men!"

"Robots," Theo absentmindedly corrected.

"And kill the cyborg assassins!" Jadyn continued. The army of flying monkeys obediently swooped down and started to target the robots, grabbing their arms and pulling them apart.

The cyborg assassins weren't dealt with as easily as the robots, and the flying monkeys struggled with getting past the assassins' defenses and deadly swords in order to bite into their necks.

A scowl formed on Jadyn's face when he saw that the flying monkeys were really no match for the cyborg assassins and only served as a distraction to buy them some time. At least, they were taking care of the Tin Men. "Today, the humans will see that even monsters can come to their aid, and be counted as allies. Today, monsters will be heroes!" Jadyn summoned a carved horn to his right hand and then brought it up to his lips before blowing into it. An eerie wailing sound echoed throughout the entire city.

"Uh, what did you just do?" Theo glanced around nervously. "Should I be worried?"

"Fret not, Theodore Gale," Jadyn said with a smirk playing on his lips. "I merely summoned my goblin army."

Theo nodded. "Oh, just your goblin-wait, what! But they'll eat everyone!"

Jadyn grimaced. "That goblins consume man-flesh is merely a myth. Though...an occasional goblin has been known to become angry enough to rip a man's throat out with his teeth alone."

"That's reassuring," Theo said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

The unmistakable sound of an army approaching the Emerald City filled the air - the clanking of armor as the goblins marched and the thudding sound of armored boots hitting the ground. Only minutes later and the goblin army was pouring through the front gate of the Emerald City in an impressive manner.

One of the six-foot-tall hobgoblins approached Jadyn and knelt before him. "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"

Jadyn placed a hand over his throat and used his magic to magnify the sound of his voice so that the entire goblin army would hear his next words: "Hear me, Comrades! You are to protect the citizens of the Emerald City. Destroy any of Dr. Doppelganger's Tin Men you come across. And kill his cyborg assassins. Is that clear?"

"Aye, Your Majesty!" the goblins called back in unison.

"And...no eating anyone," Jadyn added. Just in case.

This earned a few chuckles from the goblins and a couple of winks. "Aye, Your Majesty."

Jadyn shot Theo an expectant look. "There. Happy?"

"Yeah, man. Thanks. I really appreciate your help." Theo beamed at the warlock.

The hobgoblin raised his battleaxe. "Forward march! Attack!" The goblins all let out war cries as they charged into battle against the robots and cyborg assassins. The goblins were an intimidating sight with their battleaxes, spears, swords, and not to mention their pointy teeth.

With baited breath, Theo and Anne watched as the goblins engaged the robots and cyborg assassins in combat. The flying monkeys began to team up with the goblins and together they began to make quick work of Dr. Doppelganger's army. Theo watched as one flying monkey distracted a cyborg assassin giving one of the goblins the chance to chop the assassin's head off with his axe.

"Who would have thought that flying monkeys and goblins would make such a great team?" Theo remarked.

"Indeed," Jadyn said, with a glint in his green eyes. "This is the first time that two different kinds of monsters have fought side by side like this."

"What brought them together?" Theo asked with a furrowed brow.

"I did." A cocky smirk formed on Jadyn's face. "The King of Monsters."

To be continued in...Chapter 11:

### Chapter 11:

Jadyn stood with his arms spread wide at his sides in a dramatic pose as he watched his flying monkeys and goblins take on Dr. Doppelganger's army. "Yes! Yes! Kill them all! Destroy them! Muahaha!" He started to cackle maniacally.

"Uh, yeah...you might want to dial down the maniacal laugher a little bit," Theo said wryly. "You're trying to be a _hero_ , remember?"

Jadyn pouted. "Heroes don't cackle?"

Theo gave the warlock an apologetic look. "Nope. Sorry."

"Well, that's dreadfully dull," Jadyn grumbled. He decided that he'd continue to laugh evilly, but on the inside.

At that moment, the sound of a woman singing reached their ears. Anne tilted her head in the direction the singing was coming from and immediately recognized Leona's distinctive voice. The doll's dark painted eyes widened. "It's Leona! Come on, guys. She may need our help!" Anne took off running down the street fearlessly, expecting Theo and Jadyn to follow her.

"She's a feisty one, isn't she?" Jadyn drawled. "Is she always like that? Running headlong into danger?"

"Yeah...Anne is amazing," Theo said in a prideful tone.

At Theo's words a guilty look flitted across Jadyn's face, but it happened so fast that Theo didn't notice.

The cowboy shot the warlock a cheeky grin. "Let's go after that little spitfire! Come on!" Theo took off running after Anne, and Jadyn followed close behind.

Anne found Leona surrounded by the fallen bodies of several cyborg assassins that she'd been able to put to sleep using her enchanted singing. The cyborgs that still possessed their organic brains could be affected by Leona's singing.

Dr. Doppelganger's robots were another story, however. Robots could _not_ be put to sleep using magical song since robots didn't sleep nor did they have organic brains. They had programmable brain-chips. Currently, a group of ten robots was closing in on Leona.

Leona looked terrified by their imminent approach, but as she watched the screaming, panicking, and terrified people of the Emerald City running past her while being chased by deadly cyborg assassins - Leona stayed where she was and kept on singing. She appeared to be prepared to protect the citizens of the Emerald City to her last singing note.

Jadyn summoned two beakers filled with green liquid and handed them to Anne. "You know what to do, Scarecrow."

Anne looked down at the beakers in surprise. "Thanks." She hated being useless in a fight. Especially, when lives were at stake. Anne was surprised that Jadyn appeared to have noticed this.

Next, Jadyn summoned a dagger to his left hand and conjured a fireball with his right hand. Cackling on the inside, the warlock charged towards the robots. Theo let out a roar to get himself psyched up and ran into the fray. Jadyn threw his fireball at one of the robots, and when it hit the robot exploded.

Jadyn tossed the dagger at another robot with deadly accuracy next, and the dagger hit the robot right between its eyes. The robot's head began to shake and give off sparks before it short-circuited, and the robot fell to the ground where it remained twitching and giving off sparks.

Theo threw a straight right punch at one of the robots. The Ruby Gauntlet impacted with the robot's metal face and it crumpled like paper. The funnel hat the robot had been wearing was knocked off its head and went flying. No wonder Jadyn had called them 'Tin Men'.

Anne expertly threw one of the beakers at one of the Tin Men when its back was turned. The beaker shattered and the green acid splashed onto the back of the Tin Man's head. The acid ate through metal and circuitry until it finally reached the robot's brain-chip.

Theo, Jadyn, and Anne made a surprisingly good team, and were able to defeat the ten robots in a matter of seconds. Leona was watching the group fight with wide, golden eyes. She was impressed and a little bewildered that Theo and Anne were fighting side by side with Jadyn of all people.

When the last robot hit the ground the trio turned their attention to Leona. Anne rushed over to the cowardly lioness, and placed a hand on Leona's arm. "Are you okay, Leona?"

"I'm fine," Leona said, taking a deep breath to calm herself down and to stop her body's trembling. She cast a furtive glance Theo and Jadyn's way and leaned forward to whisper to Anne, "Where did you guys come from? And why is Jadyn with you?"

That day, Theo discovered just how bad Leona was at whispering. He chuckled. "To make a long story short, Leona, Jadyn's on our side right now. So are the flying monkeys and goblins."

Leona's eyes widened even more. "Flying monkeys? Goblins!"

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Jadyn drawled, a cunning glint in his emerald green eyes. "Dr. Doppelganger is _my_ enemy, and it appears he is the enemy of the Emerald City too. That makes us allies, I suppose."

"Makes sense." Leona nodded and looked around. "Where's Tina?"

A sad look flitted across Anne's face. "We think that Tina may have betrayed us all."

"Tina?" Leona's brow furrowed and there was a skeptical note to her voice. "A traitor?"

"Someone had to take down the energy shield from the inside," Jadyn drawled. "I saw something called a 'computer' in my crystal ball which apparently controls the shield. If Tina got close to this device I believe should could have implanted some sort of 'virus' and would have been able to take down the shield that way."

Anne was giving Jadyn a blank look since she had no idea what a computer was. Leona was more familiar with computers since they'd had them back at the laboratory in Demi-Human Village, but she knew very little about 'computer viruses' and so had a confused expression on her face.

" _Heh._ I'm surprised you know about computer viruses, Jadyn," Theo remarked.

Jadyn shrugged carelessly. "I spy on people a lot using my crystal ball. It's one of my favorite pastimes."

A chill crawled up Theo's spine and he shuddered. "Now that's a creepy hobby. And trust me, you don't want to spy on me. I do a lot of weird shit when I'm alone..."

Jadyn's green eyes twinkled with dry amusement. "That's the point. You'd be surprised by all the strange things people do when they don't know they're being watched. It's quite entertaining. Muahaha." A dark chuckle slipped past his lips.

Theo scrubbed a hand down his face and groaned. "Ugh. You're hopeless. Anyways, there's only one way to find out whether or not Tina has betrayed us. We need to go to the Emerald Castle. _Pronto_."

"Pronto?" Anne asked with a curious tilt of her head.

"Quickly," Theo said.

The group ran through the city and fought their way to the Emerald Castle. As soon as they entered the castle they headed for the throne room. Lying on the floor outside of the double doors were two dead guards.

A sense of dread washed over Theo at the sight of the guards. "Oh no." With his gut clenching out of worry, he pushed the doors open and strode inside. "Ozlyn?" Theo's sharp blue gaze quickly scanned the throne room and landed upon a fallen figure on the floor.

It was Ozlyn.

And she was groaning in pain. She was still alive!

"Ozlyn!" Theo shouted and ran to her side. He crouched down, flipped Ozlyn over onto her back, and cradled her in his arms. He was feeling strangely protective for this woman that he barely knew. "Are you alright, Ma'am?"

Ozlyn blinked up at Theo through her mask. "Theo...? I'm fine. You must stop Tina, she-"

"It's too late for that," a familiar female voice declared in a droning tone. Everyone's eyes turned in the direction the voice had come from. Standing in front of an enormous supercomputer was Tina. There was a long emerald green curtain that had been pushed aside on a curved pole to reveal the computer.

Tina's hands were flying over the keyboard in front of her, and she used the mouse to click something. Theo saw her detach what strangely enough looked like a data stick from the side of the computer. But what the hell would a data stick be doing in the Land of Oz? With the data stick clenched in her right hand Tina turned to face them. "Hello my friends," Tina addressed Theo, Anne and Leona before glancing at Jadyn. "And hello, Jadyn."

Leona, the closest of the group to Tina, spoke up first, "Tina, please, tell us we're wrong and that you didn't betray us."

"Oh, but I _did_ betray all of you," Tina said in an emotionless tone. "My Master needed to find a way to bring down the protective shield that surrounds the Emerald City. The only way to do that is by accessing _this_ supercomputer and implanting a virus. But as a cyborg assassin there was no way I'd ever gain entrance to the Emerald City by myself. That's why my Master decided that our best bet was for me to infiltrate your little traveling party, befriend all of you, and gain your trust. My Master knew that entrance would not be barred to the Foretold Savior of Oz. And it worked. Since I was 'friends' with the Chain Breaker I was let into this city _so_ easily."

"Shit," Theo swore. "You were a Trojan Horse!"

Tina tilted her head slightly to the side as she regarded Theo. "A what?"

"A spy. A double agent. A two-faced bitch. Take your pick," Theo growled, clenching his hands into fists at his sides out of anger.

Tina flinched visibly at the word 'bitch', and Leona shot her friend a sympathetic look. "What about your dream, Tina? You told me that it was your dream to come to the Emerald City and fall in love."

Tina glanced at Jadyn for a brief moment before quickly looking away. "I'm already in love with someone."

"With who?" Theo demanded.

"With me," a deep, gruff male voice announced in a haughty manner.

Everyone's attention turned to the open double doors, and to the man who was striding inside like he owned the place. Theo's eyebrows shot up to his hairline as he took in the man's malevolent presence, and what he was wearing. The man was dressed in what Theo recognized as being a long, white lab coat. Over this he was wearing a black hooded cloak that billowed out and revealed the cloak's silver lining as the man strode forward.

A metal facemask concealed the features of his face, and the man's hood was raised to conceal his hair. Theo also noted that the man's hands appeared to be made out of metal, which meant they were probably cybernetic. The man was more than six and a half feet tall, and his towering height and muscular build only lent to his already intimidating aura.

There was a strange whirling, mechanical sound as the man walked, which made Theo wonder just how much of his body had been changed to cybernetics.

"Dr. Doppelganger," Jadyn greeted for the benefit of the others, his voice dripping with venomous hatred. "So we meet again." The others were unable to see it, but there was a disgusting black and silver aura of corrupted magic surrounding Dr. Doppelganger. It made bile rise up in Jadyn's throat.

"Never thought I'd meet a mad scientist sorcerer in real life," Theo muttered darkly to himself.

Dr. Doppelganger's attention turned to Jadyn for a moment. "Jadyn, I didn't expect you to be here. Let alone protecting the citizens of the Emerald City. I thought you'd be cowering in some goblin cave somewhere. Wonders never cease," he sneered condescendingly.

"Well, the enemy of my enemy is my friend..." Jadyn remarked in a casual manner.

"Since when did you care about 'friends', monster?" Dr. Doppelganger scoffed.

Jadyn glanced at Theo, Anne and Leona. "Since I learned what friendship could be like."

Tina made her way over to Dr. Doppelganger and handed the data stick over to him. "I got it, my love."

Dr. Doppelganger took the data stick and swiftly slipped it into his lab coat pocket. He reached out and patted Tina on the head with his metal hand. "Good job, Tina. I knew I could count on you. But..." The mad scientist's attention turned towards the others. "You have yet to finish your mission. You were supposed to kill Theo, Anne and Leona. They are a threat to me."

Tina flinched guiltily, and glanced at her friends. "They are trusting fools. They are hardly a threat to you, Master."

Dr. Doppelganger clenched his hands into fists at his sides out of anger. "I decide who is and who isn't a threat to my reign, Tina. Now, I order you to _kill_ them!"

Tina looked between Dr. Doppelganger and Theo, Anne, and Leona. "But, I can't."

"You can't? Why the hell not?" Dr. Doppelganger snarled in a frustrated voice.

"Because...they're my friends," Tina admitted tentatively.

"Friends?" Dr. Doppelganger scoffed and slashed his hand through the air in a dismissive gesture. "You are an assassin. Assassins don't have friends. Or emotions! I'm going to give you one last chance, Tina. I order you to kill them."

"I won't." Tina shook her head.

"I thought you loved me, Tina," Dr. Doppelganger said, shaking his head in a disappointed manner.

"I do," Tina readily assured. "But...I won't kill my friends. Even for you. They were the first people to treat me like a _normal_ person. I learned how to smile. I laughed, had fun and danced for the first time with them. Please, don't take that away from me, Dr. Doppelganger. For my sake...spare them. You already have what you wanted." Although a mask covered her face it was obvious by her tone of voice that she was pleading.

The mad scientist shook his head. "Such a pity. I really liked you, Tina. You were _different_ from the others somehow. Special. But a disloyal cyborg assassin, who won't obey me, is completely useless. You have become nothing more than a liability, Tina." Dr. Doppelganger's hand snapped out, and went right through Tina's chest. When Dr. Doppelganger pulled his hand back he was holding Tina's still-beating heart in the palm of his metal hand.

Anne and Leona both screamed Tina's name in horror and out of concern for their friend's life. "Tina!"

"You bastard!" Theo growled.

Tina sank to her knees like a puppet whose strings had been cut. "Why? How could you?" She choked on a sob. "I love you. I thought you loved me too." Her voice was laced with pain and disbelief.

A cruel laugh slipped past Dr. Doppelganger's lips. "Muahaha! Loved? You? You certainly have a high opinion of yourself, my dear. But there are _dozens_ just like you. You are nothing but a copy of the woman I _truly_ love. You are expendable and replaceable."

"A copy?" Tina moaned in confusion as her lifeblood gushed out of her. "Replaceable?"

Dr. Doppelganger showed Tina her heart before conjuring black fire to his hand that incinerated Tina's heart in seconds.

"You son of a bitch!" Theo shouted, his body trembling with rage. The cowboy charged forward and launched a straight right punch Dr. Doppelganger's way.

The mad scientist waved his hand in an upward motion, creating a magical energy shield to protect himself with. The shield was made out of black and silver tinged energy. Theo's gauntlet hit the energy shield and it shattered with a _whooming_ sound.

Seconds later, Theo's fist connected with Dr. Doppelganger's metal mask with a loud crunch. The mad scientist was sent flying backwards and he landed on the floor on his back, but he started to laugh. "Wonderful! Exquisite! It works better than I ever imagined!" Dr. Doppelganger pushed himself up off the floor and dusted himself off in a careless manner.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Theo demanded, bristling with irritation at Dr. Doppelganger's unconcerned attitude.

"My dear boy, that gauntlet that you're wearing is my own invention," Dr. Doppelganger revealed with a haughty note to his voice. "It is an anti-magic nanomachine battle gauntlet. You must have gained possession of it right after you killed one of my copies."

Theo's brow furrowed in confusion. "Copies?" His eyes widened slightly when a sudden idea hit him. _Clones? He must be talking about clones!_

"I'll soon be prying that gauntlet off your cold, dead corpse," Dr. Doppelganger threatened. "You may be invulnerable to magical attacks, but you are still vulnerable to non-magical ones." The mad scientist raised his right arm, and clenched his hand into a fist which he aimed Theo's way.

Theo grew awed as Dr. Doppelganger's right hand and part of his arm turned into a giant Gatling gun. "Holy shit!" Theo realized in that moment that he was staring Death right in the face. He may have been a good hand-to-hand fighter, but even he couldn't dodge bullets. No one could.

"Theo, look out!" Anne lunged at Theo and shoved him to the floor just as the Gatling gun started to go off with a _rat-tat-tat-tat_ sound. A Gatling gun was able to fire 200 rounds a minute so every second about three bullets were sent flying through the air towards Theo.

Several bullets impacted with Anne's body, and straw and pieces of material were sent flying through the air as her body began to get blown apart. With his back to the floor, Theo stared up at what was left of Anne Raggedy lying on top of him. She'd saved his life by sacrificing her own. "Anne!" Theo yelled.

Anne's red-painted lips quirked into a sad smile. "I'm okay...I..." Then the doll's enchanted painted face stopped moving, and became motionless, just like a toy's. The spark in her painted eyes was just...gone. She was lifeless.

"No," Theo groaned as he watched Anne go through the change from living doll to lifeless toy. "No! Anne!" He gently pushed the doll off of him and leapt to his feet. He whirled to face Dr. Doppelganger and glared daggers at the insane man. "You killed my girlfriend, you son of a bitch!" Filled with a blind rage, Theo charged forward and attacked Dr. Doppelganger head on.

Dr. Doppelganger conjured a ball of black fire to his right hand, and threw it at Theo. Theo raised the Ruby Gauntlet and when the black fireball hit his gauntleted forearm it dissipated. In a show of extreme recklessness, Theo threw a punch Dr. Doppelganger's way.

Dr. Doppelganger's arm transformed into three metal tentacles that shot out and wrapped around Theo's body, restraining him. "A futile effort. Since my Tina has failed me...the task of killing you has been left to me. Die, Theodore." The mad scientist mentally commanded his cybernetic tentacles to send thousands of volts of electricity into Theo's body. Theo let out a tortured yell at the excruciating pain he was suddenly feeling.

Abruptly, the pain stopped, and a strange grating sound filled the air.

The Wicked Warlock of the West, Jadyn, had done many things while Theo had kept Dr. Doppelganger suitably occupied. First, he cast a stasis spell on the cyborg assassin, Tina, in the hopes that Ozlyn would be able to use her powers to save her later.

Second, Jadyn had used his magic to repair Anne. An easy feat for a talented warlock like himself. Third, using Marzanna, Jadyn had sliced off Dr. Doppelganger's tentacles, and had freed Theo from the man's clutches.

Theo pushed himself up off the floor and ripped one of the tentacles that was still wrapped around his body off of him before tossing it to the floor. He gave Jadyn a bleak look. "Jadyn..."

"Don't look at me like that," Jadyn snapped, feeling uncomfortable with the sad yet grateful look Theo was bestowing upon him. "And pull yourself together. Tina and Anne are both going to be alright."

"Huh?" Theo glanced around and noted that some kind of translucent, golden energy field was surrounding Tina, who was still lying motionless on the floor. Next, his gaze darted across the floor to Anne, who was whole once more. "How?" he croaked out.

"You make a splendid decoy, Theodore," Jadyn praised. He'd had plenty of time to set things right and even summon Marzanna. The tables had been turned. "I was able to cast a stasis spell on Tina. Ozlyn should be able to find some way to save her. As for Anne...I have cursed her and my curse can only be broken by me. A broken toy stops moving, but a mended toy will move again. My Toy Curse revolves around that rule. So, I just mended her with a bit of magic. Simple, really."

"I could hug you right now," Theo teased.

Jadyn backed away from Theo and gave the cowboy a look of disgust. "Try it, and it will be the last thing you do."

"So, how do we beat this guy?" Theo asked, wisely changing the subject.

"I have killed his copies before..." Jadyn drawled. "A little bit of teamwork should do the trick. Go take out his energy shield for me, would you, Theodore?"

"Sure, man." Theo charged towards Dr. Doppelganger, and aimed a punch at the man's torso.

Just as the mad scientist's protective energy shield shattered a large fireball hit Dr. Doppelganger's chest and blasted him back. Jadyn had thrown the fireball attack at Dr. Doppelganger as soon as the warlock's shield was down.

Theo decided to send another punch into Dr. Doppelganger's metal mask, and this time the crunching sound was louder. The mask started to crack and split in two.

"I do hope you broke his nose with that punch," Jadyn remarked cruelly.

Theo held his left hand up to Jadyn. "High five!"

Jadyn gave Theo a confused look. "What?"

"You're supposed to hit my hand. Don't leave me hanging, dude." Theo waved his hand expectantly at Jadyn. Jadyn shrugged and decided to humor Theo, slapping the cowboy's hand with his own. Theo and Jadyn walked over to the fallen Dr. Doppelganger and stared down at the twitching body of the mad scientist.

"I say we finish him off," Jadyn began, a murderous glint in his green eyes. "Even if he probably is just another copy."

"Well, I won't stop you," Theo said coldly. He still couldn't get the visual image of Dr. Doppelganger ripping Tina's heart right out of her chest out of his head.

Dr. Doppelganger put his hands up before him in a surrendering gesture. "W-Wait! Don't. I'm not a copy. I'm the original." The scientist turned his head to regard Theo. "Don't let him kill me, Theo, my son." Dr. Doppelganger reached up and removed his cracked metal mask to reveal an achingly familiar face that was wrinkled and scarred, but still recognizable.

"Whoa. Holy shit. Dad?" Theo gawked down at the face that had been revealed. His father still wore his orange-brown hair short. And his right eye was the same sky-blue color as Theo's. His father's left eye, however, was a strange silver color and had a slit pupil. Also on the left side of his father's face were odd scars and what appeared to be black scales. "This can't be real. He must be using magic. Don't fall for his tricks, Jadyn. Go ahead and kill him."

Jadyn, however, was frowning as he stared down at Dr. Doppelganger's face. This is the first time he'd seen the face of the original and some things were finally beginning to make sense to him. "Fafnir..." he murmured softly.

"No. Theo, wait!" Ozlyn croaked out. "He _is_ your father."

Theo shot the Sultry Sorceress a skeptical look. "And how the hell would you know that, lady?"

"Because..." Ozlyn reached up and removed her porcelain facemask. "I am your mother."

Theo stumbled backwards in shock as Ozlyn's face was revealed to him. "Mom?" he said in a strained voice. His mother's oval-shaped face with its blue eyes and beauty mark under her left eye was unmistakable. There were a few wrinkles around her eyes and mouth, but other than that she appeared exactly as she had when Theo had last seen her when he was only seven-years-old. "How are you here...alive and in Oz? And, please, don't tell me this Darth Vader crap is actually true. Is that lunatic...really Dad?"

"Yes, Theo, Dr. Doppelganger is really your father," Ozlyn said, her voice laced with shame and sadness.

"Great, just great. A supervillain is my father," Theo said in a bitter voice. "This sucks. How the hell did Dad get this way?"

"It happened eighteen years ago at the top-secret government research facility where your father and I worked," Ozlyn began. "We were working on creating a true artificial intelligence that could be used by the US Military. We'd managed to make robots that could obey simple programming commands, but nothing as complex as what we were aiming for. We wanted to make human soldiers obsolete. Anyways, a green tornado appeared out of nowhere and picked up the entire facility. We were taken here to Oz. The building we were in landed on the Wicked Warlock of the East, and killed him."

Dr. Doppelganger began to laugh hollowly. Jadyn's expression darkened and he shot the mad scientist a sharp look.

"Our landing wasn't gentle," Ozlyn continued with a tremor to her voice. She hugged herself with her arms. "Your father Dexter shielded me with his body...and almost died protecting me. His arms and legs were broken and mangled. He was dying. I used the resources I had available inside of the lab to save Dex. I was forced to replace his arms and legs with cybernetic limbs. A few of your father's organs were replaced by experimental artificial ones. It was a miracle your father survived the operation, but afterwards he was never quite the same. I fear...he went insane, and not long after he began to call himself Dr. Doppelganger and started to do experiments on the people of Oz."

"Insane?" Dr. Doppelganger echoed in a mocking tone. "I have not gone insane, Janie. I am the same brilliant man you fell in love with. It's you who has lost sight of our true goal. Together we were both working towards something great. We were going to save humanity with our technological breakthroughs. Everything I have done since coming here to Oz...has been for the sake of the evolution of humanity."

"You have treated the people of Oz like they're your guinea pigs!" Ozlyn snapped. "Human experimentation...is wrong!"

"I must have answers...whatever the cost!" Dr. Doppelganger argued passionately. "Human experimentation was necessary in order to gain more data. Sacrifices had to be made. I've learned much since coming here. I feel I am much closer to learning the truth. The road to humanity's evolution is clear to me now. I am one step closer to creating the ultimate human being."

Ozlyn shook her head, her expression bleak. "The man I loved never would have condoned human experimentation. This is why I left you and ran away to the Emerald City..."

"I still love you, Janie," Dr. Doppelganger said in a deep, rumbling voice. "When you left me I could barely function without you. I needed you. That's why I started to study human cloning. Once I understood enough of it I cloned you, and made my army of beautiful cyborg assassins who all love me unconditionally."

Appalled by this startling revelation, Ozlyn paled, and her eyes automatically went to the form of the unconscious Tina. "No. It can't be true." Ozlyn pushed herself up off the floor and stumbled her way over to Tina. She collapsed to her knees besides Tina, and reached out to remove the girl's facemask. Ozlyn gasped. It was like looking into a mirror that showed how Ozlyn's face had looked when she'd been a teenager. "How could you?" Ozlyn looked up at Dexter with a horrified expression on her face. "Human cloning is illegal..."

A dark chuckle slipped past Dr. Doppelganger's lips. "In America, maybe. We are in Oz, Janie. I also cloned myself. In the event I am killed one of my copies can continue my life's work."

"It was one of your clones that I killed when I first arrived here...wasn't it?" Theo asked. The pieces of the puzzle finally falling into place in his mind.

"That's right, son," Dr. Doppelganger agreed with an odd note of pride to his voice.

That little note of pride pissed Theo off. "Son, huh? If I'm your son why the hell did you order Tina to kill me? You even tried to kill me yourself. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Dr. Doppelganger gave Theo an apologetic look. "Theo, my boy, there's something you must understand. It's nothing personal. The Good Wizard of the North, Noryn, foresaw that you would one day kill me."

Theo gawked at his father in disbelief. "You're telling me that you want to kill me because of some prophecy? Not this B.S. again! Argh!" Theo scrubbed a hand down his face and then glared at Dr. Doppelganger. "You're my _father_!"

"I'm sorry, son," Dr. Doppelganger apologized in a sincere voice. "But the ends justify the means. And I can't have you getting in my way. The future of humanity is at stake here, Theo. This is greater than you or me."

"So, to you I'm just 'expendable'?" Theo demanded. "Just like poor Tina!"

"That's right, son," Dr. Doppelganger said. "You _are_ expendable."

Hurt and anger swam in Theo's blue eyes. "You know what? You are _not_ my father. And I'm going to kick your ass!"

"Is that so?" Dr. Doppelganger said as he pushed himself up off the floor. "Luckily, for you, my son, I don't like the current odds." He shot a nervous glance Jadyn's way before returning his gaze to Theo. "And so I will take my leave. Until we meet again, my son." The mad scientist twirled his hand and disappeared in a cloud of black smoke as he teleported to his castle in the East.

"You won't get away! Argh!" Theo ran forward and punched. But his punch passed through thin air. "Dammit!" The cowboy's shoulders were trembling with rage. His own father had tried to kill him. His eyes burned with unshed tears.

Anne approached Theo and placed a tentative hand on his arm. "Theo..."

Theo looked down at the slight touch, and saw Anne's hand on his arm. It was a shame he couldn't feel her body heat. That would have offered him more comfort. Theo placed his hand over hers and looked up at her, a myriad of emotions swirling in his blue eyes. "For a moment there, I thought I'd lost you, Sweetheart."

"I'm still here," Anne said softly. "I'll stay by your side for as long as you want me, Theo."

"May I kiss you?" Theo asked in a husky voice.

Anne blinked. "But, we won't feel anything."

"Yes, we will," Theo assured in a firm tone before leaning over and pressing his lips to Anne's red-painted ones.

Jadyn cringed at the sickeningly sweet display. "How pitiful. I can't bear to watch this insanity any longer." The warlock pointed his index finger at Anne and zapped her with a bolt of green and gold magical energy.

When Theo suddenly felt warmth against his lips he pulled back to stare at Anne in shock. He could hardly believe it, but...Anne was human once more. Anne was staring up at him with wide eyes. She'd also felt Theo's warmth against her lips.

Theo came to a sudden realization and grinned. "We did it! True love's kiss broke your curse!" the cowboy exclaimed. "Yeehaw!" He took his hat off and waved it through the air happily.

"It did?" Anne said, her dark eyes sparkling with awe. "You're amazing. I love you, Cowboy."

"I love you, Sweetheart," Theo said as he grabbed Anne's hand and started to tug her close so that he could kiss her again.

A vein throbbed at Jadyn's temple out of a mixture of anger and irritation. He cleared his throat loudly to get the couple's attention. " _He's_ amazing. I'm the one who broke your curse, you imbeciles!" He stomped his foot on the floor like a petulant child, but he couldn't help it. He wanted credit where credit was due.

Theo and Anne regarded the warlock with confused expressions on their faces. Anne's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why would you break my curse all of a sudden?"

"Well..." Jadyn rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, and became shifty-eyed. "We're all friends now, aren't we?" Theo and Anne shared a disbelieving look at Jadyn's cute hesitant display and remained silent. Jadyn grew nervous when they didn't respond right away. "Of course, I understand if you don't want to be friends with a monster..."

Theo snapped out of his stunned stupor, strolled over to the warlock and slung his arm over Jadyn's shoulders. "I totally want to be friends with a badass warlock like you."

A flash of surprise flickered across Jadyn's face before he smiled tremulously back at Theo.

"Wait. Does that mean that _we're_ friends too?" Leona asked with a hopeful note to her voice.

Jadyn shifted uncomfortably. "Sure..."

Leona beamed at the Wicked Warlock. "Great. Do you think the goblins would like to hear my singing? I was thinking I could have a concert back at your castle for them."

Jadyn's eyes widened dramatically at the unexpected suggestion. "I'm sure they would enjoy the chance to hear your singing immensely."

"A goblin concert," Theo echoed as he imagined what it would be like. He could just picture the goblins waving glow sticks back and forth through the air as Leona sang to them. "That's going to be freakin awesome." A sudden idea occurred to Theo and a mischievous grin spread across his face. "Hey, Jadyn, now that we're friends. Do you think you can teach me how to make alcohol?"

Jadyn arched an eyebrow at the cowboy. "I don't see why not."

"Yes!" Theo fist pumped the air. "I want to learn how to distill grapes into wine and how to brew beer. Can you believe they don't serve alcoholic drinks at the taverns found along the yellow brick road?"

"Only wizards and warlocks consume alcohol..." Jadyn said, a glint in his green eyes. "Traditionally."

"Theo," Ozlyn began in a chiding tone. "You need to be careful not to interfere with Oz's culture and traditions."

"I'm opening a distillery and you can't stop me," Theo challenged in a snarky manner.

"Theo, don't even think about it. Most of the people in Oz have never consumed alcohol. I don't even want to think about what will happen if it's introduced to them..." Ozlyn nibbled on her lower lip out of worry.

"A _real_ party, that's what!" Theo said, his blue eyes sparkling. "You know what guys? I missed having a nagging mother."

Anne and Leona laughed, and Jadyn found their laughter to be grating for some reason. A niggling feeling in the back of his mind reminded him that Tina had been gravely injured and was still under his stasis spell.

Jadyn didn't think everyone should be celebrating so prematurely. He and Theo may have been able to drive Dr. Doppelganger off, but he'd acted as though victory had been his. There was something suspicious going on.

Jadyn cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Sorry to interrupt the merry-making, but what knowledge did Tina steal from your computer for Dr. Doppelganger, Ozlyn?"

Ozlyn sucked in a breath and her eyes widened. "That's right. I almost forgot. Oh dear..." She ran over to her computer and her hands began to fly over the keyboard as she tried to discover what data Tina had stolen. The blood slowly began to drain out of her face and her expression turned grim. She turned around to face the others. "All of my research on artificial intelligence has been stolen as well as the blueprints for a peacekeeping robot."

Jadyn arched an eyebrow. "Peacekeeping? And if it's used as a weapon?"

"Then it will be a weapon of mass destruction," Ozlyn said. "And Oz will surely be doomed."

"I guess it's up to us to stop Dr. Doppelganger," Theo said, and glanced at Jadyn. "Right, bro?"

"Us?" Jadyn scoffed. "I may have decided to help save the Emerald City in order to one-up my brother Noryn this time. But that doesn't mean I have an interest in playing the hero again. I will not put my goblins and flying monkeys' lives at risk for the Northern and Southern Kingdoms that are my brothers' domains. They're on their own." The warlock folded his arms over his chest.

Theo pouted. "Oh, come on, just picture the looks on your brothers' faces if you save their asses."

"You won't be able to convince me to partake in this madness using reverse psychology _this time_ , Theodore Gale," Jadyn snarled, his lip curling. "So don't even bother."

"Well, it was worth a shot." Theo shrugged.

"More importantly..." Jadyn turned to Ozlyn. "I placed Tina under a stasis spell under the assumption that you would be able to save her using your, I believe it is called 'advanced technology' or 'science' as you saved your husband. You mentioned something earlier about artificial organs. Perhaps, you have an artificial heart that can be used for Tina?"

"As it so happens..." Ozlyn began hesitantly. "I do have an artificial heart that may be able to save Tina's life."

Jadyn glanced down at Tina's frozen form and his expression softened. "Good. Out of all the cyborg assassins I have ever encountered...she's special."

"Special?" Ozlyn echoed as she looked down at Tina warily. "She does seem to be... _different_ from the others. Don't worry, Jadyn. I will do my best to save her."

Jadyn inclined his head regally in Ozlyn's direction. "Splendid."

***

Tina awoke two days later. She sat up in bed and looked around the room she was in. It was a very plain room with green wallpaper, which made her assume that she must be somewhere in the Emerald City. The bed she was laying on was made out of metal, had a thin mattress, and a single green sheet had been draped over her body.

Tina glanced down at her hand. It was warm. As if someone had been holding it, but the room was empty. A vacant chair sat directly next to her bed, and Tina thought she saw a cloud of green mist swirl above the chair's seat for a moment, but it quickly dissipated so that Tina wondered if she'd really seen anything at all. Her heart fluttered inside of her chest as she wondered who could have been visiting her. Theo? Anne? Leona? Surely not...?

At that moment, Ozlyn opened the door to the room and strode inside. Her blue eyes widened when she noticed that Tina was awake and she smiled thinly. She was glad that the operation had been a success, of course. But it was still unnerving to look at a clone of herself.

Tina's blue eyes widened dramatically as she caught sight of Ozlyn's face. The woman's face was a mirror image of her own except older. "W-Who are you?"

"I am the Sultry Sorceress, Ozlyn. I have another name that I used to go by...Janie Gale."

"Gale?" Tina echoed. Dr. Doppelganger had slipped up and mentioned the name 'Janie Gale' to her once upon a time. Janie Gale was the woman Dr. Doppelganger _truly_ loved. Tina had noticed the gold ring on Dr. Doppelganger's finger. "You were his wife?"

"Yes." Ozlyn nodded solemnly.

"I'm...your copy, aren't I? That's why we look so similar. I was your replacement." Tina's expression fell. "No wonder Dr. Doppelganger didn't have any real feelings for me. It was all a lie. Like he said...I'm expendable."

"No!" Ozlyn blurted and then flushed at her outburst. "Tina...all of the other clones were blindly loyal to Dr. Doppelganger. All...except for you. You chose to protect the bonds of friendship you had formed with my son and his friends. You chose friendship over love. You are very special, Tina."

"I really did love him..." Tina said sadly. "But somewhere along the way my love for him started to die. He treated me differently from the other cyborg assassins. But that didn't stop me from witnessing his cruelty towards the others. They're mostly machine now compared to me. I'm one of the few cyborg assassins left to possess an organic brain. When I lost my left arm during a sparring match Dr. Doppelganger replaced it with a cybernetic one. My left eye is also cybernetic. It allows me to have x-ray vision, and has other useful abilities, which help to give me an edge in battle."

"We are similar, you and I, and not just in appearance," Ozlyn said. "I loved Dex. But his experiments on humans were...evil. I had to leave him for the sake of my own conscience. I wasn't strong enough to stop him."

"Conscience," Tina echoed. "I suppose I must have one of those too. I could no longer condone his actions in my heart. And then meeting Theodore, Anne, Leona and Jadyn only confirmed the way I truly feel. Theodore Gale...he's your son, isn't he?"

Ozlyn nodded. "Yes. He is."

Tina smiled. "You must be proud of the hero he has grown up to be."

"I never wanted my son to be a hero," Ozlyn began pensive tone. "I'd be perfectly content if he was just an ordinary man. I don't care if he's Oz's Savior. I selfishly only wish for my son's happiness."

"He seems happy with Anne," Tina teased.

"Theo has discovered that 'home is where the heart is'," Ozlyn said with a twinkle in her blue eyes. "And that, really, there's no place like home."

Tina placed a hand over her new artificial heart. "The heart you gave me...it's cybernetic?"

A shadow fell over Ozlyn's face and her expression turned grim. "The artificial heart that now lies inside of your chest and that saved your life...was not made only with my knowledge of science and advanced technology. I couldn't get it to work...and that's when the Good Wizard of the South, Reginald, appeared in my lab. He cast a spell upon the heart and got it to work."

Tina's eyes widened. "So my heart was made through a combination of science and magic?"

"Indeed," Ozlyn agreed. "Reginald enjoys playing the part of the noble hero who has rescued the damsel in distress. But...inside he's twisted. His spell placed certain conditions on the heart in order for it to continue functioning. Strong emotions like anger will cause your heart to heat up and it will begin to malfunction. Even more dangerous is the emotion...love."

"Love," Tina echoed, her face paling as she gave Ozlyn a searching look. "What are you saying?"

"I'm sorry, Tina." Ozlyn gave the cyborg a sympathetic look. "But if you want to continue living you must never fall in love again. It's too dangerous. Your heart won't be able to handle such a strong emotion."

"If I fall in love again...I'll die," Tina murmured to herself.

"You must be very careful, Tina," Ozlyn warned. "You must stifle and control your emotions or else your heart will malfunction, stop beating, and you will die. I know you were starting to feel things for Jadyn, but it would be for the best if you discarded those feelings."

Tina blushed. "Jadyn...? How did you-?"

Before Ozlyn could answer Theo, Anne and Leona burst into Tina's room. Their eyes widened simultaneously when they saw that Tina was awake. "Tina!" The trio cried out simultaneously before rushing over to the bed.

"Hello, Cowboy, Miss Scarecrow, Cowardly Lioness. My friends," Tina greeted them casually as a wide smile spread across her face. She was happy that her new friends were alive and well. If she'd obeyed Dr. Doppelganger's orders she would have killed them. But her newfound friendship had been stronger than her lingering feelings for Dr. Doppelganger, in the end.

Tina couldn't help but note that Jadyn wasn't with them, however. The warlock had probably returned to his castle. Her spirits fell at the thought that she didn't even get to say 'goodbye', and she felt her heart flutter strangely. She placed a hand over her heart and remembered that she couldn't allow herself to think of such things. _I don't have feelings for Jadyn. And I certainly wasn't falling in love with him._ _After all, who in their right mind would fall for the Wicked Warlock of the West?_

THE END

Keep reading for an exclusive sneak peek of "Wicked Warlock of Oz" - a stand-alone spin-off romance story for Jadyn and Tina Woodcutter! Ebook and audiobook now available!

### Chapter 1: Wicked Warlock Of Oz

"It feels good to be wicked," Jadyn remarked to himself as he crossed number four off his checklist of important things to do. The list had been written on a piece of parchment in black ink, and read as follows:

World Domination Plan:

  1. Become the Goblin King

  2. Become King of the Direwolves

  3. Befriend Theodore Gale, the Foretold Savior of Oz

  4. Save the Emerald City from peril

  5. Become King of the Trolls

  6. Defeat the Good Wizard of the North

  7. Defeat the Wicked Warlock of the East, Dr. Doppelganger

  8. Defeat the Good Wizard of the South, Reginald

The people of Oz had lowered their guards against Jadyn ever since he'd befriended Theodore Gale. And because he'd helped to save the Emerald City from Dr. Doppelganger's army of robots and lovely cyborg assassins he looked like a bona fide hero. A sly smile curled Jadyn's lips at the thought.

They'd never suspect the villainous activity he was currently up to. Now was the perfect time to strike the North and catch his brother Noryn by surprise.

"Oh, yes. The North will be mine! Muahaha!" Jadyn threw his head back and let out an evil cackle.

"Halt! Who goes there?" a deep, gruff male voice demanded as a tall, humanoid figure stepped into the moonlight. The silvery rays illuminated the intimidating sight of an eight-foot-tall troll with bulging muscles. The troll had blue skin, tusks jutting out from its mouth, and an impressive set of horns curling out of the top of its head. The troll was wearing a crudely made steel breastplate, vambraces, and greaves. The skin of what appeared to be a direwolf was wrapped around its waist as a loincloth.

The warlock lowered his hood to reveal his face and since the troll was a good two feet taller than Jadyn he had to crane his neck to meet the troll's questioning gaze. "A fighter," he drawled coolly.

The troll guard raised a skeptical eyebrow as he looked down at Jadyn. Jadyn had glamoured himself to have the appearance of a troll. The warlock's green skin was currently a dark shade of purple. He also had tusks, horns, and yellow eyes. Jadyn had decided to forgo heavy armor that would have only slowed him down, and had chosen to wrap an animal skin around his waist to protect his loins. Marzanna, his trusty demon-possessed sword, was strapped to his side.

Jadyn raised his chin as the troll's critical gaze raked over him. He may have been short for a troll, but...he wasn't as lanky as he used to be. His chest was now leanly muscled. Still, he wasn't as muscular as say, Theodore Gale, and that stung a little bit that no matter how hard Jadyn tried to put on muscle before coming here to participate in the Trolls' Fighting Competition, his current physique was as good as it was going to get.

Jadyn was well aware that he didn't look very formidable. But that was all part of the plan. He _wanted_ to be underestimated. First things first, he still needed to get past this tiresome troll guard...

After the troll had finished his assessment of Jadyn he let out a loud snort. "Pffft. _You_ a fighter?" His yellow eyes narrowed into thin slits. "You're small for a troll. Are you a half-breed?"

Jadyn stiffened at the unwelcome term 'half-breed'. That's _exactly_ what he was, in truth, being half-goblin half-human, but that troll guard didn't know this. If he didn't need the troll guard alive to open the portal to Troll Kingdom by using his unique, innate magic he would have disposed of him already. Jadyn's hand twitched and he had to resist the urge to use Marzanna to slit this insolent troll's throat. "I'm a runt," Jadyn explained through gritted teeth.

The troll guard's eyes widened in understanding before he threw his head back and guffawed. He laughed for several minutes while Jadyn grinded his teeth.

Finally, the troll guard stopped laughing, and wiped a tear from his eye with his index finger. "That you are. You are a very tiny troll. Are you sure you want to enter the Competition? The King's Champion will probably snap your arms in half like twigs." The troll had a gleeful time pretending to snap a branch in half and made the accompanying sound effects. "You'll be dead meat. Very dead."

"I like to live dangerously," Jadyn challenged with a glint in his eyes.

"Okay. If you're sure. It's your funeral." The troll guard spun to face the large, arching stone bridge that was the only way to enter Troll Kingdom. The guard walked towards the stone arch, stood in front of it, waved his hand, and muttered the words of the incantation that would activate the portal to open.

Jadyn memorized the words of the incantation in case things went south, and he had to make a quick getaway. At any rate, he wouldn't need the guard's help again. After all, he could perform magic too.

Runes, glyphs, and ancient symbols that had been carved into the bridge started to glow with a blue light, and pulse with magic. Seconds later, a portal of blue, swirling energy appeared beneath the bridge.

Jadyn raised his chin and walked confidently towards the portal. He wished he were as confident as he probably appeared to be. Just as he was about to step through the portal the troll guard called after him, "Hey, runt! If you lose...can I eat you?"

A vein at Jadyn's temple throbbed in irritation at the callous request, and pointedly ignoring the troll he stepped through the portal. In a blink, Jadyn was standing on the edge of a precipice that overlooked an enormous underground cavern that contained a city inhabited entirely by trolls.

Trolls were a bit simple-minded, and they had a primitive culture that mostly revolved around mining, mating, and fighting, but despite this Jadyn found himself to be impressed by their city. The trolls made their homes out of the hundreds of caves that existed inside of the cavern. Most of the caves had been there to begin with while others had been carved into the stone.

Jadyn caught sight of several male trolls that were wielding pickaxes while they mined emeralds from the walls of the cavern. Wheelbarrows filled with glittering emeralds were being transported towards the marketplace situated in the heart of the city where trolls had set up stands to sell their wares. Troll females were known for being skilled at making jewelry, and troll males were good at making jewel-encrusted weapons.

The emeralds that decorated the Emerald City had all come from Troll Kingdom. The Sultry Sorceress, Ozlyn, had paid the trolls handsomely for their emeralds. Their Kingdom was rich...or rather _should have been_ rich. Jadyn frowned as he noticed that several of the trolls appeared to be malnourished.

That didn't make a lot of sense. And even though the troll females were selling jewelry none of them were wearing it. Jadyn noted that their customers were human denizens from the Emerald City. Jadyn ducked his head in case he would be recognized by the structure of his face, which had remained the same even with his troll glamour spell.

Jadyn glanced around and saw that several precious stones were sticking out of the cavern's walls just waiting to be mined. He narrowed his eyes on a red stone and hoped it wasn't Ozanite. He shuddered.

The city's most impressive feature, at least, in Jadyn's opinion, was the gargantuan, enchanted emerald that hung from the center of the cavern's ceiling. It glowed so brightly that it served as an artificial sun, shedding a green-tinged light over the entire city.

Jadyn's eyes fixated on a round building in the distance, which was his destination. The coliseum was where the Trolls' Fighting Competition took place. Jadyn started to make his way down a narrow, winding path, and headed for the coliseum.

He kept his head lowered, not wanting to draw too much attention to himself, but even so he could feel the trolls' curious eyes upon him. A few of the troll males muttered 'runt' cruelly under their breath, and sniggered at him. Curiosity getting the better of him, Jadyn looked up to see who'd insulted him and spotted two male trolls walking past him.

Jadyn gulped. Troll males were eight-feet-tall, and had blue, purple, pink or yellow skin. All trolls had horns curling out of the tops of their heads, and tusks. Troll eye colors tended to be yellow or black. The males were very muscular and had loincloths made out of animal skins wrapped around their waists.

A giggle captured Jadyn's attention next, and he spotted two troll females watching him from a shadowed alcove with enamored looks on their faces. Jadyn's eyebrows shot up to his hairline at their expressions, and he glanced behind him, assuming that there was a handsome troll male standing directly behind him. But there was no one there.

Troll females were seven-feet-tall and more delicate in physique than Jadyn would have expected from this race that was known for being powerful and bloodthirsty. The females were dressed in short dresses made out of animal skins that left little to the imagination.

Jadyn's gaze accidentally settled upon the impressive cleavage of one of the females and he quickly wrenched his gaze away, feeling a blush creeping up the back of his neck. Still, his frown deepened at their primitive, cheap clothing. The Troll Kingdom was one of the wealthiest Kingdoms in all of Oz. Their people should be dressed in finer clothes and the females should be wearing silk and be adorned in jewelry.

Jadyn shook his head as he passed the giggling females. He wondered if he should have changed his regal facial features to match a troll's better. He'd always been proud of his straight, Romanesque nose. Most trolls had button noses, and Jadyn kicked himself for his vanity. He could end up blowing his cover before he even reached the coliseum. Jadyn's nose was so unique that the troll females seemed interested in him, even though he was a runt.

The coliseum was the largest architectural structure in the city, and was an essential part of troll life. According to Jadyn's spies, the winged monkeys, competitions were held daily. Trolls would participate in the Fighting Competition in order to win monetary prizes granted by the Troll King. Champions had the option of forgoing their monetary prize and instead make a request of King Bellwort, who was honor bound to grant anything to them within his power.

The Troll King was known to grant boons of all kinds, and it was a boon that Jadyn was there for. Jadyn intended to fight King Bellwort's Champion, win, and then make a certain request.

Jadyn reached the coliseum unhindered and made his way inside. The coliseum had a large, oval-shaped, sandy arena surrounded by tiered seats that were carved out of stone. The seats were filled with cheering male and female trolls.

Jadyn walked down an aisle between two sections of tiered seats, and peered out over the arena to try and catch a glimpse of the Troll King's beloved, undefeated Champion.

"Hawthorn! Hawthorn! Hawthorn!" the trolls chanted loudly as they clapped and waved their arms through the air.

The eight-foot-tall troll with bulging muscles, who had two enormous, curling black horns on the top of his head was hard to miss. Hawthorn had dark purple skin, the same shade as Jadyn's. His shoulder-length black hair was shaggy and unkempt, and the troll's yellow eyes were gleaming with malice.

Hawthorn grinned widely at the crowd, showing off his impressive tusks, and raised his great sword high over his head. The dimensions of his sword were insane: five-feet-long and a foot wide. Jadyn knew that he wouldn't be able to lift that sword no matter how hard he tried. It was the type of sword that could literally cleave a man in two with one swing.

The female trolls were letting out appreciative shrieks, which made Jadyn think that for a troll Hawthorn must have been considered _handsome_. Jadyn just thought he was terrifying and demonic in appearance.

Hawthorn's armor was less crude than most of the armor Jadyn had seen the trolls wearing thus far, and consisted of a black steel breastplate, spiked shoulder armor, and spiked vambraces. The pelt of a black direwolf was wrapped around his waist.

Hawthorn's opponent looked _angelic_ in comparison with his yellow skin, small horns, and tiny tusks that barely peeked past his puffy lips. He was wearing a brown loincloth and wielding a large battleaxe.

The two trolls let out roars before charging towards each other with thunderous steps. Their weapons clashed with such force that a shockwave of power spread out through the coliseum that almost knocked Jadyn right off his feet. A loud clanging sound reverberated through the air following their vicious attacks.

Then Hawthorn swung his great sword horizontally, and when it impacted with his opponent's battleaxe, the axe shattered, pieces of metal soaring through the air dangerously. Hawthorn continued his swing and sliced his opponent's head off.

The troll's head went flying through the air and the crowd went wild: "Hawthorn! Hawthorn! Hawthorn!" Jadyn unconsciously rubbed his neck at the gruesome sight.

Hawthorn grinned up at the stands, showing off his sharp teeth. He waved at the troll females and sent a wink their way. Several females swooned in response. Hawthorn stomped over to pick up the head of his felled opponent by the hair and showed it off like a trophy. "Yeah! Who's your Champion? I'm your Champion!"

Bile rose up Jadyn's throat at the crude display, but he stubbornly swallowed it down. _I'm going to have to fight that demon...if I want to cross off number five on my list._ Jadyn gulped as he watched Hawthorn parade across the bloody arena floor. _I'm doomed. No!_ Jadyn slapped his cheeks in an effort to pull himself together. He could do this. He _had_ to this. For _them_. Er, for World Domination, of course.

King Bellwort stood up from his throne that had been specially situated in the stands, and raised his arms to get everyone's attention. Instantly, the cheers died down. "Well done, my Champion! Well done! Sadly your opponent, Hyacinth, lost, and therefore will _not_ receive the precious gems he wanted. I suppose his starving wife and daughter will just have to continue starving. Such a pity." Jadyn had the feeling that the sad look on King Bellwort's face was insincere, and he narrowed his eyes at the Troll King.

Bellwort's height and size were similar to Hawthorn's, and only his long white hair and beard gave away his age. Even though the king was wearing a silver breastplate, Jadyn was still able to see that his chest and arms were covered with battle scars. The pelt of a white direwolf was wrapped around the king's waist. Bellwort's skin was a sky-blue color, and his yellow eyes gleamed with wisdom. The horns that curled out of the top of the king's head were an ivory white.

Hawthorn was obviously physically powerful, but didn't appear to possess much intelligence. Intelligence was much more dangerous in Jadyn's opinion than physical strength. One didn't become King of the Trolls easily, and Jadyn would make sure not to underestimate the elderly troll.

Seated to King Bellwort's right was his son, Prince Periwinkle. Jadyn was surprised to see that the king's heir was, in fact, a runt, and only seven-feet-tall. From the unhappy and self-conscious expression on the young man's face, Jadyn had the gut feeling that he wasn't accepted by troll society. He bore a very similar appearance to his father. They both had sky-blue skin, the horns curling out of the top of Periwinkle's head were white, and his eyes were yellow. The only notable difference was that Periwinkle's shoulder-length hair was a dark blue color.

Due to the small size of Periwinkle's horns and tusks, Jadyn thought the troll prince looked almost human in appearance, which in his opinion wasn't a bad thing. Jadyn had the feeling that the other trolls probably ridiculed Periwinkle for his unusual appearance, however.

Jadyn's gaze was drawn to the troll female that was seated to King Bellwort's left next. He instantly deduced that she must be Bellwort's daughter, Princess Dahlia. Jadyn had gotten so used to seeing the troll females dressed in primitive, animal-skin dresses that Dahlia's pink, silk gown caught him by surprise. She was also wearing a gold and amethyst necklace that looked lovely against her purple skin. Princess Dahlia's long pink hair was decorated with scattered braids.

If not for her horns and tusks Jadyn would have called Princess Dahlia 'beautiful'. But he supposed she was beautiful in her own special way.

Beautiful. Special. Those words made Jadyn recall a certain cyborg assassin named Tina Woodcutter. There was something about Tina that drew Jadyn to her like a moth to the flame.

_Head in the game._ Jadyn slapped his cheeks. He didn't have time to be thinking about some _woman_.

"Now, who here has the stones to face my Champion?" King Bellwort bellowed, his voice carrying across the coliseum. "The victor will win the current pot of gems, or I will grant them a single request!" The Troll King arched an eyebrow at the crowd expectantly.

A few minutes ticked by and a sinister smile spread across the king's face. "Well, if no one is going to volunteer for my entertainment I suppose I'll just have to draw a name from the lottery." King Bellwort made an impatient motion with his hand and a troll appeared at his side carrying a large ceramic pot that was filled with tiny, folded slips of paper.

Jadyn's eyes narrowed on the pot and he frowned. _Lottery?_ He mused. His spies hadn't mentioned anything about a lottery. Those slips of paper most likely had the names of trolls written on them. This was a new development, but not one that really concerned Jadyn. "That won't be necessary, Your Majesty!" Jadyn called out in a loud voice, amplified by his magic.

With all eyes now on him, Jadyn hopped down into the arena. It was a ten-foot-drop, but nothing Jadyn couldn't handle with a murmured cushioning spell.

King Bellwort's yellow eyes pinned on Jadyn and narrowed in suspicion, but he ultimately smiled. "Well, well, well, what do we have here? A brave young troll." He raked his eyes over Jadyn's form, a sneer curling his lips as he took in the fact that Jadyn was only six-feet-tall. Jadyn was even shorter than his useless son Periwinkle. "Brave and very foolish. What do you fight for, young troll. Riches or a boon?"

Jadyn met King Bellwort's condescending stare and raised his chin. "I have a request I'd like to make."

"Win...and if it is within my power to grant it to you, it shall be granted," King Bellwort promised in a booming voice. "You have my word as the Troll King." Jadyn regally inclined his head in King Bellwort's direction.

Hawthorn shot King Bellwort a questioning look. King Bellwort slashed his index finger across his throat. His meaning was quite clear.

_Very subtle._ Jadyn thought sarcastically. _Why do I get the feeling that these little matches are rigged so that the greedy Troll King can keep his pot of gems all to himself?_

King Bellwort took a seat on his heavy, stone throne, and then raised his hand. "Fighters...begin!"

Hawthorn gripped his sword's hilt in a two-handed grip, and raised it before him. Jadyn unsheathed Marzanna and mirrored Hawthorn's movements. _Alright, Marzanna, let's do this!_ Jadyn thought confidently as he spoke to his demon-possessed sword in his mind, but received no response. The warlock paled, causing his skin to turn a lavender color. _Marzanna?_

Hawthorn let out a roar and charged towards Jadyn. Jadyn gulped as the ground beneath his feet trembled. As soon as Hawthorn was close enough he swung his sword at Jadyn. Jadyn ducked, the sword whizzing over his head and taking a few of his dark locks with it.

Hawthorn executed an overhead downward slash next. Jadyn leapt backwards to avoid the attack and the troll's sword impacted against the ground forming a small crater there.

Hawthorn rushed forward with surprising speed for such a large troll and swung his heavy sword horizontally. Instinctively, Jadyn raised his sword before him to block the attack.

Big mistake.

The force of the impact from Hawthorn's great sword colliding against Marzanna's blade had Jadyn flying back through the air, head over heels. He slammed into the arena wall hard, and had the wind knocked out of his lungs. Jadyn's eyes bugged from the pain, and he coughed up a trickle of blood. There was a Jadyn-shaped crater on the arena wall now.

_I'm such an idiot._ Jadyn berated himself. _Why did I think I could handle blocking Hawthorn's powerful attack? I'm physically weak. Only my Dark Magic is strong. What was I thinking?_

_You really ARE an idiot._ Haughty, mocking feminine laughter filled his head. _And you obviously weren't thinking._

_Marzanna!_ Jadyn thought, as a feeling of relief swept over him upon hearing the voice of the she-demon Marzanna inside of his head. _You must help me defeat this troll..._

_Must I?_ Marzanna said in a petulant voice in Jadyn's mind. _Why would I want to defeat a stinky old troll anyways? It sounds quite dull._

_This is all part of my evil master plan for world domination._ Jadyn replied silkily.

_Don't lie to me, Jadyn._ Marzanna snapped, her irritation evident in her tone. _I'm inside of your head, remember?_

Jadyn ground his back molars out of frustration. _This troll's death should please you. He is the Troll King's Champion. A worthy soul for you to take with you to hell, and one that you should find delicious._

_The Troll King's Champion._ Marzanna's tone had turned pensive, considering. _I bet I'm better._

_After I have defeated the Troll King's Champion...I plan to kill King Bellwort._ Jadyn revealed, knowing that Marzanna wouldn't be able to resist helping him now.

_Ooo why didn't you say so in the first place, Jadyn?_ Marzanna sounded pleased inside of his mind. _That should cause some wonderful chaos within the Troll Kingdom indeed. You'll be lucky to get out of here alive after you do that, you naughty boy._

_I know what I'm doing._ Jadyn retorted in his mind-voice. _Or at least I hope so._

_Let's end this troll._ Marzanna announced, her voice laced with malice.

Jadyn slid down the arena wall, leaving a trail of blood behind him. He pushed himself up off the ground, and straightened. He took a step forward and staggered. _I need to be fast. Faster than he is._ Jadyn spoke in his mind-voice.

_I know...just leave it to me._ Marzanna assured, her purring voice filling his mind. _I'll control your body just like a puppet whose strings I now control._

Jadyn ran towards Hawthorn. At first, his steps were staggering, but then he picked up speed. Hawthorn grinned and charged forward to meet him. They met in the center of the arena and immediately began to launch attacks at each other. Jadyn ducked and sidestepped the massive sword that was trying to cleave him in two.

_We just need to get past his defenses._ Jadyn spoke in his mind-voice before ducking another horizontal slash of Hawthorn's sword, running forward, and slashing his sword through the air in a horizontal slash of his own. Jadyn was surprised he'd managed it as he watched Marzanna slicing through Hawthorn's flesh just below his breastplate, and cutting his stomach open. _We got him!_ Jadyn crowed triumphantly in his mind.

_Watch out!_ Marzanna cautioned.

Hawthorn growled and backhanded Jadyn, sending him flying, head over heels. The warlock hit the ground and rolled across it. "Ugh," Jadyn moaned. _What the hell happened?_

_I may have forgotten to mention...trolls have incredible regeneration abilities._ Marzanna spoke in his mind, sounding morbidly pleased.

Jadyn inwardly swore. _Marzanna, you traitorous bitch._ He had to be careful. Marzanna wasn't his friend or ally, really. She was a demon...who liked to consume delicious souls. She wanted to eat his soul eventually. Marzanna had explained to him that the more Jadyn suffered the more delicious his soul would become. She liked it when he suffered for this very reason. Apparently, suffering was _spice_ to a soul for a demon.

Jadyn pushed himself up off the ground into a sitting position, and looked up at Hawthorn. His gaze went to the wound on Hawthorn's stomach that was healing right before his eyes. _Damnation!_ Jadyn inwardly swore again. _Marzanna, you useless-!_

Marzanna cut Jadyn's rant off, speaking in his mind. _The only way to kill a troll is to decapitate it. I thought you would have known that already._ _You usually do your research before doing something like this. Did you have no books on trolls in your library?_

Jadyn ground his back teeth. Marzanna was right. When he'd gone off to challenge the leader of the direwolf pack he'd done his research on direwolves first to discover their leader's weakness. Apparently, direwolves were terrified of fire, and Jadyn was rather skilled at conjuring fireballs, so it had been an easy victory.

_Oh, shut up._ Jadyn snapped in his mind-voice before pushing himself up off the ground and straightening. He swayed on his feet and coughed up a glob of blood. He cringed, disgusted with himself. _Yuck._ He craned his neck up to glare at Hawthorn. _How the hell am I supposed to cut that monster's head off when it's all the way up there?_

_I have an idea. Just leave it to me._ Marzanna assured in her purring voice.

_It can't look like magic._ Jadyn warned. He didn't want to reveal his trump card to King Bellwort so soon.

_I know._ Marzanna snapped.

Jadyn started to run circles around Hawthorn while cackling maniacally until he was running so quickly that to the naked eye it looked like multiple Jadyns had appeared out of thin air, and were running circles around Hawthorn.

Hawthorn's eyes widened in surprise, and he gaped at the duplicates running circles around him. "What the?" Hawthorn let out a roar of frustration and stabbed forward with his sword, impaling one of the false doubles.

_Now!_ Marzanna commanded.

Jadyn bent his knees and leapt up onto Hawthorn's shoulders from behind the troll. He placed Marzanna to the troll's throat and wrenched the sword back, decapitating Hawthorn. As Hawthorn's decapitated body started to collapse Jadyn leapt off the troll's shoulders, and landed nimbly on his feet. The crowd of spectators had been rendered silent out of shock for the unexpected victory.

King Bellwort was looking particularly gobsmacked by this unexpected turn of events. A six-foot-tall runt had managed to defeat his eight-foot-tall champion. Unreal. "What...?" he muttered to himself in disbelief.

Jadyn raised his bloody sword high in victory. And the trolls went wild. A chant started up from one or two trolls, and then the entire crowd was chanting the same thing over and over: "Runt! Runt! Runt!"

A muscle at Jadyn's temple throbbed out of irk. He should have told King Bellwort some made-up name before fighting his champion. Hindsight.

A deep scowl formed on King Bellwort's face and he dug his nails into the arms of his throne. The stone began to crack from the pressure as King Bellwort tried to contain his anger. How dare this no-name runt slay his Champion! And now he'd have to hand over his pot of precious gems to him. _Inconceivable!_

Jadyn stalked across the arena and stood before the Troll King. Jadyn watched in amusement as a flash of quickly concealed rage flitted over the Toll King's face. Jadyn could only imagine what King Bellwort was feeling in that moment. If it were him...Jadyn would already be plotting his demise.

King Bellwort schooled his expression though and did his best to look pleased. "Well done, Young Troll. I'm impressed. My Champion has been undefeated for years, and suddenly you appear out of nowhere and slay him. A troll runt, at that! It was almost like..." The Troll King stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Dare I say... _magic_?"

At the mention of magic, Jadyn flinched, but managed to keep his composure. "King Bellwort, I have defeated your Champion. I would like you to please hear my humble request..."

"What is it you want, Young Troll?" King Bellwort waved his hand through the air. "You want the gems, don't you? Everyone does."

"No," Jadyn said firmly. "I wish to challenge you for the throne of Troll Kingdom."

King Bellwort was so surprised he almost fell right off his throne. He gawked at Jadyn open-mouthed for a few seconds before he shut his mouth. " _You_ wish to fight _me_...in single combat?" A slow, sinister smile spread across the Troll King's face. Bellwort had planned to send trolls after Jadyn's head as soon as he left the coliseum, but now Bellwort had the perfect opportunity to get rid of this runt himself. "Very well. I accept your challenge for the throne, Young Troll. What would you say if I said we can use magic?"

The Troll King's yellow eyes were glittering with malice and Jadyn merely smirked. "As you wish, King Bellwort." All trolls possessed a special, innate magic, and an affinity for Earth Magic in particular. Jadyn had no doubt that King Bellwort's overconfidence was because of the powerful earth magic he would wield. But, King Bellwort was in for a surprise because he was the Wicked Warlock of the West!

King Bellwort stood up from his throne and stomped over towards the edge of the tiered seats. He then hopped down into the arena, landing with a loud thud. Bellwort met Jadyn's challenging stare unflinchingly. "My daughter, Princess Dahlia, will give the signal for us to begin."

Jadyn nodded and glanced up at Princess Dahlia. Her skin had turned from a dark purple color to a lavender color, and due to Jadyn's own experience from having purple skin knew that she'd paled. Was she angry or terrified that he was about to try and kill her father, the king? _Tough luck, Princess. It's nothing personal._ Jadyn thought.

Princess Dahlia raised her hand and then slashed it down through the air. "Fighters...begin!"

Bellwort crouched and slammed the palms of his hands against the ground. The ground beneath Jadyn's feet trembled as Bellwort chanted the words of a spell.

Seconds later, a mammoth hand that was twenty-feet-tall and made out of sand emerged from the arena floor. The hand rose up, hovered over Jadyn, and swiftly came down as if trying to squash Jadyn like a bug.

Jadyn lithely dodged the attack. The giant sand hand came at him again. This time, Jadyn rolled across the ground. He then sprang to his feet and ran across the arena. That's when a second hand rose up from the arena floor directly in front of him. _Shit!_ Jadyn inwardly swore. He glanced over his shoulder and realized that the hands were trying to corner him.

All of a sudden Jadyn knew what a mosquito must feel like right before it gets squashed between two human hands. There was no escape. One hand was coming at Jadyn from his left, and the other sand hand was coming at him from his right. The hands inevitably slammed together, a cloud of dust forming in the air, and the crowd gasped as they watched Jadyn disappear from sight.

"Look! He's still alive!" a troll cried out.

"He made it!" another troll exclaimed excitedly.

At the very last second, right before Jadyn would have been squashed between the two sand hands, the warlock had summoned his broom, mounted it, and had taken off into the air.

King Bellwort let out a roar of anger and frustration. "You won't get away, Runt!" Bellwort concentrated on controlling the sand hands and had them attack Jadyn as he flew through the air on his broom.

Jadyn glanced over his shoulder and swerved around the sand hands that were trying to swat him out of the air. _Exactly how a mosquito feels._ Jadyn thought to himself sardonically.

Jadyn swooped down and swung his sword at Bellwort's neck. Bellwort raised his sword and blocked the attack with very little effort. Jadyn should have expected Bellwort's quick, battle-honed reflexes. _Damn. Of course, it couldn't be that easy._ Jadyn inwardly complained. King Bellwort was covered in scars he'd received in probably hundreds of battles. He had experience on his side. On the other hand, when it came to hand-to-hand combat Jadyn's experience was sorely lacking.

Jadyn knew that he wouldn't last long against the Troll King in an honorable fight. _Honorable?_ Jadyn suddenly mused and smiled crookedly. _I'd rather be wicked. Time to play dirty._

Keeping his left hand on his broom handle, Jadyn summoned his crystal ball to his right hand, and began to chant the words of a scrying spell. Jadyn swooped down, headed towards Bellwort, and finished the words of the spell. " _Solis Manifesto!_ Show me the sun!" Abruptly, the sun appeared shinning brightly inside of the crystal ball. Jadyn directed the sun's rays to hit only the Troll King's body.

King Bellwort's eyes widened in horror and disbelief. "The sun? How? No!" A blood-curdling scream was wrenched from Bellwort's mouth as he began to turn into stone.

Marzanna's bitching earlier had given Jadyn an idea. He'd read about trolls, of course. And he knew of their number one weakness and greatest fear: the sun. Trolls turned to stone when exposed to sunlight, which is why they lived underground. Jadyn had set aside this little tidbit of knowledge since he'd known he'd be fighting the Troll King underground, but then realized how silly it was to ignore such a thing when he was, after all, a warlock.

Just before the Troll King's hand turned to stone, Bellwort managed to grab a dagger from his belt, which he flung towards Jadyn. "You lose, Runt." The dagger pierced Jadyn's side and Bellwort smiled triumphantly, right before his entire body was finally turned to stone.

Jadyn winced in pain, grabbed the hilt of the dagger, and wrenched it out of his flesh. He looked down at the blade and saw that it had been coated with a purple-tinged substance. He frowned. Some kind of poison, perhaps. He'd worry about that later...

As soon as Bellwort's body had completely been turned to stone, Jadyn leapt off his broom and brought his sword down upon the Troll King. Bellwort's body shattered, pieces of rock flying through the air. Jadyn landed gracefully on his feet, and turned to regard the crowd of stunned trolls. _Now, for the hard part._ Jadyn thought to himself taking a deep breath.

Jadyn waved a hand over himself, and let his glamour spell fall, revealing his true appearance and green skin. He quickly summoned his usual outfit, and his black robes, and black, wide-brimmed, pointed hat appeared on his body. "Troll-kind, according to your traditions and laws your king has always been chosen through single combat. As I have defeated your former king...I have won his crown. Whether you like it or not, I, Jadyn, the Wicked Warlock of the West, am your king now. _Despair!_ Muahahaha!" Jadyn started to laugh maniacally.

_Here comes the 'booing'._ Jadyn thought grimly.

But then the trolls all began to cheer with obvious happiness. "Yeah! Whoo!"

Jadyn blinked, stopped laughing, and frowned. "What...?" The trolls were actually...cheering? What the hell was going on? Jadyn didn't bother to hide his bewilderment or confusion, and it was written plainly across his face.

Princess Dahlia and Prince Periwinkle shared a look before they stood up from their seats, and made their way to the edge of the stands before jumping down into the arena to join Jadyn.

Jadyn tightened his grip on his sword when he noticed the two trolls approaching him. That's when he realized belatedly that he had no strength left. He really hoped Bellwort's kids didn't want to try for revenge so soon. _I miscalculated. I'm practically a sitting duck at the moment. One wrong move, and I'm dead._ Jadyn thought, beginning to sweat.

When Prince Periwinkle and Princess Dahlia were just a few feet away from Jadyn they suddenly knelt before him. Jadyn blinked.

Prince Periwinkle held out his sword horizontally, the blade resting upon the palm of his left hand. "I, Prince Periwinkle, pledge my allegiance to you, King Jadyn." There was a twinkle in the troll prince's eye. "King of Monsters."

"I, too, wish to pledge my allegiance and loyalty, King Jadyn..." Princess Dahlia started in a tentative tone. "I would also like to pledge my sword to you, but King Bellwort forbade females from wielding weapons..." She trailed off with an obvious wistful note to her voice.

Jadyn scratched his cheek with his index finger. "You wish to be a fighter, Princess Dahlia?"

"More than anything," Princess Dahlia confirmed passionately. "It's my dream to be a fighter."

"Then, your wish is granted." Jadyn waved his hand through the air in a dismissive gesture. "Princess Dahlia, henceforth, you are a fighter."

"Really?" Princess Dahlia asked in shock.

"I happen to see men and woman as equals," Jadyn explained with a tiny smirk playing on his lips as he couldn't help but think about Tina Woodcutter again. Tina had managed to truly kick his ass once. She'd managed to cut all the clothes off of Jadyn's body without harming him at all. It had been humiliating and humbling, and it had also made Jadyn's heart pound inside of his chest. _That woman..._

"Well, in that case..." Prince Dahlia whipped off her gown to reveal that beneath it she was wearing female warrior armor. Her armor consisted of a steel breastplate, armored leather skirt, vambraces and greaves. Two daggers with curved blades were strapped at her sides. Dahlia whipped out her daggers and held them out before her. "I pledge my daggers to you, King Jadyn."

Until now Jadyn never would have imagined that a pink-haired female could be so...intimidating. He raised an eyebrow at the armor Princess Dahlia had been secretly wearing beneath her gown. King Bellwort was probably rolling in his grave right about now. The thought brought a smile to Jadyn's lips. The wound in his side was still throbbing in pain. "I'm glad to have them." Princess Dahlia beamed at Jadyn's easy acceptance.

"King Jadyn..." Prince Periwinkle began in a hesitant manner. "If I may...I wanted to know...what are your intentions for troll-kind now that you are our king."

Jadyn smiled silkily. "I plan to conquer all of Oz and rule as its king. And I plan to have troll-kind aid me in my pursuit of world domination. First, we must march north where I must defeat my half-brother Noryn. With an army of trolls at my back...I _will_ be able to defeat him. Unfortunately, my goblin army would be useless in the North because-"

"The goblins will go into hibernation because of the cold," Prince Periwinkle piped up. "Right?"

Jadyn's eyes narrowed at the troll prince. He was smarter than he looked. "Indeed."

Periwinkle was grinning. "I read about goblins. Well, you're lucky. Trolls aren't affected by the cold. Only sunlight. As _you_ well know." Periwinkle glanced over at the pieces of stone that were once his father.

Jadyn followed Prince Periwinkle's line of sight, and spotted the stone head of Bellwort. He cleared his throat; feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden. "I hope you won't hold your father's death against me. I want us to be allies. I mean, I'm sorry-"

"Oh, no need to apologize," Prince Periwinkle swiftly cut Jadyn off. "Our father was a tyrant! I don't know if you're aware, but...it's our people who mined all of the emeralds that decorate the Emerald City. We should be a rich and prosperous people, but King Bellwort hoarded those riches all for himself. Our people were starving, and there was nothing I could do to stop him. I wasn't strong enough. I'm a runt, and not a very good fighter. But now, I see that size doesn't matter, in the end. _This_ does." Periwinkle tapped the side of his head.

Jadyn offered the troll prince a sincere smile. "Indeed." He was beginning to like this young troll. Trolls weren't exactly known for their intellectual pursuits, and he was surprised the prince had read books on goblins. _A kindred spirit, perhaps._ Jadyn thought to himself.

Princess Dahlia was giving Jadyn a concerned look while nibbling on her lower lip. After a few minutes she gathered the courage to say what was on her mind. "Forgive my impertinence, King Jadyn, but are you also in danger of going into hibernation if you go up north?"

Jadyn stiffened. One never revealed a weakness to a potential enemy. He narrowed his eyes at the troll princess. "No," he snapped coldly.

A chagrined expression fell over Dahlia's face. "I only ask because if that were the case...my brother and I could lead the army to the north and fight for you, under your instructions. You need not go at all. We could handle everything for you."

"You think I'd trust you enough to put you and your brother in command of the troll army?" Jadyn mused aloud.

Princess Dahlia seemed to realize how absurd she was being and blushed. "Forgive me, King Jadyn. I was out of line to suggest such nonsense-"

Jadyn stroked his chin in a thoughtful manner. "No. Wait. That's an excellent idea. Will the troops follow you and your brother?"

"Yes," Princess Dahlia said. "As long as you bestow the authority to command the army upon us there shouldn't be a problem."

"Then, consider it bestowed." Jadyn waved a careless hand in their direction. "I will accompany the army to the frontlines, but after the battle starts there are more urgent matters that I must attend to. Alone. Therefore, I will leave the army in your hands at that point."

"My brother and I are yours to command," Princess Dahlia said, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously at Jadyn. Prince Periwinkle gawped at his sister in horror for her audacity, but thankfully Jadyn was completely oblivious to her flirting. Periwinkle let out a sigh of relief.

"Excellent," Jadyn cooed evilly. "The north will be ours. Muahahaha!" He let out an evil cackle and gave the trolls an expectant look.

Princess Dahlia and Prince Periwinkle exchanged a look before they began to join in and laugh along with Jadyn.

***

After Jadyn was sure that the trolls understood his plan to the best of their ability, he teleported to his bedchamber within his castle located in the west of Oz. As soon as he was sure that he was alone in his room he allowed himself to sink to his knees.

He let his glamour spells fall and stared at the stab wound that King Bellwort had managed to inflict upon him right before he died. Jadyn touched the wound and then stared at the blood on his hand. His blood didn't appear to be clotting, and the wound was still bleeding profusely and didn't appear to be healing at all. This...wasn't good.

Jadyn summoned a healing potion to his hand, unstoppered the vial, and drank the red potion. He watched the wound expectantly, waiting for it to start to heal and close. But...nothing happened.

Jadyn frowned, prodded at the wound curiously, and winced at the pain that caused him. Why wasn't it healing? What kind of poison had been on the Troll King's blade? Angry black lines were traveling from the wound and spreading over his green skin. _A curse, perhaps?_ Jadyn sighed. He'd have to worry about finding a way to break this curse later. He had more important things to attend to...such as preparing for his battle against his brother Noryn.

Jadyn summoned a roll of white cloth bandages, and wrapped the bandages around his lower torso, covering the stab wound. That would have to do for now. Perhaps, his innate magic would heal the wound eventually, if left on its own, if he were lucky.

Jadyn's thoughts strayed to Leona and her ability to heal wounds with her enchanted singing. Leona's singing may be able to help break the curse. But he couldn't go to his 'friends' for help since with his current actions he'd already betrayed them.

They were about to be on opposing sides once again.

Jadyn would be marching upon the north, and he was sure Theodore Gale would show up to try and stop him. But he couldn't let Theodore win this time. He had to emerge victorious from this battle. He had to defeat his brother Noryn, the Good Wizard of the North.

_I wonder what that fool of a cowboy is doing right now?_ A crooked smile formed on Jadyn's face. _He's probably busy getting drunk. I never should have taught him how to brew beer._ The warlock mused dryly before he blacked out and collapsed on the cold, stone floor of his bedchamber.

To be continued in...Chapter 2:

###

Final note:

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