ETTING   OME   O   LFANDRA

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Catanora's Troubles part 3

The air shifts around the pair, a shimmering portal opening before them. Kasper steps through it unconcernedly, pulling Catza behind him.When she hesitates, he sighs and tells her again of the many technological and magical advances since she was there last.The ground lurches for a few seconds in unbelievable cold, then they are both unceremoniously dumped outside a huge stone castle in the bleak plains of Neesyssak.
Black clouds droop sullenly over the dark, gargoyle-infested roofs, thunder rumbles and fork lightning strikes the ground ahead, proving that the gods do indeed have a sense of theatricality. In case you hadn't noticed, bad feeling and evil were shouting and running round naked in this place. 'Well, this is the royal palace!' Kasper said breezily. 'King Kadaz rules this lil ol' kingdom now. We have a royal command that everyone should see the king at least once in person, he's a real hands on boss.'
'Wha ...? What? I'm confuzzled ....'
'Oh. Well, we all need to be proactive, anyway. And look nice, and work hard, and have many slaves, and stuff.'
'Slaves?!?' Catanora is horrified.
'They're not *exactly* slaves ... they have belongings ... and stuff ... anyway, you need to see the king about illegal entry to the country.' 'Illegal entry? It wasn't *my* choice! I was dumped here by ... a little portal thing from Alfandria.'
'Ah. You've been to Alfandria?'
Catza walks over to the nearest wall and bashes her head on it in a display of despair at his stupidity. Well, not stupidity. Pretend ignorance in that way bad guys do when they've taken over the bodies of your friends, where they have an evil gleam in their eye and don't know stuff they should.