King's Quest

CHAPTER 3: THE SECOND KEY

He starts due west, but is halted by the poisoned moat. It's a limited obstacle and Graham simply turns his feet south to skirt its less than savory appearance. Soon he finds himself by the door in the tree again. He stops. He knows there's nothing new to the east perhaps the west. Graham proceeds in that direction.

This is something new. Just ahead is a large hill and on its other side is the opening to a cave that is just as wide. The expansive hole reminds Graham of a mouth waiting to devour and if that wasn't enough, skulls decorated it's outset, both on the ground and atop stakes. This is no place to relax, its eerie décor speaks of naught but evil.

With cautious steps, King Graham enters the edifice. If he thought the outside was creepy he is definitely no more at ease with the inside. In the middle of the room is a large boiling cauldron containing a putrid liquid that makes his nose crinkle.

And If that weren't enough he can also clearly make out skulls piled atop one another. A cold shiver reaches down his spine. He carries on with his observations when he suddenly catches the feeling of impending evil coming his way.

The evil is a cackling witch. Graham has hardly a moment to think and so dives into the shadows as far away as he can get. The old hag totters into the cave and upon sight of her a little nightingale cries out a frightened song from its cage in the corner of the room.

The old witch hobbles over to the cage and from her mannerisms and the way she feels for the cage, Graham surmises she must be blind.

She smacks her old lips, "There, there my pretty. I'll soon have the perfect brew which you'll add the right flavor too," she rattles off before cackling loudly as she turns about and takes place at her boiling concoction.

Despite her blindness she is able to find the long, wooden spoon laying against the pot and uses it to stir the brew. Graham is stuck it doesn't seem the witch is going anywhere and he has to rescue the bird from becoming dinner. Slowly he creeps toward the cage keeping his focus upon the hag.

It dawns on him. "Could this be Hagatha, the one who imprisoned dear Valanice?" he thinks only in his head.

Perhaps, there is something he can do. After all, he had once before vanquished a similar witch, but luck more than anything had been on his side and he doubts he will be able to succeed this time.

In the midst of his thought Graham inches nearer to the birdcage and soon regrets it as the bird lets off a cry. He quickly ducks down, it seems the bird sings whenever anyone gets near its cage. Hagatha stops her preoccupation and hurries to the cage.

Blindly she gropes about. "Is someone there my pretty?" she addresses the bird. "Have we dinner come to us?"

Graham is only inches away and sweating profusely, all Hagatha has to do is change her direction by mere degree, take a single step forward and she would find him.

Thankfully, she does not move in his direction and after several moments of groping she returns to her work. "You shouldn't fill me with false hope," she chides the bird. "Making me think there's someone in here."

Graham can scarce believe the predicament he's in and any thought of challenging the witch goes away all together. His only thought is to get out of the cave, with bird in hand if possible, though he isn't willing to sacrifice himself.

He thinks long and hard and eventually, a solution presents itself. He remembers back to a little lesson on the proper method of transporting birds.

Taking hold of his pack, he slowly, carefully, removes the large cloth. Holding it high on front of him he lays it upon the cage and makes sure it closes off all light. The trick works, without actually seeing anyone near the cage the bird does not sing. Carefully, Graham picks up the cage and creeps out of the cave.