It was one of those days when King Zog gathered the family, along with Odval, to meet. Usually, a conference like this would be in the Knights of the Zog table meeting room. But since this involved everyone, and Zog didn't feel like walking to the meeting room, he decided to host this meeting in the throne room. Bean, Tavish, Derek, and Odval were all listening to Zog ramble on about what he expects from the upcoming get-together with the neighboring kingdoms.
"And that goes for you two degenerates!" Zog spat as he placed his angry gaze upon Bean and Tavish. Bean rolled her eyes as she slumped on her throne. Tavish looked disinterested and wasn't paying much attention to his father's words as he turned a page in his book. "HEY! SMART GUY!" He yelled at Tavish. "Are you listening to what I'm saying?!"
Tavish looked up from his book, bearing his usual stoic expression. "No, father, not really." He replied dryly as he placed his eyes back on his book. You don't need to inform me how I'm supposed to talk to anyone in the neighboring kingdoms. Although I do think Bean needs a fresh reminder."
"Oh, don't even start with me," said Bean, looking over at her twin. "It's not my fault that a bunch of fancy dandy royals can't handle the energy I bring to the table."
"You mean the energy you brought a few months ago at the Twinkle Town party we got invited to?"
"I was the life of that party!"
"You got drunk and took off your whole dress, sister,"
"As I said, I was the life of that party," She crossed his arms and looked away from Tavish. "And also, it was a WINE party!"
Tavish sighed. "You were not supposed to drink the wine, sister. You were supposed to admire the taste and then spit it out to avoid getting drunk."
"THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!" Bean exclaimed as she threw her arms in the air. "That defeats the whole purpose of wine! It's so stupid!"
"Oh, sister," Derek chimed in. "You're never going to get into the wine club with that attitude."
"Shut up, Derek!" Bean snapped.
"You shouldn't speak to your little brother that way. It's not ladylike," said Tavish.
"How about I shove my fist through your head?" Bean said, glaring a hole through Tavish.
"ALRIGHT, BOTH OF YOU ZIP IT!" shouted Zog, finally having enough of their bickering. "When handling royal duties, BOTH OF YOU are terrible. Tavish, you can't ever treat a woman right! You have someone in your hands, and then you say something STUPID!"
"I speak nothing but the truth," said Tavish. The makeup most princesses wear makes them look like clowns."
"YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO SPEAK THE TRUTH!" Zog yelled. "You better not mess up your
"And you wonder why I avoid wearing so much," said Bean.
"Radish," said Oona. "You need to start treating women with respect. I know you're more of a gentleman than that."
"It's Tavish, Oona..." he said, glancing at his giggling sister and brother. And I do have respect for the opposite sex—just not the lousy ones."
"With all due respect, Prince Tavish," said Odval, stepping forward. "You must have a queen by your side as King. It is the Tradition of all Royalty."
"How unfortunate for the Kingdom then," said Tavish. "I don't need someone by my side to rule a kingdom. All they'll do is be an eyesore."
"Well, that's just too bad for you, smart guy," said Zog. "And speaking of tradition, we have the honor of hosting the annual Meeting of The Knights this year, and we're not about to ruin relationships with neighboring kingdoms anymore!"
"Why are we hosting that stupid thing anyway?" Bean asked. "Every time we participate, we lose and look stupid!"
"Princess Tiabeanie," said Odval. "The purpose of this little festival of ours is to forge or rekindle relationships with the neighboring kingdoms. This festival is a friendly competition for our knights to make allies."
"If that's the case, why do they always rub it in our faces when they win?" Bean asked.
"Some can be immature...but it's alright," said Odval, sounding slightly bitter.
"This family meeting is over!" said Zog. "And remember your roles in this! GET ALONG WITH EVERYONE, OR I'LL CHOP YOUR HEADS OFF!"
Once the meeting was over, Bean met up with Elfo and Luci in the dining room, and she asked Bunty to fix them something to eat. "What's the point of having this festival if nobody is going to die in it?" Luci asked, lying out across the table, eating a chicken leg. "Sounds boring as hell to me."
"Why in the world would they allow knights to die? It defeats the whole purpose of this being a friendly gathering," said Elfo, taking sips out of his soup.
"Because it spices thing's up! DUH!" said Luci.
"Bad kitty! Off the table!" said Bunty, shooing Luci. Luci groaned and complied as he hopped off the table. "Here ya do, deary!" she said, placing a plate of mashed potatoes and steak before Bean.
"Thanks, Bunty," said Bean, grabbing her fork and knife. "The whole thing is a big waste of time. We've never won any of these competitions. We always lose because our knights never could stand a chance against the other kingdom's knights. That, and we sucked at doing the challenges!"
"Don't fret, Princess Tiabeanie," said Sir Pendergast as he entered the dining room. "I give you this vow as a knight of Dremaland that things will be different this year!"
"Umm, thanks, Pendergast?" Bean said as she started cutting her steak. "I mean, I don't care about this festival at all. So if we lose, then we lose. It's whatever."
"Yeah, Pendergast, I don't think you should take this all too seriously," said Elfo. "It's all just fun and games, right?"
"Absolutely not!" said Pendergast defensively. "I want to bury each one of those knights in the dirt while we stand victorious!"
Elfo stared at Pendergast. "Well...someone's competitive,"
"Oh! Oh! Bury them headfirst so that their bodies can be sticking up out of the ground all goofy-like!" said Luci, cackling at the idea.
"Well, I gotta admit I appreciate the determination, but I don't see how this year will be any different from the last," Bean started, sipping on a mug of beer.
"Well, we now have a secret weapon!" said Pendergast, smiling confidently.
Bean wondered what this secret weapon was as she placed her bear mug on the table. Then her eyes widened.
"OH! KOGA!" said Bean.
...
"What do you mean you don't want to enter?!" said Pendergast, taken aback.
"I'm not going to enter," said Koga. Koga was in the knight's barracks, lying on his side while pinning his herculean beetle with his index finger. Bean, Elfo, and Luci were sitting in the corner, watching the beetle wiggle its legs around, trying to get free.
"B-But why not?" Pendergast said, confused. "We're all mighty warriors ready to rally and fight for honor and glory."
"Yeah, I don't think so," said Koga. "There's no reason for me to enter something so dumb. I'm a warrior, but I'm not an entertainer."
"Uhh, why are you pinning down the beetle-like that?" Elfo asked.
Koga looked at Elfo and then back at the beetle. "This little insect lost me a whole pouch full of gold," He said, now glaring at the beetle. "I'm training him to be stronger."
"Koga, at least give it some thought," Pendergast said. "You were going to be our secret weapon!"
"Oh, is that right?" said Koga unenthusiastically. "I'm sure you guys can handle it."
"Well, I guess that's that," said Bean, shrugging.
Pendergast sighed. "Oh well, I won't sit there and force it on you, Koga. At least we get to have our usual post-gathering pudding,"
"Yeah, that's to ba-" Koga's eyes widened. He looks over at Pendergast.
"Did you say pudding?"
...
Later the following day, Bean, Tavish, Dereck, Oona, and Zog gathered at the town festival grounds. Zog let out a few loud yawns, Oona stood still and slowly blinking, Dereck wasn't paying attention to anything, and Bean looked bored. Odval appeared from the front entrance and stood side by side.
"Odval," said Tavish. "Do you know who's all arriving?"
"Unfortunately, Prince Tavish, I do not know," Odval replied.
"Awww, big bro, are you excited to see your butt-buddies?" Bean asked, fluttering her eyes at her brother.
"Quiet. It's the opposite actually..." said Tavish, sounding tired.
The gates of the front castle opened, and a carriage rolled in. The logo on the side of the carriage was a large shining star surrounded by smaller stars. Herald stepped forward and cleared his throat.
"NOW ARRIVING FROM TWINKLE TOWN! THE DUKE AND HIS SON BERTRAM!" Herald announced.
The Duke stepped out of the carriage first. The Duke was a large man, almost as large as Zog. His face was broad but chubby, and his skin was light brown. His hair was a color of burnet and tied in a ponytail. His nose was long, and he wore an orange hat and a red robe. His son would step out of the carriage after him. He was skinnier than his father. They shared the same skin and hair color, but his face was slimmer. He wore a black dress shirt and orange pants and had the crest of Twinkle Town on the side of his shoulder.
"King Zog, Queen Oona!" The Duke happily said as he and his son approached them. It's a pleasure to see the two of you again!"
"The same goes for you, Duke. I see the gut's getting a little bigger, eh?" Zog replied as he shook his hand.
The Duke laughed. "Things have been getting busy in Twinkle Town. However, we had that unfortunate accident with the child being mauled to death by puppies. But, besides that, all is good." He placed his eyes on his son. "Bertram, you remember King Zog and Queen Oona!"
"Of course I do, father! It's a pleasure to see you two again!" Bertram replied excitedly. "Tavish!" His eyes gleamed at the white-haired boy. He hurried over to him, grabbed his hands, and shook them. "I've been dying to see you again! Oh, I hope you've been doing well!"
Tavish mustered up every bit of strength to force a smile. "Oh, Bertram...It's good to see you too..." He said, trying not to sound sarcastic.
"How come you haven't returned my letters? I know I sent quite a few,"
"Oh dear, it must've slipped my mind! So much has happened, and I try to reply as often as possible..." He lied. He remembers getting letters from Bertram and tossing them in the fire. "But that doesn't matter! I'm just so happy to see you, dear friend!"
"I couldn't have said it better myself!" Bertram smiled. He then looked at Bean. "Oh, hello, Princess Tiabeanie. I see you're doing well as well."
"Breathe in another direction, Bertram..." She replied coldly. She didn't even bother looking at him.
"Ah, as warm as always," Bertram replied, rolling his eyes. Then he suddenly remembers, "Oh Tavish, my friend...are the rumors about Merkimer true? Did he turn into a pig?"
"THE TALK OF WHICH YOU SPEAK IS TRUE!" They all looked to the left and saw a white pig wearing a crown waddle toward them with large black dots on his body. "It is true! I, Prince Merkimer of Bentwood, have been turned into a pig! BUT! That doesn't mean my handsome face is gone! I am still beautiful as ever!"
There was a slight pause. The sounds of The Duke broke the silence that followed, and his son broke out into a fit of laughter. "Oh dear me," said Bertram. "It seems you've finally become what you've always been, Merkimer!"
"Your words do not cut my pudgy skin, Bertram!" Merkimer shot back. "Although they do cute me deep on the inside..."
The front gate opened again, and a carriage rolled in. The light reflected off the carriage, blinding those standing around. Herald, his eyes squinting at the light, spoke once again. "NOW ARRIVING IN DREAMLAND, FROM THE GARRISON KINGDOM! TIBALT THE GOLDEN KNIGHT!"
The carriage door opened, and a man with bright, curly brown hair and tanned skin appeared. He had a small, pointed nose, and his eyes were beige. His armor was golden, and he had a sword tied to his waist. Tibalt's nose was in the air, and he looked down at everyone as he stood on the steps of his carriage. "To grace my presence with this land disgust me..." He walked down the steps of his carriage, and his followers hurried after them. "The air of this land smells foul..."
Everyone gasped as they saw Tibalt. "Tibalt, the Golden Knight, is here? I've never got to see him up close!"Another person would say, "He was the one who won last year's victory!"
Pendergast scowled at Tibalt as he walked over to Zog and Oona. He bowed to them, and Zog extended his hand for a shake. "It's a pleasure to have you in Dreamland Golden Knight Tiblat," Zog told him. Tibalt looked at Zog's hand. "Don't worry. I had the dogs lick my hands and feet clean. Twice!"
"Intriguing..." Tibalt replied, his face forming a revolted expression. His eyes would fall upon Pendergast, who was scowling at him. Tibalt's mouth formed a grin, and he walked over to him. "Well, my eyes lie upon the one-eyed knight known as Pendergast. Humor me, are you still training to kill dragons by attacking a small lizard?"
Pendergast let out a low groan. "I'll have you know we killed two lizards today! We'll be ready to fight a real dragon if we all keep training!"
Tibalt scoffed. "Oh, I'd toss my gold to see you fight the firebreathers!" He chuckled. "Let's all pray to the mighty above that you and your brave warriors have been honing your skills for this festival!"
"As a matter of fact, we have!" said Pendergast proudly. "As a matter of fact-"
"Koga, quit eating all of the pudding! Save some for us!" said Mertz.
"Yeah, Koga, this was supposed to be for all of us after the festival!" said Turbish.
"I'm just getting some more to give me some strength!" said Koga, with a mouthful of pudding.
"THAT'S YOUR SIXTH CUP!"
"AND?" said Koga.
"Koga?" said Tibalt, looking behind Pendergast. He saw Koga sitting in the corner, stuffing his face with pudding. "Hmm...pardon me." He said as he walked past Pendergast and over to where Koga, Turbish, and Mertz were. Turbish and Mertz were trying to get Koga's attention, but he ignored them as he ate his pudding. Tibat stared at Koga and raised a brow at him. "So, I've heard about the mighty wanderer, Koga, but I never thought he would be here in Dreamland."
"Hm?" Koga looked up at Tibalt. He took the spoon out of his mouth and stared at his armor. "What the hell. You're wearing golden armor?"
"Indeed I am," Tibalt replied.
"That's dumb. What's the point of wearing golden armor? It's not going to protect you from anything,"
Tibalt narrowed his eyes at Koga. "I see the word about you is true. You have no manners as someone of my caliber is standing in front of you,"
Koga would get to his feet. Tibalt was shocked as Koga towered over him. Koga stared down at Tibalt as he sized him up. "Well..." said Tibalt. "You are as tall as they say..."
"I can't say I've heard about you," said Koga.
"I never thought someone of your prestige would align thy self with a Kingdom such as this," said Tibalt. "From what I know, you hold many feats,"
"I guess you don't talk like a normal person," said Koga. "Where does this speech pattern even come from?"
"This knight right here," said Pendergast as he walked over to Koga and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Is my Bravest Knight!"
"I'm not a knight..." Koga replied.
"Hey, I thought I was your bravest knight!" said One of the Dreamland knights.
"Hmm...so you've acquired the great Koga? You're determined to win this year, I see..." Tibalt said as he rubbed his chin. "Well, good luck to thee..." He walked off, and his followers hurried after him.
"Well, that was interesting," said Koga.
"Koga, my friend," said Pendergast as he grasped his shoulders. "Dreamland has never come out victorious in this festival! Please tell me you'll give it your all!"
"If you can Supply me with more of this wonderful pudding, I'll do just that!" Koga smiled.
"Excellent!" said Pendergast, returning the smile. "Also, I appreciate that you enjoy my pudding so much. I put my heart and soul into it!"
Koga's eyes widened. "YOU MADE THIS PUDDING?!" He held up the empty pudding cup. "You...are a god to me..."
"Oh, uh...thank you, Koga!"
"MAKE MORE!"
"I'll make some after the festival!"
"MOOOORE!"
And so, the rest of the knights and royals began arriving in Dreamland.
The festival of knights had begun.