Gustav's Travels

As a new member of King Angus's militia, Gustav has proven himself to be a protector of the king and his people. This, in part, is to the lively practice that he's had with his betrothed, Ariel. She is an expert swordsman who gives no quarter.

A sorceress is meeting with the king to complain of taxation. The king is protected by his guards; the sorceress intensifies her complaint with an attempted blaze of witchcraft. Gustav, being quick-witted and surefooted, protects the king from a horrible death. The witch and her oversized cat are captured and taken to the dungeon below. She's a very powerful witch and escapes from her chains. The young knight volunteers to capture her by himself, and thus he enters the circular stairs. Gustav and the witch meet on the stairs. There is another blinding flash of witchcraft; this time, it is aimed at Gustav. Thanks to an old relic he had found on the wall, he is again protected. Unfortunately, the deflected flash causes the old stone lining of the stairway to collapse upon the witch and the knight.

The cat escapes the falling stones, but its mistress is not so lucky. Gustav too is feeling the stones as they fall. Having met the sister of the evil witch moments before, he calls for help. Pummeled to the floor by the stone blocks, he holds up a shield he previously found to protect his head. The good witch Elizabeth tells him to think small. He huddles under the shield, and indeed, he's getting smaller. He thanks the witch for the spell. She tells him to feel his hands in the darkness of the shield; he feels the claws of a beast.

Unfortunately, the evil witch, as she is dying, casts a trapping spell. The young man finds his way out of the circular stairway. He barely misses being eaten by the cat. He has the power of telepathy. He escapes under the door, speaks to the king, and finds his love crying for him. Not thinking, he asks Ariel to hold out your hand. He steps in; she opens her eyes and screams. The trap springs, she is transformed into a golden eagle, and thus, the chase begins. The love duet is reunited later; the travel has begun. With the good witch's help, they find an odd assortment of people and things to help. It is evil versus good throughout this tale of Gustav.