So it was just an hour and two cups of tea later when the RMS Dragon Fire descended into Amritsar. It was easy to pinpoint the Golden Temple from the smoke billowing out of the surrounding buildings. "No point in sneaking in." The Grand Arbiter observed. Drawing closer, the sounds of battle were easily heard. As they passed overhead, the horrific scene was laid out before them. Although the undead hoards of the Caffeinatti had seized the outer buildings, the temple itself sat within a manmade lake, only accessed by a narrow bridge. Sikh warriors had been valiantly holding this bridge for hours, as was witnessed by the blood that covered the bridge and dripped into the pool.
The RMS Dragon Fire landed in the courtyard outside the temple complex and the crew, along with Madam Askew's Entourage, poured out, the Madam herself leading the charge, saber in one hand and a blaster in the other. "For the Queen and Saint George! Die you saurian savages!" She yelled at the dinosaurs that had surrounded the cruiser as it had landed. They might have been mindless dead, but some sense of self-preservation made them retreat from the fearsome sight before them. It was fortunate that the larger dinosaurs were in the fields south of the city to destroy the clippers, and only the smaller ones were left here to attack the temple. However, that did mean the presence of some testy Velociraptors, who were still quick enough to cause trouble for the human attackers.
...
The RMS Dragon Fire landed in the courtyard outside the temple complex and the crew, along with Madam Askew's Entourage, poured out, the Madam herself leading the charge, saber in one hand and a blaster in the other. "For the Queen and Saint George! Die you saurian savages!" She yelled at the dinosaurs that had surrounded the cruiser as it had landed. They might have been mindless dead, but some sense of self-preservation made them retreat from the fearsome sight before them. It was fortunate that the larger dinosaurs were in the fields south of the city to destroy the clippers, and only the smaller ones were left here to attack the temple. However, that did mean the presence of some testy Velociraptors, who were still quick enough to cause trouble for the human attackers.
...
"He's over there!" Shouted the Lady, pointing at a tall figure in long, red robes with gold trim. The Necromancer stood at almost seven feet and was human looking, but had the eyes and skin of a lizard. He hissed at the intruders.
"I thought necromancers and their baddies always wore black." The Captain shouted at Clint as they ran towards the hoards. "With that green complexion, the red is definitely a better color." The Companion quipped back.
Flanked by her Nephew Askew and her trusty Intern Supreme, Madam Askew surged through the reptilian hoard. Handy and Dandy were proving that their swords were as dangerous as their rapier-like wits, while Jasmine and the Azars slammed battle axes into the armored skin of the dinosaurs. "Aim for the brains!" Shouted the Grand Arbiter. "But it's such a small target!" Bemoaned Jasmine as she brought her axe down on the head of the raptor in front of her.
The Temporal Entourage was pushing hard toward Rabrax, who was now shouting at his minions to forget the Sikhs defending the temple, and instead to protect him. The rampaging reptilians were slow to respond, being both slow witted and undead, and the Madam was able to get within a few yards of the necromancer before she yelled at the Grand Arbiter, "Do it now!"
The Grand Arbiter had been behind Madam during the battle, clutching a small cask in one hand, and using a shield to help fend off attacks on the Madam with his other. At her command, he dropped the shield, opened the cask, and drew out a glowing orb. He paused only a moment, then rolled it across the remaining few feet of the courtyard at the Necromancer. "Run!" He shouted, and the Entourage and crew quickly retreated from the hoard of undead dinosaurs.
A dazzling flash of light briefly illuminated the courtyard, blinding everyone. When they could see again, the saurian mob was gone, replaced by mounds of dust that were quickly blown away in the wind. The Duchess put away her battle fan, "Well, that's that then. I need a cup of tea and a nice cucumber sandwich." With that, she strode toward the RMS Dragon Fire without a backward glance.
"I must know. What exactly happened to Rabrax and his hoard?" Clint finally asked.
Madam Askew brushed some dust off her skirt, "Oh, that was a temporal grenade. We sent him, and those literally closest to him, to the Devonian Period. Once he was shuffled off this temporal coil, his minions reverted to their true form in this age."
"I see." Clint strode back to the ship, intent on finding out more about temporal grenades and how to get his hands on some.
"So the tea clippers are safe, the sanctity of the temple has been maintained, and the necromancer is in a period where he can do little harm. The Caffeinatti are still out there, but that's nothing new." The Lady summed up. "Would you like us to take you and your Entourage back to your ships, or will you be staying here for a while until it catches up?"
"Darling, you know how I adore The Punjab at this time of year. I think we'll grab some brooms and help tidy up around here until the HMS Titania and Darjeeling arrive. You need to get going. The tea fleet will be here soon and who knows what other dangers await you along the way to London. Now farewell, and safe travels." The Madam and her Entourage waved as the crew boarded the RMS Dragon Fire and left to rejoin the fleet.
"What a lovely woman." The Duchess announced a bit later, over tea and cucumber sandwiches. "It's just a pity that she has such terrible taste in men."
"How's that?" The Captain asked. He prided himself on his superior taste in women. It was just a fluke that so many tried to murder him.
"Well, you do know that was her first husband that she just sent back to pre-history, don't you?" The sitting room was silent for a second.
The Captain was the first to recover the ability of speech. "You mean she married a seven-foot lizard man?"
"Good Lord, no. He didn't start out that way." The Duchess stood up and walked to the door. She exited to her cabin, leaving the crew more puzzled than ever, "Of course, they never do."
"I hate it when she does that." Clint muttered before heading up to the bridge.
"You would have thought that with a name like Rabrax the Unspeakable, she would have known that things might go horribly wrong at some point." The Captain pointed out.
"I thought necromancers and their baddies always wore black." The Captain shouted at Clint as they ran towards the hoards. "With that green complexion, the red is definitely a better color." The Companion quipped back.
Flanked by her Nephew Askew and her trusty Intern Supreme, Madam Askew surged through the reptilian hoard. Handy and Dandy were proving that their swords were as dangerous as their rapier-like wits, while Jasmine and the Azars slammed battle axes into the armored skin of the dinosaurs. "Aim for the brains!" Shouted the Grand Arbiter. "But it's such a small target!" Bemoaned Jasmine as she brought her axe down on the head of the raptor in front of her.
The Temporal Entourage was pushing hard toward Rabrax, who was now shouting at his minions to forget the Sikhs defending the temple, and instead to protect him. The rampaging reptilians were slow to respond, being both slow witted and undead, and the Madam was able to get within a few yards of the necromancer before she yelled at the Grand Arbiter, "Do it now!"
The Grand Arbiter had been behind Madam during the battle, clutching a small cask in one hand, and using a shield to help fend off attacks on the Madam with his other. At her command, he dropped the shield, opened the cask, and drew out a glowing orb. He paused only a moment, then rolled it across the remaining few feet of the courtyard at the Necromancer. "Run!" He shouted, and the Entourage and crew quickly retreated from the hoard of undead dinosaurs.
A dazzling flash of light briefly illuminated the courtyard, blinding everyone. When they could see again, the saurian mob was gone, replaced by mounds of dust that were quickly blown away in the wind. The Duchess put away her battle fan, "Well, that's that then. I need a cup of tea and a nice cucumber sandwich." With that, she strode toward the RMS Dragon Fire without a backward glance.
"I must know. What exactly happened to Rabrax and his hoard?" Clint finally asked.
Madam Askew brushed some dust off her skirt, "Oh, that was a temporal grenade. We sent him, and those literally closest to him, to the Devonian Period. Once he was shuffled off this temporal coil, his minions reverted to their true form in this age."
"I see." Clint strode back to the ship, intent on finding out more about temporal grenades and how to get his hands on some.
"So the tea clippers are safe, the sanctity of the temple has been maintained, and the necromancer is in a period where he can do little harm. The Caffeinatti are still out there, but that's nothing new." The Lady summed up. "Would you like us to take you and your Entourage back to your ships, or will you be staying here for a while until it catches up?"
"Darling, you know how I adore The Punjab at this time of year. I think we'll grab some brooms and help tidy up around here until the HMS Titania and Darjeeling arrive. You need to get going. The tea fleet will be here soon and who knows what other dangers await you along the way to London. Now farewell, and safe travels." The Madam and her Entourage waved as the crew boarded the RMS Dragon Fire and left to rejoin the fleet.
"What a lovely woman." The Duchess announced a bit later, over tea and cucumber sandwiches. "It's just a pity that she has such terrible taste in men."
"How's that?" The Captain asked. He prided himself on his superior taste in women. It was just a fluke that so many tried to murder him.
"Well, you do know that was her first husband that she just sent back to pre-history, don't you?" The sitting room was silent for a second.
The Captain was the first to recover the ability of speech. "You mean she married a seven-foot lizard man?"
"Good Lord, no. He didn't start out that way." The Duchess stood up and walked to the door. She exited to her cabin, leaving the crew more puzzled than ever, "Of course, they never do."
"I hate it when she does that." Clint muttered before heading up to the bridge.
"You would have thought that with a name like Rabrax the Unspeakable, she would have known that things might go horribly wrong at some point." The Captain pointed out.
