Six Impossible Things, 1b
He came to slowly, careful not to open his eyes or stir too obviously. His head was killing him, but needed to assess his situation so he could figure a way out and start tracking down that damn dogbear, so he could get his Gracie back.
He would find her. There was no other possible outcome.
It felt like there was something around one of his wrists, and whatever he was lying on was pretty soft. He was probably in a bed then, tied to one of the posts.
“I know you’re awake. You can open your eyes, Mr. Danno.”
This was a voice he hadn’t heard yet. It was soft and slightly husky, and definitely belonged to a woman.
He opened his eyes. Not that he was obliging her. It just seemed silly to keep them closed.
He was lying on a bed. It was one of two in the narrow little room. There was a small table between them, with a single book on top. The only other furnishings were a couple of trunks on the opposite side.
Danny sat up carefully, his head spinning just a little. He must have been out for awhile.
Through the doorway, he could see a small fireplace with a pot simmering over the flame. There was a rickety old table in front and a wash basin in the corner, right next to another open doorway that looked like it led to a bathroom.
He didn’t see anything that could feasibly help him out of his situation.
He turned his attention to the woman sitting on the bed opposite him.
She looked to be a little taller than he was-okay, so a lot of people were. Big whoop. For all intents and purposes, she also appeared to be Hawaiian. And very, very pretty.
And now was not an appropriate time to be forming aesthetic opinions about one’s captors.
“Who are you? Where am I, exactly? And how do you know to call me that?”
“How’s your head?”
Okay. So not the answer to any of his questions, but she did look a little sheepish. Ten to one she was the person responsible for the lovely bump on the back of his squash.
He was starting to think he wasn’t going to be killed any time soon. They would’ve done it already. Probably. He was alive for a reason. Hopefully a good one.
“My noggin has seen better days. Now, you mind answering my questions?” he couldn’t help the bite of impatience that seeped into his voice. Even a saint would have been feeling antsy by that point.
“I’m Kono, daughter of Kilikina. You’re at McGarret’s Crossing, in the land of Oahu. And I call you by that name because it’s the one everyone here calls you by.”
“That doesn’t even make any sense. Everyone? How can they know me? I’ve never even been here!”
Kono looked a little dazed watching his hands wave around. Most people looked like that, til they got used to him.
She shook her head and looked him in the eye again.
“Just because you’ve never been here, doesn’t mean we don’t know you, Danno. We’ve been waiting for you. Kamekona said you would come. He said your name was Danno, and that you were going to bring us your grace to help rid us of the JabberHesse.”
Okay.
He got it now.
He was clearly tripping balls.
“Alright, Kono, if that’s even your actual name, you can cut the act now. Did Meka put you up to this? You must be the new rookie at HPD; he’s always getting the rookies roped into giving me crap. Don’t worry, I’m not mad at you. Just untie me and give Grace back so we can go home.”
“Who’s Meka? What’s an HPD?”
“Look. Kono. The jig is up. So quit being cute.”
“She’s not being cute.”
Danny nearly jumped out of his skin.
The man who he’d fought with earlier was standing in the doorway.
Danny had the sudden urge to pummel the guy again. If not for the idiot’s holding him back, he’d never have let “Stan” get away with Grace.
Or, he’d have been eaten by that dogbear.
He felt the fight go out of him.
He knew he wasn’t on some acid trip, because 1) he’d never do something like that, and b) he’d never dream or hallucinate about being away from Grace. That just wasn’t an option for him.
The guy seemed to be reading his thoughts, because he said:
“Danno, I’m sorry about your little girl.”
“Grace. Her name is Grace.”
The man nodded.
“I never meant to let Grace get away. I was supposed to bring the two of you back here, but I didn’t anticipate the Royal Guard looking around that area. By the time I realized what was going on, there was nothing either of us could have done. The bandersnatch would have killed us, and Grace would still have been missing.”
“You found her?”
He held up a hand.
“Sort of. I know where she is. She’s been taken to the Queen’s palace, where I have a friend keeping an eye on her. Catherine works intelligence for the Queen, so Grace is very safe. The Queen loves children too. Grace couldn’t be more secure.”
“She could be. She could be with me.”
“I’m sorry Danno. I’ve done the best I can. We can’t go to the palace, not yet, but I assure you that Grace will be safe until we can get there. I’m just waiting on word back from Catherine now. I’m sorry I can’t do more to put you at ease.”
Whoever he was, the guy’s eyes were kind as he looked at Danny. He looked pretty sincere. And Danny was grateful that at least someone was looking out for his baby. It wasn’t ideal, but right now he’d take anything he could get.
Maybe, just maybe, these people were on his side. Whatever his side was.
“Who are you?” he asked, feeling more tired than he ever had. It’d been a very, very long day and a half.
“I’m Steven, son of John. Kono here is my apprentice. We serve as ninjas to the White King.”
Great.
Kidnapped by ninjas.
Well, when in Rome.
“I’m Daniel, son of Robert. But everyone calls me Danny. Not Danno. Only Grace can call me that.”
Steven nodded and moved further into the room, sitting down next to Kono.
Danny swung his legs over the side of the bed and scrubbed his face with his hands.
“So. Kamekona. The White King. Who are they?”
Steven grabbed the book that was sitting on the bedside table and handed it to Danny.
“Danny, I think it would be best if you read this first. Then you can ask us anything you want.”
He took the book in his hands and looked down at the cover. All it said was “Information.” He opened it up: it was a manuscript. Someone had taken the time to fill every piece of parchment with some of the neatest handwriting Danny had ever seen. Flicking through it, he got a brief glimpse of some etchings as well. Whoever the scribe was, he so wanted to hire them to do his paperwork back home.
He looked back up at Kono and Steven, who were waiting for him to say something.
“Okay. I’ll read.”
Steven untied his hand (because, yeah, no way was Danny running off anywhere right now), and he and Kono went into the other room, giving Danny a little space. He sat back and began to read.
Turned out, the book was written by whoever this Kamekona person was. He laid out some of the history of Oahu, his and the land’s present circumstances, and what was yet to come.
The land had once been one kingdom. It was ruled by the great philosopher king Plato, who reigned justly and wisely, guided by the dual and even influences of his head and his heart.
And then the feud had come, his children disputing over the parceling of the kingdom after the old monarch died. The royal family eventually formed two factions and there had been a bloody and pretty pointless war.
In the end, the White King and the Red Queen had each taken to the throne. Though the realm remained technically divided, both monarchs wished for peace, and their kingdoms became fast allies.
Until the JabberHesse came.
What the heck is that?
Danny turned the page and got his answer. It was a dragon… type… thing. Except dragons were definitely cuter. This thing looked like it got run over by the ugly truck. Twice.
The JabberHesse poisoned the Red Queen’s heart, causing her to break with the White King and that part of Oahu to plunge once more into darkness. The people had been suffering unspeakable atrocities since then. Whole families had been erased and the land had been razed until all most of it brought forth was ash.
Danny’s heart hammered in his chest. That’s where Grace had ended up. He read on, eager to absorb as much as he could, so he’d be one step closer to getting her back.
He turned the page and his eyes went wide. He was staring down at himself. Fighting the JabberHesse. With some measly sword.
He read the words beneath the image in a daze:
One day, a hero will come to free us. He shall answer to ‘Danno,’ and together he and his grace will finally rid us of the JabberHesse. The Red Queen shall be free and the two kingdoms will once more know peace.
Fuck.
There was just no way.
He didn’t even know how to use a sword.
And his “grace” could only mean one thing.
No way was he going to let his daughter, his only child, face down a dragon. She would be far away, in a secure location, guarded by Vikings or something. Scary Vikings. With hammers.
Because everyone knew, you didn’t mess with Vikings.
He got up and went to join Kono and Steven in the other room.
“I hope you two have made yourselves comfortable, because oh my God do I have questions.”