Dimensional Reality: Oz (Chapter 14)

They walked slowly and softly through the forest.  The group stopped often to listen and look around.  Blaze spent his time between perching on the shoulder of the Scarecrow or flying off for long periods of time then coming back to report to Joseph.  As they moved farther into the forest, the ground became rockier.  Each time they came upon an outcropping of rock and boulders, the Scarcrow paused to listen.  Dorothy didn’t know why, but she didn’t ask and no one offered to tell her.  Finally they stopped at one of the largest outcroppings yet.  The Scarecrow walked around, tapping on boulders with his pitchfork.  Dorothy didn’t pay him much mind, she was too busy thinking that she’d pay just about anything for some more comfortable shoes.  She forgot all about her shoes when she heard a low rumbling and saw one of the biggest boulders roll aside.  A large, black hole was under it.  Slowly out of the hole, a young girl, looking only a couple of years older than her, walked out.  She was extremely beautiful, but seemed to give off an aura of intense power.  Dorothy would have thought that they had happened on an enemy if the girl hadn’t broken into a suprisingly large grin, ran over, and jumped on Joseph, wrapping her arms and legs around him as she hugged him.  She giggled and beamed at him.

  “Joey!  It’s so wonderful to see you again.  But what brings the commander, leader of the Enforcers to our doorstep.” she glanced behind her and smirked at Joseph, “Such as that doorstep is.”

  Joseph just smiled back as he set her on her feet.

  “It’s good to see you too Poly.  Gilean sent me to check on a shift change anolomy.  I’ve found something much better though.  And she’s decided to accept my services in helping your cause.”

  “She?”

  “Yes.”

  Joseph waved Dorothy over.

  “Dorothy, let me introduce you to Polychrome, fairy princess of the rainbow and Poly this is Dorothy, of the bloodline of Princess Dorothy.”

  Poly bowed greeting to her, “It is an honor to meet you.”

  Dorothy bowed back, somewhat awkwardly, “It’s an honor to meet you too.”

  Poly smiled at her and grabbed Dorothy’s hand in her own.

  “Come, you must meet everyone.”

  Dorothy saw Joseph and the Scarecrow fall into line behind them, so she allowed Poly to lead her to the dark hole that she had come from.  Dorothy was able to see into the hole, the closer she came.  Stone steps led down into a narrow passage.  She could hear Joseph and the Scarecrow talking in low tones about raids, supplies, and patrols.  As the moved farther into the passage she heard the large boulder grind back into place behind them.  They turned a corner and she saw torches leading the way to shadowed stone doors at the end of the corridor.  Dorothy jumped and almost screamed when two guards walked out of the shadows on either side of the door.  One was a man and the other a woman.  Both wore blue colored uniforms.  The guards spoke to Poly for a few seconds and then opened the doors for them.  Dorothy followed Poly through the door.  She gasped softly as she looked upon one of the last cities of the Ozits.