Knightmare Part 4 (Level 1)

EDIT: In the furnace section, completed a sentence I didn't complete - starting with 'She could feel the heat from the furnace.'

First part - [link]
Second part - [link]
Third part - [link]
Fifth part - [link]

Here is part 4 of my Knightmare story!

Just to let you all know, I know these riddles in this part may be a bit simple for some, but I came across them, and they sounded a LOT like the ones I'd heard it Knightmare, so I decided to put them in here. Also, here's a link to the Life Force clock animation, so you know how the Life Force images in this comic were determined.
[link]

The sound used when the Technical Machine is used mentioned in the story is the same as when the team use the Freezer spell in this Knightmare episode, at 2:08 - [link]

With that said, here's the story segment for this part.

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"Welcome, computer watchers, to Knightmare.... I, Treguard, welcome you all to witness daring deeds and amazing adventures within the Castle of Confusion....
Look back with me now, as we observe the quest in progress, with a progress report....

Dungeons deep and dungeons dark like these are scarcely tread
But even nowadays the bravest adventurers have been bred
And I see great promise in the youngsters now exploring in these depths
By the challenge, Tinder and her companions have not yet been perplexed

True, a cruel Seviper did almost put a thorn in their side
But still, the start of such a quest is expected to misguide
And they have gained help from a Sableye who gave them a useful move
What this team will use this for, I'm sure we'll all approve

So, level one continues, and I'm sure you're all quite meek
To learn what happens next, but still... Let's not linger... Let's take a peek...."

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Level 1. Room IV. Petrous Clue Room
Life Force - Amber - Green (Food Ingested)
Technical Machines - Rock Slide

'Where am I?'

Winston, still slightly panting by the Seviper incident in the previous room, described the room for Tinder - 'You're in a small room. There's a large statue of a Druddigon in front of you, an open door is to your right, and to your left, there's a table with some objects on it... Er, could you get a bit closer to it please, so we can have a look? Can you turn to your left and take a few steps forward until you can see the table?'

Tinder wasn't the only one who was getting a bit weary - it seemed that the Life Force wasn't JUST tied to Tinder - Winston, Audrey and Watt were beginning to feel a bit tired out as well... and they hadn't even been walking through the dungeon! It was as if this quest was showing them just how important the bond between a team of adventurers was, and how even if someone wasn't directly experiencing something in a room, like Tinder was in the dungeon, it could still have an effect on the adventurer's friends....

Tinder arrived at the table, and could see what was on it.... 'Yay, an object I can see that doesn't want to confuse or attack me! Er... okay, on this table, there's a key, an hourglass, a dagger - wow, awesome, a WEAPON! - and... a... oh, yum.... an apple pie!' Tinder licked her lips, she was feeling pretty hungry from running about with this helmet on.... And so were her friends too....

But, they would have to wait for food.... And for some reason, although the team knew their Life Force was now Amber.... They weren't as hungry as they were when they first entered the room.... Something, or SOMEONE, was keeping their energy up for them....

Treguard, overlooking the team, told them all, 'Ah... so many choices, and so little time to make them in.... If you haven't a clue about which objects to take, you soon will, team... Touch nothing Tinder, for first, you must face a task to earn the clues you seek as what to take with you.....'

Tinder rolled her eyes under her helmet, and thought, 'But I want apple pie....'

All of a sudden, the statue in the room started warping and changing in colour. Before, it was simply solid rock... Now, the colours began changing, and the stone began crackling to life... Truly it had been QUITE a long time before a dungeoneer had crossed this statue's path, and the secrets of this statue had been long forgotten....

Winston, Audrey and Watt looked in confusion as the statue wasn't only looking more like a live Druddigon, but it actually started TALKING! It's voice was male and loud, yet experienced, well-disciplined and strong....

'I AM PETROUS OF LEGEND... FACE ME NOW, OR PERISH IN IGNORANCE....'

Tinder felt insulted... Perish in ignorance?! Since when did you have to look a statue in the face and talk to it?! But then, she remembered the story Psyches had told her about the Elysium Pillar - Petrous was the guardian of the Elysium City, the place that the Heaven's Eclipse, the hibernation chamber of the mythical Haxorus Archangel was said to be located... No-one knew where the city was, as it had faded into obscurity, but traces of the city's past were all around, if you knew where to look.... And Petrous was known as the guardian of the city's gates and legend said that he was the one to find and awaken if you wished to find the city....

Treguard looked on with indifference, and remarked - 'Petrous may be a well known legend, and for good reason, but in his past life, he liked to make sure no-one else would go without an ounce of knowledge that he had, because he didn't like Pokémon who were ignorant to the truth - and his spirit seems to manifest itself in his old statues, such was the power of his soul... Face him now, Tinder, for now is the time of trial....'

Tinder heard the voice from her right, so she turned to her right to face Petrous... or rather, his statue....

Petrous, in his booming voice, continued.
'Three riddles have I to offer you, and from you, I seek answers true...
Three incorrect answers will FATAL be, One will pass you, two will a clue forsee
But if you correctly answer all three, a chance to command me, will yours be....'

Tinder groaned and thought, 'Why must this guy speak in rhyme? What is he, a Dr Seuss character?!'

The advisors got their pads of paper ready - slider puzzles may not be their thing, but perhaps riddles would be more to their liking....

Petrous commenced with the riddles....
'Here is my first.....
Feed me and I will live, give me a drink and I will die. I am always hungry, I must always be fed,
The finger I touch, Will soon turn red.... What am I?'

Watt, Audrey and Winston scratched their heads.... For a second, Watt thought ‘red paint’, but then he realised it can’t be destroyed by being given a drink. Winston thought, due to the ‘always hungry’ part, that it could be a Snorlax, but then again, Snorlaxes can drink, and how would a Snorlax turn something red? Audrey thought it would be red berry juice at one point, but red berries need water to drink....

But in the dungeon, Tinder was also thinking hard.... She had been saved by her friends in the Seviper room, so she felt she could at least save them some hassle. But all she could truly think about a story her father, Kindle, told her about when he was her age, and he accidentally burned his trainer’s hand, because of how he could never learn to put his fire out when he was younger....

And then a light bulb went off.... Fire? Burning? Fire does constantly need fuel to keep alive, and a drink would douse it.... So, Tinder shouted out at the top of her lungs at Petrous – ‘Fire!’

Her friends looked up at the screen in shock... Could it be right?

Petrous announced loudly, ‘Truth accepted.’

Tinder grinned, and her friends congratulated her calmly through her Helmet. One down, two to go....

'Here is my second.....
I come out at night without being summoned, and I am lost in the day without being stolen, yet during the day, one of me you will see, so answer now, what must I be?'

Hmm... Tinder wasn’t so sure about this one....

Lost in the day without being stolen? Watt thought it could have been a Zubat at one point, as they often don’t like broad daylight, but then where would the ‘one of me you will see’ bit come from? And then, Watt was surprised in himself.... He had an idea for the answer! Usually he left the smartest members of the group to do the thinking, but then again, if he could figure out which tree in the garden was the best one to sharpen his claws on, he could possibly try his hand at answering riddles....

‘Maybe it could be stars?’ Watt quietly asked Audrey and Winston. Audrey, in the middle of looking at the riddle she wrote down, and thought back to the previous night when she was star-gazing.... and the SUN is a star, so surely that’s the one star you can still see in the day that Petrous mentioned in his riddle? Winston nodded at Watt’s suggestion, and all of the team agreed on the answer. Audrey spoke to Tinder – ‘Tinder... say ‘stars’.’
Tinder, still thinking about the riddle, and hearing that answer, thought that it made sense, and called out to Petrous – ‘Stars.’

Petrous announced, ‘Truth accepted.’

Watt clenched his fist in triumph! For once, he got a question that required LOGIC right.... He didn’t think himself much of a thinker, but as Audrey patted him on the back, and Twoey and Winston smiled in enthusiasm, Watt was assured that he could think when he put his mind to it... He just thought acting with his claws rather than his brain was more fun at times....

'Here is my third.....
You saw me where I never was and where I could not be. And yet within that very place, my face you often see. What am I?'

While Watt and Audrey were talking to each other about the riddle, Winston was looking ahead deep in thought. Then suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the fireplace in Treguard’s chamber burn and flicker on the reflection of the magic mirror they used to observe Tinder’s progress... It couldn’t be a mirror, as you can see a mirror in front of you, and you could see your reflection in it.... Wait, reflection? That’s it! Winston nudged Audrey, and asked her and Watt about his suggestion. After a bit of thought, Audrey and Watt nodded, and Tinder, who heard their conversation through the helmet, could be seen nodding in response in the chamber.

Winston told Tinder, ‘Tinder, could you please say ‘reflection’?’
Tinder, beaming with confidence that they had a perfect score, cried out, ‘Reflection!’
Petrous announced the very thing the team was hoping for.... ‘Truth accepted.’

Watt and Audrey high-fived, and Audrey patted Winston on the back. Twoey panted happily, and licked Audrey in happiness. Treguard smiled as they celebrated - a perfect score in the riddles was a very good sign, as they had access to all the clues they needed to get through level 1.

Petrous then announced, 'Three is the score. Your quest is to find the chalice - yet, you may NOT drink from it. Time will not be on your side, unless you can somehow give it form and take it with you.'

Treguard then happily told Tinder through her helmet, 'Quickly, Tinder, you've earned a perfect score - shout out 'I command you' and gain a bonus!'

Tinder heard this, and couldn't help but give a playful chuckle as she called out 'I command you!' She was truly having fun - it wasn't every day a CYNDAQUIL could say that they commanded a full grown DRUDDIGON....

Petrous, who was before this looking as though he was tired and was ready to return to his deep hibernation, looked on, and replied, as he knew he had promised this team help, 'Oh, very well... A key to proceed lies in this room, yet all doors ahead are UNLOCKED.'

Closing his eyes, and his voice becoming quieter, Petrous called out, 'Rock, I was.... Rock, I now become....' And with that, the colours faded from the statue, and Petrous was gone, leaving Tinder in the room....

Now Petrous was gone, the hunger pangs returned to the team, causing Tinder to groan....

'Okay, Tinder, turn to your left... Can you see the table?' Audrey asked Tinder.

'Yep, can I FINALLY have this apple pie now?!' Tinder hungrily moaned.

Audrey knew that the team was hungry, but Treguard said to replenish Life Force, food must be put in the knapsack... How THAT replenishes Life Force, she did NOT know... 'Take the pie, and put it I your knapsack....'

Tinder did so, and all of a sudden, the Life Force clock reset, from Amber to Green... Not only that, but Tinder and her team-mates felt their energy return to them - it was as if they had actually EATEN an apple pie slice each! How strange was that knapsack?

'Mm.. reminds me of the pies Mrs Bayou makes....' Watt hungrily remarked.

But, now their Life Force was Green, they had clue objects to observe. They needed to take time with them, so that meant they needed the hourglass, and Petrous said all doors were unlocked, so that meant they didn't need a key... But what about the dagger?

'Take a look at the dagger and hourglass, Tinder - is there anything on them?' Winston suggested. Tinder could see the dagger and hourglass on the table, and on the front of the dagger, she could see in small white writing, the word 'Password'.

'The dagger has 'password' written on it... And the... hourglass... doesn't say anything, it just reminds me of Psyches' study....' Tinder observed, as her friends wrote down this information.

Treguard reminded the team, as he felt they had seen quite a lot of excitement so they may have forgotten what he would say, 'Remember team - Two objects can be held, but before you take an object.... Think about where it belongs.....'

The team knew what he meant - non-food objects did NOT belong in the knapsack - after all, imagine eating a DAGGER or an HOURGLASS! Watt was the next to speak, 'Pick up the hourglass and the dagger, and turn completely around, to, to look behind you.'

Tinder thought, 'Look behind you, very funny.... I AM wearing the Helmet of Justice, you do know that, right, Simba? Hopefully I won't have to hold onto these two things forever, I do have very short arms, after all...'

Watt continued, guiding Tinder out of the room, and through the door in the room. 'Go forward three steps. Okay, now, turn to your left. A bit more.... Forward by five steps. Turn to your right... Bit, bit, more Tinder. Brill, now, go forward..'

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Level 1. Room V. Electrode Room
Life Force - Green
Clue Objects - Hourglass and Dagger
Technical Machines - Rock Slide

'Where am I now?'

'You're in - ' Winston began, but stopped when he realised what Pokémon lay to Tinder's right - an ELECTRODE in a soldier's helmet! And judging by the fact that it was glowing, and judging by what Electrodes like to do best.....

'Quickly team! Get Tinder out! That Electrode is about to Self-Destruct!!' Treguard also felt slightly panicked... He did often feel pretty wary around Voltorbs, as they did explode often and quite potently, but ELECTRODES have an even STRONGER blast... A young Cyndaquil, even one as plucky as Tinder, would be defenceless against a Self-Destruct from an Electrode!

Understandably, the advisors panicked! 'QUICK, TINDER, RUN FORWARD! KEEP GOING, RUN!' Audrey yelled out, while Twoey screeched, obviously as worried as she was. Watt clutched his paper pad, and Winston covered his eyes, only parting his right wing so he could look at the screen!

Tinder also felt pretty shocked - first a Seviper, now an Electrode? What's next, a HYDREIGON?! She was also pretty annoyed too - why was this Electrode just here?! She and her friends had just eaten - did the Electrode want to give her stomach cramps?!

'STOP! STOP! TAKE A STEP BACKWARDS!' Winston yelled out in dread. The Electrode was glowing brighter and faster - their time was dwindling! Clearly that hourglass wasn't of any use here! But maybe it was for later on in this level....

'TURN LEFT AND RUN FORWARD! QUICK!' Watt screamed. Tinder ran through the door just in time... As she ran to safety, she could feel an explosion JUST behind her....

Her team wiped the sweat off their brows, and Winston covered his eyes in relief. Treguard also held his chest in relief.... First this team had eluded a Seviper, and now an Electrode.... This WAS their lucky day.....

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Level 1. Room VI. Roof Beams
Life Force - Green
Clue Objects - Hourglass and Dagger
Technical Machines - Rock Slide

Tinder composed herself once she walked through the door, and asked her team - 'Now... where am I?'

Audrey replied, 'You're in a room with.. wooden boards on the floor, with quite a few holes in them. A door is on the other side of the room in front of you, and above you are sleeping Zubats. Some of the boards look slightly yellow.'

Treguard gave the team some advice. 'Caution here, team... These roof beams have held up the upper levels for quite some time, but alas, they have seen better days. The slightest movement can cause them to crumble and fall down to the depths below... The Zubats have learned to sleep through these crackling sounds... But then again, they don't need to WALK on them.... The more yellow the beams are, the more ROTTEN they are... You barely have time to proceed... Unless you can make it so you possess more....'

Now it was Winston's turn to have a light bulb light up in his head... More time! He noticed that the hourglass's sand was mostly collected in the bottom... Turning it around would make it so that it took more time for the sand to run through.... Just maybe, this also meant THEIR time would increase too....

Winston called out to Tinder, 'Tinder... turn the hourglass upside down.' Tinder was confused by this request, but remembering the clue room, did so. She knelt down, placing the dagger on the beam she was on, and turned the hourglass upside down.

Treguard smiled at this quick thinking, and gave the team more advice. 'Ah... Good thinking... You now have more time to cross.... But still, utmost care is called for... Leave the hourglass there, Tinder, it's magic spell is only required in this room... Now, team, choose the safest path to guide Tinder to the exit, and hurry if you can - not only are the roof beams degrading, but so is your Life Force...'

CRCCCK! The floorboard in front of Tinder, which was completely yellow, split into three pieces, and plummeted to the depths below... It was a long way down... The team looked at the beams, and say that the beam that may be the fastest way across - the beams to Tinder's right, were not stable - they were clearly rotten... Tinder held the dagger, and awaited her team's instructions.

Winston called out to Tinder, while the rest of the team gave Winston advice on which roofbeam was safe to walk on. 'Tinder.. turn to your left, please... walk forward... five steps. And now - '

CRCCCCK! The beam Tinder had just passed by, to her right, plummeted in pieces to the depths below.

'Erm... take three more steps forward... Stop! Phew... okay, turn to your right 90 degrees. Take two steps forward. Take another very small step forward. That's it. Now, turn to your left 90 degrees.'

CRCCCK! Good thing Tinder had taken the path she had - the floorboards on the other side of the room to where she was were now in pieces...

'Take three steps forward. Stop - take two sidesteps to your right - now turn completely around. Walk forward two steps.'

CRCCK! Phew... Tinder and the team definitely heard THAT. That was a close shave - one more step, and Tinder would have fallen on that small rotted roof-beam in front of her! The second beam she had been on also fell....

'Sidestep to your right.'

Tinder asked, 'How many times?'

'Just, just one... Haste, Tinder... Sorry, do it again. That's splendid... Walk forward... three steps.'

CRRCCK! The large beam at the back of the room fell. Would they make it?

'Sidestep to your right... That's it - just take a very small step to your right - STOP, STOP! Goodness... sorry... Walk forward two steps. Take a VERY small step forward... Great, splendid... Turn to your left....'

CRRCK! The roof beams directly in front of the large beam now fell. This was going to be close...

'Just keep walking forwards, the exit's in front of you.....'

Indeed it was... Tinder passed through safely. Winston wiped his forehead in relief, as Watt and Audrey gave him thumbs-up. Everyone was truly doing their part today... But one thing was for sure... The person who laid the roof beams deserved to be fired immediately!

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Level 1. Room VII. Furnace
Life Force - Green - Amber
Clue Objects - Dagger
Technical Machines - Rock Slide

'Where am I?'

Watt described the room for Tinder. 'There's a furnace in front of you, with a portcullis linking the furnace to the side of the room you're on and the other side of the room. On the other side of the room, there are two open doors - the door on the right has the words 'Fire Exit' above it.'

Treguard observed, 'Oh, dear... Out of the frying pan and into the fire... Quite literally in this case.... The furnace is used to heat the upper levels of the castle - and it does it's job well... But unfortunately, it is in the way of your path forward.... There are no switches or levers here... But is there a way to turn it off?'

The advisors looked through their notes.... What was it that Opal said? Rock Slide could be used to get around all sorts of obstacles?

Watt came across the notes regarding the Technical Machine, and then turned to his friends and showed them his notes. They all agreed with this idea, but when Watt was about to shout out 'Technical Machine', Audrey stopped him... 'I don't think Tinder is close enough to put the fire out yet, just to be sure we get on target, we should be closer...'

Winston nodded, and called out to Tinder, 'Tinder... please take steps forward until we say stop, okay?' Tinder walked forward slowly, and then Winston yelled 'STOP!' as soon as she was in front of the portcullis. She could feel the heat from the furnace, and remarked, 'Wow, and I thought my dad's fire was hot! If only I could use this fire in my fire breathing act, that would certainly make things interesting.....'

Winston and Audrey nodded to Watt, technically dubbing Watt their 'Move Caster' of the team. Watt grinned, and winked to them. Facing the screen, he gladly said -

'Technical Machine. R-O-C-K-S-L-I-D-E.'

As Watt spelt out the move, the move title appeared on the screen. And after he had finished, a noise, almost sounding like magic, rang out. Immediately after this, dozens of rocks rained from the sky directly onto the furnace. Tinder grinned, and congratulated Watt, 'Nice one, Watt!' The rocks stopped falling, and with a gush of smoke, the path was clear.

Treguard praised the team, 'Ah, now the path is clear for you... But choose your exit carefully....'

The advisors looked at the doors.... What if the term 'Fire Exit' was literal? As in, it was an exit that LED to fire?

Audrey called out to Tinder, 'Tinder, keep walking forward until we say stop.'

Tinder walked across the portcullis, and as she stepped on the rocks, her feet felt slightly toasty.... She enjoyed it - it was almost like a sauna that she and her family had been to once, but she felt that the fire could burn through at any moment.... After all, she knew how hot her father's fire could be, and to be engulfed in a fire HOTTER than that could be too much for even HER to handle....

Across the rocks and portcullis she went, and she safely reaches the other side. 'STOP!' Audrey called out.

'Take sidesteps to your left until we say stop.... Stop there! There you are - the door's in front of you... Go forward...'

Tinder exited the furnace room... and just in time too. The team's Life Force was now Amber, and they were feeling peckish yet again! Adventuring truly makes an explorer hungry....

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Join me next time for part 5 - with a special guest appearance

A loud bell sounded suddenly. GONG! Treguard announced, 'Warning, team - stand perfectly still - time turns, temporal disruption is now upon us.' A second bell sounded - GONG! - and not only did Tinder stop in her tracks, but so did everything else, including her advisors. Only Treguard was still moving.

'Oh dear... Temporal disruption complete. All adventuring must now cease until you phase with us once more... What awaits the team beyond the fiery furnace? What obstacles shall they encounter, and POSSIBLY even outsmart next? If you dare.... keep an eye out for the next instalment of Knightmare....

And remember.... it's best to come in company...'