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Author
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Topic: "Empath The Bandit Smurf" -- the full story
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 11-08-2023 11:46 AM
Here is my EMPATH: The Luckiest Smurf adaptation of the comic book story "The Jewel Smurfer". Enjoy!
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Chapter 1
It was an ordinary day about two months after Polaris Psyche had left Psychelia and was living among the Smurfs. Empath had no pressing matters to attend to that morning except that he promised to help Century train with the use of the quarterstaff. There was just one problem, though -- all of Empath's clothes were dirty except for a single white hat and pants, and Empath felt a little embarrassed just going out in a hat and pants.
The one thing he needed to do was to drop off his clothes at Tidy's laundry shop, where the clothes cleaner would make sure that all his suits came back nice and clean. But Empath still felt embarrassed just stepping out in only a hat and pants.
He decided that he would get a bathrobe to wear for now and then he would see if Tailor could make him a shirt that he would wear just so other Smurfs wouldn't see how naked he looked -- or rather, felt like he looked.
He didn't get much far past his door, though, when he ran into two Smurfs who were passing by his door -- Brainy and Jokey. "Salutations, fellow Smurfs," Empath hastily greeted them.
"Say, Empath, what's with the bathrobe over your clothes?" Jokey asked, rather amused by Empath's appearance. "Planning to smurf a shower in them?"
"It's pretty obvious, Jokey, that Empath has barely any clothes left to wear, and that he must make do with whatever's on hand, no matter how embarrassing it may be to him that he has to wear only a hat and pants," Brainy said.
"I think Empath's more embarrassed that Smurfette's going to smurf at him all day in just his hats and pants," Jokey said, laughing.
"I honestly don't know what Smurfette sees in Empath physically that she doesn't see in any other Smurf, Jokey," Brainy said. "It's not like we smurf any different physically from each other...at least, not that much, with Empath's smurfmark and Hefty's tattoos."
"Well, this smurf would love to stay and talk with you about this smurf's current style of dress," Empath said, "but this smurf must really get this pile of clothes over to Tidy Smurf for him to wash."
"Me and Jokey were on our way to the Ford of the Merry Smurfer out in the Smurf Forest to smurf some cattail stalks for Papa Smurf, anyway," Brainy explained.
"Not sure why he would smurf me with you, of all Smurfs, unless it's just so to watch you make a smurf of yourself," Jokey said.
"Smurf at it this way, Jokey Smurf," Brainy said. "If you hadn't bothered smurfing me one of your surprises when Papa Smurf was smurfing for volunteers, you wouldn't have been chosen. Besides, when Papa Smurf speaks, you should always listen, because Papa Smurf is always right, and besides you should always smurf what Papa Smurf says to smurf..."
"Yeah, sure, whatever you smurf, Brainy," Jokey said, eager to get himself going to spare his ears and Empath's from Brainy's endless rambling. "We'll smurf you later, Empath."
And after Brainy and Jokey went off toward the forest, Empath headed over to Tidy Smurf's shop, where he sees that particular Smurf in his bright white clothes sweeping away all the dust and dirt from the front of his door, whistling the Smurf song.
"Salutations, fellow Tidy," Empath greeted as he set the basket of dirty clothes before Tidy.
"Well, Empath, it smurfs like you've been too busy with your duties as the assistant counselor to smurf any time to drop off your clothes for their routine smurfing," Tidy commented. "You should let me smurf them up while you're busy so that you wouldn't have to smurf this!"
"This smurf knows how willing you are to do it for your fellow Smurfs, Tidy," Empath said. "But for now, this smurf just wants to make sure the clothes will get done as soon as possible so that this smurf doesn't get stuck wearing...only this!"
"Oh, my, I hate to be in your smurfs right now, Empath!" Tidy said. "I know that smurfing you in only a hat and pants makes your skin tone smurf a bit of red, which must make you smurf so uncomfortable."
"It's not just that, Tidy," Empath said. "It's also that this smurf has gotten so used to wearing the new star-patterned suit that wearing an ordinary white suit now makes this smurf look so...well, ordinary."
"I never smurf wearing white as being ordinary, Empath...I smurf it as looking radiant and dazzling, like how everybody's clothes look when I'm finished smurfing them," Tidy said. "Anyway, I'll do my best to smurf them back to you by the end of the day, but you may have to wait until tomorrow."
"Oh," Empath said, sounding a bit crestfallen. "Well, this smurf is certain that you will give it your best efforts."
"Oh, there you are, Empath," a familiar voice spoke from behind him. "I was smurfing all over for you, hoping you haven't forgotten our training together."
Empath turned to see that it was Century, who was already carrying his quarterstaff.
"This smurf hasn't forgotten, Century," Empath said. "It's just that this smurf had to take care of this smurf's laundry, and right now this smurf has nothing else to wear except this white hat and pants."
"Well, why not just smurf with me out to the River Smurf in that old thing?" Century suggested. "It's not like you're going to impress me with anything except how you smurf with a quarterstaff now that I have smurfed more practice."
Empath sighed. "This smurf isn't going to break my promise to you, Century. Even if this smurf will end up looking like mercury in a thermometer when the day is through, this smurf will see how far you've come in your training regardless."
"Oh, thank you, Empath," Century said. "Even though I have to admit that you always smurfed better in a white hat and pants."
Empath frowned as he looked skyward. "Hopefully this will be the last time you'll ever see this smurf in them."
The two of them found a log that was crossing the River Smurf that they could do their sparring on. Empath knew that Century was able to fight on stable surfaces, so now he needed to see how he was able to handle maintaining his balance while fighting.
Empath and Century respectfully bowed to each other before they commenced. Empath made the first swing, which Century blocked, and then they both alternated offensive and defensive attacks, which their opponent expertly avoided or blocked.
"You're getting pretty good at this, Century," Empath said.
"I smurfed from very good teachers, Empath," Century said. "Of course, Duncan McSmurf taught me some things about how to surprise your enemies when fighting with them."
"You think you'll be able to surprise this smurf?" Empath asked.
"It will be interesting to find out," Century said.
Then after a few more attacks, Century did a looping jump over Empath's head, landing right behind him. Before Empath could turn around to counter him, Century struck him right behind the head, knocking him off the log and sending him falling into the river, hitting his head on a rock.
"Empath!" Century cried out as he watched his friend being carried downstream. He followed along the river until he came across a ford where he could pull Empath out of the water. He dragged him onto the shore and saw that Empath was unconscious. "Empath, please wake up and smurf me that you're all right!" he shouted, slapping his friend in the face to see if he would awaken.
Then he heard the sound of a carriage coming down the road toward their location. Century realized that humans were coming and tried to drag Empath quickly to cover, but unfortunately didn't get very far before they came into view. It was a tall balding man and a short man wearing a cowl riding on the wagon pulled by a donkey, with the small man holding a cage with a mouse inside it. They were both talking about something important, but whatever it was, Century couldn't risk being seen by them. He quickly ducked into the bushes near the road and kept his eye on Empath as they came closer.
"That's the last time we will ever do a snake-charming act, Simon," the taller man said in an angry tone. "Now we're down to this stupid mouse that doesn't seem to do anything."
"He's only intimidated by people looking at him," the short man said, looking at the mouse. And then he looked forward and saw something in the road that caught his attention. "Stanley! Look out!"
Stanley pulled on the donkey's reins to bring him to a halt. "What is it this time, Simon?" he asked impatiently.
"I don't know, Stanley," Simon said as they both got off the wagon to look. Simon picked up what appeared to be a little blue man wearing a white hat and pants and examined him carefully. "It looks like an elf, judging by its size. Can I keep it?"
Stanley sighed. "Oh, very well. But we're not staying around here. If it is an elf, there may be others lurking nearby, and I don't want to deal with them anymore than I want to deal with that Vincent Devereaux."
"Yeah, that money-grubbing scoundrel," Simon said in agreement. "Serves him right that he should lose his position as a landlord."
Century watched as they both got back onto the wagon with Empath, with Simon placing Empath in the same cage as the mouse. As brave as he was in comparison to his twin brother Vanity, Century didn't want to risk being captured along with Empath by humans, even as capable a fighter as he is.
"Heavens to Smurfatroid," Century said to himself. "I must smurf back to the village and tell Papa Smurf about this."
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4103 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 11-08-2023 11:47 AM
Chapter 2
Meanwhile, back in the village, Papa Smurf and Polaris Psyche were at the Smurf Theater, watching a rehearsal of Romeo And Smurfette with Harmony and Smurfette as the main characters. Of course, Smurfette was having a hard time acting during Harmony's singing parts since he was well-known for his off-key singing voice. However, Papa Smurf and Polaris were watching the rehearsal more for testing out the new Imaginarium crystals that Handy had installed into the stage that he claimed would enable actors to do instant costume changes as well as for instant scene changes and special effects.
"This one doesn't understand, Papa Smurf, the point of this theatrical production," Polaris Psyche said. "If it's supposed to be a reenactment of a story, then wouldn't it make sense that it should take place in the Imaginarium?"
"The point of theatre, Polaris, is for the actors to express themselves artistically to others," Papa Smurf said. "Portraying a character from a story isn't much fun if you don't have other Smurfs around to share the portrayal with."
"From what this one has seen in the Imaginarium, Papa Smurf, there's at least the element of interactivity and realism within its fantasy settings," Polaris said. "Here the actors are pretty much aware that they're on a stage instead of in an entirely different world. Wouldn't that make them feel intimidated?"
"That's what we would call stage fright, Polaris," Papa Smurf said. "Every Smurf has that feeling whenever they appear before a crowd to smurf a performance. Even I have that feeling when I have to smurf an important public announcement to my little Smurfs."
"This one has a hard time imagining you, the leader of the Smurfs, feeling intimidated by the Smurfs you're in charge of when you must appear in public before them," Polaris said. "But this one senses that you're able to control that feeling so that it doesn't overwhelm you."
"Stage fright can be a smurfy thing in that it makes the performer or presenter be more alert so he can smurf a good performance," Papa Smurf said. "Just remember that others will smurf you as being more confident of your abilities than you may smurf of yourself."
"Papa Smurf! Papa Smurf!" Century shouted as he arrived in the village and approached him at the Smurf Theater. "Something terrible has smurfened out in the forest today!"
"This one senses that something has happened to Empath," Polaris said.
"That's what I'm smurfing to, Polaris," Century said. "Empath and I were smurfing at the log over the River Smurf with our quarterstaffs, and I smurfed Empath in the back of the head, and he fell and smurfed his head on a rock and got smurfed downstream, so I followed him until I could smurf him back on shore. But then I smurfed some humans coming, and I couldn't smurf Empath into the bushes to keep him from being smurfed, and then they stopped and smurfed at him. The smaller one smurfed him into a cage and then they smurfed off across the river and down the road."
Smurfette overheard this and jumped off the stage to join Century, Papa Smurf, and Polaris. As she did, her Romeo And Smurfette costume changed back into her ordinary clothes. "Oh, dear," Smurfette moaned. "Is this true that Empath got smurfnapped? We've got to smurf something."
"We'll smurf the entire forest to see where the humans have smurfed Empath to, Smurfette," Papa Smurf said. "In the meantime, have Hefty join me as Century smurfs me back to the spot where Empath was last smurfed."
"Yes, Papa Smurf," Smurfette said. "I just hope Empath is all right."
"Although this one is new to how things are done in the Smurf Village, it would be wise if you leave this one to monitor things here while you do your search, Papa Smurf," Polaris suggested.
Papa Smurf sighed. "I would like to smurf you along so we can find Empath, but I wouldn't want to risk smurfing you beyond the forest unless it's absosmurfly necessary. Human villages are very big and tend to be very dangerous. The other Smurfs may not like this, but I don't smurf where I have much choice. So until I return, you'll be smurfed in charge with Duncan as your assistant. Is that undersmurfed?"
Polaris nodded. "This one acknowledges, Papa Smurf, and will not disappoint you."
"I'm sorry for smurfing Empath out in the forest like that, Papa Smurf," Century said.
"You smurfed your best with what you could smurf, Century," Papa Smurf said consolingly. "I just hope we'll be able to find Empath as quickly as possible. Who knows what the humans could smurf if they knew about the abilities he possesses."
Around this time Empath had awakened. "Uh...where am I...and who am I?" he muttered to himself. And then he saw a mouse in the same place he awakened in. "AAAAH...it's a monster!" he yelped.
"Stanley, it sounds like the elf has awakened, and it's able to speak," Simon said as he looked into the cage and saw Empath, who looked somewhat fearful.
"Hmmm, then maybe this elf can help us earn some coin," Stanley said, briefly looking at Empath before he turned his attention to the road.
"Who are you...and what am I smurfing in here?" Empath asked.
"Don't be frightened, little elf," Simon said. "I put you in here with my pet mouse. He's actually quite nice."
Empath struggled with the bars of the cage, but he was unable to free himself. He sat in the cage, looking like he was totally lost, not knowing who he was or what he was now doing with a couple of giants and a mouse. Everything in his memory was a blank, as if he was now a person with no past. He couldn't even think of what his future will be beyond being in a cage.
Meanwhile, Century took Papa Smurf and several other Smurfs to the place along the river where Empath was last seen. They examined the area for any trace of where Empath might have gone.
"This is the spot where I last smurfed Empath, Papa Smurf," Century said as he showed the village leader the imprint in the sand where he had dragged Empath's body to.
"Why do I smurf the feeling that this should have been me?" Jokey said as he also looked in the same spot Century showed Papa Smurf.
"How could you leave Empath alone like this, you smurfless coward?" Hefty said in an angry tone.
"I may be a brave Smurf, Hefty, but I'm not stupid," Century said. "I didn't want to risk being smurfnapped along with Empath, and I wasn't going to smurf a fight with a couple of humans."
"It's no use arguing over this, my little Smurfs," Papa Smurf said. "What's important is that we find Empath before the humans know what to smurf with him."
"We could follow the wagon smurfs so we could find where those humans have smurfed to, Papa Smurf," Tracker said.
"We could smurf that, Tracker, but then night would fall, and we would have no idea which of the nearby human villages they have smurfed to," Papa Smurf said.
"I wish Polaris was out here right now, helping us find Empath," Smurfette said.
"Which makes me wonder why you would smurf that pale-faced star-smurfed freak in charge of the village, Papa Smurf," Hefty said.
"What do you smurf against him, Hefty Smurf?" Smurfette asked. "He's Empath's friend."
"He also isn't a Smurf, unless you've forgotten that he smurfed his pale-faced friends along when Empath first smurfed him to our village, Smurfette," Hefty said.
"I also wasn't a Smurf either, Hefty, and you smurfed me into the village, not knowing that I was a creation of Gargamel," Smurfette said.
"Smurf me about it, Smurfette," Hefty said. "I would have smurfed you out of here for good if it wasn't for Papa Smurf wanting to smurf you into a real Smurf."
"Anyway, my little Smurfs, we should return to the village and wait until morning when we can smurf a visit to Homnibus," Papa Smurf said. "Perhaps he can help us track down where Empath was smurfed to with his crystal ball."
"Polaris should have smurfed him by now with those powers of his, Papa Smurf," Hefty said.
"I'm hoping that would be the case as well, Hefty," Papa Smurf said. The Smurfs got onto the backs of the storks they were riding and then flew away.
At nightfall at the side of the road, Stanley and Simon had pulled over to make camp and rest. Simon was watching over the captive Smurf, seeing him glare back as if he didn't like being where he was, while Stanley was gathering wood for the fire.
"By tomorrow morning we should reach the village of Abelagot," Stanley said as he stoked the fire. "I hope for your sake that your mouse does not make us look like laughingstocks again, given that he is the only performing act we have left." He then picked up the cage that Empath and the mouse were in. "And what about you, little blue elf? You do not say anything?" He poked Empath with a stick. "Come on, show us what else you can do."
"Stop it, Stanley! Don't pester him!" Simon warned.
Then Empath grabbed the stick and poked it right back into Stanley's face. "OUCH!" he said, grabbing his nose.
"Don't ever smurf at me like that!" Empath said sternly.
Simon laughed as he saw Stanley got poked in the nose. "I guess he really showed you, didn't he?"
Stanley looked rather sour. "A rogue goblin...very promising. I just hope he might be able to perform tomorrow for our audiences before I give him something to worry about."
"I am only hoping that Devereaux doesn't find us in Abelagot, Stanley," Simon said. "If he's going to get blood from a stone, he might as well look elsewhere for it."
Stanly sighed. "If only we can make enough money to get him off our backs for good, Simon. That's all I care about."
By morning Stanley and Simon reached the city gates of Abelagot. "Halt!" the guards at the gate ordered.
"Huh? What's going on, sergeant?" Stanley asked, curious.
"We need to inspect any vehicle that enters and leaves this village," the sergeant said.
"Search my vehicle? Why?" Stanley said, sounding fearful.
"Those are my orders, and I expect you to cooperate with them," the sergeant said. He then turned to his fellow guard. "Well?"
"Nothing, sergeant," the other guard said, finishing his inspecting. "They are just entertainers."
"Very good! You may enter!" the sergeant said, as he and the other guard stepped out of the way to allow Stanley and Simon passage.
As they rode into the village, Stanley looked at his companion. "That's the first time that we were searched at the entrance of this village," he commented. "I wonder what's going on."
"Maybe they know you're a couple of thieves and they were smurfing for me," Empath said, sounding angry. "Let me smurf out of here before you smurf out for yourselves what they want."
"Spare us your spittle, gnome, until we reach the market," Stanley shot back. "In any case, I have no idea of what you are saying at all."
Soon they have reached the marketplace, where they already see various entertainers at work. They found a vacant place where they could park their wagon and set up their stage.
"I warn you, Simon, that this is the last chance with that stupid mouse of yours," Stanley said as they both got off the wagon to set up. "If he misses his number again..."
"Don't worry about a thing, Stanley...he will perform it," Simon said as he proceeded to set up the table for their stage.
After the table was set up, Stanley proceeded with his work. "Welcome, one and all, to the Stanley and Simon Traveling Show. Come and join us for an amazing spectacle." He then showed the mouse on the table who was their star performer. "This mouse that comes from a remote area is an animal like no other...he will perform right before your very eyes a few tricks that are worthy of the best entertainers. And here is the star, the most incredible mouse ever!"
"Come on...don't be afraid," Simon said gently to the mouse as he coaxed his pet toward the ball on the tiny stage. The mouse climbed on top of the ball and tried to roll the ball around the table with his feet, but he ended up falling off it.
The people gathered around the table looked like they were not impressed, which made Simon quite fearful. "Ahem...well, now he will perform a stunt of incredible high-flying acrobatics," he said, trying to keep himself from losing his audience. He then pointed toward the small seesaw that the mouse was standing on, which was next to a stack of wooden blocks. "Watch as he will leap from this platform and perform a triple jump backwards..." He pushed down on the other end of the seesaw to catapult the mouse. "...and then he will land perfectly on..."
The mouse flipped over and knocked the entire stack of blocks down, causing the audience to laugh. "This is ridiculous," one of the people in the audience said. "You call this a spectacle?"
"Charlatans! Here's to your spectacle!" another person said, throwing a ripe fruit at Stanley.
"Please! Dont..." Stanley said, trying to get his audience not to depart when he got hit in the face by the fruit. He then turned his attention to the mouse, picking him up by the tail with one hand and ready to pound him with the other. "You stupid excuse of a mouse! I'll show you..."
"Stop! Smurf him alone!" a small voice said. He saw that it was coming from Empath, who was still in the cage. "Smurf me out of here, and I'll show you how you can smurf some tricks."
Everyone now turned their attention to the little blue man in the cage. They wondered what it was and where he had come from as Simon brought the cage over to the table and let Empath out of it.
"I may not know where I smurf from, but I do know that animals like this should be smurfed kindly if you want them to smurf what they want," Empath said. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bit of cheese. "I have smurfed this when I was smurfing in the cage. Here you smurf." He then tossed the bit of cheese to the mouse, who nibbled on it happily. "And now, he's going to smurf for us a little somersault."
The mouse happily obliged by performing the somersault.
"And there you have it," Empath said, smiling. "It couldn't have smurfed any easier. So what do you smurf of that?"
The audience was left puzzled, staring at the little blue man. "What did he say?" one person asked.
"How would I know?" another person answered. "I can hardly understand him myself."
Empath could sense that the audience looked puzzled, though he had no idea how he was able to sense that. He felt that the only way he could gain their attention is to give them what they wanted. "Good smurfs of Abelagot, I'm going to smurf you such a show the smurfs of which you have never smurfed before."
And so the audience watched as Empath and the mouse performed amazing feats that would remain etched in their memories. Empath had the mouse jump through a flaming hoop, then do a somersault and land on top of his head with a seesaw, then do a tightrope act, and finally roll Empath around with his feet while lying on his back.
"Ta-dahhhh!" Empath said as he and the mouse took a bow after the final act was finished. "And there you have it, folks...one smurfy performance! Let's smurf a great round of applause!"
The audience clapped and happily threw their money into Stanley's collection bag, impressed by what they called "the little blue man" and the mouse. Meanwhile, a mysterious man with a moustache watched the whole thing from behind the crowd, unnoticed by anyone.
"I'm telling you, that little blue man is fantastic," a member of the audience said to his friend. "All those incredible feats, and he's no bigger than a mouse!"
"Maybe he could help me," the mysterious man said as he disappeared from the crowd.
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4103 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 11-08-2023 11:49 AM
Chapter 3
Back in the Smurf Village, Papa Smurf was talking to Polaris. "You couldn't sense where Empath was being smurfed to?" he asked, sounding concerned.
"This is very troubling for this one as well as it is for you, Papa Smurf," Polaris replied. "Normally, because of the telepathic bond that this one shares with Empath, this one would be able to know exactly where Empath is located. But now it is as if something has severed the bond, and this one has no idea what may be the cause."
"You star-smurfed freaks always smurf me out with these telepathic powers of yours," Hefty said. "If I ever smurfed them...and I'm not saying that I would ever want them in the first smurf...I'd make smurf that you telepaths don't smurf into my mind like it's an open book."
"It's only your emotions that we can sense freely, fellow Hefty," Polaris said. "We will not probe your thoughts unless it's something that should be discussed with the village leader in private, and unless it happens to be something that would make you a danger to the entire village."
"I hate having my thoughts probed," Grouchy said.
"You and me both, Grouchy," Hefty said. "I'd rather let the likes of Nosey and Chatty handle my dirty laundry than this pale-faced stranger."
"Anyway, that means we'll have to smurf to Homnibus now to find out where Empath is, don't we, Papa Smurf?" Brainy asked.
"I'm afraid so, Brainy," Papa Smurf said. "You, Hefty, Smurfette, and Grouchy will smurf with me. Polaris will smurf behind with Duncan as his assistant to smurf over things in the village. If Polaris finds a way to smurf Empath, he can contact me with his minds-eye."
"This one acknowledges, Papa Smurf," Polaris said, nodding with acceptance as he watched Papa Smurf and the other four Smurfs take off on Feathers to fly to Homnibus' hovel.
Meanwhile, in the village of Abelagot, Stanley was counting up the money he and Simon have collected from the show. "That little blue elf has served us well," Stanley said, his eyes wide with exciting possibilities. "A few more shows, and we'll have bought our freedom from that no-good wretch of a landlord."
"Yeah," Simon said, as he placed Empath and the mouse back into the cage. "Good riddance to that filthy peasant Vincent Deveraux!"
"I figured that I would find you here, at long last," a voice spoke up from behind Stanley. He turned around and saw that it was the man he and Simon were talking about.
"Ah, Vincent Devereaux...just the man we were looking for," Stanley said, hiding the fact of how he was talking about him.
"It's because of you deadbeats that I am reduced to a 'filthy peasant', Stanley," Vincent said. "I'm here to get what you owe me, and I have a way that you can pay me back the rest of your debt. Come with me to the pub, where we can discuss in private how we will settle the debt."
Stanley knew that Vincent wanted to talk to him alone. "You stay here and pack up the table, Simon," he said. "Devereaux and I have an important discussion."
Simon watched as Stanley and Vincent headed off down the street toward the nearest pub. "That Stanley," he groused. "It's always, 'Simon, do this', 'Simon, do that', and then he goes off with Devereaux like they were best friends whenever he shows up. It's like he doesn't even know whether he truly wants to be rid of that highway robber."
"This isn't any of my smurfness, Simon, but why do you smurf around with him if he smurfs you like that?" Empath asked.
Simon sighed as he finished up his packing and sat in front of the cage with Empath in it. "He's the only one who never makes fun of me just because I'm small," he said. "We always seem to work well together...he handles the business and I handle the performances. I'm quite good with animals...well, mostly with this mouse. He's the only one that I feel close to, maybe because he knows what it's like to be small." That got Simon thinking. "Doesn't it bother you to be a small blue elf?"
"I don't know who I am at all," Empath said. "From where I smurf, everything is big. It's like I'm smurfing in the land of giants."
"That word you use, 'smurf'...what exactly does it mean?" Simon asked. "Is that who and what you are?"
"Your guess is as smurf as mine, Simon," Empath said. "If that's who and what I am, then that's what you can call me."
"Well, Smurf, you seem to be incredibly talented for a small person like yourself," Simon said. "I wonder if there are others like you who have that talent."
"I have no memory of where I smurfed from, Simon," Empath said. "But I do know how to perform various smurfs of acrobatic skill. And I also know how to treat animals."
"I bet your people are the same way, wherever it is you came from," Simon said. And then he noticed Stanley returning, rubbing his hands together and looking very happy. "Well? What does Devereaux want with us?"
Stanley picked up the cage and looked at Empath. "Little blue elf, you're going to help us out with a little problem."
Papa Smurf and the four Smurfs that came with him on Feathers are at Homnibus' hovel, searching around for any sign of the human enchanter. But they couldn't see anything within or around the hovel.
"There's no smurf of Homnibus anywhere, Papa Smurf," Smurfette said. "Even his servant Oliver is gone."
Papa Smurf sighed. "Then it smurfs like we're going to have to smurf this the hard way. There's only two possible locations that are near the Smurf Forest: Villers and Abelagot. We will smurf Villers first and see if we can smurf a trace of Empath in that location."
"You sure it's wise for us to be smurfing around in a human village looking for Empath, Papa Smurf?" Brainy asked, sounding a bit scared.
"What's the matter, Brainy?" Hefty asked. "Scared of smurfing around in the land of giants?"
"Me, the great Brainy Smurf, scared?" Brainy replied. "Why would I be afraid to venture into a world where everything's taller than I am? It's not like we're going to be trampled to smurf, or worse!"
"I hate smurfing in the human world, Papa Smurf," Grouchy said.
"I don't blame any of you for how you feel," Papa Smurf said. "But right now we have to risk smurfing ourselves in their world in order to find Empath and smurf him back to our world."
"I'm willing to smurf the risk, Papa Smurf," Smurfette said.
"I don't like Empath, but I'm not letting him be smurfed away from us by any human," Hefty said.
"I hate losing Empath," Grouchy said.
Brainy gulped. "Well, I can see that you have all the help that you need, Papa Smurf. So I'm going to smurf the sensible thing and smurf straight back to the village..."
"You're smurfing with us, Brainy," Hefty said, as he grabbed Brainy.
At night, in an alleyway in Abelagot, Simon and Stanley met Vincent Devereaux hiding within a doorway, waiting for them. They were told to bring the "little blue elf" and the mouse along, but were given little else besides that. Simon didn't like the looks of what was going to happen.
"Let me show you where we need to go," Devereaux said. He then took them to the outside of a house, where they hid in the shadows. "This house belongs to a rich bourgeois," he explained. "We will begin our work here, so let's review the plan. The elf will go inside the house, identify the valuables, and take them, and we will respectfully wait outside for his return. A child's play."
"WHAT?!?" Empath shouted. "You want to use me to smurf things from honest people? Not on your smurf!"
"The little Smurf is right, Stanley," Simon said. "We're entertainers, not robbers."
"Don't be so self-righteous, Simon," Stanley said. "Think about it! If we help get Devereaux what he wants, when we can settle our debts with him and get him off our backs for good. This is an opportunity worth our consideration."
"Keep your voices down! You'll alert the milita!" Devereaux warned, watching around the corner for them.
"Anyway, you can smurf this without me, and that's final," Empath said.
"So the elf won't go willingly, eh?" Devereaux said. "Then maybe this will encourage him!" He pulled out his knife and then reached into the cage, grabbing the mouse. Simon became fearful when Devereaux held the blade of the knife close to the mouse's throat. "Listen to me, little elf! If you value the life of your little companion, you will do as you are told!"
Empath sensed the fear that came from the mouse. Somehow he felt that he had to put the life of the mouse ahead of his own needs. "Smurf me how I will get inside, and I will smurf it," he said.
Soon they looked around and found a mouse hole big enough for Empath to enter the house through. "Remember that the life of your friend is in my hands, elf," Devereaux said just as Empath entered. "If you want to see him alive, do not forget to come back. If you escape...squeak!" He showed the blade at the mouse's throat to make sure he got the point across. Then he jabbed Empath in the butt with the point of the knife. "Now get going! Hurry up and bring us all that you can find that has value!"
Empath didn't like being poked in the butt with any sharp object. He felt like he wanted to run away, but he knew that Devereaux was threatening him with the mouse's life, and besides he had no idea where he could run off to. It was as if this was the intended course for his life, and he had to live it no matter what.
Empath went through the passage of the mouse hole and found himself in the main room of the house. Smurfs of value, smurfs of value, Empath thought. What could smurf in this house that actually has value?
He crept quietly across the room until he came to a giant door that was barely ajar. He pushed the door so he could slip into the next room and saw that he was now in the kitchen. Something about the kitchen reminded Empath of somewhere else, if only he knew what.
Then he sensed that something was sneaking up behind him. He turned around around and saw that it was a cat, who thought that he was a blue mouse. He gulped. "Now this isn't what I was expecting," he said fearfully, as he slowly backed away.
The cat swiped at Empath with a paw, which made Empath run. He chased the Smurf around the kitchen until he came to a cabinet, where the cat jumped straight toward him. "I'm going to be smurfed for sure," he said, as he ducked for cover.
The cat hit his head on the cabinet, shaking it enough to cause a small pot to fall from the top of the cabinet right onto the cat's head, knocking him out cold.
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types," Empath commented, who then wondered where such a comment came from. "Well, at the very least, he's off my smurf." He hopped onto the top of a table to see what he could find in this room that had any value. And then he saw it. "Great Ancestors!"
Outside the house, Stanley, Simon, and Devereaux were getting impatient, waiting for the "little blue elf's" return. Simon put his ear to the wall to see if he could hear anything. And then: "Here he is! He came back!"
Empath emerged, carrying a bunch of leaves. "Look what I have smurfed!"
"What is THIS?" Devereaux asked, taking the leaves from Empath's hand.
"It's sarsaparilla, Devereaux," Empath answered. "It's food that my...uh, that I eat. It's really smurfy."
"You stupid dwarf!" Devereaux shouted, crushing the leaves. "We did not ask for leaves! What we want you to bring back is money and gold!"
"Money and gold?" Empath asked, chewing on a sarsaparilla leaf he still had. "You should have smurfed that's what you wanted in the first place...not that I really smurf much need for it anyway!"
"Get back inside and make it quick!" Devereaux said, jabbing Empath with the knife point again. "We must get out of here before the militia discovers us!"
Simon, who tried out a sarsaparilla leaf, felt like he was going to vomit. He buried his face in the bushes while Empath went back inside the house again.
Later, at Vincent Devereaux's hideout where Stanley and Simon also went, he examined the items that Empath had carried out of the house. "Ten gold pieces," he grumbled, throwing the coins onto a table. "This is pitiful."
"Coins are not easy for me to smurf out of the house," Empath said. "And given that I smurf small pockets, the only thing I could find that would smurf in it was a shiny pebble."
"A shiny pebble?!" Devereaux exclaimed. "Show me!"
Empath dug into his pocket and pulled out the pebble, which Devereaux examined closely. "It's a diamond! Of course! Jewelry, precious stones...they don't carry much weight, and yet they're worth a lot of money! That should be enough to pay off the debt, shouldn't it, my friends?"
"So that's how we're settling the debt?" Simon asked while he was watching over Empath and the mouse. "By stealing jewelry?"
"But how many houses will we need to go through to get what we need?" Stanley asked, not paying attention to Simon's indignation.
"I will let you know when the time comes," Devereaux said before he turned his attention to Empath. "Now, elf, remember this: from now on, I want you to only take things like this diamond, you hear? And don't think of escaping this place...not that you have anywhere you can go from here!"
Stanley took the cage that Empath and the mouse were held in and hung it from the ceiling with a chain attached to some ropes. As the three humans went to sleep, Empath sat in his cage thinking. He felt a deep gnawing within him that what he was doing was wrong, that this wasn't what he was supposed to do. But he couldn't remember anything about his life that would make him wonder where such a feeling came from.
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4103 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 11-08-2023 11:52 AM
Chapter 4
Papa Smurf and the four other Smurfs that were with him arrived in the village of Villers around nightfall. He decided that they should spend the night resting in a nearby barn and then begin their search for Empath the first thing in the morning. Smurfette didn't like sleeping on hay because it made her hair all full of hay when she awakened, but she had to take whatever creature comfort was being offered like her fellow Smurfs. Besides that, finding Empath was on her mind more than worrying about how her hair looked in the morning after sleeping on hay.
The night passed by without incident. Then came morning, when the Smurfs awakened to the rooster crowing. Brainy was the first to rise from his sleep when he noticed that the cow was starting to feed on the hay...and the cow was ready to feed on Grouchy!
"Grouchy! Wake up!" Brainy shouted.
But Grouchy woke up only to find himself being chewed on along with a mouthful of hay by the cow. "Help! Papa Smurf!"
Papa Smurf and the others immediately rose to their feet. "Quick, my little Smurfs! Shout or smurf something to scare away the cow!" Papa Smurf said.
Hefty, Brainy, and Smurfette did their best to distract the cow by making a lot of scary noises. Papa Smurf in the meanwhile used his strength to pull a rake out of the pile of hay and tilted it so that it would strike the cow. The cow mooed as she dropped Grouchy to the ground and ran off to another part of the barn.
"Grouchy, are you all right?" Smurfette asked.
"Uh...I hate being smurfed on by a cow," Grouchy muttered.
Just then, a farmer came into the barn. "Sweet mother of God, dear Margaret. What's gotten into you?" He looked around the barn to see what caused the cow's behavior, not noticing the Smurfs crossing behind him to reach the door. "It's probably some vermin roaming around."
The Smurfs made it out of the barn without being noticed. Then they ducked behind a barrel near a corner. They looked and saw that the streets were filling with people eager to start their day and tend their business.
"This smurfs me an idea," Papa Smurf said. "Usually around this time at the market, people always smurf the latest gossip. Whether Empath is in this city or not, this is where we will learn. We will smurf among the humans and listen carefully to what they say. So be careful and try to smurf hidden from them. We will smurf together here at this barrel around noon. Good luck."
And so the five Smurfs separated and traveled around the market, trying to keep themselves out of sight, and yet close enough to listen to the humans with their various discussions. Smurfette, however, found herself listening to what the ladies had to say, although she felt like it was distracting her. At some points, however, Papa Smurf had to come to a Smurf's rescue whenever they were in the path of a human doing some important task like rolling a barrel.
Finally, around noon, the five Smurfs reconvened around the barrel near the corner. "So have any of you smurfed something that was of interest in helping us find Empath?" Papa Smurf asked.
"Not a thing, Papa Smurf," Hefty said.
"If Empath's smurfing somewhere in this village, which I have a distinct feeling that he isn't, nobody's smurfing a word about it," Brainy said.
"I hate smurfing nothing about Empath," Grouchy said.
"So what do we smurf now, Papa Smurf?" Smurfette asked.
Before Papa Smurf could answer, a wagon pulled alongside a window near their location. "Do you happen to know the directions to the village of Abelagot?" the driver of the wagon asked the person in the window.
"For Abelagot, you turn north at the crossroads where you see the three crosses," the man in the window said. "Then you veer east, and that should take you straight there."
"We may be in luck, my little Smurfs," Papa Smurf said. "This cart is smurfing towards Abelagot. Let's smurf aboard before it takes off."
The four Smurfs followed Papa Smurf as they raced toward the wagon while it was moving and hopped into the back. Four of the Smurfs made it without a problem. Smurfette, however, barely made it and was hanging onto the sideboard for dear life. "Help!" she cried out.
"Don't worry, Smurfette, I've got you," Hefty said, pulling her into the cart.
Smurfette sighed with relief. "Thanks, Hefty. I knew I could smurf on you."
"We'll find Empath, Smurfette," Hefty said, trying to encourage her. "He couldn't have been smurfed very far from us."
At night in Abelagot, Vincent Devereaux was preparing a new expedition in his hideout. "Tonight we go after the herbalist," he said. "At the pub this afternoon, I have learned where he hid the jewels!"
"Our little blue friend here is going to look rather conspicuous, Devereaux," Stanley noted.
"Exactly what I was going to bring up," Devereaux said. "He needs to slip in and out of houses without being readily seen, or drawing any attention to us. Have you finished the outfit that the elf is going to wear, Simon?"
"Here it is," Simon said, showing him a Smurf-sized black bodysuit that he stitched together along with a mask. "It's ready for him to wear."
"Good," Devereaux said, sounding a bit pleased. He then took the bodysuit and mask and gave it to Empath. "These are going to be your clothes from now on, elf. I would suggest that you put them on immediately."
Empath looked at the clothes in wonder. "So this is what I'm going to be...a Bandit Smurf. All right, then, I will be your Bandit Smurf, and that's what you can smurf me from now on."
"So what are you waiting for?" Stanley asked, sounding a bit impatient as Empath didn't make a move to change his clothes.
"For you three to smurf around," Empath answered. "I'm not smurfing on these clothes with you watching me like some pervert."
Stanley and Devereaux sighed as they both turned around along with Simon, giving Empath some privacy. "Perhaps you should also remove the hat," Devereaux suggested.
"Oh no!" Empath shouted. "This hat smurfs on no matter what! You want to smurf my hat, I'll smurf my hand on it!"
"Fine, fine, just hurry up!" Devereaux said.
Soon Empath was all ready in his new clothes and his new identity as the Bandit Smurf. The three humans took Empath to the home of the herbalist, where they found a small enough place for him to enter.
"Take this bag," Stanley said, giving Empath the item. "You can carry more jewelry at a time with it!"
"And I don't need to remind you that the life of your friend is in our hands," Devereaux said, showing Empath the mouse and the knife he intends to use.
Empath didn't like having the life of a mouse being threatened by anyone. But he had a job to do and he was going to do it no matter what. He sneaked into the house through a crack in the wall and looked around. "He smurfed that it was in a box on a beam above the bed." He went through the house until he entered the bedroom, and then he saw a faint glimpse of the box itself, just where Devereaux said it would be. He hopped across the tops of some furniture until he reached the beam where he saw the box.
But then Empath saw something on the box. "Smurf it all, it's locked! Looks like I'm going to need something to smurf this thing open." He looked around on the beam and then saw a bent nail. "Maybe this will help." He stuck the nail into the lock and carefully worked his way into it so that the lock opened. He then opened the box and looked at all the jewels contained inside. "Smurfect!"
He quickly filled the bag with as much jewels as he could carry through the crack in the wall and then closed the box back up. But somehow he felt as if he needed to leave a calling card of some sort behind. He took a few jewels out of the bag and left them in plain sight next to the box. Then he found a piece of paper and a bit of coal that could serve for a pencil and left a note. He didn't know why he cared to leave something like this behind, but he felt that he couldn't leave without doing so.
He then hopped back down to the door of the bedroom and left it. On his way out, though, he saw some ingredients on a shelf that he recognized from somewhere. "Sulfur...coal...and all the ingredients one could use to smurf an explosion," he muttered. And then Empath had an idea.
"I see that he has returned," Stanley said as he was watching Empath heading toward the crack in the wall outside the house, "and that his bag is full."
Empath gave the bigger bag to Devereaux to inspect what was inside it. "Sapphire rings...diamond brooches...and strings of pearls," he said. "How marvelous! You did a fine work!"
"Thank you, Master Devereaux," Empath said. "And as a token of my appreciation, I have smurfed a special bag that is just for you."
Devereaux noted the smaller bag. "For me? How kind of you!" He opened up the bag, only to find himself the victim of a small explosion.
"A little surprise trick that I smurfed up from somewhere," Empath said, laughing. Simon also laughed as well.
This made Devereaux quite angry. "CURSED LITTLE ELF! This time I'll..."
"LOOK OUT! It's the milita! Hide!" Stanley warned as he heard and saw something around the corner.
The four of them kept close to the walls and very quiet as they allowed the militia to pass by the street without incident. Devereaux held Empath up to his face and pointed the knife right at him, warning him to be quiet or he will cut his throat.
After the militia passed by, Stanley let out a sigh of relief. "Things are getting pretty hot around here. The guards have been all over the city in recent times."
"It's been that way since the son of Lord Caravellan is gone," Devereaux explained. "He sent his guard to search all over the country and offers a reward to the one who finds him."
"So that's the reason we've been searched by the militia when he arrived in town, Simon," Stanley said.
"If only I knew where to find this child," Devereaux said, shaking his fist as they departed from the herbalist's house. "I would capture him and demand Lord Caravellan's treasure as a ransom."
"And then we would be clear of our debt to you, eh, Devereaux?" Simon asked, curious.
Devereaux snorted. "You have a long way to go before I considered it paid in full. Let's go."
By morning, the herbalist came out of his house in a panic. "A THIEF! MY JEWELS!" he shouted, gaining the attention of several passersby who were curious to know what happened. "I'm very sure that I had everything carefully sealed! Only a mouse would be able to slip inside! And besides, look..." He produced a small piece of paper. "The thief even left a message, though I can't understand a word he said."
"You hear that? A mouse that can write messages!" one of the listeners said, laughing.
"What a joke," another said snickering. And the crowd all walked away, leaving the herbalist stunned that nobody believed him.
But over time, other people reported the same thing: jewelry that got mysteriously stolen, a note that was left behind written in a language nobody could understand. The one thing that was constant in all this was the identity of this supposed thief was the same. He referred to himself as The Bandit Smurf.
Back in the village, Polaris was watching over things in Papa Smurf's stead, monitoring everything that was going on and trying to maintain order while everyone was worrying about Empath and whether he was going to be found. Even Polaris was in disquiet as he was trying to use his meditation times to see if he could sense where Empath may be beyond the Smurf Forest.
And then he saw flashes of images in his head during one of his meditations. Notes that were left behind. A child that was being held prisoner. A duke's castle. All of them seemed to point to only one person: Empath. Suddenly he knew just where he needed to go.
He headed for Tapper's Tavern where he knew Duncan McSmurf was located, talking to the village bartender and the village warrior in their off-hours. "Great Smurfiny Crickets, my good Polaris. What seems to be smurfing on your mind?" Tapper asked.
"This one has discovered the location of Empath Smurf, and this one must travel to that location in order to help him and the other Smurfs," Polaris explained.
"Hold on there, laddie," Duncan said. "Didn't Papa Smurf say you should smurf him through that minds-eye of yours if you smurf an inkling of where Empath may be smurfing?"
"That was his orders, Duncan," Polaris answered. "However, this one senses things that will be happening that may require this one's attention, as if this one was drawn to these events. It would not be wise for this one to simply ignore these visions and 'hope only for the best', as you Smurfs are fond of saying."
"If you know me, Polaris, I never smurf any visions of future events too lightly," Tapper said. "If these things also concern our good friend Empath, then the best course of action for you would be to smurf heed of these visions before it's too late to smurf anything about them."
"Then that would mean leaving another Smurf in charge of things while this one attends to these visions," Polaris realized.
"You go and smurf the boy back alive, Polaris," Duncan said. "The village will smurf in good hands with us minding the smurf while you're gone."
"May the luck of the Smurfish be with you and Empath, Polaris," Tapper said.
Polaris nodded. "This one acknowledges."
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4103 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 11-08-2023 11:55 AM
Chapter 5
Meanwhile, at that particular moment when Polaris had the visions, Brainy and Hefty were hiding out inside a human tavern in Abelagot, listening to the talk that was going on.
"This Bandit Slurf paid you a visit?" one of the customers asked.
"Yeah, he has taken it all," another customer responded. "And he left behind this note that I can't make out what he's saying. 'My apologies...of the slurfmost'...darn, I cannot understand that word! 'I'm slurfing this for the slurf of the mouse! If you want to slurf me, please slurf Papa Slurf!' Who do you think this Papa Slurf is?"
"I don't know," the first customer said. "Maybe he's the ringleader and has a bunch of these little Slurfs doing his dirty work."
"Sounds like he's been kidnapped," the second customer said. "I hope somebody finds his papa soon."
Brainy and Hefty looked at each other, as if they have found their clue at last. They quietly made their way to under one of the tables where Papa Smurf, Smurfette, and Grouchy were waiting.
"Papa Smurf, we've just heard these humans smurf about this Bandit Smurf who's been smurfing around the village," Hefty said.
"I know, Hefty," Papa Smurf said. "Everyone here seems to be smurfing about it."
"We also discovered that there's some travelers who smurfed into this village with an act that they called The Little Blue Man," Smurfette said.
"Great Smurfness! You think that they are both Empath?" Brainy asked.
"I have no reason to doubt it, Brainy," Papa Smurf said. "We must find those entertainers. They're our best chance for finding Empath."
That night in the village, Devereaux, Simon, and Stanley were beginning another heist in a new location.
"The usurer is a tavern operator," Devereaux explained as the three humans stood by a barred window that Empath was supposed to enter through. "We will take the opportunity to strip him of some jewelry. According to my information, he keeps it hidden in a cupboard in the attic. Try to bring as much as possible, because this house is the last we will visit in this city. It's becoming too dangerous."
"I understand, Master Devereaux," Empath said, nodding with acceptance.
"Hey! Psst...Stanley! Look over there!" Simon blurted out.
Stanley looked around the corner to what Simon was seeing. "It's the usurer! He's coming home!"
"Quick! Get that elf back!" Devereaux whispered, trying not to draw any attention to the group.
"Too late!" Stanley said, whispering. "He's in the middle of the room!"
Simon shushed the other two as he watched the usurer enter the building with an older bearded gentleman. At this point, the only thing they could do is hope that the Bandit Smurf doesn't get caught.
Meanwhile, inside the tavern, Empath was trying to do his job when he heard the two humans approaching the room he was in. "With the thief roaming the village, there are even more patrols!"
"Great Ancestors!" Empath muttered to himself. There was no time for him to wonder where that expression came from, though. He quickly slipped through another door and hid himself in the next room.
The usurer and the older man entered. "Huh? What is that?" the usurer asked, noticing something on the floor. He picked up the object and examined it. "It looks like a tiny sack."
"Hmmm, very strange," the older man stroked his beard in wonder.
"Aah, it's probably nothing for us to worry about," the usurer said. "Come, let me pour you a glass of spirits before we proceed to serious matters."
Empath exhaled in relief when he heard the two men going off into another room. He could see that he was now in the cellar of the tavern, and that since this heist was going to be ruined, he might as well find another way of escape before he was spotted. He hopped down the stairs to look for another exit, only to find that the entire cellar has been sealed off, even the windows. There was no way for him to escape.
"Hey! Who are you!" a young child's voice cried out. Empath turned and saw that it was a human held prisoner behind a cell, looking a bit ragged and dirty. He quickly ran for cover. "No, wait! I don't mean you any harm! Come back!"
Empath peered out of the corner. He somehow sensed that the boy was sad and lonely. He also felt as if he could empathize with whatever the boy was going through.
"Please, I don't want to be left alone," the boy sobbed.
"It's probably not my business, but why are you smurfed up like this?" Empath asked as he came out of cover to talk to the boy. "You've been naughty?"
"Not at all!" the boy said a bit defensively. "My name is Geoffrey, and I am the son of Lord Caravellan, the duke of this country. I was abducted by the moneylender and his accomplice, the traitor Ganelon, who poses as the friend of my father."
"You were smurfnapped?" Empath said, realizing that sounded somewhat like what had happened to him. He hopped onto the bars of the cell. "I don't know what smurfened to me, let alone who I am or where I smurfed from, but I was smurfed by some humans, and now I'm the Bandit Smurf who must smurf into homes to smurf jewelry, all for the sake of smurfing alive a little mouse."
"Huh? What are you saying? I cannot understand you," Geoffrey said, sounding confused.
Empath somehow sensed that nothing he said made any sense to the boy. "Hold on...I'm going to smurf a way out for you." He hopped down from the bars of the cells and looked around until he found an old bent nail. "Smurfect! This should be able to smurf the lock!"
"Look out! They're coming!" Geoffrey cried out.
Empath hid under the stairs and watched as the usurer and the old man entered the cellar. "What's going on? Who were you talking to?" the usurer asked the boy.
"Uh...nobody, sir! I wasn't talking!" Geoffrey fearfully answered.
"You were probably trying to call for help again," the old man said. "Be careful if you don't want to taste the whip! Anyway, you should know by now that nobody can hear you...all the openings in this cellar have been sealed off. The only thing that can hear you now are the mice."
"If it takes a mouse to deliver my message, Ganelon, then so be it," Geoffrey said. "As for you, traitor, when my father hears of your deceit, he will shut you up in the deepest dungeons, or you will be eaten by rats!"
Ganelon bellowed in laughter at the boy's threat. "Don't worry about me, boy! Before your father learns anything, I'll be miles away from here, with the ransom!"
Empath took this opportunity to hop back upstairs without being seen and exit the tavern through the same window, where the other three humans were waiting for him.
"Well, there you are," Stanley said, relieved to see the Bandit Smurf again. "We really thought that you have been caught."
"Let's not stay here," Devereaux said, making a motion that they should leave.
"What's going on?" Stanley asked. "What's with all this turning around?"
"I don't know," Devereaux answered. "I have the uneasy feeling we're being followed. Tomorrow, we're leaving Abelagot, because the people are too suspicious."
What Devereaux saw in the shadows was Polaris, who arrived at the scene while they were waiting for Empath to leave the tavern. Fortunately for him, the only thing Devereaux saw was his silhouette, which made it hard for him to identify who or what he was. As the three humans were leaving, he was then joined by Papa Smurf and the other four Smurfs.
"Polaris, what are you smurfing here?" Papa Smurf asked.
"This one sensed that Empath was taken to this village, and that there are some things going on in this location that Empath will become a part of, Papa Smurf," Polaris answered. "These humans apparently have Empath in their custody."
"Papa Smurf, they're getting away," Brainy noticed.
"You can smurf us in about the things you have smurfed, Polaris," Papa Smurf said. "For now, though, we must follow those humans and find out where they're smurfing."
Later on, in Devereaux's hideout while everyone was asleep, Empath was sitting in a meditative pose, trying to quiet his mind so he could remember things about his life. So far he realized that he was a person of empathy, who seemed to care more about other people than he did himself. He felt as if he wanted that boy to escape his prison, as if he himself had also been in the same situation.
"Salutations, fellow Empath," a voice from outside the cage said. "You are my friend and you are my Smurf brother."
Empath opened his eyes and saw Polaris Psyche outside the cage. "Who are you?" he demanded. "And what are you doing here?"
"We only came to smurf you out of here, Empath," another voice said, which was Hefty who was opening the lock of the cage.
Then Empath saw Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Brainy, and Grouchy appear. "Empath, we were so worried that we wouldn't smurf you again," Smurfette said.
"Don't call me that," Empath said. "I have a name, and the name is Bandit Smurf."
"Empath, it's your Papa Smurf," Papa Smurf said. "Don't you recognize me? Or any of the other Smurfs here?"
Empath looked at them and then shook his head. "I don't remember smurfing any of you at all."
"Polaris, what's happened to him?" Smurfette asked, sounding worried.
Polaris briefly scanned Empath's mind. "It appears that he is suffering from amnesia, Smurfette. This form seems to have triggered an alternate personality that is causing him to behave differently."
"An alternate personality?" Brainy said.
"He believes that he is the Bandit Smurf, Brainy," Polaris said. "What Empath remembers before this personality took over has been blocked out. There's still traces of his original personality that appear in his current one, so there's a chance that we could restore that personality."
"But how long is that going to smurf?" Grouchy asked.
Polaris sighed. "This one does not know, Grouchy. However, this one would not suggest attempting the revival of that personality while we are in this place."
"I would agree, Polaris," Papa Smurf said. "Empath, we need to smurf you out of here quickly."
"I'm not smurfing anywhere, Papa Smurf," Empath said. "I'm smurfing right here with my friends, as Master Devereaux's assistant."
"YOU'RE SMURFING HERE?!?" the other four Smurfs said in unison.
"That's right! And you'll soon be joining him!" another voice said. It was Devereaux, who was awakened from his sleep by the sound of the Smurfs trying to free Empath. He quickly grabbed the five Smurfs on the table and stuffed them into a bag.
"Polaris! Smurf out of here quickly!" Papa Smurf cried out.
Devereaux tried to grab Polaris, but he was too fast as he flew out of the evil man's reach and hid himself in a place where he couldn't be found.
"Curses!" Devereaux shouted, not liking that one of the "elves" have gotten away.
"Devereaux, what's going on?" Stanley asked as he and Simon were awakened from their sleep by the commotion in the main room.
Devereaux snickered as he held up the sack containing the Smurfs. "We've got some visitors that have now become permanent residents."
By the following day, all six Smurfs were placed in a bigger cage that Stanley had built. Polaris, meanwhile, was still hidden, watching as the three humans convened in the main room with the captured Smurfs, with Devereaux looking out the window in contemplation.
"We don't mean to bother you, Devereaux," Stanley said, "but me and my partner have been wondering if our account has been settled with you. With all these heists we've been pulling with this Bandit Smurf, surely we must have acquired enough to satisfy you."
"Not yet," Devereaux said.
"NOT YET?!?" Stanley and Simon said together.
"What else do we need to do to make sure that our debt is paid in full?" Simon asked, sounding worried.
"There is one more job that I will require of your services," Devereaux said, "and with the elves we have captured, I think they should be enough for us to accomplish the task."
"I thought you wanted us to leave town so that we won't draw any suspicion upon ourselves," Stanley said.
"That was last night," Devereaux said. "But as I was lying on my bed, I was thinking of getting my hands on the greatest treasure in all the land, which will not only settle our debt, but will also make us rich. And there's only one place that I know of that has that treasure."
He showed Stanley and Simon what he was looking at through the window. Stanley gulped when he saw it and realized that was where Devereaux wanted to go. "You mean...Lord Caravellan's castle?!?"
"Exactly that place," Devereaux said. "Lord Caravellan and I used to be close friends long ago. I'm sure he wouldn't mind an old friend paying him a visit, and even at such a time of grief as this."
"Oh dear," Smurfette said, as the Smurfs also looked at the castle. "How are we going to smurf ourselves and Empath out of this, Papa Smurf?"
"I don't know, Smurfette," Papa Smurf said. "At least Polaris hasn't been captured. He can follow us wherever we smurf and be of some assistance. Right now we need to smurf along with these humans and see exactly what they want us to smurf when we get there."
"I only hope we can smurf Empath's memory back," Hefty said. "I liked him better than this Bandit Smurf he's become."
"I hate the Bandit Smurf," Grouchy said.
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4103 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 11-08-2023 12:00 PM
Chapter 6
Soon Vincent Devereaux was riding a horse to the castle gates of Lord Caravellan's estate, with Stanley and Simon following behind them in their wagon. The six Smurfs were hidden away in the wagon, still locked up in the cage with Empath having no memory of who he really was except for being the Bandit Smurf. Polaris Psyche followed after them, flying high over the small caravan so that he would not be noticed.
A guard greeted them at the gate. "Halt! What do you want?" he asked.
"We're entertainers who have come to offer our services to Lord Caravellan," Devereaux explained, gesturing to his companions in the wagon behind him. "Our show would surely be pleasant."
"Impossible!" the guard said, holding the blade and tip of his halberd toward Devereaux. "You are not allowed to disturb Sir Duke! He has other things to do than to watch your antics! No, go away!"
Just as Devereaux was about to protest, another man emerged from the gate. "Guard! Who are these people?"
"They claim to be entertainers, Sir Seneschal," the guard said. "I was going to drive them away."
"A moment," the seneschal said, as he recognized who the guard was dealing with. "Vincent Devereaux? I didn't think I would see your face again at my lord's gates. What brings you here again?"
"As I was telling the guard, we are entertainers who have come to offer our services to Lord Caravellan. I'm sure he would approve, as would you if you care to look at the kind of entertainment we are offering," Devereaux said.
He led the seneschal to the back of the wagon to see what was under the draped cloth. "By the beard of the King...they are certainly funny! Where did you come across those things?"
The seneschal then told the guard to step aside and allow Devereaux and his companions entrance to the castle.
"You have to forgive us, Devereaux, for the Duke has been deeply concerned since the disappearance of his son," the seneschal said, leading him as well as Stanley and Simon to the stables. "He has not heard much about you since the two of you parted ways years ago."
"I hope to provide much comfort for his loss, regarding the circumstances," Devereaux said.
"Tonight you will surely change his mind with your show," the seneschal said. "Come."
After Devereaux and his companions got settled in, they had Brainy, Hefty, Grouchy, and Smurfette change into performance clothes that Simon had made. Grouchy didn't like appearing in a jester's outfit while the other three wore acrobat jumpsuits.
"Oh, cheer up, Grouchy," Smurfette said. "It's not like we're going to smurf like this forever, are we?"
"I hate smurfing like this at all," Grouchy muttered.
"I hope you have a plan for smurfing us out of this, Papa Smurf," Brainy said.
"I'm working on it, Brainy," Papa Smurf said. "I only hope Polaris Psyche has found a way to smurf into the castle without being seen."
"It's pretty hard to leave if Empath is not going to smurf with us, Papa Smurf," Hefty said.
"Then our best hope is to find a way to separate Devereaux and his companions away from Empath," Papa Smurf said. "That way he will smurf for himself that staying with them is not the best choice."
Just then Devereaux came into the room. "So are they not pretty, your new costumes? And try to be convincing, because we have to stay several days to locate the treasure room. Just to make sure of your loyalty, I will not take the mouse as hostage this time...but one of you!"
Devereaux suddenly grabbed Papa Smurf off the table.
"You dirty son of a smurf!" Hefty shouted.
"Leave Papa Smurf out of this!" Smurfette yelled.
Devereaux laughed. "So I'm sure that he will not give you the urge to betray me, won't you, my dears?" he said to the captive Smurfs.
Just then, a guard peered into the room through a curtain. "Get ready, entertainers. It's almost time to do your antics."
And soon Devereaux appeared alone in the dining hall before Lord Caravellan and his assembled court, bowing respectfully. "Sir Duke, noble ladies and gentlemen, you will attend an unprecedented entertainment, never before reported, even at the court of the King..."
"They are the ones of which I speak, Sir," the seneschal whispered to Lord Caravellan, who looked sideways at him.
"Here, from a magical land, are the creatures that you never before knew existed," Devereaux continued. "Here tonight are...THE SMURFS!"
And with a theatrical gesture, the five Smurfs came out from the room behind the curtain. "All right, fellow Smurfs, let's smurf out there and try to smurf on a good show," Hefty said.
"I hate trying to smurf on a good show," Grouchy mumbled.
"Good evening, Sir Duke," Hefty introduced himself as he and his fellow Smurfs leaped onto the dining table. "They call me Hefty Smurf because I'm the strongest Smurf there is. We smurf you well because the show is about to begin." He held his arms straight out to the sides. "Okay, Bandit and Brainy, smurf on my hands."
Brainy and Empath leaped onto Handy's hands, with Empath maintaining perfect balance and Brainy struggling to stay balanced.
"Okay, Smurfette, now it's your turn," Hefty said.
Smurfette swallowed hard as she never performed a flying leap before. She made a running start, then she did a few flips, which on the last she ended up catapulting herself like Clumsy doing the same trick. She feared that she was going to make the other Smurfs collapse. Just then, Empath's telekinetic abilities have activated, causing her to land perfectly with her feet in the air, and Brainy and Empath holding her hands.
"Impressive," Lord Caravellan said as his fellow court members clapped at the execution.
Grouchy climbed onto the table just as the four other Smurfs started their juggling acts, with Hefty and Empath juggling bowling pins with each other, and Smurfette and Brainy doing solo performances with balls. "I hate juggling acts," Grouchy said.
"Come on, Grouchy, try to smurf into the act like the rest of us," Hefty said.
"Do it for Papa Smurf," Smurfette encouraged.
Grouchy sighed. "All right, I'll smurf my best." He went over to the beareded old man sitting next to Lord Caravellan. "Say, did you smurf about the Smurf who took another Smurf's pants while he was unsmurfed? They smurfed that there was a blue moon!"
As Grouchy kept the old man entertained with his jokes (most of them actually borrowed from Jokey), Empath took a sideways glance at him. He recognized him as the man that the child in the cellar called Ganelon, the one responsible for kidnapping Lord Caravellan's son. He felt as if he should have told somebody about him.
Soon the show was over, and Lord Caravellan was in high spirits as he and his court members gave a round of applause. "Bravo! How wonderful this show is!" Caravellan said.
"Thank you, my lords," Devereaux said, taking a bow. "This will conclude our show for tonight."
As soon as everybody else left the dining hall, Caravellan had a private chat with Devereaux. "I have not seen you in my court for ages. I heard that things did not go well for you and your tenants, and that you have money problems now."
"It's a minor setback, my lord," Devereaux said. "I'm now in the entertaining business."
"I see," Caravellan said. "With these fascinating creatures you've brought, I'm sure you'll manage to regain your lost fortunes in no time."
"If you are pleased, I would ask for your hospitality so that my performers can show the second part tomorrow," Devereaux said.
"By all means," Caravellan said as he showed Devereaux to a guest room. "Take advantage of my hospitality as you enjoy your stay here. But tell me, Devereaux, wherever did you find these creatures?"
"It's a little trade secret, my lord," Devereaux said.
Later, with the Smurfs back in their regular clothes except for Empath, they were put back into their cage and moved into the guest room. Papa Smurf noticed that Empath had a look like something was on his mind and didn't know whether he should tell him. "What is it, Empath?" he asked.
Empath sighed. "It's probably not anyone's smurfness here, but there is a man here that I have smurfed in the cellar of the usurer who has smurfnapped Lord Caravellan's son Geoffrey. That man is named Ganelon."
"That bearded gentleman at the table that Grouchy was smurfing his jokes to?" Brainy asked.
"That same one," Empath said. "He's smurfing the boy hostage in order to smurf a ransom from the boy's father."
"Why are you smurfing us this, if you're the Bandit Smurf?" Hefty asked.
Empath shrugged. "I don't know. I just smurf that you're the only ones I can smurf this to."
"It's a good thing Empath hasn't been fully smurfed out of him yet, Papa Smurf," Smurfette said.
"I can see that, Smurfette," Papa Smurf said. "If Empath's empathetic nature is also part of his Bandit Smurf personality, then perhaps there is a way we can reach him and resmurf his original personality. And I think I know of a way of how we can smurf ourselves out of this situation, and maybe smurf the situation of Lord Caravellan's son once and for smurf."
Just then Devereaux entered the guest room. "You have been perfect, you ugly little midgets. Lord Caravellan is completely entranced by your performance." Stanley closed the door as Devereaux revealed his plan. "Tomorrow you will discover the location of the treasure room, which we will empty in the evening...and then I'll be rich, RICH!" He then noticed that Stanley was looking at him suspiciously. "I mean...WE will be rich, and your debt will be paid in full."
After Devereaux and the two entertainers went to sleep, Papa Smurf, Brainy, Hefty, and Grouchy went to sleep as well. Smurfette, however, stayed up and looked at Empath, who was now in a meditative pose. She wanted to reach out and talk to him so he could see what he has forgotten.
"You should be asleep by now, Smurfette," Empath said, as he was aware of Smurfette still being awake as she approached him.
"I wanted to talk to you, Empath, now that it's just the two of us," Smurfette said.
"As I have smurfed you, I am not Empath," he said. "I am the Bandit Smurf."
"Whatever you smurf yourself now, you can't hide the fact that you are Empath," Smurfette said. "You helped me smurf that performance with Hefty and Brainy flawlessly. You wouldn't have cared about me or your fellow Smurfs if you haven't smurfed that."
"I only smurfed that because I am helping my friends, Smurfette," Empath said. "They need Lord Caravellan's treasure to get out of a debt, and I am willing to smurf them a hand by smurfing Master Devereaux's bidding."
"Those humans are not your friends, Empath," Smurfette said. "If they were your friends, they wouldn't keep you smurfed up in a cage, and they wouldn't have you smurfing things from other people."
"The mouse is my friend, Smurfette," Empath said. "I won't let anything happen to him as long as I help Master Devereaux."
Smurfette gently touched Empath's face. "We are going to help you smurf out of this, Empath," she whispered. "I won't smurf you up this easily to the Bandit Smurf."
Empath looked at Smurfette's face and felt something about her that he remembered from somewhere. It was as if they both shared an intimate moment that marked him and this female as becoming soulmates for the rest of their lives.
And then Empath turned away from Smurfette, as if he couldn't be touched by her anymore. And Smurfette slowly backed away from him.
The following day, five of the Smurfs were let out of their cage by Devereaux. They were told by him to look for the duke's treasure room. However, Papa Smurf had other plans in mind for his little Smurfs.
"All right, then, we will smurf into two groups," Hefty said as soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "Brainy Smurf, you will smurf with Smurfette and Grouchy to go smurf the right wing of the castle. Me and Bandit will smurf the left wing. You know what we're smurfing for, so let's smurf it without smurfing ourselves away."
"I just wish we could stop calling Empath the Bandit Smurf, Hefty," Smurfette said.
"That's what he still is, Smurfette, and as long as he's that, I'm not letting Empath smurf out of my sight," Hefty said.
"A very sensible precaution, Hefty Smurf," Brainy said. "I for one would have difficulty trusting Empath now that this alternate personality has smurfed over him, and..."
"Let's just get smurfing," Grouchy said, interrupting Brainy's thoughts.
And so the Smurfs set off on searching the castle. Brainy, Grouchy, and Smurfette passed by a few of Caravellan's court members as they headed in the direction of the right wing.
"I hate this," Grouchy muttered. "I don't know why we should be smurfing for the treasure room if Papa Smurf has a plan for us to smurf without stealing the treasure!"
"This is to smurf the suspicions of our captors, Grouchy," Brainy said. "Besides, Papa Smurf asked us to smurf a few objects of representation for tonight."
Smurfette peeked in through a nearby door. "Not here! These are just kitchens! Let's smurf this way!"
"I hate kitchens," Grouchy said.
Brainy spotted an open door leading into a room. "Here is the laundry room, Smurfette."
"Oh, we could smurf up costumes with these rags and sponges," Smurfette said.
"Here, Grouchy, smurf us a hand by smurfing some of these," Brainy said as he grabbed some rags.
"I hate smurfing rags," Grouchy said.
In the other wing of the castle, Hefty and Empath have finished their search and were ready to regroup with the others when Empath noticed Polaris standing around the corner. "Why are you following me?" Empath demanded.
"It is time for you to regain your true self, Empath," Polaris said. "Let this one help you."
"I don't need your help, stranger," Empath said. "I know who I am, and this is how I will smurf."
Hefty, take him, Polaris said through telepathy. Hefty then seized Empath, who struggled to free himself of his fellow Smurf's grip. "Smurf go of me right now!"
"Calm down, Empath," Polaris said. "Let this one begin the process of restoring your mind."
But just as Polaris reached out to touch Empath's forehead, Empath broke free of Hefty's grip and pushed him out of the way before running. "Smurf after him!" Hefty said.
Polaris chased Empath around the hallways until he ended up losing him. Then Polaris was tripped up around a corner by Empath, who was holding two metal rods in his hands. "If you will not leave me alone, then I must fight you," Empath said, tossing one of the rods to Polaris.
Polaris grabbed the other rod. "This one has no desire to fight you, Empath...only to restore the self that is buried deep in you."
Empath swung his metal rod at Polaris, who then blocked Empath's with his own. Soon they were both fighting with each other, using the metal rods as quarterstaffs, with Empath fighting aggressively and Polaris fighting defensively.
"Empath...you can't abandon your fellow Smurfs," Polaris tried to speak between blows. "They're your people...your friends...your family...they're a part of your life. Even Smurfette...the one who loves you...above all your fellow Smurfs."
"I don't need anyone! I am not Empath!" he shouted. "I am the Bandit Smurf!"
Then Polaris managed to get behind Empath and strike him in the back of the head with a powerful blow, sending him flying into a wall. The mask fell off Empath's face as he fell to the floor, losing consciousness.
"Empath! Empath, are you all right?" Polaris asked as he looked down upon his friend.
Empath was in a daze before he shook his head to clear it. "Polaris, what is going on? What happened to this smurf?" He looked at the mask that fell to the floor. "And why was this smurf wearing a mask?"
Polaris let out a sigh of relief. "You have suffered amnesia, and now and some of your fellow Smurfs have been captive and made to work for a thief and a couple of entertainers."
Hefty just arrived on the scene. "Is Empath back to his normal self, Polaris?"
"This one senses that his original personality has returned, fellow Hefty," Polaris said. "You must take him back with you and apprise him of the situation."
"Here, you're going to need this," Hefty said, handing Empath the mask. "We don't want Devereaux to smurf that you're anything but the Bandit Smurf now."
"Bandit Smurf," Empath said as he put on the mask again. "This smurf believes it is time to find out just what we're dealing with."
Meanwhile, Papa Smurf was having a private discussion with Simon, trying to persuade him to become an ally.
"You think, Sir Papa Smurf?" Simon asked. "Yes...maybe..."
The other five Smurfs came back into the room. "We smurfed the things that you asked for, Papa Smurf," Smurfette said.
"And Polaris smurfed Empath back to his normal self," Hefty added.
"Good work, my little Smurfs," Papa Smurf said. "Does everybody know what to smurf for tonight?"
"This smurf has a pretty good idea of knowing what, Papa Smurf," Empath said.
"Ah, so you have returned," Devereaux said as he entered the room. "Have you found the treasure room?"
"No, we...," Brainy began to say, before he was silenced by Hefty.
"Uh...of course, Master Devereaux," Empath said, trying to sound convincing. "I have...uh, smurfed it in the south wing of the castle. It is smurfed by a single guard. You should have no problem smurfing it."
"Perfect!" Devereaux exclaimed. "We will take action this evening, after the show."
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4103 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 11-08-2023 12:05 PM
Chapter 7
Lord Caravellan and his entourage were waiting in the dining hall in anticipation as the Smurfs came back for another performance, this time wearing different costumes. However, they noticed something else that was different. "Where's the female elf who's part of this troupe?" one of the court members asked.
"I don't know," said another court member. "Maybe she's playing the same part as her fellows."
"Oh, this fake beard itches, Empath," Smurfette muttered as they leaped onto the table.
"Try not to think about it, Smurfette," Empath said. "You'll do fine if you focus on your acting."
Brainy stepped before Lord Caravellan to do the introductions. "Noble lord, we will smurf on a small theater production that will be smurfed by my companions here, and will be narrated by yours truly, I, Brainy Smurf, in person." The court members all clapped, eager to see to show start, but then Brainy just continued on. "Which is also normal, given that I, Brainy Smurf, have a talent for smurfing dramatic narratives, since I smurf a diction that's more clear and comprehensible than any of my fellow Smurfs, and that I have a talent for smurfing classic works of tragedy and comedy, and that I was the only one who..."
"LET'S SMURF ON WITH THE SHOW, BRAINY!" the other Smurfs said in unison.
"Oh...very well," Brainy said, clearing his throat before he began. "'Smurf the sad story of two people who have been smurfed away from their families...'"
"Hmm...a sad story," Caravellan said to himself as he sat and watched. "I would rather see them do their juggling acts."
"'Once upon a time, there was a little Smurf who had been smurfnapped by two smurfs who had smurfed him in a cage...'"
Empath appeared, holding up two sticks as if they were prison bars, looking really sad. "What are they going to smurf with me?" he moaned.
"'At first they smurfed him on display with the company of a mouse who has smurfed his misfortune...'"
Then Empath appeared, rolling the mouse around with his feet as he laid on his back.
"'Soon, however, a malicious fellow with mysterious plans appeared...'"
At that point, Grouchy appeared in the costume and form of Vincent Devereaux. "I hate malicious fellows with mysterious plans," he muttered.
Devereaux noticed this while watching from behind the curtains. He had a feeling that something funny was going on with this play. In the meantime, back in the guest room, Papa Smurf continued to talk to Simon, persuading him to do the right thing.
"'...the poor Smurf was forced to smurf at night inside the homes of honest smurfs, smurfing their jewelry...which has smurfed confusion among the population...'"
Empath appeared this time in the form of the Bandit Smurf, giving the impression of a stealthy thief. This was followed by Hefty and Smurfette's characters all reacting as if they have been robbed.
"Tell me, Seneschal," Caravellan whispered, "do you think these little blue men are trying to tell us something?"
"Indeed, Sir," the seneschal replied. "There has been a lot of noise made of unexplained thefts..."
"Excuse me, gentlesmurfs," Brainy said, interrupting Caravellan's private conversation. "If I am bothering you, you need to smurf me. If you're going to smurf while I'm narrating, then I'm going to tell this to Papa Smurf, because Papa Smurf says that you should never smurf while somebody else is smurfing, even when he's smurfing a narrative. Are we clear on that?"
Caravellan just sat with his face cradled in his hands, trying to keep himself from lashing out.
"Good, then I shall resmurf," Brainy said, clearing his throat again before continuing. "'Now then, after smurfing the population, the robbers decided to smurf the treasure of the Lord...'"
Devereaux noticed what was said in the narrative. Cursed dwarves, he thought, they're going to expose me! I must do something.
"'The latter, a generous Duke, who loves his smurf dearly, languished in despair...'"
Smurfette appeared in the costume and form of Lord Caravellan, giving her best impression of his depressed mood, which the seneschal noticed. "That dwarf is doing a great impression of you, Sir Duke," he said, which made the face of Caravellan start to turn red with fury.
"'The sadness was great because his young son was gone, and no one knew what happened to him...sniff...'"
"Oh, smurf is me!" Smurfette cried out, doing her best impression of a male voice. "Oh, great despair!"
"'What he did not know was that the son he was crying for was smurfed by a smurf who claimed to be his best friend...'"
At that point Hefty appeared, and Lord Caravellan noticed that Ganelon was spitting out the wine he had just drank, because he now noticed that Hefty appeared in the costume and form of his friend.
"ENOUGH!" Caravellen roared, pounding his fist on the table. "THIS DOES NOT AMUSE ME AT ALL! You, Devereaux, what is this really all about? And you, Ganelon, why does this elf look like you? I want some explanations!"
Ganelon looked rather nervous. "Sir, you...you offend our friendship! All this is just pure invention!"
"Uh, absolutely, Sir," Devereaux added, also getting nervous. "These elves have a vivid imagination, that's all. It's just simply theater."
"LIES! ALL LIES!" another voice broke in. Everyone turned to see that it was Papa Smurf, who was being carried into the dining hall by Simon. Stanley looked from behind the curtains at his partner, looking rather fearful. "What my little Smurfs are trying to tell you through this theater production is the truth, Sir. This vile character called Devereaux was only here for the sole purpose of stealing your treasure, while he was busy extorting money from his two former tenants by having them commit robberies. As for your so-called friend Ganelon, his ambition was to trick you into paying him an exorbitant ransom in exchange for the release of your son, Geoffrey. The boy is held prisoner in the basement of the usurer, his accomplice."
"Don't believe him, Sir!" Ganelon said defensively. "It's all just slander!"
"It's easy to prove these statements are true, Sir," Papa Smurf said. "You need to only go down to the village and check with the usurer."
"Then that's what we will do," Caravellan said. "Ganelon, would you be kind enough to show us the way?"
"With pleasure...sir...," Ganelon muttered, making it look as if he was complying to his master's desire. Then suddenly, he pushed a guard right into a wall by his face as he started to make a run for it.
"TRAITOR!" Caravellen growled. "You revealed your duplicity! STOP HIM!"
But Ganelon pushed past more guards as they tried to block his escape from the dining hall.
"Follow me!" Caravellan ordered his guards. "He must not leave the castle!"
Devereaux watched as the guards all followed Caravellan in pursuit of Ganelon. He was surprised that his former friend had forgotten all about him...but then he suddenly had an idea.
Meanwhile, the Smurfs were cheering, glad to see that Ganelon is getting his just desserts, and also glad that Empath is back among them as his normal self. "Oh, Empath, it's good to see you smurfing like yourself again," Smurfette said, kissing him through her fake beard.
Empath smiled. "You did a very good impression of Lord Caravellan, Smurfette. However, this smurf isn't sure about wanting to be kissed by a furry face."
"You don't have to worry about that from me, Empath, though I'm very happy to smurf you again," Papa Smurf said, giving Empath a hug.
"This smurf apologizes for all the trouble this smurf has brought you and everyone else, Papa Smurf," Empath said.
"It wasn't your fault anyway, Empath," Papa Smurf said. "The important thing is that we found you and you're back to being Empath again, and now that we've got this whole matter smurfed away, we can all smurf back home like happy Smurfs."
"I don't think so," Devereaux said, snatching Papa Smurf from the table.
"You're still here?" Papa Smurf said to Devereaux. "You just don't know when to smurf up!"
"Not when I'm this close to getting my hands on the treasure, elf," Devereaux said. "You're going to lead me to the treasure room, and fast." He then turned to Stanley and Simon. "As for you two, I'm going to make you so indebted to me that you're going to wish you were dead just to escape paying. And don't try to follow us, thinking that I owe you anything, because at this moment my association with you has ended."
Stanley looked really steamed as he watched Devereaux take off with Papa Smurf.
Throughout the castle there were two crazy chases: Ganelon trying to find a way of escape while avoiding the guards, and Devereaux trying to follow the Smurfs as they claimed they knew the way to the treasure room.
"Are you sure it's around here?" Devereaux said as the Smurfs turned a corner. He stopped as he took a look around. "Now which way do we go?"
"Uh...over here, Master Devereaux," Empath said, as the Smurfs raced off ahead of him.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Devereaux said, as he tried to keep up with them.
"Why are we smurfing all over the castle, Empath?" Brainy asked.
"To keep him from figuring out that we don't know where the treasure room is, Brainy," Empath replied.
"Great strategy, Empath," Hefty said. "Let's make him think he's smurfing somewhere."
And so the Smurfs raced through winding staircases and a maze of hallways, always telling Devereaux that they're getting closer. "This treasure had better be worth the effort," he said to himself.
Then soon, as they were turning around a corner again, they heard a voice coming from the other side of the corner. "Yes! The escape route is..."
Suddenly Devereaux and Ganelon collided with each other, causing them to collapse in a daze.
Then Caravellan showed up with his guards. "Aha! We got two birds with one stone! Take them away and lock them in the dungeon!"
Empath's personal journal.
With Devereaux and Ganelon captured and placed in Lord Caravellan's dungeon, Geoffrey was reunited with his father and a celebration commenced with great festivities held in the castle's dining hall. Stanley and Simon were cleared of any charges against them concerning the robberies and were made members of Caravellan's household, with Simon adopted as the duke's protege. As the protege, Simon was granted the privilege of having his own personal servant, and so, either as revenge or as maintaining a friendship, he made his former business partner Stanley his personal servant -- a decision that apparently hasn't made Stanley happy.
Upon this smurf's return to the Smurf Village, this smurf burned the mask and costume of the Bandit Smurf so that this smurf would never be reminded of what happened during the time of this smurf's amnesia. However, this smurf is made aware of all that has happened while this smurf was in that state, which has made this smurf feel rather uneasy about ever having that alternate personality in the first place. Polaris Psyche is currently helping this smurf cope with this unfortunate circumstance.
Empath sat alone with Polaris Psyche in the dining commons talking privately about Empath's feelings.
"This smurf feels like everything this smurf did as the Bandit Smurf was all my fault, as if this smurf had no control over that personality, Polaris," Empath said.
"This one can sense the blame you place on yourself for something you had no control over, Empath," Polaris said. "It is understandable that you would feel that way. However, this one can sense that, even in your alternate personality, there were elements of your original personality such as the empathy this one senses you displayed with the young human boy when you discovered him in the cellar."
"That part really did feel like this smurf, Polaris, given how similar our life situations were," Empath said. "This one does feel relieved that we brought justice to the boy's captor, not to mention liberating those two entertainers who were being manipulated and used by Devereaux for his evil ends."
"One can only hope that their latter end will now be better than their former state, Empath," Polaris said, sounding like he was in agreement with Empath.
Then suddenly Empath laughed. "This one doesn't understand what it is you find so humorous at this moment," Polaris said.
"This smurf just remembered putting together one of Jokey Smurf's 'surprises' for Vincent Devereaux when this smurf was on a heist," Empath said. "This smurf never thought that this smurf would ever play such a common village prank on another person, and actually enjoying the expression on their faces when they fall victim to it."
Polaris sighed. "Apparently some of Jokey Smurf's style of humor has been incorporated into that alternate personality as well, Empath. Although this one would not say that such a person did not deserve to have a prank being played upon him in such a manner as you have exhibited in that circumstance."
Just then, Century came into the dining commons to talk to Empath alone. "We will talk more about this later, Empath," Polaris said as he got up from the table and left.
"Empath, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for smurfing you in the back of the head," Century said. "If only I knew what leaving you to be smurfed by those humans would cause."
"Century, there's nothing you need to apologize for, and if there is, this smurf forgives you," Empath said. "What you did was still the right thing in that you informed Papa Smurf what had happened so that he would come and rescue this smurf. Don't let anybody say that you have no courage just because you have fear."
"I just wanted to smurf how better a fighter I've become, Empath," Century said. "I guess I smurfed about it more than I realized that I ever wanted."
"What you showed this smurf that day was that even this smurf could be caught off-guard, Century," Empath said. "It's a rather humbling experience, and one this smurf appreciates you for showing."
"Anyway, you want to smurf some practice with me around the village?" Century asked. "I promise that I will smurf easy on you."
Empath chuckled. "This smurf will offer you a worthy challenge."
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4103 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 11-09-2023 10:34 AM
For the original story:
"The Jewel Smurfer"
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4103 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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