Okay,
previously on . . . it started getting really cool with the western elements starting to come to the fore. Also, new character Jack with his goose named Goldy debuted, to much hilarity. Rapunzel beat up a (somewhat inept) gang of kidnappers and rescued the kidnappee . . . kidnapee? Kidnapped kid. But the kid's father decided it was cheaper to arrest Rapunzel and Jack than pay them any reward money, so they had to escape a hanging. Rapunzel doesn't want to keep thieving, so pledges that as soon as her mother is rescued, they'll give everything back, and makes Jack promise not to steal anymore. Of course, first they have to rescue her mother from Gothel. Oh, and Jack bestowed the nickname "Punzie" on Rapunzel. She . . . didn't like it.
So now begins the third and pen-ultimate chapter, "Banditry in The Badlands."
The chapter begins with Jack and Rapunzel hiding on their way south from Brute--the guy who took Rapunzel to the tree prison. Then we see a rather nice map of the area under some planning dialogue.
They hope there's work on the way so they can earn supplies. They bicker a bit about "creative borrowing," promises, and their dwindling supplies.
They bicker some more (much of their dialogue is bickering):
I hear wedding bells.
Eventually, they make it to Last Chance.
And then suddenly they two of them get roped into a seemingly straightforward delivery job.
Well . . . mostly seemingly straightforward.
Rapunzel hopes this job pays at least one gold better than the last (which didn't end up paying any, because the promised gold was reneged), but Jack explains that out in the Badlands, gold isn't worth much. You barter for food, water, living supplies. They start loading up what they've been asked to deliver--
They set off, until Jack suddenly stops in the middle of the wild. Rapunzel asks what's up. Turns out, with the last of his coin, Jack bought Rapunzel a change of clothes because, as he puts it, "if I have to see you in that getup another minute, I might scratch out my own eyeballs."
"Whoa," is right. You know, I could call this right here, say "That's awesome," and go home. And you'd all admit, yeah, that's pretty awesome.
But, of course, it gets better.
Finally, after two days of riding, they make it to where Witchy Jasper was supposed to be waiting (a rock formation called "Dancing Man Rock," that--according to Jack--doesn't look like any kind of dancing). But their reception is . . . unexpected.
Jack questions being called weaselly, and Witchy Jasper leads them to his . . . "house," which is really more a cave with an area set aside for a small garden. Rapunzel mentions she hasn't seen a garden since Gothel's, and Witchy Jasper seems to indicate he knows her. But then he notices one of his plants was eaten, and after a brief misunderstanding conversation, they get Witchy Jasper to recall what he knows about Gothel.
For a price.
The night comes, and they're both jumpy, waiting for the devourer to come . . . and then . . . and then!
Well, whatever the truth, Witchy Jasper tells his story.
So suddenly, Rapunzel might have a plan: if there really
is a totem, and you destroy it, her magic would be diminished, maybe even destroyed, too. Her only other option is to kill Gothel, and she's not sure she's ready to do that.
Finally, armed with a little knowledge and a few more supplies, "J + R Outlawry," as Jack has dubbed them, set off again. And we get some more backstory, Jack's this time.
Naturally, they run. They through Brute off by abandoning one of their horses--
. . .
They ride on.
Pig Tree Gulch has a small plot of land that is still fertile, but it gets smaller and smaller each year. J + R ask if they're any "task of derring-do" they can perform in exchange for a few days' worth of food, and the Gulchers say they need some help with . . . ferocious beasts, which causes them all to laugh. Jack thinks it's like the jackalope being turned into the devourers, and J + R Beast Tamers go into business.
And that night, it turns out the ferocious beasts--
ARE FEROCIOUS BEASTS!!!
Rapunzel starts with her hair whipping, and Jack trips over his own feet trying to back away from the coyotes. Thus, he drops the lantern, and the flame from it ignites the little wooden shack they were hanging around. Rapunzel keeps whipping, and Jack . . . climbs the burning shack?
Jack's fine, just a bit shaken up.
They jump the nearest mass of coyotes, and--
And they drive the coyotes out to a creek bed.
Wow. Since I'm focusing on the awesome, I should take some time to talk about the backgrounds and landscapes. They are awesome.
Lacey offers to let Jack and Rapunzel stay at Pig Tree Gulch, but she's still determined to rescue her mother from the mines. The only outpost between the Gulch and Gothel's villa is a place called Fin's End, operated by folk called the Duggers, who aren't known for being friendly. They promise to be careful, and set out. After a little while, Jack notices Rapunzel's teary eyed. He asks if she's okay, but she says she's angry, and mad, and furious . . .
The Duggers put Brute in a raft and float it to the other side of the nearby lake. A couple of them go back to . . . fishing in the lake with their pickaxes . . . but they just keep hitting rocks in the shallows. We also learn what's up with these guys:
Hmm. I'm sensing a pattern with the stories about Mother Gothel.
Jack offers a few pieces of advice on fishing, but one of them--going deeper in the water--is shot down. They never go deeper. There are wriggly out there. And not just worms, bigger things. Rapunzel, perhaps feeling a bit overconfident, decides she wants to have a little talk with those wriggly things. She takes off her boots and rolls up her pants, and wades out in the water, and rather quickly we find out why that's a mistake:
The giant snake monster thing drags her under, but that doesn't even slow her down.
Rapunzel drives the giant snake monster thing toward the shallows, between the Duggers, and they use their pickaxes when it gets close. Bye-bye, giant snake monster thing. You'll be good eats.
Briefly afterwards, they start planning their next move. The fastest way to Gothel's is by the river, but the only boat went with Brute. Well, not the
only boat--
So they'll have to take . . .
THE DEVIL'S ARMPIT!!!
. . .
What, I'm serious, that's the name of the route!
See? I would never be brazen enough to make name that up.
Anyway, on that hackneyed, melodramatic moment, the chapter ends.
There's only one more chapter. I'm not sure how much of it I'm gonna cover next week, since I don't want to give too much away. But rest assured, there will be at least 2 awesome moments.
Aaron "The Mad Whitaker" Bourque; maybe two and a half!
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