Tales of a clockwork boy
by Marius Müller (2011)
Genres: Fantasy
Fairy tale
steampunk

Once upon a time, there was a queen of fay blood who couldn't bear children. To humor her saddened king, she learnt the secret arts of alchemy and mechanicks, and her head bore what her womb would not. But even that clockwork boy, a wonder held in awe throughout the kingdom, couldn't lift the king's spirits, and he fell into a great sadness. The queen asked for wizards, jesters and bards from near and far, but it was no use. So, in a fit of helpless rage, she cursed the king with immortality and flew back to her home land. The king's lands soon fell into ruin and were fought over by his knights and viceroys. The heavy-minded ruler himself continued to live in the castle, kept alive by the curse for many centuries. And then, one day, he wound up the clockwork boy again.

action: %
response: Once upon a time, there was a queen of fay blood who couldn't bear children. To humor her saddened king, she learnt the secret arts of alchemy and mechanicks, and her head bore what her womb would not. But even that clockwork boy, a wonder held in aw throughout the kingdom, couldn't lift the kings spirits, and he fell into a great sadness. The queen asked for wizards, jesters and bards from near and far, but it was no use. So in a fit of helpless rage, she cursed the king with immortality, and flew back to her home land. The king's lands soon fell into ruin and where fought over by his knights and viceroys. The heavy-minded ruler himself continued to live in the castle, kept alive by  the curse for many centuries.
And then, one day, he wound up the clockwork boy again.

Hugo v3.1 / Library 31031
C1594AB3-81E6-44FE-84FD-A6053D77C8D2

This room is a still life, its topics neglect. The tapestries, once colorful and moving, have bleached to the quality of distant memories. Highback chairs and tables catch dust dutifully. A red, shimmering portal wavers in the middle of the room, created by powerful magic and yet under attack constantly by the laws of the earth and sky, wishing it out of existence.

The king sits here in a corner, him and time watching each other pass silently.

The giant boot is here. The queen used to put you in it, when you weren't wound up, for cuteness' sake.
action: About yourself
response: A thing of cogs and pistons, your thoughts are swimming in quicksilver and sluggish lead in your head.
action: You examine the boot
response: It's a boot that, long ago, belong to one of the mountain giants who visited the court and got drunk on a month's supply of ale. One of them must have forgotten this in the castle years ago.
action: You examine king
response: His beard has grown long and grey, his eyes old and dim. He is barely awake, just stares into nothingness. "Should've never let her go...I should have gotten myself together...Too little, too late..."
action: You ask the king about the queen
response: "The bravest thing I ever did for her, probably, was slaying the giant spider that lived in the hills. Let me tell you a secret: She ruled the country hard and fair, but she was deadly scared of spiders. I brought her one of the crystal eyes of the spider. Never saw it again. Guess she never cared for it." He shrugs with the fake nonchalance reserved for old pain.
action: You examine the portal
response: The red portal is open.
action: You ask the king about the portal
response: "I've broken the Red Crystal to open this. Many good knights died retrieving this - they were good friends, good friends. And now I don't have the courage to go through and ask her for forgiveness." He hangs his grey head low, so low.
action: You ask the king about yourself
response: "Ah, my little clockwork boy. She meant so well."
action: You ask the king about red Crystal
response: You haven't encountered any "red crystal". (If you're sure you need to refer to that, try putting it another way.)
action: You ask the king about the boot
response: "That old thing! You should really throw it away."
action: You take the boot
response: Taken.
action: You enter the portal
response: Ocean laps at the sand beneath you. You are on a drawbridge, leading north towards a cozy, but somewhat decripit castle on a small peninsula. A misplaced red portal hovers in the air.
action: Close portal
response: Closed.
action: You open the portal
response: Opened.
action: Go north
response: You arrive at the castle gates, made of bright wood and inlaid with scenes of festivity and hospitality. An eastward path leads to the shore, the same path cuts westward around the castle wall, and the aforementioned gate leads north.
action: Go north
response: You take careful steps on cracked marble tiles. The absurdly high
walls of the castle around you guide the eye towards the small set of steps to the northeast.
A huge jar, fireproof and sooty, sits in a corner.
action: You examine the jar
response: A A huge jar, fireproof and sooty.
action: You look in the jar
response: The jar is empty.
action: You take the jar
response: Taken.
action: You go to the northeast
response: You stumble around in the dark.
action: You go to the south-west
response: You take careful steps on cracked marble tiles. The absurdly high
walls of the castle around you guide the eye towards the small set of steps to the northeast.
action: You go to the south
response: You arrive at the castle gates, made of bright wood and inlaid with scenes of festivity and hospitality. An eastward path leads to the shore, the same path cuts westward around the castle wall, and the aforementioned gate leads north.
action: Go west
response: On the beach is a big, burnt patch of land.
A phoenix is here.
action: You look at the phoenix
response: The phoenix looks quite like a normal bird. But there are flames burning behind his eyes.
action: You take Phoenix
response: You don't dare take it!

With a thunderous hiss, the Phoenix bursts into bright red flames!
action: You go east
response: The white sand besides the castle looks like one of those strips of land where you usually never see someone.
A golem sits here, fishing unenthusiastically. He told you the basics of speech, long ago.
action: You examine the golem
response: The stone golem sits hunched, almost keeling over, fixiating on fishing with the unshakable determination of his kind. He doesn't seem to enjoy fishing very much, though. Which is a wonder since he uses a line of excellent catgut.

The phoenix closes his wings and is soon reduces to a pile of ash.
action: You look at the sea
response: The ocean is unthinkably wide and very, very blue. It seems to be rather fishless.
action: You ask the golem about Phoenix
response: "Ah, that silly old bird. Used to burn everything! Good at heart, but he needs to be locked up some times to cool his temper."

The ash flies up, as if lifted from unseen winds, and forms the outline of a bird!
action: You ask the golem about the golem
response: "I was her bodyguard. She dismissed me when she lost all interest in the world. Now I fish all day. And I hate fishing."
action: You ask golem about the fishing
response: "The queen gave it to me once. Said she had no use for it anymore. And no, you can't have it."
action: You ask the golem about the queen
response: "She never forgave him. Now she just sits in there in the dark and tries to sleep. Has tried for decades. She tries to stay mad at him, I guess."
action: You ask the golem about the king
response: "He left her. He shouldn't have. Even after all that happened. Or maybe especially not after all that happened."
action: You ask the golem about yourself
response: "Hello there little friend!" He pats you on the head." Good to see you around, pinion."

The phoenix closes his wings and is soon reduces to a pile of ash.
action: You ask Golem about the boot
response: You decide not to ask the Golem about it. Maybe you could use it to help him end this boring activity.
action: You give the boot to Golem
response: The Stone Golem politely refuses.

The ash flies up, as if lifted from unseen winds, and forms the outline of a bird!
action: You throw the boot
response: Suddenly, the stone golem jumps up. "I dun caught summin'!" He reels and reels frantically - and comes up with the boot! Angrily, he breaks his rod apart and stamps on it. He then throws the boot away and stomps off. You hear him mutter "Lousy hobby" under his breath.
action: Look around
response: The white sand besides the castle looks like one of those strips of land where you usually never see someone.
A fishing line is here.
action: You take the line
response: Taken.

With a thunderous hiss, the Phoenix bursts into bright red flames!
action: Go east
response: You can only go back west, to the castle grounds.
action: You look at the line
response: A length of good fishing line.
action: You go west
response: On the beach is a big, burnt patch of land.
A burning phoenix is here.

The phoenix closes his wings and is soon reduces to a pile of ash.
action: You take the ash
response: You quickly scoop up some ash. As you are not connected to the flow of the universe, the Phoenix is unable to reassamble as long as you hold it.
action: You put the ash in the jar
response: You carefully pour the ash from your hand into the jar. The phoenix bursts into flame, but the fireproof glass remains unimpressed. He pecks the glass in irritation, and eyes you with consternation.
action: You go northeast
response: The queen sits on the throne, her head resting on her head, looking
at the ground without seeing. She stifles a yawn.
Your old lute lies discared in a corner.
action: You examine the lute
response: It's the lute you used to play for the mistress, to lull her to sleep. One of the strings seems to be missing.
action: You take the lute
response: Taken.
action: You attach the line to the lute
response: With programmed bravado, you lace the fishing line onto the lute, making it into a working lute again.
action: You examine the queen
response: Fairy beauty is a thing of wonder - it has turned her sadness into hauntingly beautiful melancholia. Her hair has taken on the color of late autumn leaves, already a hint of the dead brown of winter. Her eyes are deep pools, with a fire hidden deep inside - a lone light seen on in farmhouse far away on a starless night. And miles to go. She has one of her hands stubbornly clenched around something.
action: You ask the queen about yourself
response: "I will not listen to the words of that old fool", she says with hatred both practiced and tired, "tell him if he comes, he doesn't need to speak, but maybe he wants his one symbol of courage back." She clenches her fist even tighter, and some shadow of the past runs across her mind.
action: Play lute
response: The queen listens to the music. "Oh yes, all those songs...". She blinks, heavy with sleep, and after a few more old lullabies she's fast asleep.She opens here hand, and an old crystal, black as a spider's eye, rolls from it.
action: You examine it
response: (assuming you mean the crystal)
This is one of the crystal of which the eye of the giant spider was made.
action: You eat it
response: (assuming you mean the crystal)
You can't eat the crystal.
action: You break it
response: (assuming you mean the crystal)
Venting your frustrations on the crystal won't accomplish much.
action: Play lute
response: You play a few tunes.
action: Look around
response: The queen lies sleeping on her throne. She snores a little.
action: You go to the south-west
response: You take careful steps on cracked marble tiles. The absurdly high
walls of the castle around you guide the eye towards the small set of steps to the northeast.
action: You enter the portal
response: This room is a still life, its topics neglect. The tapestries, once colorful and moving, have bleached to the quality of distant memories. Highback chairs and tables catch dust dutifully. A red, shimmering portal wavers in the middle of the room, created by powerful magic and yet under attack constantly by the laws of the earth and sky, wishing it out of existence.

The king sits here in a corner, him and time watching each other pass silently.
action: You give Crystal to the king
response: "Ah yes" says the king, and suddenly you see something in his eyes that makes you remember how he could command armies and silence rooms with just a glance. He strokes his beard. "She kept the spider's eye. All is clear, I hope." He stands up, this sad king of a fallen kingdom, and as he pats his clothes, he engulfs himself in an almost comical cloud of dust. "Lead me to her, clockwork boy. You've done well." He pats you on the bronze of your head.
action: You enter the portal
response: This room is a still life, its topics neglect. The tapestries, once colorful and moving, have bleached to the quality of distant memories. Highback chairs and tables catch dust dutifully. A red, shimmering portal wavers in the middle of the room, created by powerful magic and yet under attack constantly by the laws of the earth and sky, wishing it out of existence.

The king sits here in a corner, him and time watching each other pass silently.

He has the crystal.
action: You go portal
response: Ocean laps at the sand beneath you. You are on a drawbridge, leading north towards a cozy, but somewhat decripit castle on a small peninsula. A misplaced red portal hovers in the air.

The King follows you.
action: Go north
response: You arrive at the castle gates, made of bright wood and inlaid with scenes of festivity and hospitality. An eastward path leads to the shore, the same path cuts westward around the castle wall, and the aforementioned gate leads north.

The King follows you.
action: Go north
response: You take careful steps on cracked marble tiles. The absurdly high
walls of the castle around you guide the eye towards the small set of steps to the northeast.

The King follows you.
action: You go to the northeast
response: The queen lies sleeping on her throne. She snores a little.

The King follows you.
As the king enters, the queen wakes, as if startled from a nightmare. He slowly walks up to her throne and gets on one knee.
The jar suddenly shatters in your hands, and the mighty phoenix is free! It flutters a few feet, bows to king and queen, gives you a sharp look, and finally rests in a corner.
"So..." she says slowly, "You came..." and the heavy burden lifts from her chest like a huge and terribly beast, now harmless, and you can almost see it fleeing through the open doors. Slowly, she stands up and takes a few steps down the stairs and puts a hand on his shoulder. He looks up at her.
"How could I waste so much time, dear? How could I be so terribly selfish and stupid?"
She strokes his hair for a long time, while he hangs his head, sobbing quietly. Then she looks up. "We will have to rebuild this kingdom. We will have to get new servants and officials. Oh, all the work..."
And suddenly, she looks old again.
Then the king gets up, puts one arm around her, and looks straight at you. " Will you help us ... as our son?"