Fable III: Retold Chapter 33

The Menagerie
Upon arriving at a new island Adam and Anna looked up at an estate sitting on the top of some rocks looking down at the ocean.
"The estate has been abandon for years but there are definite signs of life here I think we found Mary Godwin hiding place all right, this place represents everything General Turner despises, nominee, aristocracy, nepotism you may find when you meet him, you have something in common your both revolutionaries" Commander Milton said as they walked up the hill.
"Why does he want me dead?" Adam asked.
"You stopped being a rebel, you became king" Commander Milton said as they approached a statue with two horses standing up on two legs and Balverine head statues all around them.
"The Godwins had a curious notion about art" Commander Milton said.
"More like creepy" Anna said looking at the Balverine statue.
"No wonder Witchcraft Mary turned out the way she did she probably grew up looking at these things" Commander Milton said.
"Now I feel some pity for the woman" Anna said as they walked past the opened gates as they all had the sense of being watched as they found more Balverin statues.
"I almost feel like they're watching me" Comander Milton said.
"So do I but these ones look so real" Anna said as she swore she saw it blink.
"The sooner we get off this island..." Commander Milton said but stopped mid-sentence when the six Balverines stood up from the statue pedestals, "what a surprise they're alive, I heard the Godwins kept some sort some zoo but who keeps Balverine?!"
"Crazy people!" Anna said as Adam used Shock-Blades and took out two of Balverines in a blink of an eye.
"Your magic is improving" Anna said.
"These things must have been living on the estate for years" Commander Milton said shooting one in the head and Adam and Anna finished the last ones of.
"I never believed those rumors about this estate housing the world's largest menagerie if the Godwins were mad enough to keep Balverines who knows what else we'll find here" Commander Milton said putting away his weapons.
"My father once told me he took on Trolls, I wouldn't be surprise if we run into one or two here" Adam said as they entered a series of cages with empty cages with signs of what animals used to held there as they could see they were approaching the house.
"There's the main house, come on Witchcraft Mary has to be somewhere in this demented zoo" Commander Milton said as they reached a cage that was surging in electricity.
"She clearly here" Anna said.
"I had heard her experiments involved electrical currents they make good deterrence too, we could use something like this at the Keep" Commander Milton said.
"I will be sure to invest in that" Adam said.
"Let's go there must be a way around them" Commander Milton said as they walked deeper into the zoo.
"I can't believe they kept all these animals" Anna said,
"It looks more and more like Mary swapped one prison for another, except she in charge of this one" Commander Milton said as they entered a grab yard with some of the plots looking recently dug up.
"Another of the rumors about Witchcraft Mary, necromancy I never thought there was any truth to I, someone defiantly been digging up corpses though I'm not sure I want to know why" Commander Milton said as they headed for the gate on top of the hill and could see the full moon above in the sky.
"Half these plots are empty she up to something alright" Anna said as Adam pushed opened the gates as a Wisp flew out of a mausoleum and into the ground releasing a Hollow Man that could be seen through as it walked to a gate on the ground with three skulls as it lit up and made the Hollow Man roar as they could no longer see through him as he charge at them.
"I'm guess this has something to do with it, these are like no Hollow Men I've ever seen they're much more ancient" Commander Milton said.
Anna then noticed the Hollow Men were avoiding walking into the light of the torches as she kicked one it as it turned to ashes.
"They're trying to stay out of the light! What is she thinking creating Hollow Men? It's against nature, it's obscene" Commander Milton said.
"These things are a bit stronger than normal Hollow Men!" Anna said slamming her hammer into another Hollow Man.
"General Turner can't be planning to create an army out of Balverines and Hollow Men it's just too preposterous!" Commander Milton said.
"Think about it, an army of machines, undead soldiers, and beast would be a powerful army even a normal army would struggle against that" Adam said.
"Some of these were real soldiers once, where did she get the bodies? We'll be doing them a favor by killing them again" Commander Milton said as they shot down the last of the Hollow Men.
"This is defiantly dark magic written all over this" Anna said looking at the plate on the ground.
"If she successfully created Hollow Men I can't imagine what else she's managed to do, we should collect all her research papers she may belong in a cell but this is science the world never seen the likes of before" Commander Milton said.
"Science or not it should not be sued to create this" Adam said as they walked down the cemetery path and reached another electric fence.
"Doesn't look like were getting around these gates but there must be some way to cutting the power to them" Commander Milton said as they reached some electrical controls outside a storage house, "I think I can shut this down it's not too different from the generator in the keep torture chamber."
An alarm then went off as Adam and Anna noticed the plates on the ground.
"Oh great, get ready for some company" Commander Milton said as Balverine began to jump down and Hollow Men began to appear, "keep those things away from me, these circuits are unlike anything I've seen before."
"Take your time!" Anna said swinging her hammer into a Blaverine skull.
"She must have trained them to protect the generator" Commander Milton said.
"Hurry Commander there's more coming!" Anna yelled as Adam used Vortex-Blade to take out some of the Balverines and Hollow Men.
"I'm working as fast as I can, I'm almost finished" Commander Milton said as Adam and Anna finished of the last of the enemies as the electric fence shut off and opened.
"That should do the trick, the generator was quite crud nothing like Faraday technology what's remarkable is how she was able to get Hollow Men and Balverines to fight side by side I've never heard a thing happening before if someone combined that knowledge with Faraday machines, who knows what they could accomplish" Commander Milton said.
"Dr. Faraday we know won't hand over his machines so easily as for Mary she another story" Adam said as they approached the house on top of the hill as they saw the path to the doors blocked by rocks.
"Well we could try to wade through the rubble or find another way in" Commander Milton said as they saw a cave that lead under the house, "such as that cave over there it seems more like Witchcraft Mary style anyway."
Adam, Anna and Milton then entered a large cave and walked into a large store room as they kept their eyes opened for more surprise.
"This was probably one of the best store cellars in Albion once smells like most of it turned to vinegar it didn't stop anyone from emptying these bottles though" Milton said as they approached a wine-rack with empty bottles all over the ground as Adam picked up one of the bottles to see it still had some wine left.
"This one was opened recently" Adam said as they entered a hall then went up some stairs to entered a dining room with an old looking table.
"Why would a wealthy family have such terrible looking furniture? I'd expect they want the best" Anna said as they walked out of the dust and cobweb covered room and headed into a hall as they heard a clanking noise.
"Did you hear that?" Commander Milton asked.
"Yes" Adam said pulling out his gun.
"Come on" Commander Milton said as they walked into a room with sleeping Hobbes all over the floor, "Hobbes I was wondering when we come across it them, it just isn't a proper zoo without Hobbes we should leave them sleeping, the noise might alert Godwin" Commander Milton whispered as they slowly and carefully walked over the Hobbes and made their way to the door , "we should step lightly but I doubt any noise on Earth could wake them."
A fish above the door than began to move as their eyes widen.
"And a one and a two and a three! It's time you kissed my gills!" the fish said as it began to sing.
"Is that dead fish talking?" Commander Milton said.
"It gives me fishy chills and when you touch my scales my little fishy heart fails!" the fish sang as red, green and pink light it a disco ball above the room as all the Hobbes began to wake as they spotted the three intruders and began to attack.
"I'm beginning to think Witchcraft Mary see these things not as pets!" Commander Milton said as they began to shoot at the Hobbes.
"Baby don't you treat me rough can't you see I'm already stuffed and tell me that your love is earnest or your as dead as a taxy dermis"
"I'd rather be stuck in a cell than live in this mad house" Commander Milton said.
"That fish is annoying!" Anna growled shooting a Hobbe wearing a dog mask.
"One more time!"
"No!" Adam yelled shooting another Hobbe.
"Each time you kiss my gills, it gives me fishy chills-" the fish never got the chance to fish as Anna hammer smashed it making it fall to the ground as Anna began to stomp on it.
"At least the fish shut up, is there nothing normal on this island? Come on let's go before it starts singing again" Commander Milton said.
"I crushed that thing to a pulp I doubt it will sing again" Anna said as they pushed opened the doors and entered a room with tombstones.
"Just when you think it can't get worse, an indoor graveyard" Commander Milton said.
"These people were insane!" Anna growled as they only saw one Wisp above a furnace next to a small table but Adam and Anna noticed the Wisp was red and not blue like the others.
"At least there is only one Wisp we should be safe and here's another of Mary notebooks" Commander Milton said picking it up and looking at a page, "she mentions General Turner in this one."
"Let me see" Adam said taking it as Anna red over his shoulder.
My return to the estate has brought me life again, I can final return to my work that I was forced to abandon I owe my freedom to one man, a soldier who understands me like no human has ever understood me he takes great interests in my work and promise great changes to come, perhaps one day we can bring purification to the whole of Albion.
The red Wisp then flew and landed on one of the two plates on the ground as a large Hollow Man on fire emerged as it opened it mouth and made several Wisps fly out creating smaller Hollow Men on fire.
"How is that creature even possible!" Commander Milton yelled as he, Adam and Anna began to shoot at the Hollow Men.
"Look out!" Anna yelled as the large Hollow Man used Inferno and all most hit them.
"We have to put an end to this! What kind of monstrous creation is this" Commander Milton yelled.
"Ice Storm-Blades!" Adam yelled firing the combination spell to take out all the small Hollow Men and damage then big one slightly.
"Mary has taken her experiments too far! It's like a Hollow Man I've never seen or heard of before!"
"That's because it isn't!" Anna yelled slamming her hammer into the big Hollow Man as she dodged it Clever swing as Adam chopped off its head making it turn back to bones and dust.
"I'm not sure how many more of these encounters I can take" Commander Milton said.
"Same here Commander, these things are tough" Adam said as they entered a hall and entered another room full of Hobbes as they saw one hitting a electrical box as the top of it glowed red and red lighting hit the Hobbe turning it red as they all turned red and began to attack.
"More Hobbes, what the hell is wrong with them?" Commander Milton asked as they fought of the three red Hobbes, "Mary can't be far from here."
Once Adam killed the first red Hobbe it glowed then in a flash two green Hobbes stood in its place.
"What the hell?" Anna said slamming her hammer down on the other red Hobbe as Milton head shot the other as four green Hobbes stood in their place.
"Six green Hobbes?! This is madness!" Adam yelled killing one of the green ones as it made three blue Hobbes.
"This is beyond a joke!" Commander Milton yelled as they killed all nine of the blue Hobbes as the color Hobbes were all dead, "General Turner has a lot to answer for we wouldn't be in this mess if he hadn't won Witchcraft Mary over which I'm not surprised you haven't met him but believe me he's the most charismatic, persuasive man you'll ever meet" Commander Milton said as they entered a massive part of the cave as they saw it was turned into a massive lab as they began to walk past strange pods.
"What's in these thing?" Anna asked approaching one as she saw it was Balverines, "Balverines! They're bloody Balverines!"
"We must be getting close to her whatever she been doing with these creatures were going to find out soon, better get your weapons ready I've noticed a pattern here, we walk in, things try to kill us" Commander Milton said a Poison Balverine broke out of its tank and roared as the other ones broke out of their tanks, "told you!"
"Careful I don't like that stink they're giving off!" Anna yelled swinging her hammer into one of the Balverines.
"We should burn this island to the ground!" Commander Milton yelled.
"I couldn't agree more!" Adam yelled.
"Only a sick mind could have created this nightmare!"
"These things are strong!" Anna yelled firing her pistol at the Balverines.
"None if these creature were meant to be! What has she been doing to these creatures!" Commander Milton yelled firing his rifle as Adam used Blade-Vortex to finish the last off, "I'm not sure how much more of this I can take."
"Come on, that bitch has got to be around here" Anna said as they headed up the stairs as they heard a humming.
"Can you hear that? It must be her, come on" Commander Milton said as they all hid behind a Balverine tank as they saw Mary by some controls and a Hobbe, Balverine all strapped to chairs as Mary flipped a switch as the helmets on the their heads began to smoke and surge with electricity as the Balverine roared, the Hollow Man growled as the Hobbe yelled as a red, blue and green lights went up the wire on their heads and went into a machine making a clinking noise as a single blue drop was dropped into a vile of blue liquid as it began to bubble and glow.
Mary then picked up the vile and drank it as smoke appeared around her as she floated off the ground as she began to glow and turned into a Hobbe with her tattoos as she roared and turned red as she spotted the heroes and began to attack as they began to fight off the Hobbe making it turn to the other colors and with more numbers with each slain as a white light glowed when the last blue Hobbe was slain.
"I am pure now you cannot defeat me I am at one with the ancient creatures of this world" Mary said turning into the flame Hollow Man and made more appear.
"Mary stop this! This is madness!" Anna yelled as they began to fight off the Hollow Men.
"Ice Strom-Vortex!" Adam yelled destroying all the Hollow Men in one spell as the white light flashed again.
"You think you have the right to destroy us! We are the essences of Albion! We are stronger we are more inert!" White Fur Balverine Mary yelled charging at them as Shadow Balverines began to appear.
Adam wings then emerged as he charged for a powerful Spell, Force Push-Shock!" Adam yelled hitting all the Balverines as the white light flashed and they heard Mary crying as they approached the woman on her knees.
"No! Not this form again please don't let me live this way, kill me! I beg you!" Mary sobbed.
"She doesn't know what she saying we should take her back to the Keep she needs special care" Commander Milton said as Adam approached Mary.
"Don't worry everything going to be alright" Adam said holding out his hand.
Later that day Mary was asleep in her bed at the Keep as Adam and Anna watched her through the bars.
"We'll do what we can for her when she well enough perhaps we can send her to a more adequate facility she needs more help than we can give her, we still need to find General Turner I'll meet you in the records room perhaps Hobson and my men have uncovered his location" Commander Milton said leaving Adam and Anna.
"It's sad, she became this way because of the place she was raised in, who knows how horrible her life must have been, did you see the way that Hobbe smiled at her when she smiled at it? They were her only company, those Hobbes, the Hollow Men and the Balverines, that must be why they followed her orders" Anna said.
"She'll get the help she needs, but in the meantime there are quests to be done" Adam said.