"We have to stop Little Fae before he releases the spell!" shouted Angus.
Rohan turned and looked at him. Nodding, he said, "I know, faithful sidekick."
They sat down at the small table in the centre of the Hut of Justice. They needed to think of a way to stop Little Fae and his evil Mistress, The Queen. Rohan, the leader of the Kells Duo of Justice, sat, pondering their next move. His rest his masked face on the palm of his hand. Angus, his faithful sidekick since childhood, sat opposite him, wondering what The Queen was planning next.
"I've got it!" shouted Rohan, jumping to his feet. He raised his hand in the air, pointing at nothing in particular.
"What is it, Masked Draganta?" Angus queried.
"I have a plan to stop Little Fae and The Queen." He smiled, his eyes twinkling with excitement.
Meanwhile, in the castle of Kells, the fair Princess Deirdre sat playing her harp. The tinkling sounds of the chords, rang throughout the throneroom, as her father The King sat listening.
He sighed. He was content with his life as King of Kells, but he knew that his fair daughter wished for more. Her eye had been caught by the handsome young warrior, Rohan. But this boy was not nobility, he could not allow his daughter to marry, or even be courted by, someone who not of noble birth. No this boy would never do. And Deirdre knew that. Unfortunately, though, she refused to have anything to do with the suitors that her father had brought forth. Her heart was for young Rohan and no other.
"Sire!" A soldier raced into the throne.
The King sat high on his throne. "What is it?"
"A man on a dark horse has entered the courtyard. He bears the royal emblem of the Kingdom of Rheged." The soldier huffed as he spoke, obviously exhausted from his run to the throneroom.
"Show him here!" The King shouted in excitement. A noble from the Kingdom of Rheged. This would be an important visit indeed.
Moments later, the man entered. He was tall and handsome, and he knew it. He bowed low before the King and introduced himself. "I am Prince Garrett of Rheged."
The stepped from his throne. "Welcome, Prince Garrett." They shook hands and the King offered him a seat.
Deirdre rolled her eyes. Another boring noble. She was tired of her father trying to marry her off. Her heart was for man and one man only. Rohan. Quietly, she laid her harp to the side and stood. Her father and the Prince were deep in discussions of the weather and crops, so she easily made her escape. She was determined to see Rohan.
In the Hut of Justice, plans were being made. Rohan had sketched out a map of The Queen's castle on the dirt floor of the hut.
"I shall enter from here." He pointed to the upper windows of the throneroom. "And you shall enter here." He pointed then to the main archway into the throneroom.
Angus nodded. "Yes, I shall. What then?" He looked at Rohan with excitement, his brown eyes sparkling behind the dark green mask.
"Then we take her by surprise and get her sceptre. Once we have that, neither Little Fae nor The Queen will be able to attack." Rohan stood tall, planting his gloved hands on his hips. He was proud of his plan.
"By Dagdha, that is great plan!" Angus leapt to his feet, his dark green cape flapping out behind him.
Rohan smiled.
"Rohan?" a quiet voice asked from the other side of the leather door cover. It was the fair princess Deirdre.
The two masked crusaders looked at each other. They had to act quick.
"Just a minute!" Rohan said as he scraped away the sketches of the plans from the floor of the hut.
Angus grabbed the Stone of Justice. They looked at each other and nodded once, as they lay their hands over the stone. In a blink of an eye, they transformed from the Kells Duo of Justice, to the thief and the warrior that they were known for.
The thief tucked the stone away under his pillow and sat on the bed, fiddling with a small piece of leather. Rohan quickly sat at the table, trying to look natural.
"Come in."
The leather flapped pulled back and the fair Princess Deirdre came in. She smiled at them both, but her eyes never left Rohan's handsome face.
They leapt to their feet and bowed at the same time. "Princess."
"Oh you don't have to do that." She smiled and laid her hand on Rohan's shoulder. Angus was beginning to feel like the broken wheel of the wagon. Then again, when the Princess was around, he never knew how to act.
He cleared his throat, causing both of them to look up. "I think I'll go get an apple." He smirked and left them alone.
Rohan watched him go, then quickly looked at the Princess. In a swift motion, he drew her into his arms and kissed her deeply. He waited for these moments of seclusion, when he could truly share his feelings with the woman he loved.
They parted slowly, not wishing to be away from one another.
Deirdre sighed. "A new Prince has arrived at the castle."
"Your father is still trying to marry you off?" Rohan asked, astonishment written on his handsome face.
She nodded, taking his hand in hers. "He wishes me to marry into nobility, as it should be." She looked up, her eyes searching his. "But I do not wish to."
He lightly kissed her forehead. "I understand, my love. But I am not nobility."
"I know, but only if there was some way.." she trailed off.
"I wish for that as well." He smiled at her.
Angus stood outside the hut he shared with Rohan. He knew that his best friend wanted to be alone with the fair Princess Deirdre, but there was work to be done. They needed to stop Little Fae and The Queen before they destroyed Kells. If only he could find some way to do it himself, thereby leaving Rohan to protect the Princess. But he knew that it would be that way. He and Rohan were a team and that would never change.
"Angus!" A little voice said from somewhere above him.
He looked around, then spotted the Fairie Aideen on a tree branch above him. "What are you doing here?"
"I had to tell you. Little Fae and The Queen are massing soldiers. They plan to attack Kells!" She shook as she spook, obviously frightened about the safety of the Kingdom.
"Oh no! I must tell Rohan." He nodded to the Fairie Aideen and entered the hut.
Rohan was holding the fair Princess Deirdre in his arms. Angus hated to interrupt, but the safety of the Kingdom was important.
"Excuse me." He said quietly.
Rohan looked up at him. "What is it?"
"Princess, your father wants to see you." Angus lied, knowing that it was the only was that she would leave the hut.
She and Rohan parted, unhappily. "I must go then."
He nodded and kissed her hand, lingering a moment longer that he should have. They parted each other's company, neither of them wishing it. Rohan sighed.
"The Fairie Aideen brought news." Angus said, hurriedly.
Rohan's eyes lit up. "What did she say?"
Angus related to him the news from their Justice Scout.
"This means we will have to work quickly. Get the Stone of Justice."
The thief pulled the stone from under his pillow. He held it out in front of them. As they laid their hands over it, they were transformed, once again, into Kells Duo of Justice. Their everyday clothes were replaced by their Justice protecting costumes. Angus stood tall in his green tights and cape. Rohan placed his fists on his hips, standing proudly in his red tights and orange cape. They were the Defenders of Justice.
A red swirl engulfed them, leaving behind nothing.
"Are the troops ready, General?" The Queen asked, excitement in her voice.
He nodded, obviously enjoying the thought of destroying the peaceful Kingdom of Kells. "The troops are prepared and awaiting your orders."
"Good." She stood from her evil looking throne. She held in her hands the Sceptre of Evil, the one item that she knew had the power to destroy Kells. "Little Fae, do you have your powers charged to their fullest?"
On a small table, next to a silver chalice, stood Little Fae, his evil eyes glinting with pleasure. He cackled and nodded. "Little Fae is prepared."
She nodded, an evil smile forming on lips. "Then will attack Kells."
"Not if we can help it!"
The Queen and her General looked up. Masked Draganta leapt from the upper window of the throneroom to land in front of them. His side, The Green Thief, raced in the main archway.
"You!" breathed the Queen. "You shall pay for disrupting my plans! Get Him!"
Guards raced in the throne room. Two of them jumped in front of The Green Thief, blocking him from being able to help his friend.
The General slid in front of The Queen, trying to protect her from any harm. Three guards rushed forward, attacking Masked Draganta. One swung his fist as him, but Masked Draganta was too quick.
"WHAM!"
Masked Draganta punched him the stomach, sending him reeling backwards. Another took a swing at him, trying to hit him in the face.
"BLAP!"
The Defender of Justice kicked him in the shins, causing the guard to fall to the ground in pain.
The Green Thief was easily defending himself against the two guards that attacked him.
"SLAM!"
"BASH!"
The guards fell to the floor from multiple punches.
The Green Thief leapt over the prone bodies of his opponents. He rushed forward to stand beside his friend.
"You'll not get away with this, Queen!" Masked Draganta shouted.
She cackled. "Oh really?" She held the sceptre before her. A beam of green light shot from it, narrowly missing the two heroes.
The Green Thief rolled away, hitting the table where the chalice stood. The silver portal flew from the table, but The Green Thief was quick and caught it before it landed. Little Fae howled in pain. The touch of good on the chalice of evil was too much for him to bear. A green light encased him, pulling him into the chalice.
"No!" shouted The Queen.
Masked Draganta took the opportunity that had presented itself and grabbed the sceptre from her hand. Without the sceptre, The Queen was powerless.
"You have been defeated, Queen."
She glared at them. "Maybe this time, Masked Draganta."
The Green Thief held out the Stone of Justice and they disappeared in a flash.
Just inside the courtyard of Kells, The King and the Fair Princess Deirdre stood talking, the Druid looking on.
"But father, I love Rohan."
"He is not royalty."
"Maybe not, but he loves me."
The King sighed.
Suddenly, a flash of red light made them look up. On top of a huge pile of hay stood Masked Draganta and The Green Thief.
"We have stopped Little Fae and The Queen from attacking Kells," Masked Draganta announced.
The Druid smiled up at them. "Good work!"
The King also smiled. "We owe you our lives."
The Fair Princess Deirdre smiled at them, wishing that Rohan could be like Masked Draganta.
The Green Thief tossed the Silver Chalice and The Sceptre of Evil to the Druid. "Here, keep these in a safe place, so Evil cannot touch them."
The Druid nodded and gave his word.
The two heroes placed their hands on their hips and said in unison. "We are the Defenders of Justice, Maidens and Chickens!"
Suddenly the hay collapses and the Kells Duo of Justice fell in a flailing mass of tights, chickens flying everywhere.
"Angus, wake up."
The thief opened his eyes. "Huh? What? Where?" He sat up with a start.
Rohan grinned at him. "You were muttering something about chickens in your sleep."
Angus shook his head and laughed. "Oh, that was weird."
"What?"
"My dream." He stood up stretching. Grabbing his mace and following Rohan out of their hut, he said, "That's the last time I go picking those little blue mushrooms for Cathabad."
