Princess Iba Algi - After Waking Up

After waking up in a puddle of sunshine, Iba Algi had two waffles with strawberries and whipped cream instead of just one. Oh my gosh! It was the morning of the day they would send the God of War back to Acheron. Iba Algi was so excited! All the little ghosts in Old Keep bounced around eager for the action to begin.

"When is the action going to begin, Iba Algi?" they asked.

"Can we watch?"

"Will you be okay?"

"What if the God of War doesn't want to be sent back to Acheron?"

Iba Algi pondered that question. She felt confident the God of War would prefer being in Acheron than locked inside a great big stone bell. But maybe that was too easy an answer. The God of War might prefer to be somewhere other than Acheron or a great big stone bell.

"Hmmm," said Iba Algi. "It wouldn't be very nice if we sent him somewhere he didn't want to go."

"I think so too," said Harlecuin Sols.

In fact, all the little ghosts agreed that it wouldn't be very nice to send someone someplace they didn't want to go. They should probably ask the God of War where he would like to be sent.

"But that presents a problem," said Iba Algi.

"Is it a conandurminium?" asked Harlecuin Sols.

"Yes," said Iba Algi, "it is a most vexing conundrum."

"What's the problem?" asked Nin.

"The God of War is currently inside a great big stone bell," said Iba Algi. "How do we ask him where he wants to go?"

"Can't we cast a spell?" asked Nin.

"If spells could get through the great big stone bell," said Iba Algi, "then the God of War would already be free."

"Well," said Nin, "maybe we could ask an illusionary God of War where he wants to go."

"Oh my gosh!" said Iba Algi. "That's a good idea, Nin!"

"Is it?" asked Nin eagerly.

"We could create an illusion of the God of War before he got locked in prison!" said Iba Algi. "Then we could ask where he would want to go if he found himself trapped in a great big stone bell."

"Can you make an illusion like that?" asked Nin.

"Not me," said Iba Algi. "Illusions that know what they are… are very advanced!"

"Oh no!" said Nin. "What do we do?"

"We ask Harlecuin Sols to make the illusion for us!" said Iba Algi.

"Will you make the illusion for us?" Nin asked Harlecuin Sols. "Please!"

Harlecuin Sols agreed, and started to wiggle his tiny fingers. Iba Algi stopped him. It would be better to make the illusion of the God of War before he got imprisoned in a great big stone bell somewhere he would be comfortable. Nin suggested making the illusion on top of the giant rock telescope.

"Oh my gosh!" said Iba Algi. "That's a good idea, Nin!"

"Is it?" asked Nin eagerly.

Iba Algi projected her astral body to the top of Kadar-Jormu Citadel again. All Old Keep's little ghosts followed. Once Nin showed everybody how to get blown off the mountain by winds traveling two hundred miles per hour even though there wasn't any air, everybody had to try it a dozen times. But then it was time to ask the God of War where he wanted to be sent.

Harlequin Sols wiggled his tiny fingers. Then he spread out his hands. The image of an angelic figure with three wings took shape in the blasting winds. All the little ghosts gaped in wonder.

A hundred feet tall, the angelic figure with three wings looked awesome – but also a bit sad.

"Oh, no!" said Nin. "Why are you sad?"

Her question made the God of War look even more sad.

"Oh, no!" said Nin. "We have to cheer him up, Iba Algi!"

"Hello!" said Harlecuin Sols.

He waved. Even a god had to smile a little bit at the sight of something so cute.

"Hello!" said Iba Algi. "We have a problem. You've been imprisoned in a great big rock that looks like a giant bell. Our plan was to send you back to Acheron so that you could be the devil Three Wings again. But then Nin thought maybe you wouldn't want to go back to Acheron."

"It wouldn't be very nice if we sent you there anyway!" said Nin.

"No it wouldn't!" said Harlecuin Sols.

"So our new plan is to ask where you wanted to be sent," said Iba Algi.

The God of War thought about that for a long time.

"Do you think he understood us?" whispered Nin.

"Three little saints have come to save the devil Three Wings," said the God of War.

The three little saints waved their hands and shuffled bashfully, insisting they weren't saints. The host of ghostly children expressed a collective opinion that even if Iba Algi, Harlecuin Sols, and Nin weren't saints, they were really nice.

"Oh, you guys," blushed the three little saints.

"Defeat bound me to Acheron," said the God of War. "I can go nowhere else."

"But that's not true!" said Nin. "Or you wouldn't be stuck in a great big stone bell."

"That's a really good point Nin," said Iba Algi. "But he isn't stuck here yet. This is an illusion of him before that happened."

"Oh," said Nin. "That's right!"

"If I am to be imprisoned in the mundane world," said the God of War, "then I must be imprisoned in a piece of Acheron."

"I see!" said Nin.

"It's okay," said Iba Algi. "If you don't want to go back to Acheron, we can send you somewhere else. Harlecuin Sols doesn't have to follow the rules if he doesn't want to. We can't leave you here, though. The bell will explode and that will be bad."

"Very bad," said Nin.

Harlecuin Sols nodded. The God of War smiled. That made Nin happy.

"I was born in the Willow Realm," he said. "My kind should never have come here. It was the Eponymous who led us to this place. If the little saints can send me home to sleep under the roots again, it would be a great kindness."

"We can do that!" said Nin. "Can't we?"

Harlecuin Sols nodded.

"We'll do that, then!" said Iba Algi.