Oz: A remake of the tale 1.6

The first step.

Our first few days were uneventful; I have the time to know my friends. As a lady, I took my first step to know N1 or the Scarecrow. She offered to take us to a place so she can asked for directions. We stopped at a pond to rest while everyone rested their limbs except the droid.

The Scarecrow started removing her clothing before she jumped into the pond. Its unusual to see her unclothed as her skin is not like mine. They have tattoos on her body including at her back but they are designs of her own kind.

"Join me, Dorothy." Scarecrow called for me to join her.

I reached for my boots first but it won't come off. I tried to pulled it off but the darned boots won't come off. In the end, I just lay my body to rest on the grass bank. I must had fallen asleep as when I woke up, Scarecrow had joined me dressed. She offered me a drink.

"Its a local concoction. I saw the fruits nearby and blended it." I took a sip and smiled.

"Its good but how did you blend it?" Scarecrow smiled at me.

"Its a girl' secret." Scarecrow laughed out. Then she confessed to me. "I am a Munchkin, but I am different from the rest. I am not your typical female in the village. They bored me with their gossips and exchanging of recipes. I am forth coming and refused to back down on the men' demand."

"Men' demand? I knew that. I had to assert myself." My thoughts went back to Hicks. "So tell me more."

"No, Dorothy. I did not mean those demands. They are so afraid of me, that I had to declared my intentions with more force. What I cannot bear was that they feared me for my ability to out think them."

"You mean you are smarter than the men. I seen that before. On my .... dimension, I sometimes have to forced myself to sit back. Its to soothe their ego although the idea was mine to begin with." I smiled at her.

"I would tell you of one instance. I sneaked with the others to go to your dimension." Scarecrow explained to me. "I replaced the other Munchkins and sneaked in. They never find out until it was too late."

"Why did you go there? The professor? Why me?" I had to know.

"The mission was to meet with the professor, and learned about your world. We been doing it for ages but there were some limitations as you seen us there." Scarecrow spoke up. "We could not really blend in unless we move in with your miniaturized pets."

"You meant the rats. I doubt they would shared accommodation with any other kinds. Who sent you?"

"Gingema, the witch of the East. She wanted to spied on the professor. The Munchkins did it as we feared her. We spied and reported back until the professor discovered us. He forgive us but he made us severed the link. M1 refused but I did it. I broke the unit and M1 was upset with me. It was the only way to win the trust of the professor. We could not come back since then." Scarecrow sighed in her reply. "But I did not know how we ended up here in the storm. Its something which baffles me."

I looked at Scarecrow and smiled in a meek manner. I was expecting her to tell me she can send me back.

"I would find out how we can get back." Scarecrow looked at me. "I much prefer to be tiny than as a slave to my people and then to the witches."

"Intruder alert! Intruder alert!" The droid standing guard a short distance away gave out the warning. After he did that warning, the battle axe on his left hand starts to swivel clockwise and then stopped.

"Presence of humanoids. Five numbers, armed with weapons unknown." The droid continue in explaining the alert.

From the nearby tree line, stepped out five figures dressed in some form of uniform. They had on a leather breast plate over their tunic, and their lower torso was covered in a skit that reached above their knees. The knee below is a shin guard made of the same leather binded by leather straps that extend from the sandals below. Each of them carried a sword in the scabbard on their belt waist, with a wooden shield on their left arm. Their head piece was a metal helmet that looked like half shell with a set of feathers on the left side of it.

"Munchkins Guards." Scarecrow called out. "I was wondering when you would turned up."

"Follower of the Dark Arts; bow to the authority of Munchkins. We are here to take you back for the trial." One of the guards stepped ahead of the squad to approached Scarecrow.

"Captain Delain, the name is Cen Krow. I am no follower of the Dark Arts, but a master of the Spells." Scarecrow replied.

"We fear not you, Cen Krow. We are wearing the talisman that would protect us from your spell." Captain Delain challenged back.

"Does the talisman protect you from a metallic death by the battle axe of Baxon?" The droid stepped forth to meet the warriors from Munchkins.

"Stop, Droid! I command you." The droid stopped in his approach to the warriors on hearing my comment. I then moved forth to speak to the Captain. I found him to be a nice looking man with a fair complexion although he is taller than Hicks.

"My name is Dorothy Gale...." I introduced myself but the Captain reached back on my extended hand.

"The Witch told us of you. You are to be removed from the land. Never again would we be submitted to another era of dictatorship." Captain Delain reached for his sword, and I thought I sampled him with my power.

But my vocals are not working; they came out like normal voice. On hearing my shrill scream, Toto came running as she evolved into her griffin state. She did not only run but released her burning blue flame from her mouth towards the Captain.

It was Scarecrow who saved his life when she threw herself onto him and rolled on the side. The blue flame did not burned the Captain but singed at the Scarecrow' jacket. Scarecrow rolled herself on the ground to smoothe out the flame. She soon got up and removed the burnt jacket. By then I had consoled Toto and now she stands next to me breathing out the blue smokes.

"Never could get one like that anymore, but the new dark skin I am tanning would suffice." Scarecrow frown on the loss of her jacket. Captain Delain on getting up from the ground, drew his sword and approached Toto.

"What in the name of Oz was that? I seen no creature like you before." Captain Delain confront Toto but I stepped in between.

"Captain Delain, I think you should thank Scarecrow for saving your life. I seen what the blue flame can do to a flesh and blood creature."

Captain Delain looked towards his savior and bowed to her. He then looked back at me.

"There would be another confrontation and that time we would win." Captain Delain turned to retreat with his men towards the treeline.

"Dorothy, why did you stopped me?" The droid asked. "I could had killed them all."

I ignored the automation and walked towards Scarecrow.

"Are you alright?" I asked of her.

"Only my ego was bruised but my heart still remain broken." Scarecrow whispered to me. "Delain is my brother. He refuse to accept his sister return."

Scarecrow walked away without a second glance at the treeline.