Science Fiction, Fantasy |
Edgar Rice Burroughs fan fiction | A Fighting Man of Art |
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Science Fiction, Fantasy |
Edgar Rice Burroughs fan fiction | A Fighting Man of Art |
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Edgar Rice Burroughs fan fiction | A Fighting Man of Art |
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Thuvoria, the daughter of Carthoris and Thuvia, meets Banjor Rad, a struggling artist from Hastor, and decides to help his career along (although she is not sure of why, despite his obvious ability to create lifelike statues of banths). Axad Tor, a devious art dealer hoping to corner the market on Rad's statuary, kidnaps Thuvoria and takes her to the Toonolian Marsh where he has discovered an ancient fortress of the Orovars. A dying Orovar clan has agreed to help Tor seize control of the Barsoomian art market on the condition that he reunite them with other surviving Orovars.
Of course, Banjor Rad, thoroughly smitten by the lovely princess of Helium, steals a flyer and tries to follow Axad Tor and Thuvoria. But he is shot down by a rogue band of Warhoons who have broken off from the main nation and are attempting to set up their own nation. Rad had accidentally discovered the new incubator built by the rebel Warhoons and they made him a slave to help build it. While working on the incubator Banjor met Onjar Daxum, a panthan from Gathol who had attempted to rescue his beloved, Sinja, from the Warhoons when they attacked a caravan both were travelling with. Onjar and Sinja secretly love each other but haven't confessed this yet. Banjor realizes how deeply they love each other and he concocts a plan whereby all three escape. Banjor carves several lifelike banth statues from Sorapus trees (growing in a small forest in the nearby hills) and uses them to distract the Warhoon guards at night (it appears that Onjar can make banth-like sounds). Sinja (a thoat-herd's daughter) steals some thoats and they make good their escape. They come across an abandoned and damaged flyer near the edge of the Toonolian Marsh and Onjar is able to repair it enough that they can rise a little above the trees. Passing by some weird native villages (some of whom try to attack them), the three escaped slaves eventually see the great Orovar fortress and set their flyer down in the marsh. Banjor stays with Sinja while Onjar (now in total despair because he thinks Banjor and Sinja love each other) volunteers to scout the fortress. He makes his way in, kills an Orovar soldier, and finds Thuvoria. Thuvoria is pleased to hear that Banjor has followed her across the world but immediately warns Onjar not to bring the artist near Axad Tor. Onjar then escapes from the fortress with a horde of (well, five) Orovar soldiers on his tail. He returns to the flyer but finds no sign of Banjor and Sinja. It appears that some great creature has attacked and possibly killed them, for it rears up out of the swamp as the five Orovars attack Onjar. He bravely stands his ground and the creature drives off the Orovars. Certain that he is doomed, Onjar prepares to fight the creature, but he discovers it has no interest in him. It moves off into the waters and he decides (instinctively) to follow it. He comes to the village of Penomia, where the inhabitants (sort of a cross between Red Martians and lizards) tell him they have tamed the great creature (called a Slanth). It serves as a beast of burden for their people, but the Orovars hunt the Slanths for food. The Penomians offer to help Onjar find his friends and they send out a hunting party in the direction of the flyer. When they get to where the flyer was once parked they find signs that the Orovars have returned in force. A note from Sinja tells Onjar that she and Banjor had gone to look for food. They follow the trail her note indicates and find signs of a fight not far from where the flyer was parked. Onjar now determines to rescue his beloved from the Orovars and Axad Tor. With the Penomians backing him up, Onjar launches an assault on the Orovar fortress. The Orovars come out to fight their enemies and a great battle rages through the forest. Onjar slips inside the fortress and finds Banjor trapped in a tower. Banjor tells Onjar that Axad Tor has taken the women and fled the fortress. They find the damaged flyer and set out once again in pursuit of Axad Tor. With little hope, they settle down for the night on an island deep in the marsh and convince themselves that Axad Tor will get far away. That night they hear the sounds of hunting banths and stay awake for fear of being eaten alive. In the morning the hunting banths have the island surrounded, and just as it seems the creatures will attack and devour the two men a soft singing comes through the trees and calls the creatures away. Thuvoria emerges and tells them she had managed to escape from Axad Tor right after he took off in his flyer. He had flown low over the trees so as to avoid being seen by the Orovars or their enemies (and his). So he has been circling the marsh trying to find her, and she has used her ability to communicate with banths (inherited from her mother) to hide from Axad Tor. The two men, heartened by Thuvoria's words, set out with her to find Axad Tor. He has now set his flyer down on a nearby island to wait for the Orovars to come and help hunt for Thuvoria. She uses the banths to frighten off a party of Orovars as Banjor and Onjar attack Axad Tor. This time Axad Tor takes Banjor prisoner and flies back to the Orovar fortress, but Onjar and Sinja are reunited and they finally confess their love to one another. Thuvoria, glad to see her new friends reunited, is nonetheless concerned for the brave but foolish Banjor and she leaves them in the marsh. She takes about a dozen banths back toward the Orovar fortress. Thuvoria offers herself as a prisoner to the Orovars, but when they send out a party of soldiers to capture her the banths attack them. The Orovars are cut off from the fortress and Thuvoria demands that they release Banjor at once or be killed. Axad Tor, seeing what has happened from a high tower, has Banjor hung out the window. He orders the Orovars to kill the banths and take the princess at any cost. More Orovars come out of the fortress and they kill or drive off all the banths. Thuvoria surrenders, depressed and ready to face her doom, but proud as a descendant of John Carter. She is brought before Axad Tor along with Banjor. When Thuvoria proudly tells Axad Tor that John Carter and Carthoris will not stop looking for her, the Orovars become concerned. Although they are brave warriors, the thought of having a million soldiers of Helium and Ptarth coming down their throats is not very appealing. The leader of the Orovars threatens Axad Tor, who then reveals that he has planted a bomb in the fortress. If the Orovars don't serve him faithfully he will destroy their only means of defense against the Penomians. As the Orovars grudgingly reassert their loyalty to Axad Tor an alarm sounds. Far off in the sky a huge fleet is approaching and there is no doubt that John Carter and Carthoris have come for their kinswoman. The Orovars decide it is better to kill the prisoners than to die in vain, but as they prepare to execute Banjor and Thuvoria Penomians attack the fortress from above. Onjar and Sinja have transported a party of Penomian warriors to the top of the fortress and these brave fighters win their way with the red man and woman to the side of Banjor and Thuvoria. The Orovars surround the Penomians but John Carter and Carthoris lead an attack on the fortress which quickly overwhelms the Orovar guards. Just when it seems that all will be set to right, Axad Tor triggers his bomb and uses an ancient Orovar lightning device to mask his escape. In his rush, he seizes upon Thuvoria and takes her with him. Down, down, down into the depths of the fortress he goes, seeking a last means of escape long kept secret by the Orovars. Banjor, knowing a little about the fortress, follows Axad Tor, vowing to find him no matter where the villain takes "his princess". John Carter and Carthoris, overhearing the artist's vow, exchange concerned looks and follow after him. Onjar, unwilling to abandon his friend, runs after them and the four find themselves lost in a maze underneath the fortress. They can hear Thuvoria screaming and use the sound of her voice to find her. Thuvoria is facing a horrifying three-headed monster that guards the way of escape. Axad Tor's body is lying on the ground and bleeding. Thuvoria is trapped in an alcove. John Carter, Carthoris, and Onjar leap out to challenge the monster, and as they engage it Axad Tor rises up and approaches Thuvoria. Now Banjor confronts him and the two fight an amazing duel throughout the labyrinth. Axad Tor drives Thuvoria behind him as Banjor displays an uncanny swordsmanship. He finally backs Axad Tor into a dead end and runs him through. Thuvoria flies into Banjor's arms, kisses him, says, "My chieftain, I did not know you could fight!" His reply is, "Am I not a Fighting Man of Art, my princess?" John Carter, Carthoris, and Onjar overhear everything (and have, in fact, witnessed much of the fight). They greet Banjor as an equal. |
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