Large wooden doors leading out from the castle creaked open, as four fantasy adventurers, Anzyl, Neil, Tey'un, and Kayuli, emerged from the dimly lit hallway into what should have been the majestic gardens of the wizard's palace.
However, what greeted them was far from the lush beauty they expected. Instead of vibrant foliage, twisted and malevolent flora now dominated the landscape. Oversized venus fly traps with gaping maws and other grotesque, overgrown plants sprawled across the garden grounds. Thick, thorny vines twisted around the ornate metalwork of the pathways, reaching out like the tentacles of a sea monster.
"Okay..." Kayuli cautiously surveyed the holographic fantasy gardens, staff at the ready, prepared for any potential threats.
Tey'un notched an arrow to his bowstring, his senses on high alert. "It seems the gardens have fallen under the influence of whatever evil has overtaken the keep."
"It appears this malevolent force" Kayuli observed. "Is using the garden as a laboratory for its alchemical and toxic experiments," examining a dark flower exuding a noxious scent. "According to the holoprogram synopsis, our task is to locate and confront the Wicked Witch of the Woods, putting an end to her corruption of these once-beautiful grounds."
"So, we defeat this evil witch and restore the garden to its former glory," Tey'un remarked, eyeing the threatening foliage surrounding them.
Anzyl squinted into the depths of the garden and spotted a peculiar straw hut nestled behind the ornate centerpiece fountain. "Is that it?" he asked, pointing to the hut emitting eerie green smoke from its chimney, its walls entangled with thick, thorny vines.
"It certainly looks ominous," Neil remarked, tightening his grip on his mace.
The party readied their weapons and cautiously advanced towards the hut, when an oddly shaped and rotund guardsman emerged from behind a bush.
What struck them most was his appearance—entirely black and white, as though he had stepped out of a 1960s black-and-white television program.
"Halt! Trespassers!" he bellowed, raising his hand to block their path.
The quartet of adventurers paused, not out of fear or dread, but sheer confusion at the incongruity of the guardsman.
"You have entered the domain of…" he grandly gestured towards the small wooden hut's modest door.
As the creaky door swung open, a tall, slender woman stepped out, exuding a seductive aura. With her black hair meticulously styled, dark makeup and lipstick accentuating her features, and a flowing black dress adorned with twisted feathers and a crown of metallic spider webbing, she, too, was in the same monochrome style, reminiscent of a cheap 1960s vintage science fiction television series.
"Her Royal Highness," The guard announced, "Arachnia! Queen of the Spiderpeople!" Gesturing as if addressing a royal court.
"Dare you trespass on my royal grounds?!" she proclaimed, her voice dripping with sultry haughtiness and accusation.
The party stood dumbfounded, staring at these characters from a 1960s sci-fi show, completely out of place in their fantasy castle holodeck program.
"You're… the…" Kayuli stammered, his expression mirroring the bewilderment of his comrades, "Wicked Witch of the Woods?"
"I am Arachnia! Queen of the Spiderpeople!" she declared, raising her hands in a flamboyant, seductive manner.
"Yeah…" Neil stated unimpressed, "We heard you the first time…"
"You DARE Defy me!?" She stomped her feet in protest, "Take a whiff of my…" she said, pulling out a small bottle from her sleeves, "Pheromones…" and wafted the bottle in the air.
The party stood there, looking around, waiting for something to happen, but only the smell of cheap old lady's perfume drifted in the air.
"Is… is that it?" Anzyl asked, scanning the surroundings for any further developments.
Her face flared with hot anger, and she stomped her feet, "You scoundrels are worse than that.. that!" She took a deep breath through her flared nostrils, "That Captain Proton!"
The four blinked at her, still unphased and confused.
Her face twisted in rage, "I hope my husband, Doctor Chaotica, Ruler of the Cosmos, destroys you with his Death Ray!" She screamed, pointing her fingers up into the clouded sky above her.
The quartet looked up at the sky of the fantasy castle, bemused.
Anzyl turned to Kayuli confused and hopeful, "So, we just have to defeat her to move on, yes?"
Kayuli nodded hesitantly, "Not the grandest boss fights I've ever done, but yeah, I suppose so."
"Good!" Anzyl declared as he swept his hands up and his four nouliths floated into their armed position, "I'm quite done talking to Arachnia! Queen of the Spiderpeople!" He pointed his finger at her, and his four nouliths each fired a beam of energy, blasting the black and white evil queen, disintegrating her into nothing.
"MY QUEE…" the guard yelled, but his cry was abruptly cut short as an arrow from Tey'un's bow struck him in the chest, sending him crashing to the ground, where he swiftly dematerialized from the program.
"Well, that was a bit anticlimactic…" Kayuli sighed, his staff held loosely in his hand as he frowned at the scene.
"That was surprisingly easy…" Neil remarked, nonchalantly slinging his mace over his shoulder.
"That's because she's from the 'Adventures of Captain Proton' series," Tey'un explained matter-of-factly, holstering his bow to his back, "her character profile only had 1 health point, as she was never meant to engage in combat."
"Nevertheless," Anzyl interjected, scanning their surroundings and holsyering his nouliths onto his back , "it seems the program has deemed our victory."
As if responding to their triumph, the vile vegetation and imposing flora receded and withered away, giving way to a resplendent and opulent royal garden.
"Well, it appears we can proceed," Neil remarked as the garden quickly transformed into a scene of regal beauty.
"Indeed," Kayuli agreed, gesturing towards the ornate pathway ahead, "Shall we, gentlemen?"
With unanimous nods, the quartet continued deeper into the lush gardens, heading towards the courtyard of the Phantasma Keep's castle grounds.
"I just want to let you two know," Neil interjected, his mace still slung over his shoulder as he strode forward, "this fantasy role-playing program of your's kind of sucks."