I own nothing of professor Layton, I only own any characters I make and any plot I create. This is purely for my own and others entertainment. Enjoy!
Stranger?
As the Professor and Luke made their way down the overgrown road in the laytonmobile, the Professor handed Luke a letter.
"I don't understand, Professor. Why are we going to help solve an inheritance dispute?" asked Luke.
"Luke, my boy, do you really think I would take on such an ordinary request as that? Oh, no! This is an altogether unique and exiting situation, and it has piqued my intellectual curiosity." The Professor said. "But I suppose it would be best to explain the case before we arrive at our destination. Two months ago, Baron Augustus Reinhold passed away. Shortly after his death, his will was disclosed. The contents of it were fascinating to say the least. 'The Reinhold family treasure, the Golden Apple, is hidden somewhere within this village. To whomever successfully locates this treasure, I offer the whole of my estate'. Naturally, those who attended the reading of the will immediately set out in search of the golden apple. But in the end, everybody came back empty handed. It turns out that no one had even heard of such a treasure existing until its mention in the will."
"Wow, that's some puzzle, all right." Exclaimed Luke.
"Quite. Augustus Reinhold staked his entire fortune just to create one more puzzle before his death. What a perplexing individual. I wish I could have met him while he was still alive." Sighed the Professor.
"It certainly sounds like you two would've got along, Professor!" Luke chirped in. "By the way, just what is this Golden Apple anyhow?"
"Some speculate it's a rare antique, while others say it could be a gem, yet its identity remains elusive. But, Luke, I can't shake the feeling that this matter is linked to some larger mystery. Something huge." Explained Layton.
"Aha! Is that your famous intuition at work again, Professor!" Luke asked.
"Mm. Well our first step is getting to town."
"This is all so exciting!" exclaimed Luke. "I hope St Mystere is ready for the famous archaeologist and puzzle-solving detective, Hershel Layton!"
The Professor chuckled, "Ha Ha! Oh, Luke, you know as well as I do that I am no detective. Augustus Reinhold's wife, Lady Dahlia, has asked me to investigate the situation. It seems that she came across my name by chance when reading an article about me in the papers."
"And you immediately decided to take her up on her request?" questioned Luke.
"Ho ho! Well, Luke, a true gentleman never refuses the request of a beautiful lady."
"If you say so, Professor…" Luke trailed off.
"We should be nearing the town by now. Look at the map in the envelope and help me with directions."
"Right you are, Professor! What in the…? What's this?" Said Luke looking confused at the map in front of him. It had many villages on it but no clear indication as to where St Mystere lay.
"Lady Dahlia seems to have given us a test. We'll need to decipher this map in order to find the village. She wants to see if we're capable of cracking the mystery surrounding the Reinhold fortune. Care to give it a go, Luke?" enquired the Professor.
"I'll do my best! A puzzle like this should be no problem for the apprentice of the great Professor Layton."
"Very well then, Luke. I'll leave this one to you. Think of it as warm-up for things to come."
Luke pondered over the map, reading the instructions that Lady Dahlia had set. After a minute he exclaimed,
"Layton's apprentice saves the day! There we go! Now we should be able to make our way to the village."
"Right you are. We should see it on the horizon any moment now."
"Huh? Professor, do you mean to say you've already worked out the village's location?" probed Luke.
"Ha ha ha! I'm afraid I couldn't help myself. A basic puzzle like that is easy enough to solve with a glance. Anyhow, you'd best gather your things, Luke. We've arrived." Said the Professor. They both exited the car outside St Mystere which was surrounded by a river and walls. The most prominent aspect of the village was the very tall and oddly shaped tower. It had an ominous air around it. Before either of them could say anything they heard the sound of horses thumping hooves. They turned to see a lady with pale skin and raven black hair, which the foremost part was plaited to the back and the rest left to flow down her back. She dismounted her black hoarse as she approached them.
"Hello, miss, might I ask you if you are also entering St Mystere" Said the Professor friendly.
"Yes, I am" she replied nodding. She was wearing a black long flowing skirt with elegant laced boots underneath. Her tunic was a white shirt that covered her neck with frills at the front of the chest; the long sleeves were loose until they fastened up at the wrists. Over the top of this shirt was a black over bust corset with straps.
"I am Professor Hershel Layton from Gressenheller University and this is Luke." He indicated to Luke.
"I am Zinira, a traveller and illusionist." She said.
"Illusionist?" Luke whispered to the Professor.
"Someone who creates illusions." He answered in a hushed tone.
"Like a magician?" Said Luke forgetting to speak quietly. Zinira smiled catching most of the conversation and replied,
"Not quite the same as a magician."
Luke liked he wanted to say more but the Professor cut him off,
"That's quite enough Luke. I'm sorry if we were bad-mannered?"
"Not at all, I'm sure he was just curious." Zinira said understandingly. "Shall we figure out how we are going to enter the village?" The Professor nodded and said curiously,
"Interesting. It appears that this drawbridge is the entrance to the village." "And we're stuck on the outside. What should we do, Professor? Oh, look over there! There's a man standing on the other side of the river. Maybe he can help us." Luke exclaimed.
"Good day, sir!" the professor addressed the man across the river. He was wearing blue jeans and a white top. Most of his face was obscured by a red cap and a moustache. "We'd very much like to gain access to the village. Could you please drop the bridge for us?"
"Do I LOOK like the sort to go droppin' the bridge for a bunch of fancy-looking outsiders?" The man said furiously shaking his fist. "Hrmph! You've got some nerve!"
"We received a letter of invitation from Lady Dahlia. I don't suppose that changes things, does it?" Inquired the Professor.
"From Lady Dahlia?" He seemed to have calmed down; at least, he wasn't shaking his fist any more. "Well then, I'd love to lower the bridge for you, smartypants… but the engine is broken, and I can only move this blasted bridge with the hand crank. Hrmph! There's all these infernal slots I could put the crank in, but I ain't got a clue which one to use… Hrmph! So, brainbox, you got any idea which one is the right one?"
The Professor looked over, leaning over the river, if he tipped any more he would be taking a nice cold swim. He directed the man which slot was the right one.
"That should do it" said the Professor contently to himself.
"That'll do it! Hold on a second. I'll let 'er down. Hrmph!" The man shouted over. "I'm gonna say it again, I just don't feel right letting outsiders into St Mystere. But if you're Lady Dahlia's guests, I guess I'd better. At least give her my regards, you hear?"
He started turning the leaver to let the bridge down, but half way down it stopped. He gave another heave before wiping his forehead and yelled across,
"The blasted thing is jammed!"
Before anyone could do anything, the women took off a rather heavy looking bag from her horse and threw it on to the drawbridge. It made a creaking noise but did not budge. The Zinira narrowed her eyes at the bridge. She led her horse closer to the bridge. Then mounted her horse and stood up. Without warning she jumped, flipping in the air swiftly, and landed gracefully on the bridge. It made a loud groaning noise and gave way under her weight. Soon it was at a safe level to cross.
"Professor did you see that!" cried Luke.
"Yes, my boy, I did."
Standing up, Zinira placed her bag back on her horse.
"You need not put yourself in danger for our sake." Said the professor approaching Zinira. She shrugged,
"I need to enter the village myself."
"Thank you for your assistance." Layton said sincerely. Luke, who had been watching the whole conversation, blurted out,
"How did you do that?"
"Luke!" said Layton reproachfully. Zinira chuckled.
"It's alright." She said to Layton then addressed Luke, "It comes with lots of practice." She grabbed hold of her horse's reins, ready to go. Layton gestured for her to precede first.
"Lady's first." He said kindly. The man who had watched the whole event with a gobsmacked expression gathered himself together and stood in front of Zinira as she was half way across the bridge, the Professor and Luke behind her.
"Wait a minute fancy-foot! Are you invited by lady Dahlia?"
"Of course. She asked me quite a few months back but I have been preoccupied."
"Hrmph! Well alright, as long as you don't cause any trouble." With that he let her pass.