Chapter 2: The Investigation
"Lee's sword?" Rik asked, "where'd you find it?"
"Deeper in the forest" Kenny said, "it got a bit misty, and it snuffed out my lantern, darn moisture in the air, but I did hear Lee."
"Well" Rik said, "we'll have to look into that".
"Yeah, not tonight though" Kenny said, "it's about eight and it's pitch dark, and well there's a mist so the lantern won't stay lit."
"Yeah, guess you're right" Rik said, "hope he's okay." A horse drawn carriage was then heard coming down the desolate roadway.
"Hm, wonder who that is" Kenny said. A person stepped out from the carriage and there was no mistaking, it was Anne. She looks behind herself and sees Rik and says,
"Hello Rik, what are you doing over there at that house?"
"A friend invited me for dinner," Rik responded, "but what are you doing here?"
"I sent a letter" Anne said, "you didn't get it? Didn't Greg ever see it?"
"Must of missed it," Rik said "and I don't think Greg seen it either he has been with his new friend."
"New friend?" Anne asked "who?"
"Come on you can meet e'm" Rik said, he turns to Kenny, "so you stayin or?"
"Nah I'm goin" Kenny said, "see you tomorrow." And he leaves, Rik enters back into the house and introduces Anne to Rehre and Dax.
"It is nice to meet you two" Anne says, "I have got to say, I have never seen a Black Draconmage child before, not even at the orphanage I matron at."
"Orphanages even takes in beasts here?" Rehre asks.
"Yeah" Anne said, "it wasn't easy but I was able to push for it."
"That is nice" Rehre said, "I was not expecting anyone else, but I could get an extra plate."
"It's fine" Anne said, "I ate earlier". Anne looks back at the two boys, Greg gave Dax a pepper and after consuming it Dax produced a short flame.
"Hey!" Rehre shouted at Dax, "no fire in the house, I told you already!"
"Sorry ma" Dax said sulkily. Anne looks back to Rik and asked,
"They remind you of you and Tox don't they?"
"Yeah quite a bit" Rik said.
"Speaking of which" Anne said, "I came here so we could visit him again." "We have not had the chance to do it so far this year."
"Yeah, I know" Rik said.
"That and the Fall Festival starts tomorrow" Anne said. Rik have forgotten about that, it slipped his mind but the Fall Festival is always a good time. Plenty of food and festivities it is always something to look forward too before the harsh winter to come in the next month.
"Well tomorrow is a weekend day" Rik said, "we should have time before my Knight duties at nine to visit Tox." "And then maybe I can even call it quits early to join in on the festival."
"Sounds good" Anne said, "so Rehre, are you from here?" They carry on general conversations and eventually they leave and rest for the evening.
Morning broke, there were whispers in Rik's mind as he slept, he could not make out what they were saying. He woke up to the sound of silence, it was strange, his mind felt like it was buzzing. The sun was just peaking over the horizon however so it was time to get get up. Rik stood up and walked over to the mirror and sees he is surrounded by an apocalyptic wasteland. He blinks and sees that his reflection has returned to normal, he hears a whisper in his mind 'Be warned'.
"Wha?!" Rik asks aloud, "be warned about what?!" Greg rushes into the room,
Dad?" he asks, "are you okay?"
"Yeah," Rik said, "I was just hearing things." "Oh and happy birthday by the way Greg."
"Uh, thanks Dad" Greg said scratching behind his ear.
"You were hearing things?" Anne asked, poking her head through the doorway. "What things?"
"I musta still been waking up" Rik said, "I'm fine."
"Okay" Anne said, "well let's get some breakfast then". Rik got ready to go and entered into the living area. Greg was talking to Anne about something in a book he was reading.
"Dinosaurs would be pretty cool to see today don't ya think?" Greg asked Anne.
"Cool maybe, but definitely dangerous."
"Maybe" Greg said, "they kinda look similar to dragons in this book though."
"Oh, hello Rik" Anne said looking up from the table. "Come and eat, we have to go soon."
"Yep" Rik said.
"I didn't know Greg could read so well" Anne said, "who did you get to teach him?"
"No one" Rik said, "guess he just liked books so he learned."
"Unlikely" Anne said, "but still maybe." Soon Rik, Anne and Greg left the house and began to walk towards the crater to where Tox has remained. Upon arriving Anne allows Rik to go first, Rik takes Greg's hand and walks over to Tox.
"Well Greg," Rik said, "this is my brother Tox, he was the one that saved me and the world."
"What was he like?" Greg asked.
"He was nice, but kinda mean lookin to most" Rik said. "He liked to consume stuff kinda like Dax and well, he was smart, liked to use big words that I didn't really know."
"I think I woulda liked him" Greg said.
"I think he would like ya to" Rik said with a smile. Rik looks up to Tox and speaks to him, "life is good Tox." "Hope you have been to some cool places through that afterlife place, I miss ya." Rik finishes up and Anne talks to him too, talking about how things were at the orphanage and things going on. Eventually she wishes him well wherever it is he is watching from. They head back to Skyweather after a while.
"Okay," Anne said, "I am attending the festival, I will see you later?"
"Yeah" Rik said, I'm lookin forward to it."
"Alright then bye" Anne said. Rik and Greg says goodbye and then Rik asks Greg,
"You sure you want to go with me?" "Could be dangerous trackin our Knight."
"Yeah I'm sure, it will be fine" Greg said.
"Well, that's what I am hoping" Rik said. "Come on then, and you stay close a'ight? Don't want you to get lost." Rik walks up to the top of the wall with Greg and begins to do the roll call. Upon calling for Anton, he questions Rik,
"Why is the boy here?"
"He wanted to come along today" Rik said.
"But he's just a boy" said Anton, "what if we get into a conflict?."
"It's his birthday," Rik said, "couldn't really say no." "Besides" Rik takes out an apple and places it on the walls edge, "he's not bad with a knife." Rik hands Greg a throwing knife, Greg walks to the other side of the wall and throws the knife hitting the apple causing it to fall.
"Well, he's not too bad" Kenny said, "maybe better than you Rik".
"Nah, but maybe he will someday" Rik said.
"Well yeah, you'd be old then" Kenny said.
"Yeah, anyway where's Lix?" Rik asked. And then as if on cue Lix walked up the stairs, clearly sluggish and slow from the late night at the tavern.
"Hey" Lix said, "sorry I'm late again, I uh, well guess I stayed up a little too late."
"Okay, you sure you can handle today?" Rik asked.
"Oh yeah, I'm fine" Lix said, "I am still game for that festival later too." "Uh, hey fuzz boy, why do you have a little fuzz ball with ya?"
"He's my boy" Rik said, "he wanted to come along, it's his birthday so I couldn't say no." "If you can, try to be nice around him a'ight?"
"Yeah, yeah," Lix said, and then he looks down at Greg, "happy birthday little buddy, you wanna see some action don't ya?"
"It would be pretty cool to see a fight" Greg said.
"Well don't count on that" Rik said, "anyhow it's about time we get going." "Kenny found Lee's sword last night so we'll follow Kenny to where he found it."
"And then?" Lix said.
"We look around what else?" Kenny says, "sheesh talk about dumb questions."
"I can tell you something else dumb, it's looking at me" Lix retorted.
"Why you-" Kenny began until Rik shouted,
"Stop!" That's enough guys, not around my kid at least, you guys are makin yourself look bad."
"Sorry sir" Kenny said.
"Ech, whatever" Lix said.
"Man, and to think Red Dracons had short tempers" Anton said.
"Hey Fabio, he said enough already, drop it" Lix said.
"That's not my name" Anton said.
"It was meant to be an insult" Kenny said.
"Wha?" Anton said.
"Forget it" Rik says with a hand on his forehead. "Kenny, let's go, we'll follow you." They leave Skyweather's castle town and walk out into the plains and to the edge of the forest.
"Now it was dark" Kenny said, "but I remember specifically going around this bendy lookin tree. They begin walking into the forest, Kenny continues, "and I remember walking past this rock that looked like a snail playing charades." Greg looks at the rock and shrugs,
"I don't see it" he says.
"Yeah me neither" Rik said. They continue walking and then there was mist.
"What?" Kenny asked, "still misty?"
"Yeah kinda spooky" Anton said. They eventually come to a tree with a stab mark.
"This is where I found the sword" Kenny said.
"Okay guys stick together" Rik said, "this mist is getting stronger."
"Yeah" Kenny said, "more like a fog now, visibility is starting to get quite low."
"I agree" said Anton, "I can barely see where I'm- Whoa!" Anton trips over a root and falls over, Greg and Lix laughs at him while the other struggle to keep a straight face.
"Heh, you okay?" Rik said.
"As long as this face remains good lookin then yeah" Anton says with a dopey smile.
"Oh, you're a million pretty boy" Lix said, "the ground is all over ya!"
"You got a bit of a mouth on ya, y'know that?" Anton says pointing at Lix.
"Mhmm I know" Lix said, "makes me more colorful in personality" Rik looks away from his group, he saw something in the corner of his eye. Rik walks down and looks past a bend of trees. There it was again, the masked creature with its eyes glowing white out of the mask and dripping black ooze. Rik blinks but it only drew closer.
"Turn back, last chance, I. Am. SERIOUS." The Masked Creature hissed.
"N-not until I find Lee" Rik said, as calmly as he could, he was starting to feel a little shaky.
"Too late, too late" The Masked Creature hissiled. "Leave, or else.. consequences"
"Nuh- No!" Rik said pulling out his daggers, "I ain't lettin you stop me!"
"Rik?!" Kenny yelled, "Rik you okay?" The Creature disappeared as the group came rushing to his side.
"Yeah, what's with the yellin?" Lix said.
"What was it dad?" Greg wondered.
"I saw some Masked Creature" Rik said, "he said we are too late and to turn back."
"Well, where is he?" Anton asked.
"He disappeared" Rik said.
"Oh great," Lix said, "you are going crazy already, y'know what I agree with your imaginary friend, let's get outta here."
"Obviously there are mysterious and dark powers at work here" Kenny said. "We should stay and get to the bottom of all of this."
"I dunno" Anton said, "we are not trained to deal with spooky ghosts or whatever."
"It's not a ghost" Kenny said, "if it was a ghost you wouldn't even see it."
"Well I didn't see it" Lix said.
"That's because it disappeared" Kenny replies.
"Yeah like a ghost!" Anton said.
"Wait, did anyone here that?" Rik said suddenly.
"Um, hear what sir?" John asked.
"I thought I heard Lee" Rik replies. They listened in silence and yes, Rik was right, Lee was calling out for someone, anyone.
"Let's go" Rik said. They stumbled blindly through the forest in an attempt to find where Lee was calling out. Eventually there was nothing but silence and the group realize just how hopelessly lost they have gotten amongst the fog.
"Lee?" Anton calls out, "hello?"
"We are hopelessly lost" Kenny said, "of course that is obvious though."
"Then why'd you say it?" Lix asked.
"Someone had to say the clique" Kenny said.
"I don't even know what that is" Lix said scratching his head. "Who wants to just get outta here?"
"I do" Anton said.
"Great idea" Kenny said, "but we can't see anything."
"Don't worry I'll get us out" Rik said, "I can smell pies for the festival all the way from here."
"I can't" Greg said, "you sure?"
"Yeah" Rik said, "I must have a stronger nose." "Let's see, this way!" They start walking and eventually come to the side of a rock face.
"Um, we never came this way did we?" Lix asked.
"Nope, Rik are you sure you smelled pies?" Kenny asked.
"Well yeah" Rik said, "I thought I did, it's kinda.. gone now."
"Gone?" Lix asked, "now isn't a time to joke around!" "Oh I get it, you are gettin back at me for bein a jerk aren't ya? Taken me out here and creepin me out?"
"We are not tryin to do anything" Rik said.
"Yeah," Kenny said, "all of this is for real."
"...Um" Lix said, "I was hoping this was just a joke."
"It's not sorry pal" Rik said.
"Hey, I am not your pal" Lix said, "I'm no one's pal in fact and.. wait where is the little fuzz ball?"
"What?" Rik asked.
"Your kid?" Lix said. Rik looks behind him and around,
"Oh no, Greg? Greg!" Rik runs off from the others.
"Wait!" Kenny shouted, "not a good idea Rik stop!" Rik stops and looks back,
"No one seen where he went?!" he asked.
"No sorry" said Anton.
"Sadly no" John said.
"I don't get it" Rik said, "he was right behind me!" They then see what looked to be two lights piercing through the fog.
"What the heck was that?" Lix asked.
"Let's follow it" Rik said.
"What?! No no no nope!" Lix shouted. "I had enough of this!"
"Come on you are such baby" said Anton.
"Yeah?" Lix said, "you are trembling yourself!"
"I am not" Anton said, "I will lead then! Onward follow that, thing!"
"Anton!" Kenny yelled, "what ever happened to staying together you oaf?!"
They make their way through the foggy forest and eventually come across a strange looking shack.
"Okay, great" Lix said, "you led us to some shack." "Now let's focus on finding that kid."
"Yeah, it looks abandoned anyway" Rik said.
"Hey! Over there!" Anton said pointing "you see that?"
"Yeah something is over there!" Lix said. They drew closer and see that it's Greg he was holding his dagger and at his feet lied a huge wolf.
"Greg! Are you hurt?" Rik asked.
"N-no, and I-I didn't-" Greg began to stammer.
"It's okay, you did what you had too" Rik said hugging Greg. "Sometimes you just don't got the choice."
"Wow" Anton said, "that kid is pretty tough, I mean look at the size of that thing."
"Yeah," Kenny said, "I don't believe it, and even more unlikely the boy is unscathed."
"Hm," John said inspecting the creature, "actually the wolf's skeleton has been seemingly twisted, almost to knots". Rik looked at the wolf and it was obvious that some outside forced helped Greg. But what this mysterious force has done was too much, the body was just a mangled wreck.
"What the heck?" Rik asked.
"Well" Kenny said, "looks like someone or something saved your boy there."
"Yeah" Greg said, "it was tryin to hurt me but then something did.. that to it."
"Well I'm glad you're okay at least" Rik said.
"Think we should bury it?" Greg asked.
"Well I guess I could dig a hole-" Rik said until Lee once again called out and this time it was coming from the shack.
"Lee is in there!" Rik said, "come on let's get him."
"Wait" Lix said, "you sure that's him? I don't wanna end up like that wolf there."
"It must be him" Kenny said, "but I suggest we proceed cautiously." They run up to the door and Greg lingers for a moment over the wolf. He then follows the others as Rik turned the doors handle. It hardly budged,
"Um" Rik said, "someone else want to give this a go?"
"Yeah" Anton said, "stand back". He firmly grasps the handle and turns it and pulls, the door flies open sending Anton backwards.
"Oof, got it" Anton said. They enter the shack and are surprised to see just how big it was on the inside. The door opened to a mansion foyer complete with some decorative wallpaper as well as pictures of cats and clowns. The staircase was big and grand with a glassy chandelier overhead and the floor was marble. The furniture was very nice looking to with pillows on the couches as well as an comfy looking easy chair.
"What the-" Rik said, "how does this all fit in a tiny shack?"
"It doesn't" Kenny said, "it is feasibly impossible."
"Well as nice as this place is" Lix said, "it still gives me the creeps."
"Yeah same" Anton said. A blue looking ghost girl who looks papery then floats down from the ceiling.
"Ghost!" Anton shouted, "told ya Kenny!"
"Aw shaddup!" Kenny yelled.
"She doesn't look very scary for a ghost" Lix said looking up.
"Um, hi" Rik said, "who are you?"
"I.." the ghost said, "am Spooky" she said.
"Okay, Spooky" Rik said, "can we have our friend back so we can go?"
"No" Spooky said, "I am afraid none of you are leaving… ever."
"Wait, what?" Rik asked.
"Yeah" Spooky said, "no one leaves, once here always here, sorry." Rik's ears drooped,
"Aw crap…"
End of Chapter 2
Chapter 3: Spooky's Multi-Dimensional Mansion Trap
Yup, the title tells what you need to know. Looks like Spooky wasn't content with just one world so she went to spook other worlds as well. Read the next chapter now!
