((Hey all! Thanks for the reviews a bunch. I've really enjoyed writing this story and reading other DF stories! I wish I could update more often, but with finals for the semester coming up, I'm just gonna be too busy for a while. Yeah, I decided I'm gonna take my time on this story. ^_^ ))
Chapter Two: Missing: Sanity. Reward If Found.
It was a pleasant walk to Falconreach, really.
Natasha's house was located on the edge of the Shadow of the Wind Village, an odd but peaceful place to live. No one from the village ever bothered her, and she only went to the main village occasionally to greet her old master, the Jonin Thyton.
Indeed, it was odd… especially since the house she lived in didn't exactly… 'fit in' with the village. It was a gift given to her by the Water Elves, as thanks for helping them (long story), and the house looked… well, like it belonged underwater.
ANYWAY, back to the walk: it was a pleasant walk indeed to Falconreach. To get there from the Shadow of the Wind Village, one had to go east, then north, then west, and would arrive in an hour or so. One might think that simply leaving the twisting trail and going straight instead would be faster, but due to the strange (and often dangerous) creatures that lived in the forest there,it really wasn't any faster.
Usually Natasha enjoyed such walks, and would greet people she met along the way. She would then chat with her dragon or sing to herself, or sharpen her weapon… but today was different.
First of all, there were no people along the way to greet. The Shadow of the Wind Village wasn't an often visited place by merchants or a popular tourist site, but there was usually at least a messenger traveling the trail from it to Falconreach. Not today.
Natasha shrugged this thought aside: it wasn't the first time she'd met no one on the way. But still, she had this tugging feeling in her gut.
"It's like the feeling you get when you're gonna puke, y'know?" She told Sheherazad as the two walked North. Sheherazad shook her head.
"Yech. No, I don't know, cuz I've never puked! That's something dragons don't do." She gave a little prideful huff and walked on faster. Natasha frowned.
"That's not the point, Sheherazad. The point is, I don't feel good… but I don't feel exactly sick. This feeling… hmm… I guess it's similar to the one I got when I first met Xan, or helped Nythera gather reagents, or decided to play that dice game with Cysero…"
Sheherazad cocked her head. "But wasn't it fun to do all that? I mean, I had a blast fighting Xan-pan!"
Natasha glared at the little dragon. "I didn't. We practically died!" She sighed. "I guess this just proves that you're the dragon destined to destroy the world. I mean, who would enjoy fighting with that crazy psycho-"
"NATASHA!"
The interruption came from ahead on the trail. Natasha and Sheherazad looked up, slightly startled to see Valencia running their direction. Her Hammer was nowhere in sight.
"Natasha! Are-are you alright?"
As she got closer, Natasha noticed that Valencia looked rather pale and slightly distressed. She blinked once.
"Uh, I'm fine, Val. Are you okay?"
Valencia looked quickly down at Sheherazad, catching her breath, then back up at Natasha.
"Oh… yes, I'm… just fine. Yes, I am feeling fine… but Natasha, did you… has anyone you've seen today been acting… strange?" Valencia asked.
Natasha frowned. "Actually, it's been pretty quiet today: I haven't met a soul on my walk, but I'm going to Lady Celestia's to-"
"Something's wrong, Natasha. Something that may require your investigation. My giant statue is missing, there are no birds in the sky, Serenity isn't at the inn…, oh, and Robina and Ash … they're not acting normal."
Natasha blinked, then got a suspicious look. "Waaait a minute. Do you mean… they're acting like… like-"
Sheherazad piped in, "Like Uncle Cysero?"
Valencia shook her head, hardly able to believe that Natasha seemed to only hear the last words she had said. "They're just being weird… and it's not just them, I suppose. But they've got it the worst."
Natasha frowned. "Got what? Valencia, what's going on?"
Valencia frowned. "Well, come and see for yourself!" She spun around and began running in the direction of Falconreach. Natasha glanced at Sheherazad, shrugged, and followed. Sheherazad took flight to keep up.
It wasn't long until the group arrived at "That A' Way", a square-mile of forest which Valencia called home. It was a small territory East of Falconreach, and it was well traveled by adventurers and merchants alike. No one was there today, though. Valencia jogged into the territory and stopped at her campsite, where she kept her things. She turned around to face Natasha. Natasha blinked. Valencia frowned and crossed her arms. There was a moment of silence.
"What?" Natasha said, frowning.
Valencia seemed quite frustrated. She slapped her arms to her sides and gestured at the surrounding area. "Look around, Natasha! Something missing?"
Natasha looked around carefully, and then blinked in surprise. "Wait a sec… you sold your giant golden statue for 1 billion gold?"
"No, Natasha, I didn't 'sell' it. It disappeared!"
Natasha blinked. "But that's impossible! It can't just disappear! … technically, it's impossible for mass to simply fade out of existence, defying the laws of physics, so it has to be somewhere!" Or was it a different law? I should really look that up…
Valencia stared, then shook her head. "It… that statue, Natasha, was important to me. And it's not the only thing that's gone! Why don't you go visit Robina?"
Natasha frowned. "Why don't you come with me?"
"I've had enough of this… it's been like this all morning. Ever since I returned to Falconreach, things have been getting stranger little by little as time passes. Early this morning, it was just a quirk here and there, but now… Natasha, listen! Something has happened to some of the people of Falconreach, something very unusual and not at all good… it's hard to explain, but they just don't seem normal. I don't know what's going on, but I have to go search for my statue! Like you said, it couldn't have just disappeared."
Valencia began filling a bag with her belongings, but Natasha stepped forward.
"Just wait a sec, Val! You're the one who's seen what's going on here: aren't you gonna help me or something? You can't just leave me to figure it all out without a clue; I've been at home all morning! I have NO idea what's been going on here!"
Valencia smiled slyly and shook her head slowly. "Sorry, Natasha. This appears to be heroes work," she said, gesturing towards Falconreach. Natasha gawked slightly.
"But-"
"Besides," Valencia continued, "I'm a Treasure Hunter, not a detective. You find out what's going on here, while I find out where my statue went, hmm?" She sighed with relief.
"I feel so much better now that I know that you're here to handle this. I mean, you do this stuff all the time! A mystery like this one should be a good challenge for you… and that gives me pleeeenty of time to go off and find my treasures (and my dad) while you work out this mess, 'kay?" By this time, Valencia was done packing and Natasha was standing there speechlessly. Sheherazad was chasing a butterfly.
Valencia winked. "Tata! I'm off to the Jungle!" And with that, she was gone. Just like that. Gone, leaving Natasha alone.
Natasha must have stood there staring for at least fifteen seconds, because Sheherazad soon came bounding up to her and bumped her leg. "Hey, you okay?" She asked, munching something crunchy.
Natasha slowly looked down at the innocent little dragon. She noticed butterfly wings were sticking out of its mouth. "Sheherazad?... let's go to Surewould forest, and see what's going on. I think… I think we have a new Quest."
Sheherazad blinked and quickly swallowed the remains that were in her mouth. "A quest? Like an Orb quest?"
Natasha shook her head and began walking West, towards Falconreach and the entrance to Surewould Forest. "Not unless it's the Orb of Madness."
Sheherazad cocked her head. "Y'know, that sounds like something Uncle Cysero would make!"
"Sheherazad?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't say that."