Chapter 11- Winterpeg

There was hardly any time to think of a place. However, Chris had managed to find a safe, secure area to teleport to.

Stephoine and Hunter were worried at first, looking about. They felt as if they were in a dark, dank prison of some sort. "Where the hell are we! This looks like the hallway Gracebridge was tormenting people with questions." Hunter demanded.

Chris was more at ease than any of his friends. "The legendary Dungeon" he explained.

"You brought us to a damn dungeon!" Hunter demanded.

"It's been owned by the legendary Hart Family! I stumbled upon it one day, since then, I've been the only one here; the family grew out of it or something. Oh whatever you do… no matter what… Don't scream," he warned.

Stephoine looked utterly confused. "Scream?" she asked nervously. "Why would we…" just then a haunting screech came from the shadows, causing Stephoine to shriek back in terror. Hunter joined her when she screamed; he let one out of his own. Their voices echoed about the walls in a horrified manner. However it suddenly stopped.

"Cover your ears kids" Chris called as his hands came over his. Hunter and Steph didn't argue, as the walls appeared to come to life! Nameless faces stretched out and wailed painfully, and it only grew louder and louder as the time passed. However it suddenly stopped, the faces disappeared into the wall, not before Hunter and Steph saw their own vanish into the brick.

Chris rolled his eyes. "See what you did! You just added yourself to the wailing walls!"

"You better start making some damn sense Chris!" Hunter ordered. "What the hell is this place!"

Chris slowly explained to his friend that the Dungeon belonged to the Hart family; many have come to see the wisdom and teachings of the legendary Stu Hart. "He could make a sorcerer tap and surrender without casting a single spell! He was that good!" Chris explained. "There are many who have come to challenge him, he made them scream. The moment that shriek left their lips did it add their haunting voice to the wall, they never returned to the Dungeon again. Mr. Hart collected their screams, and so did his children. Those who fail to the lesson never returned. Their voices forever haunt the walls to scare away those who think they were brave enough to ask any Hart for a lesson…"

Chris paused, as there was other sounds that followed. Hunter bit his lip as the noises grew louder, the walls screamed aloud to the three friends. Chris endured it, as did Hunter. When silence fell once more, he waved his friends onward. "Come this way, I got a hidden passage here"

They followed Chris, Stephoine kept close to Hunter, worried if something were to pop up at them and make her scream once more. Luckily, nothing did.

They were led to an empty wall; Chris took out his wand and began to make an odd symbol onto the brick. Hunter recognized the lettering. Japanese. "Since when the hell did you write in Japanese?" he demanded.

Chris only smiled as he finished the lettering. Hunter could read what chicken scratch his friend did on the wall, but it lit up like fire, and revealed a hidden room. Slowly, they walked into it. It looked rather cozy for one thing. "What is this?" Stephoine whispered.

"My version of the fortress of solitude. Come on it, we can hang out here for a while at least. It's warmer than the dungeon."

Slowly, they crept into the room; it was well lit and comfortable. Chris managed to find some food he hid about the place, yet it didn't leave Steph or Hunter feeling very hungry once they learned Chris hasn't been here for a good six years.

"That's probably expired" Stephoine explained as she felt nauseous.

"Steph, Sorcerer's food doesn't expire. It's good to eat. Trust me," he explained. Chris began to rip open some of his food stashes and shared among his friends. Hunter kept staring at the locket in his hands, wondering how the hell he was going to destroy it. No one could open it, and no ordinary magic will work.

"I wished Helmsley or Fozzy were here, a little dragon's fire would fry this piece of crap!" he sighed as he kept the locket in hand, he felt the item shouldn't be left out of his sight. "So Chris… I thought you said only Canadians could come here… How come Steph and I were able to get here?"

"Because I brought you. Non Canadian sorcerers can come as long as a Canadian with knowledge of Winterpeg brings them"

"We should keep moving though, what if a Dead Eater finds us?" Steph asked.

Her concern was greeted by loud snickering from Chris; he soon lost it and laughed aloud. "Oh yeah, a Canadian Dead Eater! I can see it now 'Hello? Do you wish to surrender to the dark lord? No… Ok, sorry for wasting your time' that would be the worst a Canadian Dead Eater could do!" he smirked. "Come on guys, we're safe here for now. Might as well hang out and try and figure out what to do next"

"You're cheeriness is frightening me Chris" Hunter announced aloud. "By the way… did you ever fix that leek in Tazz's office?"

Chris smirked. "Actually, there wasn't one. Joey and Tazz are good friends, he made the excuse to get me out of the elevator becomes of you. He thought since you were Holly, I was going to get roughed up." Hunter couldn't believe how laid back Chris was… that was… until days turned to weeks, and everyone began to get on each other's nerves.

It started when they all began to take turns wearing the Gimmickcurse around their necks. Tension rose between the three friends. It grew worst when Hunter began to see through Vincemort's eyes once more. He threaded a wand maker Hunter had never seen before, but read about. He demanded to know the whereabouts of a certain wand, yet the man had no information. Hunter snaps out of it when he saw a burst of powerful, red energy… no doubt Hunter knew what became of that man.

"You let it happen again didn't you Hunter! My God, what the hell is your problem! Does everything enter one ear and out the other! What are you going to do if he finds us here in Winterpeg! You are such a moron!" Stephoine yelled.

Hunter and Chris were rendered speechless. Chris in particular was stunned. "Uh… Steph… I many have supplies here… but I may not have the kind you need right now… Will a chocolate bar do?"

Stephoine took the gimmickcurse off from around her neck. She instantly calmed down; it was Hunter's turn to wear it.

Food was starting to run low, so he decided to go out and see if he could gather some, even if it meant stealing. Chris told him Hunter was able to come back as long as there was at least one Canadian in the room.

Taking his leave, Hunter teleported to a far off town, in hopes of getting some fresh things to eat. Armed with his invisible robe, he tried to steal fresh fruit from a cart. But of all things, a tormentor appeared from the sky. "Son of a bitch!" he cursed as he tried to summon a Begonus charm. However nothing worked! His magic wasn't as strong as it was before!

Hunter had to leave empty handed, when he returned though his friends were rather upset he had nothing to eat; yet explained what happened. Stephoine was the least surprised. "It's the Gimmickcurse, it blocks all positive magic, so you can't summon the Begonus charm when you are wearing it," she explained.

"You tell him now after he goes and tries to get food! You're supposed to be the smart one Steph!" Growled Chris. Everything had been used up just over a week ago; everyone was on edge due to hunger. However, Chris seemed more anxious than the others.

Things grew worst when Chris was in a temper tantrum over the smallest things, it only escaladed when he wore the Gimmickcurse. "My mother could make food come from nowhere, and look at what we have… nothing!" he announced bitterly.

"We're going the best we can Chris!" Hunter growled back at him. "If you're so pissed off by everything, why don't you just leave!"

"Maybe I will! We're suppose to be having an adventure, so far we have done nothing but remain in Winterpeg and sitting on our asses!"

"Chris, he didn't mean it, did you Hunter?" Steph demanded as she tried to come between the two men.

"I meant every damn word of it! Chris is going to be a crybaby about this, then go. Go back to mommy why don't you!" Hunter snapped back.

Chris had it; he tore off the gimmickcurse… that left a burnt marking on his chest. He was more upset over the fact Hunter had treated him so badly. "Screw this, I am getting the hell out of here!" The moment did Chris teleport away, were Steph and Hunter forced from the comforting shelter they had been living in. They awoke in a familiar field… the place the Fidget finals were held three years ago.

"Well… that was fun" smirked Hunter. "We just got kicked out of Winterpeg!"

"Hunter… Shut up and help me set up camp," growled Steph. She was upset that Chris had left them alone, however they had to move on. There was no other choice.

Setting up camp. Hunter and Steph worked in silence as she attempted to gather some food, luckily there was a stream near by. Hunter began to regret what he said to Chris, however since there was little to do he would dare ask her once more to go to Monsoon Alley. Stephoine later returned with a few fish to eat, Hunter was impressed that she was able to catch them with no bait. However she only smiled and told him. "Magic was easier, since I caught them, you clean them" she announced.

He knew there was a catch.

As he prepared the fish, Steph just gazed onward, wondering what lies ahead of them. "What if Chris changes his mind? What if he wants to come back? How is he going to find us?" she asked.

"Hell if I know Steph, he made his bed, now he has got to lie in it" Hunter replied. He just finished cleaning the fish; Stephoine started a fire as she pulled out a pan from her hand purse. They sat silently as the fish sizzled and cooked, Steph pulled out the book Darcodorf gave her. She began to read it and was rather disturbed by the contents.

"This is rather grizzly! It makes the Brothers Grimm tales look tame!" She announced.

"Care to read some?" Hunter asked.

Stephoine began the tale of three brother wizards. They were hit with a dilemma of crossing a lake where many had died. So they used their powers to build a bridge to get across. The grim reaper watched as he was denied three new souls to harvest. When the brothers crossed they bridge, the reaper confronted them as he offered to reward each of them for their cunning skills.

"The first brother asked for a powerful wand, unlike and unmatched by any other," Steph read aloud. "The second asked for a stone to see the dead. The third asked for a robe that will hide him from death himself. The reaper made a wand from a branch for the first brother, he carved a symbol in a stone for the second, and the third he gave him one of his own robes." She explained.

A pause came over her as her face drained a pale white. "What happened?"

"The first brother bragged about his wand, he was killed as his wand was stolen. The second one went mad as he threw himself from the cliffs; unable to deal with seeing the dead… the third… the third lived a long life. When his time came, he passed the robe to his oldest son and greeted death like an old friend."

"No wonder Taker's family is so twisted… growing up with those kinds of stories!" laughed Hunter.

"You think he's trying to tell us something? The story is called the Triple Threat… what could it mean?" she asked.

"I don't know… but the fish is done" Hunter announced.