CHAPTER 14

:One Past Midnight:

Once again, the sun dissappeared into the snow clouds, the Snowy Village falling into the dark. A dim streetlight flickered into life as Rosis stared through a window in the Main Hall. He sighed and shivered in the cold, wrapping his paws in the ends of his jumper.

Teal had been taken to an infirmary somewhere in the building and Aria had lead the villagers to a small hotel connected to the Main Hall. Rosis had been persuaded by the others to come with them and look at the room he was sharing with a few other Raposa. He had taken a look around, but was intent on leaving as soon as he could. Jowee would be waiting and he couldn't leave him there.

Rosis took his eyes away from the window and looked around, a shuffle startling him. "Who's there...?" he called. "Jowee, is that you?"

There was a clunk of armour on the marble floor and heavy marble footsteps echoing off the walls. Rosis hid behind a case of antiques and stared. A group of knights cane into view, including Teal.

Hey, Rosis thought as his ears flattened out, I thought he was recovering...

"You hear tha?" the knight on the left said quietly. "Somefink's 'ere!"

There was a rustle of armour as the knight on the right shook his head. "Don' be stupid, ain't no one allowed in 'ere past the fall 'o sun."

Teal grunted. "Quiet, both of you."

The knights scowled and fell silent.

"Don't you worry, if anyone is here I'll set the bakis on them." be smiled, Rosis shivering. "Right, you two know what you're looking for?"

The knights shrugged.

Teal scowled then let out a frustrated sigh. "Like I've said one hundred times, we are here for the scroll..."

"Uh, scroll?"

"Bah! Do you two ever listen?" he shook his head. "I'll take that as a no. The scroll, the one that's a page for the Book of Life. It's the only thing why were allowing the Raposa Village people stay here."

"I don' get it, why are they staying 'ere?" the knight said.

"Because they have the Book, you fool!" Teal breathed out. "...If we get that page and put it back where it belongs, we can destroy the Shadow once and for all... it's the only thing that can save us now!"

"Why don' ya just tell em we 'ave the page then they can put it back in themselves?"

"Because if they know we have the page they'll destroy it. Why? Because if the page is put back into the Book of Life, the Creator will suffer. You see, this page was not made by the Creator, it was made by Wilfre in case the Shadow ever turned on him. And because it was made by a Raposa, there is a chance that the Creator will slowly start to die after destroying it." Teal paused for a second. "That village would never risk the life of the Creator for a life of being Shadow free..."

"But if the Creator dies," the knight said. "Won' we start ta fall apart too? Remember what happened when the Creator abandoned us...?"

"It's worth a shot, we cannot let our descendents live by the tyranny of Shadow." Teal cleared his throat. "Right, did you get all of that?"

"Yessir!"

"Then hop to it! We don't have any time to lose..."

The knights immediately began looking into the cases of artifacts, red eyes staring at each one. Rosis snuck around the side of the case and readied himself to jog to the other side. He held his breath and ran on all-fours across the polished floor. Something fell from his pocket and hit the ground with a clink. Pressing himself to the case on the other side, Rosis clenched his fists, seeing the object lying haplessly.

The Darkness Pen...

"Hoi!" the attention of a knight was caught. "Oo's there?!" he drew a sword from its scabbard and jogged to the scene, stopping a few metres away as the second knight and Teal came to inspect.

"Wassat...?" he pointed to the Darkness pen.

The second knight walked a little closer. "Looks like a..." his face scrunched up. "...a pen?"

The two of them exchanged glances and began to laugh. Teal raised a hand to signal then to be quiet. The skin under his eyes tightened as he walked forward, drawing a dagger silently.

"Do you imbeciles know what this means?" Teal growled, the knights stiffening. He turned to face them and raised an eyebrow, his white fur standing on end. "It means that someone is in here with us, and that someone has heard every part of our conversation..."

Teal walked calmly over to the Darkness Pen and placed it into his pocket. "Gravenhurst, Duncan," the knights raised their heads. "Release the Bakis."

Gravenhurst... Rosis looked over to the first knight, a large, unkept Raposa with dirty white fur painted with scars. His eyes were red and narrowed, carrying pupils as thin as the blade on Teal's dagger. Perhaps he was an albino. His ears were short and straggly, the tufts on the ends half pulled out and wiry. Gravenhurst was most likely the biggest Raposa that has ever lived: four times the size of Rosis, muscles bulging against gold armour.

Duncan... he was smaller, but still would match up equally in a fight with Gravenhurst. He was around two feet taller that Rosis, his ears taking up most of his height. Duncan's face was pinched, his eyes sunken and grey in colour. He was not an Arctic Raposa, instead he had rust red fur with a white face and paws. A scar trailed across his lips, forcing him to bare his yellow teeth, giving him a permanent look of distaste. Duncan's armour looked custom built: extra tough and reinforced with titanium, it would take more than a mere bullet or blade to get through its silver surface.

"That means now!" Rosis leapt as Teal's voice boomed through the cold air, Gravenhurst and Duncan toddling away nervously.

"Right you are, Sir!" Gravenhurst said, his armour clanking heavily. Hoi, Duncan! Get ya fluffy behind inta the prisons and release dem Bakis."

Duncan jogged along side him. "Where might dey be again...?"

"Gah!" he grabbed him by the ears. "Fine. I'll do it, ya bumbling fool..."

Teal watched as they thundered up a flight of stairs to the right. He breathed out heavily and brought his dagger back into view.

Closing his eyes, Rosis realised there was only one chance of escaping. He shot across the room, his paws hitting the marble with a squeak. Teal's eyes darted to him and turned to slits.

"You!" he bellowed. "Stop where you are!"

Rosis kept his head down, hoping he wouldn't be recognised, and swung open a door. He raced down the corridor that lead to the hotels and disappeared.

Meanwhile, Teal placed the dagger back into its scabbard and scowled. "I knew you Raposa Village freaks couldn't be trusted... but not to worry, I'll be getting what I want then disposing of you all."