Tucker held onto Valerie tightly from behind as they both sat on the horse. Valerie's horse kicked the gates opened and continued to ride at top speed. From the top of the hill, Maurice and Angela could only watch as they escaped, both of them praying that they would be able to make it to either Camelot or the sword in time before Vlad does.
Though both of them were also extremely scared for Valerie. Especially Angela. Ten years ago, she lost her brother and she doesn't want to lose, the only family left of her brother she has. They could only hope, that they would both be safe and sound through their journey.
ANGELA
I pray you'll be my eyes
And watch them where they goes
And help them to be wise
And help me to let go
Valerie stopped where the signs were for a moment to look back. From the gates, she could see Skulker (Now Skultech), Bullet and Blade Beak flying after them at top speed from the gates and they were catching up quick, thanks to their upgrades.
"Quick!" Tucker shouted.
Valerie steered her horse down the path that led to the Forbidden Forest and began riding at top speed.
MAURICE
Every parent's prayer
Every child knows
Lead them to a place
Guide them with your grace
To a place where they'll be safe
Skultech began to fire multiple blasts straight, thanks to his new blaster as part of his upgrade when he merged with Technus at a tree, just barely missing Tucker and Valerie's heads.
The tree was now cut in half and it fell to the ground, blocking their path. Valerie pulled back on the reins hard and rode through the shallow river, taking a shortcut to the entrance of the Forbidden Forest. Skultech, Bullet and Blade Beak immediately turned and continued to chase after them.
ANGELA
Lead them to a place
Guide them with your grace
To a place that they'll be safe
As they came closer to the Forbidden Forest, the sun began to rise and the horse suddenly reared up at the fog and became spooked, causing Valerie and Tucker to fall off and hit the ground. Valerie's horse than ran off back home.
They both heard a noise and could hear Skultech, Bullet and Blade Beak coming closer. Valerie stood up and shouted, "Come on Tuck! They're coming!"
Tucker was about to get up when something suddenly hit his leg. They both looked to see it was some kind of dart. Tucker suddenly felt his entire body freeze and groaned, "I….can't….move!"
He suddenly fell and found he couldn't move anything. Valerie gasped as she saw them coming closer.
"Just go Valerie! Get to the sword before they do!" Tucker pressed.
Even though she didn't like it, Valerie agreed with her cousin and began running into the Forbidden Forest. Skultech, Bullet and Blade Beak stopped behind Tucker.
Skultech chuckled and said, "Looks like my spectral paralysis dart works. Don't worry boy, the effects are only temporary, which will give me plenty of time to get you back to Plasmius."
He then turned to Bullet and ordered, "You and Blade Beak go get the girl while I take the boy."
Skultech picked up Tucker and began heading back to the others. Blade Beak looked at the forest as he and Bullet watched Valerie continue to run and instantly became scared.
"Wait! We're not going in there are we?" Blade Beak asked, spooked out.
Bullet groaned in annoyance and grabbed Blade Beak and began heading into the forest as he teased, "Chicken!"
"I got a wife and two eggs at home!" Blade Beak complained.
"JUST COME ON!" Bullet roared as he threw him to the ground.
Knowing he had no choice, Blade Beak followed behind Bullet, heading deeper into the forest. Valerie continued to run through the forests, dodging tree branches and avoiding Bullet's long chains as he threw them towards her, trying to capture her.
She continued to run until she accidentally slipped on a rock. She screamed as she fell over the small cliff and landed right into a river. She rose up from the water and coughed, she felt something draped over her head, and found it was a net.
"HEY!" A male voice suddenly shouted.
Valerie turned her head to see standing behind her was a 20 year old man, with black hair, wearing a white long sleeved shirt, under a red tunic, black pants and black boots. In his hands was a wooden staff and he had clouded blue eyes.
"That's my net." The man said in annoyance.
Bullet laughed as he landed in the river and looked ready to take down this stranger and bring the girl back to Vlad. Blade Beak yelped as he fell into the water. The man looked around in the air, as if he was searching for something.
Bullet picked up Blade Beak and aimed it at the man. But just as he threw him at the man, the same green puppy that attacked Behemoth barked and the man suddenly moved right out of the way and completely dodged Blade Beak, who then hit the thick tree branch on the other side of the river.
The ghost puppy then flew around Bullet and barked once again. The man ran forward and Valerie gasped as a ring appeared around the man's waist and then suddenly, his hair turned snow white and his eyes turned a clouded green. The man suddenly hit Bullet right in his privates, causing him to yelp in pain before the man blasted him in the air with an ecto-blast.
And before Bullet could do anything, a tongue wrapped around him and pulled him back as he was swallowed by a rock, which made Valerie gasp and then it burped in satisfaction from his meal. Blade Beak yelped at what he saw after he managed to pull himself free and decided to hide for a moment.
The man smiled before the ring appeared once more and his hair turned back to black and his eyes turned back into a clouded blue.
Valerie ripped the net off her and stood up. She smiled at the man who saved her life while fixing her hair, she also found him to be a bit cute. She then spoke with awe, "That was incredible! Amazing! The way you fought off that ghost…..and how you changed your form….are you half-ghost? You're amazing! You're….."
She then noticed he was holding the now ruined net in his hands and not really paying attention to her. She finished with disappointment, "Not even listening to me."
"Great. It took me six weeks to make this net, and it just twenty minutes, it's ruined." The man grumbled in annoyance, looking through the net for any catches he might have made.
"Well….you did save my life so….thank you." Valerie said, gratefully.
"Well….anyone can make a mistake." The man said sarcastically, before accidentally dropping the fish in his hands.
Valerie scoffed with a laugh before commenting, "I get it. This is where King Fright Knight sends his unfunny jesters right."
The man gave a wry chuckle before saying as he walked out of the river, "Very funny. And thank you for reminding me why I'm a hermit."
Valerie followed after the man and asked, "Wait! What's your name?"
"It's Danny and to answer your question from before, yes. I am half-ghost." The man answered, using the staff to tap the ground as he walked.
"I'm Valerie." Valerie introduced, but found that Danny wasn't even looking at her.
She ran in front of him as she asked, "Danny, why won't you look at me when I'm talking to you?"
She then could see fully, his clouded blue eyes and realised why he was also using a wooden staff. Danny was blind. He couldn't see anything.
She then felt guilty and began to say with remorse, "I'm sorry. I didn't realise you were…."
"What? Tall? Handsome? Rugged round the edges?" Danny guessed.
"Blind." Valerie finished.
"I always seem to forget that one." Danny said sarcastically.
Valerie continued to follow behind Danny, both of them unaware that Blade Beak was following them, sticking to the bushes to keep from being discovered….and possibly eaten by anything in the forest.
The ghost puppy flew up to Danny and started barking and yelping like mad. Valerie then remembered what Behemoth had told Vlad and said, "You have a ghost puppy?"
"Yes I do." Danny answered. "Why do you ask?"
"That he means knows where the Soul Shredder is." Valerie answered.
"Of course he knows where it is. The sword is in Camelot." Danny stated as if it were obvious. "You know the big castle, lots of flags everything."
"No! The sword was stolen and it's somewhere here in the forest!" Valerie snapped, causing Danny to stop walking.
She then continued, "Vlad has returned and has stolen the Soul Shredder and has my aunt, uncle and my cousin hostage. However his pet Behemoth had lost the sword and now it's somewhere here in the Forbidden Forest. That's why I'm here. I have to find the sword and get it back to Fright Knight, or Camelot and my family are doomed."
"Cujo, is the sword really here?" Danny asked the puppy.
Cujo barked which meant yes. Danny nodded and said, "Okay. We're going after it."
"Great! Thank you so much!" Valerie said in appreciation.
Danny shook his head at her and said, "No. You're not coming. When I said we, I meant me and Cujo."
Valerie placed her hands on her hips in annoyance and snapped, "Well I don't see why I can't come along! It's my quest you know!"
DANNY
I know the sound of each rock and stone
And I embrace what others fear
He tapped the rocky earth beneath his feet with his staff and suddenly, a pillar began to rise and lift him up, Cujo flew up with him as he moved closer to a bridge at the top. Valerie watched in awe at what just happened.
You are not to roam in this forgotten place
As the rock continued to go up, Valerie leapt and held on tight before climbing up slowly, trying to keep up with Danny.
Just the likes of me are welcome here
Using Cujo and his staff as a guide, Danny began to walk across the mossy log where a stream of water was falling over on top of it.
Everything breathes
And I know each breath
For me it means life
For others it's death
Valerie finally reached the top and continued to follow Danny. Blade Beak continued to keep a watchful eye over the two of them.
It's perfectly balanced
Perfectly planned
More than enough for this man
Danny split the water with his staff and walked right through it, without it even falling. Valerie slowly walked between the gap, and the gap closed and she once again got soaked.
Like every tree, stands on its own
Reaching for the sky, I stand alone
Danny stood on the huge roots of a tree. One of the vines grabbed onto him and pulled him forward, before he phased out of its grip and flew across the roots in his ghost form, listening for Cujo's sounds to guide him where to fly.
Danny smiled as he stood in a grassy field on the other side and changed back into his human form.
I share my world, with no-one else
All by myself, I stand alone
Valerie walked across the huge roots, almost losing her balance as the roots moved. She landed in the grassy field where Danny stood.
Danny suddenly began to chant and the small leaves in the field suddenly began to fly all around them, Valerie smiled and watched in fascination.
Danny continued on his way, walking past huge purple plants which opened as he walked past, revealing large moving purple vines of some kind with an orange bud.
I've seen your world with these very eyes
Don't come any closer
And don't even try
I felt all the pain and heard all the lies
As Valerie walked past them, the plants began stretching to hit her, but she ran quickly and avoided their attacks.
She then watched as Danny stepped onto the water and suddenly, was stepping on steps of water geysers with ease, heading up the next hill before walking on. Valerie then tried, but only found herself falling and being held up by a geyser.
But in my world, there's no compromise
He landed on a tree stump, which suddenly crawled out of the ground and began to move with him riding on top of it.
Like ever tree, stands on its own
Reaching for the sky, I stand alone
I share my world, with no-one else
He jumped off the stump and slid down on a slippery hill like a slide, with Cujo following behind. As Valerie finally caught up with them, Danny held onto a giant purple flower and tapped it. She watched in amazement as the petals suddenly began to spin and then suddenly, take off flying into the air with Danny holding on.
All by myself, I stand alone
Valerie then did the same thing to another flower and quickly grabbed on as it began to fly, but she struggled to hold on, hoping she wouldn't fall.
Danny continued to hold on, until he jumped off and stood on top of a tall hill, which overlooked the entire forest. Cujo landed right beside him and stood proudly with his master.
All by myself, I stand alone
All by myself, I stand alone
Valerie finally caught up and stood behind Danny as she said, "So what if you stand alone?"
Cujo suddenly whined and rubbed against Valerie's leg, begging Danny to allow Valerie to come along with them.
She rubbed the puppy's head with a chuckle and added, "You can just let me help this once."
Danny groaned and then said, "Alright. You can come, but don't give me any trouble."
