Disclaimer: I do not own anything of "Flint: The Time Detective," but I own Madeline and Ezekeil.
Chapter 3
There's No Place Like Holmes
~ The Bureau of Time and Space ~
Merlock wept openly, his sense on fire from the smell of blood. He ignored to grieve over the worst. "Sara….my beloved angel, you can't be gone….Sara." he wept.
"Merlock?" His head lifted, it was a female voice, but high-pitched, coming from Dr. Goodman's workstation. He stood, walking cautiously with his cane extended towards it, seeing one of the drawers shake. He took a breath and yanked it open, entirely too hard. The drawer went flying into the door, dumping everything out of it in a fine messy line.
He followed it all the way to the door, seeing the source of the voice upside-down and bruised. "Getalong? You escaped?!" he gasped, rushing over to the moaning little eggplant shaped shifter of love.
Getalong rolled over, moaning again in her little high-pitched voice. She'd gotten plenty of punishment ever since she was released from her fossilized state with Flint, from being blow into the sky and getting deadly rose stem shoved into her loving little heart. Right now it looked like she'd been tossed in a blender and left to her won designed, her small body littered with bruises and cuts.
She was alive at least, none of the wounds fatal at least. He picked her up and gave her a shake. "Getalong, what happened here? Where's Sara?" he asked, worry crossing his features.
"Monster came….horrible monsters that drooled and were rotting all over the place, and large fuzzy ones, werewolves I think. Just all kinds of terrible creatures appeared in here in the Catamaran. We thought it was Petra Fina returning, so the doctor and Miss Jillian went to investigate the arrival….then the screaming started. Tony….shoved me on one of the drawers and I guess went to warn Sara, but….then everyone was screaming."
Merlock's face contorted with pain. "When did this happen?" he asked.
Getalong looked at him, her eyes welling up madly with tears. "A little before midnight, I can't quite recall, but….the things stayed when they couldn't find Sara. Merlock, Bindi was here with Jillian too, and she….did something horrible when Sara came home."
Merlock tensed. "What?"
Getalong looked at the stairs, remembering painful what Bindi had done. "She told them where her room was if they'd agree to let her go. They agreed, but they lied. She led them right to her room and found the key to it for them, she just let them in. I heard Sara screaming several minutes later….then Bindi was laughing of how she'd have you all to herself….then she screamed. I stayed hidden even after I heard them left….I think….those things took them someplace in time."
Merlock growled, nearly squeezing the life out of Getalong in the process. Her squeak of pain was all that prevented him from squishing her innards out her mouth. "How dare she do that to my beloved angel!? She gave her to enemy forces over…JEALOUSY!!!!????" he roared, dropping Getalong to pound at the door. After a few strikes, the doors shattered, Merlock's fangs more prominent than ever. "I'll never forgive her for this….never. Bindi was always my partner, not my love. Sara's the one I love and I will move heaven, earth, and space and time to save her. I…..I," he stammered, looking about the torn room," I have to look for clues, come on Getalong, we're their only chance at survival."
Getalong nodded, and floated a few feet off the ground, wincing a little and floated into the time chamber. Merlock went up to Sara's room. He searched about, lifted her mattress, trying to ignore the tempting smell of his angel's blood. 'What's wrong with me? I don't drink blood, I've never had a need to….ignore it….just ignore it, its nothing.' He thought, looking under the bed, then through the clothes strewn all over the floor.
He was about to leave the room when he stepped in the spatter of Sara's blood. He stared at it, the smell stinging at the back of his mind. His eyes took it in, barely noticing his fangs growing again. He felt the pain in his mouth again, that thirst, and grabbed at it, pressing his hand as hard as he could to his lips. He felt the fangs recede. "I don't need to go crazy now, not when her life may be in danger. Focus dammit!" he scolded himself, still holding his mouth as he went for Tony's practically obliterated room.
"Merlock! I found something!" Getalong's weak, yet chirpy voice called. He nearly tripped over his own fit it was so sudden, spinning on his heels to reach her downstairs.
He found her near where the blue Time Cycle was stored before a mission, a parcel sticking out the storage compartment. A nose with a garnet symbol upon it was tied to the large parcel, with Merlock's name on the front.
He looked at Getalong strangely, then back at the parcel. "Did they want to capture me too? Who is behind this?" he breathed, untying the note carefully before pulling it towards himself. He pulled off the garnet shaped seal of wax, giving it to Getalong for a moment. He opened it slowly, pulling out the fine parchment note from within. The handwriting was very fancy, but thank fully he had been taught every language in the book, if ever if universal translator badge failed him. That, and this seemed strangely familiar. He read aloud:
Dear Merlock,
If you are reading this, phase one of my plan to bring you home has come to fruition. If you ever want to see them alive again, especially the young beauty I hear you fancy, the girl Sara, best you come to my castle and fight your way to the top for their lives. I must warn you, the moment you enter, you can never leave unless they are either dead, or you have rescued them. Either way, I'll regain you, child. Come to Viso Romania, the year 1553. Not only do their lives hang in the balance in my hands, but also your precious tapestry of time. Best you hurry. Along with this note, you should find clothes for the time, for your attire might gain you the fate of your mother. Keep them on while in the village, or you may follow her fate, the time is downright murderous. Can't have you dying so soon, now can we. I know you'll come, I know. Until at last we meet face to face, child. Farewell for now.
A Friend
Merlock read it again, turning it over, trying to catch a scent or something of who wrote it, but all he could detect was that the ink was old and the paper was new, even for the time mentioned on the parchment.
"Petra wouldn't go to this much trouble to get at me….and how would she know about….my nightmares. Was that woman really my mother?" he wondered aloud, rubbing his chin.
"Merlock?" Getalong asked, breaking his thoughts. He looked at her, folding the note up and giving it to her. "Nothing, just bad dreams….," he told her, grabbing up the parcel and opening it. It was dark blue outfit, much like what he wore, but the leggings were dark boots instead, the jacket was longer in the back, and the collar fancier. The sleeves were longer too, small white gloves set atop the entire bundle.
There was also a dark blue, almost navy blue colored, hooded cloak with a mouth guard. "The letter did say downright murderous. They weren't kidding." He said to himself, then looked at Getalong," Uh….let me change in here, wait by the door, please."
She giggled at him, making his cheeks stain pink. "Ok, Mr. Modest. I'd need a picture of your face the second Sara sees more of your body…giggle." She tittered, floating out quickly. His face went bright red, gasping at her statement.
'I can wait for that when I marry her. My luck I get the Shifter of Love, but Getalong is tough little lady. She'll be ok….she can get the ones I get free first out of this kook's castle so I can search for the rest without wasting time.' he thought, shrugging out of his shirt, then his small blue jacket. He didn't feel cold, that hadn't happened in years. He felt awkward, taking his clothes off in Sara's house, even if she wasn't around.
He took off his body suit, then his shoes and legging, feeling his body go red. He had a funny thought in his head, which he'd prefer to his beloved being kidnapped, that everyone else was hiding in the house, and would walk in on him in his boxers. They'd all have a good laugh and everyone would be fine.
But that was a parody of a fairy tale, there was blood all over the house for pity's sake. He started to pull on the new clothing, surprised how it fit him so well. It was blue at least, dark, but blue. He liked that color, it was so….him.
After he got everything on, he called for Getalong, pulling his cloak on. Getalong floated it, then her eyes bugged out of her head and she fell on her rump. He eyed her quizzically. "What?" he said, then looked down at himself," This thing doesn't have a zipper, my fly can't be open."
Getalong shook her head, floating up to him smiling. "No, it's just that you look so handsome, like dark prince. Your other kids make you look so boyish but this….heck, you look about ready to ride in on a horse and save a princess." She said happily.
Her blushed a little and nodded. "Well, Sara is my princess, so it's appropriate. I will storm this 'friend's castle and save my beloved angel of light. Now….let us take leave of this place…before the cops come and think we did this." He smirked, setting the coordinates.
Getalong nodded and perched on his shoulder. He sat down on the cycle, sorely missing his Time Scooter, but he needed Jillian's approval for even touching it. It was the rules, and Jillian was among the hostages, so this would have to do. He'd explain himself later, his friends were in danger. "Hide in my cloak when we arrive….we'll, have to borrow a cart or something there to hide the cycle. They might burn us just for seeing you two." He told her, and felt her squish her body to nod.
"Ok then….time travel circuits on." He said, flipping a few switches and striking a few buttons," 1553, I'm coming for you."
The Time Cycle's eyes glowed gold a moment, then lifted off its platform, shooting into the tunnel of time in the blink of an eye.
~ Viso, Romania ~
- 1553 -
Merlock found an abandoned cart in the forest they arrive in, his head hurting at the sight of it. He could smell blood, and the decay of bodies just decaying. The horses were fine, all be it looking a bit hungry. He just stuffed the cycle under mounts of hay, taking out enough for the horses to munch on. It was nighttime, but nothing bothered him or Getalong. He heard a scream or howling every so often, but not close enough to worry. He felt poorly for not aiding those. in trouble, but he was limited. He didn't know if his host would grow bored and start slaughtering his friends suddenly.
Merlock shook the terrible thoughts, waiting for the horses to regain their strength for a few more minutes before getting on the cart himself. Getalong tucked herself into his cloak, holding onto his back, well out of view.
He snapped the reigns, the horses responding instantly, walking at an even pace. The forest seemed to last forever, that sick feeling returning to his mind. It looked so familiar to him, like he'd been here before. They moved on slowly, a few owls hooting within the lush, dark emerald covered trees. It was lovely pine forest, but the smell was not of the trees, but of death. The forest smelled stale and rotting, as if the trees were stuffed to the brim with the dead.
He spurred the horses on, wanting to get out as fast as possible, when he turned a bit, and saw a small grove a ways off. For a moment, he saw Jillian sleeping there, a faded, ghostly image of her when she was younger, before she grew as cold as ice to everyone but him. He shook his head and the image was gone. 'Have I been here after all?" he wondered, staring at the spot even long after they had passed it by.
~ The Town of Viso ~
- Morning -
Merlock had arrived here in the night, so he went on towards the castle and left the cart at the giant and dark place. He had looked at it until the sun came up, his garnet eyes looking for signs of his friends. He saw nothing, except a flash of white in on of the upper towers, probably a candle going out. Then he walked away from it, to get some information on the castle before going in there. Getalong had said there were zombies, werewolves and monsters that had kidnapped everyone. There could be more horrible monsters within, he had to be sure, and maybe find out who lived in there.
It took the village at least till seven in the morning to all come out, all wearing silver or wooden crosses about their necks, strings of garlic and barrels of rose petals lining the streets. Merlock watched them, and no one gave him even a glance, as if he wasn't even there.
He ignored this and explored the town on his own. He had time enough to search this place. It seemed oddly familiar to him as he walked about, things catching his eyes that mad him feel small pangs of sadness, then happiness. The town wasn't large, but not diminutive. It was like basic town, market place, houses spreading out like spider web from that point, a mayor's mansion, jailhouse, a slaughterhouse, breeding stalls for horses and other livestock.
He saw no whorehouses or anything unsanitary for the mind, but he doubted that would expose itself during the damn day. Still, even at night, he expected one to be around, or at best an open bar like most towns during this dark time, making some kind of noise. The town had been dead quiet the moment he arrived.
Merlock bumped into a young woman, maybe Sara's age, but she kept on going, like she'd never touched him. He watched her go, scowling. "Murderous I have yet to see, but damn, these people are rude." He muttered, feeling Getalong pinch his spine," Ok, I'm going….stop that."
Merlock looked all over, no one talking to him, even if he'd ask them. They just passed by like he was some salesman with a crappy product, not even glancing at him. He was getting frustrated now, willing to start a fight to get the information he wanted. He was about to jump on passing old man leading mule through the streets when saw a house, far different from the others.
This house was made of the same material, but it was worn out, falling apart and covered in soot and dirt. The other houses were standing tall and clean as they could manage, but this looked like it'd been abandoned in a hurry. No windows were boarded up, but some of the glass was broken and the door was slightly ajar. He looked about, see if anyone would go near it as he did.
He noticed a few people stopped in their tracks, looking at him as if for the first time, but made no move to stop him. As he reached the door, he looked back, his hidden red eyes regarding them curiously. They just stared back, fear permeating their own eyes. He touched the door, and swore he heard a few people gasp. Merlock went inside, shutting the door carefully behind him. It was dark in here, even with the little bit of sunlight getting through the broken areas of dirty glass. He felt lucky to be half-vampire, it let him see in the dark a little better than most.
The place smelled of dust and stale bread, so much he had to stifle a few sneezes as he moved through the place. It was quaint little cottage, all be it filthy and messy as Tony's room was on a daily basis. A chair was overturned, one of the legs hacked off the table in the cobweb encrusted kitchen. He blinked a moment, his heart feeling sick. He saw that woman from his dreams, her purple hair swishing about her fine dress. She was cooking something, looking so beautiful, then turned a bit. She looked radiantly at him with a smile that could have stopped a heart dead, then faded away, like the haunting image she was.
He shook his head, the memories leaking out of his mind making him see things. He blamed the therapy. He still didn't understand why the past had been hidden from him for so long. He could have taken it, why didn't Jillian trust him with the truth, whatever the truth was. It was making him feel sick all over, but he gathered it would pass.
He moved past it and nearly fell as his foot hit empty air. He pulled back, Getalong peeking out to see what was going on. "Did you step on a loose floorboard, Merlock?" she asked. He shook his head and peered at the open expanse just before him.
It wasn't hole he'd just made, it was a floorboard that had been removed years ago, a small handprint revealed in the dust. He saw a small blanket nestled within the crawlspace the board probably had hidden then, some petrified fruits and nuts sprawled out across it. His head hurt again, making him shut his eyes. As he opened them, he saw the little boy from his dreams, him as a child curled up in a ball, looking scared out of his mind.
The boy shivered, staring upwards as if he were seeing something horrible. Then blood spattered on his small cheeks, tears mixing with them as the fright grew. Then the image faded, leaving Merlock to his thoughts. "I….I saw myself….I was put in there when I was a child….my mother….she must have out me in there to protect me…." he mumbled, things coming together. The therapy was making it painful to remember, but it was coming, but not as fast as he would liked. The bits and pieces he'd seen so far told him one thing, Jillian had lied to him.
He was from the past, this past, where his mother had been burned alive for something petty, then things went dark, and somehow, he'd come across Jillian in escaping the darkness that seemed to plague his thoughts, and had been taken to the future.
Merlock thought it made sense. He was the only one of his kind he knew of, despite what Jillian said about him having a clan, but that was a lie too he gathered. He was all that as left of his clan, all alone in a time he didn't belong to, but couldn't be sent back. It hurt a little, to be lied to for most of his life, but this all made sense. Where else could a rare vampire breed come from than the past. "Why didn't you tell me, Jillian? What did you gain from hiding the truth?" he asked no one. Getalong watched him, feeling his sadness, her face showed it enough with the deep frown on her mouth.
"Its ok….no one would care if you weren't from the future. Its not a bad thing, Flints from farther back than this, its not terrible." She coaxed. He nodded, his body shaking a little. "Its not that, Getalong….it's the fact Jillian lied to me. She gave me false hope that there were others like me….she lied to a child to now….making me think….I belonged in some small way. It hurts me to know that everything she ever told me about my life….was a lie." He said quietly, looking away from the floor. He carefully walked up the stairs, a few steps breaking. He steadied himself each time, too upset to let small things bother him.
"Yes, but that's all the more reason to go on, so we can save them and find out the rest of your past, and why Jillian kept it from you. They're counting on us, Pterri, Flint, Rocky, Jillian, Dr. Goodman, Tony, and…."
"And my beloved darling Sara. Yes, but I have to see the rest of this place….this might be the last time I come here. I want to at least see where I spent a few years of my young life….to remember something about my mother. I can't even remember the good times with her so well. All I have are….nightmares and hallucinations right now." He said softly, opening a few doors, but the rooms were stripped clean and disorderly.
He kept going, wanting to find something, a painting, a handkerchief, anything that belonged to his late mother. He found nothing the first few rooms, some for storage, another was for sewing, from the needles and fabrics strewn about the walls and broken furniture. Then he reached the last door, just before another staircase, but this area was different. It was clean and polished.
Merlock stared at the fine mahogany door a moment, touching to make sure he wasn't having another hallucination fit. It was solid, and cool to the touch, as if someone had just cleaned it. He grabbed the knob gently and turned it, pulling the door outward. He stepped in, his breath taken away, the room was spotless. There was fine bed on the corner near a dirty window, pretty much the only dirty part of the place, from the outside. The bed was neatly made with a fine, clean quilt with ancient designs of dragons and roses, pillows neatly fluffed.
To his left, there was a finely polished bureau and sparkling silver adorned mirror. The floor had fine carpets upon it, the same designs there, a few with blue roses in the center, a drop of blood leaking from it as a pale hand held it high. It was stunning, he'd never seen such beautiful work. Merlock stepped past it, so as not to get any dirt on it and looked at the mirror. His reflection looked back at him, then mimicked his movements as he looked about the bureau.
Perfume, jewelry of the finest caliber, make-up of the age, and a fine, golden brush, were laid out upon, all neat and tidy and in perfect order. His pendant shined back against it in the mirror, stinging his eyes. Most of the jewels were either sapphires or rubies, no other color aside from gold and silver challenged them.
He took his pendant in his hand and looked at it, then at the jewelry. 'I wonder if this was mother's after all. Maybe that's what the note meant.' He thought, tucking it back in his shirt before searching through the drawers. He found nothing, just spotless, yet empty drawers. Then he opened the final one, to the upper most right of himself. He opened it knowing it to be futile, as if to get another rust of old air and cleaning solution, but he caught his breath when he saw a small figurine inside. It was of his mother, carved from fine marble, painted perfectly.
He stared at it, the same woman from his dreams was carved in this once boring piece of stone. It was perfect in every detail, down to the slightly wave of her purple hair, the glint of her blue eyes. His lips pursed a bit, eye lidding a little in pain from the memory of this woman encased in flames. Merlock turned it about in his hand carefully, and saw there was an inscription on the bottom," Madeline Holmes, 1530."
Merlock's garnet eyes widened as he read it, feeling a sinking of his heart further than it had ever gone. This woman had been his mother, and he obviously had seen her burned alive as a child. "But why can't I remember you, mother? Was I that traumatized by your death….I must have been to have these memories hidden from me by the therapist. But then, how will I know who my father is? That if I'm the last of my race for real….?" He asked the lifeless figurine. After a few moments of silence, he hung his head down low and pocketed the small stone figure, leaving the room after giving it one last glance.
~
As Merlock stepped outside a very small crowd of old men and women greeted him, all staring at him sternly, a few in shock. "What? I thought it was abandoned." he asked, looking about himself.
The tallest elder, his white beard swishing as he shook his head. "No, son, its just that that house hasn't been entered in sixteen years, not since this town was swallowed up by demonic cloud." He said surely.
Merlock tilted his head to the side, and looked back at the house. "That long? Might I ask why? And what's this about a demonic cloud?" Merlock asked quietly.
He backed into the door when one of the old women got closer, trying to look under his hood. He looked away each time she tried.
"We were all nomads at one time, gypsies in the forest until the town of Viso screamed bloody murder. We all came in and found it deserted, a pyre in the town scare, but the only bodies in town were those of the citizens, not the burn victim. We decided to stay and it was fine for a few days, then the count came out of his castle, sonny." The old woman told him, still trying to peek at his face.
"Count….so that's who live in that dark place. What did he do when he came here?" Merlock pressed, finally putting his back to the woman.
Another old man stepped up, sighing. "Count Ezekeil came down to warn us never to touch this house ever or our fate would be that of the former people of Viso. The man was very strange looking, even for a vampire lord, but he said he'd leave us be if we left this house and him alone for eternity. If he were ever disturbed, he'd destroy whoever was involved in it. We listened, we tell you, but that crazy woman that came here a few months ago with her trolls wouldn't listen."
"Woman? Did she….have green hair?" Merlock asked.
The man nodded. "You know that vain old banshee?" the man asked.
"Yes, she's a fugitive I've been….hunting, for a while. Do you know where she went after the castle?" Merlock put in. The man snickered and shook his head. "That crazy lady and her monsters went inside the castle with that weird cat shaped cart of hers and never came back out. She wanted the family jewels, but I guess she found the count, because people have been dying lately. His monsters have been ripping up tourists and stragglers left and right ever since that woman vanished," the man said, and started to turn away," And my advice to you, son, is to forget about your bounty on her. Its not worth your immortal soul."
With that the group dispersed, all but the one old woman that had been staring intently for his face. She took his hand and put something cool in his gloved palm. "To keep the evil away, boy, get away from this place as fast as you can or the count will mark you for death as he did Viso sixteen years ago." She said gravely, then toddled off.
Merlock watched her go, blinking in shock, then he opened his palm to see she'd given him a silver cross. He scrutinized it carefully and stuffed it into his cloak for Getalong. "You wear it, you're not like me, Getalong. Don't need some pain in the neck getting you too." He told her, feeling her nod as she took it.
"Now what?" she asked quietly.
"Now….we wait for nightfall and sneak into the vampire lord's castle and save our friends. Now we know no one will aid us in getting in, might as well get in there and start this rescue. I saw an inn when we first arrived, we'll rest there till nightfall." He replied, feeling another nod, and walked away from the house evenly.
'Why did you have to die, mother? Why did he murder everyone….unless….he's my father. I'd have to meet him first, then I'll know….after I save my beloved and the others.' He thought, suddenly feeling slightly cold.
~ Craven Inn ~
- Sunset -
- Nightmare -
Merlock stood in the Town Square, wearing the clothing his host had given him this time, without the cloak. He was watching his mother be dragged to the stake amidst a large pile of wood. He still was powerless to change the memory and equally powerless to move. He watched with frightened garnet eyes, his skin paling near white as she was tied to the stake, the priests reading the rights of god to her. She struggled and wept as they splashed holy water, rose petals, and garlic cloves at her as always, lighting the woodpile on fire.
She screamed violently this time, her head bucking forward, those fearful and pained cobalt blue eyes hidden from his sights. He heard the child version of himself cry for her, weeping, and then the screaming started again. The dark cloud was coming again, murdering people left and right, blood filling Merlock's tender mind until everyone was dead around him, only the burning woman with him now.
She was weeping, and he tried to move for her. He succeeded for once, and slowly made his way to her. Before he could get to even the woodpile, the flames grew and blocked him from the weeping woman. "Mother!" he cried, his voice shattering.
"Merlock….run away, far away. Never come back….the truth may kill us all." She said, her voice different from his past dreams.
"Mother?" he asked, peering at her hard. Her head shot up so fast he lost his balance and fell over, staring at wild blue eyes, the hair now vibrant shade of fuchsia as the flame licked at her. "SARA!" he screamed, trying to get to her gain, but the flames shot up again and knocked him away as the crying face of his beloved stared back at him.
"SAVE US! IEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" she screamed, and the flames took her down, turning her body into dark, flaking ash.
~ End Nightmare ~
"SARA! NO!! Oh gods….." Merlock panted, sweat all over his body as he sat up violently from his slumber. Getalong woke up from the puffy pillow she'd chosen as a bed, her eyes worried as she quickly floated to him. "What's wrong? Merlock?" she asked.
He shook his head, beads of sweat dripping from his pale blue skin and the tips of his lavender hair. Merlock rubbed his forehead before getting out of the bed and started to dress. "We are leaving now." He said simply, hard and serious.
"But its not even…."
"WE ARE LEAVING NOW!" he shouted at her, scaring the life out of the time shifter, then her pulled on his pants and boots," I had a horrible vision….they're in danger the longer I wait. I have to go now and save them. Sara needs me….he's going to kill her, to kill them all over me."
She nodded, the cross he'd made her wear swinging a bit as she did. When he got his cloak on, she floated inside it to hide again, the amber sky filtering in the room as he pulled the curtains apart from the window. He looked outside to see where it led, a darkened alley. It was perfectly deserted, very few people on the streets as well. He took a breath and leapt out, landing neatly on the ground and took off in run for the castle.
~ Castle of Count Ezekeil ~
Merlock pushed himself harder to reach the castle, the sun still setting. As he reached it, he saw the drawbridge was down, as if daring people to try their luck in killing the count and his hordes during the day.
The sun went on dropping beneath the horizon, Merlock still running for the drawbridge. Then he heard a clinking noise, and watched in horror as the drawbridge was slowly being lifted. "Paranoid, huh? Well, for Sara, I will not be defeated so easily….Count Ezekeil, I'm coming for you, you murdering hostage taking bastard!" he yelled, a rush of adrenaline hitting his blood and he took a leap as he was four feet away from the climbing drawbridge.
His feet touched down on the edge of the rising barricade, but he went on, running fast and right over it into the castle courtyard. He kept going till he passed through a large expanse of a doorway, jump away as a metal gate fell down behind him with a loud clang.
He slowed down a bit after a few minutes, the loud thundering boom of the drawbridge finally closing and the night sky rising over his head. Merlock panted in the jog he could manage now, Getalong coming out of his cloak smiling at him.
"WOW! Merlock, that was amazing! You haven't been crashing into things so much anymore, you've really changed in the past two years."
Merlock looked back at her, smiling prominently. "Thanks, that means a lot to….Mphhh!" he was saying, then rammed into a statue. As he fell over on his back, stars in his eyes, Getalong just sighed. "Well, that didn't last long, but I believe in you, Merlock. Sara does too. You'll save them. Believe in the power of love and we shall triumph!" she cheered as he started to stand, a bit dizzy.
He raised his hand up groggily and managed out a dopey sounding," Here, here….Oi!" He moved on, teetering from left to right for a while, stopping at the castle doorway a moment to regain his senses.
"I'm coming, Sara." He said quietly, shaking off the dizziness. He would come, he'd save her, no more klutz attacks, his friends' lives were at stake. He couldn't afford screwing up at all from this point on.
To be Continued….
