Sorry it's taken me so long to update. Been occupied by a few things and I was having a hard time getting back into YuGiOh when I wanted to. But now I'm back into it. So enjoy!


Chapter 2

Wrong Turn

Rushing to the house, Yugi and Ryou open the cellar door, allowing the rest of the smoke to come out. Looking inside as the smoke slowly cleared, the boys could see that Solomon Muto had somehow got stuck in a barrel after the blast sent him flying. In an attempt to free himself, Solomon had the barrel bounce along with him until the third landing caused the barrel to collapse with one part still around his midsection.

Solomon's career allows him to travel the world, study ancient civilizations, discover ancient artifacts that he brings home to clean them and fix them to work or look like new. The artifact he has brought home from his last journey that he is trying to repair is an arrow machine gun the Greeks had used in battle that had shot countless arrows it would take for ten archers to fire.

Both boys coughing as they enter the cellar, Yugi says with a strained voice from the smoke, "Grandpa?"

"How in the world did that happen?" said Solomon as he got to his feet only to see that a part of the barrel is still stuck on him. With Ryou's help, Solomon removed it.

"Are you alright, Professor?"

"I think I'm fed up with fixing this hunk of ancient junk." Solomon had set the old weapon down on the floor after all of his failed attempts to get it to work once again.

Chuckling at his usual behavior, Yugi says with a smile, "You always say that."

"And you always get old and ancient objects to work again like new." added Ryou with his own chuckle.

"Now I mean it this time, boys. I'll never get this bonehead of contraption to work!"

"Yes you will! And with all of the artifacts you've gotten to work again, you'll become a world famous historian and technician."

"Do you really believe that?" Solomon asked with a raised eyebrow and a sneaky grin on his face.

"We both have, sir." Ryou reply as he leaned in closer with Yugi to show they both do believe in him.

"Well then, what are we waiting for? I'll have this old weapon fixed up in no time. Hand me my tools please." As Yugi grab his box of tools, Solomon continues, "So did you have a good time in town today?"

"I got a new book and game." Bringing the box over to his grandfather and leaving it where he can reach, Yugi then asks, "Grandpa, do you and Ryou think I'm odd?"

"My grandson, odd?"

"What makes you think that, Yugi?"

"I'm not sure. I just feel that I don't fit in this village. Other than you Ryou, there's no one else I can talk to easily." Yugi answers, feeling lonely.

"What about that Vivian Wong? She's quite a lovely girl." Solomon says as he runs his hand through his box of tools to find the right ones he'll need.

Both rolling their eyes, Ryou continues for Yugi, "She is beautiful, but she is rude and so full of herself."

"Grandpa, she's not the one I want."

"Well don't you worry yourself, my boy. One of these days things are going to change for us." Rolling out from under the machine gun, Solomon stood up, wipe his hands and had the boys help him take the arrow machine gun outside to the area on their property where he had set up a few targets. "Now, let's give this baby a try."

With Ryou pulling on the sprocket, it was thrilling to see that the arrows flew out and into the targets without anymore problems. "It works!" both Yugi and Ryou exclaim as they give happy smiles to the older man.

"It does?" Seeing that Ryou got every arrow to hit a target without missing, Solomon is finally satisfied that he got yet another artifact to work like it had in the past.

"We knew you could do it!" Yugi says as he and Ryou hug the man for his success.

"Prepare Spirit, boys. I'm off for another journey!" With nods of their heads, Yugi and Ryou take off to prepare one of the two horses that they have as Solomon run his old hand over the weapon he got to work again. "I never get tire of my discoveries and repairing them to the way they once were."

An hour later, Yugi brings Spirit, a handsome kiger mustang over to his grandfather with Ryou carrying the supply bag that'll be strapped to the back of the saddle. Once the saddle and bag are all set on Spirit, Solomon mounts him and starts to take the forest path behind the cottage. "Goodbye, grandpa!" Yugi calls after him.

"Good luck, professor!" Ryou adds as they both wave.

"Goodbye boys." Solomon waves back. "And take care while I'm gone!" And so, Solomon rides Spirit down the countryside for a new adventure.

Once they were out of sight, Ryou faces Yugi and says, "Shall we go train Rain?"

"I'm sure she'll love that." Yugi replies and the two go over to the stables to get the brown paint mare with beautiful blond mane and tail. Rain loves the two boys just as much as she loves her mate Spirit.

The sun is setting. Spirit starts to feel uneasy about the forest as it slowly becomes dark. Coming up to a tall post with unreadable signs pointing in different directions, Spirit is just about to take the path that has more light than the other path, but Solomon turned him onto the darker path.

Riding down the dark path, Spirit hears wolves howling and saw movement among the dark trees and bushes. Also hearing the howling on the wind, Solomon started to feel uneasy and regretting going down the dark path. Attempting to escape before any wolves came out, Solomon rides Spirit around the dark forest until they came to a drop off. Backing up Spirit, Solomon tried to steady him until the howls caused Spirit to stand on his hind legs, causing Solomon to fall off his back and releasing his lantern which Spirit stepped on it as he ran off.

With his lantern destroyed and only the moonlight as his only light source, Solomon searches for a place to stay for the night when he heard growling from the trees. Gasping, Solomon makes a run for it with the wolves give chase. It wasn't long before Solomon found himself standing before a tall iron gate in a tall concrete wall. Having no other choice, Solomon reaches the gates to find them open. Once on the other side, he slams the gate right on the wolves.

The wolves no longer able to reach him, Solomon turns to see a great castle before him. Just then he saw a bolt of lightning and heard thunder as it began to rain. Running up the drawbridge, Solomon knocked on the tall wooden door, which creaked open, allowing him to enter into a huge but empty lobby.

Closing the door behind him, Solomon wraps his arms around himself to warm up from being in the rain. "Hello? Hello!"

Hearing his voice echo through the quiet room, he could barely hear a whisper over by one of the doorways to his left. "This poor man must have lost his way in the dark woods."

Then another voice snaps at the first speaker, trying to stay as quiet as they can be so Solomon doesn't hear them, "Shut up and maybe he'll leave."

Hearing the second voice, Solomon calls out, "Is someone, anyone, there?"

Hiding in the doorway, the second voice that had spoken belonged to a boy of eighteen years with red hair, yellow eyes and wearing red armor from head to toe whispers to his friend who had a metal mask covering the bottom half of his face, dark brown hair with a spike, green eyes, decent-sized muscles, dark blue pants, and his weapons have been left in his room, only needed in battle, "Not a word out of you Tholan." causing his friend to glare back at him.

"Forgive me for intruding, but I've lost my horse. I only need a place to stay for the night."

"You hear that, Hermos. He just needs some help." Tholan the Cyber Commander says as he places a hand on the knights shoulder.

"Just stay quiet!"

Ignoring his friend this time, Tholan just shoves Hermos into the room and says as he steps out, "Of course, sir, you're welcome here."

Glancing in his direction, Solomon is surprised to see an eighteen year old boy dressed as commander. Staring at him with his eyes wide, Solomon then sees Hermos come out of the room after regaining his composure and snaps at his friend. "Tholan, now you're making things worse. If he hears that we have a visitor…"

"Would you stop worrying Hermos. There's nothing wrong with helping someone in need." Just as the two start a glaring contest, Solomon lets out a very loud sneeze, catching the two by surprise. Wiping his nose with a handkerchief, Tholan takes Solomon gently by the arm and lead him to a parlor where a fire has been lit. "You must be soaked to the bone, good sir. Come, let's warm you up by the fire."

"I greatly appreciate this." says Solomon as he allow Tholan to lead him to where he can warm up.

"Oh no you don't!" Hermos exclaims as he attempts to keep their guest from going any further. "Tholan you know what will happen if the young lord finds him here." As he said this, a shadowed figure appears on the second story floor to see the three enter the parlor. "I demand you stop right there."

But not only did they stop listening to him, Hermos watched Tholan offer the chair set in front of the fireplace where he settled and started to get warm by the fire. Just then a young boy of twelve with burgundy hair under a green cap, wearing a green tunic with beige sleeves and black boots came running into the parlor with a blue blanket.

Seeing the young child, Solomon gives him a kind smile as little Tom Thumb wrap the blanket around his shoulders. "Thank you, son."

"Alright that's enough. I'm in charge…" Hermos started but then he had been interrupted once again when two shadows run past him, causing the knight to lose his balance.

Next to appear is a Shadow Ghoul with a tea pot and a tray of tea snacks and right beside him is a small Witch of the Black Forest as she held the tea cup and saucer. Normally when one sees these two they would be terrified, but Solomon could see the look a kind man would give to just anyone in the Shadow Ghoul and he could see a young girl's kind smile on that witch face. "How would you like a nice cup of tea, my good sir? This will warm you up in no time." the Shadow Ghoul says as he pours the tea into the cup.

"You two don't serve him anything, Aysen, Ryiah." Hermos demands before Tholan covers his mouth to keep him to finally shut up.

After giving him the tea cup and saucer, Solomon gives her a thankful smile, causing the young girl to blush. "This man is so nice, grandpa."

"Thank you my dear."

Just then there was a loud slam heard as the open parlor doors release a rush of wind that put the fire out, causing Ryiah to hide behind her grandfather with Tom Thumb joining her, Tholan and Hermos gasp. It wasn't long until a knight with teal green armor, a deep blue eye with a scar right over his right eye, keeping it closed, appears in the doorway. "I know there is a stranger here." the knight says as he steps inside the room, glancing around for the one who shouldn't be here.

"Timaeus, allow me to explain. This gentleman was lost in the woods and it had started raining out. He was cold and soaked so I thought that we should help him." Tholan started to explain, but one glare from Timaeus told him to be silenced.

"Timaeus, I would like to take this moment to say; I was against this whole thing from the beginning. It was all Tholan's fault. I tried to stop them but they wouldn't listen to me." Hermos added, but once the glare is directed into his direction, Hermos ceased anymore accusations. That look had said that he should have done better to prevent the stranger from staying.

Approaching his chair, Timaeus found where Solomon was hiding when he first appeared in the parlor. "Who are you and why are you here?"

"I'm sorry. I was lost in the woods and I was seeking shelter from the rain." Solomon attempted to appear nonthreatening to this hostile knight.

"You're not welcome here!"

"Please, I am terribly sorry. I just need a place to stay for the night and I'll be gone in the morning."

"Is that so?" Timaeus asked, glaring down at the elder man to see if he is lying. With Solomon nodding but his body shake in fear, Timaeus turns back to the doorway and demands, "Then come with me. I'll give you a place to stay." Hesitating, Solomon follows the knight to where he'll let him stay at.

Having to watch them leave the parlor, Tholan approaches Hermos as Aysen comforts the terrified children. "This is bad news, huh Hermos?"

"Let's just hope things can only get better from here."