Even as day turned to night, all the adults remained asleep. Children ran through the streets, some simply cried outside their homes, and others were busy stealing. Driskoll had formed a group out of the more mature children, trying to get everyone ready for the night. When the night comes, so do the demons and with no knights to protect them, everyone had to barricade themselves in their homes for safety. Some children with common sense were already doing this. However, some were too busy taking advantage of the unprotected goods to care; stealing food and money and who knows what else.
Meanwhile, Zellach was busy trying to figure out how to undo this sleeping curse and Moyra was looking for the home of the late Victor Frankenstein. Zellach told her to because he suspected that Mr. Frankenstein might have some connection to that monster that they fought. Perhaps he even had a connection to this sleeping curse.
"Sir Driskoll," Anthony, one of the children who had been helping him, said. "We believe everyone is now safely hold-up in their homes. The rest of us would like to join them."
"I agree." Driskoll replied. "Hurry home. I will join my brother at Zendric's tower."
"Good luck to you." Anthony said just before he hurried to tell the rest of the children it was time to go home and lock-up.
"I have a feeling I'll need it." Driskoll murmured to himself.
The moment Driskoll entered Zendric's tower, he smelled a horrible stench. It smelled a horse stable that had not been clean in weeks. Driskoll had no choice but to breath through his mouth. As he walked up the stairs to Zendric's personal chamber, he heard his brother cursing in a language Driskoll did not understand and Zendric snoring like a dragon. When he saw the chamber, Driskoll was totally shocked.
What had once been Zendric's very clean and neat chamber was now a terrible mess. Books had been thrown on the floor, pages were scattered about, beakers were smoking and some of the walls were stained by some kind of black substance. Zellach's robes were covered with stains and he had a look of frustration on his face. He was flipping through multiple books at once and mixing test tubes and pouring elixirs into a caldron. The thing that surprised Driskoll the most was Zendric. He was still asleep, but his skin had turned purple with black spots on his limbs. Not to mention, there was a green smoke coming out of his mouth when he exhaled.
"What has happened to Zendric?!" Driskoll exclaimed. "Is the curse getting worse?!"
"No," Zellach replied. "I have been testing my antidotes for the curse on him. None have worked, but there have been minor side-effects."
"Minor?!" Driskoll repeated. "You call that-"
A loud fart interrupted Driskoll mid-sentence. This fart came from Zendric.
"Is one of the side-effects-" Driskoll started.
"Yes." Zellach said, anticipating what Driskoll was going to ask. "And before you say it, I know Zendric will be mad at me when he wakes up, but at least he will be awake."
"I would have said he will be furious." Driskoll replied. "If I were you, when we find a way to undo this curse, I would go into hiding for a few weeks."
"Don't worry." Zellach said. "I will reverse the effects before he wakes up."
"You better." Driskoll replied, now staring at Zendric.
If it had been anyone other than Zendric, Driskoll would have burst into laughter. However, Driskoll did not dare, because Zendric found out, who knows what he would do to him. He could give him a permanent cold, or turn him into a frog, or turn him into a tree.
"This curse is a strong one." Zellach said. "Nothing I have tried has worked. And I have tried three dozen countermeasures for six dozen different sleeping curses."
"Um, Zellach," Driskoll replied. "Why don't you try solving this problem from a different angle?"
"What do you mean?" Zellach asked.
"Why not try identifying what sleeping kind of sleeping curse it is, so you can know the right countermeasure to use?" Driskoll replied.
After hearing that, Zellach looked like he had been slapped in the face. The route to the solution of the problem was so obvious and yet he had missed it. Driskoll had been able to see what his brother had not. This caused him to feel a jolt of pride. This did not happen often.
"Genius." Zellach exclaimed, congratulating his brother.
"What's genius?" Moyra asked as she walked into the room.
"Nothing, just an idea Driskoll had." Zellach replied.
"Nice." Moyra said with a smirk. "Well, judging by the state Zendric is in, I'd say have not had much success on reversing the curse. However, I found something in Victor Frankenstein's house. Practically the only things in his house that stood out."
Zellach carelessly cleared a table for Moyra to put her bag on. She pulled a book out of it, along with a jar identical to the one that had been at the Cremation Service building. The book had a brown leather cover and a lock on it. There was also a ten-pointed star emblem on the front painted in gold.
"Now, there is something very strange about this lock." Moyra said. "I can pick practically any lock, but not this one. I even tried to break the lock off but that had no effect.
"No doubt." Zellach replied, now holding the book. "This is far more than a simple lock. It has been enchanted so it can only be opened with words, not physical material."
"Do you mean, if we say the right words, the book will unlock itself?" Moyra asked.
"Indeed, he does." A familiar voice said.
It was Zendric's voice. They turned to his sleeping body lying in bed, motionless except for his breathing. However, they were all certain they had heard him. Then, an orb of golden light appeared over the book on the table.
"Zendric?" Driskoll inquired. "Is that you?"
"Yes, young lad, it is me." Zendric replied. "I was able to create this voice orb to communicate with you from the prison I am being held in."
"What do you mean 'prison?'" Zellach asked. "We have your body right here. You are under some form of sleeping curse."
"Yes, that is true, but you do not fully understand the curse." Zendric replied. "While my body sleeps, my mind has been trapped in a sort of dream realm. No matter what you do, you will not be able to wake me. Only the caster of this curse can undo it."
"Let me guess, the same goes for all the other adults in Curston?" Zellach inquired.
"I am afraid so." Zendric said. "We are all trapped together in this dream realm. Your father is being rather unpleasant. Shouting to be released from this prison immediately."
"Is he okay?" Driskoll asked.
"Yes," Zendric replied. "It seems we can not be physically hurt here, but we can not leave. Not until whoever has imprisoned us decides to set us free."
"So, you have any idea who is responsible for this?" Moyra asked.
"No name comes to mind, but cast such a curse requires intense power." Zendric replied. "Most likely, we are dealing with a goddess."
This was not good news. Gods were enough trouble to deal with when they were simply lending their powers to mortals. When one directly interacts with mortals, disaster is certain to occur. The last time one descended from the heavens and use his powers against mortals, there was a terrible war and thousands died. Now, these three adventurers were facing one.
"Do you know to open Victor Frankenstein's book?" Zellach asked. "We believe it may hold clues as to how to save you and the other adults."
"I might." Zendric replied. "Victor arrived in Curston just before the Seal broke. He was a doctor who saved many lives with his treatments, including my own. We became friends shortly after. Once Victor said something to me. A quote from a book he had read."
"Do you think the quote can open the book?" Driskoll asked.
"One way to find out." Zendric replied. "The moments of life are like diamonds. And just like diamonds, if there are no end to them, they become worthless."
Once the last word had been spoken, the book instantly opened on its own. A ghost-like figure rose out of the book's pages. This figure was see-through, five-foot-ten, had long gray hair, and sorrow filled eyes. The three adventurers were startled by this.
"What is happening?" Zendric asked.
"I am Victor Frankenstein." The figure said. "If you are receiving this message, I am dead and my brother came searching for my remains. He is the giant with pale skin and stitches all over his body. I apologize for whatever trouble he caused you, and I beg you, keep my remains away from him. Otherwise, you may soon find yourself facing an army of the undead."