Disclaimer: (in monotone) I-do-not-own-GX...

Talkie thing: Yeah, I think I said this before, but this is a story I wrote before I got an account, well, at least the first couple chapters...so it may not sound as good as what I can write now...

Chapter Four

A Riddle

"Johan," Jim whispered, "You still awake?"

"Mmm," Johan answered sleepily, rolling over to face the boy.

"Is Judai asleep?" the servant questioned, completely serious. Karen growled in her sleep and nuzzled Jim's hand.

Johan glanced at the brunette, who was snoring softly and mumbling as he slept. "Uh-huh," the turquoise-eyed boy sighed and looked back at Jim, "Is something wrong?"

Jim stared into Johan's eyes and thought back to what he'd overheard at the banquet. "Um, I was just wondering if there were any secret places on the castle grounds or anything." Johan cocked his head, not understanding what his friend was asking. "Like a moveable statue or anything else of great importance…" Jim tried to clear things up. As he waited for Johan's reply, he stroked Karen, her scales sleek beneath his fingers. How he loved the feeling of those scales, so firm and leathery…

Johan thought deeply about Jim's question. In all his years as a servant in the gardens, he had not seen anything quite like his friend had described. But he'd heard of something…not too very long ago, either, on the day that all servants were allowed to go to the carnival in town…

(begin FLASHBACK)

Johan gawked at the festivities all about him. Beautiful, bright lights hung from the roofs of the houses and criss-crossed above the streets, so that even now, in the early hours of morning, the town was lit up perfectly. Sho, Jim, and O'Brien (the blacksmith's apprentice) kept close together as they progressed down the street, staring at the colorful booths set up along either side of the path. Sho and O'Brien had been to carnivals and markets before, but to Jim and Johan, it was an amazing new experience. They milled about with the crowds, pausing to watch the occasional street performer before moving on. The group was in the middle of watching a juggling act when a voice hissed, "Hey! Guys!" They turned and saw Judai standing beside a stall, waving them over.

"Judai-sama, shouldn't you be with the guards?" O'Brien asked, eyebrows raised.

The brunette shook his head, "They won't let me do anything fun!" he frowned.

Sho sighed, "You're going to get in trouble, Aniki."

Judai laughed, throwing his head back and closing his eyes. Then he put a hand on Sho's shoulder, "Not if they don't find me, Sho! They'll never be able to get me in this crowd, especially if we stay with a lot of people around us!"

Jim chuckled, "Sounds like you've been planning this for a while, Prince."

When Judai nodded vigorously, they all laughed. "Let's go!" the prince exclaimed impatiently, brown eyes sparkling, "There's so much to see!" The other boys nodded and followed as the brunette wove through the crowds, keeping to the middle of the street. Johan, who was lagging behind the others, jumped in surprise as someone grabbed his arm and spun him around.

It was an elderly woman, with blank, creamy white eyes that stared right at him. He felt shivers race up his spine as she touched his cheek with a single bony finger. "A secret…" she whispered in monotone, as though in a trance, "A hidden chamber…among threatening flowers…" Johan tried to back away, but her grip was far stronger than he could have imagined, and he was held in place. She stepped right up to him, until her terrifying eyes bore into his turquoise ones, and her stale breath blew across his face. "A dragon…" she hissed, before scurrying away mysteriously, leaving Johan exceedingly confused.

(end FLASHBACK)

Johan shook himself from his memories and said quietly to Jim, "Someone at that fair, they said something about a secret in a hidden chamber…among threatening flowers."

Jim cocked his head, "You realize that that makes no sense, right?"

"Yes," Johan nodded, deciding not to tell Jim about the strange feeling he'd gotten as the woman spoke to him. The feeling that…she was dangerous…

End Note: Sorry for the short chappie, y'all! The next one's longer! But it will only appear if you read and review! Ciao!