Part Three is here! So, in the last chapter, we've found something truly incredible on a wall of the Nautilus Chamber of Akbadain. Another way to reach the Oculus? And that's only a tiny part of the message! Who knows what else it might contain?
Hollyshadow the medicine cat: BATTLES! I LIEK BATTLES! Well, the puzzle battle in Unwound Future was really easy, but oh well. The music was good. And I miss Tom too! *sniff* oh well. I killed him, didn't I? I REGRET NOTHING
Shimmering-Sky: Nothing is really any good right now, is it? And no, the story won't be over THAT soon. I'm gonna torture our heroes for a good while longer :D call me crazy.
Some people have told me that the Azran civilization didn't exist many thousand years ago, but over a million years ago...seriously, it's not that big of a deal. Don't act like it is. As long as it was a really long time ago, we're good.
I replayed Professor Layton and the Curious Village, and I've realized something really weird:
So the whole idea behind the village was to find someone worthy enough to take care of the Baron's daughter...but there was a friend who ran the entire village and built perfectly humanlike robots to protect said daughter...
I'm pretty sure that counts as worthy! But instead, the guy sits in a dingy room in the basement of a run-down tower, hanging out with nothing but robots, even after Flora's out of St. Mystere. I just don't understand :/
Eh, just my thoughts. Enjoy the chapter! The title is a reference to Sonic 06, one of the most overhated games in history IMO...though it was indeed bad. But "His World" and its variations are amazing! Especially Solaris's Phase 2 Music. Probably the most epic final boss music ever...nah, Bravely Default.
Chapter Twenty
The Flames of Disaster
"Rosa," Professor Layton called out, "Where are the extra mattresses?"
The housekeeper shrugged. "Probably stuffed inside the attic or some closet. All I know is that we have them."
Though Rosa was technically in charge of Gressenheller's offices, the other staff members were so neat and tidy that she often found herself with very little to do. As such, she began working in the evenings at Professor Layton's home, which, needless to say, provided a far greater challenge.
"Thank you, Rosa." The Professor sighed. Who knows where to find them? I don't.
"I'll be off now, Professor. There's dinner on the table-" Rosa stopped when she saw the three kids trailing the Professor.
"Hello, Rosa!" Luke chirped.
Rosa laughed. "I suppose I'll make some more food, then."
One enormous meal and goodbye to Rosa later, the four found themselves extremely tired. But before they could sleep...
"Professor, your home is so..."
"Disorganized?"
"...yes, that's the term."
...they had to find beds for Arianna and Tony first. Thankfully the Professor didn't throw away Luke's old bed-he wasn't even sure if there were three more beds in the house.
"I'm terribly sorry, Arianna and Tony. Do you mind checking the attic? I'm sure there's at least one bed there. In the meantime..." The Professor stared at the massive pile of junk consisting of everything found in the downstairs closets. "I'll find blankets and pillows."
Arianna nodded. "No problem."
After he reached the entrance to the attic with his sister, Tony grinned. "Now, sis, Imma go that way and search the closet. You can go to the attic by yourself-"
Arianna shuddered. "Tony, you know how much I hate the dark! Why-"
"Too bad, sis!" Tony sprinted away and down the hall. "Deal with it!"
Arianna pouted, turning her attention to the small trapdoor leading to the attic. I'll show him! She climbed up the ladder and opened the hatch.
Within seconds, a piercing scream echoed through the Layton residence.
"So, Professor, what's been going on lately?" Luke asked.
"Nothing...at all."
"Really? You seem much quieter than before, Professor. When I used to be here you would always talk about how to be a gentleman, give me some mind boggling puzzles I couldn't solve, and lots of Laytonesque things." Luke borrowed this term from Emmy, believing that the term itself was Laytonesque: mysterious, elegant, and simply indescribable by any other word.
"People change," the Professor stated simply.
Before Luke could reply, they heard a scream from above them.
"Arianna!" Luke cried. In typical Luke fashion, he raced up the stairs, nearly tripping numerous times.
It didn't take long before he located his friend, quivering next to the ladder, looking deathly pale.
"H-Help! There are monsters!"
"What monsters?"
"I f-felt one!" Arianna trembled. "My finger touched it!"
"What did it look like?"
"It was d-dark, so I-I couldn't see it..."
"It'll be fine," Luke assured her. "I don't think what you found was a monster..." He quickly ran back downstairs to get a flashlight before entering the attic. "C'mon, Arianna! It's safe!"
"Fine," Arianna said. "But..."
"Hm?"
"...I'm scared..." Arianna admitted, a blush on her cheeks.
"No need to be scared!" Luke declared. "I'm here, remember?"
Arianna's cheeks turned even redder as she climbed the ladder.
"Here, I'll hold your hand." Luke took Arianna's hand in his, causing Arianna's blush to intensify, and led her through the attic.
"Ahh!" Arianna screamed again.
"What is it!?"
"T-The monster's here!"
Luke shone the flashlight in Arianna's direction.
"Arianna, is this the same monster as before?"
"Yes!" Arianna nodded furiously.
"It's a cobweb..."
"Oh..."
Luke burst into laughter. "S-So...all of this...because you were scared a cobweb?"
"It was scary, okay!?" Arianna said defensively, attempting to hide her embarrassment.
"Well, there's a mattress." Luke pointed to a corner of the attic. "Let's take it to the Professor."
"Yes, let's leave."
"Be sure not to run into any monsters," Luke teased.
"Shut up!"
The Emissary stared at the man bound to the chair, who was doing his best to retain a calm expression despite what he'd just been subjected to.
"Would you like to tell me what you know now?"
"I-I told you, I know nothing about the Akbadain Cipher!"
"That's a shame." The Emissary held up a laptop. "May I access your computer and examine your files? I'm sure I'll find something there."
"Why you bastard! You can't even access it without the password-"
The Emissary put a finger to the man's forehead.
"And that," the Emissary said, "is what you are going to tell me."
"I'll never-"
"Oredul? You know what to do."
The Hellspawn stepped forward. "You'd do best to comply. Otherwise, I might have to do more of this!" the demon cackled. He summoned a ball of malevolent Hellfire between his claws. "This won't kill you...unless I make it." The sphere hovered around its unfortunate victim before it was literally absorbed into his body, causing the man to scream in agony.
The foreign Chaos magic flowed through his veins, causing internal disintegration and the sensation that he was burning from the inside out (and indeed, he was). It corrupted his mind, implanting terrifying visions of destruction.
"Will you give us the password now?"
"Yes! Yes I will! Just make it stop!"
On cue, the pain subsided.
"It's 'amaunet.'"
"Verify it, would you?" The Emissary asked an agent.
"Right away!" The man typed the word in. Seconds later, he gave a thumbs-up. "It's correct."
"Excellent." The Emissary turned back to the man, who quivered in fear. "Pathetic."
"W-What are you going to do now? I gave you what you wanted already!"
"Thanks. I'll be taking your computer, too. And..." The Emissary looked at Oredul, then turned back to the man in the chair. "What is it they say? 'Dust to dust'?"
Oredul smashed his claws together. Immediately, the man burst into flame. His shrieks of agony were drowned out by the crackle of the Hellfire as it slowly burned him. The nightmarish hallucinations returned in full force, adding to his suffering.
With a final, drawn out scream, the man slumped, the flames still scorching his corpse.
There was a moment of silence, then the Emissary said, "So he really does have information."
"How do you know?"
"His password."
"'Amaunet'? The Egyptian goddess? What does she have to do with Azran ruins?"
"Do you know what her name means?"
"No, what is it?"
The Emissary smiled. "That which is concealed."
Fire is going to be a pretty big motif in this story, as Hellspawn...Hell...fire...yeah. Lots of fire. So who was that poor guy? Why did the Emissary need him? And what is the full extent of the powers of the Hellspawn? It just occurred to me that the Hellspawn are kinda like the Golems...super powerful race, massacred some lesser beings, got sealed away, and returned to destroy once more. And they eventually were stopped by noble sacrifices.
Please follow, favorite, or review! Or all three! I'm not getting very much of any...T_T