Author's Note: Hello everyone and welcome back to "The Winter Child!" =D This chapter is a bit of a short one, but eh. I still think it's good. XD
I hope you guys enjoy part two of "Insidious Shadows!" ^u^
~ XXXV ~
Insidious Shadows, Part Two
A plan needed to be made
But all drew a blank
How to draw out the shadows
Now that made everyone think
...
The next day, the Guardians went to Big Root to tell Ombric what they had discovered. The old wizard listened intently as they shared the conclusion they had come to the previous night. Katherine and Jack were upstairs, supposedly working on their homework together, but they were actually listening in on the adult's conversation. They peered through the railing on the stairs. Jack's sprite ears twitched, straining to hear every word they spoke.
Once the Guardians finished speaking, Ombric wove a pensive hand through his beard. "No one has seen a mass number of Fearlings or Nightmares in a decade," he said. "They're able to blend in with any shadow, making them all the more shifty. I suggest that we keep this information to ourselves until we come up with a potent plan to send them back to Darksualth."
"Good idea," said Aster. "The last thing we need is a panicked village. That'll send off enough fear to attract an entire fleet of those shadowy devils."
Tooth nodded. "Then we should come up with a plan as quickly as possible," she said. "But first, we should learn more about what we're dealing with. If we can find some kind of weakness in both Fearlings and Nightmares, they'll be easier to defeat."
"The library contains many books on hundreds of different creatures. Feel free to browse the wide selection," Ombric said kindly.
"Thank you, Ombric," thanked North with a nod. With that, the four Guardians ventured to the library. It had been some time since they had stepped within it, and, like most who entered, they found it quite impressive.
As Ombric had mentioned before, he had amassed quite a selection of books over a long period of years. There were books covering every subject, every topic that one could imagine. From the possible to the impossible, reality to fantasy, the mythical and magical, Ombric had at least one book cover that topic. And the information the Guardians were looking for definitely fell under the mythical range.
No, Fearlings and Nightmares were mythical as you would say for a unicorn or fairy. But they were mysterious, enigmatic creatures that weren't created with regular magic. At least not the kind that Ombric or any other wizard or conjurer would use.
The Guardians searched through the many books that lined the shelves, each of them reading through a thick volume or lengthy scroll on many different kinds of creatures. They hoped to find useful information that could allow them to defeat Pitch's Fearlings and Nightmares, but they didn't find anything that could be used against them. All that was written was the known facts: where they were from, how they came to be, and what they went after. Though these results were somewhat expected, the Guardians couldn't help but feel disappointed.
"How are we supposed to fight 'em off if we don't even know their weakness?" asked Aster, flipping through another large book.
"We'll just have to use what we know," said Toothiana, setting down a scroll. "Fearlings are attracted to fear, and so are Nightmares. If we can manage to keep the town out of panic, maybe they'll leave on their own?"
"I highly doubt that," said North. "They have already roused the children, and the adults are worried for them. The seed has already been planted. We'll have to push them out some other way."
"Light has a great effect on Fearlings and Nightmare. Well, more so on Fearlings, who are made of shadows," said Sandy, dreamsand swirling over his head. "But Nightmares also can't stand the feeling of dreamsand; it was what they once were, so just one grain can convert them back to their original form."
"So if we can herd enough Nightmares into one place, Sandy can convert them back into dreamsand," summed Aster. The Sandman nodded.
"I don't believe it will be that simple, though," said Sandy. "Nightmares are quite formidable in large numbers."
"That's why we will have to be careful," said North. "And make sure no one's in line of getting hurt."
Tooth nodded. "That settled the Nightmare issue…but what about the Fearlings? There's hardly anything about them in these books…Just the same repeated information."
"They hide in the shadows," Aster read from his book. "And so do Nightmares, but Fearlings are the ones you'll usually find hidden under beds or closets. And I'm assuming that's where they spend most of the day when it isn't dark out."
"Fearlings can't stand daylight. They'll shrivel up instantly in the sunlight," said Sandy.
"Then whatever we do to bring them out, we'll have to do at night," said Tooth. "Fearlings may be unhinged, but they're smart enough not to venture out in the day."
"But how are we going to bring them out?" asked North. "They are hiding within the shadows, a place we cannot reach. And who knows? They could be listening in on us…right now."
The Guardians looked around. Worry flickered on each of their faces. Suddenly, Aster sucked in a breath.
"What is it, Bunny?" inquired Toothiana, her feathers twitching anxiously.
Aster looked up from his book. "Fearlings can possess people," he said gravely. "If they scare the children well enough…"
A bone-chilling cold swept into the room.
"I'll provide the children with an extra dose of dreamsand tonight," said Sandy, breaking the tense silence. . "That should push the Fearlings and Nightmares away."
"My fairies and I will keep an eye out for them as we go on our rounds," said Tooth.
"And I'll see if I can find anything more about these bloody things," Aster stated, closing his book. "Hopefully we can come up with a plan soon."
"I have to take Jack home, but I will try and come up with something we can do," said North. The Guardians all nodded in agreement, and when their separate ways, thanking Ombric before leaving Big Root. Jack said farewell to Katherine and took North's hand. They walked through Santoff Claussen, which seemed less lively than before. Few children were outside, and the adults wore worried expressions as they carried out their work. Their frightened children were on their minds, and North pitied each of them. He also felt angry with Pitch, who was inflicting this fear and pain upon them. The Guardians needed to drive the Fearlings and Nightmares out of the village. Any longer they spent there, North feared the worst.
"What are you going to do?"
North looked down at Jack, who had spoken up suddenly. "About what?"
"The Fearlings and Nightmares," said Jack. North didn't miss the guilt in his voice. The ex-Cossack had a feeling that the boy had been listening (yes, the cold that they had felt earlier was Jack).
"We do not know yet, my boy," replied North. "But we are trying to come up with something."
"W-Will I be turned into a Fearling?" Jack asked fretfully. He had been feeling rather scared lately. His nightmares were recurring, and they were still vivid in his mind.
"You won't," reassured North. "Sandy, Tooth, Bunny, and I will keep you and the other children safe from harm."
Jack felt a bit better, and the two arrived home. The winter child didn't feel like playing, so he settled on reading a book he had borrowed from Katherine. North peeked over the couch; the boy was still deeply engrossed in his book.
"What are you reading?" North asked curiously. Jack looked up a smiled.
"It's this really interesting story that Katherine recommended me," he chirped. "It's about a group of knights trying to stop a band of thieves from stealing palace jewels. But the thieves aren't very smart, so the knights placed all the jewels out in the open so the thieves would come to them. And they fell for it!" Jack laughed. "They can't resist treasure!"
And then, like a switch being flicked, North suddenly knew how he and the Guardians could draw out the Fearlings and Nightmares.
"Jack, you just gave me idea," said North. The winter child tilted his head, bemused. North headed into the study and shut the door behind him to further think through his plan. It was a risky one.
But sometimes, the greatest risk is not taking one at all.
Author's Note: Okay, I honestly didn't know what I was doing with this ending, and I think it's a little cringy, so sorry about that. XD
Also, shout-outs to MixitupQueen and Snowy Monday. Reading your reviews made me feel a lot better, and I'll definitely rewatch ROTG sometime this week. #ROTGistherapy. =')
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you all in the next one! =D
Until the next chapter!
~BeyondTheMoon1203
