Today was a special day. For all of Arcadia, it was the morning of October 31st, Halloween. But for the Lake household, it was Halloween and Raelle's sixteenth birthday. She has never asked for anything huge on her birthdays and was happy with it.
Since being adopted, there has been a tradition for the Lakes on her birthday. When they were younger, Jim, Raelle, and Toby would wear their costumes to school like the other kids at school and go out trick-or-treating before going back home for cake, presents, and Halloween movies with Jim and Raelle's mom. While trick-or-treating stopped when they were too old, the trio kept their other traditions alive.
Raelle had gotten up a bit earlier than usual because she wanted enough time to get ready and was excited about her birthday. This year for Halloween, Raelle decided to dress up as Lydia Deetz from Beetlejuice in her iconic red wedding dress. She had already put on the dress and wig. Now, she was putting on her makeup. Toby was dressing up as Seymor from Little Shop of Horrors, and Jim was dressing up as Indiana Jones.
Raelle was putting the finishing touches on her makeup when there was a knocking on her bedroom door.
"Come in," Raelle said as she finished her makeup.
The door opens before Barbara walks in with a witch hat headband on her head and a plate of pancakes in her hands. The pancakes had holes for the eyes and spikey smiles made by cookie cutters.
"Happy Birthday, Sweetie," Barbara greeted her daughter with a smile, "I hope you are ready for a spooktacular sixteenth birthday!"
"I am," Raelle responded, "Do you like my costume?"
"Oh, honey, it's perfect," She complimented, "You outdo yourself every year. So, have you picked out the movies you want to watch tonight?"
"Yep. I'll get them out later tonight."
"Alright. Your breakfast will be downstairs, so hurry up, or the syrup will make it soggy."
Barbara left her daughter's room and closed the door behind her. Raelle stood up from behind her desk before walking over to her mirror. She stood before it, looking at her reflection before putting on the veil for her costume.
Raelle smiled at her reflection and said, "I love Halloween."
Raelle left her room with her backpack and walked downstairs. She saw her brother in his costume standing in the kitchen putting lunch for her, their mom, himself, and Toby in brown paper bags.
"Happy Birthday, Rae!" Jim greeted his sister as he walked out of the kitchen and sat at the table to eat his pancakes.
"Thanks," She replied. Raelle sat at the table across from Jim where her pancakes are. She grabbed her fork and looked hesitant at the pancakes, "Did you or mom-?"
"Don't worry. I made them," Jim replied.
"Oh, thank you," Raelle said with a sigh of relief, "I love Mom, but her cooking skills need room for improvement."
Barbara left the kitchen with a plate of pancakes for herself and joins her children at the table.
"So, what other plans do you kids have tonight besides us watching movies?" Barbara asked her children.
"We thought about walking around town with Toby and maybe seeing what we can come up with before coming back home," Raelle replied.
"I'm sorry I have to work so late on your birthday, honey," Barbara apologized, "It's just that Halloween seems to bring out a few idiots that want to do idiotic things."
"It's alright, Mom. And besides, a midnight monster movie fest is the perfect way to wrap up Halloween."
"You always manage to see the bright side of things," Barbara smiled, "Now, when you guys are out tonight, I want you to be safe."
"We will, Mom," Raelle and Jim said.
"Good."
The small family of three went on with their breakfast and conversation about Halloween. Raelle silently wondered if Bular had anything in store for her birthday as he did for Jim's birthday with the stalkling. After breakfast, Jim and Raelle helped their mom clean the table. In the kitchen, Raelle looked at the clock and saw it was almost time for school.
"We better go, Jim, or we're going to be late," Raelle said.
"Wait right here, honey," Barbara stopped her daughter from leaving the kitchen, "Jim and I have to go get your presents."
"You guys didn't have to get me anything."
"We know, but we wanted to," Barbara said.
"Plus, it's your Sweet Sixteen," Jim added before he and his mother left to get the gifts.
Raelle chuckled as she shook her head. She loved the family she had found all those years ago and was grateful for them. A few seconds passed before Raelle heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Raelle walked out of the kitchen and saw her mother and brother, each holding their gifts.
"Happy Birthday, Sweetie," Barbara said, smiling.
Raelle smiled as she walked toward her mother and brother, "Thanks, guys."
"Here, Rae," Jim handed Raelle a small, square box with a bow.
"Thanks, Jim," Raelle removed the bow and top of the box to reveal metal skeleton dangly earrings on ear wire, "Cool! I can add them to my costume."
Raelle sets the box on a nearby table and puts her new earrings in her ears. Raelle walked back into the kitchen and looked at her reflection on the toaster. She smiled at her earrings before putting the toaster on the counter. Raelle walked out of the kitchen and hugged her brother.
"Thanks again, Jim. I really love them," Raelle said.
"Your welcome, Rae."
"Alright, time for your second birthday gift. I hope you like it," Barbara holds out a gift-wrapped square.
"I always love what you give me, Mom," Raelle told her.
Raelle accepted the box and undid the wrapping. She took off the lid before looking inside and a smile grew on her face as she found a bat plushie. The plushie was black with red eyes and inner ears. And had a dark purple bow around one of its ears. With the plushie still in her hand, Raelle hugged her mother. Barbara returned the hug and rested her chin on her daughter's head.
"This is so cute! Thank you, Mom. I love it," Raelle told Barbara.
"You're welcome, Sweetie."
A knock on the front door caused Raelle and Barbara to end their hug. Barbara walked toward the door and opened it. On the other side of the door is Toby, dressed in his costume, carrying an Audrey 2 plushie in one hand and in the other a medium-sized wrapped box with a bow on top.
"Happy Halloween, Dr. L," Toby greeted.
"Happy Halloween, Toby, or should I say, Seymour," Barbara returned, "Jim and Raelle are right over there."
Barbara stepped aside to allow Toby to come into the house. Jim and Raelle waved to their friend as he walked over.
"Happy Halloween, guys," Toby greeted his friends before turning to Raelle, "And Happy Birthday, Rae- Oops, I mean, Lydia."
"Thanks, Seymour," Raelle smiled.
"You're welcome. And here you go," Toby held up the box to Raelle with a smile.
"Thanks."
"Let me hold your gift, Rae," Jim said before taking the plushie from Raelle's hands.
Raelle accepted the gift and undid the wrapping. After the wrapping was removed, Raelle saw the present was a History of Horror book.
"Thanks, Toby," Raelle told her friend, "This is so cool."
"Hey, you kids better get going, or you're going to be late for school," Barbara told them, "But first, let me get a picture."
Barbara took out her phone, and the three teens grouped for the picture.
"Say, 'Happy Halloween'."
"Happy Halloween," The three teens repeated before smiling as Barbara took the picture.
Barbara looks at the picture on her phone and smiles, "You kids look incredible. Now get to school."
"Bye, mom. Love you," Raelle and Jim said as they hugged and kissed Barbara goodbye.
"Bye, Dr. Lake," Toby said.
The three teens walked out of the house and hopped on their bikes before heading to school.
When they arrived at School, every student was in costume. Steve was dressed as a king, which was no big surprise, while one of his goons was dressed as a baseball player and the other was a zombie. Eli was dressed as a mad scientist, Mary was a zombie Prom Queen, Darci was a dark Ringmaster, and Clarie was a Sugar Skull.
Jim was captivated by Clarie and marveled at her painted face in history class. At one point, Raelle and Toby should have sworn that Jim was drooling. The bell rang, and every student was in their seat.
But there was something off about class as there was no Mr. Strickler. Murmuring began among the students about possible theories as to where their teacher is. Some were reasonable, such as he was stuck in traffic. Others seemed hard to believe, such as he was kidnapped by evil spirits.
Suddenly, the classroom door swung open, and a man wearing a plastic Frankenstein mask jumped into the room. The students scream from the shocking surprise. The mask was removed to reveal their teacher, and everyone laughed a moment later.
"Good morning, everyone," Strickler greeted his students, "I thought since it was Halloween, we start class a little differently today. Now, today we will learn about the beloved holiday of 'Halloween'. We will learn about its origin, the superstitions surrounding it, and how it became the holiday we know and love today."
Everyone took out their computers and was ready for class. As the class went on, Strickler first talked about the origins of Halloween to the students.
"Halloween was first known as Samhain. A festival of the Ancient Celtics of Ireland. The festival was when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. They would also carve the faces of evil spirits into potatoes or turnips, lighting them, and putting them in their window on Samhain to scare away any spirits that happened to wander by. The Ancient Celtics celebrated their New Year on November 1st. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celtics believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31st, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth."
Mr. Strickler showed images of Ancient Celtics celebrating Samhain. People around bonfires or dressed in costumes and turnips with faces on them. Strickler then continued with the lesson.
"Irish immigrants first introduced Halloween in America. They came in the 1840s during the Potato Famine and brought their Halloween traditions with them. The Irish dressed in costumes asked their neighbors for food and money and would pull pranks in the evening on Halloween. Americans started doing the same thing, which eventually turned into what we now know as trick-or-treating. The Irish would use pumpkins instead of turnips, and we would get the Jack O'Lanterns we see today."
Strickler then showed his students pictures of Halloween from the 1920s to today. The images were of people dressed in Halloween costumes, trick-or-treating, and carving faces into pumpkins.
"Now, let's move on to the myths, omens, and superstitions surrounding Halloween. The Celtics believed that Samhain is when the veil between our world and the spirit world was at its thinnest, and spirits and monsters could mingle with the living. That is why they would dress up, to disguise themselves and hide from the monsters and spirits. If a lit candle in your home flicker, turns blue, and then suddenly self-extinguishes itself, it means there is a spirit in your home. One of the many old Celtic Halloween traditions was to place an ember inside a turnip to keep evil spirits away. We still do this today by placing a candle inside a jack-o-lantern. It is believed that a baby born on Halloween will be able to see and communicate with spirits, among other rumored abilities."
Toby and Jim looked at each other before glancing at Raelle, who appeared to be in deep thought. Raelle thought back to her second encounter with Blinky and Aaarrrgghh. She remembered when Blinky said that Witchers are always born on Halloween and wondered if there was a connection. And if this means she could communicate with her previous lives like Aang from Avatar the Last Airbender. This is something she would have to discuss with Blinky later. Jim, Toby, and Raelle's attention was called back to Mr. Strickler after they heard his voice.
"Now, since we still have some time left in this class. I think it is fitting we watch a beloved Halloween classic: Hocus Pocus," Strickler announced to his students, causing them to cheer, "But before we begin, I would like to mention on behalf of Jim Lake and Toby Domzalski that it is Raelle Lake's birthday today. And they would like us all to wish her a happy birthday."
"Happy Birthday, Raelle," The students said in unison.
Raelle smiled at everyone before glaring at her brother and friend. There were times in her life when Raelle did not like to be the center of attention, and today was one of those times.
"Now, let's get on with the movie."
The students patiently waited as Strickler set the movie up, and the room became silent as it was about to start playing. As the movie played, Raelle was only paying half attention to it. She wondered if Bular had any surprises waiting for her as he did with the Stalking on Jim's birthday. If it was a Stalking, then they knew what to do, but if not, they would be in trouble.
The bell rings halfway through the movie, signaling the end of class. The rest of the day went as it could be, meaning no signs of anything related to Bular.
After school, the three teens ride their bikes to the bridge. Raelle pulled the horngazel from her backpack and drew a half circle before pressing her hand on the wall. The three teens stepped through the portal and walked through Trollmarket.
As Toby, Jim, and Raelle got closer to Trollmarket, they saw it was decorated with Halloween decorations, but more trollish. It was a mixture of the ancient Celtic Samhain and the modern Halloween. There were Jack O'Lanterns made from pumpkins, some of the shops were selling what looked like candy and food for trolls, crowns, garlands, and corsages made with dying flowers were either being worn or prepared by the Trolls and many other things. But there was one thing in particular that caught the eyes of the three teens: the many two feet tall statues of Raelle's gargoyle form scattered about the market.
The statues were made of a dark-colored stone, almost matching the color of Raelle's armor. The eyes are made from red gemstones. Both hands are on the sword hilt, and the point touches the ground behind the shield resting at her feet. The teens were puzzled since they thought some trolls feared the Witcher.
"Aha! Master Jim! Mistress Raelle! Tobias!" Blinky called.
Jim, Raelle, and Toby turned their heads and saw their two troll friends walking toward them with smiles.
"We are so glad you are here," Blinky continued as he hugged each teen.
"Ugh, what's going on?" Raelle asked.
"Festival," Aaarrrgghh replied before eating the troll candy in his hand.
"Festival?"
"Yes. It's a festival celebrating what you humans call Samhain or Halloween, and the birth of the Witcher," Blinky clarified.
"Well, that would explain the statues of Raelle around here," Toby said.
"They are not of Raelle, Tobias, but Alvara, the first Witcher. The statues were crafted centuries ago before we arrived in Arcadia. They were created to protect us from evil spirits during the festival since the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest," He explained.
"Woah," Raelle breathed.
"Why is she holding a sword and shield?" Toby questioned.
"The sword is known as Mor'du. There is a rumor the sword was forged in Avalon, home of King Oberon and Queen Titania, Rulers of magical beings such as Trolls. And that it has no equal."
"Why is it called 'Mor'du'?" Raelle wondered.
"It belonged to the father of Alvara, and his name was Mor'du. The shield was crafted for Alvara's mother by her father. It is believed that the sword and shield represent the two. The sword symbolizes rule, power, and authority, and the shield symbolizes trust, security, and safety. When Alvara became a warrior, she carried her father's sword and mother's shield into every battle so that she would have their strength."
"Rae, you are getting cooler by the minute!" Toby exclaimed.
"But I thought some of you guys were afraid of me?" Raelle questioned.
"Yes, but sometimes the fear of one thing is stronger than the fear of another," Blinky stated, "Now, we must head to the Forge."
"The Forge? Blinky, please tell me you guys are not going to do something like what you did for Jim's birthday?" She asked, hoping the answer would be no.
"Oh, gracious no," He answered Raelle, "But we must train today. We only have an opportunity like this, possibly once a year."
Blinky and Aaarrrgghh turn around and walk away from the teens toward the Hero's Forge. Toby, Jim, and Raelle looked at each other before catching up to their troll friends.
"What opportunity?" Raelle asked.
"As I said earlier, the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest. It is one of the few times when you will be able to contact your past lives with very little trying so early in your training," Blinky explained, "But when you master your abilities, you can communicate with them at any time. You will be brought to the InBetween. It is the place between life and death, where you will meet the spirits of your past life. A council of sorts. And they can bring you there when they choose to speak with you. They will even act as a little voice in your subconscious to help guide you with some matters."
"Ugh, I think my head just exploded from coolness and confusion," Toby said, rubbing his temples.
"Sorry that your birthday isn't turning out as you'd hoped," Jim apologized to his sister, "Training wasn't exactly part of the plan."
"Hey, it's Halloween. A time for the strange and unusual. And, in case you've forgotten, I myself am strange and unusual," Raelle told her brother, "And besides, it's not like I have a flying death troll chasing after me."
The brother and sister share a laugh at the mention of the stalking from Jim's Sixteenth birthday. Soon the two trolls and three human teens reached the Hero's Forge. Blinky and Raelle stood at the center of the arena while Aaarrrgghh, Jim, and Toby stood at the sidelines and watched.
"Now, the Witcher is one of, if not the most, complicated and mysterious beings known. Only a handful of lucky souls have managed to obtain knowledge over the centuries without losing their lives," Blinky said, "The Witcher is many things: steadfast but unpredictable. Merciless, yet kind. But my knowledge is limited, and there is not much I can help you with. That is why we must establish a connection with your previous lives."
"How do we do that?" Raelle asked.
"Truthfully, I am not quite sure. But we will figure it out," He answered, "And I would like to mention that we all should be careful around Mistress Raelle while she is with the previous Witchers."
"Why?" Jim questioned.
"Survival instincts, Master Jim. While the Witcher's consciousness is with the council in the InBetween, the Witcher's body remains here, and its subconsciousness takes over as well as the survival instincts to protect itself. I fear since we are beginning this stage of Mistress Raelle's training, she will not be able to distinguish who is friend or foe in the State. And it could possibly result in a missing limb or two."
"This is starting to sound like a bad idea," Raelle voiced, "It sounds more like a death trap by the minute."
"Fear not, Mistress Raelle. After you have had the proper training, you will control your ability and not harm your allies. And there is a rumor I have recently come across in my books. It is said that the Witcher's powers are increased tenfold in the State. And once you have mastered it, you will be able to enter the State at will."
"So, what do you plan to do to activate Raelle's Avatar State?" Toby asked.
"Quite simple, Tobias. We are going to expose Mistress Raelle to a highly stressful, emotional, and dangerous training exercise," Blinky responded.
Raelle glared at her friend, "You just had to ask? Didn't you, Toby?"
Blinky walked over to the side and pressed a button, causing Raelle to get goosebumps and chills. She jumps out of the way from the giant blade that came out behind and would have hit her.
"Are you crazy?! You could have killed me!" Raelle exclaimed.
"Nonsense, with your sixth sense, you are in no danger," Blinky told her.
"It sure doesn't feel like that," She muttered.
Dark purple and black smoke with light purple electricity appeared around Raelle as she transformed. An animatronic stone troll pops up and shoots arrows at her. Raelle used her armored wings to shield herself by covering herself with them, and when the animatronic troll stopped, Raelle unshielded herself.
A large axe appears from the wall, and Raelle rolls out of its way. She quickly returned to her human form as she slid under another axe. Raelle stood up, panting.
"This is crazy! You are crazy!" Raelle exclaimed.
The gears below turned, and the platform lifted high into the air. Raelle looked around, and her surroundings were when Jim was fighting Draal. Raelle continued to dodge the blades coming out from the ground and axes coming out from the walls. As she ran, Raelle was hoping that, at any moment, her "Avatar State" would kick in.
"You got this, Rae!" Toby cheered.
"Just focus!" Jim yelled.
"So, Raelle, what did you do for your Sweet Sixteen?" Raelle asked herself, "Oh, you know, the usual. Dressed up for Halloween, got presents, and almost died because my trainer wanted to help me master an ability to communicate with my past lives!"
Another animatronic troll popped up, and Raelle quickly acted by summoning her Scourge. She swung her weapon and sliced the animatronic in half. Raelle ran before sliding under an axe and continuing to run.
"Hold on, Rae! I got you!" Toby yelled. He took out his phone and began a search for something on his phone.
"Whatever your planning to do, Toby, do it soon!" She yelled back.
Toby continued to scroll through his phone before smiling as he found what he was looking for.
"I got it!" Toby exclaimed before he tapped the screen and music started playing. Toby turned the volume on high and held the phone high.
After a couple of seconds, Raelle recognized the song. It was Light Em Up by Fallout Boy. Raelle instantly knew what Toby was doing. It was one of the songs Raelle would listen to when she practiced her martial arts. Raelle smirked while getting into a fighting stance. She looked at Aaarrrgghh and motioned for him to come at her.
"Ooh oh oh oh, ooh oh oh oh. Be careful making wishes in the dark. Can't be sure when they've hit their mark. And besides, in the meantime, I'm just dreaming of tearing you apart. I'm in the details with the devil."
Aaarrrgghh smiled as he let out a laugh before he climbed up to Raelle. As the vocals of the song began, Aaarrrgghh charged toward Raelle. She stood still while Aaarrrgghh was quickly getting closer.
"So now, the world can never get me on my level. I just got to get you out of the cage. I'm a young lover's rage gonna need a spark to ignite. My songs know what you did in the dark. So light em up up up, light em up up up."
Raelle once again smirked before transforming again. She flew high into the air just as Aaarrrgghh was about to collide with her.
"Light em up up up, I'm on fire. So light em up up up, light em up up up, light em up up up, I'm on fire. Ooh, oh, oh, oh (In the dark, in the dark). Ooh oh oh oh (In the dark, in the dark)."
Raelle looked down at her giant troll friend with a smile and a laugh before beginning a game of chase with him. She flew around the Forge as she dodged the flames, arrows, blades, and axes while keeping a distance between her and Aaarrrgghh. Toby and Jim cheered for both Raelle and Aaarrrgghh.
"All the writers keep writing what they write. Somewhere another pretty vein just dies. I've got the scars from tomorrow, and I wish you could see that you're the antidote to everything except for me. A constellation of tears on your lashes. Burn everything you love, then burn the ashes."
As Raelle flew higher, Aaarrrgghh climbed onto the different levels of the platform to keep up with her. Raelle turned around and took a breath before she sharply exhaled at Aaarrrgghh. The giant troll dodged the attack and continued chasing after Raelle.
"I believe you should join them, Master Jim," Blinky spoke.
"What? I'm not going to attack my sister!" Jim exclaimed.
"You must, Master Jim. For we must help Mistress Raelle unlock her powers before All Hallows' Eve is over."
"What's the matter, Jim? You chicken?" Raelle asked as she flew over to them before making a clucking sound and flying away.
"Oh, it's on now," Jim said, narrowing his eyes.
Jim jumped and grabbed onto a giant axe as it swung by to use as momentum to jump onto a platform. Jim continued to maneuver his way until he jumped onto Aaarrrgghh's back to join in the chase.
"In the end, everything collides. My childhood spat back the monster that you see. My songs know what you did in the dark."
Raelle looked over her shoulder to find Jim and Aaarrrgghh close behind. But Raelle had a plan to get rid of them. She maneuvered her way through the choas of the Hero's Forge while escaping the sight of Jim and Aaarrrgghh.
"So light em up up up, light em up up up, light em up up up, I'm on fire. So light em up up up, light em up up up, light em up up up, I'm on fire. Ooh, oh, oh, oh (In the dark, in the dark). Ooh, oh, oh, oh (In the dark, in the dark)."
As Jim and Aaarrrgghh turned a corner in their pursuit, they lost sight of Raelle and could not find her. They looked around the Hero's Forge for any sign of Raelle, even with Blinky and Toby, but she could be found.
"My songs know what you did in the dark. My songs know what you did in the dark."
Above the Hero's Forge, Raelle dug the claws on her hands and feet into the ledge of the rock wall. A pebble fell loose from the ledge before falling on Aaarrrgghh's head. The two trolls and teen boys looked up and saw Raelle. Raelle watched as Jim and Aaarrrgghh climbed to the top platform to reach her.
She pressed her forehead against the rock and steadied her breathing. Raelle knew her time was limited and had to devise a plan fast. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Raelle's head. As Jim and Aaarrgghh were about to reach their target, Raelle pressed off the ledge and did a back leap.
"So light em up up up, light em up up up, light em up up up, I'm on fire. So light em up up up, light em up up up, light em up up up, I'm on fire. Ooh, oh, oh, oh (In the dark, in the dark). Ooh, oh, oh, oh (In the dark, in the dark). Ooh, oh, oh."
Raelle did a full twisting layout over Aaarrgghh and Jim as they tried to reach up and catch her, but he failed. Raelle landed behind the two with a three-point landing before standing up. Jim, Toby, Blinky, and Aaarrrgghh smile and applaud Raelle.
Raelle smiled at her brother and friends before she began walking toward them. Suddenly, Raelle stopped in her tracks. She let out a sharp gasp as a strange sensation washed over her. Her eyes glowed white, and she became stiff as a board. Jim, Toby, Blinky, and Aaarrgghh rushed over to Raelle in worry.
"Rae! Rae!" Jim called as he ran toward his sister.
Jim stretched his arm out to place a hand on his sister but was quickly stopped by Blinky, who grabbed his arm.
"No, Master Jim! If you lay a finger on Mistress Raelle, you will be perceived as a threat," Blinky warned. He looked at Raelle in awe, "Mistress Raelle has been summoned by the Council."
Meanwhile, Raelle opens her eyes to find herself not in the Forge but in her bedroom, lying on her bed. She got out of bed and looked at her hands. Raelle was in her human form, wearing her regular clothes, and confused by what was happening.
Raelle ventured out of her room and went downstairs. She knew something different walking down the stair, but Raelle could not figure out what. When she was downstairs, Raelle looked around the living room, kitchen, basement, and garage.
"Mom? Jim? Draal?" Raelle called out, but no one answered.
Raelle then took notice of the picture frames hanging on the walls and the tables. The pictures were of her, but at the same time, not her. The photos depicted her in her gargoyle form, on an island, fighting, in her human form, with people she had never met before, but somehow still felt like she knew them.
"Raelle. . ." A female voice called her name, "Raelle. . ."
Raelle turned in the direction of the voice calling to her and walked toward the front door. When Raelle opened the door, she was met by a blinding white light. She lifted her hand to shield her eyes from the bright white light. When it faded, Raelle was no longer in her home but was in a large circular Grecian temple.
But Raelle was not alone. In the temple were giant statues that resembled the ones she had seen in Trollmarket and were in the same pose. Each of the figures sat upon a pedestal that had engraving on it. Raelle stepped toward the statue that she felt a pull to. When she was close enough, Raelle read the inscription before her.
"Alvara the First Witcher. Daughter of Adelaide Pendragon and Mor'du. She led her army to victory with Deya the Deliverer and the Trolls in the Battle of Kilahead against Gunmar the Black. Alvara, aided by her grandparents, created the Gargoyles, the enteral guardians, to watch over the world."
Raelle looked at the statue of Alvara in awe. She turned around to the entrance of the temple and began walking toward it. As Raelle got closer, the bright white light returned, but she did her best to ignore it. When she stepped out of the temple, Raelle opened her eyes to find herself back at the Hero's Forge. The white glow from her eyes faded as she blinked before returning to their normal color.
"Rae, are you alright?" Jim asked, worried about his sister.
"I think so," She replied, "It was kinda freaky."
"Freaky should just about cover it," Toby said.
"Mistress Raelle, can you tell us what happened?" Blinky asked, "Did you meet the previous Witchers?"
"Well, not exactly. I woke up in my human form and wearing regular clothes on my bed. I went downstairs, but I noticed something different about the pictures we have around the house," Raelle said.
"Different, how?" Jim questioned.
"The pictures in the frames were replaced by images of me, I think, in human and gargoyle form. I was with people I have never met or places I have never been before. I also saw I was fighting in some of them. When I got downstairs, I called for you, Mom, and Draal, but no one responded," Raelle continued, "Suddenly, I heard a voice coming from the front door speak my name. I opened it, and there was this blinding bright light. When the light faded, I was in this circular Greek temple with giant statues of what I was of me in my gargoyle form. But now I realize they were my past lives. I walked over to one that I felt a pull toward. I read the inscription on the pedestal, and it was Alvara. As I began leaving the temple, the blinding light returned. I closed my eyes, and when I opened them, I was back here at the Forge."
"Fascinating," Blinky said, "Misstress Raelle, there is a possibility that you were in the Witcher's temple on Avalon. The temple is said to be a resting place for past Witchers. But it is merely a rumor. I will need to do research."
"Why is everything you say that has to do with Raelle or the Witchers rumors?" Toby asked.
"Survival," Aaarrrgghh said.
"Aaarrrgghh is right. The Witchers have to keep many things secret to stay alive. When Gunmar learned of the Witcher, Alvara decreed that knowledge about the Witchers shall be kept hidden from enemies," Blinky explained, "The Witchers are keepers of knowledge collected throughout their lifetimes."
"Woah," Toby said, "That's kinda heavy, but still pretty cool if you ask me."
Jim looked at Raelle and could tell that what Blinky told them was weighing heavy on his sister's mind.
"Hey," Jim said, placing a hand on his sister's shoulder, "Why don't you and Aaarrrgghh join us for Halloween and walk around town?"
"Oh, I do not think we should, Master Jim. Aaarrrgghh and I-" Blinky began.
"Come on, it's Halloween. This is the one night of the year when you two can walk around, and no one will give it a second thought. Plus, it's my birthday," Raelle told them.
Blinky and Aaarrrgghh looked at each other before stepping away from the human teens to ponder. After a few seconds of discussion, the two trolls returned with their answer.
"Very well, Aaarrrgghh and I will attend Halloween and Mistress Raelle's birthday," Blinky informed the human teens.
"Yes!" Jim, Raelle, and Toby cheered."Rae, are you alright?" Jim asked.
"I think so," She replied, "What happened?"
"You were summoned by your previous lives, Mistress Raelle," Blinky answered, "Did you meet them? Were they glorious? What knowledge of the past did you obtain from them?"
"I didn't really meet them, I guess. Just a bunch of statues on pedestals."
"Can you tell us what happened?" Toby asked.
"When I woke up, I was in my room. I went downstairs, and there was something different about the pictures around the house," Raelle said.
"Different, how?" Jim questioned.
"The pictures were of me, or I now assume my past lives. After I got downstairs, I called out for you, Mom, and Draal," She continued, "But no one responded. Suddenly, I heard someone call my name. I walked toward the door, and when I opened it, there was a bright blinding light. When the light faded, I was in some sort of circular Greek temple with statues of my past lives. I walked over to the statue of Alvara and read the inscription on the pedestal. I tried to leave the temple, but as I was walking out, a bright light appeared. Next thing I know, I'm back here."
That night, the three human teens and two trolls walk amongst the other humans on the streets of Arcadia. And none of the humans were suspicious that the two trolls were actually trolls. Blinky and Aaarrrgghh received numerous compliments on their 'costumes.' The two trolls were in awe of the Halloween decorations everywhere they looked. Blinky, Raelle, Jim, and Toby had to stop Aaarrrgghh from eating a decoration.
"You do this every year?" Blinky asked the human teens.
"Yep," Jim replied, "Ever since Raelle was adopted."
"It begins with trick-or-treating, and when that's done, we go home, sing happy birthday, and watch monster movies," Raelle said, "But since we're too old for trick-or-treating, we walk around town."
"I remember one year we got a big haul when we dressed up as Gomez, Wednesday, and Pugsley. I think each of us had to get a second bag," Toby said.
"And who are you now?" Blinky inquired.
"I'm Lydia from Beetlejuice, Toby's Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors, and Jim is Dr. Indiana Jones from, well, Indiana Jones," Raelle replied.
"Last year, we each dressed up as a classic monster movie. I was a werewolf, Raelle was a vampire, and Toby was a mummy," Jim told Blinky and Aaarrrgghh, "It's a lot of fun dressing up for ."
"You are right there, Jimbo," Toby agreed.
"Totally," Raelle said, nodding in agreement.
The two trolls and three human teens continued to walk around before going to the movies to see a classic Halloween movie from the 80s called 'The Monster Squad'. They sat in the back of the theatre so that Aaarrrgghh wouldn't block anyone's view of the screen. After the movie, the two trolls and three human teens continued walking around, eventually reaching the neighborhoods in Arcadia. Jim, Toby, and Raelle continued to share memories of previous Halloweens and Raelle's birthdays with Blinky and Aaarrrgghh. Suddenly, Raelle stopped in her tracks as chills ran down her spine and got goosebumps on her arms. Jim was the first to notice his sister had stopped walking.
Jim turned and walked over to her, "Raelle, are you ok? What's wrong?"
"Get your armor on," Raelle told Jim. Dark purple and black smoke with light purple electricity appeared around Raelle as she turned into her gargoyle form.
Jim knew that his sister had sensed something was wrong and took out his amulet, "For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command." A wave of blue covered Jim as he donned his armor. "Guys, get ready. Raelle sensed something."
Toby, Blinky, and Aaarrrgghh nodded and got themselves ready for whatever would come at them. Aaarrrgghh placed Toby on his back before he, Blinky, Jim, and Raelle stood back-to-back.
The five waited and looked at their surroundings for any sight of the impending threat. Then Raelle heard movement and saw a goblin jumping from one rooftop to another from the corner of her eye. She nudged Jim with her elbow and gestured to the direction she saw the goblin with her head. Raelle quickly signaled for everyone to be quiet by holding a holding up to her lips.
Raelle turned toward the direction of the goblin on the rooftops. She could not see the creature as it was hiding somewhere, but Raelle could sense it was still there. Raelle narrowed her eyes and waited for any sign of movement from the goblin.
Suddenly, the leader popped up on the rooftop and cried, "Waka Chaka!"
What appeared to be hundreds of goblins appeared from out of the shadows. The goblins glared at the human teens and trolls, waiting for the command from their leader. Jim, Raelle, Toby, Blinky, and Aaarrrgghh prepared themselves for the attack that would come at any moment.
"Waka Chaka!" The leader cried again.
The hoard of goblins charged at them with the command from their leader. Jim, Raelle, Toby, Blinky, and Aaarrrgghh fought back against the goblins. Each side landed hits on their opponents during the fight. Jim and Raelle fought with the creatures with their weapons, while Blinky, Aaarrrgghh, and Toby fought with their fists.
"Waka Chaka!" The leader called out to his army before he ran down the street. The goblins stopped fighting and followed their leader.
"Yeah, that's right. Get out of here!" Toby said, celebrating their victory, "We showed them whose boss."
"I don't think it's over, Toby. They gave up way too easily," Raelle pointed out, "Something else is going on."
Raelle flew up to the sky to get a bird's eye view. She quickly spotted the goblins making their way toward town and noticed still people outside.
"They're heading toward town!" Raelle shouted at them, "And there are still people out! We need to stop them! Follow me!"
On the ground, Jim, Blinky, Aaarrrgghh, and Toby followed Raelle as she flew toward the hoard of goblins. Raelle flew closer to the ground until she was next to her brother and friends.
"Here's the plan: I get in front of them, Blinky and Jim corner them from the sides, Aaarrrgghh and Toby you two do the same from behind. We trap them and take them out before they get to town," Raelle told them.
The others nodded in agreement with the plan and separated to act it out. Raelle flew higher in the sky, Blinky went to the left, Jim went to the right, while Aaarrrgghh and Toby stayed on the same path. The goblin hoard ran toward town until they were stopped by Raelle landing in front of them. Raelle growls and narrows her eyes at the creatures with her weapon in hand. The goblins went to the left before being stopped by Blinky, and they did the same to the right before Jim stopped them. The creatures tried to retreat and run back down the path they came from, but Aaarrrgghh's giant form stopped them.
The two trolls and three human teens fought with their enemy again. They tried to keep the goblins from escaping but were busy fighting the hoard to not notice that a small handful had escaped. The escaped creatures went unnoticed until they heard a woman screaming.
"You guys stay here, and I'll go handle that," Raelle said before taking to the sky and going after the escaped goblins.
Once again, getting a bird's eye view, Raelle quickly spots the goblins chasing after a woman with her baby in a stroller. The creatures had chased the woman down an alley, and she was trapped. Raelle dove down and landed between the goblins and the woman. She growled at the goblins and swung her Scourge at them. Raelle defeated her opponents one by one, and some ran back into the shadows in fear.
"Are you alright?" Raelle asked the woman, who was kneeling in front of the stroller and back facing Raelle.
"Yes, I'm fine," The woman replied, "So is my baby. Thank you."
Raelle felt that was something familiar about the woman, but she could not figure out why. She tried to remember where she had seen her before but could not figure it out. Raelle knew she had to come up with something to not let the woman know that magical beings exist.
"It was no trouble," Raelle responded, "Those kids were a bunch of jerks, am I right? My brother, friends, and I have seen them all over town, causing trouble. I'm just glad I was able to help."
"No, I'm thanking you for falling into the trap," The woman said.
Raelle was confused, but all became clear when the woman stood up and faced Raelle. The second Raelle saw the woman's face, she was rage-filled. It was Nomura.
"What do you want?" Raelle growled as her eyes glowed red, "Did you send the goblins?"
"All your questions will be answered in time, but for now," Nomura brought out her fist from behind her back before holding it up to her face, "Nighty-night."
Nomura opened her fist to reveal a powered substance before blowing it at Raelle's face. The powder made its way into Raelle's mouth and nose, causing her to cough. Suddenly, Raelle felt herself becoming weak and sleepy.
"Wh-what, what d-d-did do t-to me...?" Raelle asked, struggling to get the words out as she fell to her knees.
"I just gave you some of the powder I had put in your mother's tea," Nomura replied, "I was sure to give you a stronger dose. Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."
Raelle fell to the ground, and as the darkness consumed her, Nomura's wicked laugh was the last thing she heard. Raelle reverted to her human form. The baby in the stroller turned into NotEnrique before hopping out to stand beside Nomura.
"Is she going to be okay?" NotEnrique asked.
"She'll be fine," Nomura replied before asking, "And why do you care? Do you care for her?"
"No, I was just asking because I do not want any blame in case something happens and the bossman was not happy," He answered.
The two saw a car pull up next to the alley, and Nomura picked up Raelle before getting into the car. Once all three were inside, the car drove away.
Meanwhile, Jim, Toby, Blinky, and Aaarrrgghh continued to fight the hoard of goblins. Just when it seemed the heroes were losing the fight against the creatures, a voice suddenly cried out.
"Waka Chaka!" The goblin leader shouted.
The army of goblins stopped fighting and retreated into the shadows with their leader. The heroes stood there, looking confused by what had happened.
"Uh, what just happened?" Toby asked.
"I do not know, but it would appear they have accomplished whatever they were sent to do," Blinky replied.
"I better call Rae," Jim said. He takes out his phone, calls Raelle, and waits for her to answer. But the call went to voicemail, and Jim knew that Raelle would never let a call from someone she knew go to voicemail.
Jim looks down at his phone with worry for his sister. Toby, Blinky, and Aaarrrgghh knew something was wrong.
"Jimbo, is everything alright?" Toby asked.
"Something's wrong with Raelle. Her phone went to voicemail, and she only does that with numbers she doesn't recognize," Jim answered before turning to his trainer, "Blinky, do you think that the goblins were sent to get Raelle? Or be a distraction?"
Blinky took a moment to think before gasping in realization, "I fear you may be right, Master Jim. Misstress Raelle could be in great danger. Whoever took her may use the thinning of the veil between the living and the dead to obtain any information they seek from previous Witchers."
"Bad," Aaarrrgghh said.
"How are we going to find her?" Toby asked.
"We could use something of Mistress Raelle's to track her. Something she treasures with all her being," Blinky said.
"I know what we need," Jim said, "Let's get to my house. Quick!"
The two human teens and trolls rushed to Jim's home for what they needed to find Raelle. Jim hoped that wherever his sister was, she was alright, and they would find her.