They're lost. Officially, and with no way to return home to boot.
Sure, they got away but it would only be a matter of time before the Fangs caught up with them. Hiding their scent was big must, the good thing was that some plant life here was wasn't any different than back home.
When the small family fled into the Warren Downs, Zev had found a fallen branch for Samuel to use as a makeshift cane. They learned the easy way that fire attracted all manner of unsavory beasts: horned canines, ghastly cave critters and to their bewilderment, the cows of this world were dangerous omnivores.
So for weeks the Bennets journeyed northwards, hoping to find a city or a town where they could blend in until they had more knowledge and information about their surroundings and how to return home despite their growing fascination with this new world.
The morning sun shone brightly as the Bennet family wound their way along the path. Though they'd walked for hours since dawn, Elisheva's spirit remained high.
"According to the farmer, Glipwood can't be far now," she said, pointing ahead.
"Hey, we're lucky those folks took us at our word that we're just strangers passing through for Dragon Day instead of escaped aliens." Samuel said to his children.
"Dad, do you know how weird it sounds?" Ten year old Zev joked, "I mean come on, the people we ran into are human too."
Samuel shook his head with a grin. "Son, when I said aliens - I don't mean the kind that come from space. It's another word for foreigners."
Zev ran excitedly between his father and sister. "Do you think they got games set up for the festival? Or food stalls?"
Samuel smiled softly at his son's enthusiasm, keeping a steady but slower pace. "Easy, Slugger. With luck we'll find both and more once we arrive."
Elisheva adjusted her cloak against the cool breeze. "The people we met said Glipwood Township is always bustling this time of year. I'm sure they'll have rooms to spare at an inn. Thanks to those farmers, at least we'll reach the place without freezing," she said, hugging her new cloak tighter.
It might be Summertime but the coastal winds and evenings turned out to be chilly.
Zev, always eager to contribute to the conversation, chimed in, "Yeah, and remember when we found that hidden cave and made it our temporary home during that rainy day? Those were some wild times, huh?"
Samuel chuckled, his eyes filled with a mixture of pride and nostalgia. "Oh yeah, Zev. That cave was a gem. It provided us with shelter and protection when we needed it most. And Elisheva, do you remember how you used your resourcefulness to keep the wild things at bay? That was quick thinking."
Elisheva blushed at her father's praise but quickly regained her composure. "Well, it was all thanks to your guidance, Dad. You taught me to be observant and to never give up, no matter how difficult the circumstances. I'm just glad I could contribute to our survival."
"Whatever term we use, I'm glad strangers saw our need," Samuel said quietly. "In this strange place, kindness is its own currency."
Zev raced ahead, eager to be the first to spot the town emerging through the trees. His laughter floated back on the morning air, filling his family with hope for what awaited them in Glipwood.
Elisheva and Samuel soon caught up and noticed the boy had stopped abruptly. "Fangs!" The boy murmured.
Several yards away, aside from people arriving from different parts of Skree, there were Fang sentries. What's more, there were two Fangs at a stand forcing people to pay to enter the Dragon Day festival. One was skinny with an eye patch over the left eye. The second one was portly, dressed in a red garment with a brown vest covered in watches and epaulettes on the shoulders.
"Next!" called the one in the eye patch, while the second one watched with disinterested, hooded pale-green eyes.
Judging from the line of people, it looked like they had to pay an entrance fee. People walked up and paid in either coins or other valuables.
Both Zev and Elisheva tensed up, then Samuel gently reassured them. "Calm down, they're not the same ones…" He didn't dare finish his sentence, Elisheva and Zev knew full well these weren't the same Fangs who'd dragged the Bennets out of their apartment home.
They watched as one woman placed garnet ring onto the table, the eye patched Fang picked it up in his claws and studied it.
"Just a moment!" The portly Fang had grabbed the other Fang's wrist to take the ring in his big hand. His voice was throaty, with a notable accent - possibly contemporary British. The portal Fang then examined the ring before placing it on his left pinky. "Shiney." He smiled, admiring the ring. The corpulent Fang had several rings and bracelets on his pudgy, green fingers and wrists.
"That neck silver too!" He then pointed to the pearl and zircon necklace around the woman's neck.
"But it was my grandmother's!" The woman's flew to the necklace in dismay.
The chunky Fang growled lowly in derision. He held out his left hand, opening and closing it as if to say, 'Hand it over!' Reluctantly, the woman handed over her necklace to the portly Fang.
Samuel watched the exchange with a quiet sadness. Though different lands, injustice was the great equalizer across worlds. Beside him, Elisheva and Zev shared a worried glance. They quickly grasped at the necklaces beneath their shirts - the final gifts from their late mother, Rivka.
Elisheva pulled her cloak tighter, camouflaging the necklace's glint. Zev tucked his under loose fabric as well. Both then schooled their features, trying to appear casual despite nerves.
As the disheartened woman moved on, Elisheva squeezed Zev's shoulder reassuringly. "We'll find a way around this," she whispered. But within, she steeled herself for what new challenges this strange land may bring.
Next, a family of five, a grown woman with a long dark braid, a grizzled, thickset man and three children approached the stand. The woman held a crate which contained something that smelled awful. When she placed it on the table in front of the portly Fang, he was delighted once he saw the contents of the crate. Judging from his expression, it must be some kind of delicacy for Fangs. This was further confirmed when he reached in, taking a handful of what looked like meatloaf – with maggots!
The Fang began to devour the Maggotloaf, disgusting some of the nearby people.
GROSS! Elisheva felt her stomach lurch at the disgusting sight. A well-dressed man in green standing two feet ahead of her looked ready to hurl himself.
Samuel visibly grimaced, while Zev held his stomach queasily. "Does anybody feel like throwing up?"
Zev gagged at the revolting display, his face turning green. Samuel caught him just in time, steadying the boy against his side.
"Breathe slow, son. Try not to watch," Samuel soothed, rubbing Zev's shoulder. He shot a pleading look at the portly Fang, hoping his nauseating meal would end swiftly. But the creature savored every bite with relish, oblivious to churning stomachs around him.
Elisheva reached into her new sidebag, pulling out a cloth. "Here Slugger, cover your eyes and nose," she said gently, guiding it into place.
Zev nodded gratefully, muffling his noises of distress. Samuel continued rubbing his back in comfort, quietly praying the ordeal would pass quickly. Each lurching heave wracked Zev's small frame, triggering Samuel's own nausea in sympathy.
"I mixed in a few more rat tails than last time," the woman who brought the crate said. "And I dusted the spider eggs with hogpig dander."
The portly Fang looked pleased with the repulsive dish. "If you wasn't a people, I'd almost like you. NEXT!" he snarled, green venom and spittle dripping from his sharp teeth.
The family passed. The Bennets were next right after the fancy man in green.
"Excuse me, sir, how much is it to enter the town for the festival?" Samuel asked, his voice laced with a hint of nervousness.
Commander Gnorm, the portly Fang, paused for a moment, looking the Bennets up and down. His pale green, slit pupiled eyes then landed on Samuel's necklace, a sterling silver one that held sentimental value to him. Gnorm's lips curled into a greedy smile as he responded, his voice oozing with superiority, "For you, it'll be a special price. Hand over that silver necklace, and you'll have the privilege of entering the town."
Elisheva and Zev froze. They knew their father's necklace- a simple silver tag with the intricate symbols of the menorah, star of David, and ichthys fish carved upon it, was important to Samuel since it was a gift he'd gotten from his own father decades ago.
Unruffled, Samuel removes it, holding it in his hand then asking wryly, "You sure you won't mind that it's got religious symbols?"
Fortunately, none of the Fangs there know nor do they care about the symbols. The wry question hung in the air for a moment before Gnorm responded, his voice thick with his distinct accent, "What's your point?"
Samuel let out a sigh, a mix of resignation and determination. He knew that parting with the necklace meant relinquishing a cherished memento from his own father. However, the safety and well-being of his children took precedence in this unfamiliar and potentially dangerous land.
With a flicker of emotion in his brown eyes, Samuel held the silver necklace out to Gnorm, his voice steady but tinged with a touch of sadness, "Then it's yours."
Gnorm snatched the necklace from Samuel's outstretched hand without a second thought. He examined the symbols briefly, his eyes lingering only on the material value. "Good choice, human," he sneered.
Elisheva and Zev exchanged a morose look, a mix of empathy and admiration for their father's sacrifice. They understood the significance of the necklace and the weight it held in Samuel's heart. But they also recognized the importance of keeping a low profile and avoiding unnecessary trouble.
However just before the Bennets could walk towards the town, Vop, the eye-patched Fang, leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. His senses seemed to have detected something about Elisheva. "Wait, SHE smells different."
Gnorm, raising an eyebrow, regarded Elisheva with hooded, slit-pupiled eyes, his curiosity mounting. "Different how?" he inquired, his tone laced with a mix of skepticism and intrigue.
Vop simply shrugged, his eye patch shifting slightly. "I don't know. Just different."
Elisheva froze, her heart pounding in her chest. Samuel and Zev mirrored her fear, their eyes widening with apprehension. What did the Fangs know? What would happen next?
The tension in the air grew as Gnorm stood up and approached the Bennets, causing an uneasy ripple among the waiting crowd. With deliberate slowness, the portly Fang leaned in, his breath hot against Elisheva's face as he sniffed her.
Elisheva couldn't help but whimper audibly, her anxiety reaching its peak. Samuel's protective instincts surged, his nerves on edge. Zev, his own fear barely contained, looked as if he was ready to offer Gnorm his own necklace in exchange for Elisheva's safety.
Did the Glipwood Fangs know their secret? Would their lives be endangered by this encounter?
Elisheva trembled and audibly whimpered as Gnorm leaned in, his breath fetid against her cheek. A single bite from those venomous jaws could end her in an instant.
She dared not move or speak, petrified under the Fang's scrutiny. Her father and brother looked on in horror, equally paralyzed by terror of what may come. A bite, a snap of those teeth, was all it would take to destroy this family so far from home. Samuel's legs felt weak, ready to buckle under the weight of protecting his children from such a deadly threat.
Zev gripped his father's arm in a vice, knuckles tensing. Tears pricked his eyes at the thought of losing Elisheva to the monster before them. He wanted to scream, to beg the Fang for mercy, but his voice froze in his throat.
Gnorm took an agonizingly long sniff, leisurely savoring the girl's fear. At last he pulled back, an amused glint in his eye, as if to prolong their anguish a moment more.
The Bennets hung on the precipice, dread consuming them as they awaited the Fang's pronouncement with shattered nerves and pounding hearts. One word could seal their fates under the nightmare scrutiny of this foul creature. Then, to their collective relief, Commander Gnorm grunted dismissively. "Feh. I don't smell anything unusual," he declared to Vop. "She's just a human. Move along, girl."
Elisheva exhaled a shaky breath, her anxiety subsiding slightly. She quickly joined her father and brother, seeking solace in their presence. However, the weight of the Fangs' curious gazes bore down on her back as the Bennets walked away, leaving them all on edge and acutely aware of the danger that surrounded them.
The Bennets clung to each other, their fear for Elisheva's safety serving as a reminder of the risks they faced in this treacherous land.
As they continued walking, the sound of laughter and music from the festival reached their ears. Fortunately now that they were in town, they could walk around and enjoy the sights.
"I can't wait to see the sea dragons dance," Zev exclaimed, his eyes shining with anticipation. "I've heard they're awesome!"
Needless to say the Bennet family is intrigued by the festival and split up, agreeing to meet up where everyone else is headed before sundown.
Little did they know that before long, they would end up doing something neither had entirely thought would happen during their stay in this strange new world… make friends. Good, steadfast ones.
Author's note: And that's just a small snippet, I might post several more oneshots/drabbles for each of the four books. Maybe even a different fanfiction if you ask nicely.
Be on the lookout for a troll obsessed with the SCP that keeps trying to bully authors (whether or Archive of our own) into adding SCP to make things more "interesting". And when someone retorts back anonymously, he steals comments to make it look like the other user(s) backtracks into accepting his opinion - but it's bogus.
So if you guys have an account on just eliminate this idiots reviews, he's an online troll trying to slam the SCP stuff into people's faces. After all, we have the right to write our fanfiction our way WITHOUT adding stuff we don't care into it whatsoever.