The silhouette in the dark rose taller. A head higher than Mabel at first, it soon was even taller than Soos. It's macabre form obscured by the shadows of the woods, it raised its hands up, ready to strike Mabel. As she held a hand out, panic flooding her mind-
"Face this!"
Colliding with the monster's face was a rock that happened to look like a face. It had flown well past Mabel with enough force to lift her hair off her shoulders. The creature squealed loudly, spiraling off its feet and tumbling behind itself. With a sickening 'splat', the sounds the suddenly appeared creature made were silenced.
Wrapping her nose with her hand, Mabel demanded, "Wh-What was that?"
Terribly stern looking, Soos proclaimed, "A rock – that looked like a face."
"She meant the thing, Soos!" Wendy snapped, rushing to Mabel's side. As she arrived, she gagged. "Eugh, Mabe's is right; something is rank over here."
Dipper, having withdrawn his journal, began to take notes. "That might be the Gaunter Haunter."
"Oh dang," Soos chuckled, "Does that make me, like, a professional monster hunter now?"
"You need to be paid to call yourself a professional," Dipper reminded him. He then reached into his pocket, pulled out a five-dollar bill, and handed it to Soos. "Now you're squared away."
"Sick, dude," Soos grinned.
From behind Soos and Dipper, Darren grumbled, "So, a rock killed it. Great. Good to know that a rock is this great woodland-killer's weakness."
Dipper frowned at that. "Yeah," he nodded his head slowly, and approached Mabel and Wendy. The two were stepping closer to the outline of the being who had snuck up on them. Even in the shadows, Dipper could see that it was still vaguely human-ish. Though its nails were long and talon like and its limbs thin and stretched, it had the overall physicality of a person. Then Dipper turned on his flashlight, and gasped, along with Wendy and Mabel.
The Gaunter Haunter was emaciated and pale, wearing clothes that looked like simple shorts and a torn button-up. It was similar to how horror films might portray a starved vampire, or some other parasitically-altered human. That said, its face was well planted into the soft earth, so if it had fangs, there was no way to tell now. It looked surprisingly clean, to Dipper's surprise; there was minimal building up of earth under the massive claws, and the stains of dirt were fresh.
"So this is the Gaunter Haunter?" Dipper asked, flipping pages around.
"Bleh," Mabel nodded.
"Maybe," Wendy added, waving the air away.
Soos approached, looked at the monster before them, and chuckled. "Haha, Dude looks like he could use a sandwich, right? Or some tostadas! Or soup. Or-"
"Soos," Wendy grumbled at him, "How can you even think of food with this smell?"
"Huh?" he asked.
Mabel also rounded on him, "Yeah! It's awful! Like a really bad day with the cycle, so many things wrong with the smells!"
Soos took a big sniff, and crinkled his nose, only following it with a shrug. "I dunno, this really just reminds me of the locker rooms."
Dipper, horrified by the connection, leaned forward and sniffed. Indeed, he was annoyed and could tell it was repulsive, but it didn't unnerve him that badly. He added, "Yeah, locker room level. Pretty bad, not the worst thing."
Now perhaps more horrified with the boys before her, Mabel studied them like they had three eyes. "Barbaric," she told them. Shuffling from behind them, Darren had stood up. Helping Maureen to stand as well, Mabel waved to them, "Guys! Come look at the thing! We got it, so its safe now!"
"Just not too close," Wendy added, "Unless you want flashbacks to highschool locker rooms, apparently."
Hobbling closer, Maureen eyed the form ahead of her. She shook her head. "Guys… that doesn't look right."
With a small laugh, Soos explained, "Hah, right, yeah, because it's dead."
"No," Darren narrowed his eyes, "She's right, much as I hate to admit it. It looks… wrong. Not right from what we dealt with."
"What do you mean?" Dipper asked to them, "You said you barely saw it."
"I barely saw it, but I'm tell you that I saw enough to tell you-" Darren snorted, "Oh, wow, yeah, that smells awful."
"I'll be keeping my distance," Maureen murmured, hobbling a step backwards. She then blinked and hobbled closer to Darren, "Ugh, I should take a look, not back away. Gotta get a better – UGH!" she gagged, "That is terrible!"
"See?"
"Told you two!"
Despite Mabel and Wendy's insistence of disgusting scents, Dipper nodded at Maureen's notice. "You're right: the closer we are to it, the smellier it gets. Wait a second," Dipper flipped pages rapidly, "I know this one! This is something I've actually considered dealing with in the past!"
As the five started to surround Dipper, he flipped to a page. With a gathered crowd at his shoulders, looming over him, he read aloud:
"Ghouls are a special type of animated corpse – often formed with rogue magic or when restless spirits really wish they could finish their meal before passing away. They are cannibalistic, attacking people with their gross teeth and long claws, and tend to have horrible smells that make one gag. Huh," Dipper lowered the book, eying the corpse before them, "Long claws-"
"Smelly smell," Mabel added.
Distraught, Soos whined, "If only we had the teeth intact, we'd know for sure…"
"I'd say, with about ninety-nine percent certainty," Dipper explained, "That this is a ghoul. Which kinda makes sense, I guess? Gaunter Haunter made people vanish, ghouls eat people, etcetera."
Rushtar seemed displeased. "I swear, something is off. I don't think your book of weird stuff is incorrect," he added quickly after some scathing looks from the twins, "But we heard weird noises before whatever attacked us did. This thing just… loomed before you pelted it with a rock."
"That looked like it had a face," Soos pointedly added.
Exhausted, Maureen added, "So unless the Gaunter Haunter's weakness was faces, I'm not so sure about it all, guys."
Closing his journal with a loud clap, Dipper chuckled. "Guys, look, this is our territory, right? Monsters and mysteries. Even if details are sometimes wrong, when evidence suggests something, that tends to be it. It looks like this was the-"
From elsewhere, far into the woods, a loud wail swept over the trees. It heralded a chilling wind which rattled each pine needle and each bush around them. Maureen and Darren lowered, their arms at the ready. The wail had sent a cold shiver down Dipper's back, and he slowly turned to the dark woods before them.
"Monster might still be out there," he concluded.
"There could be more than one monster?" Mabel suggested.
Then Dipper clicked his fingers. "Of course! That was always something that could have been happening!" he flicked open his journal to a more recent page, scribbled with hastily drawn notes, and sketches of rocks and stars. "Remember what Zander told us?"
"I'll never forget," Mabel sniffled.
Unphased, Dipper explained, "The starkissed stone was made, like, four hundred years ago- wait, no- five hundred! With all the magic returning to the world, things that haven't been seen in these parks may be returning for the first time in half a millennia! People have tales from times before, but there were probably things that faded out from before then, only now returning. Maybe there is more out there!"
"Great," Darren groaned, "So we have something that actually kicked out asses, and that lame thing you threw a rock at. Just making sure you're not downgrading us to useless quite yet."
"Aww, you're not useless," Soos patted Darren's shoulder, who winced and simmered, "Just monster-challenged. Don't worry, I'm a professional; I'll show you the ropes."
As Darren glared at Soos, Dipper turned to him and Maureen, "Speaking of which, you two should also head back."
"You're kidding me," Darren huffed.
"Not really," Dipper shrugged, "Look, at the end of the day, you two are really hurt. We have a mission to do, and the last thing you'll want to do is be unable to help. You should go back to the cars where Grunkle Ford and Drew are."
"Kid, we're not that fragile," Darren protested.
"Never said you were," Dipper frowned.
Rushtar stood a tad taller, and with more volume said, "Then don't-" A hand reached up to his shoulder. He deflated as Maureen squeezed him gently. He looked to her, and saw her shining eyes. With a bob of his head, perhaps some sort of apology or recognition, he turned to look at Dipper. "Okay, fine. We'll go watch the cars. Look for Rin and Nadan. They're out there still, maybe they made it to the compound."
"By the time you get to the cars, we might arrive at the compound. We'll need you guys to be ready to get moving soon," Dipper explained, "Just in case-"
"Running out of the woods, right, right," Darren nodded begrudgingly.
"Don't worry," Maureen smiled to them all, "We've got it. You've all got it. The Guardsman always had faith in you four, and its clear to me why that is."
"Oh, why's that?" Soos asked.
Maureen, beaming wide, said, "Because you're all soo cool!"
Letting out a loud gagging sound, Darren turned and started marching northeast. "Don't get yourselves killed," he warned them. As he was fully turned away, he twisted himself back again, and eyed them each. "Seriously. None of you die."
Watching the two hobble away into the darkness, the four turned their sights, once again, southwest.
"Remember," Dipper stated aloud, "There could be more than one thing out here. Note anything odd you sense, detect, or feel."
"Then let's go!" Mabel cheered.
As the four started, Dipper turned to Soos. "You don't want it back?" he said, motioning to the rock with a tilt of his head.
Soos shook his head. "It did its job in protecting you guys. Besides, I think it's a crime to take stuff from national parks, or whatever."
Silence befell the four. As the lights of the moon was cut and filtered through the needle-woven roof over their heads, the light of cell phones became their guide. Along a crunching, crackling trail they blazed, slinking under fallen trees, and over large rocks. The air was ever chatty, letting the constant whistling wind whisper unseen warnings. These woods felt alive, aware.
As the minutes passed, the terrain shifted. The light of the phones faded, as light from above competed. At one point, Wendy whispered, "Guys, phones away. Look," and pointed ahead.
Once the last cell phone was placed in a pocket, the four gasped. They had arrived to a massive edge in the woodlands. Before them was a field of felled trees, crashed and burnt over in some unseen fire from the past. There was no longer a canopy, and so the moon happily provided a cool, bathing glow. They could see almost as well in these woods as they could with the flashlights. The ground was less cooperative than before, however.
What was once flat, pine-needle strewn forest floor had become a crisscross weaving of fallen branches and twigs. It rose off the floor until the apparent even walking level was two or three feet above the earth. Each twig, each branch, was dry and brittle. There was no guarantee any of it would be safe to walk on.
"That's not good," Dipper assessed quickly as Wendy walked past him, eying the bramble.
"It's like a wild jungle-gym," Mabel quietly awed, tugging on Dipper's shoulder, "This could be so fun to explore!"
Despite a small smile, Dipper shook his head, "I know, but we don't have the time."
"No kidding," Soos nervously said, "I'm not really sure how many times you three wanna go digging me out of that. It looks frailer than the rotten parts of the Mystery Manor's roof."
"So, I guess," Dipper shrugged, "We climb onto the logs and just go from one to another?" he asked, looking at the back of Wendy's head. She was busy looking at a patch of earth before the bramble. When she did not answer, Dipper asked a tad louder, "Wendy?" She wove a hand at him, beckoning them all closer. Complying, the four knelt down around her and saw on the floor a clawed, deep footprint.
Soos gasped. "As a professional monster hunter, I can say that the print is not a human print."
Wendy chortled, "Yeah, you could say that. It isn't a bear or wolves either."
Mabel leaned closer and sniffed it. She gagged. "Aw nuts!" she snapped, hold a hand to her face, "It smelt like-"
"The ghoul from before," Dipper mused, "This must be where it came from," he declared.
"Don't wanna spoil your idea, Dipper," Wendy groaned, and pointed, "but it's facing the wrong way."
Dipper looked closer. The direction the claws faced certainly told a story; that whatever made them had moved south-west, into the bramble. Dipper paused, and looked behind him. Knowing what to look for now, he saw a few more sets leading the these tracks. They exited the woods and into the bramble.
Frowning, Dipper said, "Wendy is right."
"Of course she is," Mabel beamed.
"The tracks are going into the bramble, not away from it. That… that might mean-"
"There's more than one ghoul?" Wendy suggested.
Soos shot his hand up, gasping for air. "Oh! Oh! I got it! The one ghoul I slew must have been a new one, and the one we're seeing here must be the Gaunter Haunter! The seriously scary one!"
"If it is the Gaunter Haunter," Dipper gulped, "Then we're going into its home turf right now."
Wendy brushed her knees clear of the debris her skin collected. Looking to the others, she stated, "Logs are the way to go. Before we step on any of them, push it with your foot, hand; try to move it. If it can't move, walk on it. But even then, don't assume it's safe to walk along, especially if someone else is already one it, okay?"
"Yes ma'am!" Soos saluted.
A knowing smirk growing on his face, Dipper asked, "Those logging camps really helping out?"
She rolled her eyes, "Don't push it, you know I hated those."
Mabel cheered, "But they make you sound so cool and woodsy!"
From the bramble far off and away, another groan echoed across the night sky. It was low and resonant first, more like a tree creaking along the strains of a windfall. As the seconds passed and the groan continued, the tone rose and became far more like a scream, high and shrill. The four, eyes wide open and deathly still, awaited for that horrible sound to subside.
When it did, Soos chuckled, "Haha, we're going to die."
"No, we're not," Mabel grumbled, and swatted his shoulder. As Soos rubbed the injury, she turned to the others. "Yes, it's scary. Yes, it might be some weird super-sad, super-strong ghoul, but guys, we've beaten devils, demons, plant-titans, heck, we went to hell!"
Dipper held his arm and quietly admitted, "Sometimes I have nightmares about waking up there." Wendy made sure to rub the back of his head gently.
Mabel puffed out her chest, "Well, if we can survive jerks like Cipher and, well, I guess Cipher, he's really the top of the list, then what's one scary crybaby gonna do?"
"Frighten us by use of building tension and an unfamiliar environment?" Soos asked.
"Nothing!" Mabel answered, "Now let's get em!" And she charged ahead, leaping onto the nearest log. It spun to the side, tossing her into the bramble immediately. With a shrill 'Yip, yip!' Mabel pelted herself back out, only carrying a few stabbed branches in her arms and legs. "But, uh, you first, Wendy," Mabel insisted.
Redhead ahead, the four began their grueling track into the felled woods. Wendy was the absolutely correct choice in determining the path to take. When things were good, she would effortlessly step from one log to another, waving the three to follow. When things got tricky, she would extend a foot, push the log, and then say, "Wait a second," or, "One at a time, guys," and cross the log, only then to deliver a concise direction to cross the log in question.
Each one they passed put the woods further and further behind them. The wasteland like surrounds made for poor comfort. It was a strange feeling the four felt; so isolated and vulnerable. If any of them would fall, into feet of sharp and brittle branches they might sink, making it an excruciating process of being pulled right out.
Mabel was, naturally, excelling at this right alongside Wendy. Though she lacked the wilderness know-how, she certainly understood her abilities and limits well enough. When knowing where to go and what to avoid, Mabel was flawless. Dipper too was confident; three months of training day after day with his fight-oriented sister made him far more in tune with his balance. He kept low, moved steadily, and felt at ease. As long as he didn't look into the dark horizon, he would find a relative peace. Though, when he did glance far off, he started to imagine what awaited there, looking back.
Soos was, despite his worries, well at the task. He was the most cautious, worriedly holding onto his stomach as he passed from log to log. His eyes, already transparent windows into his vast array of emotions, shimmered with worry. Still, despite the clear concern, his focus was on his safety, and the safety of his friends. If even for a second, he saw anyone sway or shake, his hands shot out to stabilize them.
After a solid thirty minutes of this, Wendy looked back to them, and smiled. "You're nailing it," she whispered to them. Mabel beamed, Soos grinned, and Dipper went pink.
"Thanks," he told her, "We have an excellent guide."
She snorted. "Yeah, I-"
Wendy whipped her head around, towards the left of the group. In the moment she paused, the other three looked too. There was nothing there, or at least, nothing they could see.
"Get down!" she snapped.
From the tangled, sharp bramble, a form burst out like a shark from the depths. Its massive claws burst free first, knife-like and filthy. It was tall and lanky, with long arms and pale skin under the moonlight. What hair remained atop its angled head was thin and ghastly, wispy like trails of grass. Its eyes were large and dark, its mouth wide and pulled thin, revealing the shark-like teeth hiding within. Into the air it went, diving right for Wendy.
As landed before Wendy, attempting to throw her off the log, Dipper proclaimed, "It's a ghoul!"
"It sure smells like one!" Wendy growled, fighting to throw off the monster, locked in a moment of wrestling.
Mabel was already into the air. "HIYAA!" She yelled, snapping her foot out across the beast's head. A ragdoll to the forces of a shooting star, the ghoul was stunned and momentarily lost itself. It was more than enough time for Wendy to spin around it, grasp it by its center, and suplexed it onto another, nearby log. With a sickening crunch, it was pinned in place by means of impalement.
As the creature moaned and whined in pain, the two ladies high-fived. Mabel quickly regretted it, turning from Wendy and gagging. "What?" The redhead demanded.
"You smell like it now! GAH!" Mabel whined, fanning her face.
"Well, either way," Dipper chuckled, "It was a good job, you two. We'll, uh," he turned to Soos, who shrugged, "Do something… next time."
"No need," Wendy winked at them, "Corduroy on the job. Besides, Soos took out the first one in one shot."
Soos, smiling, claimed, "Critical hit with a face."
The ghoul groaned and babbled incoherently, trying to pull itself free from the gruesome injury. It's movement distracted the four, who's collective focus made Dipper realize something. A terrible tingling running down his back, Dipper muttered. "Oh no." He looked to the others, who's attention he had gained. "It burst from the stuff underneath us, but Wendy only noticed a second before it did. We were that close to one without knowing. These trees must be blocking the scent!"
The dawning realization washed over Wendy, and Mabel looked around to the dry woods. "So… there could be any number of these things?"
"Well," Dipper chuckled, "I don't know about any number. Ghouls happen because of intention, or because of a freaky death, like starving or something."
Frowning and eyes shimmering, Soos asked, "So… two people starved to death out here?"
"Well, these wildernesses are vast," Dipper nodded, "It's certainly possible. People got lost, fell and got hurt. They pass away from starvation, and… boom, ghoul. Especially now that magic is back, you know?"
Wendy grumbled, "Starting to worry about magic being everywhere even more than I was before."
The ghoul made one loud gurgle, and then went still, either having finally passed away, or given up entirely. The four eyed it once more, before Wendy waved at them. "C'mon, let's not give it another chance to get us. This way," she told them, and marched ahead.
Dipper paused once to spy the ghoul. It had an expensive looking smart-watch on it, perhaps something it had died with. Perplexed that someone would be lost with such useful technology, Dipper buried the thought for now. He could reexamine the corpse another time. He had to keep moving.
The evening continued to grow later, until it was hard to tell if it was the seventeenth or the eighteenth. Surely approaching Midnight, the moon was starting to clearly lose patience. Wendy stopped, and looked up. "Uh oh," she noted, and pointed above.
Clouds were drifting near the moon. Dipper said, "Phones out, get your flashlights going!"
Just as the four each had their light out, the moonlight faded away, leaving them in a darkness that felt oppressive. If they had not known their path, they would have assumed they were in some sort of weird-world, a dark void in each direction as far as they could see.
Wendy said aloud with a firmness, "It's all the same as before. Just follow my lead, okay?"
"S-Sure," Soos gulped, "I'll do my best."
Wendy looked to him, and smiled. "Bud, you've been killing it."
"Yeah," Dipper told him, offering a kind smile, "You really helped out on that knob back there – almost ate it."
Mabel cackled. "Sure did! He'd be a porcupine!"
"Daw," Soos wiped at his eyes, "Thanks guys."
With four short-distance beams of light to guide them, the hike continued. Each log cast a terrible shadow under them, and the bramble did no better. The light started to act as a false alarm for them- as the flickering beams cut into the branches and cast even more active shadows. It always looked like there was movement under them, something slithering along with them the entire way.
After one particularly large fallen tree was leapt onto, Dipper turned his head. He saw a standing tree off in the distance. As Wendy helped Mabel and Soos behind him, Dipper lowered his light and squinted. He wasn't sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him or not. Had there been a bush at the base of the tree? Was it some sort of strange island, in a sea of twisted branches? As his eyes focused, a glimmer through the clouds of moonlight bathed the island. Two figures leaned onto the tree, slumped and looking hurt.
Dipper gasped, and pointed quickly as the light faded. "Nadan! Rin!"
"What!?" Wendy cried out as Dipper lunged forward.
Off the massive log, Dipper dashed forward. Despite the cries behind him, he made as quick a rush forward as possible. The other two hadn't made it- they were here, and looking pretty worse for wear. He had to help! The first log he ran down was steady, and so he leapt. Four logs before he could safely leap onto the solid earth ahead of him. The next one, to his anger, spun.
"Careful Dip!" Mabel cried out, preparing to follow her brother.
Dipper leapt over the log, rather than run down it, and from his landing, leapt again. He was three away now. This one was long, steady, and well supported by the rubble underneath it. He sprinted down it, his footfalls echoing into the darkness around him. He saw the next log, and leapt. It began to tilt from under his feet, and so he had to move quick. Ensuring that he was in its center before it lifted up and on top of him, he rode its fall back down, and then leapt again. He was one log away.
Wendy roared, "Dipper, roll now!"
A shower of splintered wood splashed upon Dipper. From either side of the last log, three figures erupted like geysers. In the briefest of moments before he followed orders, Dipper saw as three more ghouls leapt up, eager to claw him. Having already been recently cut by a woodlands monster, he was in no hurry to gain another scar. With training and instinct, Dipper dived ahead, narrowly missing a scrape along his back from a massive, talon-like claw.
Landing in a seat and spinning around, he saw them. Three more foul, angled, sharp-looking undead. Each wore fairly modern pieces of clothes, torn and tattered from their hiding spots. Dipper stood fully, and adopted a fighting stance. They were here for blood, and he wasn't going to let them have his so easily.
"HIIYYAAA!" From behind them, Mabel leapt into the air, spinning as she did. Managing to kick not one, but two across the face, she isolated one for Dipper as Soos and Wendy arrived.
The closest to Dipper dove at him like a feral feline. The twin leapt back, keeping his distance. Watching it move, Dipper saw that it's long limbs made it easy to pounce and strike with quick, sudden bursts. He hadn't seen them move yet, though. Glancing around him with his flashlight still in hand, he spotted a particularly dangerous looking log.
"Right this way," Dipper told it as he turned and ran towards the fallen log.
The Ghoul hissed, and leapt into the air. As it landed nearby him, but still just far enough to be out of reach, it stood and ran. Dipper quickly congratulated his assumptions being right- the ghoul struggled to run- wading through the bramble and quickly lagging behind Dipper. They were, despite being ambush hunters, fairly stupid.
Leaping onto a nearby nest of branches, Dipper taunted it. "I'm right here! Come get me!" he laughed, waving his light around.
Either the innate hate that many undead feel, or the strange compulsion of hunger, made the ghoul unable to resist such temptation. It reeled in, and lunged out once more, flying through the air like some horrible, clawed toad. Dipper spun, catching its chin with his feel. With a triumphant roar, he slammed his foot down, slamming the ghoul into the bramble. As it crashed into the splintered wood, sending forest shrapnel everywhere, Dipper spun, and stomped out the support for the precarious log. It teetered, and then started to fall, right where he had planted the ghoul.
It looked up, snarling at where Dipper had just leapt from. It gulped as the end of the tree slid down rapidly, crushing it underneath its massive weight.
"Hahah!" Dipper cheered, leapt up into the air, only then to nearly stumble onto a nearby log. "Woah, careful. Okay. Phew. YES!" he cheered again, "First ever ghoul taken down! Now that's what I'll call accomplishing new 'ghouls'? Huh?" The buried ghoul said nothing, and Dipper sighed. "I'm losing my touch."
He turned back, and saw the three nearly done with their two ghouls. One had just been stomped upon repeatedly by Mabel, who was leaping up and down on it like she was trying to stuff it down pipework. Soos held the two clawed hands of another Ghoul while Wendy practiced boxing it in the face. Dipper blinked, and nodded. "Huh. Yeah, these things aren't the hardest to deal with…" he smirked, "Maybe they should think about setting up new ghoul-post- Ugh, that's horrible."
He eyed the tree. Nadan and Rin awaited, still. Despite pride wishing to be acknowledged for his victory, Dipper chose to act and help rather than waiting for ratification. He finally leapt to their hill protruding from the sea of branches, and looked them over. They were, sadly enough, far worse off than Darren or Maureen. Deep lacerations covered their faces, and each looked almost as pale as the ghouls.
"Oh no," Dipper whispered, and rapidly pulled out the tin that Grunkle Ford had provided. "C'mon," he begged the world around him, "Work your magic."
Rubbing the ointment where he thought would be the most helpful, Dipper attempted as much medical work as he could alone. The moment he had finished applying on Rin's shoulders, a gasp came out from Nadan. Dipper jolted a little himself, nearly dropping his tin.
"D-Dipper?" Nadan asked, his eyes unfocused.
"Yeah, it's me," he nodded, continuing to apply ointment onto Rin.
"Where… what time is it?" Nadan asked.
Dipper checked his phone, and sighed. "Late; its just past midnight."
If an already injured man could look worse, Nadan pulled it off with a realization. "I've been out for hours."
"Yeah," Dipper nodded behind him, "We just found you."
Nadan craned his neck, watching the three finalize their business with the two ghouls. He looked to Dipper, a tad more confused than before. "What's that?" he asked.
"Oh, sorry," Dipper apologized, "I know you're all anti-magical, but I think it's more important to heal you all than let you-"
"No, Dipper," Nadan cut him short and nodded past him, "What is that thing?"
"Huh?" Dipper turned his head, and looked at the defeated ghouls, one who had been smooshed into the wooden branches, the other who had been fairly disfigured to the point of being unconscious. "That's a… wait. Did… didn't they get you?" Dipper asked.
Nadan shook his head. "No. We separated from Darren and Maureen when something started circling us, swiping at us here and there. It was so fast, Dipper. I'm glad you haven't encountered it yet, because I'm afraid that you'd also being our shape."
"You… saw it?" Dipper asked.
He shrugged. As a cheerful Mabel led over Soos and Wendy, Nadan explained, "Whatever it was felt sharp and ethereal. See, Drew is among our fastest, even if he isn't very hard hitting. I watched him try tripping the thing, and it just sort of glided over him."
"You're sure that it wasn't just ghouls in the dark?" Dipper inquired.
"Ghouls?" Nadan asked, and eyed the four, "Is that what those things are?"
"Yup! Dealt with," Mabel grinned at him, "Now we're safe."
"Don't think so," Nadan glumly said, "As long as whatever got me and Rin is still out there, none of us are safe."
The words froze Mabel in her place, and Wendy frowned. She inquired, "You're sure that you saw something that wasn't those ghouls?"
"No, I'm not certain," he said, and then tried to stand up. As he did, he gagged. "Gah! You all smell… a tad worse for wear."
From the previously motionless body, Rin mumbled, "Horrible."
Mabel hummed. "Maybe women just smell things more clearly than guys?"
Nadan turned to his companion. "You can stand?" Rin then, with a steady and slow rise, got onto her feet. "Of course you can," Nadan chuckled.
Soos chuckled. "Yeah, that's a ghoul's thing. They smell bad, and you kinda smell like them for a bit when-"
Dipper snapped his fingers. "That's it," Dipper gasped, a sudden realization washing over him, "They weren't attacked by ghouls, for sure!"
"Why?" Mabel asked.
"None of them smelled," Dipper said, fanning his face as he faced the three, "Guys, we just fought them, barely let them touch us, right? But we still smell like them a bit. If they had been hit by ghouls, then they'd clearly smell like them!"
"Indeed," Rin agreed.
A tad more worried, Soos asked, "Then… what got them?"
Ideas flooded Dipper's mind. What was it they were facing? It was sharp as a blade, fast as the wind, and seemingly untouchable. It almost sounded like a ghost of some sort. There were tons of undead in the area, what if it was another hostile undead force? He had seen the kind of damage that powerful ghosts could cause.
Yet something didn't sit right with him. Whatever this thing was, it was precise. Ghosts communicated, leaving evidence and clues to their wants and whereabouts. Ghosts tended to act in a reckless manner, not fearing for life or death. Dipper frowned, unable to narrow down what it was. If it wasn't corporeal, but dangerous, Dipper wasn't sure what they were dealing with. The goosebumps that formed across his arms were hard to be credited to terror or excitement.
Dipper answered Soos with, "I don't know." He turned to look at Nadan and Rin. "Can you two walk? Run?"
"Walk, sure," Nadan affirmed with a smile, and Rin nodded. He then added, "Run? Fight?"
"No," Rin told him, a hand on his shoulder, "We need to return."
"My thoughts exactly," Dipper said.
Nadan sighed. Eying the four before him, he chuckled. "I'm glad you decided to come after us. We night have ended it out here if not for you four."
"You're welcome!" Mabel squealed, "Disobedience is sort of our forte!"
"Fight the power," Wendy snickered, and high-fived Mabel.
"We aught to get moving then," Nadan said, patting Rin's hand, "Find the others. Hopefully-"
"They're also heading back," Dipper answered the worries for Nadan, "They were hurt, but they should be heading back too, as long as they were quiet."
Stars in his eyes, Nadan gave Dipper a wide, proud smile. "I really see why it is Zander took a shining to you four."
Dipper suppressed a smile, but nodded. "I'm… yeah. Thanks, Nadan."
"Y-Yeah," Mabel managed to say weepily, her eyes shimmering, "I really, really appreciate that."
Crack.
The six turned towards the noise, which was closer than they would have liked. Nadan asked them, "Is that your great-uncle, catching up?"
Dipper's eyes honed in on the distant sounds. It was something like static. A noise higher in resonance and brittle. Wendy must have seen it first, for her eyes widened and she groaned, "Oh hell no."
About a hundred feet away, lumps had appeared in the brittle under-debris of the felled forest. These lumps, like tidal wakes, pushed through the branches and sharp twigs of the under debris. There were a dozen of them, these swells of fallen, broken tree matter. Four flashlights shone that way, and once of the many lumps burst open, revealing another ghoul. If each lump was another ghoul, there were dozens of them, slinking towards the gang.
"Nope!" Soos declared, "Not okay!"
"Run!" Nadan demanded.
"You run!" Mabel clapped back.
"We're running," Rin decided, and pulled at Nadan's collar, lifting him into the air like a windsock.
As Rin charged over the fallen trees, Nadan called after them, "Don't wait for us! Get out of there! Now!"
Wendy turned about, and her green eyes worried scanned the area. "This way!" she yelled, and charged.
What practice the four had during their paced hike was now put to the challenge. Each log was a test of balance and risk; for any could roll or tilt at any point. They would need to move quick, respond to changes underfoot immediately and correctly, and move forward. If they fell, even slipping a foot down, that could be it for them. The sharp, squeezing wooden debris would close in around any limb and lock it in place. Without risking the tearing and ripping the wood would cause along the skin, they would be stuck and at the mercy of the foul ghouls.
Then there was the darkness before them. Flashlights or no, they each only had a little bit of distance with each choice of where to move next, and only could see in a fairly small cone of dim light. With the danger behind them closing in, and the limited availability of options, the game became much more about risk than skill.
Ensuring her title was not unwarranted, Wendy continued to push ahead, rapidly and correctly choosing log after log. Some would tilt slightly, or some would wobble, but none gave out or spun to the side. In her own efforts, Wendy was the one making this seem effortless; at least in the clamor of the getaway. Her face betrayed her; her eyes constantly filled with a dread as she continued to check with the twins and Soos.
The twins, with a bit more haste in their step, fluxed in their moments of notable skill and near failure. Mabel bounded with each step she could, eyes ahead of her. Dipper continued to check in on the approaching, hidden ghouls. He would occasionally step off a log incorrectly, and Mabel would be there to pull him back up with her. Then again, if she landed and started to whirl her hands into the air, it would be Dipper who grabbed the collar of her shirt and pull her along.
Soos was, surprisingly, the most efficient of the four behind Wendy. Attention for detail proved to be his greatest strength, as he constantly would assess his next direction and find the most optimal means to advance. There was a particular branch that jutted up at an angle, and with a quick notice, Soos saw that it was attached to a tree that would spin towards their running path. Hiking up it with quick, hasty breaths, he let his weight pull the tree to the side, allowing him to cover enough distance to actually land ahead of Wendy.
Looking ahead, he gasped. "Guys, look!" he waved and directed his flashlight. The felled forest was almost at its edge, and more living woodlands awaited them.
With an impressed nod from Wendy, Soos turned and ran down the nearest log, and leapt from it to the solid ground. As he turned back, seeing the twins, they all heard a massive blast of sound.
About twenty feet behind the twins, the roiling mounts of twigs and branches were bursting, revealing their ghoulish occupants. It was more than they had thought, far more. Standing, trying to claw their way though the bramble were at least thirty ghouls, and more mounds were appearing.
Eyes wide in terror, Dipper cried, "What gives with these mass haunts!?"
Mabel begged, "Run now, think later!" His collar grabbed this time, Dipper was yanked along.
Wendy was quick to arrive with Soos, and only a moment later, did the twins arrive too. They all turned back, seeing the slow progress the ghouls were making. Nonetheless, they continued to approach.
"We have about a minute head start," Dipper declared, "Make it count!"
Like a shot in the dark, the four turned and dashed away. Sore in the knees, ankles, and pretty much anywhere someone hiking for hours might, the four darted between the dark shadows of the trees. Without the light, they were blind, and with the light, the ghouls would know where to find them. Dipper was acutely aware of how much he and his friends suddenly understood the terror of being prey caught out in the darkness.
Echoing from behind them were the snarls and pounding footfalls. The ghouls were giving chase, having started to breach out from the felled forest. They could hear the patter of quadrupedal movement as the ghouls gave chase on all fours. In the shadows behind them to the sides, Dipper would dare glance, and he was certain he saw their dark eyes glinting back in the dim light.
The chase was on, or at least, for another few bold moments. Then-
"BREAK!" Wendy screamed.
Holding her arms out wide and acting as a buffer for the other three, she skidded to a halt. Scraping and pulling up the earth from under her heel, Wendy stopped about a foot from the edge of a particularly tall drop-off. They had arrived at a ravine, with what sounded like water at the bottom.
"What happened?!" Dipper cried, looking around.
"We must have gone at an angle at some point," Wendy guessed with a rushed voice, looking around herself.
"Guys," Mabel gulped, turning around, "Either way, I'd figure out our next step, because we have some lovely puppies asking for treats."
Turning to look with her, Soos, Wendy, and Dipper slowly rounded. One Ghoul stood about thirty feet away, standing to its tallest. It was remarkably cleaner than the others, with fewer injuries than the others. Than another arrived, this one dirtier. It too came to a stop, and stared at them, a sickening look of feral hunger imbedded into its eyes. Another, two more, then five- the swarm of ghouls was arriving.
"Yeah, Hambone," Soos gulped, "I don't think those are puppies."
"And they certainly want more than a treat," Wendy growled.
"So," Dipper's eyes flittered from one to another as he spoke, "I'm seeing… almost forty of them."
"Yeah, that's a lot," Mabel nodded.
"Hate to say it," Dipper eyed the cliff behind them, "Whatever is below might give us a better chance than these things."
With his words, the four tensed. A leap of faith was certainly not something the four were unfamiliar with, some having done it several times before. If it was between being devoured by a horde of horrific undead and crashing into unknown, dark waters below, Dipper at least knew what he chose. He nodded to the others.
"On three," he told them.
"One," Mabel mumbled.
"Two," Wendy declared.
Another whine echoed from the treetops. The four froze. It was that horrible, bone-chilling cry from before. It was louder than before, so loud it could have been right by them all. It was like a child, an infant, a baby, screaming, but there was some unseen, deep echoing quality to it, much like how a singer in a stone hallway might be heard. It built and built to the point where the four held their hands to their ears, and the ghouls howled in pain, turning around and seeking the source.
From the swarm of ghouls, something small leapt up and rolled closer. Tensing up at first, Dipper felt a horrible mixture of relief and panic flood his mind. The thing that rolled up to his foot was the severed head of one of the ghouls. As the other three looked down and screamed, Dipper turned his gaze up, and saw the ghoul with the missing feature sway and stumble, only to collapse a moment later.
What followed next was a blur of sudden, dark movements. Something flitted and rushed into the pack of ghouls. It was small, or at least was so fast that it seemed small. From one ghoul to the next, they were shredded. Something terrifically hostile and violent was cutting through them like a sharpened blade through soft fruit.
The ghouls, with whatever semblance of self-preservation they had, started to panic. They were not eating their food, nor where they thrilled with their fellows being chopped up. A few spun around, trying to slash at whatever thing was darting around them, seemingly flying in close quarters. A few accidentally struck the other ghouls, clawing and slashing at each other. As their casualties grew in number, many began to flee, howling in terror into the dark night.
After the last ghoul before the gang fell, the dark shape made quick to give chase. One by one, the four heard one ghoul after another cry out, decidedly taken out by that… thing.
The Gaunter Haunter.
They were all alone.
Several beats passed before Mabel looked down, grimaced, and kicked away the head. "Gross," she whispered.
Crack. The stony floor beneath them splintered about ten feet ahead.
"Oh, we were on an overhang," Soos declared, and chuckled, "Whoops. Probably should have moved."
Life had given them a choice, but now it seemed determined to send the four spiraling down into the darkness, for that is where they went. Screaming and hollering into the shadows, the four descended.
"Guys!" Soos cried, and reached out to the four, squeezing them into his arms, "If anyone is going to die, it should be me!" he hollered, "Let me be your airbag!" He then tilted himself to his back towards gravity.
"Ack! Soos!" Wendy grumbled, and with great strength, spun herself in Soos's place, "Don't be stupid! I'll take it."
"Wendy, are you going to be okay?" Dipper asked, sensing the impending earth below them.
"Yeah, should be?" She guessed.
Wham, crack!
Wendy hit the ground, and the gang bounced into the air. Wendy's face puffed outward, her eyes bulging and her lips holding in breath.
"You okay?" Mabel asked Wendy as they neared their next crash.
"Y-yeah," Wendy stiffly nodded, "Never better."
"I heard a crack," Dipper told her.
"Crazy," Wendy groaned, "I didn't hear–"
Wham, crack.
"–Anything," she wheezed.
Their next bounce and slam was far less tragic for Wendy and her back. From the night around them came a cool, deep water. It splashed and rushed around them, and after a single moment, they were already rushing downstream. It was tumultuous rapids, with foamy, cleansing water all around them. First to really catch a breath was Dipper, who spun about.
"Guys?" he called.
Emerging to his side and spitting water into his face was Mabel. "Present!"
Soos emerged next to her, and though he didn't spit, his splash was large enough to coat both twins. "I am not dead," he told them fairly robotically.
Wiping his face for the second time, Dipper looked around. When he didn't see her, he called out, "Wendy? Wendy!"
"Here," a voice called out.
The three looked past Soos, and saw Wendy, sprawl-eagle, floating on the river. "So, fun story," she told them, "I'm pretty sure I broke my back when we fell, because I can't move anything except my head. Good thing I can float, huh?"
"But you're, like invincible!" Mabel told her.
"Oh, yeah," Wendy craned her head as she floated up to the three, "I'm not in any real pain, you know? I mean… no, actually," she darkly chuckled, "That's a lie, I'm hurting a lot right now. But," she loudly told them as the three groaned and moved to help her, "I'll be okay in, like, a minute or two."
"Okay, well," Soos said as they flowed and bobbed in the deep, fast moving river, "As long as we don't hit any-"
"Don't say it," Dipper snapped at him.
"Say what?"
"Anything," Dipper demanded, "I don't want to give fate, or whatever is out there listening, a chance to make it any worse than it already is."
"I think that was back there," Mabel pointed her thumb back the way they floated from, "you know, surrounded by meano-munchers?"
Dipper relaxed himself a bit, and let out a sigh. "Yeah, you're right. A horde of ghouls are pretty much the worst thing we could deal with, right?"
The rumbling that started to shake the air told them otherwise. Each, with the exception of the paralyzed Corduroy, slowly turned in the direction of the river's flow. They could see some sort of light in the distance, slightly obscured by the woodlands. Just past that, the river had an edge. Which would imply it flowed somewhere other than ahead, most likely, downwards.
"Oh, come on!" Dipper furiously snapped, "Swim to the sides!"
"Which way is that?!"Mabel cried.
"Uh oh," Soos said, and hit a rock in the river, which spiraled him into Mabel. The two tangled did little to stop Wendy from flowing past them.
"Uh, guys?" she asked, trying to lift her head up slightly, "Getting ahead of you all. Help? Please?"
Dipper frantically reached forward, pulling Wendy back, or himself towards her. Regardless to the direction Dipper moved, he started to quickly realize that they were in no quick position to clear the river. He turned to see this sister and Soos desperately trying to untangle themselves, and then he looked to Wendy. His eyes shimmering with worry, he shook his head and asked her, "Feel ready for another big ride?"
Looking up to him, Wendy smirked. "Anywhere you wanna go, big guy."
Swelling with confidence only slightly warranted, Dipper turned to the two. "Over here, quick!" As the two swam towards him, Dipper said, "We're going over. Hold tight."
"Oh this is so not a good idea," Soos worried.
"If I die," Mabel told the others, "Someone tell Waddles that I never stopped thinking about him."
Wendy snorted, saying, "You got it, Mabes."
The water churned and spilled out before them quickly. Without anything to slow them down, it was a blistering rush as the river became a massive, tall, life-threatening waterfall. Many had perished over such features, crushed by the rocks, or drowned. It would be time, once again, to test their luck.
Mabel gasped. Looking ahead to something past the edge, she shouted, "Everyone hold on! I've never tried it with this much weight before!"
Hands clasped around one another, Mabel wrapped herself as tightly as she could to her group. As the edge arrived, and the force of gravity welcomed them to a deathly fall, Mabel roared, "Grappling Hook!" and fired her beloved hoisting tool ahead. Upon a hanging tree it wrapped around and secured itself.
No direct plummet did the four endure. They swung out, ripped clear from the spraying, cool, misty waterfall and into the dark night. Mabel groaned and strained, carrying the weight of four. As her face began to sweat and her eyes bulged, it was not her, nor her spirit, that gave out. The tree, old and worn, budged and cracked. The grappling hook was freed, and the four were slung from their hoist into the dark river below. One after another, the four landed into a deep, slower part of the river.
Along the shore of the slowing river, three people trudged out from the muddy, sticky riverbed. Soos was first to do so, pushing his way clear, gasping for air as he rung out his hat. Mabel, coiling back up her prized grappling hook, pulled herself onto the shore, and then face-planted into the mud, groaning. Behind her, Dipper fished Wendy out of the water, who was started to be able to move her feet again.
"Okay," Dipper spat out a wad of river grass, "Considering that we likely would have died… that was about as good as it could have been. Nice job, Mabel." From below, Mabel meekly lifted up her thumb and then let it splat into the mud.
A loud groan preceding her rise, Wendy finally stood up. Creak, crack. She gasped and groaned, rubbing her back. "Okay, I think everything went back into place. Oh, that really sucked," she moaned, holding herself at her hips.
Going around her to provide a quick pat-down of reeds and mud, Dipper told Wendy, "You saved us. Thanks, Wendy." To him, she smiled, physically relaxing with each pat from Dipper. With a quiet, rehearsed motion, she made to zip her lips shut, and threw away the zipper. Dipper, warm in the face, followed suit.
"You know," Soos said, staring at the two, "I've seen you two do that, like, a bunch this summer. Is that some sort of secret code? A check in with one another? Like, seriously dudes, what's that about?"
Slightly more embarrassed than before, Dipper and Wendy stood, and pulled Mabel to her feet. The four had arrived to some sort of massive plains. The moon had peeked its way back through the clouds, shimmering uncertain glow across the massive, sprawling grasslands. They could see a road ahead, maybe less than a hundred feet. With the brightness of the moon's aid, they could see that they the mountains surrounded this massive floodplains, and that the forests coated the inclines. Across the road ahead of them, there was a log cabin, and a ranger's truck parked just outside it.
"There," Dipper pointed to it, "We should see what's going on, and where we are."
"Maybe a hair dryer," Mabel grumbled.
Wendy enthusiastically nodded, "Yes, girl, please. But probably not."
Daring to creep across the dark road, the four arrived to the steps of the large, one-roomed cabin. Trepidation built as the four saw that the door leading inside was wide open. Daring to take the first step, Dipper creaked the old, worn, wooden floors.
SHRIEK!
As the four yelped or yelled, an owl lunged past them, flying over their heads. As it grew distance and vanished into the night, the four caught their breath. Clearing his throat, Dipper said, "That's… probably not a great sign."
"Are owls bad now?" Mabel asked.
"If the doors been open long enough for birds to consider living in here, that means this place hasn't seen people in a bit," Dipper told her.
"Exactly," Wendy nodded to Dipper's assessment.
"Not to mention, Owls puke a lot," Soos noted with a gag, "I mean, is that necessary? It's gross, dude."
Entering into the dimly lit cabin, the four saw a mess of what once was surely some sort of ranger's outpost. There were tables of dusty, old, radio equipment. An open closet displayed unused but dusty jackets. The floor was littered with papers. What little light was in here came from a few nearby electrical outlets, which had night-lights installed.
Leaning down, Dipper lifted one and held it up. "Missing persons?" he asked, and eyed the paper.
Next to him, Wendy had done the same. "This one too," she told him.
Mabel had scooped up a handful of them. "There's dozens of them. Oh, that's so sad," Mabel held up a picture of one of them, showing a happy person, excitedly holding a pile of advanced camping gear, "This one had, like, everything to avoid getting lost."
Dipper looked to the picture, giving it a sad nod. His neck twitched and he did a double take. In that picture, he saw something familiar. He pulled the picture to his own hands, dropping the paper he held. On the wrist of the person in the picture was a fancy smart-watch. The picture slid from his hands.
He looked around at the pictures. "They… these… guys," Dipper said, trying to catch his breath, "I think these are the ghouls." The three turned and stared at Dipper. He spun the picture to face them, and pointed at the watch, "I saw this on the one I fought near Rin and Nadan."
Mabel held a few to her own eyes. Her eyes widened, and she exchanged one for another. "I recognize those shoes! They were torn, but same sick style! That hat!"
"All of these people," Wendy quietly muttered, "Became… those things?"
"But, how dawg?" Soos somberly asked Dipper.
Holding the picture of a one happy person, Dipper put it down, and felt a growing steam in his mind. A heat grew. There was a clear answer. An answer that he had been too distracted with to put together. After all, a local cryptid story is an exciting thing, but there was a familiar evil who had moved nearby recently.
Dipper growled, "Graupner."
And with that, Dipper stomped out to the dark nature, and spun about. He had remembered seeing a distant glow upon the horizon. True to his memory, just over a hill, he could see an otherwise shaded, hidden in the night, forest. He only saw it because a faint light bled through the trees. If there was going to be a place where Graupner would be, it was there.
"He's there," he said aloud. The three followed outside, still dripping with river-water. Just up the road was a small dirt trail that led towards the glowing woods.
"At the bad-guys gates," Mabel declared grimly, "We shall break through and destroy… their stuff."
"All their stuff," Soos agreed.
"Maybe some faces and bones too?" Wendy asked.
"Whatever it takes," Dipper declared, and started to march ahead.
Sounds of the scraping footsteps and the foreboding breeze's whistle heralded their arrival to the woods. The forest beyond was not a large one, spanning maybe only a mile in width. Just past it was their destination. The compound.
Graupner Kinley's Citadel in Yellowstone was a massive collection of blocky structures constructed together. The tallest of the towers loomed over the others, some sort of deranged, dystopian tower of concrete. All of it was windowless, but littered with search-lights along its side. A wide, chain-linked, barbed-wire capped fence surrounded its perimeter. Walking around the building, and between the several smaller adjutant and buildings, were dozens of guards. It had all the charm and natural appeal as a cinder block to your teeth.
"Now," Dipper thought quietly, moving to the side, as to be off the road and more in the shadows of the nearby trees, "How do we get in and absolutely ruin this place?"
"Oh," Soos suggested quickly, "We can throw together some heavy branches and pull down the fence?"
"That'd take a long while," Dipper retorted.
"Maybe we steal a car, plow through the fence, and then just start fighting everyone there?" Mabel pleasantly added.
Dipper shrugged. "I love it conceptually, but we don't have a car, and any vehicles they have are inside. Not to mention, we have no idea how many goons are inside."
"Heheh, goons," Mabel giggled.
"Maybe I can use a spell," Dipper considered, pulling out his journal, "that can melt the poles of the fence, and then we just walk over the hole?"
Mabel eyed the book. "How is that not totally destroyed Dip? We took a dive into the river."
"Ah," he patted it proudly, "a trick from Ford; keeps the book fresh and dry without stopping it from being written in."
"Guys," Wendy nodded a direction, "Or we can just ask nicely to come in, can't we?"
At the end of the dirt path, a gate in the fence stood at the read. Two of the members of the Rising Grasp stood at the ready, their strange rifle-weapons held in their hands. They had a certain expressionless expression, like people who find white paint interesting constantly did. One of them held a deep breath, and let out a sigh. He turned to his companion.
"Hey."
The other, a woman, turned and asked, "Yeah?"
The man asked, with a funny look on his face, "You ever wonder why we're here?"
The woman sighed. She tilted her head. "It's one of life's great mysteries, right? Like, our lord, Graupner Kinley, could have placed us anywhere on this compound. Yet here we are, serving him as loyal watchers of the trail. We could be on the tower, or by the garage, or in the barracks, or the recondition compound, but we're here. Why? He must know, for he is all knowing, but… it makes me think."
The man stared at her with a delightful mixture of bewilderment and concern. "...What?" he asked her.
Unseen by either, Wendy had snuck up behind the woman. She then, in her best impression, threw her voice to the lady. "Graupner actually is only sorta perfect."
"What!?" the two snapped and turned at each other.
"Say that again," the woman told her counterpart.
"No, I dare you to say that again," the man snarled.
She shoved him, and he shoved back. They then started an immediate scuffle, or as Soos had said, 'throwing down'. Wendy walked up to the gate, and while the two guards were busy with each other, lifted up the latch, and swung it open. She, along with the twins and Soos, rushed inside.
They rushed ahead quickly, attempting to avoid the larger, open, lit areas. Once arrived at a corner of the building, Dipper peered around. Though there were certainly many members of the Rising Grasp around, they seemed at ease, complacent to walk around chatting with one another. One pair narrowly passed the four, chatting animatedly.
"And I'm telling you, he was going to look in my general direction! So dreamy!"
"Wow, isn't it awesome when he almost notices you?"
"I think I'd just die if he said anything to me at all. Like, how are any of us worthy of him?"
As the two passed by, Dipper looked like he had never heard such foul, derogatory conversation, or that he had just eaten something awfully sour. Checking around, he noted, "Huh. No windows around."
"That's a good thing, right?" Mabel whispered to him.
"For us, yes?" Dipper guessed, "Kind of makes you wonder why they have all these lights to light up this place if, you know, they can't look down at us." As he debated the merits of windowless towers, Dipper saw an opening amongst the chatty, 'patrolling' goons. "Let's go!" he ordered, and dashed for it.
Arriving at a door to the main compound, Dipper pushed the door panel inward, opening it. The hallways inside were bathed in a reddish glow, and made of steel and concrete. Indications of directions were labeled along the walls, but little else was visible. Sliding inside, Dipper did a quick scan around him for cameras. Seeing none, nor anyone else in the long hallway, he wove them inside.
"Okay. Important question now," he told them, "two ways to go. Which way?" Mabel, sneering, turned and walked to the right. Dipper shrugged, "That'll do it for me."
The hallways were a barren, hopeless place. There were few doors where they were, and the constant red glow was not helpful in putting anyone at ease. Dipper constantly checked over his shoulder. Soos nervously played with his hands. Wendy started to glare at the lights. Mabel, on the other hand, hummed her favorite song from Duskhope.
A door finally presented itself to them. On their left, a heavy looking iron door was left open. The three peered within, seeing a massive garage. There were more military vehicles, weapons, and at least another fifty Rising Grasp members strolling about. In the crack the four spied, Dipper noticed something off to the side.
"Look," he quietly said and pointed.
In a corner was a collection of televisions, one of which was destroyed. The others displayed several security cameras, most of which were outside. It was some sort of security post, but no one seemed present at the moment. Of them, there was a view of a helipad, perhaps atop the tallest of the compounds towers. A familiar face was stepping off a helicopter that was angling to take off.
"Stinky Kinley," Mabel noted.
"Looks like he's come from somewhere," Wendy noted, "But where?"
"The cultist did say there were multiple bases," Dipper darkly recalled, "I bet he's was at one of the others."
Soos asked, "Guys, if there aren't that many cameras, does that mean we can move a little quicker? Like, I'm all for stealth, but I'm worried about getting out of here, you know?"
"You're right," Dipper smirked at him, "let's see if we can't find a more important facility."
The four dashed away, running down the hallway. One at a time, they scanned the hallways, and found little to nothing that made them think 'vital: do not violently destroy'. There was more to find, every hallway turned and made for more blank rooms, living quarters, and other simple arrangements. Then, finally, they found their jackpot.
A massive, hydraulic door made of steel awaited them in a large antechamber. It looked like it opened from top to bottom, and was accessed via a panel nearby the wall. Snickering to one another, the twins knew exactly what had to be done: they had to see what was so important on the other side. Dipper and Mabel first made their arrival to the keypad, eying it. The twins frowned at it, as did Wendy. Soos, on the other hand, hummed, "What could be the code?"
On a four number lock there were four numbers that had been smudged away wish use. Dipper sighed, and pondered aloud, "Going on some assumptions here, four numbers are pushed here. If each is used only once, we have twenty-four combinations to consider. It looks like there's-"
"Allow me. Gotta think like a goon," Mabel declared, and launched herself at the keyboard. With four jabs with her mighty index finger, she loudly exclaimed, "Bibbidy-bwoop, bwamp."
As a lightbulb from the panel flashed green, Soos chuckled. "Wow, I can't believe that genius's trick still works."
To their side, lights flashed and spun side glasses casings. The warning lights of the doors honked and blared. Shrill steam hissed its way out of nearby piping. The groan and creaking of the steel heralded the slow, crawling opening of the gateway. The four approached, curiosity luring them in like a sirens song. The door was finally open, and the sprawling interior of a vast, dark room awaited.
"What is this place?" Soos asked, once the four has passed the threshold.
Wendy paused, and reached into her pocket. Withdrawing a small glassy orb, she held it. She eyed it worriedly, "Guys… something is weird in here."
"Huh?" The twins turned to her, eying the stone.
Dipper, realizing what she held, asked, "What's going on with that?"
"I dunno, man," she shrugged, eying the stone, "It's… I can't explain why, but this thing feels… excited? Nervous? Agitated, it definitely feels agitated."
"Just now?" Mabel asked, poking the side of the orb, "What's wrong, little ball? You don't like it in here?"
"But why doesn't it," Dipper re-stated, eyeing around the dark room.
His foot scrapped down on something. Turning his gaze slowly down, Dipper saw a dry powder having been scrapped against the metal flooring. It was a long arc, a curving line that was so long it faded into the darkness before him. He blinked, trying to let his eyes adjust. He was certain he saw more shapes scribbled down onto the floor.
"Oh, look dudes," Soos said, still nearby the metal gate, "A light switch. Lemme take care of that."
Clack!
The lights flicked on, and revealed the massive space. It was a hundred feet wide and long, of uneven, crude metal walls and ceiling. There was, along the top of the far wall, an outcropping of windows. It was an observation porch of sorts, a room above to look down and witness the happenings of the room the four were walking into.
Yet it wasn't these details that made the four gasp. It wasn't the rough demeanor of the craftsmanship that made Soos stumble a little. It wasn't the chance of being studied and observed by someone else that made Wendy nearly drop the orb in her hand.
Dipper took a few steps loser to the center of the room, like he was in a daze. "It can't be."
Mabel ran forward, tears welling in her eyes.
Before them all, in the center of the room, was a large metal pillar. It was laden with many static-filled display screens, several keyboards, and a large, uncomfortable metal throne. The throne, along its footrest and armrests, had heavy iron bands that wrapped around the occupant – a single person, wearing nothing else but a pair of dark dress-pants, a belt, and heavy boots. His eyes were closed, and he sat motionless.
Mabel screamed, "Zander!"
The four rushed to the strange metal pillar, save for Dipper, who paused and looked around, his eyes growing wider.
"Look!" Mabel pointed to Zander's chest, sounding sorrowful and gleeful simultaneously, "No holes! He's okay! It was some sort of trick after all!"
"He's alive," Soos said, a little more than a tad choked up.
"He's not… dead," Wendy muttered, her eyes distant.
Sitting, his head slightly tilted down, was Zander Maximillion, or the Guardsman of the Paths. His shoulder-length blond hair fell along either sides of his face. His eyes were closed, and he was very still. No expression was readable along his seemingly asleep state. Mabel reached up to his shoulder.
"Zander! We're here!" Mabel cried out, giving his shoulder a shake. He didn't respond. "Zander!"
"Here, Hambone," Soos went for one of the restraints, attempt to pull it free, "Let's… pull… these- woof!" he gasped, shaking his hands, "these locks are tough."
A vengeful storm, Mabel reached for the closest lock around his arm. She pulled and tugged, yet it did not budge. Mabel pressed her feet up and climbed herself onto the pillar, and pulled so hard she was horizontal. The bonding iron resisted her still.
"What… the heck… gives!" Mabel yelled, tugging harder and harder until she slipped, flying onto the floor with a splat.
As Mabel climbed back to her feet, Wendy asked, "How is he okay? Why is he here?"
"Wendy!" Mabel stalled, and spun around. "Wendy, you're super strong! Help pull this off, would ya?" Wendy blinked, and looked to Mabel. The distant look in Wendy's eyes caused Mabel to pause. "What?" she asked the redhead.
Her hands tightening around the orb and frowning, Wendy told Mabel, "I… have a bad feeling about him."
Flabbergasted, Mabel spluttered, "What? Why!? It's him! It's Zander! He's not gone, he's still here to help us! Why should that be bad?"
From behind Wendy, Dipper declared in a hollow voice, "Probably because of that."
The three turned to him, and followed his gaze. His sight followed the floor, where a yellow-chalk circle had been sculpted around the pillar of metal. It was sectioned off, each small section with a strange icon. Near the heart of the circle, a form had been drawn around the pillar, directly at Zander's feet. It was a triangle with a single eye in its center, with two hands, two feet, and a top-hat.
The four stared at it, and slowly looked up to Zander. He was asleep, in the middle of a summoning circle belonging to a certain ethereal nightmare lord of terrors. Barely able to get a breath in, Mabel whispered, "Aw, nuts."
They're all CLEARLY overreacting to their discovery. I mean, it's just some chalk art that Graupner and Zander made together. It can be therapeutic, you know? Art can calm a mind and allow energy to... well, you know. I'm sure nothing bad will come of their discovery.
But hey! It's part two of the episode also know as "The Gang Visits Yellowstone!" but I didn't want to confuse it with a potential crossover with the show Yellowstone. I feel like themes and vibes would get really... conflicting. Mabel tying to talk to any character from that show would either be the funniest or most horrible thing. I digress.
Hope you all enjoyed the reveal! Not that I really fooled many of you. It was pretty evident from you smarties that you knew Zander would be popping back in, and dang it, that's what I get for writing for a fandom that excels at reading between the lines. Pretty hard to fool you.
Fun fact - which may not be entirely fun - this chapter has undergone a few iterations. Specifically the 'enemy' of the chapter had many versions. Way back when I started writing, and I began to visualize what this chapter would be, I thought I would use a specific creature out of Native American lore. I hinted at this last update, and I'll confirm without using words, that I was planning on using it. You know, cannibalistic supernatural creature that often is depicted with having large antlers? Starts with a W in its anglicized name? Yeah, turns out that it's pretty disrespectful to use it. There are plenty of people that have enough of a religious belief around them that it is somewhat taboo to write about them. So instead - ghouls, which are pretty similar anyway!
As for the Gaunter Haunter itself? Who knows what that was.
So, get ready for the next chapter, which will be released on the 29th! It is a BIG episode, so... expect another 3 part-er. And, expect some new musical content! Not that... you can hear the notes, or whatever.
(EZB withdraws an enormous trombone) I'm still hoping that if I play loud enough, you can hear it through the story.
(EZB blows air into the instrument, which shatters. A smoldering EZB blinks, revealing his clean eyes. Rigidly, he falls backwards, clearly done with his attempts in music-making.)
He had started getting used to the buzz of helicopters. Graupner had little interesting or care in focusing on why he felt uncomfortable with them, but something about the loud rattle and explosive noises they could make roused him. He found that as long as he focused on what he wanted, it didn't matter.
Graupner Kinley, aboard one of this private military helicopters, flew away from his compound. It hadn't been long ago since he had taken off. He had a north-western location that was finishing up their secret project, and he wanted to look into it while the ritual was completing.
Sitting in the dim glow of the internal of the helicopter, a button started to flash. Graupner stared at it, angry it would dare to prompt him. He growled, and grasped a nearby headset. Once it was over his ears, he pressed the button.
"What!?" he snapped.
A voice of cool nature answered, "Master, we have a perimeter breach."
It was just his misfortune that there was a bit of turbulence as the last word was said. Graupner squinted, trying to listen to Leuthors words. "Uh," he looked about, uncertain to what he said, but clearly too afraid to ask for clarification, "That's... good?"
A surprised chortle was heard. "You're happy about this?"
"Well, why shouldn't I be!?" Kinley snapped, "It'll be a fun activity for the members of the Rising Grasp."
"Oh, well," Leuthor hummed, "I hadn't considered that point of view. A bit, uh, permissive of your servants."
Kinley snorted, "What, to enjoy a beach? Should it not be? Is it dangerous for some reason? Is this beach on a pool of lava?"
"Wait, wait, beach? Sir, breach! As in, intruders?"
Graupner stared at the darkness ahead. As the realization sunk in, he angrily spasmed, snarling and frothing. "WHAT?!"
"It would appear that your competition for starkissed stones found themselves in our base. They're looking around as we speak."
"I'm returning!" Graupner roared, and then slammed the headset down. He reached ahead, pulling himself up to the pilot seat. "We return to the compound! NOW!" The pilot nodded, and the helicopter tilted. Graupner grumbled, feeling gravity betray him. Stumbling back into his seat, he glared out into the night sky. "Not now," he hummed, "Not when I'm so close to this. Please, not now!"
"Fk erkdov kfdeq, fq tfii txfi xka zov
X txokfkd ql ibxsb lo cxii xka afb.
Lkiv qeb yoxsb xka cllifpe cixrkqbo
Yrq xii ybtxob qeb Dxrkqbo Exrkqbo."
-And-
"Vorzob fuhhslqj lqwr klv plqg,
Ghvshudwh Pdgqhvv dqg iroob hqwzlqh.
Zduqlqjv dsohqwb dqg doo xqkhdug,
Zkdw'v idfw ru idnh lv ehfrplqj eoxuuhg.
Zlwk rqh ghdo, klv ixwxuh lv dvvxuhg,
Wudglqj klv vrxo iru srzhu lqxuhg."
-And-
Z nrmw kzozxv rnkorvh gszg wfirmt z hrmtov oruv, z nrmw nzmztvh gl xizug drmwrmt szoodzbh, xsznyvih, zmw illnh. Ru lmv orevw olmtvi, uzi olmtvi gszm mlinzo, dlfow rg hgroo yv z kzozxv?
