Here's the next chapter. I hope you'll enjoy it.
Guest - Edgar likes to stay up to date with today's popular culture. Not because he wants to be trendy, but because he wants to find new and obscure ways of insulting the others without them realising.
djinn - Thanks so much! It seems like Edgar's and Grosky's relationship is getting better…slightly. It shows just how much Edgar had grown away from his criminal past.
Dikratsblim - Thank you so much! As always, I love reading your replies.
That's awesome that you were able to see it live. I honestly can't wait for the new game. I'm considering replaying the entire series in preparation. Maybe I could actually finish Katrielle Layton this time. Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well.
FanSuperAnime - Thanks so much. Aurora is just so precious. I have to get her to do more cute things that Edgar and Emmy could awe over.
wellingtonlucas282 - No problem, thanks for reading.
Fiction Fan 369 - Oh! A harem request!? From the Ace Attorney universe!?…sure, why not. I'll see what I can do. It'll be interesting to take Edgar adventures into other games like Ace Attorney. Thanks so much.
Chapter 5 - Hoogland
Bostonius, somewhere over the North Sea
"Damn it!" Emmy snapped as she slammed her fist down on the table, "I can't believe you would do this to me! After everything! You traitor!"
Edgar grinned and shrugged his shoulders, "Sorry, Princess. But that's how it is. Besides, you should have known better than to trust me."
"Don't think I won't take my revenge on you! This is far from over!"
"We'll see about that," he said challengingly, "Now hit me with you best shot."
Emmy growled in frustration, reached forwards and…rolled the die on the board. Seeing that she rolled a lower number than Edgar's red dice, she cried out in anger.
"Damn it!"
"Yes!" Edgar shouted as he moved his troop pieces to occupy Emmy's former territory, "Kamchatka is mine and I have my route into North America. Get ready to have your empire fall all around you."
"This isn't over yet!"
It had been two hours since take off and somebody had made the terrible decision to pass the time with a game of Risk. Edgar and Emmy has formed an alliance together in order to take down Layton's empire but, now that their common enemy was gone, alliances have broken and war had broken out between the superpowers. They glared at each other from across the table while Aurora watched on in curious concern, wisely deciding to spectate rather than play. At the front of the airship, Layton the recently disposed emperor of the board game, poured over research that Sycamore had found on the possible locations of the Azran Eggs that they were trying to find along with his fellow professor. Raymond was sat at the cockpit and was too busy flying the airship to pay attention to what was going on behind him.
Sycamore looked up from the paper he was reading and looked over at Emmy and Edgar with a single eyebrow raised, "They seem quite…enthusiastic at this game. They hadn't stopped since we left London."
"Indeed, they are very competitive," Layton said, "You should see them playing Monopoly. They usually don't speak to each other for days after one game. Those days are, in particular, are very peaceful."
"I can imagine."
"Master," Raymond grumbled from the cockpit, "We are approaching are first destination."
"Thank you, Raymond," Sycamore said as he stood up and cleared his throat, "Everyone, we are quickly approaching our first destination of Hoogland, a small town in the highlands of the Netherlands. The population, what little of it, relies almost entirely on its farming industry and, as an effect, has meant that it has fallen behind on modern day technology. It is also known for its unpredictable weather which we should be cautious of," he informed.
He picked up a piece of paper from off the table and held it up for everyone to see. On the paper was a drawing of a strange oval-shaped object. It was mainly greenish blue colour, but it intricate light blue patterns all over it and a small round gem or stone imbedded in it. It was unusual to look at; Edgar could only guess that was is was ancient, but it had the appearance of something that far exceeded their modern technological advancements.
'It looks eerie,' he thought to himself, 'I don't think I like…whatever that is.'
"This," Sycamore continued, "Is the object we are looking for. The so-called Azran Egg. Well, this is how it is depicted in Rutledge's 'Ancient Histories'. We are not too certain if it is entirely accurate. Rutledge suggested that these were decorative ornaments and never believed to have a greater significance."
"Then how are we suppose to find it?" Emmy questioned with a small frown, "It could be anywhere."
"I-I think I'll know," Aurora nervously said, "I can't explain it, but I think I can seek it out. The drawing does seem familiar."
Edgar offered her a gentle smile, "Okay, but don't force yourself. If you want to stop then we'll stop," he gave the professors a serious look, "And that goes for everybody, okay?"
"Indeed," Layton said while Sycamore merely nodded.
Suddenly, without waning, the entire Bostonius shook and swerved to the side, catching them all by surprise. Raymond quickly straightened it out before they were sent off course, but it was clear that he was having some difficulty controlling it.
"Apologies," he called out, "We are facing quite a lot of turbulence. I recommend we all take our seats and strap ourselves in."
"We must be getting close," Sycamore muttered as he sat down and buckled himself in, "Let's prepare for landing."
"Right," Edgar said before he pulled out a roll of sticky tape from his pocket, "Emmy, help me stick the pieces down so that they won't get knocked off and we can play later."
"Good idea," she said as she took the sticky tape.
"Priorities, please, you two," Layton sighed.
Field Outside Hoogland
A safe landing was…well, not quite the term for what they had just experienced.
The vicious winds that shook the Bostonius around had forced Raymond to do several manoeuvres in order to not crash into the side of a grassy hillside. When they did land, alive and intact, they stumbled out of the door way and onto the lush grass of a field since it had been the closest to a landing spot they could find. Edgar, after catching his breath, looked out over the picturesque little town situated on the side of a mountain. The town consisted of wooden lopsided buildings with barns attached to them and stone bricked windmills which dominated the entire area; they seemed to constantly turn at the powerful gusts of wind. Surrounding the town, were miles and miles of farmland with sheep that gently grazed. A dirt path with a simple wooden fence on either side of it was the only way in and it round its way though the town and around the hillsides. Hoogland, as Sycamore said, had a rustic feel to it and it was clear that they didn't get many tourists.
'I hope they're alright with us barging in," Edgar thought, 'Also, this seems like a lot of high land for a lowland country."
"Oh my, what are these?"
Edgar looked around and saw Aurora leaning down to look over a sheep. The animal must have been curious about them and trotted over to greet them.
"It's a sheep," Edgar told her, "You can pet its fleece. Just make sure to keep away from his mouth. It might think your hand is food."
"I see," she hummed before she patted its head, earning a happy bleat from the sheep.
Edgar chuckled slightly before a sudden gust of wind almost took his flat cap away. He grabbed it before it could get any further before he shoved into his jacket pocket.
"Damn, it's really windy here."
"Indeed it is," Layton said as he walked over, keeping a firm grip to the brim of his stove pipe hat, "I ought to watch out for it before it could take mine."
"You'll do well to watch out, Professor," Sycamore said as he and Emmy reached them, "Look at the size of the windmills. It must take quite a gust to turn them."
"Seeing things like this is a real reminder of what a force nature can be. It's astounding!" she said as she began to take photos of the scenery, "And if Aurora think there's an egg around here then I can't wait to begin our investigation."
"Err…help…please!"
They turned around at the panicked cry and saw Aurora in the middle of a swarm of bleating sheep; all of them eager to receive a few head pats from her.
"I-I can't get out!" she called out, waving her arms over her head.
Emmy giggled and took a few photos of her, "Aww. They like you, Aurora."
"Would really like to get out now! Please!"
"I've got her," Edgar sighed as he clambered his way through the herd.
As he hastily retrieved Aurora, Emmy noticed an elderly man tending to a cow pen just at the entrance to the village. The man looked to be in his late seventies with short white hair and a large bushy beard. His eyes were obscured by his square framed glasses and he wore a purple sweater, black trousers and warm brown vest to protect him from the cold. Her curiosity getting the better of her, Emmy walked over to the wooden fence with her camera ready and called out to the man.
"Pardon. Spreekt u Engels?"
"I do, yes," the farmer replied in a heavy accent.
"Good. I was wondering if I can take a few photos of your farm. Would that be alright with you?" she asked politely.
"My farm? If you would like to, of course," he agreed as she began snapping cameras of his farmstead and his cattle, "Are you travellers, by chance?"
"We are. How did you know?"
"Well, we don't get many visitors you see," he explained as he leaned against the wooden fence and pointed behind her, "Also your friends seem to be having trouble with the local wildlife."
Emmy turned around and sweat dropped as she saw Edgar holding Aurora over his head and trying to navigate out of the herd of sheep while Layton and Sycamore tried their best to negotiate the best way of getting them out.
"Ow! That bastard bit me on the leg again!" Edgar yelled.
"Baaa!"
"Yeah, I meant you!"
"Edgar," Layton called out from the side, "Just wrestle your way through them. I'm sure they'll part if you use some force."
"I'm trying, but they're following Aurora! Ow! Why do they keep biting me!?"
Sycamore scratched the back of his head in thought, "Perhaps, they're hungry. Do you have any food you can give to them?"
"We're in the middle of a grassy field, Sycamore! They're surrounded by bloody sheep food! Ow! Okay! That felt intentional! The next one of you woollen bastards bites me is going to end up on a plate alongside a jar mint sauce and a sprig of rosemary!"
"Please leave us alone," Aurora begged the herd desperately.
Emmy watched with exasperation at the two academic professors, a former professional thief and an ancient girl from a long forgotten civilisation tangle with a group of domestic animals. She snapped a picture of them and turned back to the farmer.
"I see now," she sighed.
The farmer scratched his beard in thought, "I only ask because I was wondering if you would like to take photos of the wedding ceremony?"
"Wedding ceremony?" Emmy repeated, "That sounds wonderful and it's such a lovely day for it. But we can't stay for long. We've got other things to do."
"Oh, you don't have to wait for very long. It's starting any minute now at the chapel on top of that hill," he said, pointing to hill on the other side of the town where a stone building was situated, "I'm sure you'll catch the start if you go now," he told her before he grinned, "Hoo hoo! A pretty young lady like you would make a fine bride yourself, you know?"
Emmy gave him a polite, but fake smile at the uncomfortable question, "Why, thank you."
"What's this about a wedding?"
She looked around and saw Layton and he others walking up to her. Apparently, they had managed to, somehow, get rid of the herd with only a few minor injuries on Edgar's legs. Emmy turned to them with an excited smile at the thought of the wedding ceremony.
"There's a wedding taking place right now. Should we go see it?"
Layton hummed slightly, "What about the search?"
"We don't really have time at the moment," Sycamore agreed.
"It'll only be quick and then we can restart the investigation," she told them before she looked around them at Aurora, "I'm sure you would like to see one as well, Aurora."
"Well, I'm not too sure what it is."
"Then this is the perfect opportunity," Emmy said as she gently took her wrist and led her into the village, "Come on. We can't be late," leaving the three men behind.
Layton chuckled and turned to a frowning Sycamore, "My apologies, Professor. It's hard to change Emmy's mind once its set on something."
"It's quite alright," he sighed as they followed after them.
Edgar jogged on ahead through the dirt roads and along the rickety brick walls of Hoogland in order to catch up to Emmy and Aurora. The few residents of the village that were around looked at them in mild curiosity as they past, but almost immediately went back to what they were doing whilst muttering something in a Dutch dialect. It was quiet otherwise, except for the whistling wind as it wound its way though the tall Tudor-style buildings. Edgar stepped around a wandering sheep in the middle of the road and walked up beside Emmy with a question ready to ask her.
"So…what was the old guy saying about you getting married?"
"Hmm? Oh, that. It's nothing, really. He was just trying to compliment me…in his weird old man way."
"Oh…" he said in a tone that sounded a little relieved. He then grinned teasingly, "So he wasn't asking you to marry him, huh?"
She snorted in reply, "Maybe he was. You don't know."
"And what does he have that I don't?"
"A farm."
"…Yeah, fair enough…I could get a farm."
"Sure," she sarcastically said, "Get a farm and I'll marry you, okay?"
….
….
….
….
They both blushed at that and looked away shyly.
Edgar cleared his throat, "Anyway, Aurora, do you-"
Suddenly, the wind picked up furiously, catching them all off guard. It was like being smacked by a hammer all over your body over and over again with no way of stopping it. Dust and debris from the streets flew up into the air, trees, bushes and flowers were whipped and bent and a mighty howl ripped through the area. They and the other residents ducked down as low as they could and covered their heads with their arms to prevent anything from hitting them. Edgar got in front of Emmy and Aurora as he was worried they would get hurt.
And he was right to be.
He looked up and saw, to his astonishment, as a tornado rampaged through the town, ripping out roofs of the local houses and tearing down buildings as if they were made of dry sand. It danced sporadically; twisting left and right across and over the hillsides. Nothing was safe from it and there was no way of stopping it…until is suddenly disappeared as quickly as it appeared. The only evidence of anything had happened was the destruction of left behind.
They slowly got to their feet and looked around to the once peaceful village. To his surprise, the villagers, after picking themselves up and dusting themselves down, carried on as usual as if nothing had happened.
'Is…is this a common occurrence for them?' he thought in wonder.
Something caught his eye on a hill further up from where they were. Outside a stone building, which looked to be some sort of church or chapel, was a party of five people which had been huddled together during the tornado attack. As soon as the danger subsided, they got up and carried on walking along the street. What, however, stood out was the fact that one of them was a brown haired woman tied up in a elaborate hairstyle who was wearing a pure white wedding dress.
"W-what just happened?" Emmy uttered, snapping his attention back to his fellow investigators, "That came out of nowhere."
"That can't be normal," Edgar added, "For one thing, tornados only occur on flat plains not up in the highlands."
Aurora put a hand over her mouth in worry, "Their houses. They have been destroyed," she murmured as she looked around at the villagers, "But they don't seem to be in any distress. Do they not care for their homes?"
"It seems like they still continuing with the wedding ceremony, regardless," Layton hummed as he spotted the wedding party as well, "We should go after them and inquire more after the ceremony."
"Right," they all agreed as they headed through the destroyed town towards their destination.
"You don't suppose kite flying is popular around here, do you?" Edgar hummed, "It's an ideal place for it,"
"Knowing what happens here, I wouldn't be surprise that it was used as a mode of transportation," Emmy joked.
Chapel Hill
Ascending the rugged hill with the snowy peaks of the mountain range in the distance, they had finally reached the summit where the round chapel building was situated. The chapel was old, far older than the village itself if Edgar hazarded a guess, consisting of heavy stone slabs and worn down carvers above the two heavy wooden doors. Dead ivy vines wound its way around the structure and patches of moss covered most of the stone. There was a stone pathway which led up to its entrance where several people had gathered.
Three people in particular caught Edgar's eye. The first was (obviously) the pretty young woman in the white wedding dress. She was petite with brown hair that was tied up in an elaborate bun, round dark eyes, slightly tanned skin and a small nose. She was stood at the open doors to the chapel, facing the darkness inside the stone structure.
The second was a fat elderly man with balding brown hair and thick eyebrows. His eyes seemed to be always closed and he had bucked teeth that stuck out from his mouth. Judging by blue robes, a long yellow tippet around his neck and a cap, Edgar assumed he was some sort of priest or pastor. He was calmly talking to the last person that caught his interest; a man who was being held back two other wedding guests.
"Why must you push her through the chapel door!? Why must Romilda face such a misery!?" the man yelled as he struggled in their grip.
He was a young man with short brown hair, small round eyes, a large nose and slightly tanned skin. He wore a white shirt underneath a blue vest and brown trousers.
"I beg, Sage Sheppard, close the chapel door," the man begged, "My fair Romilda merits not this fate!"
"What's this?" Layton hummed curiously.
Emmy frowned slightly, "There seems to be some sort of kerfuffle."
Suddenly, the bride turned around, strode over and, with a stern expression on her face, stood before the restrained man, "Julien, stop it, would you?"
"Romilda, though, you say this is your will, it surely cannot be what you desire! Deny this custom and refuse its aim!"
The woman, now known as Romilda, sighed wearily, "Listen...I'm happy. I want to be the Dragonlord's bride. I'm happy...all right?" she said as she turned away from him and walked to the entrance to the chapel, "So... I guess this is it. Goodbye, Julien. I know it doesn't seem like it now, but you'll be happy again someday."
"Romilda! You cannot-"
But before he could shout any more, one of his captors placed a hand over his mouth to stop him from yelling. The pastor gave him a weary look before he turned away from him and stood beside Romilda at the chapel's entrance.
"Today," he announced, "we witness the union of Romilda and the mighty Dragonlord. A union that will bless our village with fair winds," he raised his arms in the air as if he was praying, "Come, fair winds! Bring your blessed breezes to bear upon our village!" he then turned to Romilda, "It is time to seal this union. Go inside."
Romilda gave a solemn nod before she took a deep breath and stepped inside the chapel, ignoring the struggling Julien as the doors were closed by two other attendees. The large wooden doors closed with a loud thud as if sealing her away from the outside forever. A hush hung over the area; not a single word was spoken by anybody. Eventually, Julian was able to get out the man's hand off his mouth and called out to the pastor.
"Sage Sheppard, please!" he yelled as tears flowed from his eyes, "Undo what you have done!"
"The wedding ceremony is concluded," Sheppard firmly told him, "Mewl and cry all you like, dear boy, but know that nothing will change. Romilda is now the Dragonlord's wife. Take him away!"
Julien yelled as the men restraining him dragged him away back down the hill, passing Edgar and the others as they went. Sheppard shook his head and gave an annoyed huff before he turned away while the rest of the attendees quickly left back down to the village.
"Well..." Edgar said, "...I've seen worst ceremonies, I suppose."
"Weddings are much less joyful than I was expecting," Aurora hummed.
"That was not a wedding," Emmy grumbled angrily as she marched up the hill towards Shepherd, "What on earth just happened?"
"Ooh! Emmy's on a war path," Edgar gasped excitedly, "Love it when she does that. Let's go," he said as he led a perplexed Aurora up as well.
"Excuse me!" Emmy called out to the priest who turned around to greet her.
Sage Sheppard regarded them for a few seconds before he gave them a welcoming nod, "Bless you, travellers. Thank you for visiting our village. The ceremony is now over, but please stay awhile and enjoy the local area."
"Actually, I was rather hoping to ask you about that ceremony we just witnessed. You see, I was planning on taking some photographs, but that wasn't like any wedding I've ever seen," Emmy pointedly said.
"Photographs?" Sheppard hummed, "Of Romilda? Well, I'm afraid it's a little too late for that, dear girl."
Emmy's eye twitched slightly in anger while Edgar tried to hide his smirk.
'Dear girl? Oh boy, Emmy's not going to like that,' he thought.
"Romilda is now married to the Dragonlord. Her soul shall depart this chapel, to blow as a fair wind through our village."
That caught Edgar's attention.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked as he narrowed his eyes at him.
"Are you saying she'll die?" Aurora gasped in horror.
Emmy grit her teeth together, "You've sacrificed her! How can you do such a thing!?"
"My dear girls and boy," Sheppard sighed, earning another annoyed look from Emmy, "You witnessed the vicious whirlwinds that struck the village moments before the ceremony, did you not. The whirlwind was a manifestation of the Dragonlord's wrath. It is to appease this wrath that we present the Dragonlord with a bride from the village. It is a bride's duty to relinquish her human form and become a gentle breeze, blessing our village for…so long as it may last."
"What century did we stumble in for that type of logic" Edgar muttered.
"So…she is going to die," Aurora uttered in despair.
"This is unacceptable!" Emmy shouted before she pointed to the chapel's door, "Open that door right now!"
Sheppard huffed in anger at her demand, "Absolutely not! This ceremony has been held in this village since time immemorial! Do you truly think we'd allow some puerile tourist girl to come along and ruin everything by opening the chapel door!?"
Edgar's jaw dropped in shock, 'Oh my god! Emmy's totally going to beat up a priest! This is the best day of my life!' he squealed in his head, finding the thought of Emmy beating anybody thrilling.
(A.N: It's best not to think anymore on that, to be honest. Trust me.)
Unfortunately, the only thing Emmy did was snarl in anger and curse under her breath, making Edgar feel a little disappointed. Sheppard sniffed arrogantly and turned away from them.
"I would advise you to forget what you have seen here, dear girl. Forget about the rest of the village and enjoy the rest of your trip," he told them as he walked away down to the village.
"Ugh!" Emmy grunted in anger, glaring furiously at the man, "I don't believe that man!" she muttered before turning to Edgar, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but unlock that chapel door!"
He gave her a lazy salute, "My pleasure, ma'am," he said before he produced a crowbar from…somewhere and headed to the chapel, "One breaking and entering coming right up."
As he was doing that, Sycamore walked up to them and rubbed his chin in thought, "How strange. The man implied this is an ancient ceremony. I find it hard to believe there's a connection to the Azran in this."
Emmy gave him a sharp glare, making him flinch, "This isn't the time to think about the Azran, professor! What about that poor bride!? If we don't find a way into the chapel, she's going to fie in there! We can worry about the Egg later!"
Unbeknownst to them, Aurora felt a shiver run down her spine. She turned to look at the chapel with a small frown.
"Stay calm, Emmy," Sycamore told her, "I understand how you feel, but we should first consider our options before doing anything rash."
"But Professor-"
"Everyone!" Aurora suddenly shouted, making them jump in surprise. This was the loudest they have heard speak, "Please listen. I sense it. I can sense the force of the aura stone! It's coming from inside the chapel."
"What-" Emmy gasped.
"Does that mean-" Sycamore uttered.
"There is more," Aurora said as she closed her eyes and focused, "There is another force inside the chapel. Something more powerful than the aura stone."
"Something related to the Azran, perhaps," Layton hummed.
"But surely this chapel was built long after the demise of the Azran. How can the two possibly be connected?"
Aurora's eyes snapped open before she frowned in confusion, "I-I don't know."
"Well, there must be some connection. Aurora wouldn't be sensing something here otherwise," Emmy said as she folded her arms in front of her, "Either way, I still think that bride is our top priority. At least now we have two reasons to find a way into the chapel," she turned towards the chapel's doors, "Edgar, how are you-"
SNAP!
"-getting on?"
They flinched at the noise of metal snapping in two and watched as Edgar walked up to them with a broken crowbar in his hands.
"Nasty little bugger," he muttered bitterly as he threw the crowbar pieces into the nearby field, "Sorry, can't open it by force. There's no way of getting through there unless we ask the priest."
"Can't you pick the lock or something?"
"I could, but there's a problem."
"What's that?"
"There isn't a one," he sighed, making them all sweat drop, "Well, not one I know of anyway. It might take me a while to get in there. A few hours maybe at most."
"We really don't have that much time," Sycamore reminded, causing Edgar too sigh.
"Sorry Emmy."
"Don't worry. You tried your best."
"Well," Layton hummed thoughtfully, "Perhaps we should take a different approach. Let us all split up and gather information in the village. Hopefully, someone can point us in the right direction."
"Right," they all agreed.
All except for Aurora, he continued to look at the chapel in wonder.
Village
"…that young girl was quite the pretty one, ain't she! Yes! Yes! Very pretty! I don't doubt she'll make a good wife for the Dragonlord! Haha!"
Edgar rolled his eyes at the man's remark and gave a weary sigh, "Stay on topic, please. What do you know about the ceremonies?"
"Oh, yes, she's very pretty thing!"
After splitting up to interview the residents of Hoogland, Edgar had the misfortune of speaking to Piet and his sheep companion Felicia. He was a short man in his mid-thirties with curly red hair, round eyes, bushy eyebrows and seemed to be always have a trail of snot running from his nose which swung in the wind. He wore a green shirt under a white vest, red shorts, a red farmer's hat and had a walking stick in his left hand. His sheep, Felicia, always seemed to be constantly by his side and was currently munching on some hay. That didn't stop Aurora, who had joined him, from hiding behind him, glancing at the sheep nervously as if she was about to pounce at her.
Before he had set out, he thought it would be best to write down the new mystery in his notebook before he forgot.
New Mystery: The Bride Of Hoogland - Despite its scenic hills and cost cottages, Hoogland has a cruel ritual where a bride is sacrificed to be the the bride of the 'Dragonlord' in order to calm the winds. I don't know what's worse; the superstition or how envious I am of the 'Dragonlord'.
"I heard Romilda's turned to wind now. What a mighty shame, huh?" he said as he swung his walking stick around, almost hitting him in the process.
Edgar took a deep breath before he could punch in the throat and decided to lead on from there, "And don't you find that weird? How does somebody turn into wind?"
"I don't know. But they do. I've seen it with my own eyes, I have."
"Have you now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh ho! Yes! I've been to more than enough weddings in my time and, when Sheppard opens the door again, the bride is gone! Poof! Turned into wind! There was nothing left except for a wedding dress on the floor!"
"Really?" Edgar hummed thoughtfully, "Nothing but a wedding dress."
"Tell you what," Piet said as he wagged his walking stick around once again, "If you see that pretty girl again, send her my way so she can take my photograph. Who knows, maybe she'll turn into wind by the end of the day and I lose my chance! HoHa!"
SLAM!
Piet immediately stopped his laughing when something flew by his cheek and hit the wall of the building behind him. He gulped and turned his eyes to the right to see the fist that almost hit him, pressed against the wall with some of the plaster flaking off. He looked back and saw Edgar looming over him with a dark look in his eyes, making him shiver in fear.
"Talk about Emmy like that again and throw you to the Dragonlord myself and let him turn you into wind as well, you got that mate?" he snarled fiercely. Piet nodded fearfully while Felicia gave a startled bleat and backed away, "Good," he said casually, as he pulled his arm away, "Let's go and meet up with the others, Aurora."
"Oh okay," she said as she followed him towards the village centre, leaving behind a shook up Piet. As they walked along the cobblestone roads of Hoogland, she offered him a curious look, "You threatened him?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry you had to see that," he told her earnestly, "But he deserved it. That's no way to talk to a person, especially my friend. And that goes for you too, Aurora," he said with a gentle smile, "Oh, do you mind doing me a favour and not telling the others what I did."
Aurora frowned slightly, "Would you be in trouble if they found out?"
"Ha!" he laughed, "No, I think by now that they know how I carry out my investigations and there's no way of stopping me. I just don't want you to mention why I did it."
"Becuase of Emmy?"
"Precisely," he said, "If she found out I was fighting her battles for her, she'll kick my arse."
After waiting for a few minutes beside a log cabin in the middle of the village, Sycamore then Layton and then Emmy arrived, having carried out their own investigations around Hoogland.
"Looks like everybody is here. Let's begin, shall we. I managed to talk to Sage Sheppard once again," Sycamore told them, making Emmy role her eyes at the thought of the priest, "He seems to have mixed feelings about the ceremonies. On one hand, he doesn't want to sacrifice the brides and I get the feeling that he is rather saddened by the entire ceremony. But, on the other hand, he is not willing to give up any time soon."
"Great," Emmy muttered bitterly, "It doesn't matter what he thinks, he still poses a danger."
"It seems like the rest of the village is convinced that what they are doing is the right thing," Edgar sighed, "I doubt we can change their minds any time soon. Has anybody found another way into the chapel?"
Layton hummed, "Well, not exactly. I have found something rather interesting about the hill itself. Not only is the village suffering from whirlwinds but also with holes cropping up. Especially, at the base of Chapel Hill. I deduce that they are possibly caused by tunnels borrowing under the landscape. Perhaps we can use one of these tunnels to enter the chapel from underneath."
"I see, but where would we find one?" Aurora questioned.
Emmy frowned slightly before she turned to Chapel Hill in the distance, "Maybe it is on the other side of the hill. I think it's worth investigating. Beatrix told me that there was a forest on that side as well so we'll probably need a guide to get us through."
"Beatrix? Who's Beatrix?" Sycamore questioned.
"Oh, she's a woman I was interviewing earlier. She didn't trust me at first because she thought I was a journalist," she giggled slightly, "I can see why she would think that, though."
"Because you're nosy and annoying?"
She kicked Edgar in the shin, making him groan in pain and hold his leg to sooth the pain.
"Because I was carrying a camera," she snapped at him before she composed herself, "We should be able to get there if we pass Miller's Square, just past Julien's windmill."
"Julien," Layton hummed, "He was the gentleman at the wedding wasn't he. The one who was trying to disrupt it."
"I would to if my fiancée was being sacrificed," Edgar said with a shrug, "You think it's worth checking on him. We might as well since we're heading that way."
"Good idea," Layton commented, "Let's see him."
"Right," Emmy said,
However, she then noticed Piet and Felicia walking on by. He took one look towards them before his eyes widened in fear and he went back the way he came, followed closely behind by Felicia. She frowned slightly in confusion.
"Strange. Why did he look so afraid?" she hummed thoughtfully.
Edgar subtly gave Aurora a knowing wink to which she smiled in reply, showing him he was going to keep their secret.
Miller's Square
On the eastern outskirts of Hoogland there was a large windmill made of a mixture of orange, brown and white stone of various shapes and sizes. The structure was leaning slightly and the windmill blades are ripped in places, but it only added to its rustic charm. Especially since the building was surrounded by a grove a bright, colourful tulips and the scent of delicious freshly baked bread that wafted in the air that seemed to come from the mill. They found Julien sitting on the steps of his windmill home weeping into his hands and shovelling chunks of the bread on his lap into his mouth as he did.
"Oh Romilda!" he wailed dramatically, "Oh wow is me! How I wish you were here! Oh Romilda! My sweet!" he yelled as he cried into his loaf of bread; not noticing their presence.
They watched him awkwardly as he sobbed; none of them really willing to speak up and interrupt his mourning. Eventually, it was Layton who stepped forwards.
"Excuse me," he politely said.
Julien jumped in surprise, gave a sad sniff and looked up from his loaf, "Oh…you were outside the chapel earlier, were you not? My apologies. Would you like a piece?" he sniffed as he offered them the soggy bread.
"No, thank you," the all politely and firmly declined.
Julien sighed and bit another piece of the bread, much to their disgust, and began to munch on it, "Please leave me. I wish to lick my wounds in private. Romilda…parting is such bitter sorrow."
Emmy frowned at him, "I don't believe it! Romilda's life is in danger and you're moping!"
"Did you not hear the words that left her lips? She gladly weds the wrathful Dragonlord!" he yelled at her before he slumped forwards in depression, "Aside she casts me into the darkness deep. No greater, clearer sign can e'er she show, for me she holds no will, no need, no love!"
"Am I the only one not following him?" Edgar said with a sweat drop.
"You don't honestly believe that do you?" Emmy said with a raised eyebrow.
Julien looked like he was about to complain, but gave up and sighed wearily. Layton hummed in concern before he leaned over to Emmy and whispered to her.
"Poor Julien has just endured a genuinely harrowing experience, Emmy. I doubt we'll be able to reason with him right away," he told her.
Emmy's face soften slightly at what he told her, "Oh, I see. My apologies, Julien."
"Ah! There you are!" a voice called out, startling all of them.
They turned around and saw a plump woman who looked to be in her late forties with black hair tied into a tight bun, arch shaped eyes and a turned-up nose. She wore a simple brown dress with an orange scarf tied tightly around her neck to prevent it blowing away. She hurriedly marched over to them and turned her attention particular to Emmy who apparently recognised her.
"Beatrix?" Emmy said in confusion, "What is the matter?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down, will you?" the woman, now known as Beatrix hissed, "Just, thought you should know that I went to see her, that stubborn little minx."
"Her? Surely, you don't mean…Romilda?"
"Romilda!?" Julien looked up suddenly, "You spoke to my fair lady?"
"Pipe down both of you," she snapped, "Of course Romilda? Who else would I be talking about!?"
Layton cleared his throat, "Madam, I don't suppose the brides escape from the chapel after the ceremony, don't they?"
Beatrix looked at him in shock, "What? How did you know that?"
"Well, I couldn't help but wonder about the existence of tunnels underneath the hill and how they may serve as an escape route. It may explain how there is nobody within the chapel, despite how many brides are led there."
Edgar clicked his fingers in realisation, "Of course! Only the wedding dress is left behind," he said, "You must help them escape by providing them with new clothes so they can escape."
Emmy gasped, "It's you, Beatrix! You're the one who helps them!"
Beatrix was silent for a few seconds before she smiled warmly, "Women have been doing it for generations. It's the perfect way to leave the village. You really think we would sit around and do nothing?"
"You help them escape," Julien uttered, "Why haven't I heard of this?"
"Why do you think?" she snarked at him, "It's a well kept secret passed down from mothers to daughters for years now. You men honestly think you had the run of the place for all this time?"
"…well…"
She rolled her eyes at him.
"So, Romilda is safe," Aurora said happily, "I'm so glad."
"Actually…" Beatrix uttered, "I'm having a little trouble with that at the moment. She's stubborn, you see. Stubborn and stupid. She must really believe she's calming the Dragonlord's wrath up there in that chapel."
"Why would she do that?" Edgar questioned, "Surely she knows that this all made up."
Beatrix shook her head, "I don't know why. You'd think that seeing me wander in there would change things, but now she's more determined than ever. I really don't know what's got into her. None of the girls caused a fuss like this back in the day."
"Well, we need to find her and get her out," Edgar said, "Would you be able to lead us to the chapel?"
"What's the point?" she muttered in despair, "If she won't listen to me then what makes you think she'll listen to all of you strangers?"
"Aha!" Emmy cried, "I think there is one person who could help her," she said, looking over towards Julien, "Julien, we're going to get your fiancée back. This is your chance."
"Really!?" he gasped in joy, throwing to loaf away and standing to his feet, "Oh, how wonderful! I shall see my lovely lady once again!" he declared as he rushed up the stairs and entered the windmill, "I will return momentarily!"
As soon as he ran inside, Beatrix sighed, "I…I can't help but feel a little strange about letting a man use the secret forest path. But it's the right thing to do," she admitted, "Now, listen carefully, because you need to follow these steps exactly. Pick two mushrooms, then one strawberry and repeat until you reach the other side. And don't walk down any path twice. Every girl in the village knows those steps off by heart. Follow them to the letter or you'll never find the entrance tunnel."
"Thank you Beatrix," said gratefully, "You can rely on us to help Romilda."
"I'm here!" Julien shouted as he ran out of the door once again, carrying a shovel over his shoulder, "Now let us be gone and save my- Whoa!" he cried before he tripped and fell down the steps, landing on the ground with a loud thud, "Owie!"
They sweat dropped at they looked down at him sprawled across the ground with a shovel on top of him. Beatrix sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation.
"You really set yourself up for that one," Edgar commented.
"Shut up," Emmy snapped.
Bostonius
Meanwhile, near where the Bostonius was stationed, Raymond set a wicker basket down on the ground before laying out a blanket down on grassy field. He sat down, tucked a handkerchief into his collar before reaching into the basket and brought out a BLT sandwich that he made for himself. He smiled happily, opened his mouth to take a bite and…
FWOOOOSSSHHH!
…the sandwich was taken out of his hand by the wind and scattered into the air.
Raymond blinked in astonishment before he grumbled bitterly and hung his head in disappointment.
Travelling through the forest took far longer than Edgar was expecting. They would have got there faster if Julien didn't get lost every five minutes. He didn't know whether his judgment was clouded because he was in grief a out what happened to Romilda or he just had a bad sense of direction. They would be walking down a straight path and then he would vanish and crop up somewhere in the bushes or up a tree or one time in a hollowed out log that was lying on the ground. Eventually after following what felt like a ton of mushrooms and strawberries, they made it to the chapel's secret entrance located on the other side of the hill. The entrance was hard to miss as it was covered in leaves and ivy, but, after some investigation they found the mouth of a large cave, big enough for a two story building to fit through; it's walls were stone cold and slightly damp to the touch.
"The light of the Azran…" Aurora softly told them, "…it's getting stronger."
Emmy gave a firm nod, "That must mean we're getting closer. Come on then."
However, it wasn't long until they hit a snag.
They had only made it a few meters into the cold cave when they happened upon a pile of giant boulders blocking the entire entrance from ground to the roof of the cave, sealing it up completely.
"Right…" Edgar sighed, "…that's a problem. Are we sure this is the right place?"
"I'm sure," Layton said as he rubbed his chin in thought, "We followed Beatrix's instructions perfectly."
"And I feel the power of the Azran increase as soon as we entered," Aurora confirmed.
Julien gulped in fear, "T-that must mean…" he stammered before he ran up to the rock pile and began hitting the boulders with his shovel, "Romilda! Fear not! I'll rescue you even if I have to break through all these boulders to get to you!"
They watched him for a little as he swung his shovel over and over again, not once losing any speed in his attempt to get to his fiancée.
"Wow, look at him go," Edgar said with a whistle, "It's like watching a deranged little mole trying to dig through concrete."
"I'm confused," Emmy said, "If this is the other exit out then why isn't it clear of any obstacles?"
"Beatrix did say that every bride that comes into the chapel should be able to get out through here," Edgar hummed thoughtfully, "Did she lie to us?"
"I don't think that's the case," Sycamore said as he pointed to the pile of boulders, "Observe. The large boulders at the bottom of the heap are different to the ones on top of it. I can only assume that they had collapsed on top of each other much later then the ones below it.
Edgar looked closely and saw that he was right; the boulders at the bottom were much larger and covered in thick patches of green moss while the ones on top of it were smaller and cleaner; specifically the three that are touching the roof of the cave.
"Huh, weird," he muttered, "Hey Emmy and Julien, give me a hand."
All three climbed up the pile of boulders to reach the highest one. Using Julien's shovel to lever to boulder and Edgar and Emmy's shoulders, they had managed to push the boulder of the stack and into the tunnel behind it. They did the same with the other ones just as easily, creating a safe way though to pass.
"Phew…" Julien sighed as he wiped the sweat of his brow, "Moving boulders is no easy task…but I would do everything for my fair lady!" he declared passionately as he raised the shovel of his head proudly, "With my shovel of stregth, I would move mountains for you, my love."
"Strange fellow," Emmy whispered.
"You're only realising that now?"
"Sniff…sniff…"
They looked around as they heard something echoing from the tunnel behind the boulders. Edgar frowned and focused on what it could be before he realised what it was.
"Is…somebody crying in there?"
Emmy gave him a look, "You don't think it's-"
She was cut off when a voice echoed from the darkness of the underground cavern.
"I'm sorry Julien. I'm so sorry…"
Julien gasped in shock, "Sweet joy! Tis true! Romilda, she still breathes!" he declared as he climbed over the boulders and ran into the tunnel, "Romilda, my sweet! Fret no longer for I am here!"
"We should go," Layton said as they began to climb over the pile as well, "We need to make sure Romilda is safe."
Beneath Chapel Hill
The light at the end of the tunnel was a relief.
They had been travelling through damp, cold tunnels for what felt like hours and they were more than happy to get out of them. They were alerted to the tunnels end by a loud noise; it sounded like mechanical hum that you would hear if you pressed your ear against an electric fan, but far, far louder.
The answer to what it was came apparent when they stepped out of the tunnel and into a large, round chamber made of yellow and blue diamond shaped blocks. The most striking feature, and the origins of the noise, came from several round metal fans that spread over the walls around the chamber. They were as tall and wide as a normal person and its rapidly spinning blades were almond-shaped. Above each fan were two glowing red lights that looked as if they had eyes at the glared down at you. On the far side of the chapel, there was a stone structure that looked like a statue of some kind; it consisted of an arch of ancient carved yellow stone and it had a dull yellow bell that hung from the arch's keystone by a red cloth. To the left of the chamber was a carved doorway with a flight of stairs that, presumably, reached the top of the hill where the chapel was. At the centre of the chamber, there was a statue of dragon whose serpentine body coiled around a cone-shaped base; its monstrous head was covered in carved scales and its jaw was closed completely. It looked as if it was some sort of alter and, judging by how it is located in the centre of the room, it must hold some importance. However. what caught their attention was, to their relief, the sight of Romilda sat against the far wall beneath one of the fans. She was still in her wedding dress and her head were in her hands as she wept hopelessly.
"Romilda!" Julien cried as he ran towards her, making her look up in shock.
"Julien?" she gasped.
"My word," Sycamore said as he looked around the chamber in interest, "This is indeed an Azran construction. There's no doubt about it."
Emmy nodded as she took a few photographs "Who'd have thought there'd be something like this hidden all the way down here?"
"I'm sure I did," Aurora told them with a confused frown.
"Oh right."
"Oh Romilda!" Julien said as he kneeled beside his fiancée, "I am filled with joy to see you safe."
"W-what are you doing here?" Romilda uttered as she got onto her feet, "All of you."
"Julien's come to rescue you, Romilda," Edgar told her, "We would have got here sooner...but he kept getting lost."
Julien flinched and sweat dropped at the comment, "Alas, my sense of direction had failed me once again. How cruel fate is."
"I don't think it has anything to do with fate, Julien" Romilda said with a roll of her eyes before she remembered what she was supposed to be doing, "No! You can't be here! You've got to go!" she demanded, much to their shock, "I'm married to the Dragonlord now."
Edgar raised his hand, "Yep, that's me. I'm the Dragonlord," he said, not missing this opportunity, "Should we have the reception now or should we just skip that and get to the honeymoon?" Romilda only set him a glare in reply, making him back off casually, "Alright, fair enough. Not a good time," he shrugged.
Romilda sighed before she looked at the group in determination, "I-I'm going anywhere."
Julien was beyond shocked and stuttered a reply, "My fair Romilda, think of what you do! What sense makes it for you to end your life when you know well this custom absurd? The Dragonlord has wed so many times, yet nothing changes. He will never stop! You surely see that locking people up does not provide us with the peace we seek!"
Romilda hesitated slightly before she sighed and offered him a gentle smile, "Yeah, but...even so, it won't be for nothing, you know, if I die."
Edgar frowned in concern, "What do you mean?"
"I'm not going to turn into wind. And I'm not going to run away," Romilda gravely said, "I'm going to die here and leave my body behind for everyone to see. Then they'll all realise the Dragonlord doesn't care about these 'human offerings'."
"Romilda-"
'Damn, this has taken a dark tone,' Edgar thought.
"Don't you get it!?" she sharply said, "If I do this, it'll put a stop to these horrible ceremonies and the people of Hoogland will finally get some peace! I'm really sorry, Julien, but this is how it has to be."
"Romilda, no!" Julien cried in distress, "This ending need not be! Romilda...please..." he eyes darted towards the dragon statue alter in the centre of the room and, with determination in his eyes, drew his shovel as if it were a sword, "Lo! Here's the idol that they worship so! I shall see it gone and our village freed!"
He was about to destroy it...when something strange happened.
There was another low humming noise coming from somewhere and, before he knew what was happening, Julien felt the shovel getting pulled out of his hands by an invisible force. He gripped it hard and wrestled it back, but it was far too strong. Suddenly, the shovel was ripped from his hands and was sent zooming up towards the roof of the chamber. If he hadn't let go, Edgar was sure he would have been dragged up towards the ceiling along with the shovel. The tool made a loud clunking noise as it stuck to the ceiling and it was only then that everybody noticed the intricate circular seal carved into it metal surface. The seal looked ancient with beautiful patterns that looked familiar to them; it took Edgar a few seconds to realise what it reminded him off.
"That looks like something from the ruins in Lake Kodh," he said out loud, "Is it Azran?"
"Yes," Aurora confirmed with nod, "Its purpose of that symbol is to drive away those who would harm the Azran. It lets those who would attempt to interfere with their workings know that their efforts will have no effect."
"Ah, I see. It's one big magnet!" Edgar said as he rubbed the back of his head, "Pulls every metal object out of their hands, like weapons and such, and render them useless. How clever!"
"Yes...I suppose it's something like that."
"It all makes sense now," Layton hummed as he straightened his hat, "This alter, these ruins," he waled towards the alter at the centre of the room and looked it over, "I see no2.
"What's going on!?" Romilda demanded urgently.
Layton turned to her and Julien, "We are about to put an end to the Dragonlord's wrath once and for all."
"W-what!?"
"Trust us, don't worry," Edgar told her as he too walked over to the alter, "We're usually good at this sort of stuff."
"Usually?"
"More or less," he told her as he looked at the alter.
On top of the cone-shape that the dragon statue is coiled around there was a flat surface with nine holes in a circle. Occupying two of these holes (the first and the eighth hole if the first hole was on the top and you went clockwise around) was a metal cylinder with some sort of ancient symbol carved into their tops. Around the edge of the panel was nine buttons which were linked to the nine holes.
"I'm guessing this is more than just some alter, huh?" Edgar said.
"Precisely," Layton agreed, "It is an Azran device designed to manipulate the wind currents in the area."
Edgar pointed to one of the fans on the wall, "So, those fans are controlling the wind currents...from here."
"I believe so. However, the way it's set now, it seems to be creating a counter-current that flows directly against the main one."
"That explains the destructive whirlwinds," Sycamore hummed as he rubbed his face.
Aurora gave a solemn nod, "The harmony here...it has been disrupted."
"I wonder if someone has interfered with the control panel. I doubt the Azran intended to leave it like this," Sycamore said.
"Who would do that?" Edgar questioned, "Nobody but the brides that are taken here has entered her and I doubt they would do something like this. Surely, this would have happened before the ritual was created."
"I...I don't know," Sycamore hummed once again.
"We should do something," Aurora said, "They cylinders should all be raised so that the light can shine through. If you press one of the buttons it will activate a total of seven cylinders, starting with the one corresponding to the button pressed and then followed by every second cylinder in a clockwise direction. You must make all nine cylinders visible by pressing a single button. You only get one chance, but if you get it wrong then you might take down one of the existing cylinder and cause even more disruption."
...
...
...
"Okay..." Edgar said unsurely, "That seems a little overcomplicated. Why would they set it up this way?"
"...I don't know, to be honest."
Edgar shook his head and focused on the control panel, "Never mind. I've only got one chance," he murmured to himself.
Puzzle Start
'Let's think about it like this,' he thought to himself as he reimagined what it looked like.
X000000X0
The 'X' representing the already raised cylinder and the '0' representing an empty hole. The sequence repeats once it gets to the end.
'Cylinders one and eight are already up and since every button controls ever other cylinder, I would need to avoid button eight and six. So let's take them out.'
X000000X0
The ones in bold representing the buttons he shouldn't press.
'That also means I can't press the buttons that lead onto to those two either,' he thought, 'So, four is out as well and every other even number.'
X000000X0
'The button I need to press has to be odd, but it can't be nine or seven otherwise it won't raise cylinders three or five. It also can't be five because it won't raise cylinder three.'
X000000X0
'Which only leaves button three left behind. Let's check it over.'
X000000X0
X0X0000X0
X0X0X00X0
X0X0X0XX0
X0X0X0XXX
XXX0X0XXX
XXXXX0XXX
XXXXXXXXX
'That's it,' he thought to himself as he pressed button three.
Suddenly, raising from the empty holes, more cylinders began to emerge in the sequence similar to above; each one having a different symbol. Eventually, all cylinders were raised and they started to glow a bright blue along with the entire control panel.
Puzzle Solved!
The entire chamber was filled suddenly filled with a brilliant, blinding light that caught all of them off guard. All they could perceive was the loud humming of the fans got quieter and quieter until it became a gentle, soothing noise like the sound of a crisp, spring breeze. When the light died down, they saw that the fans were no longer turning erratically, but much more calmly. They looked around in amazement as they saw the lights on the fans were now glowing blue rather than red as if peace had finally settled.
"The imbalance has been rectified," Aurora informed in a tone similar to when she had been possessed, "Harmony is restored. All is as it should be."
"Are you-" Romilda began to say before Aurora brushed by her and walked towards the alter.
Edgar's eyes widened in surprise when he noticed that the jaw of the dragon statue was now hanging open; it must have opened when he fixed the balance. But what was even more surprising was, nestled inside the dragon's maw, was an Azran Egg with a small purple jewel in it which glowed brightly.
"The Egg!" Sycamore gasped in shock while Emmy stared unblinkingly at it.
Aurora reached forwards and took the Egg from the dragon and held it her hands. She gazed down at it with her blank eyes for a few seconds before she held it to her chest and closed her eyelids.
"Everything...is in its rightful place," she softly said.
Edgar looked at her with a small concerned frown, 'It has been a while since she's acted like this. I think I preferred it when she was acting like a normal person.'
"That girl," Romilda uttered, snapping Edgar out of his thoughts, "Is she the Dragonlord's messenger or something?"
Julien looked around in worry, "Has that which we've accomplished here brought peace? Shall Hoogland now be blessed by tranquil winds?"
"Indeed," Layton told them, much to their relief, "I believe that should put an end to the wrath of the Dragonlord. Now, how about we return to the surface?"
They all eagerly agreed and began to climb up the stone steps to the chapel above their heads. Edgar, being one of the last to leave, placed one foot on the first step before he noticed that Aurora has not moved from her position; she was still staring at the Egg as if it was the most wonderful thing she had ever seen. He coughed loudly which made her jolt in surprise and brought her back to reality.
"Aurora, are you coming?"
"Y-yes. Sorry," she apologised as she made her way over to him.
He gave her a worried look, "Are you feeling alright?"
She gave him a nod, "Yes. I'm...I'm just happy to receive the Egg that's all," she told him with a small smile.
He wasn't totally convinced, but he decided to drop it for now.
Chapel Hill
Something was wrong and Sheppard instantly took notice.
The old pastor raised his hand in the air and felt the cool breeze blow around his fingers. It was calm; far too calm for Hoogland. He had been living here all his life and this was the first time he had felt something less than a vicious gust. He frowned in confusion and looked out over the quiet town and saw the windmills turning leasurly and the villagers going about their lives tending to their farmland. It was as if…everything was normal.
"The wind… Something unusual has taken place," he muttered to himself before he turned back to the chapel, "And something unusual takes places still. Why are there no noises coming from inside the chapel? I shall have to open the door and see for myself."
He sped to the heavy doors of the chapel and pulled them open to reveal the cool, dark room inside. He was just about to go in when he suddenly heard a deep voice coming within the chapel.
"Finally, you have opened the doors to my realm," the voice coldly drawled, "Bow down to me human, don't you know who I am!?"
"Who goes there!" Sheppard yelled, "Show yourself!"
"It is I. The Dragonlord of Hoogland!" the voice sharply replied, "Show some respect, Sheppard! Get on your knees!"
"T-the Dragonlord," Shepherd gasped in shock as he dropped to his knees, "Is it really you?"
"It is, my child."
"But how-"
"Enough!" the 'Dragonlord' roared, "Now listen here, Sheppard. I want a word with you about all these brides you are offering me!"
"Yes, my lord. Are they to your liking?"
"Yes, but you should stop it!"
"Stop it?"
"Yes…I've…gone off them. I shall require more from you!" he demanded, earning a nod from Sheppard, "Give up your monetary possessions and give them all to the next handsome teenage boy you see! Also stop being disrespectful to women! I don't like how you insult all my brides!"
Sheppard blinked at the dark chapel, "Those are very specific demands, my lord."
"That is not even half of it! Now then-"
"All right, Edgar, you had your fun. That's enough now," another voice said from the dark chapel, much to Sheppard's confusion.
"Aw, come on. I genuinely think he's going to do it if we press on," the 'Dragonlord' told him.
"If you don't mind, but I would quite like to get out of here," a different feminine voice said impatiently.
"I think we all do," sighed another voice.
"Fine. Spoilsports," the 'Dragonlord' muttered.
Out of the darkness of the chapel, several people emerged and stepped into the sunlight, much to Sheppard's shock. First came Julien and Romilda, who were holding hands, followed by Edgar, Layton, Emmy, Sycamore and Aurora who was clutching the Egg in her hands. Shepherd gave a horrified gasp and rose to his feet; he couldn't believe this insult before him.
"What! What on earth are you doing inside the chapel!?" he demanded furiously, "And, not only that, impersonating the Dragonlord!"
"Told you it wasn't a good idea," Emmy grumbled at Edgar, making him shrug.
"It was fun."
Julien stepped up and offered the shorter man an honest smile, "The Dragonlord's most wrathful winds do cease! I tell you, with our triumph comes great joy, for fair Romilda's life has been preserved!"
"What do you mean, dear boy?" Sheppard questioned cynically, "What has happened?"
"If I may, Sage Sheppard," Layton interjected, "The alter in your chapel was built by an ancient civilisation."
Sycamore nodded, "Something caused it to be become imbalanced, which in turn, caused the harsh winds you have come to know in the village. Only fair winds will blow through your village from now on."
"No need to thank us," Edgar said.
Sheppard stepped back in shock. Confusion evident on his wrinkled face.
"What? But how?" he uttered before Aurora stepped up towards him.
"Everything has been restored to how it should be. The fair wind is yours to enjoy. Allow it to heal you. Allow it to spread the seeds of a better future."
"She's right," Edgar said, "You won't be plagued by freak tornados anymore. Hoogland is no longer in danger."
Sheppard blinked in bewilderment as he looked at the people around him, "Are you…? Oh my. You are a disciple of the Dragonlord, are you not?" he asked Aurora, earning a nod from her. He raised a hand to his head and rubbed his brow and he looked to the ground in absolute horror, "What have I been doing!? I refused to listen to you. I spent my life defending this village's customs. Goodness knows how many brides I've sacrificed…" he muttered to himself as guilt began to settle in.
Emmy and Edgar frowned sadly as the sage fall into misery. Despite all his problems (and there are plenty of them) he was only doing it for the sake of his village, not because he wanted to. Emmy, feeling bad for him, decided to offer some encouraging words.
"Well, we wouldn't have been able to resolve the imbalance if Romilda hadn't gone through with the ceremony. In a way, your sacrifice did eventually bring peace to the village."
"Oh. I see…" Sheppard sighed as he continued to stare at the ground.
Emmy saw this and leaned over to Edgar, "Was that as encouraging as I hoped it would be?"
He responded by shaking his hand out in front of him, giving her a so-so sign. He then proceeded to reach into his pocket and pull out his notebook to jot down the solved case.
Mystery Solved - The Bride Of Hoogland
The destructive winds over Hoogland were caused by an 'imbalance' in the Azran technology found within the chapel. That should put an end to the bridal sacrifices, thankfully. But what was the technology for? Why was it here? And how long has it been in operation? Surely, it couldn't have been running since its creation around a millennia ago? Can it?
Edgar closed the notebook and pocketed it as soon as Sheppard began to walk down the hill away from them.
"Ahem…if you would excuse me…I need to do a few things," he simply said as he slowly descended the hill.
They watched him leave in slight concern. Aurora tilted her head slightly and frowned as the older man retreated down to the village.
"Is he all right?" she asked in worry.
Edgar cleared his throat and patted her shoulder, "Err…he just needs a little time to think. I'm sure the rest of the villagers will help him."
Before they could think about it more, Julien and Romilda, who still hadn't let go of each other's hands, stepped before them with thankful looks on their faces.
"In debt to you I shall forever be," Julien said with a dramatic bow, "For were it not for your heroic deeds, this fool would have no love, no home, no peace."
Romilda nodded in agreement, "I really owe you one. You saved my life! If it wasn't for you, well…I don't even want to think about it," she said before she frowned seriously, "But, listen, you won't tell anyone about how Beatrix's been helping the brides, will you? It wouldn't be fair to her, or on all the brides she saved."
"Fear not, Romilda. Your secret is safe with us," Layton reassured.
They said their goodbyes and the couple descended the hill, intending to head back to Julien's house and to start their new life together. The wind blew gently across the highlands of Hoogland, rustling the grass and turning the windmills at a slower place than it was before. Already, they could see the villagers starting to repair the torn-up buildings and rebuilding what they have lost over years of hardship.
For the sleepy, rustic village of Hoogland, it was a time for new beginnings.
Sycamore hummed slightly before he rubbed the back of his neck, "I have to say, however," he said with a small frown, "If Romilda told us to not reveal the secret that Beatrix has been keeping…then how are they going to explain how she returned from the chapel?"
….
….
….
"That sounds more like a 'them' problem," Edgar said with a shrug.
Outside Hoogland
"Well, that was nice," Edgar sighed as they walked across the grass covered hills to the Bostonius, "Saved a couple's marriage, stopped tornados ripping up the village, introduced feminism to a patriarchal society and got an Azran Egg. Talk about killing two birds with one stone…or rather four birds with one boulder."
Aurora gave him a concerned look, "Why would you want to kill birds, Edgar?"
"It's just an expression, Aurora," he reassured with a small smile, "Don't worry. We're not killing anybody."
"I guess it did work out in the end," Sycamore mused, "However, let's head on to the next stop. We may have got ahead of Targent this time, but I have a feeling that they are not far behind," he told them as he spotted Raymond standing besides the Bostonius and waved to him, "Raymond. Are we ready for take off?"
Raymond gave a hesitant nod, "Yes, master, but…"
He was about to say something when Aurora gasped suddenly. They turned to the young girl in alarm and saw her gazing blankly at the Egg in her cupped hands. It was almost as if she was mesmerised by it.
"Aurora are you alright?" Layton asked in concern.
She suddenly snapped out of her stupor and looked up at them with an unreadable expression on her face.
"There are some things about the Azran era that have returned to me," she told them, much to the in interest. She closed her eyes and hugged the Egg to her chest, "I can see a windy valley. And there are thousands of bird-like machines, all gliding on the breeze…"
Layton hummed and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "It sounds as though the Azran had some aircraft of their own."
"Yes, I think they are a kind of aircraft. They carry people and other things, and they keep flying, never stopping to land," Aurora agreed with a small smile on her face."
"It's hard to imagine what sort of things the Azran must have had," Emmy commented.
Aurora frowned slightly before she gazed back to the village and the hundreds of windmills that dominated the landscape, "They didn't have any windmills like the ones in Hoogland, though…" she softly said, "Those windmills are an example of the creativity of your civilisation. Seeing that made me really happy," she told them brightly.
"Aww, that's nice of you," Edgar said happily, "And once this is all over, you can see so much more of what the world has to offer. Remind me take you to football game when we get back home. Now that's an experience."
"Yes, I would love that," she said, despite not really knowing what football was.
Emmy looked at the interaction between the two and frowned slightly before she concealed it perfectly behind a smile. She had to talk to him at some point.
"All right," Layton said as he straightened his hat, "I'd like to suggest we take this opportunity to depart. I believe we've all had quite enough of Hoogland's wind for now."
"Then, without further ado, let us take off," Sycamore dramatically declared, "Our next destination is on our sights and we have the advantage over Targent. Let's set to sunny San Grio!"
…
…
…
Raymond coughed into his hand, "About that master," he said, catching his attention "I was just about to tell you. It seems that somebody left the door to the open and, when I wasn't looking, well…"
"Baaa!"
They heard a bleat come from the Bostonius.
"Baaa! Baa! Baaa!"
"Baa! Baaa!"
"Baa!"
"Baaa! Baaa!"
Sycamore blinked in astonishment before he stepped around the aircraft and looked through the door. His jaw dropped as he saw, scattered across the Bostonius, a heard of thirty of forty sheep. Some were standing on the tables, some were munching on some paper that had found in the recycling bin while others were resting on the sofas. He even saw one ewe with two lambs on his chair.
"Ahh…my…my…my…ship…" Sycamore uttered in horror.
"My apologies master," Raymond gravely said, "It would appear that one managed to get in and the others followed like…well, like sheep."
Edgar took only look inside before he grinned and turned to Emmy and Layton. Emmy narrowed her eyes at him.
"Don't you dare."
"Quiet the woolly situation we're in, huh?" he joked.
"Edgar," Layton warned.
"It's definitely a shear problem."
"I'm warning you."
"All those sheep in there…it happened so…mutton-ly."
"Edgar!" Emmy shouted.
"Sorry," he apologised…sheepishly.
And done! I hope you enjoyed it.
Now onto the next destination and a new Azran Egg. See you then!