Little lost dragon and I

[little lost dragon]

Varren nodded "I did not want to disturb you 2. Me showing I was awake when I did wake would have done more possible bad then good for you 2." he explained as Alina went under a bed. Fren sighed and turned off the ball "Need night vision to see properly, but something is definitely alive, either like a transmitter being displayed or trapped inside." she explained handing it back to Jak "You might be in possession of a prison device for all we know." she pointed out before she spotted Alina coming out from under the bed with a sneeze.

She blinked seeing the bags contents and looked Alina and smiled "Indeed you have." she said with a nod. She looked at the rod then at the stars and wondered what use these where. How useful and useful for what? "If I did not know better I'd think the place gave us 10 options for a single wand..... saw it plenty in human children's story's. A post with a star on the end." she commented picking up the part of the rod and a start.

 

Varren shrugged and nodded "Possibly, this place can seemingly do anything." he admitted before he realized something "Careful Fren this could also be a trap. Or a test. or both." he pointed out and Fren paused moving 2 peices together.

Fren looked at them then frowned. "But why give us 10 options if I'm correct at all?" she asked before she looked at Alina "What do you think?" she asked

[Ryujin13]

Alina had been busy playing with the pretty stars when mommy spoke to her, causing her to look up, then back down at the stars.

"Me?" She asked, unsure of why mommy was asking her at all. Mommy was supposed to know everything after all and now she was asking for advice.

"Maybe somebody before us found them and hid them under the bed and then didn't come back for them?" She said nervously. "And maybe this thing is a key, and these are part of a-a..." She stopped trying to find the right word for what she was trying to say. "A puzzle!" She said, finally arriving at the correct word as she pointed to the stars.

 

Jak looked at the rod thing that Fren was holding and frowned before asking to see it.

Turning it over in his hands he nodded quietly.

"I could actually see this being a key." He said after a few moments. "Ten grooves intersecting randomly, different depths in different spots... This could easily fit a lock. It would be impossible to pick too, with how the tumblers would be arranged." He nodded and gave the rod back before moving to sit on the floor and look at the stars.

Cautiously he picked one up and looked, seeing a blank side facing him.

"These I have no idea. Could be a puzzle, or it could be that whoever had this, if you're right Alina, was just looting and pulled them from somewhere. Ruby, sapphire, gold, silver, just the diamond one would be worth millions. This is a fortune if you can find the right bidder." Jak explained, looking up at the group and seeing them looking at him.

"What? I may hate my childhood but that doesn't mean I don't remember useful things." He said, speaking about the appraisal and the lockpicking.

He shrugged and picked up the leather bag, turning it over in his hands before looking at the symbol with interest.

"I don't know what this means though." He said, gesturing to the bag. "It could just be a thief's mark or it could be something more."

Carefully he reached in and rummaged around before carefully pulling the bag inside out. The inside was covered in script that was unreadable to Jak, but seemed to morph into something he could read.

It seemed to be scripture, religious prayers and hymns, as well as other strange writings that seemed to be passages from a religious text. None of it seemed to match though, as though it all came from different books and cultures.

"There I saw a beast, glowing red hot among the coffins of the damned, a book and pointer behind it which I could not reach, yet I knew that I must." Jak read out loud.

"That's that room we saw yesterday." He said excitedly, looking at Varren.

"'And did he?' Asked the Abdu, great statue and protector of the temple. 'He did' I replied. 'By the stars and the moon above, he entered that room of light, never to return, but did a coin of copper appear on the floor, stamped with a two headed eagle surrounded by script I could not read.'"

Jak shook his head and looked at Varren.

"This is so weird, I mean what does this all mean? What's an Abdu?" He looked back at the bag and his eyes widened slightly.

"The castle hung in the sky, high above our village for over twenty years. We didn't know what to think, nor did any of our neighbors, but that didn't keep us from trying to enter it. So we built a wooden tower the seemed impossibly high, but was held with ropes so it wouldn't sway in the wind. Eventually we reached the staircase that hung from it, and a dozen men, including myself approached the great doors that led into the structure. Lee tried everything to enter that building, but those great doors wouldn't move at all. Some of our precious blasting powder was used as well, but even the scorch marks faded within seconds, leaving the doors unblemished. Finally we turned to leave, but a lad, Xenith, gave the door one last kick out of frustration. Like magic his leg entered and he was pulled inside. The rest of us tried this as well, but the door wouldn't give. Just like that we were on the ground again though we hadn't fallen, and the tower we had built was gone, along with the castle. It has been ten generations since that day, and we still don't know what happened to that poor boy, although I think we can all guess..."

Jak looked up again, his eyes wide as he held the bag stiffly, unsure of what to say.

[little lost dragon]

Fren nodded before looking at Jak as he asked for the rod. She knew some of things but humans where high tech and locks that where not based on programming or and key cards and combos where.... never used any more. So keys to her where something she knew nothing of. However based on what had been said she had an idea of how it might work.

However both her and Varren looked at him when he started reading. Varren was looking deep in though and Fren got a unsure look at the part of where one person went into the room never to be seen again but a coin appeared. She could only imagine these coffins the letter spoke of where the other victims.

Varren got particularly interested in the castle in the sky note. "Most show up here in there rooms. None that I know of where ever..... pulled in though." he admitted "I dare say, we have a puzzle on our hands, a puzzle with peices paid for by..... others sacrifice." he said keeping it term light for Alina "But 20 years..... for all I know this was here long before I showed up or showed up just as Alina went under the bed." he admitted.

 

Fren remained quiet though thinking her tail swaying behind her slowly from side to side "Might be a currency." she suddenly stated "Some traps.... must be sprung to get at what is behind them. and sometimes that something might be key to your mission." she said looking at them "Currency in puzzle peices or to buy something, coins have always been a currency." she stated before looking at the stars "Those however..... I do not know but if the rods a key, well once deadly janitor out there leaves, we could try a door that was locked near by the food room."

 

((I smell a sub plot developing ))

[Ryujin13]

Alina looked at Varren as he said his bit, then looked back to the stars. She didn't know what they were actually for either, but they did look important.

Finally she seemed to give up thinking about it and instead tried to jump up on the bed. Her attempt was unsuccessful however and she fell back to the floor.

Jak had given up on trying to figure out the mystery as well, knowing that they weren't going to find out by guessing.

He put the pieces he was holding into the bag and gave it to Fren before flopping back.

The moment his head hit the mattress the scratching and whispers at the door stopped, and everything went back to its normal quiet and stillness, the green light disappeared, and everyone knew that the security system and gone back to where it came from.

Jak stood up and stuffed the glass sphere back into his bag before going to the door and looking out through the keyhole, just in case, before he opened the door and walked out.

He reeled for a second though as his mind grasped what he was seeing, and he rubbed his eyes just to make sure.

The hall was gone. The slight curve either way had disappeared, and now he stood on a bridge of sorts. The bridge was maybe five feet wide with no rails, and stretched across a square room. The room itself wasn't extremely wide in either direction, but it was tall, so tall that Jak could barely see the ceiling and couldn't see the floor. Dozens of bridges like the one he found himself on were placed seemingly at random up and down the room, stretching every which way imaginable.

"Where the hell are we now?" Jack asked as he peered over the edge of the platform.

[little lost dragon]

Fren took the bag though did not know where she'd put it for now, not like she had pockets of any sort on her. But kept it in her hand for now.

Though when she looked at the door way as Jak opened it she stood up in alarm. Where a stone wall should be was a stone bridge leading away. She looked Alina before gently scooping the hatchling up before walking to the edge peering up and down "Well Varren, if we did not take your word for this place changing, guess we have our proof." she said "I might be able to jump down but I can't jump that high to make it back." she admitted "So anyone falls, let me know. Unlike anyone else, I don't have bones to snap." she admitted.

 

Varren nodded and shrugged "Well its clear, we need to cross the bridge, Fren keep a good grasp on that bag, I would not leave out the new lay out being related to that bag." he said and she gave a nod. Varren slither past them and knowing if he found a crack or a spot that would break, he had the rest of his coils to support him self.

[Ryujin13]

Jak looked up and down again, then backed away from the bridge a few steps, scratching his ear again.

"I um, I think I'll just wait here to uh, to keep the room safe." He said, his back pressed against the door. "You know, make sure it's still here in case we need a place to stay again."

He turned to open the door, only to find a blank wall behind him. At this he began to panic, scratching at the wall, looking for the door before giving up and flattening himself to the wall, arms out to either side as though trying to hold on to the wall itself. His breathing had become shallow as well and he was beginning to hyperventilate, even as his pupils dilated in fear.

 

Alina had noticed his by now and poked mommy with one claw before pointing to Jak.

"Mommy Fuzzy's sick, he needs help." She said, her eyes watering as Fuzzy got worse as each second passed. "Fuzzy! Fuzzy! Stop please, it's alright!" She cried out, obviously scared for Jak. "Please stop!"

[little lost dragon]

Fren looked at Jak as he said he'd stay behind. However his reaction to the door vanishing puzzled her for a few moments as Alina began to also start panicking for Jak. She went over and placed her tail tip on his shoulder due to her arms being full, one with holding Alina and the other holding the bag of the stars and key "Jak slow your breathing," she said looking into his eye's "Your going to make your self pass out, slow your breathing. I'm guessing your afraid of heights? I'll carry you like I did for escaping that monster alright?" she asked slowly. Her tail tip cupping his shoulder.

[Ryujin13]

Jak flinched a little at the touch of Fren's tail, but his eyes met hers. His own eyes were filled with fear and he was still breathing quickly, but he managed to at least slow it down enough to keep from passing out.

"I-I don't really like heights." He managed, back still against the wall. "They um, they're..." He gulped and closed his eyes, turning his head so that he was as flat as possible to the wall. When the suggestion for her to carry him came along he didn't verbally reply, instead giving a small nod.

Jak didn't move much as he was picked up beyond seizing Arden's tail and holding on for dear life.

The trip across the bridge took about 30 seconds, and when they were over and Jak was let down he hurried to a corner and threw up, his fright making his stomach weak.

It took a few seconds before he wiped his mouth, took a deep breath and straightened. He didn't look back at the others, instead focusing on the ground, a look of shame on his face.

"I'm sorry." He muttered as Shaza and barren came closer. "I don't like heights. One of Caeser's gang members held me over the edge of a skyscraper because I wouldn't go and polish his guns. I didn't see him ever again, but I um, I don't like tall places and stuff." He explained quietly, still refusing to look at the others.

 

Alina watched all this sadly, knowing that Fuzzy was scared. She didn't like him scared or upset or anything. She liked him when he was happy and funny, and she wanted to see him like that again. She poked the mommies hand that held the bag and pointed to Fuzzy, hoping that by giving him the bag it would take his mind off of what had happened.

[little lost dragon]

Fren wrapped the end of her tail around his waist again before following Varren. The height of the bridges made her nerves, nothing to tell the bottom of the pit and hard landings scattered on the way down.

Once they where across she waited till they where a good number of her steps away from the edge before she put him down again. She watched him throw up the chemical stench that threw up made her take a few steps back. All the stuff humans put into there food, makes things that worse. Almost made her eye's water, a dead body smelled better.

Varren though not as sensitive to the level Fren was came closer and nodded. "Your not the only one who is afriad of heights. Now come one, lets leave that area behind us." he suggested.

Fren looked at Alina as she poked her hand with the bag. She looked at Alina, then sighed. and took a breath in before moving close to Jak and thus closer to the vomit. "While your at it, maybe you could look these over, take closer looks at the stars and see if there's any kind of engravings on them or something." she suggested quickly before backing off a number of steps after giving the bag to him. She was clearly finding the scent horrid but was trying to not gag infront of him. "Chemical radar, makes things like vomit worse." she explained "Stench is magnified for my people."

Varren chuckled "Suppose we should move then." he said a hand gently on Jaks back to lead him away from the bridges area.

[Ryujin13]

"Sorry." Jak said, even more ashamed of his weakness now that Fren told them that she couldn't take the smell.

"Yeah, but the rest of you didn't throw up or panic." Jak said when Varren pointed out that he wasn't the only one scared of heights.

He was quiet, saying thank you when the bag was passed to him but otherwise remaining silent.

The bag itself, along with most of its contents were put into his own pouch, but he did keep one of the stars out, a steel one that he thought he had the least chance of damaging. The star motif was carved onto the front, raised areas creating the pattern from the heavy metal. The star itself was maybe three inches in diameter and smooth on the side opposite the start itself.

Jak followed Varren easily enough, even while he was playing with the star and thinking about it, trying to find the connection, the pattern, anything to reveal the stars purpose.

The corridor they were in had begun to slant down as was ominously devoid of doors. Instead there were tapestries on both sides which showed star maps along with an outlined constellation. There were hundreds of them, all unrecognizable to the party, but all showing figures or beings from who knew how many cultures.

As suddenly as the floor had slanted it leveled off and ended at a set of large stone doors. The doors were each about 12 feet tall and nine or so wide, with a great ring hanging off of each to pull the door open with.

The door themselves were carved with intricate patterns, vines of gold on the outside edge framing a sea of silver stars. Each one was but a tiny point in a sea of millions, but each mimicked a star chart that hung next to the door perfectly.

The star chart hung on the wall seemingly of its own accord, but began to change quickly, shifting view until it showed a smaller set of stars, a single star shining on it.

Jak looked at the map, then at the doors, then back again before shrugging.

"I don't know anything about star charts do you guys?" He asked, looking up at the door once more. He looked up at the stars then gently reached out and ran a finger over one of the stars. He felt it depress slightly and removed his finger, looking back at the others.

"They're switches or something." He said not touching any of them but continuing to look.

 

[little lost dragon]

Fren looked at the stars as they went gently holding Alina in her arm against her chest. She came to a pause though when she reconized a few from her universe. She continued on though seeing as using them for directions was largely useless.

When they reached the doors she blinked as the star chart by the doors changed to a set of stars that was what looked like similar number of stars they hand. She watched Jak press one in before it came back out as he took his hand off it. She blinked. going up to a door with a different pattern and gently pulled on the handle. She wanted to see if the door was first locked, and if so, would the banner change to that formation of stars. Her suspision of, the stars they where given would lead to a goal through any of the doors.

"If this is what I think it is, we only get to chose one path." she said half to her self.

 

Varren looked at them before shaking his head before "Never saw this before, like I said, been here for a long time, nope I can't see much beyond the possiblity's." he said looking a little frustrated. He felt he should be the guide, he had spent more time here then anyone else but fact was, he was as lost as they where. Just not as easily suprized.

[Ryujin13]

Jak frowned again, looking at the doors, then the star chart, thinking hard.

Suddenly he grinned and went to the star chart.

"I think I got it." He said, pointing to the door. "That's a galaxy right? Well this changed into a much smaller version. So this is the night sky from a planet. That shining spot is where we are, and we have to press the star on the door where we are by using the star chart." He explained, smiling happily for a few moments before a frown suddenly appeared. "I don't know anything about stars though." He said, looking at the others hopefully. After a few moments he seemed to give up on this train of thought and looked at the star he still held. Carefully he tried holding it up to the star chart, then the door. Nothing happened, making him frown again. He tried holding it up to different spots, but still it didn't do anything, the stars on the door remaining the same. Something caught his eye however, causing him to go to the vines and look closer at them.

They were beautifully carved, each one cut into the stone with loving detail, all intertwined with each other.

Jak continued to look and began to spot what looked like mistakes. Some of the vines, though they matched up and continued the vine, seemed to change sizes. They were tiny differences, but still there.

Taking a small breath and glancing around as though expecting another monster to appear, he gently pushed one of the vines.

A click was heard but nothing happened, causing Jak mess with it further. He pushed and pulled, but still nothing happened until he finally twisted it. A section of the vines turned ever so slightly and he grinned, knowing he had figured it out. Looking around as though expecting a monster to pop out, he carefully turned the section until the vines matched up. A small section of the wall slid out, revealing a circular area that fit the stars in the bag perfectly. The problem was that it gave no clue as to which star should go there, and when Jak tried the steel one he still held, the entire map on the door lit up, the silver stars shining bright.

He pulled the steel star out and the map went back to its unlit state.

"What now?" He asked, looking at the others blankly. "I have no idea which of these goes in there. Suddenly he felt the steel star heat up beneath his fingers and he dropped it with alarm, causing it to clang and roll a few feet to land on its front. The back side was now engraved with writing that morphed into something they could all read.

'The river of time is unending, it goes on and on. Still it moves, always flowing, but the castle remains the same. Now find the place where I am, using stars you found, always a direction they must face, to understand the place where you now reside. One chance you have, one chance to take, no back, only forward, or be trapped forever more."

Jak looked at the others, then raised his hands and backed away. "I don't have any idea how to do it and I'm not the one who's going to kill us." He said as a rumble was heard.

Suddenly a great stone block slammed down behind them, trapping the group in the newly created room.

"Great." Jak said, slumping against a wall. "We're trapped and I have no idea how to even begin solving this puzzle."

[little lost dragon]

Fren frowned a little as Jak went to inspecting the roots. Did he not just have some trouble 2 doors ago involving vine like designs? Though he seemed to spot something. After some more looking around as she inspected the star chart she turned when a slight showed up, only to vanish shortly afterwards with Jak asking what now.

Then the star he had used light up as if something was heating it a lot and quickly. She came over wondering what it was doing as did Varren, but as the new engravings became readable to each she blinked.

She looked at Jak as he backed up and frowned as he stated his line.... then the room was sealed. "Galaxies, doors, stars and a key, a note describing how the castle was found, and one was kidnapped, now this message. Someone is watching us, the stars much face a direction for us to get where we are. But we fail once and where stuck here till...... when ever." she said half to her self.

 

Varren looked at it and started to think. Before an idea popped into his head. "You both mentioned you have space travel, maybe for this galaxie part, we need you 2 to find a conselation of stars no more or less then whats in the bag, it must lead to earth. Or maybe it might be trying to spell something out with the maps." he said "Hey over seer, you did not mention anything about requests, mind dropping a few more hints? Your kind of all over the place." he said before looking at the steel star wonder if the letters would change in responce.

 

 

[Ryujin13]

Jak looked up at the stone door as he sat against a wall, considering the question at hand. This was a test, but what kind? Varren seemed to think that this place would listen to his asking for help, but nothing happened with the star begin making a racket as it clanged to the floor.

"The castle remains the same." He said quietly, thinking hard. "But the river flows on and on." He shook his head and changed tact, instead looking at the rest of the riddle. "Now find the place where I am, using stars you found." He nodded at this, murmuring the line over and over until he stood and went to the star chart next to the door and pointed at the shining star on it.

"I got it." He said, looking at the others. "Find the place where I am, using the stars that you found! It doesn't want us to find a planet or star system, it wants us to the castle! The star chart changed from the galaxy to this little section of it and highlighted this star. I'll bet you a burger that's where the castle is. So all we have to do is figure out where that is on the door and push the right star." He explained excitedly before going to the stone door and twisting another section of vine until a 'click' was heard and another circular slot was revealed. He placed one of the stars from the bag into the slot, causing the entire door to light up again. The star with the writing went into the other slot, although nothing happened until Jak turned it in its slot, causing some of the stars to go dull. Probably 90% were still lit though, and when he turned the second star the field another five percent or so went out as well.

"They're like lenses to focus a laser." He said, looking back at the others. "You focus them and it will probably highlight which system that view is from." He explained, gesturing to the star chart. "Then we can hopefully figure out which star we are at. The problem is that I don't know which star goes where." He said picking up the two stars and causing the star field to go back to their natural silver color. "Any ideas?" He asked, happy that he had figured this much out all on his own.

[little lost dragon]

Fren watched Jak and with held a sigh. this sort of thing was not what she found in human tech and her people had entirely different methods with tech. When Jak explained it was lenses she looked at it again. It wanted them to find the castle? That could be anywhere? She got up and came over. Though little of this was making sense, nothing was stating the light ones where the way or not the way, They had to find a location and had little info on it. Jak just seemed to pulling things out of thin air for the puzzle. Varren looked to be just watching and studiying.

"I worked with human tech and my own, but with these kinds of puzzles, clearly you have more experience in this." she admitted "However if I had to suggest anything those stars might fit best in those slots here and here." she said pointing to them "It continues to follow the pattern of the rest and if the rest seem correct....." she suggested.

 

((Your mixing 2 things I suck at lol, maps and puzzles. Little hard to RP a skill like those when ya don't have them lol.))

[Ryujin13]

(Sorry man I didn't know. I'll get the train rolling quickly so we can move on.)

 

Jak looked at Varren, then Fren, then back at the door. Finally he say down in front of it and took the bag from his pouch and laid out the stars and the key before turning the bag inside out again. He looked quietly through the script on the inside of the bag, finding only a few snippets that actually mentioned the stars, while the rest seemed to be focused on the castle itself.

Giving up on that avenue, Jak instead began to look at the stars, comparing them to each other and the slots, noting the differences in design and material. He sat like that for at least 15 minutes, just looking at the pieces, not really engaging with anyone. Finally he stood and went to the slots, looking each over. He poked and prodded the slots, looking at them from different directions before nodding and going back to the pile of stars. From the pile he pulled out the heavy stone one and an emerald one. The emerald went on the left and the stone on the right.

The focusing was accomplished easily enough, and when it was done a single star was pointed out.

"Ok, that's where this point of view is from." He said, pointing a the star chart. "I was never good at this in school, but let me see..." He quietly sat down and looked, glancing back and forth from the star chart to the door every few seconds. After a bit Jak laughed and pulled his phone from his bag.

"God that was almost a disaster." He said, still laughing. "I never paid any attention to star charting in school. The only reason I could focus it was because the puzzle was like a video game."

He quickly poked some buttons and the screen turned dark as a map of the galaxy showed up. He pointed his cell phone at the door and instantly the screen turned to a picture of the galaxy on the door. Next he clicked on the shining star and the screen turned to a map exactly like the one on the star chart. After consulting back and forth for a few seconds he chuckled and touched the same star that was shining on the star chart. Another click showed the universe but this time with a shining star on it. A few more minutes and he pointed to a single star in the galaxy.

"That's where we are." He said, bending and picking up the key. He didn't wait for a chance to second guess himself, or for the others to say a word, instead he inserted the key and turned.

There was a loud 'CLUNK' followed by absolute silence for about 30 seconds.

Alina began openly crying at this development, knowing that she was going to die in the cold stone room, and Jak's eyes had widened. He didn't expect to live long after condemning the group to death, and had his back to the door when hidden machinery began to clatter and clang.

Slowly the great stone doors swung open, showing huge slabs of rock almost five feet thick.

Jak grabbed the key as they stilled, then looked inside to see a single room circular room with a platform at the center. The room by comparison to everything else they had seen in the castle was very plain, just a simple stone floor and walls going straight up to darkness. The platform was maybe a a dozen or so feet across and was made of grated metal. The interesting part of the room wasn't the plainess or the platform itself, it was what was on the platform. A single control panel of sorts sat on a pedestal on the platform, and had four levers, six buttons, and a single switch, none of which were marked. One of the levers was on the side of the panel however and was much bigger, marking itself out as a place to begin.

 

Jak didn't approach the platform, instead waiting for the others and staying near the door, uncertain of how to proceed. This place kept trying to kill him, and he had learned his lesson, don't mess with things unless you absolutely have to. Of course there was nothing in this room except the platform, so that was a problem in of itself. "What now?" He asked, glancing at Varren. "Should we mess with it, or should we just... I don't know, do something else?" He asked, glancing around again.

[little lost dragon]

Varren looked around "Seeing as we don't seem to have much choice, we'll need to risk it." he said slithering over to the panel on the platform "If it runs like any other panel I've seen, the one on the side is like the activation one, the others are your settings." he said waiting for the others to step on "Now I do not know how many floors there is here and Jake? Stay in middle." he said moving a few of the levers before putting the side one up.

 

Fren right away began to stroke Alina to calm her as the hatchling cried. But as sounds started up Fren stood up higher on her legs to see if she could spot anything of what was going on. She went back to normal though as the doors began to move and open. Not sayin a word though still stroking Alina to help her settle she move forward after Varren. Her talons still hardly making a sound each step. "Wonder why this place chose to look like a old mid evil castle when its clearly something far more advanced." she mused and Varren shurgged.

[Ryujin13]

Jak shrugged along side Varren at Fren's question, then looked at the platform in question. It didn't look like much, be he also didn't like the thought of it rising as high as it would. Finally he stepped onto the platform and sat in the exact center, holding onto the grated surface of the platform and closing his eyes tight.

The moment that Varren pulled the lever, the platform began to hum even as blue light filled in previously unseen runes. Suddenly they were rising with frightening speed, different rooms flashing past in a blur of color. They group rose and rose until it seemed like they would never stop, but finally, after about ten seconds of their rapid ascent the platform came to a smooth stop in total blackness. A clicking sound was heard, like gears turning, then another clang as something snapped into place. Then a curtain seemed to rise and they were standing inside a forest. The smell of plants and dirt were in the air as of every sort birds chirped and whistled to each other. Off in the distance an animal of some kind looked up from its grazing before bounding off across the meadow it had been in. The entire place felt exactly like a forest should, and every detail was perfect. The only thing marring the beauty was the platform, but even it was unobtrusive as it could be, seeming to turn a stone color as they watched, even as the levers and buttons became wooden instead of metal.

"Wow." Jak said, his mouth open in awe as he went to the edge of the platform. "What is this place?" He asked, looking at Varren.

 

Alina had stopped crying when the doors had opened, and was now looking around, her eyes constantly wandering and her nostrils flared as she smelt nature for the first time. "Yay we left the castle!" She said, jumping out of mommy's arms and stepping off the platform. "Come on mommy I want to play!" She squealed, rolling around in the leaves and grass that covered the ground.

 

[little lost dragon]

Varren looked suprized to see the setting again, the alarming ride here had startled him but no one lost footing on there way up so he made no adjustments, plus faster the better for Jaks fear of heights. Met the trip would be over sooner.

"The forest room..." he said half to him self "I haven't been in here in ages. This room used to be a base point for the first group I was with..... I wonder if the shack Villo grew is still here. She was.... well apparently a goddess, she never got along with another alien..... an Alli oka, kangeroo like alien race. And nother human that had a huge metal mech she called a zoid, very complex AI systems made it seem living. Like real living. She got together with a human like alien..... a Quarian, he always wore a suit but seemed to help her out of many things." Varren said before going silent. His eye's staring off into space "And Zak, a organoid as he was called, looked like a small dino, sompletely metal, he's the reason I'm here now and not shooting you, I had contracted a contages condision that made one..... lose there mind chemically, Zak's nano's in my blood stream that he put there help keep things stable." he admitted "I'm really a shade darker then what I was before I came here." he finished off saying.

 

Fren mean while seemed perplexed, playing was not exactly in her vocab for a number of years. She came over smiled a little playfully pouncing on Alina tickling her a little before letting the hatchling go so she could play more "I'm going to get you." she said jokingly.

[Ryujin13]

Jak looked around with interest as Varren explained things, but turned back as he described the people who had been with him once.

"They sound..." Jak frowned and considered it, then shook his head. "They sound really different." He said, trying to imagine the people that Varren had described. "But you said you've been here before?" He asked, returning to the topic at hand. "And you said that there was a but here once? That means it's safe right? We should stay here as our safe room. It's better then wandering hallways forever." Jak said, finally stepping off the platform and onto the loam that made up the ground.

Alina giggled as mommy tickled her tummy and flipped over before running off into the meadow, her little legs going as fast as they could, still giggling the whole time.

She disappeared into the growth after a couple feet, but could be heard rustling around.

The sounds from her stopped suddenly though, causing Jak to turn and look. He actually liked Alina, and he didn't want anything to happen to her.

"Alina?" He called, moving forward slightly. "Alina, are you there?"

 

Alina had disappeared though, her footprints ending suddenly with nothing to show what might or might not have happened. No matter how much they searched, no matter how much they called, it was as if Alina had ceased to exist, swallowed by the air itself.

 

(She's not dead, just missing.)

[little lost dragon]

Varren shook his head "This room was anywhere but safe, creatures that would eat you alive, organisms like those that got in my blood. It just seems safer because of the setting. Really there just as much here as there is in the halls of the castle." he explained before hearing the rustling stop. Fren was already in the grass looking very confused. "Alina?" Varren called his helmet covering his head mostly "Strange....... life signs..... there just gone." he said as his display showed him readings before he had if fold off his head again.

 

Fren searched and searched "Alina?" she asked again looking worried "Alina come out now." she stated before pausing and looking at the others "Her chemical signature just..... vanished, her scent ends here too...... was there a floor under here?" she asked worried.

 

Varren nodded "There.... was but I don't know if it still there or the same room." he admitted and Fren sighed

"Because I think she might of phased again. Last time she did that she went right through me till she hit the stone's." Fren explained sighed

Varren looked at Jak "One other thing to avoid saying Jak, don't ever let the castle here you call a room safe when its not a safe room. Things happen when one does that." he explained.

[Ryujin13]

"Yeah ok." Jak said, hurrying over to look at the spot where Alina had vanished, hoping to spot something or... He didn't know what, but hopefully something. Nothing appeared to him either though, and he was growing more and more worried for the little hatchling as well. Finally he spotted something, a small scorch mark on the ground where Alina had last stood.

"Maybe she did phase out." He said quietly, hoping that was the case, but knowing in his heart that wasn't the case. "But last time she reappeared after a few seconds." He looked around as though hopeful to see her, but when nothing happened he turned looked back at Varren.

"What now?" He asked, turning to the one person with experience in this sort of thing.

 

Alina was terrified. She was in a room full of machinery, and had backed herself into a corner, trying to stay hidden from whatever was going to happen next. She wanted mommy, she wanted Fuzzy, she wanted to go back to the forest.

Suddenly she was seized by something unseen and thrust onto a table where straps were applied to hold her down. Painful things were attached to her, and she was shocked until finally she lost hold on her reality and slipped into the next, the shadows waiting for her as she appeared there.

[little lost dragon]

Varren looked at the spot "Best we can do is dig." he said though did not look very hopeful "If she did phase or something through the ground, its because the castle planned on it. If we find stone or metal, I might not even be able to punch through that, my weapon is configured to the castle walls and doors and even that's not going to happen every shot." he said as Fren began digging with her hands. before Varren put a hand on her shoulder "Fren if she did Phase through the ground then by the time we get there she will be long dead, currently as strange as it might sound, this is another test, and if so then we'll see her again..... just hope the castle did not do anything to her." he said gently.

 

Fren looked at the spot then at Varren "Her real mother would not give up, I may not be her real mother but Unless I find metal I at least want to find her body, that way at least I can give her the respect a young one should get." she flat out stated before resuming.

[Ryujin13]

Jak looked at Varren, then quietly began to help Fren, widening the hole and going deeper.

It took an hour and a half, but after about four feet of digging where Alina hadast stood they hit a stone floor. Nothing was forthcoming, and even after widening the hole out it was evident that Alina was truly gone.m

Jak didn't know what to do or say, so he quietly pulled himself out of the hole and walked a distance away to sit against the tree. There he sat, not saying or doing anything except trying to avoid thinking about Alina.

"Maybe she went through the floor?" He asked quietly, looking at Varren. "We passed a lot lf levels on our way here." In his heart he doubted this was true because Alina hadn't passed through the floor last time she had phased out, even though Fren had held her.

 

Alina was in a room like the one she had just left except for some key differences. She wasn't strapped down anymore, the things that had hurt her weren't attached anymore, and she wasn't alone anymore. Instead she was in a room which was colored in a more pure way, like all the imperfections were gone from the colors. In the room stood three shadows, all of which were but ghosts to her, their movements blurred in the air, showing their starting position to their end point in a series of images that seemed to hang in the air.

The three advanced on her, causing her to shriek in fear and jump from the table to bound out through the door. Down the corridor she raced, passing all manner of shadows until she found a corner behind a random pillar. There she huddled, hoping that nothing would notice her.

A buzzing like an insect caught her attention though as a flying shape came towards her. She pressed against the pillar and opened her mouth to scream when the buzzing stopped and something fell close to her.

Peeking from under her paws Alina saw that the shadow thing had become a little bird thing with four wings, one of which was bent at an odd angle and was smoking. The bird chirped feebly at Alina and she looked around before quickly running out and pulling the little animal into her hiding space where she gently set it beside her and began to cry as she curled around the bird.

"I'm s-so sorry." She whispered, gently stroking the bird as it cooed quietly, folding its wings as best it could. "I d-didn't mean to."

Edited February 24, 2014 by Ryujin13

[little lost dragon]

Varren sighed and shook his head "Last time she hit the stone floor she stopped Jak. The castle has plans for her, What they are and what they involve I do not know." he admitted sadly "But we can't afford to grieve, the castle is unforgiving of mistakes. And is not always kind." he said looking at Fren as well "I know I must sound cruel to you 2, but you'll learn as time goes on, we'll keep an eye out for her, we'll most likely meet her again if she is not dead, in what state is..... beyond me." he said before Fren looked at him.

 

"What do you mean by state?" she demanded and Varren looked away "Not all the...... guards of this place are.... from this place." he said before sadly slithering away.

Fren gasped a little at what Varren just said. She looked at Jak before back to him "You must have an idea where she was taken." she stated and Varren whirled on her "Dam it I most likely do, now if that room is in the same location I last saw it I don't know there for I don't know!"