//------------------------------//
// CHAPTER 14 [Part 2] 
// Story: EntiQuest [OLD] 
// by Sputniik 
//------------------------------//

Around the time I'd regained consciousness-- or revisited reality-- whichever one of those it was, we had obviously been indulged in some conversation of sorts. I sucked in a breath, wondering if time had never really waited for me to return, and instead, the Parasite had taken over my body in order to avoid suspicion. 

Although it had seemed to have done a good job on keeping things rolling with the usual, I couldn't help but feel a bit more than overwhelmed over the thought that the Parasite had access to more than just my mind while I was 'away'. I took a second too long to remember that it was the thing that'd stopped time and pulled me into it's realm, with me completely powerless.

I attempted not to seem too bothered by this, even though I'd caught myself sitting dead still in the chair since I was whisked away.

And apparently, I'd been dozed off thinking for too long, back in my own physical body again, not noticing that Dipper had removed himself from the table. The later clatter of Daniel dropping the dishes into the sink had shaken me back to actual reality.

"Dipper," I resisted from shouting, ultimately failing. "Where are you going? I-It's not even noon yet!"

He shrugged, running his palm down the door-frame, as the door had been slightly cracked open to let in a breeze. I shuddered, while the warmth had vanished for a second as a thin chill swept the house. 

He hadn't even had a jacket on; just a thin scarlet shirt that had been made for the spring, his hat, and technically nothing else but the thin deer-fur from back to legs. Daniel might have been an exception, seemingly almost immune to the cold to some extent, and at least having a jacket to shield him from the cold. But Dipper was no exception.

"You'll catch a cold!" I'd complained, not thinking much further as my mouth seemed to act on it's own accord. "Don't you at least want to carry a sweater or--"

As if on cue, Daniel had tossed a dark cyan sweatshirt overhead, matching the color of his, but much thinner, and this one without a zipper. In fact, the entire front was open, and with it's lack of a zipper whether purposefully or not, had no way of closing it if it got cold! I hadn't had time to comment before Daniel had ducked back into the storage behind me, and Pines had snuck out the front door while I had my head turned.

Fortunately or not, I caught him before he disappeared behind the door that crackled as it widened, and slipped outside through the space he left open. Not thinking to shut the door obviously knowing I'd be at his tail the second I noticed he left. I was a bit quicker than that.

"Dipper!" I called out, skittering to his side while he stalked aside the thin trees just outside of the gate, "Where are you even going, anyway?"

He didn't stop, or make eye contact, "Going to find Ivor."

"If Daniel couldn't find him, why should you?" I'd already spilled my sentence before it was possible to take them back in, or make them stop. It obviously hadn't come out the way I wanted to, I was just... worried. And I hated the way my concerns often got in the way of my morals. And my mouth often liked to go off as fast as my brain.

Dipper hadn't seemed to take much thought off what I'd said, and instead, shrugged it off again.

"Because, I know what I'm doing." he tapped his fingers on the cover of the book tucked under an arm that I instantly recognized from Ivor's 'library'. He chewed his lip. "A-at least, I think I know where he's going,"

I still didn't feel too much more assured. I only motioned towards the book in the most subtle way possible, glancing back up at him in question. But he still hadn't been looking at me.
"What makes you think that?"

"Well, he's looking for something," Dipper mumbled, almost to himself, as he glanced warily off at the skies, "...Haven't you seen him carry that weird book around whenever he leaves? Rarely nothing else ever, either,"

The cervitaur's eyes had quickly dodged to mine, in the most unsettling way I thought possible. He almost looked scared, maybe even a bit suspicious, somewhere back there. I felt a bit more unsettled, as if his eyes were permanently glued to mine, and there was no escape of this tunnel of focus. He didn't even move a muscle.

I hesitated a second, clamping my maw shut once I realized I'd been staring back agape. "I suppose so..." 

I finally removed my glance, hoping to cover it up with a look of deep thought, "But what makes you so sure that you couldn't fall into whatever trap could possibly have Ivor captive down... there somewhere?" 
It didn't seem too far fetched that Ivor could've gotten lost, or injured, and was unable to find his way back home. I didn't like the thought of giant monstrous predators finding and feasting on him alive, much more.

But the youngest teen had seemed to understand, nodding lightly. But his eyes still traced the bright path that lead further out into the woods. Somehow in this light, the deep, dark woods didn't seem so threatening after all. Then I mentally scolded myself for thinking as a filly, cowering away from the forest when it was dark. It wasn't much different under the sun, was it? Nor was it the other way around. 

Sure, the woods are dark and scary, and of course, filled with predators. It was the forest. Anyone could just be careful in there, and make it back out with both arms and legs, right? And Dipper had experience out there, hadn't he? What made it so difficult now, to trust him to go out on his own?

My thoughts quarreled on their own, as I finally sighed, matching Dipper's glance down the trail. 

I swat the rest of my thoughts away like a thick fog. "Alright," I breathed, "You can go."

Dipper immediately grew ecstatic, but managed to compose himself before I was able to change my mind. He then started his way down before I could think otherwise.

"I promise, I'll be back by sunset!" he nearly cried back, prancing down the sunny trail along the older gates that stuck out the side of the path. I snorted, feeling dew sprinkle my muzzle as rooted greenery had flicked back and tossed dots of morning water into my face. 

I supposed, as long as he returned before it got too dark, he'd be fine. Ivor would make it back home, and we'd all sit for another cup of tea and hear a few old stories before nighttime. 

I already felt better by the thought of that, plus the idea of having a nice drink to get my mind off the hectic morning. In fact, it seemed like a nice idea at a time of day like this, when the wind carried the cold and dew formed on the undergrowth. 

I turned to greet the front door once again, only glancing back once more down the already empty path that seemed as if no one had left the territory or stepped hoof over it at all.












I'd finished my second-or-third serving of chamomile that day, when noon had reached and Daniel made himself soup, offering me lunch, which I kindly refused to. Something hadn't had me settled too right since Parasite, and even on my third-or-fourth cup, it seemed no amount of nerve-soothing tea could truly take my mind off the events of this morning. 

I already felt sick to my stomach, just about ready to loose every ounce of tea I drank that day, and finally set my cup by the table in defeat. It was unknown to me what Daniel had been doing all day, in and out of the storage, and whatever else, but that was the least of my concerns at the moment. I just felt the need to get some shut eye, get my mind off the voice that was undoubtedly still listening and watching every thought and movement.

I grunted in frustration. Somehow the thought managed to seep back into my mind, like a pest you couldn't seem to shake from your pelt. I stuffed my face with pillows, blocking out most of the oxygen in the room, somehow shortly believing that it might cut off the oxygen to my brain. 

Then I grunted to myself, almost hysterically. That was nonsense. I even began creating myself a long mental list about everything incorrect about that scenario. Anything to get my mind off of... that.




Must have worked, actually. Because next thing I knew was that the outside world from beneath my pillow pile was much cooler, and I could hear the stove going already. Had I really fallen asleep for that long?

I shuffled out from the pile, noticing Daniel far across the room by the oven where the smell of stew wafted from. I furrowed my brows, staring outside where the sun was barely just visible from the window. Time had definitely passed, but it hadn't been as long as I feared. The sun was still decently high in the sky, but was finding it's way towards the horizon, ever so slowly.

It stung my eyes, so I quickly turned away, facing the direction of the bathroom instead. I turned to my side, and allowed myself to settle to the light that cast my distorted shadow across the room. Not far enough to catch much of my form on the far end by the bathroom door, but a bit of me and the side of the bed was silhouetted out on the wall. 

"Want anything?" 

Daniel had walked over, a pot in one hand with actual bubbling water inside. I didn't question it.

"I'm fine, thanks," I grumbled, seeping the side of my face into the bed. "You go make something for Dipper once he gets back."

Daniel had nodded seemingly to himself, but instead of turning and leaving, stood there silent and still, looking me over, concerned almost. "You haven't had anything all day," he stated, not loud enough for me to judge his tone.

"I've had breakfast, Daniel," I waved it off, "I'm fine."


Danny narrowed his eyes, gripping the boiling pot with both hands on the handles, "No, you didn't... you said you weren't hungry--"

"I never--" I stopped, finally able to shut myself up. Because then it came back to me, that Parasite had taken over my physical body 'momentarily'. Had it been able to mimic and manipulate my voice, too? 

I honestly was unsure to a certain extent, on an excuse to come up with. I wasn't even sure why I had decided to keep this to myself. Maybe to avoid them from loosing trust? Maybe to keep them all safe. I involuntarily shot up, hoping to be able to cover it up with a rubbing of my eyes, or a sudden pain in the back, but Daniel had jumped, too. Just slightly, but enough for a bit of hot water to splash on his jacket and for me to notice. 

I blinked, "I... meant I didn't remember saying that.." I would have scolded myself again if I knew it wouldn't appear suspicious. So I rolled my eyes, "Fine, whatever you're making."

Daniel nodded again, and hesitantly but surely, turned and walked back off, out of my view once I settled back down into bed, and my thoughts were confirmed when I heard the pot settle back onto the stove with both a clank and a sizzle.

"Why in Equestria am I in bed, anyway..." I muttered to myself, almost afraid to think the thought, in fear Parasite would be woken up. Maybe it was some initial reaction to fear, somehow. But that didn't set right with me. Normally, I'd be reading a good book, or pacing around the living room, instead.

Maybe I'm sick.

I almost laughed at the idea, and cried at the same time. 

Was I really asking myself if I was sick? Wouldn't I... know?

Of course not. 


"You sick or something?" The question was shoved in my face with a steaming bowl of soup. 

I glared up at Daniel, who held out my 'dinner' too close to my face to properly see anything else but around it. I stared between him and the bowl for a few seconds, before hesitantly taking it, levitating it above the bed, but decently at a level where I could actually see it.

While I expected there to be chunks of animal meat inside, or even the scent of chicken flesh, to my surprise, there was only the bright red of tomato-broth, and noodles that stuck out from the sides of the bowl. There were even a few greens nicely sliced and mild seasonings sprinkled inside. I raised a brow, convinced Daniel had used some sort of soup mix from Ivor's refrigerator.

It even came with a spoon.

"No," I glanced up over the floating bowl, taking a spoonful of broth and discarding the noodles. "Don't believe so."

"You're laying in bed drinking soup?"

Had he actually set this up?

"I'm just tired, is all. I... didn't get much rest last night..."


Daniel looked doubtful, "I was up most of the night, and you were sound asleep the entire time. I... I don't see your point in lying to me anymore." He didn't turn, but from the corner of his eyes, he'd glared back. The taste of stew on my tongue suddenly tasted like hot tar.

"I still don't understand what I even did to you in the first place," he nearly growled under his breath, glancing where my eyes couldn't see. "I let you drag me here, let you scold me like a little kid, and now what?

"Is there even anything left for you do damage to, or are you just gonna keep running circles in the dirt here?" I felt every drop of stew slither down my throat, and it burned. Guilt was ruining my taste, and soon I couldn't bare to drink anymore. 

I couldn't even bring myself to reply, but I still had thoughts running a million miles through my mind. And if Parasite hadn't awoken already, it surely was now. It suddenly came across my line of thoughts that my mind hadn't been as much of my property as I'd always believed before. Nothing else was either. The mouth this creature borrowed from me without my consent had been spoken through without me behind it. 

And while it was mine, I used it wrongly.

And maybe, Daniel was right.

"The only thing I'm asking from you is to just trust me." He stared me in my eyes just as Dipper had, but much different. This was desperation. Not fear, which kind of... felt right. Right fear. This wasn't it, and I was unsure how I was able to tell. But it hadn't left as good of a taste in my mouth as that hot tar.

I wasn't going to burden others with my issues, anyway. But would I really feel right about getting away with a lie this time?


"Kids?" A voice startled us both back into reality, "I'm home!"


The door had cracked open, letting in another short breeze, before Ivor shut the door behind him. I almost laughed in relief. Ivor was fine. Now everything was fine.

Only he wasn't followed by the cervitaur that she'd expected to see prancing happily behind the deer-man. 
Suddenly my heart sank. And glancing briefly over to Daniel, I knew I wasn't alone. For once, I'd finally found a little comfort in knowing that Daniel had understood my sudden switch to ice-cold blood. He felt it too.

At first, Ivor had been seemingly oblivious to our terror, but halfway into the room, a look of concern crossed his features.

"Is... something the matter?" he asked innocently, fingers twitching nervously as if the unsettling tone had been contagious. I hadn't wanted to speak a single word more, albeit afraid I might worry the man further. 

I heard a single intake of breath beside me, as my nerves had gone numb, knowing Daniel had already decided to speak up. Somehow I could tell he was just as chilled as I was, if not more.

"Dipper.... wasn't with you?" Daniel had taken his time, carefully choosing his wording. "At all today?"

Ivor seemed a bit uneasy, "No, why would you ask..." he trailed off.

Then his frantic, orange eyes dodged around the room, before pinning onto mine. 

Now he knew.

He only fumbled for a bit, gripping his cloak with a shaky hand, the other placed over his face beneath his hair in a stressed manner. Once the tension in my shoulders dropped, I managed to take a few breaths and compose myself. It would be beyond impossible to say how badly I wanted to assure Ivor that it was okay, to take a few deep breaths and calm down. But the more the idea ran by me, the more of a lie it felt like. I didn't want to assure anyone that anything was okay until I was certainly positive that Dipper was at least alive and well. And if something did happen to him?

Then I'd rather keep my mouth shut.

Ivor had not too soon interrupted my thoughts. 
"Where did he go?" His tone gave off a sense of distress that caught on all else in the room. Even Parasite had remained silent, although I was almost sure that it was awake. "Wh-when did he leave?"

"Sometime this morning," I muttered, swallowing back soreness in my throat, "Looking for you,"

His brows had furrowed in a way that could only have been described at distraught, but it only lasted for a second, before his shoulders slumped. He glanced in between us, as if glaring at the wall. 

Guilt hit me fast for the thousandth time, followed soon by embarrassment. I hadn't meant to--

"I'm going to look for him." 

I at first glanced up at Ivor, only to huff in uneasiness once we both realized Daniel, standing up from where he once was just sitting. 

"Danny..." Ivor tried to discourage, only to be waved off before he could speak further. And despite being noticeably taller, older, and considerably wiser, Ivor had somehow backed down.

I noticed the usual fierceness and warmth in his eyes were gone, almost pale and less vivid, whilst Daniel's green eyes had glowed with anticipation. Like they had briefly switch personalities.

"I'm not letting anyone else get hurt," Daniel gritted in a hushed whisper, as if aware he was being listened to. "I've been out there once enough. I'm sure I know my way around enough to be able to track him down,"

Ivor and I exchanged glances. Then I shook my head, rising to all fours. "Daniel, both Dipper and Ivor combined have more knowledge of the outside than you; What makes you so positive you'll be able to find him?"


Or are you just scared he'll go out and kill himself even further?


"Danny, I have lived in these woods for years; I know my way around every inch of the lands more than you do. I don't want anyone else finding themselves lost, especially during the night." Ivor had disapproved almost immediately, rising back up after Daniel had spoken. "Nothing in these trees and shadows are remotely innocent, nor are they remorseful or hesitant of their actions. Once you're spotted, nothing will get in their way until you're dead in it's jaws."

I'd heard Daniel scoff under his breath, but it was subtle enough for Ivor not to notice, or to even raise a brow. 

"This has nothing to do with where we're dealing with, but what," he glanced across the room as if others were watching, "And what we're dealing with is these 'monsters'."

We'd both fallen silent for a second, and I wasn't quite sure what deep thought either of us were in, because it only felt like I was drifting away. Maybe it was the realization that these fierce beasts of the night could come out in just a matter of time, and the unarmed Dipper would be the creatures' next victim. Their next full meal.

Sure, Ivor and Dipper were certainly the masters of the outdoors and the unknown, as far as the eye could see. I too, knew a few things about the way this world worked and functioned, based on research I had only witness through inked words on print. But Daniel may have been a better 'ghost-hunter' than any of us, and maybe all of us combined. And unfortunately, he may as well have been right. Daniel had the best chance of survival out there than any of us. He even managed to return back to the cabin, unscathed. 

"We're obviously dealing with more than flesh-hungry monsters out there," Daniel had turned to glare at me before I'd finished. "Are you sure you're up to this, Daniel?"

He seemed a bit shocked, but that also only lasted for a second, before he nodded once, and something about the way he stood there confirmed to me that I had made the right decision, after all.

Ivor had nodded, too; the last gate to let the teen outside, it seemed, as Danny had dashed off towards to front door, not sparing a single glance behind him. He was just gone that fast, that I didn't get a final look at him. Because deep down, I knew he wasn't going to make it out. And it wasn't the manipulation or deathly presence of the Parasite this time. Because for the first time ever, I could feel the Parasite tremble.











"'...Beyond the gorge lies the Ash coven, where once.... transports when the skies are only black....'" he grumbled, slamming the book shut, then against his chest with a slight sting, "This isn't helping!"

He still seemed to walk on autopilot, already having found himself a good number of miles away from Ivor's territories, way out of sight. Now he carefully glided down a thick, dry-muddied slope that must've been wet the day before when the rain had stopped. 

Dipper had grown chilly after a few hours, tucking his fists into his pockets and tucking the book under an arm. Nothing written in Ivor's research-book had given him any clues to where he was going. At least It had seemed like it at first, leaving hints in the section where the man had left three bookmarks in, obviously careful not to loose his page. There'd been a small, wrinkled map tucked between the crevasses of the page somewhere in the hundredth page, and a few ferns that matched the blurred, sketched description on the right page. 

He'd gone everywhere with one book or the other. His Research-book that was now tucked under the cervitaur's arm, and his weird witchcraft-looking book, with inscriptions on the side, and unreadable symbols everywhere, which the missing deer-man had gone off with now. 

Dipper wasn't too worried of Ivor finding out he'd 'borrowed' his important book, but more concerned that none of the trio would ever see him again. Or alive again. 

Besides, it was early into the afternoon, and the sky was still a bright blue with thin, white clouds blanketing the skies. And he'd soon found way into the more open part of the woods he hadn't known were back here. Now the trees were spaced out and separated further, and the sunlight was able to catch the trail that made a deep left turn with brush hiding what was past it. But Dipper hadn't stopped, only hoping to track down this 'Moving coven of Ashes', or whatever.





That was when I saw it.

Or... or him.

No, not a face that I'd ever hoped to have to see, but it certainly could have been more... surprising.

Something lunged out at me, snarling in his chest as he missed the target. I might've shrieked a bit in panic, stumbling backwards until I'd tripped over my own legs and stumbled and fallen onto my back. 

The hungry predator picked itself off the dirt, dusting itself off all snob-like all of a sudden, and turned around to face me with blank, blue eyes.

Some kind of weird goat-guy, I think. His face was covered all in white fur, and a pair of horns protruded from both sides of his head, also covered in his white pelt. Somehow he even wore clothes; a baggy, torn tank stained grey, and tattered shorts that look like they were made from unfitting gym pants.

He was even missing an arm. Didn't look like he chewed it off himself, although he sure seemed like the type to do deranged stuff like that.

Then his expression switched to one I... couldn't exactly place.

"H-hey there!" he exclaimed, as if meeting an old friend, "Did I... Did I startle you?"

I wanted to retort, but shut up instead, not too comfortable around a probably blood-thirsty monster who just turned all friendly on me. It all just seemed like one big trap, jumping out from behind the deep corner to do what I'm still pretty sure, was to eat me.

Luckily for me, I hadn't seen any sign of wolves along the way. In fact, this guy was the first face I'd seen since I left that morning.


"I-I'm sorry!" the monster guy had apologized, crawling on fours in my direction as if stalking his prey. I felt all the air leave my lungs, as I attempted to get back up onto my legs again, only to have a hind-leg grasped with long clawed hands just as I had succeeded in getting back up. 

The feeling of his claws tracing my fur had been more than overwhelming, as every instinct in my body screamed for me to run. But I couldn't. Because this guy's iron-fist had my leg locked so tight in his grasp, I was worried it'd snap in half.

"Please...!" he cried out, and I was pretty sure if he had two arms, he would have done some serious damage. "I... I need you--"

He stretched out his hand after letting go of my leg which I wriggled free of, glancing up at me in what looked like agony. I flinched back, more than glad that I was out of his grasp.

"Uh, no!" I panicked, nearly tripping over my own legs again, "Wh-what even are you? Some sort of goat-wolverine-man or something?"

"I-I dunno!" he suddenly stood up to my height with a new attitude again. "But I've been like this for 28 years!"

"How old are you exactly?"

The guy kind of just returned a blank stare, as if he'd never heard any of those words in his life. His ear twitched, signaling that he did hear me, and might've just... lost focus for a second. Then he shook his head briskly as I started off in the opposite direction, hoping to shake him off. 

Yeah, of course not.

I tried skipping a bit faster ahead of him, in the most subtle way possible, so it didn't look like I was avoiding him. Or that I feared him. Anything could make him snap back to predator-mode, and any moment. So I tried to space out the distance between us. But he continued to follow me on three's; down on his knees, and one arm that made his crawl after me look too much like a limping dog. 

I-I'm not sure what about that set me off, but I broke into a run after I saw him in the corner of my eye. 

"Wait, wait!" I heard from behind me, in a dangerously familiar voice. "I-It's Lucas! What's your's?"

I assumed that was his name, or something. And he wanted to know mine? Not a chance.

"None of your business!" I choked back, the breeze now suffocating me as my lungs couldn't seem to keep up with my brain. And I was getting tired, pretty sure, at least. Running out of energy seemed to be the least of my concerns.

The sound of his hooves clopping against the path quickly grew louder, and I hadn't had much time to react before he stole my hat, and dashed off ahead of me. At first, my initial reaction was to chase after him for it. Then I realized this crazy goat guy just sped past me to steal a hat.

I skidded to a stop, watching Lucas slow down, too, as he heard me end the chase before it had started. 

He turned back with a weird smile gracing his lips that I tried to brush off as just... being glad I stopped. I glared back, not having to say much anything for him to return my stolen property.

Afterwards, I groaned, walking past him and keeping my eyes glued to the brightening path ahead of me. And Lucas still managed to follow. 



"I've never seen a creature like you here out in the deep wood before!" Lucas exclaimed, circling me while I tried, and somewhat failed, to ignore him, and keep Ivor's book out of his sight.

"Where you there, too? A-at the Big Room?

"I don't remember seeing you there... I don't think you have a tag, either! Lucky dog!

"And what's that?" he pointed towards the book I'd tried to hide under my jacket, but apparently the rectangle-shape beneath my sweater was probably a bit too obvious. "Is it a book?"

He reached under my arm, but I skipped ahead fast enough to avoid his claws. "Hey! No touching!"


"Why?" Lucas continued to inquire, tilting his head like a puppy. He ran a bit ahead of me, craning his neck back a bit for an eyeful of the book's spine. I guessed it was the crimson and gold colors that interested him so much. He certainly didn't act much human at all. He.. probably had good intentions asking about the book?

At the same time, I tried to knock out the building thoughts that slowly lowered my guard on Ivor's special book. AKA, the one clue that could help me track him down, and where he's been all this time. 

Lucas poked my neck, gaping when I hissed in pain, leaving a small, un-bleeding mark just above my collar bone. Lucas looked almost ashamed, taking the back of his hand to pat the cut, as if there'd been blood on it. There actually might've been, since I heard him gasp when he looked at his hand.

"Why can't I touch the book?" It sounded like a weak cover-up to have me forget about the cut, but I went along with it, anyway. 

"Because....." Suddenly, I remembered I didn't exactly have an excuse for why I was wandering through the woods with a book that didn't belong to me. What if he knew Ivor?

"Because... I'm helping a friend, uh, find some ferns for a... recipe?" Luckily, he seemed to buy it.

"Oh, I see." he tilted his head again, but this time, not in question towards the book. "Could... could It possibly be the book of the Master?"

I stopped in my tracks, raising a brow, "The Master?"

"Yes!" Lucas cried in excitement, "The Master wrote the book with all the answers in it! She said it had all of the answers, and used us to help her figure them out!"

Now I was starting to peek interest. This Master, definitely not the most creative title I've ever heard of, did ring a bell, somehow. Lucas went on.

"We helped the Master with... with puzzles, I think. Sometimes these were easy, and sometimes they were really hard..." he seemed to shudder to his own words, "He always gave me harder puzzles,"

"What kind of puzzles?" I wondered aloud, "And what does this have to do with the--"

Lucas cut in, "Sometimes we got hard puzzles if we were special, or if we didn't complete the other puzzles correctly... And... I think the big, strong ones had less-hard puzzles, but they were still really difficult to finish! Very, very few got easy puzzles. That was if they were..." 

The monster-guy trailed off, snarling all of a sudden. I leapt back a bit, before Lucas looked back at me with a different expression; one that read that he wasn't mad at me, exactly, but something else. 

I followed his gaze, only to be met with nothing but green. 

"Only if they were Perfect." he spat the word as if it'd been poisoned. I suddenly decided that conversation might not be the best option at the moment. 


"Right..." I started, backing out slowly, hoping not to catch his attention while it was directed at... whatever. "I guess this is my signal to get going? You know, to get those... ferns and--"

"Where are you going?" Lucas had perked up again, quickly catching up with me before I could get far enough from him. 

He was certainly nice and all, but he was also getting on my last nerves. I groaned, fanning myself with my hat out of habit, although outside was already decently chilly.
I decided not to avoid his question, and hopefully the last one I'd every have to hear from him ever again.

"Just down there," I sighed, motioning to the end of the slope that lead to some sort of valley, lined with rivers from where I could see. "Need to get those... herbs and stuff where it's most fresh, you know...?"

Lucas quivered, looking a bit skeptical. "Oh, there? A-are you sure..?"

"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?" To be honest... I kind of felt a bit hesitant at the sudden worried tone of his voice. I didn't even really consider his number of mood-changes over the past half-hour or so he'd been with me. Something didn't sit too right. "Besides, I think my friend found his way down here, somewhere, and he..."


Well, he seemed to come home fine. The night before suddenly flashed behind my eyes, as I tried rubbing them away, acting as if I was just tired, or rubbing the gleam out of my eye.

"He didn't come back f-fine... did he?" Lucas sounded hysteric again, twiddling his thumbs as if he'd committed a murder or something. "No one ever does! The Master knows better! Master always knew better!"

He'd cried out, and I squinted, knowing that backing out wouldn't work on him this time. I just had to wait for him to calm down... or just distract him with something else. That always seemed to work...

Or maybe just... leaving, and letting him follow me until he bored himself out.

He continued to ramble to himself, as I casually walked away, smirking to myself in success as I was cloaked in copper shadows, ducking into the new forest just below the slope. 


His voice was drowned out, when he either gave up and hurried away, or I just couldn't hear him anymore. Which was albeit strange to think about since the woods were so eerily quiet. I could only hear a few bird calls in the distance, but definitely nowhere near here. It made sense, though. It was already getting late, and the edges of the horizon were already tinted pink.

Soon, the trees had closed in on me, and I could no longer see the coming sunset. I only walked a few minutes worth of steps into the woods before I looked back and I couldn't see outside anymore. The second I turned back to face my un-mapped path, a sudden sense of dread washed over me.

I was not skeptical in the least, having expected something to come up at some point, although I hadn't really planned for any monster-attack situation. I did bring the book, and I admittedly had run over a few notes on more common anomalies here...

Even with a bit of satisfaction I had, knowing I hadn't been totally unarmed, my stomach turned, as I felt a chill sweep past my legs. I cast a quick glance behind me, book in both hands close to my chest. I was not loosing that book. Whatever else would be in here with me, was not getting that book.

I walked a bit faster, for some reason afraid that running was more dangerous for me than speed-walking. I guess I didn't want to set anything off.

The further I made my way in, the more I felt the need to turn back and return home before dark. I only flipped open Ivor's book to keep my mind from wandering wherever it was going. I didn't look behind me. I did not want to be swayed to turn back.

It seemed that the world just had other plans. Because at some point where I had completely lost sense of time, I was compelled to turn around, so I glanced over my shoulder. Of course, there was nothing there. But something was pulling me, something I couldn't see was beckoning me to turn back. 

Yes, more of a 'turn back' then to 'run'.
It was weird, not how I was able to tell, but that suddenly every nerve in my body seemed to tell me everything else except for what I thought was logical. I only brushed it off as instincts acting against me per usual, and soon found myself diving further into the forest. I also found myself walking a bit faster than I wanted to admit.

That was when something brushed against my side.

I held protectively onto the novel, glancing around frantically until my eyes caught something between a tighter patch of trees that looked as if light couldn't reflect off of it. Enough said, something was there. I couldn't tell if it was watching me, or if it even knew I was there. 

I held the book in front of my chest like a shield. And I began walking closer, like an idiot. To this day, I still regret ever stepping a single step closer. I'm such an idiot, thinking it was a better idea even looking in it's direction for more than a single second.

I only walked a couple paces before the form shifted in a way that looked as if it turned to stare at me. I'd fallen too stiff to jump. I only watched as it flickered away, too fast for me to tell which direction It'd gone. Then I suddenly felt the urge to run.  

As if everything kicked in at once, new dread returned, and I dashed further into the wood, in fear of what looked like nothing. And maybe I was overly conscious, but the only sound I could hear besides my heart beating a million miles per hour, I could hear the sound of my running through the grass. It wasn't muffled clopping of hoof-steps; I'm certain it wasn't. It was a loud, thumping that pounded in my ears, playing in sync with my legs. 

I glanced behind me for just a split second, and by the time I'd turned forwards again to glance ahead of my path, had my exhausted mind decided to decipher what my eyes had seen. 

The quick image of a tall man in a plaid top and long, red hair hanging past his eyes, and skin stained with so much brown and red that I couldn't see past it. I couldn't remember anything else, except that I knew he must've had eyes because I could feel him staring at me. The worst part was that I hadn't heard anything from behind me until I finally slowed down to catch my breath, while not wanting to stop running.

I glanced behind me again, stumbling a bit and breathing a sigh of relief when I lost sight of him, and immediately lost the burst of adrenaline. Although something hadn't felt right all the while, I glanced ahead of me, with the satisfaction that he hadn't been waiting for me once I turned around.

Exasperated, I fell onto my back, then my heart stopped in my throat when the ground fell from beneath me.

No, the ground-- dirt, grass and all-- it vanished into nothing, as I felt myself falling. Only for a short amount of time, I caught a glance of the tall guy in the distance before I was deep enough under ground that the top was just a small square of light. I was trapped underground, and it was a matter of time before that thing caught up with me.




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