Lukis: Bomb! Hey, wake up!
Bomb’s eyes fluttered open, he was back on the small island, surrounded by palm trees.
Karen: That took too long, last time it took just a second!
Lukis: I don’t think we can make it to Lawren in time…
Bomb: No, they are still there….
Karen: Hmm?
Bomb: Just trust me, they are there right now, and they should still be there by the time we get there.
Lukis: What exactly did you do?
Bomb walked over to Jerzyl.
Lukis: Hey, cmon, you keep on doing that, what are you doing?
Bomb: Just trust me and let’s go..
Bomb began climbing up the dragon.
Karen: What exactly is happening in Lawren?
Karen and Lukis walked over to the dragon, clasping their hands on its legs and pulling themselves up its body.
Bomb: I’m not sure, but I don’t think it’s a good thing….
Bomb: (Lyrian, alive? But, what does he want with townspeople? Why does he look so cold in his eyes….)
Lukis: Ok, go, go!
Jerzyl: Huft……
Jerzyl lifted its wing up high into the faded blue sky. He spun them up and down and over and over. Sand began rushing off away from them into the air.
Bomb: (My father…)
In minutes the dragon was raging over the seas, the bright blue calm seas. Karen was looking over the edge.
Karen: What do we do now? I mean, we have to prevent Agile from doing something stupid again, but, I don’t know what he wants anymore. We don’t even know where he is….
Bomb: Don’t worry about looking for him, we will find him…
Karen: So what do we do now?
Bomb: Find out more about our enemies……
Lukis: Man, we can’t just let them get stronger……..
Bomb: There’s a lot we don’t know, and there’s a lot I want to know…
Lukis shook his head and looked at the sea.
Lukis: (I almost died today… This is too much for me… With no reason.)
Bomb: We will be at Lawren in a few minutes, just be ready if he’s still there…
Karen: Ok…..
Lukis: (I wish I could just throw myself off this thing into the water now… To get away from all this mayhem..)
The dragons shadow swept across and water. On the way to Lawren Bomb told them the whole story about how he can see through Agile's eyes and what happened in Lawren.
Karen: Wow, that's creepy...
Lukis: Man, you shouldn't keep stuff like that from us..
Bomb: I thought you guys would think I was crazy or something...
Karen: That statue thing just doesn't make any sense though...
Bomb: ..........
Minutes later the dragon’s wings began to slow down as they reached Lawren. Bomb crept over the edge and squinted his eyes.
Bomb: ….. Too late….
Karen: They’re gone, now we’ll never find them.
Bomb: Don’t worry, we got work to do anyways….
The dragon hovered over the city, and the townspeople barely even turned their heads to look at it. Jerzyl’s wings began flapping slower and slower until he finally slammed lightly right infront of the town gate.
Karen: I guess they’ve seen a dragon before…
Lukis: You’d think they’d be going nuts, flying into their houses and hiding in shops.
Bomb jumped off the dragon and began walking to the gate in.
Karen: Well, since we missed them, what do we do now?
Bomb: I want to know what happened while they were here, exactly.
Karen and Lukis slipped off the dragon and followed Bomb.
Lukis; Man, I’m too exhausted….
Bomb: We’re trying to save the lives of people here, rest isn’t always an option.
Lukis: ……….
Karen: Still, I mean cmon we have to rest to be strong enough to survive.
Bomb: Fine, you two get a hotel room, I want to talk to some people before we get going.
Karen: Ok, see you later!
Bomb waved goodbye as Karen and Lukis slumped into Lawren. Bomb turned to Jerzyl.
Bomb: Hey, can you hear me? If you can you should probably go rest somewhere, but we will need you in the morning…
The dragon, as if he understood, flew away from the ground and up to the Lawren Mountain.
Bomb: (Man, it’s still scary to be so close to that dragon….)
Bomb walked through the gate and into Lawren. It was all the same, except townspeople were a lot more depressed. Also, the statue was missing.
Bomb: Hey, you!
Bomb got the attention of a passerby.
Guy: Yes?
Bomb: Did you see what happened?
Guy: Oh, it was horrible, don’t make me see it again! Poor Bill and Gretchen, they hadn’t done a bad thing in their life!
Bomb: Huh?
The guy walked off without speaking another word. Bomb walked off away towards where the statue was. He began walking to the site from whence it used to stand.
Guy: Hey, you! Step away!
A royal guard near the site came over and blocked the way. He was dressed in the classic knight wear of that time with a small sword in hand, gold-plated.
Guard: I cannot let you pass without the King’s permission!
Bomb: I am a good friend of the King, and I would like to know exactly what happened here!
Guard: A murder, my God! I still don’t believe it, because I didn’t see it. All I know is two people died here. We removed their bodies quickly so the children could not see, that was a few minutes ago. We’ve tried to interrogate the civilians but many seemed to be emotionally scarred from the murder, no one will talk.
Bomb: Where did the murderer go?!
Guard: Heheh, man kid, this isn’t a time for humor. If we’d known who it was, or where he was going and is now we’d be draggin his dead carcass into the city by now. No one knows where he went or who it was. And what I can’t get is what the hell happened to this ancient statue! This is insane! Sacrilegious some might even put it! Ever since I was a little boy I loved this statue…
Bomb: Well, thanks….
Bomb: (Damn, what the hell happened here?! I’m still pretty tired from all that has happened. I’ll talk to the King tommorow, I suppose…)
Bomb headed in the direction of the Inn, it was hard to remember where it was since last they found it at night. But a sign hung over the door labeled INN in big red letters.
Bomb: (Hope Karen and Lukis didn’t have any trouble getting in, seeing as I have all the money…)
He walked up to the Inn and shoved the door open. It was the same lobby as before, and the same clerk stood at the counter.
Bomb: Hey.
Clerk: Why hello!
Bomb: Um, did a guy and a girl just get a room a few minutes ago? Both cowboy looking?
Clerk: Yes, yes, they said you would be coming. Here is the key.
The clerk handed Bomb the key.
Clerk: Room 12, first floor.
Bomb: Thanks, how did they get in without money?
Clerk: Oh my, King’s guests can always stay for no charge, of course!
Bomb: Oh, thanks….
Bomb: (Royal King’s guest… I like the sound of that…)
Bomb smiled as he stepped out of the lobby and trudged up to his room. When he got in he noticed Karen and Lukis both fast asleep. Instead of telling them he was back he decided to just go rest. He jumped on the nearest bed and fell into a deep, well-needed rest.
Bomb: (See the King tommorow…….. Gotta remember…)
**************************************************************************************
???: I can’t do this anymore……
The room was dark, a shadowy figure stood in this mysterious place.
???: I can’t do this to myself…. I have to… Go…. But maybe, no no, I see the red carpet of death rolling closer and closer to me. I will not die for a cause blind to me!
???: (Sh… Stay quite…..)
**************************************************************************************
Bomb: Unh… Man…
Bomb opened his eyes. Rays of sunlight shone brightly out of the window across the room.
Bomb: Next time I’ll remember to get a bed with some shade….
He looked over to see Karen sleeping, but Lukis was gone.
Bomb: Man, probably in the general shop again. I don’t see what he likes about those so much….
Bomb went over to wake up Karen but he spotted a paper taped to the door.
Bomb: Ah man, he went somewhere! Guess I’ll have to go to the castle with just Karen.
Bomb walked over to the door and picked the note up.
“Fighting an endless cause while my city lies on the brink of destruction, that doesn’t sound too smart to me. I’ve left to go help my city, I don’t really know why I helped you anyways. It’s not like I even know Agile. If you dare to visit me don’t even think about trying to get me to join. It’s been fun but I’ve made my mind. See you guys around, if you’re lucky…."
Bomb held his head down.
Bomb: Damn!!!
Bomb: (Agh, calm down, he has free choice of what to do. I mean, he does have good reason… But this is the fate of your friends and families lives at stake… We’ll be ok…)
Bomb took a deep breath. He trudged over to Karen and shook her trying to wake her up.
Bomb: Rise and shine!
Karen: Now..?
Bomb: We gotta go to the castle, I’m sure the King has some more information than the guard and townspeople have.
Karen: Ok…
Karen hopped out of bed and onto the wood floor.
Karen: Lukis coming or what?
Bomb: Nope, and he’s not coming to anything else either.
Karen: What, did you kick him out or something?!
Bomb: He left with this note. Just forget about him, we should head to the castle.
Karen: What?
Karen read the note closely.
Karen: I don’t believe him!
Bomb: Let’s go…
Bomb walked out the door into the hallway.
Karen: Wait up!
They walked out of the Inn and out into the city. People were still as depressed as ever, just walking around like sad zombies.
Bomb: Man, that event must have really messed everybody up…
Karen: (Man, I can’t believe Lukis just left. I mean, I did hate him but I still miss him.)
Karen: Maybe we should go look for him.
Bomb: What, Lyrian?
Karen: No, Lukis!
Bomb: Lukis is gone, he left of his own free will. Just let him be..
Karen: …..
Karen: (He does make a little sense…. I know we’ll see him sometime though…)
They walked up to the familiar castle gazed once again at it’s massive size. They walked in the entrance, without halt from the guard, and proceeded following the red carpet from before. They passed through many hallways, not saying a word, passed by guards at ever corner. Soon they had made it to the King’s Throne Room. Two guards blocked the entrance.
Bomb: May I have permission to see the King?
Guard: One second.
The guard opened the door and cautiously walked in quickly closing the door behind him. Seconds later the door reopened wider and the guard motioned for them to come in.
King Lawren: We meet again, Bomb…
The same King stood high on his throne, in the room covered in red carpet and surround by statues and portraits. Also, the Queen sat in her throne, lifeless and motionless as before.
Bomb: Hello again, King.
King Lawren: But, we’re is you other member? Ah, I see… Oh…
Bomb: No no, we had some problems and he had to leave.. On an errand..
King Lawren: Ah, I see! Well, I heard from my guards of a wyvern sighting overhead! So I interpret all went well at Mt. Lawren! I must say Bomb, good show. I wish I’d seen the beast myself.
Bomb: Thanks…
King Lawren: I’m sorry for the state of Lawren now. We had a bit of a complication.
Bomb: That’s what I wanted to ask about King Lawren, what happened?! What do you know!
Karen nudged Bomb in the shoulder.
Karen: ‘Don’t be so mean, you wanna get some information out of him by his own will, don’t you?’
King Lawren: Ah yes, we had a double murder down there. Billy and Gretchen. Such a travesty, but it happens.
Bomb: Do you know who did it?
King Lawren: I’ve been trying to figure it out lately. But these damned civilians act like they don’t know a thing! I bet it’s them that concocted the murder.. But I have no evidence..
Bomb: Why’s the statue missing?
King Lawren: That old thing? I suppose the villagers tore it down, damned things. They are just walking around out there like they know nothing, when it is blatantly obvious they do. I won’t stand for that much longer…
Bomb: What do you.. Uh... Is there anything else you know?
King Lawren: No, but why do you ask?
Bomb: I’m trying to track down a killer….
King Lawren: Ah, so perhaps it wasn’t the townspeople! But still, I have a hunch they had something to do with it.
Bomb: Well I’m sorry for using your time, now I must say goodbye. I have a few errands I must run..
King Lawren: I see, till we met again, Bomb.
Bomb: Goodbye King.
The King summoned the guards to open the exit. The guards did so and Karen and Bomb left on the same red carpet.
Karen: That didn’t help much…
Bomb: I sure hope he isn’t serious about getting even with the poor villagers.
Karen: Where do we go now?
Bomb: I have two ideas in mind… Well, personally I would like to check up on King Blister and the Luminy Castle. Lance or Rick might be there, maybe even Kyle!
Karen: You're friends, right?
Bomb: Yes, Lance and Rick were my buddies in a group I was in, they were captured there a few days ago. Kyle is a friend of mine I think Agile had slained….
Karen: Oh… What’s the other idea?
Bomb: I know of a library not too far away… It has a lot of ancient writing and it could help a little on figuring Lyrian, and maybe Agile or Kyros out. Maybe it will have some of that ‘Gate’ stuff in it too.
Karen: …..
Bomb: I remember reading that Lyrian existed also a long time ago. Probably some thousand years or so. But something called the ‘White’ sealed him in that statue. That’s what I got from the Lawren library, but that’s it. Also lots of information in other books were similar but different, so I can’t be sure. But that library could really do the trick and helping us figure them out.
Karen: Where is it?
By now Bomb and Karen where exiting the Lyrian castle and walking towards the city.
Bomb: It’s called the Balback Ancient Library. It’s in a town called Balback, it’s across a sea from here I believe, not too far.
Karen: I’ll go there, you can go check up with King Blister.
Bomb: Then it’s settled. You can keep Jerzyl since your location is farther. Just pick me up right when nightfall arises.
Karen: Ok, I will. I’ll need the whole day to find out all I need to know.
Bomb: I know atleast one of my friends has to be there.. I hope..
Karen: Bomb….
Bomb walked quickly into the city and towards the gate passing Karen.
Karen: (Bomb? ...I would be angry too if someone killed my friends..)