Chapter Three

"S-s-s-sir...the...they've arrived." the stuttering, frightened voice muttered, shrinking back in horror from the tall firgure wrapped in shadows in front of him. The man speaking, a brunette of average height, winced as the other turned to him, amber eyes glowing oddly in the near-twilight.

"Good. And the LightFairy?"

The man bit his lower lip. This wouldn't be good. "The, uh, LightFairy was, um...rescued by them...sir.."

The shadowed figure took the information in with no response. The brunette waited fearfully for his fate. Giving his master bad news wasn't something one did with little fear of reprocussion.

"I see," he said finally, no trace of emotion, good or bad, in the tone, "And where are they headed?"

"They're...on their way to Jaz, I believe...sir."

A pale hand reached toward the cowering man, grabbing him by the collar and yanking him forward. He yelped, but did not resist. That only made things worse. The shadowed man spoke clearly, not wanting his words to be misunderstood in the slightest. "Get the fairy. Am I making myself clear on this? I want the fairy now. Bring the creatures if you must, but that LightFairy is crucial to my plan. Are you understanding this, or must I use more..." he moved his other hand, tracing a long sharp clawlike nail along the man's jawbone, "...primal means..?"

The brunette, shaking, managed to shake his head slowly. "N-n-n-no sir....I understand completely sir! The fairy will be here, sir, no matter what."

The shaded man released his hold on the other's shirt, letting the brunette fall to the floor. "Good. Now go."

The brunette nodded once, then stumbled to his feet and ran. The dark man, now alone, chuckled to himself dryly. "It seems the new players in the game have made their first move earlier than expected. But the game is far from over, little ones..." he smiled, the light from a shaded wondow glinting off his teeth, sparkling against two sharp fangs.

"So very far..."

~*~

The town of Jaz was, according to Ichigorah, a bustling commercial place, where merchants traded into the late hours of the night, and music filled the air almost constantly. The group had made it out of the forest without further encounter, besides small bickering between themselves. Now on the single path to Jaz, just about everyone was ready for a nice calming place to stay and figure out their next plan of action.

"Towns and merchants, huh?" Nis mused, "Sounds like we went back in time or something."

"But...were there fairies in the old times?" Kiwi asked.

"There's no such thing as fairies," Sterling replied flatly. The squirrel glared at him.

"You've said that already, yet there still happens to be a very real fairy sitting right there!" she snapped, waving a hand at Ichi, who was still perched on Miro's head, napping happily.

"It's still possible that we're not really here," Cas spoke up, "Maybe one of us got hit in the head during the fight, and this is all a concussion-induced dream."

Trin sighed, reshouldering the messenger bag on his other arm. "No offense guys, but with my expieriences...skeptics get killed."

"Oh? And what about cynics, Hotshot?" the mouse narrowed his eyes at the younger boy.

"They only live a bit longer."

Tyru laughed, and Miro stifled giggles. The motion of this caused Ichigorah to wake up. "Oh...heya guys. Are we there yet?"

"You tell us," Larna grinned.

Ichi nodded and sat up, looking around. "Yup, almost. Can't you hear the music?"

Everyone cast curious looks at one another, then listened. It was true. They could hear the faintest sounds of music in the distance. But not music any of them associated with the olden times.

"Is that...techno?" Trin looked incredulously at the LightFairy.

"Uh-huh. Hmmm...sounds good. Must be a bash tonight. If we hurry we can still make it!"

The group had been walking for quite some time now, and the sky was growing darker. Soon it would be evening, and no one wanted to think what wandered around the paths at night, considering what they had confronted in the forest. Everyone kept pace, not even bothering to talk that much anymore, only random small talk, usually between two or three group members at a time. Finally, the travelers came to a sign that proclaimed 'Welcome to the city of Jaz! Home of the weekend rave!'

"Weekend rave?! Awesome! I didn't know they had raves back then!" Miro squealed, hands clasped in excitement.

"They didn't," Cas replied, "Which means we're either not in the past, or..."

"Please, if you say 'we're just dreaming' or anything like that, I think I might scream," Tyru sighed, brushing past the badger and into the city limits.

Cas started to say something in his defense when Sterling interrupted. "Watch it Cas...we wouldn't wanna die or something...right Trin?" the green-haired boy cast an annoyed glance at the ferret, who stared back and blinked a few times.

Tyru walked back, seeing that no one was following him. "C'mon guys! We don't wanna miss the party, right?" he grabbed Trin by the shirtsleeve and half-dragged the stumbling shorter boy into the city. The others followed.

The city was anything but the quaint, old-fashioned village the furries were expecting. It was bright, despite the coming darkness, with neon signs advertising different places, attractions and products, and they could hear the bass beat of techno music playing from the different buildings they passed. The streets were filled with people, humans, having fun, drinking, playing with others or just walking towards their destination.

"Humans?!" Kiwi gaped, looking around, "But...humans are just a myth..."

"Oh, like fairies, by chance?" Sterling smirked at her. She glared once, then ignored him, scanning the scene with awe.

"Apparently, this is some kind of magic universe, were myths are real..." Larna speculated, "It's amazing!"

"So you're saying...all the stories we heard as kids, like humans and fairies and elves and magic....they're a fact here?" Nis breathed in wonder.

"It just might be..." Cas adjusted his glasses as if his eyes were playing a trick on him.

"Hey guys!" Tyru called from a little further down the paved road that led through the town, "C'mere!"

The six of them ran up to the two boys, eager to see what caught their attention. Trin had straightened himself out after his rather uncerimonious dragging, and the two stood in front of a large red building, with a neon green sign, pronnouncing it as a hotel.

"We can go ahead and get a place to stay the night, then look around some," the fox grinned. He walked into the hotel.

"He's got a good point," Trin shrugged, "Besides...I'd like to check out one of those clubs," he added quietly as an afterthought.

A head of black hair popped back outside from the doorway. "Did I just hear you say you wanted to go to a club? And here I thought you were the shy one!" Tyru laughed and went back inside. Trin followed, the red tinge visible on his cheeks even through his tan fur.

The rest of the group ambled into the hotel, where they were greeted with a rather friendly atmosphere. There was a front desk as normal, with the clerk typing away at a computer. The room next to them looked socialable enough, with a bright fire going and comfortable chairs littered around, as well as bookshelves lined with all types of books. The stairs were to the left of them, leading to the rooms, and an elevator was stationed next to that.

"So much for old-fashioned, huh?" Miro grinned, tilting her head toward the computers the clerk was using.

"Niiiiiiiiiice..." Ichigorah nodded happily, "Very posh."

The clerk, a tall man with short clipped brown hair and warm dark-chocolate eyes smiled at them. "Hello, and welcome to the Jaz Hotel."

Tyru walked up to the counter. "Hi. We're here from...uh...a far off town, and um...we're not really sure about customs around here. How much are rooms?"

"25 gold pieces each, including dinner, sir," the clerk answered without missing a beat.

The fox nodded, smiling in what he hoped was a confident manner. "Just a second, please."

"Of course."

Tyru walked over to where the rest of the group was waiting. He shrugged. "Anyone have any gold pieces?"

Trin winced. "Of course. This is still a D&D theme, no matter how modern. They don't use our type of currency here."

"So in other words...we're screwed?"

"Pretty much," the ferret sighed, shoulders slumping.

Shaking his head, the black-haired boy returned to the front counter. "We're sorry. We don't seem to have any gold pieces at the moment. Sorry, to um...ya know bother you and all."

Everyone turned to leave. Suddenly, the clerk raised a hand. "Wait!"

The group stopped, turning their attention on the human. He left the counter and walked to where they were standing. He leaned down, whispering to them. "I believe I can help you out, seeing as though you must've travelled from very far. I can get you two rooms for the night, as long as you're out of here early tomorrow."

Nine faces brightened considerably. The clerk smiled again and led them back to the counter. He gave them two keys, for rooms 206 and 207. "They're on the second floor, to the left. You go on ahead and get situated. Dinner is in half an hour, in the dining room," he motioned to the hall next to the social room, "If you need anything, just call down for Seridan. That's me, okay?"

Everyone nodded and thanked him, then went up to the second floor, finding the rooms to the left, just as Seridan had said. Tyru tossed one key to Larna. "The girls can stay in 206," he said, unlocking the other door, "We'll be in 207. Get cleaned up I guess. We'll meet right here before dinner, okay?"

Larna nodded and opened the door. All four girls entered the room, Ichigorah still lounging on the raccoon's head. The boys stepped inside 207 as well. The rooms were very well-kept, with two large beds on either side. Everything was clean and in its place. There was all the neccisary items needed for the bathroom and shower, and the beds were made and ready to be slept in. Everyone removed their assorted waepons, leaning them against the wall opposite the door.

"Whoa..." Trin muttered, sitting on the edge of one of the beds.

"Aww, no TV though..." Tyru plopped down on the opposite side of the bed.

"I suppose the city life is exciting enough to not need one," Cas shrugged, wandering around. He opened the closet door to explore, only to find it filled with clothes.

"Weeeeell..." Sterling said, joining Cas in inspecting the clothes, "Looks like they want us to dress for dinner, hmmm?"

"Kinda suspicious if you ask me..." Trin muttered, "It's like they knew we were coming..."

"Gee...Do you recall someone saying something along the lines of...'Skeptics get killed'???" the mouse asked sarcastically, pulling one of the hangers from the closet. On it hung a dark green suit, which he tossed to the shorter boy, "C'mon Trin. They probably just shoved some in here once they saw us come in. I'll betcha they do it for everyone. Why don't you check and see if the girls got some, huh? I call dibs on first shower." He grabbed another hanger, this one holding a dark brown suit, and ran into the bathroom before anyone could argue, slamming the door shut after him.

Trin sighed, adjusting his glasses. "Fine. I'm gonna go see the girls real quick," he got up and walked past the bathroom door, raising his voice so Sterling could hear it inside, "I hope you're happy now..."

"Actually, I am, thanks!" the mouse replied. Eventhough he couldn't see him, he could tell the older boy was smirking. Trin growled and left the room.

"Jeez...if we ever do get home, I think I'll hafta change roomates..." the ferret muttered, then knocked on room 206's door.

After a few seconds, Kiwi answered it. "Oh hey Trin. Come on in," she opened the door wider to allow him enterance to the room. It looked identical to the boys' room. Miro and Ichigorah sat on one of the beds, while Nis was laying on the other. Larna was apparently in the shower as well.

Trin walked in and sat down next to Miro. She was playing a hand game with Ichigorah, and smiled when she saw him. "Heya Trinny! Whatcha doin' over here?"

He shrugged. "Nothing. Sterling's just on my case is all. Have you guys checked your closet yet, by any chance?"

Kiwi shook her head and, after shutting the door, moved to the closet and opened it. Instead of suits on the hangers, there was an assortment of dresses. The squirrel gasped once in shock, then pulled one of them out, a black sleeveless gown with a shimmery wrap. "Oh wow..."

Nis immediately hopped off the bed and over to the closet. "What's this?"

"Not sure exactly. We got some too. Suits, I mean. I guess we're supposed to dress up for the dining room." Trin took off his glasses, cleaning them with the edge of his shirt.

"I call this one then," the cat smiled, pointing to the black gown, "Unless you want it or something?"

Kiwi handed the hanger to the blond. "Nahh...I saw a nice purple one in there with my name on it!"

"Is there any pink?" Miro asked, still sitting on the bed, but looking curiously at the two girls at the closet.

"Any small ones?" Ichigorah asked hopefully.

Kiwi scanned the contents of the closet. "Well there is a pink one, but nothing small enough for you Ichi," she looked at the crestfallen fairy and thought aloud. "I'll bet we could make a dress for you out of some of these wraps though..."

The LightFairy flew up. "Really?! Awesome! Like, all different colors and stuff?"

The girls continued to talk about making Ichigorah a dress. Trin smiled to himself and left the room quietly. He didn't want to go back to his room just yet, and he guessed that since he'd left, he would get the last shower, so the ferret had some time to kill. He began to wander aimlessly along the second floor hallway, looking at paintings on the walls. There were paintings of people, of still life, of landscapes. It was like an art gallery. Trin looked at each in detail before moving to the next.

He came to the stairway and, running his hand slowly along the banister as he walked, moved up to the third floor. It looked the same as its predecesor, with the same upscale atmosphere as the enitre hotel seemed to have.

One of the paintings caught his eye. It was of a woman in a pure white flowing gown. Almost like those pictures of angels you always saw with the heavenly glow surrounding them. This woman had very dark pink, almost light purple hair, spilling around her shoulders and down to almost her ankles. Her eyes were closed serenely and she had the slightest smile on her face.

Trin was so busy looking at the painting, he didn't even notice the figure that came running through the hall until it was too late. The figure yelled at him to move, Trin turned just in time to have the new person crash into him, after he attempted to skid to a halt and failed. A flash of blond and carmel tan, then he was gone, leaving Trin in a heap on the floor. From around the same corner the runner had come, Seridan followed, slightly slower. He noticed the ferret and stopped.

"Oh my! Are you alright?" he helped the boy to his feet.

"Yeah I'm fine, thanks. Are you chasing that person?"

"Actually I was, yes. He's not supposed to be here." Seridan ran a hand through his short brown hair nervously.

"He took off down that way," Trin reported, pointing to the left at the hall's fork. Seridan nodded his thanks, then took off again in pursuit. The ferret blinked a few times, looking down the hall as if expecting the two to run back. He shook his head once to clear it, then decided he should go back to the room. As he neared 207, he saw Tyru in the hallway. As soon as the fox saw him, he jogged over.

"Hey Trin, where ya been?" he asked, amused at his unintentional ryhme.

"Just looking around a bit. Seridan was chasing some guy that broke in I think. The guy ran right into me."

"Neat. I hope this doesn't affect dinner, cuz I'm starved."

Trin smiled. "So is it my turn for a shower?"

"Actually it's mine," he smirked at the shorter boy, "But your welcome to share it if you'd like..."

Trin immediately turned bright red. "Ty!!"

The black-haired boy laughed. "Just kidding! Jeez you're so uptight..." the grin remained on his face as he walked back to the room, "But it works for ya, ya know?"

The tan-furred boy pushed up his glasses, a nervous habit that was getting more and more frequent. "I thought you said you were kidding..."

Tyru opened the door and winked. "Maybe I lied."

Before Trin could say anything, the door was shut, leaving him pointing at the space where Tyru was, his mouth agape.

~*~

Everyone made their dinner debut, dressed in suits and gowns. The dining room was empty, except for Seridan, who wore his normal white shirt and vest. The room itself was huge, easily seating twenty or more people at one large table. There were linen napkins on ten of the places, down at one end of the table, leaving the others blank. The side with the napkins was decked out with candles, china plates and wine glasses filled with a light red liquid.

"Whoa...snazzy.."Kiwi smiled in surprise.

"Ahh welcome! Please, have a seat," Seridan sat at the head of the table, waving a hand to the other seats, "Dinner will be served shortly. I see you found the clothing. As soon as you arrived, I had them put in there for you."

Sterling elbowed Trin slighly in the side to say 'I told you so'. Trin winced. Everyone sat down, Sterling, Nis, Kiwi and Larna on one side, Cas, Miro, Ichigorah, Trin and Tyru on the other. Someone pushed through the other door, apparently to the kitchen, carrying two large silver trays. He had jet black hair, pushed out of his eyes with goggles. He wore a long white coat with brown straps hanging on the ends and the sleeves. He deposited the trays on the table, then returned to the kitchen without a word.

"Umm...was he wearing a straightjacket?" Miro asked, blinking.

Seridan opened his mouth, then shut it quickly. Then he cleared his throat. "Er, no. That was merely a chef's coat. Very similar, you know. Tells you how crazy the food industry is." he laughed.

Miro considered this, then shrugged it off. Seridan pulled the lids off the trays, revealing ten plates of food. He passed one to each of them, before taking one for himself. The plates had some kind of meat, grill-cooked, as well as carrots, mashed potatoes and rolls. Seridan stood up, holding his glass.

"Before we begin, I'd like to propose a toast," he smiled, and everyone picked up their glasses as well, "To new guests, and safe travels." he lifted his glass and took a drink. The others did the same. Then, smiling, he sat down, and they all began to eat, making small conversation.

Soon the meal was finished, and the chef returned to collect the plates, leaving without speaking again. Seridan and the group continued to talk.

"Hey Miro," Larna said, gaining the young raccoon's attention, "Ichi's asleep."

The pink-haired girl loked next to her. Sure enough, the small LightFairy was slumbering soundlessly.

"She sure sleeps a lot," Cas mused, "She slept all day on the way here."

Trin shook his head suddenly, feeling a bit dizzy. Tyru looked at him with concern. "Hey Trin, you okay, man?"

"Fine...just tired I guess..." he answered, a bit more flatly that he had intended.

Tyru mistook his tone. "Are you still mad about the shower thing? I didn't mean it, really..."

The smaller boy didn't answer him. Folding his arms on the table, he let his head fall onto them and closed his eyes. The fox shook his shoulder a bit, getting no response. Next to them, Miro yawned, her head drooping down until it rested on the table as well.

This happened in turn to all of them, Kiwi, Nis, Sterling, Larna, until only Seridan, Cas and Tyru were left awake.

"What the hell's going on here?" Tyru blurted out, looking around the table at the sleeping forms of his friends.

"I have no...idea," Cas managed before his eyes started closing as well. Tyru suddenly felt dizzy too, and shook his head trying to fight the feeling. It was stronger than him, however, and the two boys soon joined their friends.

Seridan looked around for a minute, then exhaled a breath. "Finally! Gods, I thought it wasn't working!"

The 'chef' leaned against the kitchen doorframe. "It's slow-working, based on a creature's size. Minimizes the chance of overdose and lessens suspicion."

"Thank you Fragile. Now help me carry them back to their rooms. Caleb will be here soon."

The black-haired man scoffed. "I said I'd take care of the poisoned drinks. I didn't say anything about manual labor." With that, he left through the kitchen door again. Seridan growled and began to drag Cas out of the dining room.

It was turning out to be one of those days....



TBC...




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