Shayret's Adventure: A Mystery in Meridell - Part Two

      A door opened at the other side of the room and Shayret got his first look at his prison. It was a small room made entirely of stone with only one door. There wasn't much to it. No windows, no lighting... just 4 grey walls. Shayret's attention was then drawn to the person who had opened the door. It was a tall, dark, hooded figure that seemed to tower above him. Shayret stared in amazement as the figure slowly walked toward him. He tried to back away, but found that his back was against a wall. He tried to go another way, but was soon stuck in a corner! He was doomed for sure!

      Shayret was terrified. The monster was getting closer and closer, and Shayret didn't have anywhere to run! Suddenly, the figure threw off his hood and cloak and revealed his identity. He was a very tall Pirate Krawk with a deep scar from the bottom of his right eye, to the middle of his cheek. Shayret screamed, "Who are you?"

      "That doesn't matter right now," said the Krawk. "All you need to know now is that you are completely safe. I have no intention of harming you."

      "Well, that's nice to know," said Shayret, "but I still don't know who you are, or where I am."

      "I'm sorry, I can't tell you anything right now," said the Krawk, "but you'll just have to trust me.

     "But why are you keeping me here?"

     "My orders are to keep you here until I get further instruction."

     "Your orders?"

     "Nevermind…I'll be back later with some food."

     He turned around and left the room.

     Shayret was exhausted. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to fall asleep on the cold cement floor.

     When Shayret woke up, a dim light was shining in his cell. He looked down and saw a plate of food before him. It looked like a rotten omelette mixed with a very rotten tomato, but Shayret was starving so he tasted it anyway. One bite was enough for Shayret. The meal tasted as bad as it looked. Not even the hungriest Skeith would've eaten the horrid concoction. Shayret pushed the plate aside as his captor walked in. Before the Krawk could say anything, Shayret proclaimed, "I want some answers."

      "I told you, you will have your answers soon enough. Here," said the Krawk as he threw Shayret a change of clothes, "you can change into these if you like. I'll be back in a few minutes. I hope you got some rest, you'll need some energy."

      The Krawk opened the door and was about to leave when Shayret said, "Wait! Just answer one question."

      "Fine," said the Krawk, "what is it?"

      "What is your name?"

      The Krawk replied, "I-do not have a name, but you can call me Zeke," and then left the room.

      Shayret changed into the clothes 'Zeke' had given him and waited for him to return. About five minutes later, Zeke reappeared. Hurry up," he said, "we're behind schedule."

      *******

      Zeke blindfolded Shayret and they made their way out of the building. It seemed like forever, but it wasn't long before Shayret felt a small breeze of fresh air and felt soft soil beneath his feet. Shayret started to ask Zeke a question, but Zeke interrupted him. "Okay," he said, "I don't want any trouble from you. Just cooperate and everything will work out fine."

      "They'll be looking for me," said Shayret, "King Skarl hired me specifically for a special task, and if I don't produce some results in a few days he'll come searching."

      "Don't flatter yourself, Shayret," said Zeke. "You may be a great detective, but-"

      "Wait!" interjected Shayret. "How did you know my name?"

      "Hush!" said Zeke, and the walked on.

      A few moments later, the pair stopped and Shayret could feel himself being lifted into some kind of cart. He heard Zeke cover him with some kind of blanket and then the cart started moving. Shayret decided to go along with Zeke's orders and cooperate. He stayed very still and very silent. It wasn't long before he began to hear and smell familiar things. First, he heard Turmaculus moaning in his sleep, then the Cheese Roller hill for a second time. Then everything was quiet. Every couple of seconds the cart's wheels would squeak, but that was the only thing Shayret could hear. Suddenly the cart stopped. Zeke uncovered Shayret, and, to Shayret's surprise, removed his blindfold. Shayret sat up and looked around. He couldn't believe his eyes! They were in Meri Acres Farm!

      Shayret stepped out of the cart. "Why did you go to all this trouble just to bring me here?" Shayret asked Zeke.

      "I was just following orders."

      "What orders?!"

      "I can't tell you that now…just be patient."

      "Why can't you just tell me now?" asked Shayret.

      "You're not being patient."

      "Fine," said Shayret. "Let's hurry up and go then. Wait. Where are we going?"

      "Meri Acres Farm."

      "This just keeps getting weirder and weirder."

      It took Zeke and Shayret 45 minutes to get to the Rubbish Dump. When they arrived, Shayret immediately began asking more questions. "Why did you bring me here? What could possibly be here that is so important? It's just a pile of discarded items!"

      "I KNOW!" interrupted Zeke.

      "Well, then how does this dump concern me?"

      "It doesn't. It's one of the items IN the dump that concerns you."

      "And which item would that be?"

      Zeke walked over to the pile and began to rummage around.

      "This," said Zeke as he picked up something wrapped in brown paper, "I found it 2 days ago when I came to discard some bits of barbed wire."

      "Okay, well, what is it?" Shayret asked. Zeke handed him the parcel and Shayret began to unwrap it. When all the paper was off Shayret was astonished. He looked down at the golden crown and found himself speechless. Why would King Hagan's crown be in the Rubbish Dump? "Where'd you get this?!" he asked.

      "I told you," said Zeke, "I found it here 2 days ago."

      "Who would just toss a crown into the Rubbish Dump?" Shayret wondered aloud.

      Zeke said that they should get moving. There wasn't any time to lose. When Shayret asked where they were going, Zeke simply said that he needed to be patient.

      Shayret and Zeke walked to the edge of Meri Acres farm and entered the old shack at the top of the hill. It was very dark and musty, and Shayret smelled something that made him sick to his stomach. Zeke must have sensed it, because he said, "That's dung. I collect it."

      "You collect dung?" Shayret asked.

      "Hey," replied Zeke, "people collect weirder things than dung."

      As the two walked farther into the shack it became darker. Zeke snapped his fingers and the whole building was filled with light. Shayret looked around and saw Zeke standing by a lightswitch. "I always wondered what was up here," said Shayret.

      "Nothing that the naked eye can see," said Zeke.

      "What?"

      Zeke walked over to the other side of the room and lifted a board from the floor. He felt around underneath it for a while before he removed his hand and produced a small remote control. It only had one button. Zeke pushed it and slowly a staircase descended from the ceiling. By this time, Shayret wasn't even surprised.

      They made their way through a series of hallways and entered an empty room. Zeke walked over to the south wall and pushed on a board. In a matter of seconds the empty roomed was transformed into some kind of research center with all sorts of files. "You are really starting to freak me out Zeke," Shayret said.

      "I scare a lot of people," said Zeke. He paused for a few moments before he continued. "I'm sorry about this whole kidnapping thing," he went on, "but if I had told you the real reason I needed you, you wouldn't have believed me. You see, I was hired by King Skarl to help you find King Hagan."

      "What?!" Shayret exclaimed, "But the note I received said that the case was confidential!"

     "Yeah," said Dex, "I got a letter from Nigel Dublin about 2 weeks ago that said the same thing, except he told me that you were summoned also. Ever since then I've been looking for King Hagan using my control center. He gave me something else, too."

      "What?" Shayret asked.

      "This note."

      Shayret took the note and began to read it.

     "Dear Mr. Zeke,

     The king has asked me to inform you that he has formulated a plan to help you find King Hagan…"…As Shayret read on, he discovered that it was the king's idea to stage the kidnapping. Apparently, the kidnapping was essential in order for the king's plan to work. (It didn't say how.) The note was signed "Nigel Dublin III".

      "Wow. This is really strange."

      "I know, but I guess what the king wants, the king gets."

      "I guess you're right," said Shayret, "Maybe he thought that putting our minds together would make a good combination."

      "That and this research center."

      "Alright then," said Shayret, "let's get started."

To be continued...