Venturing: Of Fore

I stand alone staring out onto the darkness before me. All was quiet. Very too quiet indeed as I grabbed my pistol and growled; narrowed my eyes and kept staring out to the horizon. “Alright Ling, you are authorized to move. You know the drill." “Precisely." I remarked, releasing the button again while raising my eyes out to the horizon again and poised my pistol forward. I was in a narrowed hallway with opened and closed brown doors on my sides. 'It was too crowded to fit anyone in here.' I observed while walking forward towards the first door on my left. I grabbed onto its knob and opened it; peering inside the room. Clean. “Clear." I responded with a growl and released the button afterwards while stepping out from the first room and walked down the hallway towards the second door on my right. I repeated the action and peered into the second room. The room was much bigger than the last one. A fireplace was settled at the center of the room. Four chairs were positioned around the fireplace. Fire smoke was rising to the solid ceiling above. But it was unable to get through and got stuck up there indefinitely. Fire alarms were sounding all over the room too. Its sound was loud enough for anyone within the fifty, maybe eighty yard radius, to hear and come quick. I figured that the raven might be able to hear it too if he was around the area given.

Regardless, I stepped away from the room and its door. Closed it and kept the sound muffled; reducing its sound by at least thirty percent that way the radius of sound was reduced also. But I was not sure how much. Still, I pursuit down the halls and entered onto an opened door. It was already the third door of this hallway it seems and as I entered it; I scanned the room again. The room was dark and quiet. A single lightbulb flickered above me. Allowing me to see in a limited time in the light before turning dark, I only saw a few things around the area. Three rocking chairs; two of them had magazines on them. Behind the chairs were a bookshelf filled with books and other things. In different sizes and colors, I saw a variety of books shoved in what little spaces that the shelves provided. I almost felt sorry for this however. I turned around and prepared myself to leave the place and head down the halls for the next door encounter. But my walkie gone off again; Yang's voice peer out from it and I stopped suddenly.

Snatching the walkie, I stand upon the front of the door of the room. Staring out onto the hallway as the door closes in front of me. “Do not go outside now. He is here." 'Who is here?' I thought to myself before diving to the side and hitting the hard ground with a loud sound that knocked a growl from my throat. I groaned although not in pain as I stared at the ground in silence while my wings spread out. “Stay down there. We will tell you when he leaves." “Again." I whispered into the walkie, “Who are you talking about? The raven? Or someone else?" But quietness was my answer. I gripped the walkie and growled; as hot breath escaped my throat. I obeyed orders and remained still while staring at the brown ground below me and waited. It took about ten seconds for some sounds to emerged from the silence of the hallway. And as I heard it, I remained frozen. Yet my eyes opened wide surprise by someone already living here. Although I should not be because this was the raven we were looking for all this time. As I remained, I listened to the footsteps creaking across the halls. Then stopped after a while before resuming again. Whoever it was out there repeated the same action again across the halls; then I heard a shrugged and a exhaled sigh of relief afterwards. The culprit walked backwards across the halls and disappeared in the shadows. Leaving me completely silence as I slowly got myself up onto my feet.

“We found him. Second floor." Yang responded, “Find him there." “This is going to be a short story is it, Ling?" I remarked, realizing it but silence came up again as if Yang was processing what I was saying straight onto her face. I said nothing but opened the door again and exited from the room behind me. Returning to the hallways again, I walked down the remains of the hallway and reached the end. I had ignored all the remaining doors for we knew where the Raven was hiding already. Thus, turning to the right. I peered upon the long stairways that ascended to the second floor. The steps were woody and sturdy. Perhaps fragile while we are at it too. The brown pale railings were off to the side of the steps and attached themselves upon the white walls that were to my sides. I peered upon the steps; then slowly raised my eyes towards the horizon. I started climbing the stairs. Ascending to the second floor above with no hesitation as I felt my heart pounding in my chest while I drew my pistol from my pocket. I had not realized how hot I was underneath these police clothing. My uniform took all the moisture from my body as I folded my wings and aimed the pistol high to the horizon above me. It took me long to reach the top. I was hesitated to know if the raven would appear again before my eyes. Shriek and try to escape. But I knew that would never happened… hopefully.

As I reached the top of the stairs, I panted heavily a bit and turned my eyes towards the right. I gazed down another hallway and I pouted with a frown plastered upon my face as my walkie go off again with Yang's voice. “Remember Yang, the raven will dwell in where it is most comfortable." “I know. I know." I growled back at her, although not having to pressed the button or spoke through the speaker. Realizing that, my eyes went wide again. I face palmed myself with a growl and closed my eyes. A single thought entered my mind wondering if 'the raven had heard that'. But regardless, I kept pursuing forward and checked the first door that was to my side. But as I do; I heard rapid running. My eyes swiftly turned to the side and glance back towards the hallways again. There, I noticed a black bird already outside from its room. Running down the remains of the hallways and out towards the window. It broke through the window! “It broke through the window!" I reported with shocked while I heard voices coming from outside and through the walkie as I ran forward through the hallway and to the window. I grabbed onto the edges of the window and appeared to the outside audience. I lowered my eyes and gaze upon the brown streets below me, spotting the raven already making its escape from the house. Following behind it were the Vaster Police with Yang shouting out towards him.

In a few seconds, everything was quiet. Not a word came from the tranquility silence that laid out before me. I breathed slowly, calming down my heart while turning around and face the hallway again. Having been quiet and already threw out the raven, I pondered why I was doing here now that our raven culprit had already left the building. I shrugged and walked again down the hallway; returning to the first door again and opened it after it had been closed for a while. I peered inside where I noticed a dark small room. A computer desk was to the side and leaning against the wall. Across from it was the white bed; messy as if someone did not bother to clean it up. The toys were also scattered across the flooring too it seems. I walked inside with hesitation as my heart beated against my chest and my eyes scanned the room again. I stepped forward into the room; pressed a white button that was to my right and the room became lit. I was able to see everything now. But what disturbs me was the knocking from the closet room. I turned to it and walked forward. My claws reached out to the closet door whereas it wrapped itself against the golden knob of the doorknob. I turned it to the side. The door opened and I looked.

I was almost scared to even stare upon the darkness that awaits for me. But I was also surprise to see that nothing was there. Just a white box that was settled upon the floor. I reached down and grabbed onto the box. Hoisting myself up to my feet, I stared at the white box momentarily. I reached for the cap and pulled it off. Setting it to the side, I heard it trump against the ground below me as I looked into the box again. A white strip of note. I grabbed onto the note and allowed the box to fall too. Reuniting with the cap, I turned over the note and read the context laid out before me. 'The raven will dwell in where it is most comfortable.' I frowned. It was the most important hints given to me from Yang and now I had it repeated again? I pondered over the thought and what I read from the thin strip of note. As I thought about it momentarily, I heard Yang's voice from the walkie again. I did not hear the correct words that formed the sentence, but I got the gist of it however. So with a sigh and closing my eyes, I turned tail and headed out the door. I ran through the hallway and spread my wings. I jumped through the window, flapped my wings to keep me balance in the air while I radio Yang again for the coordinates.

There was no coordinates. But they were last seen underground. 'Somewhere in the subway.' I pondered to myself while tilting my wings to the side, flying westward through the town towards a nearby subway that I recognized. I pulled my wings back and dropped upon the grounds below me. I folded my wings and peer out towards the environment around me. Towards my left was the subway. Adjacent to the subway was Zander, Natty and Kyro. All three were standing around; they looked into the direction of the subway. I walked up to them. Only Kyro turned his head, a brighten smile appear upon his face as he greeted me. Zander and Natty turned theirs in response, wondering whom was the red dragon talking to. Upon recognition of me, their faces were brightened as well. For as they greeted me, Kyro explained everything up to the recent point in time and I just nodded my head afterwards, taking in everything that had already happened and lead up to this point in time. For after he was finish, Zander and Kyro set themselves to the side and allowed me through; I took it without hesitation and entered into the subway with them following close behind.

The first thing I noticed while entering the subway was the descend of stairs heading into the abyss below us. As my eyes peered out towards the horizon, I felt all bravery and excitement I had washed away by fear and anxiety. I also found myself shivering as if it was cold inside the underground. I spread my wings and wrapped my body around with them to keep myself warm. We reached rock bottom afterwards. I rose my eyes; Zander and Kyro stepped forward and grabbed their flashlights from their pockets. Clicking it, they shine a white bright circle of light out in front of us while they waved it around and stared at their surroundings. Natty crossed her arms and stared, following the light as I stepped forward. Around the corner, we exited from the stairs and peer out towards the horizon staring back onto us. We were overwhelmed it seems for the place was huge. Much larger than our own subway back at home. Six railways stands in pairs. All separated by the boarding. There were plenty of staircases off to the side. But I never paid any attention towards them. As I motioned Zander and Kyro to shine their lights into the direction of where I was pointing at, both of them nodded and shined for a moment. I stared out onto the circle light momentarily, my eyes narrowed as I saw a red door staring back onto us. With a frown, I walked towards the red door. Natty followed close behind and we grabbed the doorknob together before pulling it off towards the side.

We found ourselves face to face with a darken hallway. It was pitch black, almost impossible to see anything round about. But that never stopped me or anyone from entering right in. We stepped together as one while the door closed behind us. Then a click echoed into the silences of the night as we walked together forward through the halls that awaits for us ahead. The walls were rough around the edges. Yet they were painted black. The flooring was a different shading of black, but I swear that I saw a bit of brown in places below me. The hallway were in was long and wide. No alterative doors were to our sides, which I was glad upon. As we descended further in the dark, I heard soft voices and the sounds of soft beeping. We all looked at one another in silence; bewildered by what we are hearing. Never letting us get off our concentration, we drew our pistols and raised it against the horizon. Poising ourselves for anything that might come the closer we get to that sound. We walked further and deeper into the hallway. Our eyes stared out to the horizon in the following silence as our paws remained unshaken by the nervousness and anxiety that washed over our cold bodies. Eventually, we reached the end.

Another strip of notepaper lingered upon the grounds below my feet as I noticed it again and snatched it from the grounds below. Already knowing what it would say, I turned around and give it straight to Zander or Natty as they fought in little time before they ripped the notepaper into two with them separated from one another. Kyro snickered, I just smiled at them. Heart Warmed by the actions they had committed, I pondered to myself if me and Yang would have hatchlings like Natty and Zander. My smiled disappeared and I remained hardened while I wait for their reactions upon reading the paper. It came sooner than I had expected and their eyes were widened as they stared onto me. Looking to me for answers for the riddle that was imposed upon them. But I just shook my head and said nothing, turned around while motioning Kyro who walked to my side as we draw the corner and headed down the remains of the small hallway before reappearing in front of a brown door. Kyro opened it and allowed us to entered through with Kyro and Zander following right through.

The soft beeps echoed against my ears. The sounds of chatter escaped and filled the voidless air surrounding me. I groaned. Opened my eyes. My visions remained fuzzy but grew concentrated overtime. As I peered upon the single room surrounding me, I hoisted my claws up in front of my face. I spotted a thin white line of rope wrapped against my wrist. A white larger bandage was attached to it. I blinked in surprise and hoisted myself up, although the black belt below had stopped me from getting onto my feet. I had found myself back upon the pillow once again in no time at all. I growled; my eyes narrowed. Yet my mind raced with thoughts as I pondered what was happening. With questions now filling my mind which was now awake; I heard the door opened. My eyes snapped to attention to the opened brown door and spotted…

My eyes widened in surprise that I gasped. It snapped my thoughts away. I found myself on solid ground. The smell of something burning filled my nose as I slowly got up onto my feet and returned my gaze to the horizon before me. There, I noticed the forest was on fire. It reaches towards the black skies above as the smoke rises alongside the fire. I stared onto the forest before registering that the fire was real. Surprise and shock went across my face as I panicked and looked around the solid black ground, rapidly looking for a water bucket or a sea of water to extinguished it. Nothing had came up and I was forced to stare at the burning forest for a while until everything was gone to ashes. Like magic almost. As the smell of burnt woods came across my nose, I slowly and hesitantly walked forward. Thus entered onto the forest. At the center of the forest lies a gray graveyard. Adjacent to it was a white bed. The same white string with a white bandage was attached to the end of the white string. A recent vivid memory surfaced and I had remembered someone came from the opened brown door. But I was not able to know who or what it was.

Pondering over the thoughts that argued amongst themselves, I heard someone approaching slowly. I turned around and looked behind myself, spotting my unit as they peered towards me then back upon the grave in front of me. None of us said anything in response of the following silence that came from the walking. For there was not anything to say at all. All our eyes peered at the grave before I turned around, my eyes narrowed and my face darkened before responding to Yang who looked up in surprise as I spoke towards her, “Did any of you knew who appeared before the brown door that was opened?" None of them said anything for their eyes stared to me then to the grave. It was quiet for thirty seconds maybe more before Natty broke the silence, “I did. It was a black feathered bird. Looking exactly like the raven we are apprehending. Although his features were like the raven, his tail seemed a bit longer like a hummingbird." “Like a hummingbird?" I echoed her words, Natty nodded silently while Yang clapped her claws together and growled at us, “Well… Let us find where this hospital is. Maybe then we can understand our culprit's past as to why he is committed into sliming the three realms and capturing whatever we had in Vaster town." We all nodded in response towards her order as she smiled afterwards before turning around. She lead our group forward and away from the grave as I took one last look back towards it. But was bewildered unto seeing what lies below the words 'Crow'.

“The raven will dwell in were it is most comfortable."