Venturing: Five Inlock

Underneath the midnight
skies, we found ourselves upon a campsite. With only five cabins surrounding
us. I stared onto each of them and reflected a frown towards the rest of my
unit as they stayed in silence. With the cold air brushing against our scales
and the lamp light shining down onto our foreheads, we all turned to one
another while I spoke to the rest of them. “Guess this is the place after all."
Zander responded first before I could. I just nodded in response to him, although
growled a bit after before averting my eyes from his stare while I spoke,
following him. “Regardless, we have a case here however. Thanks to Chief Yang
for the details." “So five cabins." Kyro muttered underneath his breath,
shifting his eyes towards the cabins surrounding us, “Indeed." I responded
nodding my head and add, “These five cabins are special, according to the
headmaster of the campsite. Each of them will take you to a specific spot
within a scenario that we had been through before. At this noticed," I paused,
“A murder had happened and several hatchlings and other species kids have gone
missing from this site." “Chief Yang had personally ordered everyone to
evacuate, fifty meters from this site." I also added with Kyro laughing again,
“Guess she did not want anyone dying tonight huh?" “Or any of the timeline of
today or any day on that matter." Commented Zander,

“Focus." I growled at
them, interrupting their side game as both said dragons stood at attention.
“Our job is to recreate the scenario on how it had happened. Not to solve the
case however, since according to Yang, the case is very incomplete." “We do not
have all the evidence?" Natty remarked, a frown formed upon her snout as I
nodded back at her with a frown settled upon my face, “Yes." A pause of silence
came afterwards as I exhaled a breath, growled at them before turning my back
towards them and stepped forth towards the first cabin behind me. At this note,
everyone else mirrored me and were sent along to their assigned cabins at hand.
Kyro and Natty at the third; Zander at fourth, Abavina at fifth and Ozkun and
Maujur at second.

Without a second
hesitation, we all went inside the cabins. Disappearing from view after we
entered into the room. I gaze inside. I was not anymore inside the cabin. But
somewhere else now. A totally different place than an normal cabin however. As
I looked around the place, I started seeing the emptiness of the room. Nothing
but the pale silver walls was accompanying me however. As I gave an exhaled of
a sigh, I shook my head and suck it up. Heeded forth towards the other end of
the room where I spotted something lying in the floors below me. Something that
had belong to someone, a box of some sort however. As I stared onto it in
silence. I picked it up from the grounds. I tried to remove the lid; but it
remained strong. I gripped the box with two claws; hoping that would work.
Nothing happened however and I just left it there, lying upon my palm as I
stared onto the box. It was a small; very small. It seemed pocketable however
for some reason. I was hesitated to keep it for myself, knowing that it was
evidence from the first cabin however. But I wished to know the contents
inside!

With a small frustrated
growl erupted from within me, I glared upon the sides of the box. Spotting
something of a hole staring back upon me. I flinched upon seeing it. Although
recovered quickly as I kept my eyes upon it. The hole was key shaped. An arch
circled the trapezoid shape above it. Thus staring onto it, I suddenly remembered
something and freed one of my claws to lower. Gripping down onto the walkie by
my pants as I pressed its button before speaking upon it. “Has anyone here
found a key yet?" “There is one inside of the school hallway. This place is
dark however. Where can we meet?" I heard Ozkun respond towards me as I smiled
swiftly. “Can we meet outside? I found a box lying here inside the cabin." “You
found a box?" Natty interrupted the conversation quickly, screeching through
the speakers as my ears started ringing, “Ow." I growled, “Sorry." She
responded.

I turned around. Headed
back out the door and back upon the fresh crisp night air that brushed against
me once again. I stepped out from the door behind me, settled upon the grasses
a few steps in front and headed to the post at the center of the campsite where
Ozkun was located. He was found, leaning against the black pole. Staring out
onto the horizon and he seemed preoccupied about it however. A thought popped
in my mind, wondering if he was an artist or writer. But my head shook, knowing
that we were on the job. 'Personal questions would be asked later.' I thought
to myself as I regroup with Ozkun who turned his attention towards me and gave
me his brightest big smile upon his face, “Sup." “Hey." We quickly greeted one
another before Ozkun dive into his pocket with his claw, fishing for the key
that he had found inside the school halls and brought it out towards me. I
snatched it from his claws, nodding to him as he nodded in response before
turning around. He headed back inside the cabin, disappearing from my sights.

I stared down onto two
objects in my claws, I stared onto the box first however before forming a fist
with my right that held the key inside of it. Drawing the key out from the
depths of my claw, I inserted it inside the hole of the box and heard a click.
The box opened on its own and I stared inside. A knife emerged upon my eyes. It
had looked rotten to the core due to how long it was exposed to the tight air
surrounding it. Although it did look worn out, it was still in proper use as
the silverness of the knife blade did not wary and maintained it sharpness. I
found myself staring at the knife in silence, a series of thoughts popped into
my mind. But none of which were related to the crime settled upon here. It was
somewhere else. “What is with murders and their knives anymore?" I heard
someone spoke, I turned quickly spotting Zander with a stupid grin upon his
face. His arms were crossed as if he was an authority. A chuckle escaped my
lips, but that was silenced seconds later while I fixed my eyes back upon the
knife.

“I do not know. But how
many times had it been with the knife these days?" “Murders do not use knives,
if I remembered correctly." “Not always." I countered, Zander breaks into a smile
as he stepped over to me. “Anyway, I came out here because I needed that knife
for something." “Like what?" I questioned him, turning to meet his eyes again
as he turned serious, “I found a note with a number 5 written upon it. The
corners of the note are bloodied, however in close examination, it had seemed
that the bloodspots are shaped like a knife." “So you believed…" I trailed,
Zander nodded quietly. I stared onto the knife in silence, a new series of
thoughts popped into my mind again. But I shortly brought myself out from it
and onto reality once again. I nodded to Zander, handing him the knife. He
smiled in response, but said nothing in response. As he returned to his
assigned cabin, I watched him go. Disappeared through the cabin door, I exhaled
a breath and shook my head in wonderance of the murder scene settled before
ourselves.

Perhaps it had taken a
long time for I never knew how long I stood underneath the lamppost however.
Hanging my head and just staring down onto the grass below my feet. Where the
sun was just peaking from the horizons above me, sending its sunrays scattered
all over the place, my ears perked up upon hearing something in the near
distance and shifted my attention towards it. In surprise, I spotted everyone
revealing themselves from their respective doors. Walking down the short flight
of steps and hitting the soft grass underneath their feet. Advancing forward
towards the lamppost underneath me was where they stopped, fixing their
attention onto me with their silence upon the snouts. I coughed and started
things off.

With my claws behind my
back, I stand at attention as Ozkun and Abanvia started theirs. Presenting a
real life sword and a key towards me. I knew about the key, but the sword I was
rather surprise about. So did Kyro and Zander as their eyes bulged in silence.
Yet everyone kept quiet as the two dragons stepped back. I rolled my claw at
them, Ozkun was the first to acknowledge it as he presented his. “We found a
sword and a key hiding inside the blade. Nothing else was found inside our
cabin however. It was all fill of boxes, stacked up upon one another and raised
towards the ceiling above them." “How many boxes stacked to fill?" Natty
curiously asked, “About four. These boxes were eighteen by twenty five." Ozkun
responded, noting a whistle from Zander as I nodded at the two, “Anything else
was there?" I questioned and a shook of his head answered that as they stepped
back.

“The key and the sword
were found inside the room. Both of which were not bloodied however. But what
was surprising, was that the key was inside the sword. If we were to press the
red huge button at the handle." Ozkun continued, demonstrating by hitting the
red button. Something opened and we gazed towards it. With opened mouths hang
from our snouts, we were surprise to see that the sword's side was opening up
revealing what seems to be a hidden opening inside. “What is more surprising is
that the blade itself is plastic. Never real." Ozkun continued with a
confidence grin upon his face. Slashing against the backside of Abanvia who
flinched suddenly, but never seemed hurt however. Her eyes closed upon impact,
but were opened afterwards as she turned back towards Ozkun who nodded his
head, “See. Plastic." “Is someone playing pretend here?" Zander interrupted
with a frown onto his face, “I mean since Halloween is around the corner,
surely then someone might be having some play fights? Right?" “maybe." I
countered, but never emphasized as I kept quiet.

“I found nothing at my
place." I say as all eyes were to me. “Except for a box. It had taken several
turnarounds to find it however." I added and a wave of nods came up as
response. I exhaled a breath and spoke, “The box had a knife inside of it. A
real knife, but it seemed not bloodied however." “Almost as if someone wanted
to keep it clean for the next murder huh?" Natty commented quietly, Kyro and
Ozkun nodded their heads. I continued, “Thanks to the efforts from Ozkun and
Abanvia however." I concluded, Natty tilted her head to one side, questioning me
“Nothing else found inside the cabin?" I shook my head, “Nothing. That place
was empty. Just a single box lying at the end of the cabin." I held up that
single box. “A plastic sword, key and a real knife…" I heard Zander muttered to
himself, raising his claw to his chin as I took notice of him and stepped up to
his face. He raised his head meeting my eyes, but his head shook as he turned.
Kyro and Natty already motioning the rest of my unit forward as they lead them
to the third cabin at the center of the five.

Thus entering in, they
all disappeared. Leaving me with Zander as I questioned him, “What is on your
mind?" “Does it seem fishy to you, Ling?" Zander commented, raising his head at
me, “What do you mean?" “I mean everything that we had seen so far. The plastic
sword, the key and the real knife. Do you really think we have some sort of
killer here? Or just some dragonkin with an idiotic mind of a killer? But is
place innocent?" I blinked at him, but said nothing else as he shook his head
with frustration on his mind. Turned around and headed back towards the cabin,
disappearing from my sights. I pondered, munching onto his words in silence.
'What he said was true however.' I thought to myself with a frown escaping onto
my snout, 'What if it was just a innocent dragon with an idiotic mindset?' I
shook my head, “No. I could not be it. I saw blood stain upon the tip of that
knife somehow!" I growled with narrowed eyes, glaring down onto the fourth
cabin innocently while releasing my anger and frustration and kept silent for
seconds onward.

I turned around, heeded
towards the third cabin and entered. Revealing to me was a school hallway where
darkness was found at the other end of the halls. I blinked in surprise, but
said nothing in response as I stepped forth from the doors behind me and
walked. The school hallways was just that; silent pitch dark and filled with
flashlights. To the sides were a green doors and brown lockers; all of which
were locked or closed. Maybe both how we say. I continued walking the length of
the halls, shifting my head down towards the doors and lockers that were to my
sides. I had noticed that it was a pattern too. Alternating from lockers to
doors, repeatedly; I frowned upon this predictable pattern but said nothing
else as I continued further inward into the halls before me.

For about thirty seconds
towards a minute, I had reached the spot where the other dragons were gathered.
They all chatted amongst themselves as their eyes shifted quietly towards Natty
who was inserting the key inside the door. Above the knob and in front of the
dragoness, was a yellow bloodied note. Written onto it was a number. '5' I
thought to myself staring down onto the note before averting my eyes away from
it and gazing towards the other dragons whom were gathered in front of me.
About a second more the door's click echoed through the darkness. Sounding into
our ears as our attention was towards the dragoness who smiled swiftly and
turned to meet our eyes. She pushed the door behind her, allowing levay into
the room which we did as well.

Thus, when we entered
into the room. We found ourselves inside a classroom. Yet no chairs or desks
were found however. Instead were books, papers and other junk upon the
flooring. Rats and ants also filled the floor with their presences which
shocked Natty to say the least. As she flinched and remained on spot, the rest
of us walked forward. But a certain smell hit our nostrils, causing some of us
to stepped back, gagged or something else. “What is that smell?" Exclaimed
Zander as he held his throat with his two claws. Kyro growled in response, “I
do not know." “Its filling the room and our nostrils however!" I heard Abanvia
commented, I nodded in acknowledgement of all of them and averted my eyes away
from them to search the room, hoping to find the source of that smell.

It had taken a while
however. But I had spotted it. At the northwest corner of the room lies a
distinctive smell submerging from the floor. I walked towards that corner and
crouched until I was sitting on my knees. Lowering my head and eyes towards the
flooring below us, there I spotted what seems to be a series of glues stuck to
one another. “I found it." I yelled behind us, “What is it?" Zander questioned
me curiously, “You are not going to believed this however." I responded back,
adding “I found a cart full of glue sticks." “Sticks?" Zander remarked in
surprise as his eyes widened, “What had sticks got to do with that smell around
us?" “Maybe there is something inside of them?" Kyro suggested, I nodded at him
before grabbing one of the glue sticks. Opening up the lid and looked inside. A
white gooey substance was rattling at the bottom of the stick. It had smelled
fresh for some reason. I tilted my head to one side then raised myself up onto
my feet, turned around and spoke towards the rest of them “I found some white
substance inside." “Smells like seed." I heard Kyro commented, a tilt of his
head as he frowned in confusion “Why seed? Is that what we smell around the
room too?" “Maybe." Zander started, turning his eyes towards the red dragon.

A pause of silence fell
upon us as I find myself fixing my eyes upon the glue sticks and the seed
contained inside. “It smelled fresh as if someone had obtained it recently." I
commented, “Maybe that volunteer is still here however." Zander started, Kyro
shook his head “Doubt it. No one was here at the late hours of night. Not to
mention the past hours of midnight towards sunrise." “Indeed." I agreed with
Kyro turning back towards them afterwards, “We will not find anything here. But
we did find all the glues needed. We just head out, that is all we can do for
the moment." “Should we even send these samples straight towards Yang?" Ozkun
questioned, pointing to the glue sticks behind me. I nodded in response towards
him, “Yeah. Kyro, a bit of a help here please." “Sure." Kyro commented as he
walked to my line. We gripped underneath the series of glue sticks, hoisted it
into the air where he let go. Leaving me to deal with it. As I nodded towards
him, he smiled in kind and left the room afterwards as I followed him out.

We backtracked through
the halls. Back upon the front entrance doors where Kyro opened them and
allowed me out. We ended up back upon the cabins where morning had already came
and we gathered upon the lamppost that was missing already. As we gathered,
everyone turned towards me. But I shook my head, closed opened my eyes as I do
before spreading my wings opened. With the rest of the dragons taking a step
back, I fling myself into the airs and heeded northward. The winds blew harshly
against my scales, covering my ears from the voices below me as I breathed a
sigh of relief shaking my head while my mind started pondering over the clues
and evidence we had acquired over the hours. 'The sword, key, box which
contains the knife, the note found at the fifth door and now this…' I pondered,
flapping my wings to steady myself in the air as I slowly inched to the
headquarters at hand.

Once reaching it, I
flapped my wings rapidly as I slowly descended to the grounds below me. Landing
safely, I folded my wings and raised my eyes to the doors in front. I headed
through the doors, entering into the big room where Yang was waiting for me at
the front desk in front of me. Surprise by this, I stepped forth towards her
desk as she looked towards me. We held a smile in response upon the silence
afterwards, before she lifted herself from the chain she was sitting on and
spoke quietly, “How was the expedition?" “Tiring." I commented, yawning
afterwards “Think we can ask the author for some week break before starting the
next one?" I joked, Yang laughed and shook her head, “I doubt it. Anyway what
you got there?" “Oh these?" I said, turning my attention towards the glue
sticks, “This is the final evidence. These seem to be glue sticks; but taking
off the cap however…" I trailed off already having spotted Yang, grabbing one
of the sticks. Twisted off the cap and sniffed at the substance inside. She
reel back and wrinkled her face, frowning in response before turning her
attention towards me.

“What is that smell?" She
replied, “Seed." I commented, “Seed?" Yang frowned, gazing back onto me. I
nodded. “Do you know what kind of seed?" “We are very unsure of that however."
“Then I will take this to the lab." Yang commented, grabbing the box of sticks
and turned around. Heading deep into the large room, she turned the corner and
disappeared. Leaving me along upon the room I was in, I exhaled a breath and
shook my head. Turned around and towards the doors. For once I was outside, I
repeated my actions and headed back towards the campsite where the rest of my
unit was located. Upon landing, I gazed my attention towards the rest of them.
Heaving heard their loud noises from a certain distance. I growled, gaining
their attention as they turned towards me in response. Silence followed afterwards
as I rejoined the group.

“What did Yang say?" Kyro
questioned me after a while, I shook my head “Nothing. She just took the
examples and went to the lab." “That was it?" He frowned, Zander shook his head
as he glanced elsewhere. Another pause of silence before I erupted it, “Anyway.
What were you guys talking about?" “We had an argument whether or not our
culprit was a warrior or a teacher. The plastic sword was the main clue."
Zander said, smiling faintly at me while I nodded at him in response. Turned
back to the conversation at hand as it continued. 'A warrior or a teacher, the
main clue was the plastic sword…' I smiled dimly, 'Interesting.'