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.'