"How did you even know I was up here?" I yelled over the noise of her whip crackling and hissing.
"I knew Fredrick was hiding something so I burned it out of him." She sneered. I gulped as she advanced closer and closer, I held my sword at the ready and backed up as far as I could go. The whip came at me so fast, I barely had time to react, I managed to block it with the sword. The whip wrapped around the blade and pulled it free from my hands and launched off the roof. I was defenseless, I had nothing but to fists against a skilled warrior with a flaming whip. I couldn't give up, I don't know why, I didn't know what would happen if I failed this game of hide and seek. I didn't know if Liv would kill me or not, So I had to fight. Much like I did with the Dullahan, I ran full speed ahead, not knowing my plan of action. Liv seemed taken aback and that was my opening. Were five feet apart, three feet. That's when I saw the look in her eye, She was toying with me, seeing how well I could fight. I intended to take advantage of that, So I charged at her with my fists clenched but she easily sidestepped and tripped me with her foot.
"Is that all you got?" Her lips curled in a vicious smile.

I grasped my chest as my vision blurred, but I pulled myself up and I smiled. "That's not all I got." She tangled her whip around my arm and I screamed in pain. I could feel the flames eating away at my flesh, I ignored the pain and shoved it deep down, until I felt nothing. My mind was clear and empty. I grabbed the wip in my fist, and started pulling like I was in my grade seven tug of war contest. Both my fists clenched around pulling her closer, she seemed shocked as I gave her a sassy grin, most people would beat me up for. I walked closer as I pulled, until she gave up pulling and backed up for her own safety.

"P-please stop, I did-didn't mean to, I was just t-testing you." She looked terrified but I didn't care, I wanted revenge, I wanted blood. I raised my fist and I looked deep into her eyes and I saw myself staring back at me. I stopped and that's when I started to think again, I've never hit a woman, nor do I intend to, unless you count that Rakshasas. She muttered "P-please." I backed away from her and stared at my hands and that's when I realized the whip was still around me. That's when the pain returned. A small burst of energy came from within me and the whip broke into several different pieces flying in random directions, a piece cut my cheek drawing blood. The rest scattered everywhere around the roof. There were a few nicks on Olivia, but other than that no one was hurt, my arm wasn't even burnt anymore. She offered me her hand, so I took it. She smiled up at me,

"Looks like you got a few tricks up your sleeve."
"Yah, I guess so," I replied.

She looked at me with a curiosity that made me uneasy, as no one has ever really looked at me twice, except for bullies and Cassisdy.

"How did you do that?"

I looked back at her, "Do wha-"

A loud horn blew in the distance,
"Congratulations," She cut me off. "You survived until morning." She walked back down the hatch gesturing for me to follow.
"Would you have actually killed me?" I asked.

"Of course not," she laughed. "Maybe if you were one of those guys from earlier."

Somehow I still wasn't positive on the fact that he shouldn't.
We were walking down the upside down stairs, when I just had to ask out loud, "What was I seaking?"

"Hmm" Liv made a noise as if gesturing for me to continue.

"I just mean a voice in my head told me to go up the stairs so I would find what I seeked, and I thought that the voice meant safety but since you came along I'm not so sure." She stopped right in front of me and I accidently bumped into her. "Ow, why did you-"

"You heard a voice?" She whipped around hitting me with her pigtails. She looked at me dead in the eye.

"How did you feel when the voice was speaking to you?"
I was about to reply, when she cut me off again.
"Trust me this is important."

" I guess I felt as if I wanted to curl up in a ball, but at the same time I wanted to face any challenge thrown at me."

She started laughing, I was beginning to think I was crazy.

"This is the best news ever! She exclaimed.

How is me going crazy good news, I thought to myself.

"Oh my Gods! We have to go see Solomon." She looked as if she was having a sugar rush.

She pulled on my arm and dragged me running towards the banquet hall.

We rushed through the two open doors as I could barely keep up.

"Welco-" Solomon started.

"A god spoke to him!" Liv practically screamed, We ran up on stage as every head in the hall turned to watch us muttering upon themselves.
"Is he for real?"
"Impossible" I heard another voice say.

"The newbie just wants attention."

"Silence!" Solomon thunderd. My cheeks were starting to blush as everyone's voices died down.
"Is this true?" Solomon looked down upon me.
"Uhm yes...?" I started,

"Liar,'' someone shouted from the hall. Solomon sent out a single glance that sent shivers down my spine and made everyone be quiet.

"Everyone go to your respective rooms." Not a single person dared to disobey Solomon's words. As the banquet hall depleted, I was about to try to sneak away to, though I didn't know where exactly to go, when Solomon said,

"Mr. Ryder, Liv, Lia stay." Solomon commanded.

"Excuse me sir" Frederick called out.
"I would like to say if it's okay with Dean?"
Solomon looked down upon me, frowning, "Do you trust him Mr. Ryder."

I looked at Freddy Johnson. The guy who tried to save me and I nodded. "Yes sir."

"Very well, Mr. Johnson. You may stay." Solomon agreed.

Once everyone had left all five of us sat down close together at the masters table.

"What did this god say to you?" Solomon questioned me.
Everyone stared at me waiting for a response, I felt Liv nudge me in my ribs.

"She told me that if I went up the inverted stairs, I would find what I seeked." I began.

"What did you find?" Solomon looked deep into my eyes, into my very soul, I could sense that he would be able to tell if I was lying somehow.

"Well at first I thought she meant safety but then Liv came and attacked me."
I saw Lia shoot a nasty glare at Liv and Liv just shrugged.

"Then what?" Freddy persisted.

I looked at all of them, Lia was leaning off her seat and so was Freddy.
"Nothing, the voice stopped, I didn't find anything."

Solomon looked as if a burden had been released from his shoulders.

"It's often said," He paused. "That powerful gods can sense the future and put events into order, like a chain reaction. Maybe, it's possible that you going up there was a start to a dangerous quest."
He looked down upon me. "There is only one way to know for sure."
Everyone looked at him to continue. "You shall go to the swamps of Galgavan and seek a water Imp known as Gob. I burst out laughing but stopped when everyone was looking at me.

"Oh,...You're serious?" Solomon simply nodded.
"There he will give you a prophecy as he is the closest and most convenient prophet. The entrance to the swamp of Galgavan is through Colorado's, Mushy park In delta county. You shall leave in the morning all four of you."

I was about to protest that he do it, as I have no training and no way to get there but it was like he could read my mind.

"I have to stay back as for this is not my quest, it was given to you by whomever sent you that message and I am the only one who can protect this land If I were to leave the magical barrier around us would come here leaving all these beings, from halfling to Selkie, defenseless."

"I will arrange supplies and a ride for you in the morning, Frederick show him to his room."

I walked back with Freddy as we said goodbye to the girls, we walked up maybe seven flights of stairs, I was too tired to count and by the time we got to the room, I almost passed out. It was a long room, with number two b and inside the rooms there were one hundred stone slabs. He brought me to number seventy four and tapped the rock.

"Lay here." He told me.
"Are you serious?" I looked at him with a look that said: If I could kill you, I would but I'm too tired. He simply tapped it again.

"Fine don't trust me." He got on the rock numbered three and layed down. For a second he just lied there and when I blinked he was gone.

"Ha ha, very funny." I called out. No one answered. So I looked around the room and every single stone slab was empty ranging from number one to a hundred. I got on the slab and stayed sitting on it. I waited but nothing happened, so I laid down and closed my eyes. I expected to feel a hard stone with pointy parts digging into my back but I felt a mattress and a pillow. It was the most comfortable bed I ever laid on as if it were designed for me. I opened my eyes and just seconds before it wasn't there and now it was and instead of being in that cold damp room I was in a suite, like a hotel but with all my my favourite things. I had a minifridge and a bookcase full of comic books and educational books on mythological creatures. A few other things were here as well like a training dummy, a sword and shield. I went to the window and I could see the whole lake from up here. The view was incredible. I fell asleep onto the bed as soon as I closed my eyes.

When I opened my eyes, I could see Cassidy as a small child, I saw her parents hurting her as she refused to drink human blood. I saw what appeared to be her get cast out onto the streets to fend for herself. I saw her sneaking into peoples farm late at night and sucking the blood out of chickens she caught just to survive. I watched as she became sick over time, I tried to reach out and help her, to let her know I was here for her but I couldn't move, I was stuck doomed to watch for what felt like an eternity. Then I realized the time setting. Must've been back around the early twentieth century. She was over a hundred years old at least. I watched as a younger, skinnier Mrs. Vandhousen picked her up off the streets, offered her human blood which was taken from "bad" humans.

After what seemed like hours I woke up hot and sweaty from my dream the night before. I realized that her death would make me never be able to forgive myself. She saved me and I couldn't save her. I got out of bed and went over to a dresser filled with clothes. I picked a shirt with a picture of a wolf on a mountain peak at midnight. I put on some jeans and I looked down at my chest. There it was, the pocket watch that saved my life. I should've given it to Cassidy, If I hadn't been such a coward I could've saved her instead. I heard a bang on my wall.

"Hey, Dean, are you in there?"

"Yah hey Freddy" I replied, recognizing his voice.

"Come on out."

I looked around and there appeared to be no way out. Well at least if I didn't want to fall to my death.

"How?" I asked.

He replied with, "Lay down on your bed and hit the wall three times."

I did what he said and I appeared on the rock hard stone slab. I groaned in pain as I sat up.

"Yah I know, it's hard to get used to." He patted me on my back as I hopped down.

We walked down the stairs together, into the great hall expecting to see Solomon. Instead a kid ran up to us and introduced himself as Clark Kim.

"Grand master Solomon gave me a message that he would like to see you two in his office."
Freddy thanked him and while we turned to walk away, I had to ask,

"Why did he call Solomon a Grand master?"
"His official title is Grand master but he insists on being formal." He answered.

"Clark, is just a suck up." He finished.

I followed Freddy across the main hall to what appeared to be a broom closet. He knocked eight times and whispered,

"Anaku." The Sumerian word for open. He opened the door and I was expecting to see a magical room however it was indeed a broom closet.

He got in and by now I was just going with it so I followed. He closed the door and that's when I realized, we were close together and our bodies were almost touching, I could feel his breath in my face, it smelled like tea and hashbrowns. I suddenly wished that I had brushed my teeth this morning. He opened the door and there it was a huge room in the shape of a decagon. In the middle laid a desk, with a simple globe on it, a single backpack and a cucumber. Solomon welcomed us with a big goofy grin on his face. He smiled like we were the funniest thing that's ever happened to him, his robe was wide open revealing his bold choice of bike shorts that were skin tight.

"Welcome," He started, "I have got all that you may need for your quest."
"Sir?" I asked. "Where is Liv and Lia."
He frowned and started muttering to himself trying to recall who they were. "Ah yes." He finally said after three minutes. "Lia got a sudden case of the flu and Liv is staying back to take care of her. So it will be just you two." I wasn't going to lie. I was a bit upset, I mean with four people the quest seemed impossible enough now we only have two.

"Fear not, I have gotten you all that you need."

"I hear a Dullahan is hunting you, Yes? Mr. Ryder."

"Yes sir," I gulped

"But you have a golden pocket watch, which should help." He tossed a gold coin at Freddy.

"Now," He continued. "I have a backpack, it has a sword, two daggers and some rations of food. Don't worry these are made by the Dwarves themselves. Very fine quality indeed."

He handed over the bag, It seemed extremely light and small to carry a whole sword. I opened the bag and sure enough it was all there. Must be some sort of magic, I thought to myself.
"Oh, I almost forgot." He handed over one hundred dollars in cash and a cucumber. "Don't eat the cucumber, it's Gobs greatest weakness use it against him." He warned.

I looked at Freddy and he just shrugged, so I took it. It felt like a normal cucumber, maybe it held a weapon of some sort. I put it in the bag and thanked him.

"Thank you." I said, beginning to wonder if Solomon's mind was all there.

"There's a bus stop right out of the forest to the left, don't mind the driver your tickets have been paid for." Solomon smiled at us.
"And good luck." He finished, he waved us out like he had better things to do as we went back into the broom closet. My last look at him was him clipping his toenails and humming it's a wonderful life.