Draal and I were just coming back from Troll market with supplies for the fight with Angor Rot. We had to dodge Blinky, Aaarrrgghh, Toby, and Claire on our way out. The house was being turned into a mini battlefield and I was very thankful that Mom wasn't coming home because she would flip if she knew what the house was being turned into. When we got back, I saw Jim grabbing something from the shelf as Draal and I exited the tunnel.

        He turned around and screamed as he saw the both of us. This reaction was so worth keeping this a secret from Jim. He exclaimed, "Whoa! Whoa. Why is there a whole in my basement?"

        "How else am I supposed to get around when the sun is out. Don't worry. It only leads to the sewers. Nobody knows about it but Monica and I." Draal assured him.

        Once Jim calmed down, he asked, "How long have you known about this, Mo, and why did you not tell me?"

        "About a couple months. I wanted to see how long it took for you to notice it. I'm actually quite surprised that you just noticed it now and that Mom hasn't discovered it either." I chuckled. Jim glared at me, but before the two of us could start an argument, Strickler came down the stairs and asked, "Did you get the Lode stone?" Draal picked up a green rock and I picked up the blue one. The two snapped together like a magnet. Then, all the metal objects in the room floated in the air, Jim and I crouched down the floor and covered our ears due to the noise coming from the rocks being loud, but, before the objects flew towards us, Draal separated the two rocks.

        Jim and I stood up and Jim said, "I'll take that as a yes." Draal laughed and held the two rocks as a trophy.

        "It's almost nightfall. Come on, there's more work to be done." Strickler said.

        We continued to set up traps and as we were setting up the last one, Jim informed, "Okay, that's the last one. Now, all we do is wait."

        "You know, I'm a bit surprised by how well we work together." Strickler pointed out. Then, Jim pulled on the rope and it grabbed onto Strickler's neck. Jim stated, "You know, I'm still gonna take you down after all this is over."

        "We're going to take you down." I corrected Jim. I wanted to pummel Strickler after everything he did, especially for the binding spell he put on our mother. Jim nodded in agreement and Draal laughed behind us.

        "Perhaps, if we get through this, I could talk to my constituents about the Eye of Gunmar. I assume you're still interested in finding the last Triumbric stone." Strickler said.

        "You know where it is?" Jim questioned.

        "Personally, no. But, my ilk are wide and numerous. Where there's a will, there's a way." Strickler informed us.

        "Why would you help me kill Gunmar?" Jim questioned.

        Strickler chuckled, "Let's just say, I'm always looking out for my best interests." Draal kept sharpening his ax behind the two of us.

        "What a shocker." I said.

        Draal gasped and questioned, "What is that?"

        "It's his eye!" Strickler exclaimed. When we asked if it was Gunmar's eye, Strickler exclaimed, "No! Angor's! He's been watching us! Get it!" We went to catch while shouting to get it while Draal complained, "Gunmar's eye, Angor's eye. Enough of these eyes!" Strickler, Draal, and I attempted to grab it, but failed as the eye jumped out of our grasp.

        "No!" I exclaimed as it was heading for the sink.

        Suddenly, Jim caught the eye before it went down the pipe and covered the cup with a plate. He turned towards us and asked, "How long has he been watching us?" Suddenly, the door rattled and Jim stated, "He's here. Get in position." Draal went towards the stairs, Strickler hid behind the couch, Jim hid near the closet, and I hid in the kitchen ready to jump onto the counter. Jim summoned his armor and I summoned my bow.

        The door opened and to Jim and I's horror, it was our mother. She exclaimed, "Hey, Monica, Jim, you home? Wanda messed up my schedule again. Guess I have the day off after all."

        "Mom, watch out!" Jim and I exclaimed. I came out of the kitchen to see that Jim push our mother away from an incoming ax and our mother asked, "Whoa! Holy- Why is there an ax in the door?"

        "Mom!" I exclaimed running towards her to help her up.

        "Barbara! Are you alright?" Strickler questioned.

        "I'm fine. Whoa! Holy-- How--? What is--?" Mom questioned pointing towards Jim's armor and my bow. Jim hid his sword behind his back and I whispered the Thriskule to disappear. The two of us chuckled nervously as we realized that we may have just revealed to our mother who we were. Our mom noticed Strickler and questioned, "W-Walt? Why are you here? And why are you holding a crossbow?"

        "Me? Uh, yes. You see, um, there's a school project I gave Jim and Monica is helping us out and, uh..." Strickler attempted explain, but he accidentally fired the crossbow that he hid behind his back and the arrow hit the light and broke it. Our mother groaned.

        Suddenly, Draal came out screaming, "Die, Angor!"

        "Draal, wait! Stop! Get back!" I exclaimed stepping between him and my mother. Jim and I held Draal back as he roared and my mother screamed. He stopped as he realized what was going on, then said sheepishly, "Um. Hello. Sorry."

        Mom got the perfume that she kept in her purse while screaming and Jim exclaimed, "No, no, no! Mom! Mom, it's okay!"

        "He's a-" I never finished because our mother sprayed the perfume in our eyes and Jim and I screamed, "Ah! My eyes!" I heard Draal screaming beside me. I tried to rub them while moving around, then I tripped over a rope as my vision started to clear. I was about to be hit with one of the traps.

        "Monica!" Jim exclaimed. Draal managed to push me out of the way and took the hit from the traps. I was pushed several feet back and watched in shock as he knocked into the bookshelf by a series of traps. The bookshelf landed on top of him. I scrambled up to my feet and ran over there exclaimed, "Draal!" Jim and I pushed the bookshelf off of him while our mother kept screaming.

        "It's okay, Mom!" Jim exclaimed.

        "He's a friend." I stated. Draal was knocked out.

        "He was a friend. Now he's out cold." Strickler pointed out. Our mother starting moaning, putting her hands on the sides of her head, and screamed at the top of her lungs once more before she passed out. Strickler walked between Jim and I saying,

        "And so is she."