Dan ran to his hotel and sat in his bed. He dozed off.
Sculp knocked at their hotel door the next day. Dan already packed up the goods yesterday night. Only Fayette and Cab knew how they struggled to wake up Dan.
Sculp hired a taxi to the port. There they got on to their boat. Dan was eating a sandwich sitting in the cabin. Sculp looked around the boat, examining the horses and his carriage. Fayette followed back. Camb, not knowing what to do, sai near Dan, hoping for some bacon. Dan read his mind and immediately gave him bacon along with some water. He was satisfied.
Suddenly, Dan pushed the levers and some buttons. The boat's horn blew three times. The engines started. The boat started to move.
Sculp told that there was a nearby town where they could spend a few days. Dan thought it would be a good idea. He marked the town on the map. It would be a one hour journey. A canal forms from the river, which goes inland, into the town.
Fayette regarded Sculp to be the best storyteller ever. He told Fayette and Camb stories about gods and goddesses, kings and queens, princes and princesses, ladies and gentlemen, fruits and vegetables. He also told weird stories about tables and chairs, forks and spoons/knives, chillies and caramel, salt and pepper, milk and water, oil and essence and many more. Dan didn't realize that those four were forming a group and discussing stories. That's because Dan was whistling to a song. He was whistling the same song without noticing for half an hour. He got distracted from whistling as a pigeon flew to the window and sat on it. Dan shooed it and found everyone missing. He went to the deck to find four of them in the bedroom.
Anyways, they reached the town, almost at noon. Dan got to know from Sculp that the town's name was Gunstigo. He thought it was a weird name. Sculp them started his business:
"Okay sir, now let's go to a hotel where I've booked the tickets yesterday night. We could go around the city once we're settled down."
"Okay then, Sculp. Have you hired a taxi?"
"Technically no, but my friend would take you to the hotel in his car."
"Very well then. I've decided to practice some magic tonight."
"No problem. You can plan your activities however you wanted."
"Now can we st-tart?"
"WAIT! I forgot to tell you something about this town about which you have to be careful about."
"Bring it out."
"There's a crook who's playing tricks on this town. He's very brilliant. He robs people and attacks structures. The guards, however, could not catch him. He's as slippery as an eel."
"No problem. I would take care of him."
Soon, a car stopped near them. Sculp was having a small conversation with his friend. He got to know that a man was asking the driver to fetch Sculp to him. He said that he was also a friend. Sculp thought he might have promised to meet someone and went down the street. He came back in a few minutes. He sat in the car. So did others. Together they went to the hotel.
The evening seemed to have arrived very soon. Dan was practising magic from a book he bought once in Gorrion in his room. Fayette was sitting on Camb, moving slowly. Sculp had told them he would arrive in a minute and that he has to go to the reception. A few minutes later, all of a sudden, everyone heard an explosion. Dan, startled by the loud bang, opened the door to see what has happened.
There had been a timer bomb in the storeroom of the floor. There had been a big crowd standing near the storeroom. The room was as black as hair. He got to know that the staff had been using the room to store cutlery, a few essential ones like fire extinguishers, ropes, first-aid kits, etc. "Maybe it's the crook?" Dan said to himself. But he thought that he wouldn't be the one because he's used to theft and mischief.
Dan told Fayette to stay with Camb and not to go anywhere without him. Dan pushed through the crowd to see the room. Four people were using magical fire extinguishers (with their hands) t stop the fire. The extinguishers had been burnt and the fire caught from the cardboard boxes. The people were in confusion. Many questions were raised.
"What could have happened?"
"Who did this?"
"Is that all?"
"Call the police."
"Stop the fire!"
"I'm not sure what would happen next. I am so-"
BANG!!!
"Another explosion?"
Everyone went to the windows. The hotel garden is burning. The alarms went on. Dan immediately ran to Camb and Fayette. They were sitting in the corner of the room in darkness trembling with fear. Dan took his belongings and took Fayette in his bag and Camb in another bag.
"Let's move away from here!" Dan says.
"Wait, Dan. Look for Sculp."
Dan ran down the stairs to the reception. He found the reception burning. Dan ran out of the hotel gates along with a big mob of people.
"Sculp! Sculp!" Dan shouted in the streets. Dan stopped near a cafeteria and sat on a bench in there. In a few minutes.....
BAAAAAAAAANNNNNGGGGG!!!!
The hotel exploded!
Thankfully, everyone was evacuated outside, however, some were injured. Suddenly, Dan found Sculp running down the road. But, he was wearing a black coat, and he looked like a spy. "Sculp! Come here!"
Sculp removed his mask. He wasn't Sculp! He was a terrorist. He ran with a magical grenade in his hand and threw it at a bus that was parked near the road. The driver immediately jumped out of the bus and ran for dear life. The bus exploded. Dan waited no more in the cafe. He ran to the port. He, fortunately, found his boat safe. They got in, and Dan thought of transforming it into a car. Bot, he hadn't fitted the motor and the wheels. Camb ran to the deck to fetch them. Fayette went for the horses and gave them grass and stayed with them.
Dan fitted the screws to a boat with trembling fear. He could feel his heart thumping loud. "I wish I wasn't here!" He said to himself.
He don't know how, but he fitted the tyres. He ran to the cabin and opened the engine. There he fixed the motor. It had taken them half an hour.
It was afternoon now. "Fold the masts!" Dan shouted. Fayette immediately ran to push the levers. The single mast folded like paper. Dan started the engines. The boat climbed over the dock and to the road. At full speed, it rushed over the road. Fayette went to the cabin and told Camb to take care of the horses.
"Where are we going now?" asked Fayette.
"To the nearest airport."
"Are we going back to the city?"
"Yes...Look into the map and tell me where's the airport."
"Umm..it's in the outskirts. Go for the city gates!"
Dan turned left, slightly crashing at a lamp post. He turned left, them right, then right and then left.
"There's the city gates, Dan!"
"Let's Go!"
A lot of vehicles were rushing out of the city. Dan turned on the radio. It said:
"BREAKING NEWS!!! Aquilla declares war on Bajista, attacking public buildings of Gunstigo."
"My worst nightmare comes true!"
There! They rushed out of the city. And the first city they first saw was an Air Traffic Control Tower. Dan turned right to the highway and went for the airport.
"Hey, Dan, Sculp wants to say us something. He's calling me by magic."
A magical panel opened up. They found Sculp standing in the airport. He said:
"I'm very very sorry for the disturbance. The crook made me unconscious and left me near the airport. He disguised as me. Let's discuss this later. Many planes are left here unattended. I took a plane that would be small yet large enough for our boat to fit into. Come to the airport, as quick as you can."
"We're on our way, Sculp."
Dan didn't realize that he had almost arrived at the airport. The next time he turned and he found the airport gates. Dan turned and rushed past it. He found many planes around. There, he found Sculp waving at him near a red plane. Dan parked into the back opening of the plane. The boat fitted inside. He was grateful for that. The opening closed.
Sculp started the engines and went to the runway.
"I guess it would have been very tough for you," Sculp said, "He's a terrorist from Aquilla...no wonder he's a 'Smooth Criminal'".