'So tell me, how can you tell if I'm a pure soul? And how would you be able to tell if I wasn't?' Elsie questions Franck.
'Your temporal aura, it's a barrier of surrounding energy you radiate through all your actions invisible to the naked eye but perfectly visible through mine, i have the ability not only to sense and see auras but also to divert them away. Anyone after the book, I'm the first to know I can also read their intentions once I've got a lock on to their aura as long as they're within Ertha's atmosphere that's how I've successfully guarded this region for so long.'
'Can you see who's after the book now?'
'No, they're invisible to my eye their auras are cloaked, I can't tell what they are or where they are going I can tell that there's one human among them though but I can't track their movement either.'
'A human? Back when I was in the city I came across two people who were quite peculiar to say the least, could one of them be behind this?'
'I didn't detect any human aura in that area, all of them vanished yesterday I would've know if any had been left behind.'
'Well they looked pretty flashy to me.'
'Could be shapeshifters, creatures from the northern hemisphere capable of morphing into any kind of organic matter they land their eyes on to but they've never been able to mask their aura.'
'Well that would explain the glowing green eyes the guy had, he also said something quite unusual to me, something my aunt had told me earlier... How could he have know about that?'
Franck pauses for a bit, trying to figure how that could've happened, Elsie can tell by the look on his face that he's getting more worried, this might just be something he's never faced before 'I... I don't know, but I suspect that there's more to this than just the book.'
Elsie with a look of surprise enquires; 'You think they could also be after me? Why? What did I do?'
'We'll have to find that out, and we can't do so from here... Someone somewhere is pulling the strings and we have to find out why, if the shapeshifters were just the beginning then trust me you don't want to see the end.'
'Okay so where do we start? where do we go?
'The missing pages, I'm enclined to believe there's a reason why they were taken specifically from the new gods until the human chapters.'
'But the library editions of the book were all fictional, it would be pointless to go through them wouldn't it?'
'To an extent. But we have to assume there's a reason they're being taken by who ever's taking them along with the pages. I know someone who's almost an expert in this field, he may be able to help us piece this puzzle together.'
'Oh great! another guardian?'
'Not quite he's human like you, a researcher and a scientist,I used to work with him some years back but he began to go crazy, he developed wild ambitions which weren't in line with my purpose so I had to put him down.'
'Are you sure he can help us?'
'His vast knowledge of the book could help us find out where it is and possibly who's after it, we can also find out why they'd want you with it.'
'Yes but will he?'
'He'll have to.'
They both exit the den and set of to the west to try and find Francks mystery contact. Franck looks to organise a mode of transport considering the contact location is a fair distance from where they are but he doesn't spot any as they go through the plain woods of the west, Franck leads the way constantly scanning the surrounding searching for an animal to mount.
'I'd usually borrow a horse when I needed to travel from the woods outward but it looks like they've been raided as well it's all empty, we'll have to go to the mainland forest. There we may receive guidance from the forest spirit and some transportation hopefully, it's not too far from here come on.'
Franck continues to lead the way as they walk for a few minutes longer before arriving at a dead end on the edge of a cliff leading straight down into a large ocean, Elsie walks to the edge and looks straight down with a face of disappointment.
'Argh! It's just a dead end, we're definitely lost.'
Franck looks to Elsie and smugs, he then looks to the dead end and walks right to it seemingly floating on the air before being absorbed into an invisible wall. Elsie with a look of shock shouts out;
'Cat! Where did you go?'
Franck replies from the other side of the invisible barrier, come on right this way! Let's keep going.'
'What if I can't go through? What if I fall?'
'You won't, it's only an illusion just walk through it.'
Elsie hesitates for a while before calming herself, closing her eyes and walking slowly towards the invisible barrier.
'Okay, just an illusion, just an illusion...it's just an illusion.'
Elsie assures herself as she continues to carefully creep towards the barrier gradually making her way forward but then she stops midway and takes a look down, seeing her feet in the air and the ocean all the way down she screams with panic and throws herself forward landing in a whole new environment. She opens her eyes and picks up her head and a stunning sight greets her eyes, long thing trees stretching into the sky coloured with black bark which is decorated with white snow flakes forming a soft aesthetic as they glitter from high up, as well as various species moving around a ground thickly covered in snow.
'It's beautiful.' Elsie utters to Franck as she stands up, she then picks up a handful of snow in admiration but notices something unusual as she puts its back to the ground.
'It's snowing but I don't feel a thing, my hand isn't even freezing.' Says a perplexed Elsie. Franck then looks to her and responds;
'It's the effect of the forest. Mainland forest is not like any other forest, it rains but nothing gets wet, the snow won't get you cold no matter how thick it is and even the heat from any fire wouldn't burn anything here, it's invulnerable as is any spirit that walks through here be it through the forest nymph's approval for only she is in control.'
'Whooa, so where is she?'
Franck then looks up and chants in a language Elsie is not familiar with, he then switches to English and softens his tone.
'Oh dear spirit we seek passage through your forest, our reality is in danger and so are it's people, I plead with you to guide me to where I can halt the oncoming danger.'
A boulder of snow then melts nearby revealing a passage and a herd of elk feasting on grass with one standing out, large curved horns and a broad back as well as strong build slightly towering over the others, the elk stops eating and walks towards Elsie and Franck signaling that it is ready to be mounted. As it steps into the light it reveals a very unique and distinguishable coat covered in white fur with the horns slightly yellow and blue and yellow eyes.
A female voice then emerges from above, bold and assured but also sweet and melodious.
'YOUR JOURNEY WILL BE A DANGEROUS ONE I LEND TO YOU ONE OF MY CHILDREN TO ASSIST YOU ON IT. SEEK THE MOUNTAINS FOR YOU WILL FIND YOUR FIRST CLUE THERE, BUT BECAREFUL FOR THE ENEMY HAS ALREADY SET FOOT, MY GAZE BEYOND THERE IS BLEAK AS THE REGION IS NOT UNDER MY WATCH, FROM THEN ON IT'S ALL UP TO YOU.'
'Thank you dear spirit, your support towards our efforts to do good are highly appreciated.' Franck responds with humility then mounts the elk, Elsie gets on as well and thanks the forest nymph. The elk then jolts forward at a high speed leaving the forest in a matter of minutes unveiling a large greenland in front of them with huge mountains visible in the distance.
Elsie then asks Franck;
'Is she also a guardian?'
'No. She's a spirit, she protects and sustains life in the mainland forest and also keeps watch over the mountains but they have their own foreseeirs, I suspect we may be meeting them soon.'
Elsie with an air of intrigue nods and looks to the mountains, admiring the view as the elk continues to march forward.
'So this contact of yours? Is he in the mountains?' Elsie questions.
'Last I checked he lived in a watch tower right below them, we'll stop by there first then head to the mountains along with him.'
They then edge closer to the road leading to the mountains and they spot a large watch tower beyond a bridge, but then someone emerges in the distance... a man in a lab coat with a messy appearance and dark circles around his eyes walking towards them from the opposite end of the bridge.
'Well hello there! I believe you've come to see me. It's been quite the while hasn't it Franck?' The man shouts out as he slowly approaches.
Elsie then looks to Franck with an eager look on her face; 'Is this him?'
Franck straight faced staring the man down looks to Elsie and says,
'I can sense his aura at all but that definitely looks like him.'
Uncertainty sets into both of them as they ponder on whether or not they should approach him, without haste the elk begins grinding it's hoof into the ground and breathing heavily with its focus also on the man. Elsie and Frank look to it's face and see both it's eyes glowing in yellow and blue they then look forward and see the man's eyes glowing as well but in green, they then look to each other and quickly jump off as the elk charges forward man and heads him straight into the chest plunging him against the top of the wall of the bridge and knocking him out.
Franck and Elsie then approach the almost lifeless figured with Franck climbing up to get into a position to question him.
'Where is Robert and what have you done with him?'
The man opens one eye clearly banged up he manages to fashion a smile, 'You're too late, the movement is already underway and there's no stopping it.'
'I asked you a question now answer it!'
'You'll find his corpse waiting for you in the watch tower but it won't be long before you join him.'
Franck ticked off, sharpens his claws and places his paw on the throat of the man.
'Tell me why can't I read your aura? Huh? Who's giving you these powers that nullify mine?!'
The man then begins to laugh, 'The threat you seek will evade you so long as you continue to journey forward, it's not hidden anywhere but in plain sight, right under your nose.'
He then changes into his true form a dim skeleton like figure with black fur and green eyes. Elsie disgusted by the sight utters to it;
'Ergh, it's no wonder you steal people's looks you're hideous.'
The shapeshifter's eyes then begin to glow brightly green leaving Elsie and Franck both frightened seemingly setting up something, He then turns to Elsie and mutters his last words 'Only life is hideous truly hideous, that you will find out on your own.' the elk then quickly steps forward as the shapeshifter explodes forming a transparent barrier of protection guarding both Elsie and Franck until they're all out of harm's way.
'Miraculous!' Frank exclaims as the barrier is removed and only smoke remains on the spot of impact, 'The elk possesses the powers of the forest nymph and they were able to counteract those of the shapefiters.' he then looks towards the elk and gives it a kiss of gratitude. 'Thank you daughter of Sheyla, I shall name you Sentry for you have guarded our lives as if they were yours.'
They then look forward and see the tower, standing intimidatingly tall in the distance right below the mountains.
'Now let's find out whether Robert really is gone, or that shapeshifter was just bluffing.'