The best detective of all (but don’t tell her!)

I've got some choice words to throw in his face

The Lightning Thief, The Musical

I put my hand on the handle and opened the door carefully, with my staff ready. Sheets of paper containing notes and drawings were scattered on the wooden floor. Normally, the store would always have it's lights on, but now everything was completely off.

Aldren sat on the bench, swinging his legs happily. He wore a brown jacket along with black plants. Your ponytail comes out of the cowboy hat.

— Hi, Beatrice! Sun. Cold. — Greeted, gesturing with his hat. — You came a little late, he's been freaking out for a long time…

Pogo was huddled in the corner of the store. He rocked back and forth, mumbling things.

— Do you know what happened? — I asked. The store items that used to be on the shelf, were now empty.

— Negative. I tried to ask him, but he doesn't answer.

Cold got off Sun's shoulder and took one of the papers.

— HEY, DON'T TOUCH THIS! — Pogo shouted. Tears streamed down his face and he sniffed. — It's important…

— Dude, what happened? — I knelt in front of him. — You can trust me to tell, i'm your friend!

Pogo lifted his head and looked back at the crowd.

— I will speak to you, only. — He said.

— You heard the man! — I signaled them to wait for me outside.

Aldren got off the counter and went out with Cold and Sun, closing the door right after.

— Argh! Ok, enough cryin! — Pogo picked up his yellow hat from the floor and put it on his head. He got up going towards the back doors, furious in his eyes. — Follow me!

I walked over him taking care not to step on the papers.

— So… Let me guess. Elves from another dimension finally came to get their stolen stuff?

— It's not stolen! — He seemed to consider that for a moment. — Ok, maybe, it's stolen, but what happened here was worse, than some elves finding their stuff.

We went behind the counter and he bent down, opening a secret hatch. A wooden ladder was attached to the wall, but he just preferred to jump in. I ended up following your example.

I fell on an orange pouf. The place i was in, was a secret room/base mix. A wooden board on the wall showed the different types of weapons. The granite wall and the single lamp on the ceiling made the place look melancholic, along with the bed and a desk in the corner.

— Our problem, actually, the problem of the whole planet, depends on getting in time to save Hal and Draneve. — He went to the table under the weapon rack and gave me strange apparatus. — Put it on your head, you can see it in this darkness and in this whole blizzard. I bought them a long time ago from a mechanic in Three Streams! They are called, ''night vision goggles!''.

I took off my glasses and put it in my coat pocket. The night vision goggles had three telescopes for some reason. When i put them on, i found that i could change them, by turning them. I was playing with it for a while, until he held out a bow and i almost had a thing.

— I know you always wanted a real weapon than this stick…

I was gaping and i think my eyes were shining. The only gifts i have ever received in my life were from Pogo. He could be a crazy old thief, but he was like a father to me.

And theeeeen i start to cry. Again. I think this is a new personal record.

— Hey, are you okay? Come on, it's not even that much!

I laughed.

— That's not it… a lot is happening. I don't even know how i haven't gone crazy yet! — I cleaned the tears and took the quiver with arrows on the table. The quiver belt had a small pocket that opened with a click. I didn't understand what it was to put in there but it served to acquire another habit.

— That's because i trained you since you were a child! — He took a crossbow from the weapon rack. Unlike the other weapons, this one was quite simple and was not full of details, which made me think that Pogo did not take it from the ''other dimension''. — C'mon, let's kill some elves!

— And how we gonna find them? — I asked.

— With this!

He reached under the table and took out of a stick, that was attached by a masking tape. The branch shook and started pulling Pogo to the stairs.

— It's working, let's go! We can't let them be taken!

Sighing and finding another normal working day, i went after him.

Ok, so let's recap. Two strangers, but then no strangers, invade my home. From a sunny day, we are now in a blizzard. And for some reason, i know how to shoot very well with a bow. Otherworldly portals appearing randomly in Erlee and maybe in Meluilos too, me stopping in a parallel reality and maybe time traveled, a super cool warrior woman…

Wait! The world is ending?

— HOLY CRAP! I think the world is ending! — I released.

— If we don't get those two? Ah! You can be sure of that. — Said Pogo, opening the door to the village.

— I don't know… I think there's more going on!

In the middle of the blizzard, the only thing i could see was the lamp lights, swinging and throwing light uselessly. I felt a chill in my belly seeing this.

— OK! NIGHT GLASSES ON! — Shouted Pogo. I took my hand to my head and let them down. Immediately i was able to see more clearly in a dark green tone. I also lifted my mask, to breathe better. I looked at him. In fact we were a strange pair, whoever looked at us would run out on time.

— WHERE ARE ALDREN, COLD AND SUN? — I asked.

— MAYBE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO WAIT AND WENT HOME!

— YEAH! Maybe…

The branch shook again and started pulling Pogo. I put an arrow in the bow and started following him.

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We were getting close to the guard training camp, when we hear barking, coming from the farm and distant screams. We went up the road and saw a field of magic, glowing yellow a few meters from the farm.

— I think it's them! — Said Pogo. We jumped over the fence and headed for the farm.

Once a field of wheat, now the entire land was buried to the knees of snow. We had to force ourselves to walk, while we heard more screams and blade sounds.

— GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY BACKYARD, YOUR SON OF BITCHES! LOOK WHAT YOU HAVE DONE WITH MY LAND, YOU HAVE AN IDEA, OF HOW MUCH WORKING TIME THIS HAS TAKEN!?

Roy screamed at the war going on right in his backyard. He was standing and wearing a coat and a bonnet, as was his dog, Valmerix. When he saw us, he didn't decide if he barked at what was happening or at us.

— Hey! What's happening? — I asked, lifting my glasses and entering the balcony, along with Pogo. Now that we were closer, we could see people within the spell field, as if they were some figures.

— Tell you! Yester'd i was drinking juice' in my rocking chair and suddenly, it start to snow ou't of nowhere! And now there are a lot of people fighting in my yard! Pleas' tell me you guys know what's going on…

The blizzard started to get stronger.

— Look, there are two people inside that for some unexplained reason, if we don't save them the world ends! — I explained to him. — Do you have anything to get us there?

— And don't worry, we will get him out of your yard!

— Well, in that case! — He entered the house and left with a flamethrower. — Do any of you folks, know how to u'se?

— Nope!

— Never touched one in my entire life.

— Hm… I see. — He went back inside his house and left this time fully equipped. He wore a protective mask and a wire ran from his back to the weapon. Your voice came out a little dark. — Let's get those insects out of my yard!

— You owe me one. — I whispered to Pogo, lowering the night vision as we now headed in single file to the circle of magic, Roy leading the way.

I felt the unpleasant sensation of water penetrating the boot. The flamethrower melted the thick snow as it went. And i could hear Roy sing a song as we walked.

''Trøllabundin eri eg eri eg

Galdramaður festi meg festi meg

Trøllabundin djúpt í míni sál í míni sál

Í hjartanum logar brennandi bál brennandi bál

Trøllabundin eri eg eri eg

Galdramaður festi meg festi meg

Trøllabundin inn í hjartarót í hjartarót

Eyga mítt festist har ið galdramaðurin stóð''

The music had a slow rhythm and in the way we were, it filled me with determination. The problem is that now i was preparing for a battle and there was a inexplicable urge to punch something. Even breathing inside the mask, i felt suffocated by something.

I lifted my glasses. We were very close to what appeared to be a protective circle. A person was in the center with his hands raised.

— Is that Hal!? — I asked to Pogo. It was almost impossible to see in the blizzard, even with the glasses.

The branch trembled in Pogo's hand.

— Maybe? I think there is some kind of interference going on! We have to get closer to make sure!

Now that we were getting close we could see figures trying to penetrate inside the shield. They beat the sword, shouted orders that i couldn't understand and, it was also a HUGE SQUAD!

— Why do i still go out with you, huh? — I complained, sinking into the snow.

— It's not a big deal, we just need a distraction! Roy, can you…

The farmer was already halfway with the weapon raised. The figures looked at each other and started walking towards him, as if they were a bunch of zombies.

— GET. THE. FUCK. OUT OF MY YARD!!! — Roy burned them one by one, while the circle collapsed and from within came several war cries, along with lightnings of different colors. I took advantage and shoot some arrows just for fun.

— Without further interference, it's them! — Said Pogo, shooting some arrows with your crossbow. — We have to see how they are!

— Ok!

We ran around the battlefield until we reached Hal and Draneve. Hal was passed out on the ground with Draneve trying to wake him up.

— They took your friend! — Said the Elf.

— Wich way? — I asked.

She pointed to my right, into the forest.

— Pogo, you stay here, i'll go after them!

— You sure!?

— No! — I started to push as i ran and the snow got in the way. In the distance, i could see a stout figure carrying someone on his shoulder. I put an arrow in the bow and aimed at your leg, which by some miracle managed to hit.

He stopped walking and turned his face slowly towards me. The body fell in the snow and he reached for his heel, breaking the arrow. He drew a sword and spun it, glowing with electricity, then with my nose bleeding. For some reason, i already knew that i fought with this person over and over again.

I pulled out the staff and we both ran each other.

He struck hard in my direction which i deflected with my weapon, but i received a kick right afterward, falling to the ground. He raised his weapon and lowered it towards me, which i had to force to defend. Electricity shone before my eyes. His face was masked and he wore a decorated blue armor. If it weren't for Roy, i would have become barbecue rost.

Incredibly, the person was still standing, while the farmer screamed, burning him. In the middle of the flames, two blades appeared and cut Roy's head.