Warehouse Talk

The journey to the warehouse took a solid fifteen minutes, a drive claimed by the group themselves.

“We only made this warehouse a secret two months ago,” the man named Jack revealed.

Peter and Xavier's memories sprinted back to their days at the embassy.

Her GPS must be stuck in the past.

Shooting Vienne an exasperated look, they expressed their frustration.

“What?” she asked with an innocent tone.

Jack couldn't help but chuckle, enjoying the moment, though it was fleeting once they reached their destination. “Alright, here’s the warehouse, but you only have ten minutes to interrogate him,” Jack commanded. Asiris gave a nod of approval before deftly lifting the prisoner.

***

The prisoner couldn't help but let out a yelp as a sudden splash of water caught him off guard, hitting his eyes.

And suddenly, a mysterious figure appeared, dressed in a brown cloak with a crisp white collar.

Recognition sparked in Asiris as he proclaimed, “It’s you, the person who saved me.”

Asiris nodded, securing a spot for himself. "Now, we have some inquiries for you."

Anticipating collaboration, they encountered opposition.

“No, I will not spill any secrets to some Ikes!” he shouted, spitting out a spray of water.

With a look of utter revulsion, Asiris cleaned himself off. “I’m not an Ike.” With a dramatic flourish, he revealed the white clothing underneath his cloak. "See?"

The prisoner composed himself, his heart rate decreasing as he started to breathe more evenly.

“Oh, my apologies,” he stuttered, fiddling with his glasses. “I’m Dr. Lenz, scientist of the Heather Eye.”

Asiris was left utterly bewildered. He pondered, "That's the reason they were so eager to get him, huh?" 'Well, well, well.'

“Well, we are on a quest to locate the elusive Heather Eye in order to thwart the nefarious Ikes.”

“I knew you folks were up to something beneficial for the world!”

Asiris nodded, clearly taken aback by the unexpected turn of events. “Now, do you know where it is?” he inquired.

“No, sadly I don’t,” Dr. Lenz replied. Well, my friend does, and he's all the way in Russia.

“Russia?”

“Oh, he's up to all sorts of things that I missed out on while I was preoccupied with, you know, being tortured by these—”

“Shh, don’t worry.”

The doctor began hyperventilating once more, but managed to regain his composure much faster.

Well, it's imperative that we lay eyes on him to put an end to the Ikes. Can you assist us in reaching him?

“Near the Passageway?”

"The Passageway?"

“The place we concocted to safeguard our scientific creations, with creatures that will tear you apart.”

“Really?” Asiris inquired. Well, well, well! Looks like the Heather Eye is right there!

Dr. Lenz scoffed. Well, I highly question that. My friend was so strict, wouldn't even let us bring a serum out of the US, let alone the Eye.

Asiris sighed deeply, feeling let down by the unexpected setback.

Well, if you assist us in reaching him, you'll become a hero for the entire world. The kingdom is feeling quite generous and is willing to fund your scientific experiments. And you'll be rolling in cash with the entire world aware of your actions.

It was a breeze to persuade Dr. Lenz, considering how terrified he was and willing to do anything to escape.

Well, sure, but there's a catch. I'll provide the location, you handle the transportation back home. Sure thing?

“Alrighty then.”

They exchanged a firm handshake, sealing the agreement. "I'll see if Jack can arrange for someone to take you home, alright?"

Dr. Lenz nodded. They both stood up, brushed off their pants, and made their way to the door.

The rest of the gang lingered outside under the unexpectedly blazing sun. "Are you finished yet?" Jack inquired, using his shirt as a makeshift fan.

“Yes,” Asiris replied with a forced grin. “We are.”

Jack gave him a doubtful look and made a gesture. "Let's get a move on!"

The vehicles burst into action, commands and yells echoing across the island.

They hopped into the cars, making sure to buckle up before the cars zoomed away.

Continuing their journey, they came across a challenging incline, deftly navigating around it. Then, they arrived at a narrow road, with the cars neatly forming a single line. The trees were like the welcoming committee to the kingdom of Hemor, but visitors had to pass through them to catch a glimpse of the castle.

The castle was quite the sight, shimmering with a golden glow, its shape drawing their eyes towards the entrance.

The castle was quite the show-off, standing tall at hundreds of feet in height and boasting a considerable width to support the kingdom's walls.

“Well, well, well,” Micah said, clearly impressed as he stared up at the towering walls.

They strolled into Palace City, the abode of the king’s generals and servants, tucked away from the common folk.

As the cars lined up near the door, a crowd of people poured out to welcome them. A man with white hair and no beard, dressed in a cloak that changed color from blue to purple and swept the ground, approached.

"General Visch!" Jack exclaimed as he leaped out of the car. The man, General Visch, embraced him warmly.

Peter could have sworn he heard bones creaking from their tight embrace.

“How was the island?” he inquired, with a grin.

"It was quite the adventure," Jack quipped. "We stumbled upon Asiris and his entourage, which included the princes."

Before long, a hush fell over the crowd as the general made his way to Xavier and Vienne, completely unaware of who they really were.

“I thought you said the king had two boys,” he said, looking quite puzzled.

Jack chuckled. “It’s those two boys.”

The general proceeded to the real princes, bowing in reverence.

“Welcome to our kingdom, princes of Heatherland! General Van Holm Visch, pleased to make your acquaintance.

“We are too,” Micah said, eagerly shaking his hand. Once the boring stuff was out of the way, Asiris wasted no time in stating his request.

“Greetings, I go by Asiris, commander of the Heathers' army. I demand an audience with your king.

General Visch appeared rather aloof to his request, his expression tinged with worry.

"Why?"

Those Ikes are after the Heather Eye to wreak havoc on our kingdoms and top-earthlings. We require your assistance to thwart their plans.

“You say?” inquired the general, looking concerned.

“Indeed, but it is imperative that we find a way for Prince Micah to unleash his power and put an end to their schemes once and for all.”

The absence of noise became more pronounced. “My lord, and we were never told or accounted for by this,” General Visch said, scratching his head.

“Well, you have now, but with your help, we have a better chance.”

The general's concern swiftly nudged him into agreeing to the request.

"I shall promptly relay this information to the king," he declared. "Let's not waste any time, off to a new abode we go!"