Chapter 4: City and Color
Derek wished there was a side quest for tuna melt quesadillas as he bit into the delicious confection of hot tuna, melted cheese, and a tortilla fried to perfection. Esme Aguilar, the proprietor of La Casita, always knew to keep one warm for him after his Monday shift. It had become a routine for them, and Derek always made sure to tip the angel walking in their midst accordingly. Derek remembered the first time he'd made the bizarre order. He could tell Esme didn't understand why anyone would want to eat what he described, but she'd consented to the strange request with grace and true culinary mastery. When Derek tried to explain his rationale, she didn't seem interested. All that interested Esme was making delicious food and seeing her customers smile. It didn’t matter to her whether or not Derek ate tuna to feel closer to his catch or not. Besides, the rationale was silly, and he knew it was silly, but what fisherman worth his salt didn't have a few superstitions?
The tuna melt quesadilla didn't last nearly as long as he wanted, and when he finished, Derek knew he couldn't stall any longer. He needed to journey to the den of the beast, otherwise known as Rod’s Rods and Other Junk. Derek strode out of the warm haven of La Casita into the frigid January of northern Idaho. The unimaginatively named Main Street looked abandoned, and it was only 5:30 pm. It felt much later. The heart of winter had stolen upon Golden Lake in December and never let go, so they could expect the full dark of night to hit no later than six. If that didn't scare off idle passersby, then the single-digit temperature did the rest. The empty Main Street felt ripped right out of a detective novel with the lack of people and the luminous orbs of streetlights that always seemed at their brightest in the cold. Derek tucked his hands into the pockets of a long, dark coat and briskly walked by businesses that looked like they'd been closed far earlier than 5 pm that day.
Despite the abandoned feel of the streets, Derek felt like eyes were watching him as he approached the edge of town, but he couldn't tell if they were watching because of the bamboo fishing pole strapped to his back, the knife at his waist, or the ridiculous bucket hat he now wore. After hearing the Alphabet Squad's story, Derek felt safer with the outfit on, but even he wished it looked a little less goofy. The three children couldn't agree on what they'd seen the night before. Based on their account, Golden Lake had a wolf, bear, or Komodo dragon problem, but the one fact they all agreed on was that there were a lot of them, and they sounded hungry. Derek asked the kids where they saw these animals, and he was displeased to find it was near where he'd been fishing the night before. If Derek had a more typical day, he could see himself dismissing the wild tale, but now it was just another thing to deal with. On top of saving the Giild, whatever that was, Derek was also supposed to investigate ravenous and wild animals of indeterminate origin out in the woods.
When the Alphabet Squad left, Derek rechecked MythMaker. The main menu had a few icons he had not previously paid much attention to. The system had them greyed out, but now that he'd finished character creation, he had access to more of the interface. Two icons now looked filled in with color: Quests and Inventory. The Party icon still wasn't accessible, but he tinkered around with the other two. The Inventory menu was self-explanatory. It was just a grid of squares that showed the items he'd received in the item chest. If he tapped an inventory square, it showed the fancy MythMaker description from when he first received the items. The Quests tab was why Derek needed to pay Rod Hockenson a visit. At some point, after becoming the Hero of Prophecy, Derek picked up an accompanying Main Quest. It seemed simple enough, but in video games, these things always seemed more complicated than they first appeared. It read:
Main Quest
Small Town Mystique: Amber lights, disappearing tourists, and a distraught amberkin all add to the growing mysteries lurking beneath the surface of Golden Lake. Investigate the source of the amber light.
A more literal person might go directly to the lake after a prompt like that, but Derek could follow more abstract trains of thought. What would going to the lake solve? He'd been to the lake dozens of times and hadn’t seen anything, but Rod had decades of experience. If there were something fishy about the lake, Rod would know about it. Derek wasn't avoiding the lake because he was scared. If he was going to be like the detectives, he’d need to question witnesses.
He kept telling himself that as he entered Rod's Rods and Other Junk. If one judged the shop by its overfilling trash bin, the rusted metal siding, or the sign written in smeared red paint, they'd get emotional whiplash from the inside of the shop. Fishing poles in neat rows dominated one entire wall, organized by ascending size and manufacturer, each pole evenly spaced and parallel to one preceding it. Lures, hooks, and tackles took up the other wall, organized by the types of catch one sought as if most amateur fishermen weren’t just there to buy worms. No matter the time of year, the room seemed to hold onto the fresh scent of a summer morning out on the lake, clean freshwater with a hint of pine. Teetch would hate it. Rod Hockenson was the only blemish on the otherwise pristine appearance of the shop. Derek could have imagined the guy being handsome once, but those times were long gone. Thinning hair, a couple of missed orthodontist appointments, and a hundred extra pounds over a once-muscular frame made the man look like something that should be living under a bridge scaring children.
Rod had his face buried in the large fridge he used to store fish and live bait. Derek could hear the man muttering angrily, "Think everythin' is fer sale. Not ol' Rod."
Derek interrupted his ramblings with a clearing of his throat. He'd considered mashing the customer bell to startle the big man, but Derek wanted to start on the right foot. Rod banged his head on a shelf anyway.
"Gah, who put that blasted shelf there?" Rod asked angrily. When he saw Derek, he added, "Ye finally gave up, did ya?"
"That was yesterday. You can hardly expect me to live out there," Derek said, trying unsuccessfully not to get flustered by the insufferable man.
"Only if ye wanna a chance at beating me, boy, but I can't say I'm surprised. Fishin' ain't for the faint o' heart," Before Derek could respond, Rod added, "Boy, when ye came in, did ye see a pen?"
Derek did a mental double-take as he stifled his knee-jerk response to continue arguing with the big man, "Uhh, no, I haven't seen a pen."
"Are ye sure, lad? It ain’t no regular pen, hard to miss. Black wit' gold trim. It's worth a pretty penny. I've not seen it since the suit came by earlier. I knew he smelt like trouble."
"Suit?" Derek asked, curious, momentarily setting aside his reason for the visit.
"Aye, it was one o' them fancy suits. Wanted to buy the store. I told the suit where he could shove his fancy contrac', but it did'na stop his askin’. Pushy fella," Rod answered, but he wasn’t paying attention to Derek. His dark, beady eyes were roving around the shop.
Derek couldn't help but chuckle before asking, "He wanted to buy this store?"
"Aye. Said somethin' about freshin' up the town. I paid it no mind. Golden Lake don' need a fancy suit to freshen it up. She's perfec' the way she is," Rod said with a jagged-toothed smile, "He did'na like tha' answer too much. Stormed off in a huff, but now I can't find me pen."
"Wait, is someone trying to buy up the town? And why do you care so much about some pen?"
"Aye, boy, I did na stutter," Rod answered, "As fer the pen, twas a gift. Ye'll do well to value yer gifts, boy. Everythin' else is just stuff."
"Yeah, sure, I'll remember that. Who was trying to buy your shop? What was his name?"
"I did na ask. These types are all the same; pay it no mind. Golden Lake is more ‘an a match fer the likes o' him," Rod answered unhelpfully, "Now, what brings ye to my shop 'side from admittin' defeat?"
Derek chuckled, refusing to take the man's bait. "You know those stories about the lake?" Derek asked, "The ones about lights and people going missing?"
"Aye-yuh," Rod answered, "What about 'em?"
"Are they true?"
“Ye’ve na seen fer yerself boy? Yer out there more 'an myself these days."
"I've got better things to do than hang out at a lake after dark," Derek lied.
"Mayhaps ye oughta give it a whirl," Rod said, turning his bulk with a considerable grunt back toward the shelves, "If ye see me pen, be sure an' holler."
"Rod, please," Derek said, something in his voice stopping the man in his tracks.
Rod turned back to Derek. The big man stared at Derek long and hard before answering as if looking for something inside him. "Aye, it's true," Rod finally answered, "Why do ye ask?"
"Lately, I've been hearing more about it," Derek said, holding up his phone with the implication he'd seen some journal article, "I got curious."
Rod grunted his assent and asked, "That all?"
Derek avoided Rod's intense gaze, "Well, seeing as you've been fishing on the lake more than anyone. Maybe the town expert would know more about it than the average Golden Laker."
Rod's eyes narrowed, almost entirely occluded by his heavy brow, "What have ye done wit' De'ek? T'would kill the pup to admit ol' Rod's the expert."
Derek laughed again nervously and looked down at his tennis shoes. He could imagine the malicious gleam in Rod's eyes as the man scored a point on Derek. The young angler nearly turned tail and walked out of the shop. He didn’t have time for Rod’s games, but he stopped himself with one nagging thought. What am I doing? Since, when do I let Rod Hockenson have the last word?
"Oh, Rod, this has got to be so embarrassing for you. If you didn't know anything about the lights in the lake, you could've just told me instead of acting all high and mighty. You're better than that," Derek said, feeling his familiar smirk tug at the corners of his mouth,
Rod's cheeks reddened, and he attempted to sputter an indignant response.
Got him, Derek thought.
"I'll tell ye sometin' no one knows about them lights. I bet ye don' e'en know the lights firs' turnt up only a couple o' years back," Rod said, the words almost coming out less intelligible than his usual drawl, "Ano'er thing ye don' know. Them lights only show up come full moon, and sometimes if ye're lucky and lissen careful, ye'll hear singin' like ye ne'er heard in yer life. Soft and beautiful, it's like nothin' else in this world."
"Wait, are you trying to tell me the lights only started showing up a few years ago? I could've sworn the rumors have been around way longer than that, and there’s singing now? You really expect me to believe that?"
"I said my piece, boy, take it or leave it," Rod said and then contradicted himself by adding, "Jus' ask yer da' boy. He been on tha' lake more ‘an anyone 'cept meself. One summer, when he was no more 'an a pup, he slep' out on tha lake near e’ery night. No lights and no singin’, and that’s a fact. He’d a told me."
Derek found the new revelation even harder to swallow. Although he'd seen magical creatures and items materialize from his phone, he still couldn't imagine his dad doing anything for fun, and he told Rod as much.
Rod chortled, "Ye don' yer own pa, boy. Harold Dunn were a proper scoundrel in his day."
Derek shook his head and mumbled something to escape the conversation. He rushed out of the store and into the frigid night air. Rod's words still clashed against his worldview more than anything Teetch had said that morning, but Derek didn't have time to let that distract him from his mission.
There's a full moon tonight.
Φ
Derek considered stopping by his parents' house so they wouldn't worry. Derek lived in a tiny home he and his older brother, Kyle, had built in his parent’s backyard. As a result or cost of the free rent and convenient housing, Derek’s parents constantly badgered him about his comings and going. Well, his mom did. If he weren't back by a specific time, the barrage of calls from Derek's mom would begin. Eventually, Derek decided against stopping by the house. They'd forbid it if he told them he planned to stay out, or at least his mom would. His dad would look at him disapprovingly. He still couldn't believe his dad used to spend nights on the lake. Ridiculous.
As Derek approached Golden Lake, he could still see the hole he'd cut in the ice the day before, but it felt like it had happened a lifetime ago and to someone else. In a way, it had. That was before he'd learned that magic was real. He also hadn't been a Hero of Prophecy back then. He still didn't feel like much of one, but he didn't feel nearly as useless as he had that morning. The little amberkin treated Derek like he was worthless and couldn't do anything. Still, he didn't see Teetch out here investigating the amber lights or hunting mysterious wolves/bears/Komodo dragons in the woods. Although, Derek had yet to decide if he would do that either. Until then, he was going to give the woods some space.
Derek needed somewhere to watch the lake. All good detectives had stakeouts. He considered watching from the dock but remembered his large, fishy friend from the day before and decided against it. Dense forest flanked the lake on both sides, which would make it hard to avoid the Alphabet Squad’s bump in the night buddies. However, on the east side of the shore, there was an elevated ridge that people used as a platform to jump into the lake called Angel's Perch. A community service project in the distant past had cleared the trees from it and set up picnic tables and a gazebo, giving him some space from the woods. Getting there was a bit of a hike, so he didn't have to worry about being disturbed by a random passerby. It was perfect.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Although several inches of snow had long since buried the trail, Derek had jumped off that particular cliff enough times to know the way there by heart. He already wished he'd stopped by the house to pick up some boots and wool socks as loose snow slid into the space between his ankles and tennis shoes. While fishing, Derek had no problems ignoring the cold, but he wouldn't get any angling done tonight. Probably. By the time he reached Angel’s Perch, his feet were so numb he was only vaguely aware of their presence.
Angel's Perch got its name because of its relatively short height and overall safety. However, it still astounded Derek how much difference, even a slightly higher elevation, changed the view of Golden Lake. That night, a nearly full moon hid behind a patch of cloud, but enough light snuck through to paint a vivid, snowy landscape that seemed to capture and hold onto the moonlight. He couldn't look at the majestic vista without feeling a little sentimental, like Golden Lake, the town and the body of water were a picturesque scene designed by Van Gogh instead of a just place where people lived. That night on Angel's Perch, Derek felt all of it was created just for him. Why would anyone want to leave? Derek thought, wishing his old friends were there to give him an answer.
Derek had walked to the edge of Angel's Perch, wind whipping around and through him. He couldn't help but feel like he was on the edge of some great precipice between his old life and his new one. Some part of him wished he could put it all aside, pull out his pole, and enjoy the night, but it was too late for him to retreat to those simple times. The moon chose that moment to emerge from the clouds, like a child peeking out from a stand of bushes. The night came alive. Moonlight reflected silver, amber, and rose gold. Derek blinked his eyes, but the colors remained, painting the sky the hues of a pastel sunrise. The moon was the same old moon, but the icy lake was now awash with vibrant colors and light. The water and ice still covered the surface, but now, it seemed to cover an entirely new world. To describe the phenomenon as amber lights didn't do it justice by half.
A majestic city dwelt beneath the ice. It looked like a reflection, but nothing in Derek's own world could have created something so beautiful. Tall spires the color of burnt amber spiraled into the depths. Rosy-hued domes dotted the ground level of the city. Derek cursed the ice barriers between him and the city, obscuring the beauty and wonder with the mundane lens of Derek’s world. Derek found he had to resist a strong urge to jump off Angel’s Perch to be closer to the city.
Derek didn't know how much time he spent watching the city, and it didn’t matter. He would watch it as long as he was able. As he stood there, he felt soft vibrations of music stirring and whispering through the air. Derek didn't know if they'd just started or been there all along, waiting for him. He could hear a soft, feminine voice singing in a language he wished he could understand. On a cognitive level, Derek knew it wasn't his mother singing, but he felt whoever owned the voice loved him like a mother—loved everyone like a mother. He wanted to meet her, the singer, the person who loved them all that much.
MythMaker chirped in his pocket, and for a moment, he resented the app for defiling the moment. Another patch of cloud drifted over the moon as if on cue with his phone. The city disappeared as if it had never been there at all. Derek wiped away some moisture from his eyes. He was fully back in his world now and had a mystery to solve. Derek tapped the MythMaker notification. It was a quest update.
Main Quest Updated!
Small Town Mystique: The source of the amber lights is a city beneath the lake, revealed by moonlight. The answers you seek lie within. Discover the entrance to the timeless city.
Derek would've started that moment. He needed to go to that city more than he’d needed anything in his whole life. That and winning the Jamboree. The sound of footfalls crunching in the snow interrupted his train of thought. For a brief moment, Derek imagined the Alphabet squad's mysterious creatures lurking in the shadows of pine trees. Watching him, hunting him. Derek had an insane idea that maybe they were protecting the city, and he’d seen something forbidden. His hand went to the Iron Fillet Knife on his belt. He didn’t know how to use it, but he’d go down swinging.
"Derek?" a familiar but annoyed voice called through the trees. “What are you doing out here? You look ridiculous."
Harmony seemed to materialize out of the pines. Her freckled cheeks were flushed, making the scar underneath her eye stand out in stark relief. She wore nicer clothes than her typical baggy NFL sweater, sweatpants, and heavy work boots combo, but she kept looking over her shoulder. Was she being chased?
Derek took his hand off the knife and said, "What am I doing? What are you doing? You hate the cold."
Harmony glanced over her shoulders again and said, "It's a beautiful night, and I thought we better take advantage."
We? Derek thought.
At that moment, Derek realized he could still hear the crunching snow of approaching footsteps, but the sound of breaking branches and periodic grumbling accompanied it. A new figure stumbled out of the woods. Derek's first instinct was to warn Harmony, but he quickly stifled that instinct when he realized the person was there with Harmony, not chasing her. As Derek looked the new guy over, he almost wished it had been the latter.
Derek immediately pegged him as an outsider. The guy, somewhere in his early twenties, looked like he couldn’t make up his mind between panting and shivering. He wore a three-piece suit and an expensive-looking pair of leather dress shoes, which probably looked more impressive before his night-time trek through the woods. Derek could tell the guy had slicked back his hair at some point, but now wayward strands of hair and pine needles poked through the helmet of his hair, making him look more like a newborn baby bird than a swanky business executive. He glared between Derek and Harmony with eyes the color of dull pennies.
"What have we here?" the guy asked. His voice had an unpleasant nasal quality that Derek attributed to a cold-red nose.
"Reid!" Harmony exclaimed, a little too loud like she'd forgotten the man was with her, "This is Derek. Derek, this is Reid."
Reid looked Derek up and down like he was something he'd need to scrape from the bottom of his expensive shoes. The man stepped forward and extended a hand for Derek to shake. The movement looked too awkward and rigid not to be forced. Reid seemed like he'd been pressed and starched along with his fancy clothing. "Reid Wilco, it's a pleasure."
Wilco? The name sounded familiar to Derek, but he couldn't place it. Derek clasped Reid's hand in a firm grip and said, "Derek Dunn, the pleasure is all mine, Your Majesty."
"Oh, Wreck, be nice," Harmony chided playfully, but her eyes glared daggers at Derek. Reid's new in town, so I thought I'd show him all the sights. You can't beat Angel’s Perch by moonlight.”
"What happened to not being out after dark?" Derek asked. He wanted them gone before the city came back.
Harmony waved away Derek's concerns and put an arm around Reid's shoulders. The guy visibly tensed, and his face got even redder. If Harmony noticed, she gave no sign, "We aren't actually on the lake, so we should be fine. Besides, Reid will protect me."
Reid didn't look convinced, but to his credit, he said, "While you’re with me, you’ve nothing to fear."
"See Derek? Nothing to fear," Harmony said, "So Reid, what do you think of Golden Lake, Frozen Edition? It’s our best-kept winter secret. No one thinks to come out here when it's this cold. Usually."
"I can sympathize," Reid said, "But I can also certainly appreciate the allure. It's like a large frozen swimming pool but more quaint."
Who talks like that?
Derek whistled, "High praise for us simple folk, Reid. Tell us what you think of the rest of Golden Lake?" Derek prodded.
Sensing Derek's motives, Harmony said, "You don't have to answer that."
"It's quite alright," Reid said. I find Golden Lake quite … charming, like a rustic menagerie of sorts full of unfamiliar sights, sounds, and smells. Based on my father’s description, I expected to be stuck in a backwater where the collective IQ doesn't exceed triple digits. I’ve been pleasantly surprised, save for a few notable, fishing pole-clad exceptions."
"Be still my heart. Harm, you should've mentioned he was such a sweet talker," Derek said.
"Maybe I would have if you ever shut your mouth longer than two seconds," Harmony replied, turning to Reid, "You wanna get going?"
Before Reid could reply, Derek held out both his hands in a placating gesture and said, "I'm sorry, alright? I'll stop. I'm not good at playing nice with new people. How did you two crazy kids meet? It's gotta be quite the story if I've never even heard of Reid, and now you're out at night together, seeing the sights."
"You're not wrong on that score, chap," Reid said with a giggle, "As I'm sure you know, Harmony is quite the firecracker. I've not met anyone like her. Shall I tell the story?"
Harmony's eyes narrowed at Derek. She looked like she was trying to discern whether Derek was sincere or jerking Reid around. "Go ahead. We've got time," she said, blowing into her hands to warm them up. “Besides, if we're going to stay, we should wait for the moon again. The lake is beautiful in moonlight."
Derek realized his mistake, but it was too late to get them to leave. Without further preamble, Reid launched into the story.
"Father insisted I accompany him for a business trip to a little town called Golden Lake. I'll admit I didn't think much of the idea at first. Father usually handles the acquisitions side of the business, but if I'm to inherit the company one day, I must take on a more active leadership role. I acquiesced and found myself regretting the decision almost immediately. Golden Lake has more trees and snow than buildings and people, without a fast food chain in sight."
When is this guy going to get to the point?
“When I'd just about written off the entire experience as a colossal waste of my precious time, a young woman with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes tapped me on the shoulder.” Harmony rolled her eyes at that bit, but Reid didn’t seem to notice. “I flinched at first. City reflexes, you understand, but afterward, I noticed she was holding a black leather wallet that looked remarkably similar to my own. I patted my pockets, and sure enough, she had my wallet. I retrieved it and verified it still contained all my valuables. A man like me can never be too careful, especially in a backwater hamlet such as Golden Lake.”
It sounds to me like Golden Lake needs to be careful around a man like you.
“Imagine my surprise when I found that a crisp, new $5 bill had wandered into my wallet among the rest of my things. Miss Walker not only managed to pick my pocket deftly but was also given the opportunity to steal a portion of my considerable wealth. Instead, she decided to add to it, if only by a minute amount. I was without words. She offered to show me around town, and I must confess that I needed to know more about this strange but delightful girl. If a place like Golden Lake contained one hidden treasure, why shouldn't it contain more?”
Derek listened to the story with rapt attention, baffled by the sheer fact that the longer the guy talked, the more he sounded like a cliche. Reid told the story with genuine enthusiasm, which was at odds with the rest of his stiff demeanor, and Derek couldn't bring himself to interrupt or even mock the guy. Derek even chuckled at the Harmony Walker special move. She loved stealing things from people and returning them better than when she found them. Reid was just lucky that he'd gotten it back so quickly. Derek remembered a time-
"Are you happy now?" Harmony asked, startling him out of his reverie.
"I'm never happy," Derek replied, "But I am satisfied. You two have a good rest of your night. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
Derek started to walk into the trees, letting the two of them enjoy the rest of their night, but something gave him pause. He finally remembered where he'd heard the name Wilco. His mom had mentioned it to him, a big national distributor.
He spun sharply on his heels, the slick snow almost sending him tumbling. Derek called out, "Why are you in my town, Wilco?"
"Don't do-" Harmony started to say.
"No, seriously, Wilco, what brings you to Golden Lake?" Derek asked in a friendly voice but with an edge.
Harmony turned to Reid and said, "It doesn't matter. You don't have to answer him, Reid. Let's enjoy our date."
Derek's phone emitted a MythMaker notification, but he ignored it.
"I don't see the harm in indulging the fellow. The denizens of Golden Lake will come to thank the Wilcos one of these days. Father and I are inevitable," Reid said softly to Harmony. He then turned to Derek and spoke in a deeper, more firm voice, "I represent the national distributor known as World Wide Wilco. Perhaps you've heard of us. Father and I have come to Golden Lake to purchase, repurpose, and revitalize the essential businesses that are the lifeblood of Golden Lake. It’s our first venture into the real estate business, but Father has it on good authority that Golden Lake is a relatively hidden gem that needs the kind of polishing that only a capital infusion can apply. As a show of good faith, we've decided to winter here to familiarize ourselves with the locals while we acquire the seed businesses necessary to counteract the negligence that has allowed Golden Lake to languish in obscurity."
"Wait, a second. You're trying to purchase the town?" Derek asked. "I thought you were just doing a deal with my dad to help keep us competitive?"
"Purchase the town? Of course not, just several key businesses that control the flow of commerce," Reid answered.
“You mean, like the local grocery store?" Derek asked.
"Reid!" Harmony said, trying to get him to stop talking, but it was too late.
"Precisely,” Reid said to Derek, “ The owner has proved quite resistant, but Father assures me that once we've fostered dependence, we can expect him to come around to our way of thinking sometime this Spring, well before the beginning of tourist season."
Derek didn't know when he'd gotten close enough to grab the lapel of Reid's shirt and pull him close, "I think you'll find the son's owner is quite resistant as well, Daddy’s Boy," Derek said through gritted teeth, "In fact, I think you’ll find that he’ll resist you, your Father, your company, or any other company that tries to take what he loves."
Something hard slammed into Derek's cheek with enough force to send him stumbling back. He looked around to see what it could be and saw Harmony breathing heavily, her face red, and her hand clenched into a fist.
"Back off, Derek," Harmony said, "You picked the wrong time to pull your head out. There's more going on here than you know, and you don't get to take it out on Reid. Take your stupid fishing pole and go back, sticking your head in the clouds. That's what you're good at."
"Are you seriously taking this empty suit's side over mine?" Derek asked, missing Harmony’s point.
Before Harmony or Reid could reply, a branch cracked. The crack was followed by a flurry of footsteps crunching through the snow, increasing in volume as they approached. Derek could hear a heavy snuffling that sounded like the labored breathing of a pug but angrier.
MythMaker chimed another notification in his pocket before Derek even had the chance to turn toward the trees. Derek turned and pulled his phone from his pocket in one smooth motion, and he made a mental note that getting a smartwatch was on his list of top priorities. Having to pull this thing out every time is a huge pain. He had two new quest notifications. The source of the heavy breathing was nearly on top of them, but Derek needed to know what he was dealing with. He opened MythMaker and started to read.
Side Quest Acquired!
Unlucky in Love: Harmony Walker has a new romantic partner, but something is not right with him. Sabotage the budding romance before its insidious roots can take hold.
Side Quest Updated!
Bump in the Night: The source of the children's fears has revealed itself. Eliminate the threats before they cause any more harm. (0/5 ??? Defeated).
As Derek finished reading, the first of the creatures materialized out of the darkness.
Is that a freaking dinosaur?