"I am Detective Roselle," Roselle proclaimed with with outstretched hands and a held up a detective’s magnifying glass designed by Kintovar. "And this is the case of the missing friend and the enigmatic letter." She waved the letter in her hand for emphasis.
Roselle moved with the Magnifying glass and scanned the sands to find nothing but sand on the ground."We searched every nook and cranny of South Jancito, and what did we find? Absolutely nothing! Haras has vanished into thin air, and it doesn't make sense!"
Risebelle shook her head and folded her arms. “Hey Roselle, we're dealing with a serious situation here. This isn't the time for games."
Roselle paced back and forth. "First, we find Haras missing. A complete vanishing act! Then, out of the blue, we receive this mysterious letter. Now, it’s time that we, the Super R Sisters got to the bottom of this case! We will not rest until Haras is--'"
Risebelle interrupted and scolded, "Roselle, this is no time for your theatrics! We need to focus on this letter."
Roselle looked at her with a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Oh, come on, Risebelle! It's not every day I get to play the role of the leader. Let me have my moment in the spotlight..."
Risebelle sighed and lowered her eyes. “Look, we can't afford to waste time."
Roselle shook off her sad face and shifted to a small smile. She nodded her head to Risebelle’s words. "You're right, Risebelle. We need to get this letter to Kintovar.”
The sisters arrived at Shadowcroft and made their way to Kintovar's lab, where they hoped to find her. Upon entering, Kintovar was engrossed in her work, surrounded by various pieces of machinery and schematics. She looked up once they entered.
"Kintovar," Roselle began with a sad face, "we need to talk to you. It's about Haras."
Kintovar shifted from curiosity to worry. "Haras? What happened?"
Risebelle handed Kintovar the letter from Arahas Olasemahed, the Witch of the South. Kintovar took it and quickly scanned its contents.
After Kintovar finished reading the letter, she appeared to be slighty angered. "This is serious. Olasy has taken Haras into her custody. She's demanding that I come to a designated location to secure Haras's release."
Runebelle spoke with gloom.” Dr.Kintovar, we don't know what Olasy can do. This could be a trap…”
Kintovar nodded in agreement. "You're right. Olasy is said to be a powerful figure, and this situation requires a cautious approach. But I won't leave Haras in her hands. We'll find a way to rescue her."
Roselle spoke next with a confident look in her eyes. “We need to plan our next steps carefully. A witch we don’t know anything about could be as dangerous as Dark whirlwind."
Kintovar looked at the sisters with a smile. "Thank you, all of you. We'll figure out a plan to deal with Olasy, but for now, I need to respond to her message and buy us some time."
Night fell upon Shadowcroft. Kintovar took a moment to tuck Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle into their respective beds. They had been through a long and exhausting day.
Once the sisters were settled in, Kintovar sat on the edge of one of the. She looked at the slumbering faces of her creations and began to speak softly."The attack on Shadowcroft, the arrival of the Spear of Destruction, and the disappearance of Haras," Kintovar mused aloud. "It all seemed like chaos and mayhem, but it was orchestrated with a purpose. Olasy is no ordinary adversary. She may be chaotic, but she's shown a level of intelligence. Not a great deal, but enough to make me wonder about her true intentions."
Kintovar held the locator device in her hand, a piece of advanced technology that could easily track and locate Haras. She looked at the device and then back at her slumbering creations, pondering her options.
"It would be simple to find Haras with this, and we could rush in and save Haras, but rushing in blindly could cost us more than we’re prepared to lose," she muttered to herself.’The main problem is that we don’t know the intelligence of this witch, Olasy. She’s shown a level of cunning in her orchestration of these events, but how far does her intellect truly reach? What if she has a web of deeper strategies at play?’
Kintovar looked at the tracker and thought, "We need more information before we can act. We can't afford to walk into a trap."
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A day passed, and the relentless pace of repairs at Shadowcroft continued. Kintovar found herself moving through the restored sections of the building.The power had been restored, bringing a semblance of normalcy, but there was still much to do.
Kintovar spotted Dr. Winter who was composed as ever despite the whirlwind of activity around her. "Good morning, Dr. Winter," Kintovar greeted with one hand raised.
Dr. Winter smiled warmly, though her eyes betrayed her own exhaustion. "Good morning, Dr.Kintovar. I haven't had my morning tea yet. Care to join me?"
Kintovar nodded. She followed Dr. Winter to a location on the ground floor where a sleek, state-of-the-art tea and coffee machine stood. The machine offered a variety of flavors.
With one tap, a steaming cup of tea was poured into a delicate porcelain cup. Dr. Winter turned to Kintovar with a glint of amusement in her eyes. "Fancy, right?"
Kintovar chuckled softly. "You always say that, don’t you, Winter?"
Dr. Winter proceeded to overload her tea with an alarming amount of sugar..Meanwhile, Kintovar opted for a more modest two cubes. She stirred her tea calmly.
They moved to a nearby table and sat down. Kintovar allowed herself a moment to savor the warmth of her tea. The steam climbed upwards like delicate green tendrils of a climbing vine.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Dr. Winter took a sip of her heavily sweetened tea with a look of satisfaction crossing her face. "Ahhh, that's the stuff," she sighed. "Sometimes, it's the little things that keep us going."
Kintovar smiled, but her mind quickly returned to the pressing issues at hand. "Dr. Winter, I wanted to discuss our next steps. I--”
“Hold that thought.” Dr. Winter interruped casually, "I retrieved your weapon. We got it back from the control room now that power has been restored to Shadowcroft."
Dr. Winter reached into a bag at her side and pulled out a familiar-looking weapon. She tossed it skillfully to Kintovar, who caught it with a deft hand.
Kintovar grinned while receiving her BG-360. She cradled it like a cherished possession. "Thank you, Dr. Winter. I can't go anywhere without this 'baby.' It's good to have it back."
Dr. Winter's observed Kintovar's reaction to her weapon's return with a smile. She was about to say something when suddenly, a warning alarm blared throughout Shadowcroft.
The loud, repetitive beeping echoed through the corridors, accompanied by an automated voice. "Attention, all personnel. Low-level threat detected. Suspected civilian presence."
Dr. Winter furrowed her brows. "What on earth is a civilian doing all the way out here?"
Kintovar shrugged. "No idea, but we'd better check it out."
The duo approached the entrance where they encountered the man in Arabic-style clothing that Roselle,Risebelle and Runebelle did earlier.
The man Approached Kintovar and Dr. Winter and asked, "Which one of you is Kintovar?"
Dr. Winter immediately adopted a guarded stance and reached for her gun. She inquired, "Do you know this person, Kintovar?"
Kintovar replied, "I'm Kintovar. Can I help you? I don't believe we've met before."
The man in Arabic-style clothing reached into his pocket. Dr. Winter's instincts flared, and she shouted, "He's reaching for a weapon!" She swiftly drew her own weapon, the DA-56, and held it steady, the letters "DA-56" visible on the weapon's frame.
The man's hand froze in his pocket. His gaze shifted between the two women before stating, "I am unarmed. I see no need to carry a weapon when man’s greatest weapons are their fists."
With that assurance, he proceeded to remove a letter from his pocket and handed it directly to Kintovar. There was no further interruption or resistance from Dr. Winter in the moment, but she kept her weapon trained on him throughout the exchange.
After handing the letter to Kintovar, the man simply turned and walked away.
Dr. Winter gave Kintovar a curious stare. "Kintovar, what was all that about? Who was that man, and what's in the letter?"
Kintovar sighed and began to read the follow-up letter aloud:
"To the Traveller Kintovar,
You have received my previous message, and now you must comply with my instructions to secure the safety of your friend. You are to come alone to the designated location. This place is of my choosing, and you are to tell no one else of this.
The meeting will take place at the main office of 'The Witch' in the Desert Town of the South. You are to be there at the designated time, and you are to come alone. If you bring anyone with you or attempt to deceive me, your friend Haras will face severe consequences.
I trust you will understand these words and come prepared to meet my conditions. Await further instructions on the precise time of the meeting.
The Witch of the South,
'Arahas Olasemahed'"
Kintovar looked up at Dr. Winter with uncertainty. "I received a letter earlier that this 'Arahas Olasemahed’ took Haras and now, she is demanding that I meet her alone in the Desert Town of the South. “
Kintovar raised one finger. "Dr. Winter, there's one thing I won't do, and that's underestimate myself. I am Kintovar, one of the greatest scientific minds, and I am already prepared for this situation. I may not have the Witch's magic, but I have my intellect.”
With that, Kintovar nodded and began making preparations for the meeting with Arahas Olasemahed in the Desert Town of the South.
Kintovar stood at the entrance of Shadowcroft. The absence of her usual arsenal of advanced technology and weaponry made her look vulnerable. This caused concern among her friends and colleagues. Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle stood before her, also having unease in their gazes.
Mystimona, recovering from his injuries but standing strong, positioned himself just behind the sisters with a serious look glued to his face.
Kintovar turned to Mystimona and said, "Mystimona, I'm counting on you to look after them while I'm gone."
Mystimona nodded in reply.
With a final nod to her friends, Kintovar stepped out into the unknown, leaving behind the safety of Shadowcroft and embarking on a journey to meet Arahas Olasemahed.
Kintovar followed a map provided in the letter and arrived in the remote desert town. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the sandy streets. The town seemed deserted at first, but she went deeper and soon found a different scenary.
Arabically dressed soldiers were leading away townspeople who seemed to wear looks of fear. A young child, no older than six, was torn from their mother's arms. She reached up and cried.
Kintovar watched the child's distress. She couldn't intervene in the situation. She had none of her tools for one and she could make the situation with Haras worse by doing so. She had to be careful with how she approached this.
Against her better judgment, she approached the young girl. Kintovar knelt down to the girl's level and offered a gentle smile. "Hey , are you alright?"
The girl wiped her tears and looked up at Kintovar with wide, hopeful eyes. "When will my mum be back?"
Kintovar's smile faltered slightly, and she shook her head. "I don't know, sweetheart.”
The girl sniffled and nodded. "They said something about my mum having lots of magic," she continued. "But I don't have any, so they aren't a match. What does that mean?"
Kintovar's mind raced, trying to piece together the puzzle. She needed more information which she just didn’t have right now. She raised one finger after a moment of thought and said, "It means your mum is very special. Magic is a powerful thing, but not everyone has it. You have your own kind of special."
The girl seemed to ponder Kintovar's words. "But what can I do if I don't have magic?"
"You can be a scientist. Scientists use their brains to solve problems and make the world a better place. You don't need magic to be amazing."
The girl's eyes widened with interest. "A scientist?"
"Yes," Kintovar nodded. "You can learn about the world, make new discoveries, and help people in ways that are just as important as magic."
The girl smiled for the first time with tears subsiding. "Maybe I could be a scientist," she said softly.
Kintovar nodded. "Show those magic users who is the boss and become a scientist today, waha…."
The girl tilted her head. "But I don't know how to.”
Kintovar smiled. "Far south, there's a place called Shadowcroft. If you can manage to make it there someday, I guarantee you'll become a scientist."
The girl’s eyes widened with hope. "Really?"
Kintovar nodded firmly. "Really. Just remember, it's not about where you start but where you end up."
The girl smiled up at Kintover. Kintovar felt a surge of warmth, but it was quickly followed by a rush of anxiety. She shouted at herself in her mind, “Why the hell am I saying this stuff? If I talk with this child too long, I could raise suspicions. People are already looking at me oddly.
She glanced around and saw a few of the soldiers and townspeople casting curious and suspicious glances in her direction. Kintovar took a deep breath and forced a smile. "I have to go now," she said gently to the girl. "Stay safe, and remember what I told you."
The girl nodded. "Thank you, lady.”
Kintovar arrived at a castle that seemed give off an aura of malevolence. Its dark, imposing structure loomed over the surrounding area. The architecture was both grand and sinister, with towering spires and twisted, thorny vines that adorned its walls.
The sight before her could only belong to the Castle of the Wicked Witch of the South. There was no doubt in her mind. Kintovar muttered to herself, "Alright Witch, it’s time to see what you’re all about.”