~~The Masked Stranger~~

~~The Masked Stranger~~
The moonlight shone down upon the valley in a velvety way.
She walked toward the masked stranger. She was not afraid but yet excieted as she crept toward the masked stranger."I know you are there"
the stranger said. She stoped dead in her tracks thinking how did he know i'm here? The stranger still stood there not making any move to hurt her or yet touch her in any way. She still walked closer knowing for some reason it was the right thing to do. "I've kown you would come...Anne." the stranger stated. She thought i know that voice.
With couriosity bubbleing inside her she stood in front of the stranger.
The stranger had sad forlorne eyes and he was looking directly at her.
She gasped for it was Dave......................."To be continued!"

~~The Masked Stranger Part II~~
She felt sorrow and happiness at the same time sorrow because Dave was sad and yet happiness to see him. Dave turned to her and said
" A curse binds me to this valley so I can not go any where except here. There is only one way to break the curse but I do not know it."
Anne looked up at him tears in her eyes each tears a fact of her sorrow slowly sliding down her pale rosy cheeks. Dave smiles a sad smile for he notices how beautiful she is even when she is crying.
"All I know is that to find the cure you must travel over
The Terror Mountains and The Tearless desert and a vast ocean called The Sea of Sorrows and then find the Temple of Odicia." Dave states hopelessly. "But I can not go. For this curse that binds me here!"
"I will go for you Dave!" Anne states determinedly. "No…" She cuts across him "What its to dangerous" Dave sighs "All right you can go but and only but if you take Ashes with you."
"Who's Ash..." but suddenly she stopped a great grey Dragon came out of a cave she did not notice earlier. "Climb aboard" Ashes said. Her mouth hanging open "You can talk!"
Ashes reply was a snort. Timidly she climbed on "When will I see you again?" she called to Dave. " At the next full moon" he said in undertones so Anne wouldn't here "Take care of her Ash". Ashes nodded and took of in to the sky............... To be continued!

~~The Masked Stranger Part III~~
Anne woke with a start for a freezing chill was nipping at her toes. They were flying over The Terror Mountains. Ashes turned his head toward her and said, “I need to land Miss Anne”. Surprised at being called this she squeaked in her surprise “alright you may land where ever you think best.”
With that Ashes flew lower to find a safe location to land and rest. They landed in this valley in the mountains and found a cave for Ash to rest in. Anne went out for a walk in the valley but yet she did not know of the dangers that lurked around the corner. She was lying in the grass looking up at the sky thinking about Dave when she heard leaves rustling. She looked up frightened and all she saw was a pair of dark red eyes staring at her she stood frozen to the spot and could not, would not move a muscle! Then Anne got her brains back and ran for it for she knew the thing with red eyes was close behind her and was trying to get her. She turned a sharp left hoping to throw off the red eyed thing but alas she did not instead she trapped herself!………………….”To be continued!!”

~~The Masked Stranger Part IV~~
Anne looked all around she was in a tight cavern nowhere to go but up! The red-eyed thing (yet to be identified) was closing in on her slowly yet surely knowing there was no way out! Then a big deep voice echoed all through out the cavern “Anne” it said she looked at the thing startled “Yes I know your name Anne” Then out of nowhere Ashes swooped down and grabbed her and flew of! “Curses!” the red-eyed thing said, “Master J. wont be happy with me. Harca!!” “Yes master?” a giant brown hawk said appearing out of nowhere. “We need to pay a visit to Master J.” the red-eyed thing said. “Oh not again he is so… so, well I don’t know what he is but what ever it is its bad.” Harca replied. “Lets get on with it its not going to be pleasant for either of us so lets go.” The red-eyed thing stated as they flew into the sky.
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“You must be more careful Miss Anne!” Ashes stated heatedly. “I’m sorry Ash I just went for a walk then out of nowhere that red eyed thing came running after me!” Anne states devastated from the shock of everything............"To be continued!"

~~The Masked Stranger Part V~~
Dark mountains appeared to rise up out of the ground as Dracoricks and Harca fly to Master J.’s ominous lair. They landed on a long trembling bridge with cracks on the edges as if it was about to collapse, but it was not for it was the flow of lava oozing underneath it. “You stay here and wait for me Harca. If I don’t come out within the hour you come looking for me.” Dracoricks said hurriedly. “Master you know you can trust me.” Harca said flatly. Dracoricks hurried along the bridge knowing that if he were late it would just make it worse for him to plead his case to Master J. As he left the bridge he came to this enormously vast room draped in red and black. He took a left into a dark corridor witch led to Master J.’s quarters where he is reading. Master J. looks up there is no emotion on his face what so ever staring at Dracoricks. “I uh…” Dracoricks stuttered, “Save your breath Dracoricks she got away I know that or she would be here with you.”
Master J. commanded. At once Dracoricks stopped looking at Master J. waiting for him to speak. Master J. did not speak for a while for he knew that is what Dracoricks was waiting for just to bother him but he was not silent for long. “You need to find the girl bring her to me and do not frighten her you git I told you to get her not scare her out of her wits you insolent gnomon!”..............."To be continued!"

~~The Masked Stranger VI~~
Drackorics winced as Master J. yelled at him as though it was a blow to his face. “Yes master, I understand master” is all he said for fear of angering him more. “You may leave now Dracoricks.” Master J. said threateningly. “Yes master” and he left the room and found himself face to face with Harca “Harca don’t scare me like that!” Harca jumps “ I’m sorry master the hour just ran out.” “Oh I’m sorry Harca its just Master J. was really harsh” Dracoricks said heatedly. “Its all right master I was just coming for you” Harca said calmingly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ashes was flying over what seemed to be an ocean of sand. “Ashes, can we land now? The sun is baking my scalp off.” She said heatedly. “Yes Miss Anne.” And with that he flew lower to find shelter. Then he came across an ancient castle that was in ruins and landed in the middle “Will this do Miss Anne?” Ashes asked. Anne looked around “Yes it will do quite fine” she replied with satisfaction. She started to walk around the room pacing thinking about what dangers lurked here. She peered around a corner and shivered for fear that the red-eyed thing (who is actually a gnomon whose name is Dracoicks) Ashes looked at her in surprise “You better stay with me Miss Anne” she turned around startled “Oh its just you, alright I will stay with you” and in her mind she was thinking I wasn’t even going to let him out of my sight even for the tiniest thing. She went over to were Ash was laying and sat down next to him and she started humming to herself. Ashes opened one eye to look at her then he closed his eyes and went to sleep. She saw that he was asleep and she lied down next to him and fell into a deep sleep.
…………….. To be continued!

~~The Masked Stranger Part VII~~
Anne awoke with a start from her deep sleep she was no longer in the castle but she was back in the valley. She looked up and say Dave standing a few miles away suddenly she got up and ran towards Dave her heart beating wildly “Dave, Dave!” she kept calling out to him but he wouldn’t turn around so she kept running towards him. She finally reached him “Dave, are you there?” He looked down at her all of a sudden his eyes turned red “no NO…. Dave!” she shrieked. “Anne” said a big deep voice. Anne shrieked a high shrill piercing scream for the red-eyed Dave had a tight grip on her arms yet the red-eyed Dave did not let go “Anne you must come with me… I’m sorry it is the only way…. Harca!” A giant brown hawk swooped down towards them and the seen dissolved before her eyes she was still in the castle her eyes widened as she tried to scream but she could not. Magic… she thought as she could see that her scream had not awoken Ashes. “Lets go Harca” Dracoricks said in hushed tones “Yes master” he said as they rose up into the sky and just as they seemed to disappear Ashes woke up and looked into the sky “Why…. Why, why!” he growled and set off for them knowing that Miss Anne was with them for dragons know these sort of things.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Let me go you infamous creature!” Anne yelled as they were getting off Harca and entering Master J.’s lair. Dracoricks made no move as though he did not hear her. “Did you not hear me LET ME GO!” she screamed. Dracoricks turned to look at her “You are asking the wrong person miss.”
“Then who am I to ask?” she said calmly “I thought this was your cave, fortress thing!” Dracoricks looked as though he was going to burst with laughter “My dear you flatter me! You think that this belongs to me?!?!”
“Well I only assumed that it belonged to you because you brought me here.” She stated calmly “Ha, you think that this is my place because I brought you here? Well I’m sorry miss this is not mine but it belongs to Master J.” he said quietly. “You say his name as though it is cursed.” She said with out lowering her voice as Dracoricks did “It should be” he replied quietly. “Well at least tell me this, who are you?” she waited for a few minuets but what seemed to her for hours then he finally answered “I am Dracoricks a common gnomon that has been enslaved to Master J.” She didn’t say anything for a few minuets mulling over what he had said then she questioned him “What is a gnomon?” Dracoricks sighs, “I knew you would ask that confounded question as many others have, and I might as well tell you as I have told every one else who has asked that question so you might as well sit while we wait for him and I will tell you about gnomons”
…………………………….”To be continued!”

~~The Masked Stranger Part VIII~~
Dracoricks seated himself across from Anne “Now you have asked me what gnomons are and I will respond with a story. A long time ago a wise old fool we call him that for making us… oh where was I… ah yes I remember a wise old fool was looking through an old book of spells that hadn’t been touched for years and should have stayed untouched and as he was looking a spell caught his eye it was called “gnomonsy” so he thought he would be clever and try it. Only time was against him for no one else knew about it, but him for the spell said you had to wait one month for the full moon and so he did and while he was waiting he found all the things he needed to complete the gruesome spell which he had set out to conquer. The time of the full moon came at last he had all he needed and every thing was in place and the last words of the spell were being uttered a rat jumped into the ingredients then bang an it exploded into nothing except for eleven little creatures with red eyes staring up and the wise old fool. The eleven little creatures began to grow bigger and bigger then the stopped growing and were now the size of the wise old fool. He cackled with glee as though he had won “Now my minions we leave at dawn!” he crowed like the fool he was. Dawn came and they went into a small town where he sold them all, as slaves and Master J. happened to buy three and one of those three was named Dracoricks and my two other brothers have been killed by Master J. himself” Dracoricks ended “Did some one say my name?” Master J. said curtly. Dracoricks jumped to his feet “Master” he said. Master J. nodded and was going to say some thing but he stopped for his eyes had found Anne sitting gracefully upon a bench waiting “You did not tell me we had a guest Dracoricks”. Dracoricks looked up and said, “Forgive me master I was just about to tell you” Master J. cut him off “So this is Anne the lovely rose I have been wanting to meet.” Anne looks up “Your flattery will not work on me you old goat!” she says as she turns away from him her nose in the air. “Now Miss Anne please I am only trying to be kind, you have hurt me and you don’t know how much.” Master J. replied. Anne turned to face him “Well at least I know how to do that much” she says then sticks her tongue out at him and turns around her back facing him. Master J. grabs a rock and crumbles it in his hand to vent his furry; once all that was left of the rock was dust he replied “Well Miss Anne will you please come walk with me?”
He was expecting her to say no but instead she stood up and walked toward him gracefully she stood by him waiting for him to stop looking dumfounded and walk with her she finally lost her patients “I am waiting!” she said annoyed. Master J. hurriedly regained his composure and he held out his arm for her to hold while they walked; she took it grudgingly and they walked off together……………………”To be continued!”

~~The Masked Stranger Part IX~~
They walked down a long passageway that led to his library as they were walking there she asked “Why are you so intent on having me here with you and what do you want from me?!?” Master J. did not say any thing. “What is it with you people and ignoring me?!?” Master J. looked at her and sighed “I’m sorry its just I was thinking about what to say to you and how to explain to you why I did this to you.” She looks at him “I am waiting.” She says calmly waiting. They came to the library and he takes her to a chair (the most comfortable one I might add) and she sits waiting fervently. Master J. moves another chair for him to sit in close to hers. “Anne the reason I have brought you here is so you can help me and I will help you in return.” Anne looks at him; as though he has gone insane “What” she looks at him again waiting he says nothing so she does “How do you expect me to believe that?” Master J. looks up into her eyes “I don’t know Anne I really don’t know I guess you could trust me…” She didn’t look back at him but at the ground she stands up and starts pacing around the room thinking quickly. Anne turned to look at Master J. and asked, “How long do I have to stay here?” he looked up at her “Three days and three nights you must stay before the spell brakes for that is all the time I have before I die” Master J. said as though he was reciting a poem that he has known for years. “Where will I be staying?” she said softly. “You may stay in the east chambers. I will take you there now…” she went over to where Master J. was standing and she took his arm and he led her to her chambers. When they entered her room it was surprisingly nice; the walls were a pale pink color with a balcony that led to a nice view of the mountains, for this room was the highest in the lair so you could not see the lava below you could almost think it as a castle. As Anne was walking around the room in amassment Master J. said with hope of getting on her good side, “Does it please you Miss Anne?” She regained her composure quickly and said with a stony face “It will do.” Master J. grit his teeth to stop himself from shouting “If you need any thing just ring the bell,” he said quietly. “All right Master J.” she said without any whispering or reverence like Dracoricks does. He looked startled at her calling him this “Please call me Joe…” She turned around surprised “All right Joe” and when she had said that he turned around and walked to the door. Once he was out side the door he ran to his study for he had never told any one his real name before and no one had ever called him by his real name before. He reached his study sat down and was mulling over the things that had just happened
………………………”To be continued!”

~~The Masked Stranger Part X~~
Ashes was circling around the lair but could not get in “It seems like I will need help. I haven’t paid that visit I promised to Gorivitch yet I think it is time to pay that visit.” Ashes stopped trying to get in and instead went towards the mountains where Gorivitch lived and those mountains were the mountains that you could see out of Anne’s balcony. Ashes landed in the mouth of a cave just as Gorivitch came out he squealed in surprise “Ashes! It has been to long! Either you have grown or I have shrunk, but between you and I, you haven’t grown at all, I have shrunk but lets say you’ve grown for my comfort!” he chortled at his own joke. (Now Gorivitch is an ancient plompus, Plompuses grow shorter as they grow older hence Gorivitch’s joke). “Yes old friend it has been long” Ash said to Gorivitch and muttered to himself “but maybe not long enough” Gorivitch heard him mumbling “Whats that you said?” Ashes startled replied “Oh nothing of importance” Gorivitch looked puzzled but he forgot it a second later “So what brings you hear other than you promised to come but I did not expect you back so soon.” Ashes turned his head toward the old plompus and said gravely “I have failed my greatest friend and I am in need of some help to gain what I have lost for my friend” Gorivitch stroked his long beard while thinking and stated “You are going to have to tell me more than that for me to be able to help you young one” Ashes snorted at being called this but Gorivitch paid no mind to his snort “All right but you better relax old thing…” Gorivitch cut across him “Now wait one minuet watch who you are calling old!” Ashes continued as though he did not hear him “For the tale I am about to tell you is a long one indeed”
Ashes narrated the story to his best ability and hours passed as the old plompus kept interrupting him with questions that were silly in Ashes view. Then he told Gorivitch about how Anne had been taken to the volcano when Ashes mentioned the volcano Gorivitch looked as though he had died right there and then “Gorivitch are you well?” Ashes said worried. “Yes, yes I am fine dear friend its just the stories I have herd, the disappearances of some of my loved ones that thought they were smart to enter that there volcano.” He said as he pointed to the volcano wearily. “Well I need your help to get her out… you do know how to get in there right?” Ashes asked worried. “Yes I do know how to get in there but it will take three days.” Gorivitch said softly “Three days!” Ashes howled “How come?!?!” Gorivitch looked up at his dear friend sadly “Because every three days the shield dies for three hours.” Ashes looked down at his friend “ And this is the first day of three I take it?” his old friend nodded solemnly. “Well what are we supposed to do for three blasted days?” Gorivitch shrugged “I don’t know I suppose we could gather thing together for the deathly trip I suppose or no wait I have a better idea we will ask other plompuses to help us yes that is what we will do.” Ashes thought about this quickly and said “No I don’t want to endanger any other lives than ours” Gorivitch shrugged “All right we wont ask any body to help us”………………………….”To be continued!”

~~The Masked Stranger Part XI~~
Anne was poking in the cupboards in her room and found a mysterious object. She was sitting on the bed looking at the strange object when a little goblin came in and she stuffed it under her pillow as the goblin announced “Dinners ready” She looked out the window she didn’t even notice that it was dark until now “Well are ya comin?” the goblin asked hurriedly. “Oh yes I am” Anne got up and followed the little goblin down a long squat hall that led to the dining hall as she entered Master J. stood up and helped her into her chair. She rolled her eyes in the other direction so he couldn’t see but he still felt her coldness towards him and he frowned slightly, but it vanished when she smiled at him he smiled back happy forgetting her coldness to him altogether right then and there. “Shall we eat now?” he asked his voice sounding a little lighter than usual. “If you like we can it is your place.” Anne stated. “Oh yes all right then Grunchie bring in the food please” The goblin looked up surprised “Yes master” the little goblin pattered away into the kitchen and brought the food out. As they were eating Anne asked, “What would I be helping you with if I accepted to help you?” Master J. looked up “You would help me find a mysterious object of curious workmanship” Anne gasped and almost choked. Master J. looked surprised “Are you all right Miss Anne?” She looks up “Oh yes I am fine.” She says shakily. “I think it would be best if you went to bed early tonight” Master J. said worried. “All right I think that would be good too.” She said as she got up out of her chair and went to her room. Master J. sat in his chair for a long period of time mulling over what had happened as he sat their Drackorics entered the room quietly “Yes Drackorics?” Drackorics froze scared at him knowing he was there “Well you do have a reason for being there don’t you?” Drackorics gathered his wits as fast as he could “Of course master I do have a reason” Master J. began to be impatient “Well then what is it!”
“I have heard that there was a dragon circling the castle a few hours a go.” He stated calmly………………… “To be continued!”

~~The Masked Stranger Part XII~~
As Dracoricks left the room he heard Master J. storming in the dinning hall kicking the chairs and the table. Then Master J. came storming out of the room and ran to his study. Drackorics is stunned at this strange turn of events. Master J. was pacing in his study trying to mull over the things that had been revealed to him. “A dragon flying around the volcano, a dragon of all things I have a suspicion I will need to talk To Anne about this.” Anne was standing right behind him “You need to talk to me about what?”
Master J. turned around in surprise “Oh… uh…” Anne roles her eyes “Sure lets think do you want to ask me about a dragon perhaps?” she said sarcastically for she knew he was going to ask her about that. Master J. looked taken back “How long have you been standing there?” he said arching one eyebrow as he said it. “Long enough I’m sure.” Anne said annoyed. “Well then how about this dragon do you know a dragon?” Anne was ready for this question the minute he started and she snapped back “What if I do?” Master J. looked startled “Well then I would figure out if it is your dragon or not then if it is not I would send Drackorics to kill it if it wasn’t yours. That’s what I would do.” It was Anne’s turn to look startled
“Well it is mine and if your hairy monster touches my dragon I will kill myself!” Master J. jumped out of his chair in surprise “No I will not hear of it, you killing yourself for a lousy dragon that’s complete stupidity!” Anne was satisfied with the reaction she got and said only this “Then you better not touch that dragon.” And she walked out of the room with an air of being superior. Anne walked calmly to her room and when she entered her room she found all the doors pulled open and all the cupboards thrown out in a manner in which it would seem that some one had been sifting through her things. Her eyes narrowed at the scene, but then she noticed that the bed had not been touched her eyes narrowed more for it was suspicious enough to have all her other belongings torn up and not the bed. Anne walked further into the room to inspect the damage further as she walks into the room she steps on the medallion as though it was thought of as nothing but a piece of jewelry. Anne sighed in relief as she picked it up. “So you are the one they want.” She whispered quietly to no one or so she thought was no one. “Could you say that a little louder Miss Anne?” she turned around in surprise as she hid the medallion behind her back to face Master J. Her eyes narrowed as he walked closer to her a little to close she thought in her mind but stood her ground not wanting to show weakness or fear of him, and that is exactly what Master J. wanted her to do. “Are you sure you don’t have any thing to show me Anne.” He said menacingly yet comforting in a way. Master J. expected her to give in seeing the position she was in but “No I don’t Joe,” she said sweetly and innocently and that caught him off guard “All right, you are sure you don’t have any thing to show me?” She looked back at him staring into his eyes not breaking eye contact “No I’m sure” His eyes looked as though there was a battle going on inside his head then some side of the battle won as he swooped down and kissed her cheek and sprang out the door as though he was running for his life. Anne stood there shocked beyond shouting……………………….”To be continued!”

~~The Masked Stranger Part XIII~~
Anne was pacing around the room fingering the medallion, She sat on the bed worried and wondering if she should give Master J. the medallion. “Oh well I might as well clean up this place” she stated as she stood up and started to clean the room picking up things as she made her way around the room then she spied an old weathered book as she picked it up some of the pages fell out she bent over and picked up the pages. Anne went and sat on the balcony and she read the book. The first page read nothing, this was truly curious. She slowly turned to the next page there was noting there. She opened it to the middle there was nothing there she turned to the last page “Only the man who this entitles to can read this book and it would be wise to take me inside and show me to Master J., Anne” She slammed the book shut with fright, the book let out a moan she ran inside, her room and she walked to the door as calmly as she could. Anne walked down the hall to Master J.’s study, she knocked on the door three times before entering the room and she cam face to face with Master J. he looked as though he was about to open the door when Anne had done so. Master J. was surprised to see her, startled he stepped back a few paces and asked “Is there some thing you need Miss Anne?” Anne walked in and looked at him “No, I have something for you.” She said as she gave Master J. the book and medallion, he took them and gently and held up the medallion to the light and asked, “Where did you find this?” She looked up at him and replied; “I found it in one of the drawers in my room.” Master J. continued to finger the medallion then he saw the book he became frightened “Where did you find that?’ he demanded. Anne looked up startled “I found it in my room too, Joe” She tried to give it to him but he wouldn’t take it. Anne was puzzled and amused from this and she said teasingly “Why don’t you want to open it?” she smiles teasingly and makes the book touch him, and he jumps as high as the ceiling or so it seemed. He yells, “Why did you do that?” Anne jumped back startled and replies, “I’m sorry Joe I was just playing please don’t hurt me.” She says fear trembling in her voice. Master J. turns to look at Anne with a look of shock and astonishment on his face “Miss Anne I would never dream of hurting you. I’m sorry if I have ever made you feel like I would do so, please forgive me.” She took a few steps back still a little frightened and said noting.
“ I am truly sorry Miss Anne please forgive me I am in your debt for you finding this for me.” He said raising the medallion at the same time. “You don’t know how important this is to making sure that… Oh never mind it is nothing of importance.” He said whisking the medallion away into one of is desk drawers to keep it safe. Anne’s eyes followed it there, then she looked at Master J. and he looked back at her. Anne asked him “What are you going to do with that book?” Master J. looked down at the book “I will possibly read it and possibly burn it” Anne became puzzled at him saying this and she replied, “So it’s fate is undecided” She looked at him “Yes it’s fate is undecided” and with that he took the book and put it on a shelf. The book seemed to be moving on the shelf it was placed on…. “To be continued!”

~~The Masked Stranger Part XIV~~
After talking to Master J., Anne was walking to her room. When she reached her room she opens the door and she finds her room clean all the trash that was thrown about was picked up and every thing was clean. “Curious” is all she says as she walks in and closes the door behind her. Master J. came to her door and was about to knock when she opened the door herself. Anne gasped, “Joe, is there some thing you need?” Master J. started to blush as she continued to look at him. “N-no I just, just wanted to say good night.” He says blushing even more. Anne tries to keep a strait face “Well then good night Joe.” She says as she closes the door and locks it just for extra measure, and walks to the bed and falls asleep. Master J. stood there for a few minuets dazed at what had just happened and then he slowly started walking to his room still dazed not entirely thinking at all really. He finally reached his room and fell asleep. But Drackorics wasn’t asleep he was stalking the halls looking for something, but not finding it. “Curses, these halls are so confusing during the night.” He continued to walk down the hall in complete darkness and he stubbed his toe. “Sugar snap peas!” he cried in anguish, holding his toe and jumping up and down. He set his foot down gingerly and pressed on making his way through the hall towards
Master J.’s study where the medallion is kept. Drackorics entered the study slowly trying not to move any thing then he heard moaning from a high shelf. The moaning was growing louder and louder then it stopped Drackorics froze looking around the room trying to locate the moaning. The book started shrieking Drackorics eyes grew wide with fear for being heard, he threw open the door and flew out of the room, dashing towards his chambers. He reached his room and throws the door and slams the door behind him, panting like a dog. He jumped into his bed and did not sleep at all till the morning came……………… “To be continued!”