HousepetZ: Survivor Tails

[SeanWolf]

HousepetZ: The Town On The Edge Of Insanity
Chapter 2: Questions Of Paradise


Refreshed after a good nights sleep, clean and fluffy after a long-awaited shower, and a belly full of a wonderful breakfast, Zach never felt better as he sat down on the park bench and took in the ambiance and the serenity of the town. He watched as the townsfolk went about their daily lives and chatted with each other, the topic of the Lottery coming up after so often. He observed the people in the park relaxing and enjoying the day like he was, with some having a small picnic. He listened as the birds sang their morning song and the gentle breeze whispered along. To say it was almost paradise would be under selling it. Alas, there was still this uneasiness about the whole place that lingered in both his and Cthulhu's mind, yet neither of them could figure out why. The whole place seemed too good to be true, what with the happy people and the friendly and inviting atmosphere. Not to mention seemingly everyone going about this Lottery that was poised to take place tomorrow. Perhaps, he thought as he waved back a person waving Hi to him, this Lottery was nothing more than a fun little event the town loved to do and the prize was either money or a vacation somewhere, paid for by the town. Still, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about this place. Standing up from the bench and stretching his arms, he thought a walk would do him some good and help keep his mind off that feeling he had, so that's what he did. Beginning with the park, he walked the entirety of the place, soaking in the atmosphere some more before deciding to walk through the town and take in the sights a bit more. Like the day he arrived, the townsfolk were still friendly and welcoming as various ones waved at him, with a few asking him how he was enjoying their cozy little town and some asking if he'd be joining in on the Lottery, the later he said he won't be would be watching to see if it'd be something he wouldn't mind doing sometime down the road.
"You notice how the people who ask you seem disappointed that you're not joining this Lottery?" Cthulhu asked him as Zach walked by a small diner, "Makes you wonder how important this Lottery is to them that they get upset if someone doesn't join." Zach, not wanting to draw attention to the fact he has a Celestial he talks to as he wasn't sure how this place would react to one, made a 'Who Knows' reaction with his face and continued on with his walk, passing by a few more places before arriving at and stopping to look at the town's cathedral. It was very gothic in design with nary any modern look to it, not help by the fact that, the longer he looked at it, the more troubled he felt. Like he shouldn't be anywhere near this place in particular but why he didn't know. His gaze was soon diverted to the nearby graveyard as he spotted a woman crouched down by a grave, laying some flowers next to it. Wanting to show some kindness to the lady, Zach walked through the gates and over to the lady, standing next to her in silence for a bit before softly saying, "Sorry for your loss." The lady looked over at him and, much to his surprise, chuckled, "No need to feel sorry, young rabbit. I know my husband here is in a much better place and is one with the family again." Not sure what she meant, though he had a idea, Zach just smiled and nodded as the lady left the graveyard, leaving him alone.
"Hey Zach?" Cthulhu said, breaking the silence, "Get a look at the date of death" Confused, Zach shrugged and crouched down to look, wondering what Cthulhu was hoping to find. Other then the husband only being 32 when he died, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Cthulhu, on the other hand, did as he then told him to look at the grave next to it and to look at the date of death. Still confused, he did and, once again, nothing stood out, "What are we looking for?" Zach then asked quietly as to not draw suspicion. Cthulhu then revealed to Zach what they were looking at, "This guy's date of death was three weeks ago on a Wednesday. That woman's husband? His date of death of last week...on a Wednesday." While confused at first, Zach looked over at both death dates again, then realized Cthulhu was right, leading him to look at the other graves as well, but in a way so it didn't look weird or suspicious. Much like the two graves before, there were more graves he found that their listed date of death fell on a Wednesday or later. Zach went from being a bit uneasy about the town to a little bit more uneasy then, even Cthulhu was as well, though he added, "Maybe I'm overthinking this and I could be wrong with saying some of these dates landed on that day. But even if that was the case, the fact that some land on a Wednesday, the same day as this town's Lottery? There is something up with this town."
"I am very much inclined to agree with you, Cthulhu," he replied in his head as he left the graveyard, "But like you said, some of those graves dates could very well not have landed on that day so, right now, all we got is a theory. A rather dark theory but a theory nonetheless. Then again, it could all be just a weird coincidence that some of them died on the same day of the week." Cthulhu shrugged as 'weird coincidences' was something he and the other Celestials were used to seeing all the time. But still, both of them couldn't shake the fact about those death dates off, a fact that remained with them as they returned to the hotel for lunch then went back up to the room as Zach wanted to lay in the bathtub for a bit.

After a lovely supper in the hotel, Zach decided to head over to the nearby library to see if there was any information about the Lottery and the history of the town there. Perhaps even some information on why so many graves shared a similar day of death, he thought. The library itself was, much to his surprise, very normal looking in comparison to the other buildings of the town he visited, which went double for the inside as it looked like a standard library. After asking the librarian, who was, again, another friendly person, where the books about the history of the town was and being directed towards them, Zach walked over and grabbed a few of the books off the shelves and started looking through them. For two hours, he combed through the various books and newspapers, hoping to find anything about this town's history, along with what exactly the Lottery is, but none of the books were answering his query. "This doesn't make any sense," he thought to himself while he looked over the second to last book he grabbed, "You would've think that at least one book here would've listed the town's history but it only lists the history of every other place. It's like this town doesn't even have a history." Sighing, he grabbed the last book and started looking through that, hoping that maybe this would have what he was searching for. But, alas, that was not meant to be as, like the other books before, there was no mention of either the town or the Lottery. Feeling somewhat frustrated, he placed the last few books he grabbed back on the shelf and made his way out of the library and back to the hotel.
"Good evening, Zach!" Jennifer smiled as Zach entered the lobby, "I trust you are enjoying your stay in our little town?" Zach shrugged, Jennifer then asking if something was troubling him. "In a way, yes," Zach replied, "I've been at the library for most of the afternoon, trying to see about the history of this town and..."
"Oh, I'm afraid that's impossible," she answered, "The town's council would rather only its citizens know of the history and not, for lack of a better word, outsiders." Bit odd, he thought, but he wasn't much in the mood to argue so he asked instead, "Does that go with this Lottery as well?" Jennifer nodded and added, "I do so hope you change your mind and participate in it."
"Sorry but, because I know next to nothing about this Lottery? I rather watch it take place then decide if i want to participate next time," Zach replied and, like last time, Jennifer looked disappointed before returning to her cheerful grin and asking if he would love some hot chocolate before he goes to bed. He thanked her for the offer but said that he was pretty tied and was going to go straight to bed. Jennifer smiled and said, "Alright, love. You have a wonderful night sleep."
"Thank you, Jennifer, I will," Zach smiled as he made his way back to his suite. As he entered, Cthulhu made himself visible to him again, "I overheard that the Lottery's tomorrow afternoon. I take it we'll be watching from here?"
"Yep," Zach replied as he got ready for bed, "Hopefully we'll get the answers we want as...I am REALLY started to get creeped out by this town. Feels like I stepped into a Stepford Wives scenario, except everyone is acting strange."
"More like that book I read back in the 50's, The Midwich Cuckoos," Cthulhu chuckled, leading to Zach asking what the book was about and Cthulhu replying, "It's the book that horror film from the 90's you and Jessica watched a few weeks ago was based on, directed by John Carptener?"
"Oh that movie," Zach replied, "Didn't know it was an adaptation. Thought it was just a remake," he then yawned and wished Cthulhu a good night before closing his eyes and drifting into dreamland while Cthulhu took one more look at the park before vanishing once more. Yet, instead of staying in dreamland, Zach woke up and just laid there, looking at the ceiling before looking out the window towards the park. "What kind of town is this?" he quietly mumbled to himself as he watched the moon dance in the sky, "Everyone here is very friendly and welcoming and yet they are sad when you don't participate in their activities. There's no history of this town yet there's a Lottery that happens every Wednesday," he sighed as he closed his eyes again, "Makes me wonder if I stepped out of the Netherworld, only to enter into another..."

[trekkie]

Don’t ignore those feelings of trepidation, Zach. Good job on this chapter, Sean!

[Nathan Kerbonaut]

I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation... or not. Just don't let curiosity get the better of you, Zach

[Amazee Dayzee]

Wonderful job as always Sean! Make sure you keep on writing because we all want to read the next parts!

[SeanWolf]

Thanks guys for the comments! I'm loving you guys are enjoying the whole mystery behind this town and it's lottery (Curious to see what you guys think the Lottery is)! This whole series of arcs was something I've wanted to do for a while and I'm happy it's being received well! Nothing else much to say but...stay tuned for the next two chapters in this arc! Zach's adventure in this town is just beginning!

[Amazee Dayzee]

I honestly have no guesses as to what the lottery could be about but I look forward to seeing it soon!

[SeanWolf]

HousepetZ: The Town On The Edge Of Insanity
Chapter 3: The Lottery


After breakfast the next and another day of Jennifer asking if he'll be joining the Lottery, Zach headed back up to his room. Locking the door behind him, he planned on observing the festivites through the window and watching to see what exactly this Lottery was. He wished there was a TV in the room to past the time but alas there wasn't so all he could do is just sit there and wait. Realizing that to be the case, Cthulhu made himself visible to him and, after snapping his fingers which released a special Magic(k) spell that would prevent anyone seeing and hearing them both as long as they were in the room, he turned to Zach and, with a deck of cards in his hand, asked simply, "Wanna kill some hours with a few rounds of gin?" Zach chuckled and accepted, as long as they played near the window so he could watch for when it was going to happen. For three hours, they sat by the window and played hand after hand of gin, with Zach winning some and Cthulhu winning some.
"Penny for your thoughts, Zach?" Cthulhu, breaking the silence, asked, noticing that Zach was a bit distant. Looking at Cthulhu, Zach shrugged as he looked through his cards, "I can't stop thinking about those graves we saw yesterday and how they all seemed to share a similar day of death. I'm starting to wonder if this Lottery has anything to do with it."
"You know, honestly, I'm starting to have the same thoughts myself," Cthulhu admitted, much to Zach's surprise, "This whole town just has this weird aura to it that I can't shake from off. Like a spot that doesn't want to wash off from a shirt, you know? I've seen my fair share of weird and strange goings-ons throughout my entire lifetime, so you'd think I'd be used to this by now but, yet, this whole place just disturbs me. It's like we shouldn't even be here." Zach nodded, "I asked myself the same thing last night, wondering if we stepped out of one Netherworld, only to end up in another. Swear life has it out for me a lot."
"Now, don't say that, Zach. Everyone has their ups and lows in life, it's natural. If everyone had perfect days all the time, it'd be pretty boring. Sometimes, having a dull morning is better then having a perfect morning," Cthulhu said, with Zach smiling and saying, "I know and my life is pretty good! I mean, this whole Mini-Celestial thing my species is aside, I made lots of new friends and met the new love of my life Jessica so there's that! Still, just feels like sometimes life wants to remind me that it's sometimes a pain in the tail." Cthulhu chuckled as they both returned to playing gin. "Say, Cthulhu, I got a question for you," Zach, after a bit, then asked, "Most people, including me for a bit, only knew of you cause of H.P Lovecraft's writings. What do you think of them?" The name H.P Lovecraft was a bit of a sour subject for Cthulhu, as he explained to Zach, "Well, back in the day I was fine with it but, nowadays? Because of how I look, I'm always made out to be a villain due to Lovecraft deciding to write that all who gaze upon me go insane. Truth of the matter is, the only one who went insane was him as he never saw anything like me before. I mean, wouldn't you?" He pointed to his face as he asked, Zach laughing a bit and replying, "Probably, but, not to be rude, I got to know if that's your real face."
"Oh, good grief no," Cthulhu replied back, his form soon changing back to its original look, a very muscular tiger. Zach was impressed, which of course led him to ask why he chose to look like how did. "Well, I thought it would be something funny to do, to be honest. I needed some time alone after an argument I had with the late Pete The Gryphon and Great Kitsune, whom is now just Kitsune after the last Cosmic Game, over how they treated everyone here as simple Avatars for them to control in their stupid game. So I found a cave and hid out there by myself and, to make sure no one really bothered me, I took the form you know me as and, well, you know the rest." Indeed, Zach did, but he was still surprised to know that both Pete and GK still were involved somehow with another Celestial leaving. But, not wanting to dwell on the subject any further, both he and Cthulhu, deciding to remain in his original tiger form from now on, went back to their gin playing and waiting for this Lottery to begin.

At precisely 12pm, the cathedral's bell began to chime. "Must be time," Zach commented, pointing at the crowd walking into the park and forming a rather large, yet surprisingly circle. One would've thought for being so hyped up that there would be some excitement, Zach thought as he watched and yet there wasn't, not even a peep. Cthulhu, on the other hand, noticed something more troubling on the townsfolk: Their eyes looked almost blood-like in color. Were some of them sick? This, combined with the silence and how they arrived to the park the second the bell started to chime, started to make both of them very uneasy. In the middle of a crowd and what appeared to be the mayor of the town, though they found it odd he was wearing a long green jacket being that it was late in spring, stood there and began speaking, Zach opening the window so both he and Cthulhu could hear what he was saying. Blood eyes and silence aside, the Lottery so far seemed simple and unassuming as the mayor asked everyone to pull out their papers they were given earlier in the week. As they did, he reached into a nearby glass bowl and pulled out a similarly folded piece and unfolded it, reading off a number that was written on it. They then watched as one of the members of the crowd walked forward then turned around and got down on their knees and began murmuring something that neither Zach or Cthulhu could make out. The crowd too began to murmur the same thing as the Mayor began saying some various cryptic phrases as another member walked forward with a small wooden box. But what was in the box made both Zach and Cthulhu realize that this was not any ordinary lottery. For what the mayor brought out was a long, serrated blade, then held it up to the sky as the person on the ground shouted the only words that both of them could understand: "ACCEPT ME, HAUNTER OF THE DARKNESS!" Zach quickly turned his head as what happened next could only be described as grisly. Equally as disgusted, Cthulhu growled, "So that's the Lottery everyone hypes up: A sacrafice. I think we better..Zach? Zach!" Much to his chagrin, Zach was already out the hotel room and rushing towards the park, "Oh, this isn't good," Cthulhu then sighed as he made himself invisible and ran after him. Meanwhile, Zach had already got to where the crowd as standing and, his anger being in control, shouted, "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?! THIS ISN'T A LOTTERY! IT'S COLD-BLOODED MURDER!"
"Ah, the young rabbit who refused to join us in this joyous time," The mayor said, a smile forming on his face, "Fear not for the fallen! They are now one with the howler! It's a journey all of us are awaiting! But, you," his voice soon became low and menacing as the townsfolk turned to face him, "Your refusal to take part makes you unworthy. For that: You shall die." With a nodding of his head, the crowd began to slowly make their way towards Zach, who in turn began to back up while trying to get them to stop, yet none of them were listening. Even the kindly Jennifer was moving and behaving much in the same way. He needed a way to get out of there and, if possible, the town itself. But as he turned around, he saw the other half of the crowd closing in on him from the back as well, entrapping him within a half-circle as there wasn't enough for a full one. Zach began to panic a bit, not because of the oncoming fear of death, but because he knew he would have to defend himself. Yet, he didn't want to have to kill anyone here so he began quickly thinking of something he could to by himself some time to start running. Around that time, Cthulhu had caught up to him, Zach asking him in his mind if he saw anyway out of the town. Cthulhu shook his head and said their best bet would be to just find someplace to hide out for the time being and sneak out under the cover of night. It was risky, sure, but it was a risk he was willing to take. "OK," Zach thought before looking at the crowd and, with a deep breath to calm his nerves, created a small wall of fire in front of them, causing them to stagger back from the sight.
"HE IS OF THE CURSED ONE!" The mayor shouted as he watch the wall of fire form, "HE MUST BE CLEANSED!" The townsfolk repeated the last part as they regained their stances and began walking again. Zach began to run, the wall of fire giving him the opening needed, but not before looking back and cursing under his breath. Even though the wall of fire was enough to give him a running start, the townsfolk simply walked on through the fire, barely even affected by the flames as they soon began to start running towards him.
"Well, that's messed up!" Zach shouted, Cthulhu agreeing and was ready to offer a quick idea before shouting "LOOK OUT!" It was too late, however, as Zach ran right into the town's well and fell down the shaft, yelling as he fell. The townsfolk, in the meantime, descended onto the well and looked in, the mayor arriving a few seconds later to look as well. Even though the well was dark, the mayor smiled and proclaimed to the town "The beast has been vanquished!" The townsfolk rejoiced as they returned to their homes for the rest of the day, leaving the town as silent as a cold, winters night. But, for as much as they rejoiced, if only they were smart enough to stay there to listen as, from down below, a voice suddenly said, "Ow." Groaning as he stood up, Zach looked around, admitting to Cthulhu "Guess I should've been paying more attention." Making himself visible, Cthulhu chuckled, "Well on the bright side, we got away from the town."
"True but where are we, exactly? Zach replied as a small fireball formed in his hand as he lit a makeshift torch out of some sticks he found, "This is a well, no doubt about it, but I never seen a well with a cave system before."
"Could be an old mine-shaft," Cthulhu said, pointing to the rails on the ground, "Perhaps if we follow the rails, we might be able to find an exit." Looking at the rails, Zach shrugged and said it was worth a shot before he and Cthulhu began walking and hoping that an exit was not too far away and lead out of the town. But little did they know they were being watched as, from behind them in the darkness, a figure observed them before following them, whispering a small prayer before doing so and keeping quiet with their steps.

(Next time...HousepetZ: Below The Town, Lies The Realm Of Darkness)

[trekkie]

On the bright side they’re out of the town, on the not so bright side they seem to be in deeper trouble. <is bricked for deeper pun> Great job, Sean!

[Amazee Dayzee]

This chapter has really came out delightful! I hope that you are able to post the next chapter soon!

[SeanWolf]

Thanks folks and, yes, I do plan on posting the next chapter soon! I'll be honest with you: This chapter was actually pretty tricky to work on. For some reason, I was struggling with figuring out how I wanted to introduce the Lottery and how to proceed from this to the next chapter (scrapped a whole page worth of stuff I wrote last night).

[Amazee Dayzee]

That does sound really good! I just can't wait to get to Mungo and Elena's revenge.

[Nathan Kerbonaut]

This chapter turned out great! Can't wait to explore this town's mystery deeper. Yes I know trekkie used that pun already

[SeanWolf]

(These will be shorter chapters)

HousepetZ: Below The Town, Lies The Realm Of Darkness
Chapter 1: A Friend In The Dark


Two days ago, Zach had wandered into a strange yet inviting town of no name. He was fed and treated like he was one of their own. Now, he's hiding out and exploring a mine shaft as the town's true nature revealed its ugly head. Both he and Cthulhu had sensed something was off about the town but niether of them could put a finger on why they felt as such until it was the day of the infamous Lottery. In stark contrast to the town, the mines were dingy, damp, and surrounded by a very foreboding atmosphere.
"Gah, this place gives me the creeps," Zach commented as they walked, Cthulhu feeling the same way as he nodded, "Kind of makes the town a more inviting place now, huh?" Zach nodded as they continued down the shaft, his makeshift torch lighting the way as best as it could. The eerie quietness of the mine was beginning to make both of them a bit uneasy, though the water drips did make the mines a bit cozy in an odd sort of way. That coziness didn't last very long as neither of them could figure out where they were going and which way to go, to the point where they felt like they were just going in circles.
"How deep is this mine?" Cthulhu, after about three hours of walking, asked as he sat down on a nearby walk, "You would've think we'd found a way out by now."
"I have no clue," Zach replied, leaning up against some rocks, "Then again, couldn't you have just 'whooshed' us out of here?" Cthulhu, much to Zach's surprise, sighed, "First thing I tried the moment we landed. My Celestial magic(k) isn't working for some reason. Surprise you were able to form that fire for the torch." While true, Zach wondered if his magic(k) was also on the fritz so, as a test, he looked at a nearby wall and tried to conjure up a small fireball. To his dismay, it didn't work. He then tried something as simple as a trickle of water, but to no avail. Like what Cthulhu said, it seemed the only thing that worked was the 'Make-Light' spell, but that was it. "Well, even if we do use that torch as a weapon, hopefully we don't encounter anything townsfolk or worst down here," Cthulhu lamented, "Cause we're pretty much sitting ducks." Zach simply shrugged before chuckling, "Well, at least we're a couple of good lucking ducks!" A bit of laughter then started to fill the area as both Zach and Cthulhu laughed at Zach's joke, with Cthulhu adding, "Well, for being 10,000 years old, I do think I am a good looking Celestial!" Their soft laughter became a bit louder then, something they both needed. However, their laughter soon subsided as Cthulhu suddenly raised his paw and quieted them both. "What's wrong?" Zach whispered. Cthulhu didn't reply at first but, instead motioned for Zach to get behind him, "It could be just water dripping, but I just heard something a couple of seconds ago." Zach listened then as well and, though he didn't hear anything at first, he soon heard what Cthulhu heard, leading him to say, "I don't think we're alone." Indeed, along with the occasional sound of water dripping, there was another sound. One that sounded like footsteps.
"You think some of the townsfolk found us?" Zach asked Cthulhu, who shook his head as he didn't know himself. With Zach holding the torch and Cthulhu ready to strike with his claws, they waited and watched the nearby tunnel to see what was making the sound. Suddenly, Zach turned and shouted, "LOOK!" Turning his head, Cthulhu gasped as, coming up from behind, were a pair of creatures that didn't even look human, nor of this Earth at all. "Crap, they're in front as well!" Cthulhu pointed to the front as two more appeared from the other tunnel. Drooling from their fanged mouths and staring at them with their soulless eyes, these reptilian-like creatures approached the duo slowly, their claws glistening from the glow of Zach's torch. Zach waved the torch around, shouting at them to get back, which did frighten them back a few steps, but not by much. One got within striking distance of Cthulhu's arm, who slashed at their chest, but watched as the creature's wound healed itself almost instantly. "Zach," he said as he watched the two in front of them, "You got any ideas?" Before Zach could give any answers, the four creatures suddenly began to wail and screech, causing the two to cover their ears. Suddenly, the creatures began to evaporate into a black, smokey mist, as they continued to cry and screech out in apparent pain. But just as quickly as it began, the area was once again devoid of sound. "Was that you?" Cthulhu inquired, Zach shook his head before pointing down the rear tunnel again as, coming up from it and towards them, another figure emerged. Both Zach and Cthulhu stood their ground, ready to strike, but were surprised to see what appeared to be a cowboy from the old west era appeared from the darkness. "Be not afraid, my travelers. I come from the darkness, but appear as the light within. I mean no harm to those who wish to leave," the coyote said, their voice reverberating throughout the chamber, "I watched you as fell from high up as you ran from them. I followed you as you traversed my caves. Now, I must ask you both: What shall be the name I shall be given the privilege of calling you?"
"Um, I'm Zach. Zach Arbelt," Zach replied, "And this is..." Before either he or Cthulhu could responds, the coyote spoke again, "I am familiar with the Celestial they call Cthulhu, for we have met years ago, though indirectly. But for now, I believe you have many questions."
"Er, yeah," Zach replied, shooting a confused look to Cthulhu who simply shrugged, "Who are you and do you know what the deal with that town is and what were those...things?"
"I am no more then a mere spirit and keeper of the mines here. I watch over the innocent and help them to where they should go, but I do not have a need for a name. But, for the time being, you may call me Sylvr," the coyote replied, Zach's torch revealing him to be an elderly man, "Those beings you saw were once living souls who the town found unworthy of their master and were turned into the living embodiment of darkness." The coyote slowly walked towards them, rubbing his paw against the damped wall, as he continued, "This town was once a prosperous mining town called Woodpine, the happiness you saw was once this towns mightiest sword. But they were soon corrupted by the dark one who lived in these mines. One who demanded sacrifices to feed his powers, in return to keep the town safe. I alone was the only one who could resist the darkness, but they cursed me with immortality. So I wander these mines, helping those of an innocent heart leave this place." A sad tale, for sure, but it was enough for Zach and Cthulhu to figure out why the town has no history, though it didn't explain why the town was no longer called Woodpine.
"Do you know who or what caused this town become...like it is?" Cthulhu asked, fearing for what the answer was going to be. Indeed, Sylvr stood there and sighed, "Indeed, Celestial, I do. For deep within these mines, lies the dweller of the dark. A being of darkness so black that light dares not go near it. A creature of thousand forms: Nyarlathotep." Both Zach and Cthulhu stood there in horror and silence as they heard the name, a cold chill running down their spines. Never before had a name given them such a fright or feeling of dread such as Nyarlathotep's but, if the name alone was enough to cause fear within them, they knew they had to escape fast. Sylvr sensed this within them and said, "If you two wish to leave this nightmare behind, I shall walk with you and guide you to the exit." Even though he was a Celestial, the name Nyarlathotep still freaked him out and he wanted to leave so Cthulhu agreed and asked Zach if he was coming. Much to his shock, Zach shook his head and replied, "I'm done running. All my life, all I ever did was run. Sure, I had my moments of triumph: I killed Pete The Gryphon and wiped him from all existence. I destroyed the Forgotten once and for all. I killed my Beast In Black. Those triumphs are incredible chapters in my book, but the rest? All I ever did was run and be scared. But my feet are done running. My direction is not towards the safety of the world I live in, but to the haunter of this town's darkness."
"Zach...wh-wh-what are you saying?" Cthulhu asked, Zach replying, "I'm staying in these mines and I am going to become the light that vanquishes the dark. I'm going to destroy Nyarlathotep by any means necessary, Alas, I can't do this alone as I need your powers to help me once more Cthulhu. You and I walked out of the Netherworld together, we can do it again." Cthulhu sighed and then chuckled, "You rabbits always did have a way with words. No wonder they made you guys mini Celestials." Sylvr, in the meantime, only stood there quietly before speaking up once more, "Even when the sun rises to vanquish the night, the darkness always returns. Your goal is noble, Zach Arbelt. If you wish to do such a task, I will guide you both as far as I can to where the haunter rests. But the rest is up to you as I am nothing more then a spirit." Zach nodded and looked back at Cthulhu and asked if he was ready. While hesitant at first, Cthulhu smiled and, like before, merged his powers with Zach once more. "Lead the way, Sylvr," Zach said and followed him to where the darkness laid.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Wonderful job as always! Make sure to keep on writing as long as you have this burst of energy!

[trekkie]

I agree with Dayzee, this is another excellent chapter and I am looking forward to reading about Zach’s battle with the evil of the town. Also, Zach, don’t be hard on yourself, bro, you, captured Loki, and gave Sasha all she could handle.

[SeanWolf]

HousepetZ: Below The Town, Lies The Realm Of Darkness
Chapter 2: Of Light And Darkness


"Alas, this is as far as I can take you, Master Arbelt," Sylvr said as they stopped at a nearby entrance, which was adorned with various markings and sigils, "The powers that surround this place prevent me from taking a forward step."
"I understand," Zach nodded, his eyes fixated on the various markings, "Thank you for guiding me here." Sylvr smiled and patted him on the shoulder before walking off and vanishing once more into the mines as Zach turned around and took a deep breath, "Well, here we go," he thought as he walked past arch and into the dark world. As he journeyed through the darkness, he felt the claws of temptation pulling and tugging him each step of the way, trying their best to have him be one like the townsfolk before him. The cold, chilling air of the world wrapped around him like a winters skin, attempting to suffocate him. Various apparitions floated past him, each one representing one of his friends, and cried out in pain, hoping Zach would reach out. But throughout it all, he stood fast and firm, focusing on the path in front of him. Even Cthulhu himself was amazed that Zach was easily avoiding all the temptations of the darkness, something he sadly knew the others back in Babylon Gardens would reach out for, no matter how pure of heart they were. But soon, Zach reached the end of the walk as he arrived in the last chamber of the mine, looking up and thinking, "There he is." Indeed, sitting on a throne made of the various souls and fears of all the world, was a being dressed in a shapeless robe of heavy black fabric.
"Nyarlathotep!" Zach shouted, "I've not come to be like those before me. I've come for one reason alone: Your destruction." The chamber was quiet as Zach waited for a response, which came as a quiet laughter then evolving into a louder one.
"You speak of death, yet you do not know the meaning of the word," Nyarlathotep uttered, his low, guttural voice reverberating throughout the chambers, "You have the blood of many staining your soul, yet your words of death are a mere mockery. The world below welcomed you with open arms, yet you spat on their home with your filth, your greed, and your lies. The life you know is nothing more then a lie, created by those who wanted you to conform to how they want you to live. It was a lie I saved these people from, a lie that made them weak but I made them strong. I led these people from the lie of the light into the embrace of the dark."
"Saved them? Saved them from what? All you did was made them into your personal slaves. Slaves that treat sacrifices to you as a lottery and something special. You didn't lead them to Paradise. You led them to the Netherworld," Zach shot back, eyeing his surroundings to make sure Nyarlathotep wasn't going to pull a fast one on him.
"But they are happy now. Their old lives were filled with the misery and torment of life. I gave them the chance to be renewed. Some didn't want my gift," Nyarlathotep lamented, his claw rubbing the top of a nearby skull slowly, "But the rest. They accepted it with open arms. But you? You come into their homes with the filth and grime of the world beyond. When they tried to be friendly, you pushed them aside. They asked you not to look into their past, yet you broke their sacred law. Now you come to me, wanting my death to be the next blood that stains your soul. How foolish."
"Foolish, perhaps. But I rather your blood stain the sole of my foot then the souls of those you corrupted," Zach grinned as he spoke. Nyarlathotep just sat there, letting Zach's threats and retorts pass by him, in silence before speaking once more, "Young rabbit, do you know who you are speaking to? " He then raised his claws to the sky as the room trembled and shook, "I am the dweller in the darkness! The howler in the dark! The one of the bloody tounge! The haunter of the darkness! I am Nyarlathotep: The Floating horror! And what are you?! You are nothing more then a weak-minded mortal who wishes for death on me but shall receive it instead!" A frightening show of powers, for sure, and anyone would probably have hightailed it out of there in no time. But not Zach. He stood there as the room shook, not moving an inch, and waiting for the show to die down. Zach's resilience to his powers impressed Nyarlathotep as he offered a small yet mocking clap, which turned into a laughter as Zach casually brushed some dirt off his shoulder. However, Zach's comment of "Is that it? I seen better magic(k) at a children's show," was enough to get Nyarlathotep angry, causing to him reply as he rose his claw towards him, "If those are to be your final words, so be it," and with a twitch of claw, streaks of darkness came racing out towards their target. Zach, in turn, simply raised his own paw and grabbed, much to Nyarlathotep's surprise, the darkness, squeezed it into a small ball, and let it dropped and shatter to the ground, "You still have much to learn about Celestials, old chum."
"Indeed," Nyarlathotep smiled as he raised his other claw, "I should've used two." Once again, darkness came rushing out of both claws and headed towards Zach, who raised his paws once more and started to deflect the blasts as much as he could. "Face it! You are nothing more then a mere mortal! I am pure darkness!" He twitched claws some more as the darkness became more powerful then ever. Zach began to struggle and felt the luring temptation become stronger then ever. Even Cthulhu was finding it hard to fight back. But then, he heard something echo through his head. A voice that Zach recognized almost immediately as the voice of Jessica, from months earlier, replayed in his head: "I love you too, Zach." While it was a silly little encouragement, it was enough to Zach that extra boost both he and Cthulhu needed. A boost that caused Nyarlathotep to reel back as the darkness began to come closer to him, "What's happening? What are you doing?!"
"You may be of darkness, Nyarlathotep! But there is one thing you didn't count on!" Zach growled at Nyarlathotep who, panting as he tried to contain the darkness, growled back, "And what would that be, mortal?" Zach grinned as both he and Cthulhu said in unison, "You just played poker with Cthulhu and lost." With a triumphant roar, both he and Cthulhu combined their powers and sent all the darkness back at Nyarlathotep, who began to scream and thrash as his body began to disintegrate and vanish from existence. But just as quickly as it began, it was all over as the last remaining bits of darkness hit what remained of Nyarlathotep and all that remained in the chamber was Zach, who stood there panting as the power took alot out of him. But there was no time to celebrate as the chamber, along with the mine itself, began to crumble and collapse around them.
"Zach! Over here!" Zach turned around and saw Sylvr pointing at a nearby hallway, motioning him to follow. Running as fast as they can, both Zach and Sylvr rushed out of the chamber, down the collapsing hall and, with a final jump, landed back outside in the fresh air.
"We...we made it!" Zach wheezed at Sylvr, who was no where to be found, "Sylvr?"
"Zach, look," Cthulhu said, pointing at a nearby headstone. Zach looked and smiled, "So he was a spirit. Rest easy now, Sylvr," he then bowed his head and turned around, only to roll his eyes at the sight he saw. For standing in front of him, was the town he had just left. But instead of anger, Zach was honestly relieved, as he told Cthulhu, "Well, at least it's better then seeing rock everywhere. Hopefully the town is nicer now, since we killed Nyarlathotep....I hope..."

(Next time...HousepetZ: Escape From Insanity)

[Nathan Kerbonaut]

Excellent arc, Sean, I'm really enjoying this saga. Loved the exciting showdown! That's one more impressive victory on Zach's belt

[trekkie]

Very exciting chapter, good to see Zach kicking tail again, hope the town is more pleasant now.

[SeanWolf]

(Surprise!)

HousepetZ: Escape From Insanity

The town was eerily empty, which was actually good for Zach as wasn't staying long at all. Sneaking through the town via back alleys and sticking to the shadows, his plan was to simply walk out of the town without raising any alarms and hitchhike back to Babylon Gardens. A simple plan, sure, but like all plans, it soon went sour as, "YOU KILLED OUR MASTER!"
"Oh for the love of..." Zach grumbled as he recognized the voice of the mayor. Turning around, he smiled and waved, "Well, I'm sorry about that but I had to! Dude turned you all into zombies!"
"YOU KILLED OUR MASTER!" He screamed again, much to Zach's annoyance, "Yes, I know. You already said that. Look, if it'll make you happy, I'm just going to leave and..."
"YOU KILLED OUR MASTER!" Zach was getting really annoyed now as that was the third time he screamed, "Can't you scream anything else?"
"YOU WILL DIE!" The mayor screamed, Zach's eyes going wide as the townsfolk started to converge on him from their hiding places, "Well, that wasn't a smart thing to say!" he admitted before bolting down the road, running past and jumping over various townsfolk. He quickly realized that running wouldn't be the best option so he began looking for an alternative, which thankfully Cthulhu found in the form of a nearby truck, the mayor's truck that is. He knew it was the mayor's as, who else, the mayor was standing there in front of the door, holding a lever action rifle and ready to kill Zach. However, one of the townsfolk had tossed a butchers knife at Zach and, sensing it, Zach immediately ducked and watched as the knife hit the mayor. But instead dropping to the ground dead, the mayor instead evaporated into darkness.
"So he too was of darkness," Zach thought before quickly jumping into the truck and began looking for the keys, only to realize that they evaporated with the mayor. Cursing under his breath, Zach quickly went to hot-wire the truck when he heard some jingling sounds. Looking up, he smiled as Cthulhu was sitting there with the spare keys he found in the sun visor. Grabbing them, he quickly started the truck and, with the pedal to the metal, gunned it down the road, hitting some of the townsfolk who evaporated into darkness.
"Oh darn..." Zach mumbled as, up ahead, Jennifer from the hotel he stayed at was standing in the middle of the road, holding a chainsaw, as more of the townsfolk stood behind her, in an effort to block his exit. Zach, at this point, was fed up with the town so, gunning it as hard as he could, he pushed the truck to its limits, and rocketed towards them, quickly turning most, including Jennifer, into nothing more then darkness and a past memory.
"THERE'S THE EXIT!" Cthulhu shouted, pointing ahead at a sign that read 'Now Leaving The Town', "GUN IT!" Zach nodded and, the engine roaring like a beast, he sped past the sign, the encroaching townsfolk stopping in their tracks and, much to Cthulhu's shock, turning around and walking back to their homes. "I don't believe it," he then said as Zach slowed the truck down to a reasonable speed, "We made it out!" Zach smiled and nodded, "Let's head home."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HousepetZ: Escape From Insanity
EPILOGUE


"Why are we stopping?" Cthulhu asked as the truck began to slow down before the engine cut out. Looking over, Zach pointed to a sign behind them, "That sign back there that said Welcome? I want to see the actual name of this place." Hopping out of the truck, Zach walked back to said sign and looked it over a bit, along with looking on the ground, just to see if something fell off the sign. He then looked back at the sign, specifically at the rusted part, and noticed something off. Rubbing his paw against the rust, he realized the rust was nothing more then just brownish pain so, with a bit of magic(k), he removed the brown paint from the sign as he wanted to see what was underneath it, before chuckling at what he saw.
"So?" Cthulhu asked as Zach got back into the truck and started it back up, "What was the name?" Zach looked at Cthulhu and smiled, "See for yourself," he said and Cthulhu looked back at the sign and also chuckled, "Guess it was real." Zach nodded as they drove away from what was once the thriving and friendly mining town of Woodpine, but now had a new name that Zach knew it by. As it said on the sign that Zach and Cthulhu looked at: Welcome To The Town Of Silent Hill.


(Next Time...Season 7 Finale...HousepetZ: Long Road To Ruin)

[trekkie]

Another great and exciting chapter! Zach can really kick tail. Loved the Silent Hill reference, keep up the good work.

[FireworkFox]

This was a great arc! Looking forward to Zack's next adventure!

[SeanWolf]

Thanks! I was actually worried the Silent Hill reference wouldn't work as my knowledge only stems from random videos I saw, various clips from the two movies, and just a basic understanding of the first game, so I will freely admit I took elements from Resident Evil 4, the short story The Lottery, various elements from the Cthulhu Mythos, and Silent Hill and mashed them together into HousepetZ's version of Silent Hill.

[Amazee Dayzee]

You don't have to feel bad about that. I remember a friend I had wanted to do a Resident Evil RP which also used Star Wars and Mass Effect characters and despite the fact that I knew NOTHING she wanted me to try it.

It was fun but a couple of times it had things that didn't make sense. >>

[Nathan Kerbonaut]

I think your inspirations came together to create an original and entertaining tale. Zach's adventures are fun to read. Nice job, Sean

[SeanWolf]

HousepetZ: The Long Road To Ruin
All Paths Lead To Tiger's Ego And His Coming Downfall


Four hours ago, Tiger and Cthulhu made their daring escape from the insainty that was Silent Hill. "Borrowing" the now-dead mayor's truck, they were now back on the road to their home of Babylon Gardens, but with a slight detour to a gas station.
"Hey, want me to grab you anything?" Zach asked after he was done pumping gas, Cthulhu replying, "I could go for some chips and a soda right now. If they have a bag of sour cream and onion and a bottle birch beer, could you get them?" Zach nodded then headed into the station, which other then two customers, two employees, and the sounds of the TV, it was pretty quiet, so he just strolled over to the snacks and drinks aisle and got what Cthulhu wanted (along with a drink for himself), and headed to the cashier.
"Morning," The cashier said, "This all?"
"No, I pumped some gas as well, I'm the green truck out there," Zach pointed, the cashier nodding and adding the price of gas to the total. As she told Zach the total, Zach in turn secretly forming the money via magic(k), the cashier's attention was then drawn to the TV as a reporter began talking about a new bounty hunter that's been making a name for themselves the past few years.
"I'll give this guy one thing," She said as she accepted the money, "At least he only seems to be going after actual bad people and the remnants of that Opener Cult." While the name Opener Cult made Zach's ears perk up, he ended up asking, "Who is? I've been out of the loop lately."
"Oh, just some wolf from Babylon Gardens," the cashier replied, handing Zach a recepit, "During the whole zombie apocaplyse years ago, he was apperently part of that internet show, Pit's Slaughter Dome, and he was the reigning champion on it. From what I've been seeing and reading online, once the cure was found, he turned to a life of bounty hunting and apperently that was him on TV." Zach nodded, "Did they ever say who he was?"
"Dude calls himself Alucard," one of the customers replied, "And if you ask me, the dude's crazier then the guys he's capturing! I mean, other then wanting to be famous, who names themselves after a vampire, let alone the son of Dracula?" Zach chuckled and replied, "Well, it worked for Meat Loaf, so why couldn't it work for him?" The people inside the station laughed before Zach headed back out the truck.
"What was going on in there?" Cthulhu asked while taking the chips and soda. Starting the engine, Zach chuckled, "Eh, some wolf is being a bounty hunter and calling himself Alucard..." he then went silent for a spell, "You know, I wonder if this 'Alucard' is actually Rockstar Hawk. I recall him being part of that whole Slaughter Dome during the zompocaplyse and we've all been wondering what happened to him." Cthulhu, who had chosen to remain in his original, muscular tiger form, shrugged in response as they drove out of the station and back home.

"Welcome home, Zach!" Fenrir said as Jessica embraced him, "We've been wondering what happened to you!"
"Oh...many things happened," Zach smiled, embracing Jessica back, "Went back to Asgard, got pulled into the Netherworld, escaped the Netherworld, ended up in a peaceful town ruled by a comsic horror, killed cosmic horror, escaped the town...the usual."
"Well, I'm for one am glad both you and Cthulhu are home," Jessica said, after the two shared a quick kiss, before covering her nose, "But...WOW...you need a shower..." Even Fenrir winced as he held his nose as well, "I'm with Jess here, boy you stink!" Zach just laughed as said a shower was something he needed for a long time now. As he left the two and headed for the shower, Jessica turned to Fenrir and, with a concerned look, asked, "Shouldn't we have told him about Tiger?"
"No," Fenrir shook his head, "He'll find out himself later...Little does he know that for the past few weeks, parts of the prophecy of steel have been fulfilled and he has done his part. When the time is right, I'll tell him." While upset a little that they wouldn't be telling Zach what's been going on since he's been gone, Jessica knew better then to argue with a Celestial, including one that knew how to fry up some of the best chicken she ever had.

(Next Time...Season 8...HousepetZ: Revenge Of The Feline Menace To Society...and the beginning of the 'Tiger's Ego Will Be His Downfall' story line)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HousepetZ: The Long Road To Ruin
EPILOUGE

As day became night, Tiger threw back on his robe and headed down to his basement, where Marvin and his owner were waiting, along with fifty other people and pets who were now under his and the virus' control. Flipping on the light, he smiled as he looked around the basement. "And when Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept. For there were no more worlds to conquer," he said aloud, "I have done what Ink could only dream of doing! I have fulfiled the lifelong wishes of Osiris! Oooh, this is sooo exciting! Once the time is right, my brothers! We shall march unto Babylon Gardens and show them why they should have never cancelled 'The Funtime Learning Hour or So' show I hosted!" He then, with his best attempt, laughed manically, before coughing and clearing his throat, "Now then...ah dang it, I just remembered, I never came up with a name for my army. Any ideas?" Tiger's army started droning out various names and none seemed to sound good. However, Marvin, in his state, then mentioned, "The Followers Of Osiris, master?" Tiger thought for a bit, "Yeah, I like that name! The Followers Of Osiris it is! Thanks, Marvin!" He then turned his attention back to the others, "Now, I want you all to go home and, when you reach your bed, you may relax. In three days, we begin our...erm...fun! Marvin and dad? You two relax when you go to bed as well. I got work to do." Everyone nodded as they left the basement and did what Tiger instructed them to do, with Tiger (after shutting the lights off for the basement) ran upstairs and got to work on what he felt was the most important part of his new army: The logos and advertisements

[trekkie]

Nice ending! I hope none of the people and pets who are under Tiger’s control are hurt too badly, as for Tiger, you’ve got me looking forward to how and when he gets humiliated. Keep up the good work.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Oh goodie! Now we are getting closer to the time where Tiger makes a fool out of Mungo like he did with Elena. Can't wait!

Nice job on both entries in the story!

[Nathan Kerbonaut]

Oh goodie! Now we are getting closer to the time where Tiger makes a fool out of Mungo like he did with Elena. Can't wait!

That'll be fun, but I'm more excited for Mungo's payback
I really enjoyed this season. Looking forward to the next one!

[SeanWolf]

Oh goodie! Now we are getting closer to the time where Tiger makes a fool out of Mungo like he did with Elena. Can't wait!

That'll be fun, but I'm more excited for Mungo's payback
I really enjoyed this season. Looking forward to the next one!

Well, I hate to rain on y'alls parade, but Mungo and Elena won't be in the next few seasons. I already chosen which characters will be the main focus and I have the main story plotted out. That doesn't mean I won't reference them, it's just that I already know what will happen to Tiger and who is going to do it.

[Nathan Kerbonaut]

That's alright Sean, just bouncing off Amazee's comment. Mungo or no Mungo, I'm eager to read whatever comes next.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Hey I am perfectly fine with it just as long as we get a reference to Mungo being sent flying into a fertilizer pile and Elena make sure everybody knows. That should definitely be easy to slip in as a small side note.

[SeanWolf]

News!
So, if all works out today, the next arc will begin tonight (or tomorrow afternoon)! Same time, I'm happy to say I have mapped out Seasons 9,10, and 11 and have started work on #12! HOWEVER, instead of announcing what 9 will consist of (As the titles spoils who the villain will be), instead here's what I have planned for 10 and 11 (As always, all titles are subject to change):

Season 10
HousepetZ: The Lost Chapters Of Sasha's Journal
HousepetZ: 10 Hour In Babylon Gardens
HousepetZ: Partners In Crime
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 11
HousepetZ: Bad Company
HousepetZ: Origins <- The prequel to HousepetZ set in the 80's
HousepetZ: A Good Day To Die Hard With A Harder Vengeance (Starring Cousin Rodney)

[trekkie]

Sounds awesome.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Everything you have planned sounds really nice! I can't wait to see what you are planning next!

[SeanWolf]

(Just a minor heads-up: This arc is going to be a bit weird in it's structure and story-telling)

HousepetZ: Revenge Of The Feline Menace To Society
Chapter 1: Can't Think Of A Clever Name For This Chapter


"Let's see...first thing I'll have my army do is head to the shopping center in River Ridge and get the items I require for the Alphabet portion of my show...then I'll have them head to the grocery store and grab any ingredients I need for the cooking portion..." Throughout the entire rest of the week, Tiger (who decided to drop the name of Hades as it wasn't 'cool' enough for him) was burning the midnight oil prepping his new army, The Followers Of Osiris, along with the return of his 'The Funtime Learning Hour Or So' show. To say he was excited would be an understatement. Each night, his happiness grew and grew and his excitement rose and rose. For once in his life, he knew no one would be able to stop him, not even the K9's. Leaning back on his chair and looking out the window, a smile crept across his face as he thought of all the things he would do with the money he was going to make from his merchandise and the money the Keene's would give him to keep his show on the air. In his head, he saw a mansion that would put the old Milton mansion to shame. A walkway made out of solid gold bricks in the shape of doggy treats. A giant screen 4K TV and all the latest video games. A bathtub that was filled with the finest of water from the Swiss Alps. A winery containing only the best wines and champagnes. In short, he had big dreams for his money and he was going to make sure he achieved each and everyone of them. But like all big dreams he had, he knew there would be people out to stop in, particularly the K9's and the remaining Miltons, so he started thinking of ways to stop them both.
"Let's see...I could head to the Police Department, lock all the doors and secretly board up the windows...nah they'd probably shoot their way out...OR maybe I could fake an attack at a place in River Ridge and get all the officers there...nah they'd just trace my call then..." Tiger mumbled, "As for the Miltons...I could expose them and say they use all their money to run illegal pie baking contests OR I could say they...nah, that would take too long..." Tiger grumbled as he couldn't think of a good idea to prevent either the Miltons or K9's from stopping him. "Boy, being a super-villain is tough work," he said as he reached for a small bell and rung it, summoning Marvin (who was back under Tiger's control) to his room, "Marvin, be a dear and bring me a root beer and a bacon butty?" Marvin nodded and headed to the kitchen, Tiger leaning back in his chair again and smiling, thinking to himself, "You know, if the show doesn't work out, I could just free everyone else I have and keep my owner and Marvin under my control. I like being treated as king...feels nice!"

Cerberus was busy in her house working out. Each day she woke up, she would spend two to three hours working out (Sit-ups, Push-ups, Crunches, 10-Mile Jog, etc) before breakfast then do some minor stuff (Treadmill, Stationary Bike, etc) along with relaxation. The workouts would help keep her minds off of things and helped her relax, but today was a bit odd. For some reason, she just couldn't get relaxed. There was something in her that just kept poking and prodding her minds to the point of annoyance and she wish she could figure out just what exactly was going on that was keeping her from relaxing. It wasn't the threat of Tiger as, to her and the other Celestials, he was all talk and no bite. It wasn't Sasha as there hasn't been much in the way of Netherworld activity since Zach left it. So what was it? The more she thought on it, the more frustrated she became and the more frustrated she was, the more she worked out to the point of exhaustion. Whatever was bothering her and preventing her from relaxing wasn't going away and she wasn't liking it. Thankfully, she was pulled from her thoughts as she heard a soft tapping on her window. She smiled and breathed a sigh of relief as, standing at the window, was Anubis.
"Morning!" Anubis said as she opened the window, "How are you today?"
"I'm...OK," Cerberus replied as Anubis gave the left head a nice scratching under the chin, "Just have a lot on my mind for some reason."
"Nothing serious I hope?" Anubis inquired, now scratching the right head. Cerberus shrugged, "Eh, some reason I just can't shake this feeling I've been having today. Like, something is going on that I need to stop but I can't figure out what." Anubis nodded then sighed, "Well, there may be a reason for that. Bahumat got in touch with me earlier and we got a problem. Remember Kitsune's brother Zenyako?" Cerberus nodded slowly, "Well, do you recall that he was placed under house arrest for aiding in Kitsune's plan back in the 80's?" Again, Cerberus nodded, "Well, turns out last month he somehow broke out and we fear he may try to..."
"Join with someone," Cerberus sighed as Anubis nodded his head, "Yeah, so he wants me and you to see if we can find him before he does. You up for it?" Cerberus, having a rough history with Zenyako, replied, "Yeah, I'll join you. Give me a second to freshen up a bit." Anubis nodded as Cerberus went and did just that, "Say, Cerb?" He then shouted in the open window, "You seen Tarot lately?"
"Not recently, no. Why?" Cerberus said as she got ready to take a quick shower.
"Hm, wonder if shes gone missing as there are a lot of Missing posters up in Babylon Gardens with her face plastered on them. I spoke with Thunderbird the day he came back and he said she ran off after her brother returned and after saying something very rude to Dragon." Cerberus, walking out from the shower and drying off, shrugged at first before a horrifying realization came to her as she closed the window and walked out the front door, locking it behind her. "Oh god," she said as Anubis asked what was wrong, "I hope I'm wrong, but I think I know where both Zenyako and Tarot are...we gotta hurry." With that, both Anubis and Cerberus ran off in search of the two, Cereberus hoping and praying that her fears weren't true cause, if they were, then there may not be any hope for Tarot.

[NHWestoN]

Took me a while to get back to the sagas (short attention span on this Dark screen) but well worth the return. You still got it, Sean!

[Amazee Dayzee]

Impeccable job as always Sean! I really want Tiger to screw around with the K9s. Especially Mungo. He deserves it. A lot. XD

[trekkie]

Great chapter, I look forward to reading about Cerebus and seeing Tiger get his just desserts.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I really do hope that Jessica is involved in the dishing out of Tiger's comeuppance only because its funny.

[trekkie]

I’d like to see Marvin involved because Tiger has enslaved the guy who has been so patient with him.