Rating: PG
Genre: Mystery
Setting: Small Village, Rainbow City
Main Characters: Hyru, Neon

Note from the Authoress: Wow. compared to the other parts of this fic, this one has gotten a lot longer...i dunno, perhaps my writing has improved. sorry it took FOREVER to update!

Neon crept through the silent inn, searching for some sign of where Hyru might be. But so far he had found nothing. He slumped angrily against the wall. A thin, grating noise reached his ears, and he stood up quickly. Right next to him part of the wall clicked, and swung outwards slightly. Almost on an impulse, Neon caught the wall before it fell back into place. He pulled it open further. There was a long, dark passage behind the wall, and faint echoes of whispers rebounded off the walls eerily. Curiosity overcame Neon, and he stepped slowly into the passage. Thinking that Hyru might be hidden down here somewhere, he crept down the passage, looking over his shoulder every few minutes to check nobody was behind him.

Hyru stood at the bottom of the dark hole, gazing around her, trying to see something in the darkness that crowded around her on all sides. She herd slight footsteps, and heard the voice of the man.

“Sorry it’s so dark down here. I’m afraid I have no matches.” Hyru grinned, although it was impossible to see in the darkness. She concentrated and clicked her fingers. A small flame appeared, lighting up the passage around her. The man stood a little way in front, just within the sphere of light the flame threw out. He looked at the flame in amazement. Before pointing just to Hyru’s left.

“There’s a lantern just beside you, can you light it?” Hyru moved, and saw the lantern. It was clear that the flame had not died that long ago. She assumed that the man had put it out before freeing her. He moved her hand over the wick, and the lantern flared into life, lighting the passage effectively. The man looked pleased. Hyru spoke now.

“Ok, so we have light. Now we need to talk!” The man nodded.

“Here isn’t a good place. There’s a cave some way ahead. We can stop there.” he picked up the lantern, and walked down the passage. Hyru followed, seeing no other choice. She fervently hoped that Neon was ok.

Neon had walked for a while. Now, he found a door just ahead of him. As he approached, the unmistakable sound of voices reached him. As he drew nearer, he could identify one as that of the innkeeper. The other voice he couldn’t recognise, but it made him feel uncomfortable. He crept nearer, listening in to the conversation.

“…a warrior. I don’t know about this” the voice of the innkeeper said.

“The boy can’t do anything. He won’t find her. He won’t head back for a while now. She will be Kydetfo’s by then.” the second voice sneered.

“But still…”

“That’s enough!” the voice interrupted the innkeeper. Neon backed away. So Hyru was still in the inn. He stumbled over a rock in his haste to get back. The second voice rang out. “What was that?” Neon cursed, and turned to run. He was halfway down the passage when a lightning bolt shot past, causing some rocks to fall in front of him. He skidded to a halt. Damn. So he was dealing with a mage. He turned, drawing his sword. The innkeeper stood a little behind the mage, clutching a lantern gingerly. The mage himself wore a long dark cloak. He was tall, well over six feet if Neon was any judge. His hand was still extended from casting. Neon glanced at his hand, and made a strangled sound. The mages hand was gloved over the most part, but his index finger was revealed. Its flesh had a rotted look about it. The mage spoke to the innkeeper.

“Get out of here. Leave the boy to me.” the innkeeper dropped the lantern, which remained lit, and he turned and fled. Slowly the mage lifted his hand and pulled his cloak from his face.

Hyru looked around the cave. It had two passages leading from it, besides the one they had travelled up. The man turned to her, before speaking.

“First things first. My name, in answer to your question at the tavern, is Raz. Now, what would you like to ask?” Hyru thought for a moment, before all of her questions came tumbling out.

“Why was I kidnapped? Why are you helping me? And why are you telling me your name now, when you said you couldn’t before?” Raz listened to her questions.

“Very well. Here are the answers. You were kidnapped because you are a stranger. I am helping you because what these villagers are doing is barbaric. And I can tell you my name now because I have just got myself into trouble by rescuing you.” Hyru looked at Raz, confused.

“But why? What is happening here?” Raz looked at her pityingly, before giving her one word as an answer.

“Kydetfo.” Hyru frowned in confusion. But before she could ask about Kydetfo, footsteps echoed up the passage. Raz stood and turned quickly, drawing his knife. Hyru gazed at the passage the footsteps were coming from. Another man ran into view, staggering to a stop as he saw Raz and Hyru. He glanced wordlessly between them for a moment. Hyru suddenly recognised him as the innkeeper. The innkeeper turned to Raz.

“You’re in trouble now, boy! Kydetfo will not allow this.” The innkeeper grinned. Hyru glanced at Raz, who approached the innkeeper and flicked his knife up to his throat. The innkeeper gulped.

“He isn’t going to find out.” deftly, Raz drove the knife into the innkeeper, who choked once, before staggering backwards, and collapsing against the wall. “We better move. If he’s down here, who knows what else will be.” They were about to leave when a scream of horror reached their ears. Hyru gasped.

“Neon!” She turned and ran down the passage the innkeeper had emerged from, Raz close on her heels.

END OF PART 6