Audrey's tail nervously swished back and forth, her ears twitched at the slightest sound. Even Gabriel, whose hobby was collecting ghost stories and visiting haunted sites, was a little unnerved. The house was almost completely furnished, artwork hung on the walls, furniture was in place, and the chandelier made of gold and crystal still hung high above them. " This is probably a very bad sign" said Audrey, " why is everything still here?"
" Good locks maybe" said Gabriel.
" Then how did Audrey pick them?" asked Elanna, " more over how did the crew of the other ship get in?"
" Let just try to find the Red Boar and just get the damn thing" said Audrey.
The three started to scan the room hoping to see a red boar close by. Dust and cobwebs covered the decaying furniture and objects of art, but there was no red boar. " I suggest we split up" said Gabriel, " we can cover more ground and faster if we do."
Audrey looked like she would die of fright on the spot, " But that is how the evil creatures always get the people in the stories you tell us" she meowed.
" We'll all stay within ear shot of each other" said Elanna, " no going more than thirty meters in any direction."
Audrey slowly and reluctantly nodded, " I'll go that way" said Audrey, pointing to the hallway next to the stairs.
" I'll go left" said Elanna.
" I'll go right then" said Gabriel.

Audrey slowly passed by the stairs, her sense were on high. She just knew at any second a ghost would grab her and eat her soul. Audrey slowly poked her head around the corner and looked into the hallway. She didn't see any ghosts but that was the problem with them, they only appeared when they wanted to. Audrey slowly took a step into the hallway and slowly walked to the first room. It appeared to be servant's quarters, Spartan rooms, bed, dresser, small table and a chair. No red boars, nothing worth stealing. Audrey slowly snuck down the hall looking into each empty servant's quarters.
Elanna carefully slid the second door open; it was a vast and huge library. Elanna marveled how many books were still on the shelves; nothing had been touched here either. Elanna slowly dragged her finger through the dust so to be able to read the titles. Her ears turned bright red when she recognized the titles, they were Elven Erotica, volumes upon volumes worth. Elanna quickly realized the library was stocked with almost nothing but dirty books from every race in Caracantha, even dirty Goblyn stories. Elanna couldn't stop blushing, the owner of this house was long dead and gone but it was still extremely embarrassing to be looking at some one's rather large collection of dirty books. Elanna crossed to the next bookcase and accidentally pressed one book. Suddenly Elanna heard a loud click making her leap back, her heart pounding. She was terrified that some ancient monster would attack her as she watched the bookcase slowly swing open. Elanna watched as the bookcase opened and a collection of old and dusty bottles of liquor appeared. Elanna looked around, she felt extremely foolish for being so scared but this place had an effect on you that was undeniable. Elanna started to search the library again, hoping to get out of here soon.
Gabriel looked into a great dining room, the house's crest hung over the huge fireplace. Gabriel stopped and stared at the crest hoping to jog his memory of where he had seen it before. The flames were what kept bothering Gabriel that was something you rarely saw on a family crest was a dragon above flames. Gabriel slowly walked through the dining room, the drapes were drawn but years of being tasty snacks for moths and other insects holes had been eaten through them letting shafts of light spill through. The light bounced off the silverware and fine crystal that adorned the table. Gabriel wandered through the dining room and through an adjoining door into a servant's pantry; there a passage went north probably to the kitchen. Gabriel walked through the servant's pantry and into the next room. There it was, Gabriel smiled a like a wolf, like something can be so easy.
Audrey and Elanna both heard Gabriel shout for them, they both quickly ran to the sound of his voice. They went through an open door and found themselves in a large trophy room, one of the many trophies was the head of a giant red boar its huge tasks and nasty snarl made it look fierce despite the lack of a body. " Okay" said Elanna, " the statue has to be 43 paces from here."
" What if it is meters?" asked Audrey.
" One thing at a time" said Elanna, " all right, each take a direction and start walking."
The three stood back to back underneath the boar's head and started stepping one foot in front of the other, counting the paces. Audrey walked out into the hall and froze, all her Cataka and thief senses were screaming loud. Audrey dared not move her head; she knew she was being watched. Carefully Audrey moved her eyes, looking down the hall towards the North Wing. There was someone standing there, he was watching Audrey. Audrey stepped back into the trophy room, " Get over here" hissed Audrey in a low tone, " there is somebody else here."
Both Elanna and Gabriel hurried over, " There is somebody in the hall" hissed Audrey, " is at the far end."
Elanna took a mirror off the wall and used it to peer down the hall. There was nobody, " But I saw someone" protested Audrey.
" We believe you, maybe it wasn't a somebody more of a g word" said Gabriel.
Audrey's hair bristled and she trembled, " They must know we are here" she whispered.
" Let's just find the stupid statue before we out stay our welcome" said Elanna, " lets start over again, this time I'll take the hall."
The started again, Elanna pacing into the hall. She crossed through the hall and walked into the next room, another trophy room full of stuff dead animals. Elanna stopped and groaned, there was another damn giant red boar. Elanna turned to call to the other when she felt terrible cold and noticed everything was getting dark.
" Anything?" asked Gabriel.
Audrey shook her head, " Elanna?" she called out.
No answer, " Elanna?" Audrey called out again.
Silent answered her, Audrey looked over at Gabriel, and both had a worried look on their faces. They rushed into the hall and saw Elanna's footprints in the dust. They followed them into the next trophy room and both stopped. Elanna's footprints stopped underneath another giant red boar and where met by another set of footprints in the dust but there was no Elanna. The other set of footprints were unusual, the sole made a unusual crisscross pattern on the toe and hell and neither foot had a curve to show left or right, they looked identical. Audrey clutched Gabriel, " Where is she?" asked Audrey, panicking, " where is she?"
" I don't know but we have to get the others" said Gabriel.
The pair rushed down the hall and reached the main doors. Gabriel grabbed the handle but found the door was firmly locked. He tugged hard and started kicking it. Audrey grabbed her lock picks and tried to pick the lock. No matter how hard she tried the lock would not move. " FUCK!" swore Audrey loudly, " where going to die! Fuck!"
" We aren't dead yet" said Gabriel, " right now our main priority is to find Elanna. Now I am going to need you calm."
Audrey looked beyond scared; Gabriel knew only one way to calm her now. He took the trembling Cataka into his arms and gently stroked her ears for several minutes. Audrey melted in his arms and began to softly purr, petting her ears was her weakness. " Better?" asked Gabriel.
Audrey gave a soft smile, " Lets go find our elf" she purred.

Dirk looked at his Vallic map of the area, Harold sitting in his stand on the side of the table. " Where is the Esmeraldas' Triumph?" asked Dirk.
" He is still in Toulo" said Harold, " he is not moving, they are searching for something."
Dirk looked at the map trying to figure out where they were; there was so much out there. Dirk looked at Harold, " Pick a route" said Dirk.
" Northeast by east two 3rds east" said Harold.
Dirk plotted the course and left, " They are in danger" said Harold, thinking Dirk was still in the room, " our job will be done before we get there."

" They've been in there for a while" said Sam, looking at the mansion from the porthole in the galley, " are you sure they are okay?"
" Elanna and Gabe have been in worse places" said Tanis, eating lunch, " remember the time we had to slogging through the Greyburg sewers looking for that old crazy wizard?"
" I thought Elanna told us never to speak of that" said Alexis.
" I'm just giving an example, those two could be buried up to their eyes in raw sewage as the wizard creates sewer golems and they managed to bring the crazy old coot back" said Tanis.
" I don't like it" said Sam, " should it take this long to find a statue."
" In a huge mansion?" asked Sebastian, " lets give them some more time before we kick the doors open on them and scared all of Gabe's ghosts off."

Gabriel and Audrey reached the end of the hall, " This is where you saw the guy?" asked Gabriel.
Audrey nodded, as they looked at the doors. " These are huge doors" said Audrey.
Gabriel tapped the door and listened to the metallic knock answer him, " And made of steel" he said, " what the hell is a mansion doing with steel doors?"
" Lets pick them and find out" said Audrey.
Audrey took out her picks and began to manipulate the locks. Time and time again she was defeated by the complicated locks each time making her growl at them.

Serenity slowly emerged from the forest and looked at the imposing mansion before her, she saw the airship she had been following, it was hovering close to the mansion with its ladder down. Serenity scowled, she disliked being beaten in anything. Serenity snuck close to the mansion and noticed that the windows on this wing of the house were barred. Mansions don't have steel bars over the windows unless it was something else. Serenity slowly skirted the windows until she found a window that someone had cut the steel bars on. She climbed through the window and stared in shock. This wasn't a mansion it was some sort of prison. The cell doors were all open and rusty showing it hadn't been used for sometime, but the mere sight of them was still unsettling. Serenity carefully made sure her talismans and charms were at the ready, Serenity could feel the pain and angry here. Serenity carefully started to make her way down the hall, she could hear someone whispering, it was joined by other voices. Serenity couldn't make out what they were saying but it was extremely unnerving. Serenity turned the corner and saw the room the voices seemed to coming from. Serenity took a deep breath and started for the room. Serenity's amulet began to glow dull blue, ghosts were present, but thankfully the dull hue meant they weren't dangerous, yet. Serenity turned into the room and saw several soft blue figures, they were horribly mutilated and had sorrowful expressions on their faces, those that still had recognizable faces. They were gathered around an elf woman, she was lying motionless on some table that was rusted and brown with ancient dried blood. The room was filled with surgical instruments and other bizarre tools that belong in a torture chamber; all of them were rusted and coated in ancient dried blood. Serenity watched as the figures all slowly disappeared. Serenity hurried over to the elf and touched her face, she was warm, her breathing was slow and shallow. Serenity slowly woke the elf by shaking her shoulders.
Elanna sat up and stared in disbelief, another elf was looking over her, she had black eyes. " Who are you?" asked Elanna, in a dry cracked voice.
She put her finger over Elanna's lips as they both heard footsteps overhead. The footsteps continued down a spiral staircase close to this operating room. The pair got to their feet and hurried down the hall, their heart pounding like mad. They ducked into supply room and waited. The footsteps slowly disappeared. " How did you get here?" asked the Night Elf.
" I don't know" said Elanna, " one moment I was standing in a trophy room, the next thing I know you are standing over me in that awful room. What is your name?"
" Serenity" said Serenity.
" Elanna" said Elanna, " I hate to say but I thought your people were nothing but a myth."
" We are" said Serenity, " come on, I know a way out of here."
Elanna and Serenity left the supply closet and started back to where Serenity came in. They both stopped at a dead end, " Shit" cursed Serenity, " I know there was a open window here."
Serenity touched the wall and suddenly was thrown backwards as if pushed by an ogre. She hit the wall hard, throwing up a great wall of dust. In the cloud of dust Elanna could see a figure, he was holding a blade in his hands. Elanna grabbed Serenity by the cloak and the pair fled. The turned around corner and they saw him. He was dark blue, dressed in blood soak white clothing, a long wicked blade in his hands, the most evil smile on his lips, his eyes hidden by a pair of goggles. He slowly lifted the goggles and to the women's horror, he had no eyes just black empty sockets. Within those sockets were two little points of light like distant campfires in the dead of night. " You're all mine now" came a soft evil voice that echoed through the hall. Serenity and Elanna turned and ran more. They had to escape from this sick twisted doctor. They fled up the spiral staircase, the rusted metal groaning under their feet. " Stop" said Serenity, hauling Elanna into a room.
Serenity started drawing symbols on the floor with trembling hands. The footsteps were coming closer, and closer. Serenity was having difficulty finishing the symbols. Elanna took a hold of Serenity's hand and helped her finish drawing the Elvish Protection Circle. The last symbol was finished when the footsteps were right outside of the door. Once Serenity's finger left the dust all twelve symbols glowed yellow and then there was a loud howl and then silence.

" Come on, come on" said Gabriel, pacing back and forth in front of the door.
" Gabe, calm down" said Audrey, " that howl could have been anything, most likely some sort of hellish demon coming to devour us but maybe it was just window and broken windows."
" Audrey, please just hurry up" said Gabriel.
" Gabe it is like I am performing surgery here, you can't rush genius" said Audrey.
Surgery, surgery, surgery, the word echoed through Gabriel's mind over and over, like the secret password to open up the furthest depths of his memory it made him remember. The crest, the mansion, the strange metal doors, the weird footprints, it all connected together, and Gabriel really wished it hadn't. " Oh my god" muttered Gabriel, " oh god Elanna, no."
Audrey looked back, " What do you mean?" asked Audrey.
" Keep picking Audrey, I'll explain everything in a bit" said Gabriel, keeping the fact that if they ever got through this door Elanna would be dead long before they could ever reach her. Gabriel said goodbye to Elanna and swore to bring her body back to the land of her people so her soul would not have to dwell in this hell for eternity.