The Hellhound's Secret

Tori's Birthday, Part II

"What are the chances of our things still being hidden?" Hunter asked Kali. They were walking along the shore, the water lapping at their feet.

"Next to none," said Kali. "The enchantments, while a direct link to the ones that hide the Mystic Realm from the real world, aren't as strong."

"You mean to say outsiders could stumble across our stuff?" Dustin asked.

Kali nodded. "I mean, we're within the boundary line of the enchantments," she explained. "It's just finding the exact place that we settled."

The others nodded and continued their walk. They weren't entirely sure where they settled down earlier, but they knew that that they had been near the rocks.

"Look at that swell!" Tori whined, pointing out into the ocean. "I haven't seen waves like this for weeks."

"Yeah, I was hoping to get some surfing in today," Xander agreed.

Kali grinned. "Watching you get torn apart by the birthday girl would've been a highlight," she teased.

Xander rolled his eyes. "I was looking forward to some downtime outside of surfing, I'll have you," he said, nudging Kali back.

The others nodded in agreement.

"Whoa, Whoa, wait a minute," said Blake, turning in a circle. "I don't want to sound paranoid here, but wasn't this where we left our stuff?"

Kali furrowed her brow and looked around. She the strip of beach looked exactly the same as the one they had just walked, but they were a lot closer to the rocks than they had been a few minutes before. Casting her gaze skyward, Kali considered the clouds, frowning as seagulls cawed and flew overhead without so much as a problem.

"What's up?" Hunter asked, noticing her distraction.

"The barrier," said Kali, looking around, her gaze squinting against the sun's rays. "It's lowered. But... I don't understand. I know it was losing its potency because we've been away, but I thought it would last longer than one hour."

Dustin sighed and grabbed his head. "I can't believe our gear got jacked!" he whined. "This reeks!"

"What if it just got washed out with the tide or something?" Blake asked, trying to be optimistic.

"The tide hasn't even come in yet," Tori and Xander said.

Blake groaned.

"So where is it then?" Hunter asked.

"There!" said Vida, pointing towards where Choobo and a group of Kelzaks were scurrying around the rocks, carrying not only their belongings but Tori's birthday cake, also.

Tori clenched her jaw. "That is the last straw," she said. "Nobody steals my birthday cake! Come on."

The group took off, stopping short as they watched the kelzaks play around with their equipment, and even, in Tori, Kali, and Vida's cases, try on their clothes.

"This is wrong on so many levels," said Dustin.

"Tori, promise me you'll never wear that bikini every again," said Blake, as a Kelzak modelled a two-piece blue bikini.

Kali clenched her fist as a second Kelzak held up a black two-piece bikini that she had bought from Victoria Secret. It had cost her almost an arm and a leg to pay for, and now, if she weren't careful, she would need to burn it.

"Give us back our stuff!" Hunter yelled.

"Make me," said Choobo.

"Okay!" said Xander.