The Mystery Files: The Journey to find the songbird

Chapter 8: A test of character and heart.

The world they had just stepped into was nothing like what they had heard in the story. Far from being bright, full of life and filled with strong people, it was dark, desolate, and what little life there was, ran for cover whenever the group got near, or it heard a sudden noise.

"What happened here..." Megan said in disbelief whilst looking at a ruined stone building that was crumbling and covered in vines.

Jen walked up and stood beside her. "I don't know... obviously something really bad to cause an entire world to be ruined."

A twig snapping caught Jonahs's attention and caused him to draw his sword in order the protect the girls. "Ladies... I don't think we should stray too far from each other while we are here." Jonah became suddenly became super serious as he ushered the two girls back towards the main group.

It looked like Boris' training had kicked in as well, seeing Jonah draw his sword made him stand a little taller and with his sword poised to attack. "Sir what should we do? I don't like the looks of this place and I keep hearing growling that I think is coming from the woods just behind us" The sudden change in Boris' attitude frightened and surprised the others more than when Jonah did it.

"Don't worry my friend, two royal knights can take on anything! Just make sure you are keeping an eye out and protecting our right side while we make our way to that temple" Jonah ordered.

"Yes Sir!" Boris saluted and went ahead to walk to the right of the group while also scanning the terrain looking for danger.

'Show-offs!" Joey thought while the spirit just smiled.

As they all walked through what looked like the main street of this large town it became clear that all the buildings were significantly damaged by something. They all had collapsed roofs; crumbling walls and the insides were destroyed. Shop windows were smashed, and their signs were so damaged that they were barely readable. One shop that look mostly intact looked like it could have been a successful medicine shop at one point but was now empty with nothing and no-one in sight. It became obvious that although nature had reclaimed this town it was not nature that did this, it was deliberate destruction by something wild, frenzied, and dangerous.

As the group looked around one thing stood out, where was all the people? If this were a sudden attack, surely as they investigated the different buildings, they would see bodies or evidence that people had been living there and been doing things at the time but no, nothing. If it was an attack people saw coming, then they should have seen evidence of people trying to escape or fight back but again nothing.

"Curious... I wonder what happened to them all. No one just disappears into thin air." Joey wondered.

"Do you think that they are playing the largest and longest game of hide and seek and forgot to appoint a seeker?" John joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"It's a nice thought but I don't think that is the case bro. Look at the amount of destruction, they would have come out of their hiding places ages ago." Jen shot down that idea.

"If this was the place the evil conductor trapped the songbird then capturing a creature so good, could have caused all the good to be sucked out of this world and leave it looking like it does currently." Megan said. It was certainly a good theory, but the truth was much worse.

As they kept walking through the town looking at all the overgrown and destroyed buildings and staying alert, it seemed like they were quickly approaching the town square.

"Looks like we are nearing the centre of town, the road seems to open up down here" Jonah said.

"Thank goodness! We may be able to find our way to the temple now that we have reached the centre of town. You should be able to go anywhere in town from here!" Boris tried to stay focused, but he couldn't help that he was glad that he would soon be out of this place.