The Ruby Secret

Chapter 6 - Finding Cloud

Everyone kept following the green footprints, trying to find Cloud, until they all realised that the footprints are disappearing. They tried to run while the footprints are still there but it was too late! 

"Why are the footprints disappearing?!" Dan Panicked. "My spell is wearing off." Ian answered, angrily. "Ian, cast the spell again!" Dan urgently yelled. Ian tried to cast the spell again but he couldn't, he wasted so much energy. "I can't!" Ian told Dan. "Why not?!" Jen panicked. "I'm not a warlock! But witchcraft has limitations and I need to recharge. I can't just recast!" Ian explained to her. "Ian please!" Jen begged. "Jen, I understand how you and Pat feel about Cloud but I just can't. I'm sorry." He apologised. 

Dan ended up walking up to a 2 way route, this ended up with worry. "It'll be fine, we'll find Cloud. Ian you did a good job." Pat told both Jen and Ian. "I could've done better." Ian muttered to himself. The group looked at the 2 entrances and didn't know what to do and that ended up with arguing. 

"Well, this is going to be interesting. Guys, I think we should go right." Pat suggested. "Why?" Jen asked him. "I just have a feeling that we should go this way." Pat responded to her. "Feeling? You are basing where Cloud is on a feeling you have?!" Ian asked angrily. "It's just a hunch but it seems like he was taken this way." Pat answered. "I don't know. I have a feeling he went this way." Ian said referring to the other entrance. "Which way is it?" Dan asked confused. 

"Pat, I know you want to help but I'm on this. I started the chase; I'm going to finish it. I think he's down this way." Ian told him. "Ian, please! I'm almost certain that it's this way." Pat argued. "Well then, why don't we split up and go both ways?" Ian suggested. "That's not a good idea. Splitting up is the one thing we shouldn't be doing now." Pat disagreed. "Well then, how about you cast a spell and find the trail of-" Jen cuts Ian off. "Guys! Please, let's just focus on getting Cloud back." Jen pleaded. "I agree so we go this way." Ian told the group. Pat groaned and went to the right passage, whereas Ian went to the left. 

"Ian? Pat? Dan, Jemma, you guys follow Ian. I'm going after Pat." Jen told the couple. "Right" Dan agreed. "Are you sure?" Jemma asked her. "I'm not, I think it's a bad idea but there's no time to argue. Follow Ian, let's go." Jen instructed them. "Right!" Dan and Jemma said in a unison before all three went their ways.

Jen caught up to Pat on her way. "What was that about?" Jen asked him. "I wasn't going to wait around and argue. There's no point." Pat answered. "I agree but Ian was on edge because of the failed spell. Trust me, when that happens; he's not the most rational person to talk to." Jen explained. "I can tell." Pat told her. "Hey, you're quite rational too at times." Jen reminded Pat, who just sighed. "See? Even pointing it out gets you agitated." Jen giggled. "I just always had an issue." Pat excused. 

"It's okay. Honestly, I'm having a hard time right now. So you and Ian leading the search, I really appreciate it a lot. I'm just shocked by the fact that our son is missing, it got me shaken up and I feel helpless." Jen told him. "And that's why I'm here, I don't like seeing you this way. It's not you." Pat reassured her. "Thanks. I'm sorry I'm getting emotional. Uh, let's keep going." Jen cried a little. "Right." Pat said before they continued in the cave. 

"So, what did make you think that Cloud was this way?" Jen asked Pat. "Your hoodie." He answered. "Huh?" Jen asked confused. "It's Cloud's jacket, I can feel the same aura coming from this direction." Pat explained. "Now that you mention it, it's faint but you're right! It's there." Jen realised. "Right? I didn't say anything because I didn't think anyone would believe me but- Whoa." Pat cut off his sentence by seeing an amazing mine with many red gems. "Wow..." Jen said in awe. 

"This place..." Pat commented. "It's a mine! What are these? They look like rubies or garnets, fire opals?" Jen informed. "This place... It looks like a bunch of people were staying here." Pat speculated. Jen walked over to where pat was too see bunk beds and first-aid kits but a lot of those stuff seems dusty making her cough a little. "No sign of Cloud anywhere." Jen then said. "Why are there so many first-aid kits?" Pat asked himself. "Maybe someone got hurt? Maybe Cloud? Cloud? Cloud!" Jen guess to then call out Cloud's name, hoping he's nearby. "Why can't Cloud just nya?" Jen asked herself. "Did you say something?" Pat asked her. "Nope! Just can't find Cloud!" Jen excused as she knows Cloud is embarrassed about nyas. "Let's keep looking." Pat said, weirded out by his wife a little. "Right." Jen agreed.

With Dan and Jemma they finally caught up to Ian. "Ian, why this tunnel?" Dan asked him. "I honestly don't know, I just feel strongly about it." Ian admitted. "It's a 50/50 chance either of you could be right, one of our groups is bound to find something." Jemma told him. "Soon, I just want to know that Cloud is okay." Dan sighed. Then they heard rocks being tumbled over! "Did you guys hear that?" Ian asked the two. "Cloud?" Dan called running ahead of them. "Dan wait!" Ian called out as both Ian and Jemma ran after him.

All three of them ran into some library with many different flowers around. "Wow, look at this place." Ian said in awe. "This place is incredible! Look at the machinery here!" Jemma exclaims. "Let's split up and look for Cloud." Dan told the 2 and they split up. Jemma came across a desk with many ingredients on it, Dan came across some weird looking flowers and Ian came across shelves with potions.

"Ian, do you know exactly what's going on here?" Jemma asked him. "Not a clue. All these potions are incomplete or missing something. None of them are finish or anything near there." Ian answered. "Oh, so this place has been abandoned?" Jemma assumed. "Far from it. It's like someone's been experimenting down here with potions and stuff." Ian speculated. "Hey guys! I think I found something." Dan called out to them. They all came to see a small teabag from the lodge. "It's one of those teabags from the lodge. Cloud must've dropped it." Dan assumed. "Then he can't be too far off, come on!" Ian told the two and all three continued on with the tunnel. 

Back to Pat and Jen, they were still continuing on with the tunnel but found no traces of Cloud. "It's been a while, we've should've ran into someone by now." Jen told Pat. "Someone's up ahead." Pat then said. "Cloud?" Jen called, running through the tunnels. "Jennifer, wait!" Pat called out running after her. Jen saw Dan up ahead but to then be squeezed by him because he thought that Jen was Cloud. Dan, that's..." Ian trailed off. "You've gotten a little skinnier." Dan then commented. "D-Dan!" Jen wheezed. "Dan, that's Jen." Pat told him. "Huh? Oh! I'm so sorry, Jen! The hoodie was the main thing." Dan apologised. "It's okay." Jen said, panting. 

"We didn't have any luck finding Cloud." Jen informed the group. "Same. We couldn't find any sign of him other than a teabag." Jemma said. "Well, I'm glad I found you guys." Jen sighed. "Same and Ian, I'm sorry that I snapped at you before. I was just trying to help." Pat apologised. "It's not a problem, I'm sorry too. I was just upset that I wasn't able to find Cloud with my spell." Ian also apologised. "Hey you guys! I think I found the exit to this cave!" Dan called out to the group. "Really?" Jen asked excitedly as everyone followed Dan to the exit.

"Was that it?" Jen asked as she didn't see Cloud at the exit either. "I'm afraid so, both ways lead here." Jemma answered. "Then that means, Cloud is still missing!" Dan panicked. "What's worst, this cave leads directly to the lodge. Which means, we need to head back and seal the entrance." Ian told the group. "I agree." Jemma said walking back to the lodge with everyone else, except Pat.

Pat heard a small hissing that almost sounds like a whine, he followed the source of the sound to find a baby creeper with a bleeding leg. it reminded him of Bomby. "Hey, little guy." Pat said to it but it started hissing loudly, telling to stay back. "Hey, hey it's okay. I'm friendly." Pat reassured the small creeper making it hiss a lot less. "That seems more like it. Now let me see that wound." Pat told the creeper, looking at the wound. "It's not too bad but you still need to get patched up." Pat told it placing down a first aid kit. "Don't worry, it's a first-aid kit. It'll help." Pat reassured the creeper, tending to the wound.

"That's not good enough, it's still bleeding..." Pat whispered to himself. He then ripped a part of his jacket and tied it around the creeper's leg. "There that should do it." Pat told the creeper. Then the creeper went on to find it's mother. Pat watched the creeper before walking back to the caves...