The Fabulous & The Ancient Artifact

Part 6: Portal 55

The starry sky and chilly night air led a moth to feel inclined to land on the roof of 30, 17th Street. It had shades of purple on its wings and made itself comfortable on one of the cold, clay roof tiles. Not long after, a dark, hulking shadow was cast just next to it. It hadn't taken long at all for something strange to happen. Both the moth and the shadow gained human form.

One was a short, slender woman with graying hair and a bob cut just above her shoulders that framed her thin face. The other was a tall, older man with chestnut brown hair, a thick French moustache, and sunglasses. The woman was wearing a light purple dress and a violet cape, and a necklace with a golden pendant shaped like a star hung from her neck, while the man sported an elegant, black suit with a striped tie.

"And how were the sales, Madam Mary Moth? Or should I refer to you as the Tooth Fairy or perhaps the 'Pillowcase Peddler'?"

"Madam Mary Moth will do just fine. Unless you happen to be six years old, then you may call me Tooth Fairy," she retorted. Both of them chuckled briefly. "I was able to sell three pillowcases today at number 30. Over at 29, they had given some excuse about buying an RPG and didn't have the money." She waved her hands around mockingly. "And at house number 66, they didn't even answer the door."

"Not bad, Madam Mary Moth!"

"And you, Master Fobert Icelos? Or am I to call you Boogeyman, or even Wandering RPG Salesman perchance?"

"Please, it's just Fobert. Well, I really did sell one of the games to the family at number 29, to two very clever children," he told her, pointing down to the house in front of them. I hope that one of them was the lost child, son of Pete Atlas, even though their mother was wearing a very strange cracker outfit. Would you believe that she didn't have a purse or even a wallet? She kept her money there..."

"There?" Mary Moth stared at him curiously. Fobert Icelos started to make gestures, referring to a bra.

"Can you even do that?" he said to no one in particular, starting to blush. "These crackers really are an odd bunch, aren't they?"

"Speaking of odd! What's going on with those sunglasses, Master Fobert? It's nighttime!"

"I'm just hiding the bags under my eyes. I haven't been sleeping very well lately. But I must confess, these sunglasses make me look even more terrifying!" he said, making a frightening face and holding up one hand like a claw.

"Ugh. If the children ever found out that you wouldn't harm a flea and that you're scared of cockroaches, you'd be done for! They wouldn't be nearly as afraid of you as they are now."

"Well it's good that they're afraid of me. Fear causes respect!"

"Not always, Master. Not always!" she replied. Her face changed to an expression of sorrow.

"What is it, Madam Mary Moth?"

"I fear that we won't ever find the lost child or the ancient artifact." Mary looked thoroughly troubled.

"Don't you worry. The headmaster of Aca.L.An.Tu.S. himself, Master Folko Lore, has assured us that we are on the right path. He sensed a new Internal Energy emanating from these very streets just a few days back. As he said, the bearer of this I.E. is most likely in house 29, 30, or 66. They are also probably in possession of the ancient artifact. When Master Pete Atlas fled from Aca.L.An.Tu.S. ten years ago, he carried his child with him as well as the urn that contained the artifact, the last shard of the Sphere of All-Good. We don't know how, but the child and the artifact likely ended up here."

"All true, Master Fobert. I truly hope that we are indeed on the right path, because what we are doing here is illegal. Getting so close to, and even interacting with the crackers without permission from the Annular Defense Secretary. I'm fearful that our plan won't work and that the ancient artifact will fall into the wrong hands." A dark look passed over Madam Moth's face. "It's even happened before, and led to absolute disaster. Aca.L.An.Tu.S. was almost destroyed. The ancient artifact can grant any and every type of wish, so it can't belong to just anybody. We must find the child; it's our only hope to open the urn."