Digby Chapter 12

Read Table of Content | +Kyla Scurchio
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     "What… how…" spluttered my father. He was graying with age, but still looked as strong built as he always had been. My mirror image, except for my hair and eyes, I inherited my mother’s dark hair, and hazel eyes.
     I felt the kid within me want to scream and yell at him. I wanted him to explain why he never came back; I wanted him to answer for his crime. But my adult self knew better, after dealing with that beast outside I knew he would not have been able to return.
"The King sent me." I said flatly.
     "Son…" I could tell he was at a loss for words. His eyes flickered over to Zugzwang. "Who's your friend, son?" With the feel of shock subsiding, I relaxed. The anger in me faded as my father
lifted himself away from his desk.
     “Zugzwang,” I said, “he wrecked his ship while entering the Harbor, and has been hunting with me since.”He shook hands with Zugzwang before turning on me. He placed his hands on my shoulder like he had on the day he left me.
     "I don’t know if sorry will ever forgive what I did." he whispered, eyes watering.
"After what I just saw outside your gate, I think you’re forgiven." I smiled at him.
"How did you manage to get past the Big Bad Burroughs mouse?" he asked in shock.
"Um, I think I can explain that Sir." said Zugzwang quietly. My father looked over at him again, taking in his appearance fully.
"Wizard?" he asked skeptically.
     "Yes. And I do believe I managed to shrink your beast." Zugzwang said proudly.
"Sh-shrink?" spluttered my father confused.
"A simple spell, but it requires a lot of power. I sure hope that was the only one, I don’t know if I can do it again for a few days."
"Are you saying that the beast is no longer…"
"Beastly? Yeah that’s what I'm saying." Zugzwang smiled at my father's stunned face.

     "Dear King, Digby was by far the most damaged by the mice. The Town had to move out of the lower levels due to the Beast that had been on a rampage there, along with a few other destructive mice I have yet to encounter. We were attacked by the beast or Big Bad Burroughs mouse as the town calls it, before entering Digby. Zugzwang shrunk the Big Bad before we became its lunch, but we haven't come across it again.

     Also my Father has become Digby's Lord. He's done a fine job with the subterranean city, though there were many casualties in the last several years. Because of Zugzwang's actions we have been treated like hero's here.  Though the Big Bad Burroughs mouse is no longer big and bad the Town is still sealed shut. They are reluctant to talk about the terrors near the Town and under it, but Zugzwang and I plan to investigate. May all go well. "

     That first day passed by in a blur. After convincing my father that the Big Bad was indeed shrunk, he ran straight to the bottom floor of the drill and announced it to the town. After hours of hoots, hollers and toasts to freedom we finally rested.
     Zugzwang was put up in a small room on the third floor.   Covered in living shards that threw off a subtle blue glow, the room was perfect for him.  He plopped down on the bed and heaved a sigh
"Now I can get use to this. Free food, free bed. This is the life." I chuckled at him.
"Well, don’t get too comfy, we won't be staying long." he shrugged as I left his room to head off to my own chambers two floors above his.

     It was odd to be sleeping in a room made of metal. I had grown accustom to the lifestyle below ground when I was a boy. There were living shards dangling from the walls here as well but as amazing as they were it wasn’t the same when they were out of their natural surroundings of the caverns below.
     A knock on my door brought me out of my own thoughts and back to the present. I crossed the room and opened the door for my visitor. I found my father standing in front of me, a strange look in his eye.
     "Son before you left I wanted to give you something." I watched as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a chain. Dangling from the end of it was a tiny key.
     "I want you to have this so you will always be able to return to me. Also,” he reached into his pocket a second time, pulling out a tattered bit of paper," Take this. It’s a formula for a cheese to catch the dirt dwellers."
I glanced down the list of ingredients.
"What's radioactive sludge?"
     "You'll need to see a scientist for that. They left that here after finishing the city. I don’t think they meant to leave it but since living shards are in the recipe I think it could help with our mouse problem below."
     A way to hunt them I thought. Perhaps these mice were to advanced for common cheeses. Nothing short of this would work on them. I stared at the paper, at the top in a corner was scribbled the word "Limelight". I pocketed the gifts.
     "When do you leave son?" He had finally come to the conversation he had been avoiding.
"In the morning. We need to get to the Lab and discuss a few things with the scientists there." my face quickly turned into a scowl. "If I could borrow a runner though that would be very helpful. I need to send notes to the King. Once he receives them he will send hunters your way to help with your problem."
     I watched as my Father looked at me in an odd way. I could tell he was trying to see the boy I had been, but could not find it. I was no longer his little boy. I was a man and I had orders to uphold.
"Get some sleep son, the sooner you are done with the King's mission the sooner you can return home."
     My head buzzed that night. The past was making itself known in my thoughts, and the future was looming over me with the unknown. It was late before I was ever able to sleep. My mind still refused to shut down even as I dreamed.