15 Chapter 15

Day's had passed, Lance, Gale, Fang, and Luna since they left Marewood, Lance ran ahead to the came up to a fork in the road, as a pair of sighs pointed in either direction. They had been overgrown, as the others caught up Gale clean them off, one reading as Goldhill the capital of the Gold Heart Empire and the other as Riverlight, a city of festivals and lights, nestled in the vast network of waterways. Lance excitedly asked if they were willing to go to Goldhill while the others had gone down the other way of his suggestion.

"So, Gale, what is Lovell like?" Fang promptly ask as they walked down the road.

Gale stopped and turned to Fang, "Well, hotheaded, shy and well… stubborn." Fang was trying to picture it; Gale started to walk once more. "But he is strong, wise, foolish and sentimental."

Luna smiled, "He sounds like a handful. How long were to two travelling with him at the time, well before very thing back at Marewood?"

Lance stopped, turned to look back at Marewood, worried that Lovell might not return. Gale looked back at Lance, "Well, about three months, so not terribly long…" Gale sighed as Lance stood like a bump on a log. "Lance, get moving, or you're left behind!" Lance jumped as Gale yelled at him.

Rubbing his head, Lance caught up to them. "Sorry, I was in thought."

Fang growled as Gale smack him across the head. "He will come back, don't worry too much. We have to protect Luna in his stead." Gale tried hiding the fact he was worried as well; Lance perked up as he knew Gale to know well when he was concerned as well.

Fang rolled his eyes at them; Luna smiled at them. "They seem very close, don't they Fang?"

Fang crossed his arms, "Well, if they don't hurry, we will leave them behind!" Fang raised his voice at them, Luna chuckled at Fang's behaviour towards them, watching as he blushed before moving ahead. "Lets—let's just get going."

Gale and Lance caught up with them, Fang still red, looked up to see the city of Riverlight come into view. Gale walked up beside him, "You alright, Fang?"

"Yeah, Luna just got to me." Fang turned to Lance, "the real question is Lance, ok?"

Gale turned to look at Lance. "True, but he'll pull through, He always finds a way to bounce back." Fang was noticing that Gale had no emotional exposition when he spoke. Gale looked at him. "Curious, why I don't show emotions?"

Fang nodded, "Yes, it seems weird that you don't, for a human?"

Gale closed his eyes. "Lance and I have known each other since we were tiny, though he was the opposite of what he is now."

Fang lifted an eyebrow, looking at Lance then back at Gale, "Him not happy go lucky or a worry wort?"

Gale nodded, "Yeah, it's hard to believe, but he used to be very strict like his father."

Fang looked at Gale, "And you?"

"I was timid back then, and never talked once unless some was asking me a question." Gale laughed a bit; Fang froze in fear at what he heard from Gale. "But he changed me, and I changed him after he tried to get me to talk to him, he demanded I speak to him." Gale closed his eyes, "He thought I was a commoner of a servant in the castle."

Fang stopped, "Castle?"

Gale turned to Fang, "Yes, I'm the prince of Grand Dale Kingdom, why?"

Fang blinked at what Gale said. "Well, you don't seem like a royal they way you act."

"True, but it thanks to Lance still." Gale looked at the cities architect as they walked through. "Lance was so insistent that I talked to him he up and asked me why I did talk to him." Gale notices Lance gawking at the festive décor. "I think he said something like 'why do you not answer me, peasant?'"

Fang looked at Lance, "Hard to believe he was so rude as a child; he acts like one. So, what was your response to that."

Gale looked up, "I think I said, 'because you asked me to speak?'"

Fang looked at Gale, in amazement. "You sounded like a royal there."

Gale turned to him. "yeah, my father comes out to see how I was doing, and that's when Lance figured out who I was. After that, it's a blur of him trying to get me more social and see the world. I feel he made it my mission. There are times my emotions stir up. Like when we first met Lovell." Gale chuckled at the thought.

Fang was astonished by how ordinary Gale could be. "I think Lovell helped in the end, wish I could have met him before he left you two behind."

Gale lowered his gaze, "True to that, but anyway, we did find you and Lady Luna."

Fang agreed as they all entered the local inn. Lance felt uneasy as they settled down for the night. Looking out the window, Lance noticed strange dogs roam the streets. He became concerned that something wasn't right about the city, Lance looked over to Gale and Fang, he sees they were already fast asleep. Hoping it was only his worry for Lovell that causes his uneasy feeling to the city's beauty.

As dawn came, Lace woke before the others, having a hard time sleeping the night away as his fears grew. He turned to Gale, shaking him to wake up.

Gale groan, "What Lance? It's not even sunrise yet?"

Lance leaned in, "Yes, it is, and we need to get out of town fast!" Gale rubbed the sleep from his eyes, as his grumpy gaze showered over Lance. "Look, this city gives me the heebie-jeebies, plus the night time animals don't—are listening to me!"

Gale yawned as he started to smile. "Nah, just relax, Lance, everything is fine, right, Fang?" Lance noticed that Gale was not acting right ran to Luna's room to see if she had changed as well.

As he reached her room, Luna opened the door, rubbing her arms., Lance grabbed her, "Luna!"

She looked at him in surprise, "Oh, Lance, you awake is something wrong?"

Lance hang his head in joy, then looked her in the eye. "Look, we need to talk, but..." Lance looked around, noticing someone coming he pushed Luna back into her room. "Move quickly!" Luna tried asking what was going on before he locked the door. Sighing, Lance looked at her, his eyes filled with fear. "Ok, before you freak, but something is very wrong with this town. Gale and possibly Fang are acting strange, to the point where I want to punch myself a thousand times." Lance started pacing as Luna sat down on her bed, listening to what he had to say. "I think the worst of it is the strange dogs I saw last night hang around outside, and—and."

Luna stopped him, "What did these dogs look like Lance?" Lance looked in her eye's, the seemed conserved as he was. Lance described them the best he could to Luna. She began to ponder on what they were. "Hmm, I think they were daemons, high tier werewolves, really, or a shifter type of vampire. Hard to say without seeing them myself."

Lance sat down. "Is that bad?" Lance became concerned that one of them will become their lunch.

Before Luna could answer, Fang, entered the room. "Hey, Lance, something is wrong with Gale? He's acting a bit strange like you strange?" They noticed Gale hanging onto Fang like a six-year-old on their parent. Fang noticed that they were staring at him. "What?"

Luna tilted her head, "Well, Lance woke up this morning to him acting strange and ran out before seeing if you were too, but to see Gale act like this is… is well, crazy, to say the least?" Luna got up to take a closer look at Gale, "Gale, sweetie, could you show me any injuries you might have?" Galle shrunk down as he held onto Fang's shoulders.

Lance got up, "Come here you!" Grabbing him by the ear, Gale acting like a spoiled toddler tried protesting. As he was seated down for Luna examine. As she looked over him, Luna noticed a bit mark on Gale's forearm. Lance looked over to see what she had found. "what is that, a bite mark? Hey, Fang, did you bite Gales' forearm, or did he do it himself, on your way here?"

Fang stood up, looked at the mark. "No, neither of us did but the teeth marks…they look very familiar?" Fang began to think where he saw them wondered off. "Now, where have I seen those marks before?"

Luna turned to Lance. "Lance, everything will be ok." Luna tried to cheer him up. "Let's all get dressed and see if we can't find someone who remembers seeing this kind of bite mark before, alright, Lance?"

Lance nodded, "Okay, I'll take care of Gale till we find out what's going on?" Luna noticed that Lance was ready to break down at any moment watched the two leave as Fang paced behind her. AS Lance closed the door, he heard her yell at Fang to get out. Fang rushed out, rubbing his arm, walked back with them to their room.

After getting dressed, they waited for Luna, Lance, keeping an eye on Gale's movements. "It's like he became a normal commoners kid in an adult body."

Fang leaned back. "True, and from what you said back in our room, this might be the work of a daemon?"

Lance lowered his head, "I fear it might be." Hearing footsteps, Lance looked up to see Luna walk over to them. "You ready, there, Luna?"

Scratching her cheek, "Yeah, sorry I took so long. I missed placed my boots last night and couldn't find them till a moment ago." Fang stood up as Lance grabbed child Gale by the rope. Luna noticed the rope around his waist. "Is that really necessary?"

She asked Lance; he looked at the rope. "Can't be too careful, besides its better than losing track of him."

Luna watched Gale stare at a butterfly. "Good—good point." She turned her attention to Fang. "Did you ask the innkeeper about—"

"Yes, there are three places we could check out, but…" Fang's voice was feeling reassuring.

Luna became worried, "But what, Fang?"

Fang sighed, "They are all closed due to the festival today and will be closed for several days due to the same festival."

Lance looked at Gale, he yearned for his friend to be back to normal. "Well, can't we just see if we can't find them and see if they can help us?" Lona and Fang looked at Lance, clearing his throat. "I mean they might be at the festival or at home. If anything, it's better than sitting around." Lance feeling as if they wouldn't go with the idea, lowered his head, his heart ached at the thought of looking his best friend.

Luna walked up to him. "Let's give it a shot, besides you could use some cheering up, Lance." She clasped her hands around his. "Besides, everything will work out, you'll see, your Gale will be back before you know it." Tears ran down Lance's face, as she pulled him in, Fang touching his should as his way of comforting Lance. Lance wiped his tears away as they headed into town in search of a way to cure Gale.