Escaping to the valley

(Chapter 8: Dwarfs, Junimos, and dancing)

I woke up to the sound of Apollo standing next to the bed, and growling at something out the window. When I Looked outside, I noticed someone, or something standing next to the mailbox, before quickly disappearing.

Apollo and I just looked at eachother, as if to say "You saw that too, right?" before I got out of bed, and went outside to check the mailbox. Sure enough, there was something inside. A letter from someone named M. Rasmodius. "That's... Quite a name." I said, before reading the letter.

My sources tell me you've been poking around inside the old community center.

Why don't you pay me a visit?

My chambers are west of the forest lake in the stone tower. I may have information concerning your... 'Rat problem'.

-M. Rasmodius, Wizard

"Whatever those things are, I know for sure that they ain't rats... But maybe this 'Wizard' guy can help me to figure out what exactly they are." I thought, grabbing my backpack, and notebook, and heading towards Cindersap Forest.

(Small time skip)

After quite a bit of walking, I eventually found a tower. "I hope this is the one Rasmodius was talking about... It's the only one I've come across so far." I said, before walking up the steps of the tower.

Just as I was about to knock on the door, it swung open, and a loud voice said "Come in."

And at that, I wanted to turn right around and leave, but I didn't come this far for nothing, so I fearfully stepped inside.

While looking around, I noticed that there was some sort of summoning circle, and a large cauldron in the middle of the room, filled with a smelly green liquid. "Ew..." I thought, plugging my nose, before a man with a purple beard, and wearing a black cowboy hat suddenly appeared in the room.

I jumped slightly, quickly unplugging my nose, before the man started speaking.

"I am Rasmodius... Seeker of the arcane truths, Mediary between physical and ethereal, master of the seven elementals, keeper of the sacred cha-... You get the point." He said, waving his hand in the air, before pausing, and walking closer to me.

"At least he knows when to stop talking about himself." I thought.

"And you... Willow. The one who's arrival I have long foreseen. Here. I'd like to show you something." He said, before walking over to the big summoning circle, and saying "Behold!" as one of those little apple creatures appeared on the circle, squirming, and "Peeping" as if it was scared of the wizard.

"You've seen one before, haven't you?" He asked, pointing to the creature, at which, I simply nodded, fearing what the man might do to the little apple.

"They call themselves the 'Junimos'... Mysterious spirits, these ones... For some reason, they refuse to speak with me..." The purple haired man said, before making the apple disappear.

"Maybe the Junimos refuse to speak to you because you force them to sit in your little summoning circle... And who knows what else you do to them?" I thought sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

"I'm not sure why they've moved into the community center, but you have no reason to fear them." The wizard said with a shrug.

"I... Figured as much..." I thought, before taking out my notebook, and writing "I saw this weird glowing box with a golden scroll inside of it... Had no clue what it said though... Y'know anything about that?"

After pausing to look at the note for a bit, the man said "Hmmm? You found a golden scroll written in an unknown language? Most interesting..." to which I nodded.