"Night of Dach Shadows" a Tale of CatgirlIsland by Mike Moon
originally published in 2002, revised edition 2007*
Chapter One of Fifteen: Beware the Tides of March
Friday, 11:35 pm. Sha’nami, or Shanny as she was sometimes called, the waitress was a petite, raven-haired catgirl of age 25, and at present, a most perplexed one. She swore that she’d just placed the lodgers’ coconut shrimp cocktails on the serving cart, but now the tasty treats were not to be found. She looked left and right to see if anyone had helped themselves to the cocktails, but no one was nearby. No human, that is... as she failed to spot the bur of motion under the tables.
Kyralindalani (Kyra, for short) was a pretty, lithe, catgirl in her mid 20’s who loved to dance after hours in the solitude of the inn’s ballroom. As she changed from her maid uniform and into a tight black leotard, she gasped at the phantom presence literally flying towards her. With a hint of shrimply aroma, it flew by about three feet off the floor and vanished into a wall behind her. The alarmed catgirl ran into the dining hall to tell Sha’nami of the strange incident.
Several miles to the south of the inn-
“Why the heck did I pass up that fishing tournament?!” He thought, sipping an Old Fashioned. Dach Savage was up late in his office one March night, gazing outward to the marina lights, recently come out of retirement. The Case of the Eye of the Idol was closed- but clearly there might be further need in these parts for a dog with such a keen nose for danger. A heroic black and tan Dachshund, the once a famous international adventurer was now an older & grayer weener dog, making a new go of it as a Private Detective
Gazing off his balcony, Dach's ear flaps fluttered in the ocean breeze as he watched the sea traffic; he watched the fishing boats heading out, dive boats taking tourists out to swim with the manta rays, private yachts hosting small gatherings of friends, and larger party barges lit up like Christmas trees. He'd come very close to entering the big Spanish Mackeral fishing tournament, yet for no good apparent reason he decided not to. Sure, there were all sorts of festivities going on across the island tonight- but sure he loved to fish.
The island marina, river walk, and parks were usually well lit with pretty streetlights, stone and hanging lanterns, lights in trees, but this week was particularly illuminated and decorated as it was Matsuri, or Festival Time. Shops, cafe´s and art galleries were open later than usual. Night games transpired on the beaches and athletic fields, and there music or other performance in every club, theatre, parking lot, and on the boats that Dach was kicking himself for not being on.
Back at the inn, lodgers at the Kitt Inn were enjoying nighttime strolls through the garden, slinking into the hot springs bathed in moonlight, and partaking of comradery or romance in the rotemburo’s fine, old suites. The faint rush of the brook, the pockets of conversation, and the insects of the woods were the only sounds. It was a blissful evening for all... until the screaming started.
It was not the sort of squeal one might hear from a girl who just spotted a peeping tom peering at her though the cedar fence. It was not the startled noise a diner might release upon seeing a mouse in the soup bowl. It was also not the loud wail a spouse would unleash if their partner suddenly keeled over in cardiac arrest. It was far worse - far more blood curdling than anything of this earth- probably because that’s not where it came from. It was almost like the very night air was a giant chalkboard on which great fingernails were screeching down, until mutilated and bloodied to the quick. It lasted for exactly five seconds.
Ten seconds later, Nemui the Innkeeper franticly dialed 911, as Sha’nami the Waitress and Kyralindalani the Maid (who was feeling much better but still quite jittery) dispersed to account for all the lodgers. Nemui was a mistress of martial arts with a usually rather slow pulse rate - but during the eternity that was two seconds for the Police to answers, her heart was pounding like mortars over Bastogne.
Across town, the weener dog’s ears perked, sensing something in the wind.
Officer Meryl Murrey was outside in the town plaza, chatting with citizens who were drumming under the towering Giraffe sculptures and Royal Palms when the dispatcher notified her of the emergency call. She excused herself and leaped onto her red motorcycle (with a sidecar). Her ETA at the Inn was two minutes.
The weener dog sighed heavily as he grabbed his radio scanner, his .45, and ran downstairs (as graceful as weener dogs are able to) to his custom-built electric 4x4, which was already packed with other useful gadgets and equipment. His ETA would be ten minutes.
Chapter Two: The Inn Crowd
Dach was Private Detective, expert in the areas of Parapsychology and Archeology. Once a famous international adventurer, he’s seen more than his share of danger and intrigue. Now an older & grayer weener dog, he had tried to settle into a less dangerous life of fine steaks and antiquing, but his old friend Meryl had consulted him a year ago on an important case- that made him realize how he missed being out in the field. He grinned wear to ear, his head out the window to feel that exciting rush as he sped to the inn. Even if there was nothing to this call, it sure beat drinking alone at office.
By the time he arrived, he perceived that the lobby was full of people- each and every one of the lodgers, no doubt- Nemui had probably gathered them all in that main area for their own good, and as not to impede a search of the premises. Meryl’s motorcycle was already there, parked out front. Were it not for major holiday festivals going on, back-up officers might’ve been here as well. Nevertheless, Meryl was one of his best friends- a friendly, dedicated Officer. The two made a pretty good team and Dach figured they didn’t need any back up.
The Kitt Inn was a stately traditional three-story Ryokan (Japanese style inn), with gardens and Rotemburo (outdoor hot springs), managed by Miss Nemui, a catgirl in her early 40's of some Indian ancestry. A beautiful place in the forest by the Chalchiutlicu River, not far from the waterfalls that cascaded from Lake Neko atop nearby Mt. Natsutsuji, the inn was the most popular place for tourists to stay.
After scanning the adjacent garden areas with his searchlight, Dach then disembarked and trotted to the Inntrance. His keen canine senses detected something unnatural in the night air... a scent that was almost familiar but not recognizable.
Nemui was serving tea to the rattled guests. With the splendid array of food and everyone wearing their pretty, colorful yukatas, the mood appeared was much more festive than the true frightful state. When the weener dog entered the lobby (which was just as splendidly decorated with antique artifacts as his own estate), the crowd murmured his name in relief.
“Konban wa, Dach-Sensei!” Kyralindalani greeted him with happy swishy tails She and Sha’nami the waitress were best friends, each hoping for careers in resort management. Unlike the more formally attired waitress, Kyralindalani was still wearing her dance leotard.
“Arigatoo- so what seems to be the problem”, the little dog asked.
“Glad you’re here, Dach! Somethin’ weird’s been going on!” Chef Bullpup (a red brendle bulldog ) said. “Hey dude- you want some supper?”
“That’d be great- but maybe later- work before pleasure! Um, I hope everyone is okay...”
“Hai!!! I was scared by a ghost but I’m better now!” Kyra announced withcatgirl cuteness.
“Some of the guests are frightened but no one was hurt. We’re out of Shrimp Cocktails, though.” Sha’nami mentioned.
“Dach-san, sumasen!” Nemui greeted. “Officer Meryl thinks there might be a trespasser on the grounds, possibly injured in the darkness, since all of my registered visitors are accounted for. Tea?”
“Ah, no thank you where did Meryl head off to?”
“She was bound for the river bank “
“Right.” He contacted Meryl on his radio, which was riddled with unusually heavy static.
“Breaker breaker- you got your ears on, Meryl?”
“10-4! I can barely hear you- where you at?”
“In the lobby- what’s your twenty?”
“Between the hot springs and the river bank, headed north.”
“Roger- I’ll circle around the garden perimeter and-“
He was interrupted as another horrifying shriek rang out. Teacups and saucers crashed to the floor. Dach’s ear-flaps stood straight up.
“Great Googly moogly!” He barked, brandishing his .45 “Meryl- you okay? Meryl?”
He bolted through the main corridor, running to where Meryl was supposed to be. That foul odor he detected was much stronger as he got
outdoors... and was about to make him sick. After the echo of the shriek had dissipated, the night air was still- devoid of the slightest wind
or insect chirping, only the sound of the streaming water was audible. This was good- for the river would help to further mask his dog stealth.
He slinked down the garden path, which was illuminated by stone lanterns here and there. The moonlight reflected off the waters of the
hot springs and glistening boulders by the river. He sneered as that wretched odor hit his keen snoot. The red dot from his pistol’s laser
sight drifted down the garden path, hoping to find a human presence. He found Meryl’s broken radio on the ground near a massive Elm.
As he aimed higher up the tree, he realized that Meryl must be up there on a high branch-because there was now a similar red dot pointing
his way from above. He let out a doggy woof to let her know it was him.
“Woof.”
The red dot went away as she put the safety on her shotgun.
“I thought you were going on a big fishing this weekend!” Meryl called out.
“Yeah- me too!”
Officer Meryl Murrey gracefully shimmied down the tree. She was a cheery, athletic, brown-haired catgirl, with a jovial cockney accent. She typically wore a red blouse, black jeans, that matched her sporty red touring Italian motorcycle (with a sidecar), which was her biggest pride and joy. Unfortunately, she was not at her cheeriest at the moment, as her knitted brow and twitchy tail indicated.
“That branch you were on must be twenty feet high- maybe you should consider the Olympics.” Dach quipped.
“Yeah- at least that’d be far away from ‘ere. Wot the bloody ‘ell was that? It dinna sound remotely human to me or like any animal of these parts. “
“It sounded more like an unearthly squawk to me.”
“...and that stench! Eww!” Dach moaned. “like rotten eggs...It seems much stronger...right by the river bank.”
“I’m glad I don’t have your doggy nose right about now!” Meryl noted
“Indeed I’m convinced that whatever is going on, it is of a paranormal disposition”.
“You don’t haft to tell me twice! Well, if it is not human or animal...”
“Well, It isn’t any animal that we know about. I am not ruling out the possibility of some sort of cryptozoological species.”
“Like the Moon Ape?”
“I’d only consider it to possibly be a primate if it was being electrocuted or going into labor with THAT noise! I’m more of the mind that it could be of a spectral origin,” Dach mused.
“I thought the local faeries had an ancient accord with all undead Spirits agreeing the forest is a no-haunt zone.” Meryl added.
“That covenant has been broken before, but the fae have taken great steps to ward against that occurrence. Brrr! I don’t even want to think of going through THAT ordeal again!”, he said, referring to a previous incident involving a cursed gem.
Meryl gathered her broken radio. They searched a while longer, but both were quite anxious to leave the area. Dach turned on his camcorder in hopes of recording the dreaded noise for analysis back in his laboratory, but he was also kind of hoping NOT to hear it again. After another hour, they figured that the screaming had ceased for the night. They were very wrong.
This time it was right behind them.
Dach leaped on top of Meryl’s shoulders then up to a nearby Cherry tree as she spun around, leveling the shotgun toward the unseen source. The ghastly odor was stronger than before, quite overpowering and intolerable more than the weenerdog could stand- in fact he was going to hurl up his supper if this persisted. Meryl was not as severely affected by the aroma, as she lacked the dog’s acute sense of smell. She was quite certain that there was no human presence here- but the search was definitely going to continue later during full daylight.
“Aahh... I say we head back to the Inn” Murrey nervously suggested, catching her breath. “Dach---?”
She spun back around to locate her comrade. As she gazed up the nearby Cherry tree, she a gasp barely escaped her lips as a stream of viscous slime splattered her squarely in the face.
“Aghh! I’ve been ghost-slimed!” She wiped off a handful of the goop off her face and looked up to see a queasy, limp weener dog draped across the tree branch above her. “Is this stuff ectoplasmic evidence? What should we...” Then it dawned on her- upon seeing the apologetic, sickly look on Dach’s face- that this substance did not come from a ghost, but from a nauseated dachshund’s stomach. Meryl’s eyes began to water, her jaw quivered her tail limp with dispair... she was having a very unpleasant evening.
“Ugh...sorry...” Dach said with a sheepish grin, feeling much better now. “Well what do you know... looks like my barf is worse than my b—“ he started- then Meryl hurled a handful back at him and stomped to the Inn.
Chapter Three: Ghostage Due
Later, soaking in the indoor hot baths, Dach, Meryl, and a number of other guests calmed down after their frightful encounter. Some of the guests did not wish to stay the night, so Nemui arranged auxiliary lodging in town for them and summoned the Raptor Transit to take them there. Sha’nami served Chef Bullpup’s fine cuisine to the rattled guest and Kyralindalani helped those who wished to leave with their luggage. Not everyone wanted to vacate- two teenage catgirl sisters, Rica and Niko, wanted to help the investigators, so they retrieved some of Dach & Meryl’s equipment from their vehicles and brought it to bath side.
“I am quite convinced that this is a haunting we are dealing with possibly an Greater Mid-Atlantic Maritime Banshee or a Type 3 Poltergeist.” Dach decided.
“Well, I’m not rulin’ out the possibility of it bein’ an elaborate prank or hoax. I think once we analyze the evidence we can determine if it was
electronically produced” Meryl noted.
“So you don’t concur that it is supernatural, then?” Dach quizzed with cocked ear flaps.
“Well mate, let’s just say I’d RATHER it be something I can deal with!” She insisted.
“You mean something that can be stopped with a twelve gauge slug!” He surmised.
“That’s EXACTLY what I mean!” Meryl retorted.
“I think it’s a ghost!” said Rica.
“I think it’s a hoax!” said Niko .
“Oh? And why pray tell, why would someone deign to perpetrate such a hoax?” Niko insisted.
“Umm... maybe they’re after the hidden gold mine! Are there any gold mines around here?” Rica asked.
“Literally, no...” Dach responded, “But in the figurative sense, this is indeed valuable real estate.”
“What makes you sure it isn’t a ghost, sis?” asked Rica.
“These professional detectives can’t even agree on what it is.” Niko replied.
“True, but we are in the process of eliminating what it isn't, said Dach.
A tired Nemui brought them a tray of drinks, then slinked into the hot water, having seen to the safety of the guests. “Whew! Ohhh that feels sooo good!” Kyralindalani and Sha’nami are patrolling the halls. Have you made any progress?”
Dach glanced at his laptop computer that sat on a stack of dry towels by the bath. Meryl leafed through faxed documents from the Police Department, and used Dach’s radio to report in.
Meryl finished reading her official Police papers. “ No missing persons reported, no unsolved homicides in the region, no criminal activity that would seem t have any connection Nemui-san, has anyone recently tried to buy your Inn, build anything nearby?”
“No, none that I am aware of- and I would certainly know that!”
“So you ‘ave no reason to assume any confidence tricksters are plotting against ye?”
“Heavens no!” Nemui responded most definitely. “No one has ever tried to buy The Kitt Inn, nor have we received any solicitors recently.”
“Maybe there’s an ancient tribal burial ground under the inn!” Rica chimed.
“I think we can rule that out, “ Nemui answered. “The Inn has been here over a century, built with the blessings of the Priestesses from the Shrine.”
“-and there’s no archaeological record of any older tribes using this particular spot for anything other than hunting, gathering, and fishing”, Dach added.
“Well if it IS a ghost, maybe the Priestesses can exorcise it!” Niko suggested.
“They could, but not for several more days- until the weekend High Holy Matsuri is concluded at the shrine. This situation could get a lot uglier between now and then.” Dach warned. “I don’t think I can stand much more of that noise or smell!”
“A number of my guests are here just for that festival” Nemui sighed.
“- and I don’t think I can stand the contents of Dach’s stomach any more!” Meryl grinned. “You need to lay off those Old Fashions and Steak Tartar!”
“Hmmph!” Dach grunted.
“ I thought the Faeries did not allow ghosts in their forest!” Rica said.
“Well, accidents happen- like that Cursed Gem incident last year,” Niko countered.
“How true the Ghostly- Fae Accords are quite ancient and binding, and it would have to be something very rare and extremely powerful even by paranormal standards to violate that arrangement” Dach revealed.
Chapter Four: Spectre of the Bun
Saturday morning there was much to be done. Nemui told the remaining guests that it the disturbances were likely to continue and might worsen, and therefore she’d arrange to put them up in other beach houses, bed & breakfasts, bungalows, etc. if they so desired. She also read over the inn’s insurance policy, making sure that it covered ‘Acts of Supernatural Disaster’! Some of the guests actually wanted to stay, excited by the notion of experiencing a real haunting! Rica & Niko were amongst the few who wished to stay, helping Kyralindalani deal with the hasty exodus of many lodgers.
Continuing to investigate the grounds by daylight, Meryl Murrey also contacted her counterpart in the Merfolk Tribe, asking if they could spare anyone to search the river for any clues. Most of the Merfolk and the rest of the small Police Department were busy with the various festivals and celebrations going on in the town, beach and harbor. Dach went back to his headquarters to fetch more equipment (Including a new radio for Meryl), and dropped by the Faermail Office to discuss the situation with the faer. All this before 9am!
Over his many years of global adventuring, Dach had accumulated an impressive array of gadgets, currencies, languages, relics and equipment. Whether it was a mission into the jungle, a descent into the ocean depths, expedition to arctic icepack, or a job in the most modern urban metropolis, he was quite prepared. For this particular investigation, he filled his car full of the latest in paranormal detection devices. He left most of his excavation tools at home, for Nemui’s garden shed stocked plenty of gardening implements, should there be need for any digging into the earth. He hoped that the Miko Maidens at the shrine might provide an assortment of Spirit Wards, but they were busy with events for now.
At 10:30 am, Lourdessaluorno the Mermaid and her Manatee named Avanaru-ru swam up to the bank upon seeing Dach’s automobile return to the Inn. “Dessy” as her friends called her, was a young mermaid of the Fishtail Tribe, with a pretty orange & gold shimmering tail and long copper hair. She and the manatee pup were both lifeguards (“Ru-Ru” was a specially trained Search & Rescue Manatee). Dessy- like most merfolk- was more at home in the sea than in the fresh-watered river, and because of that- or perhaps something... unnatural... she and Ru-Ru were a bit tense here. Nevertheless, they were ideal assets when it came to underwater exploration.
She alerted Meryl that Dach had returned- and that he brought a faerie with him. Although Merfolk and Fae are both Indigenous to Catgirl Island and both races do co-exist quite harmoniously, they seldom interact, as the Merfolk never venture further inland than the beach, and the fae tend to dwell mostly within in the secluded, interior reaches of the island when not delivering the town’s mail. Rica and Niko took off their sandals and waded into the shallows to feed ‘Ru-Ru’ the nice leafy head of cabbage, courtesy of Sha’nami. Meryl ceased her garden patrol to go meet Dach and the faerie.
The expression on her face revealed that she immediately sensed something awry at this rotemburo. Mielikki’s iridescent Dragonfly-like wings unfurled to full display as she stepped out of Dach’s rover. Aside from the wings, deely-bopper antennae, and a faint glowing aura about her, the faerie was otherwise fae-rly human in appearance. She wore a backless sundress and a cute straw hat; her apparent age was 25 but she was closer to 500. Nemui and Meryl arrived to greet Mielikki, whom they both already knew, for she was the usual postal courier for this route.
“Konitiwa, Mielikki-sensei!” Nemui respectfully said with a respectful bow.
“Glad you could make it, Mielikki!” greeted Meryl, extending a friendly handshake.
“Mellow greetings everyone oooh, I’m getting some rilly bad vibes just here in the parking lot!” Mielikki expressed with dismay.
“Just you wait ‘til you get ‘round back!” Meryl warned.
“Anything turn up in the river?” Dach asked, as he tossed Meryl and Nemui each a gas mask, to cope with the dreadful stench should it
waft their way again.
“Nothing unusual,” Meryl noted. "Say, maybe the girls could lend a hand unloading this equipment... what are they up to?” Dach inquired.
“They’re down by the river, feeding that manatee,” Nemui observed.
“Hmm food sounds like an excellent idea! Are you still serving brunch, or did the Chef get scared away?” Dach wondered, patting his grumbly tummy, which needed re-filling since last night.
“It’ll take more than a ghost to stop me from serving dinner here!” Nemui scoffed. “Would you care for something, sensei?”
“Yes please! Oh I would love one of those nice nummy buns with some Royal Bee Jam! Fer surre!” The gleeful faerie smiled, her wings flittering with delightful anticipation.
“I think that can be arranged!” Nemui smiled as she lead them indoors, to the grand dining hall of the inn.
The grand dining hall was a most stately area of the inn, seeming all the larger with fewer people here. Hewn timbered beams of Mahogany spanned the ceiling, aligned high above a large stone fireplace. The other walls were paper shoji partitions, with one whole end of the room opened to reveal a garden view. Two of the guests, golfers Ralph and Stan had finished their meal and were heading out. Ralph almost walked into a column, more focused on the pretty Faerie that had just sat down to lunch.
“Dude- watch where you’re going!” Stan warned.
“Man- she’s cute!” Ralph whispered to Stan.
“Hee!” giggled Mielikki, as the empathic faerie’s deely boppers twitched, wings happily pert as she detected nearby admiration.
Nemui seated them, then went to get the appetizers as Sha’nami poured drinks. She hadn’t been gone a minute when they heard her scream.
Dach, Meryl, and Mielikki dashed into the Kitchen. Sha’nami, Rica and Niko arrived a moment later. Nemui, Bullpup, and Kyralindalani were standing in the Kitchen, looking quite perplexed and bothered.
“What’s wrong?” Dach inquired.
“Is anyone hurt?” Meryl asked.
“We heard a scream!” Kit and Rica spoke.
“There’s been a disturbance in the space time continuum -localized to this very room!” Mielikki realized. Nemui could barely contain her
rage and dismay, her clenched fists trembling and tail rigid with electricity.
“We’ve been robbed again” She stammered. It had only been a few months since a thief tried to steal all of the inn’s Royale Bee Jam- that had thankfully been recovered by Meryl.
“But it was all here just moments ago!” Chef Bullpup exclaimed.
“What’s missing?” Kyralindalani asked.
“Every crumb of bread is gone!” Nemui lamented.
“The sushi and sashimi bar have been cleaned out, too!” Sha’nami noticed.
“Spirited away just like tat” Dach mused as he searched for clues, finding the dread ectoplasmic smell nearby.
“No more nummy buns...?” Mielikki pouted.
Chapter Five: Chance of a Ghost
It was time to get very busy. Like a General marshalling his troops, Dach decisively barked out instructions to the group on how to proceed with the investigation. Nemui stayed mostly indoors tending to her usual chores, whilst Dach, the catgirls, the mermaid and the faerie searched outside for clues. Shanny and Kyra cleaned up the ecto-mess according to Dach’s directions.
Meryl's tail swayed back and forth intently as she perched in a central observation post in the inn’s attic windows, to keep track of everyone and an eye out for any further incidents, especially since the radio contact was becoming more and more difficult from the spectral interference. Ghost hunting was not her forte, but Meryl definitely knew how to stake out a proper surveillance. The challenge here was for her stay focused during an indefinitely long tedious period.
This wasn’t so much a covert waiting game for a criminal that she was spying on to make a wrong move, but playing ‘guardian angel’ to those who were spread out amongst the gardens and forest. She had a comfy chair, binoculars, a radio, a timetable for everyone to report in at regular intervals, and mattresses strewn about the room in case any ghost decided to play rough. She just hoped that she didn’t get defenestrated out the high window, particularly since she was probably the most skilled EMT of the group.
Bullpup and Sha’nami later went into town to buy more food, to replace that which had been pilfered. This left only Nemui and Kyralindalani to tend to the remaining guests Some of that food would only be found on the mainland, which meant no soon return. For now, Nemui was more worried about them getting back in time to prepare the usual high standard suppers the inn was known for.
The ghost may have cleaned the pantry... but at least it did not touch the bar’s fine liquors! That was good - because she knew that Dach was a weener dog of few but particular vices: he liked his drinks smooth, and liked his steaks as rare as a Duke Fan in Chapel Hill. As he took a brief break from the action to slake his thirst, Kyra and Shanny also took a respite from their duties, joining him at the bar.
“Dachter, Kyra and I were curious about some ghost things...” Shanny approached.
“What did you want to know?” Dach offered.
“Well.. just a couple of things- such as... how can a ghost eat solid food?” Kyra asked.
“Ah, some ghosts can adjust their degree of density- becoming desolid to walk through walls and such, or nearly- solid to manipulate objects and make noise. Some species of ghosts have more control over their molecular structure than others.”
Before he knew it, it was time for Meryl’s scheduled check-in. Those with radios reported in, happy to say that all was well, and visually accounted for those who were presently without radios, such as Dessy and Mielikki... who were ironically the only ones to find any relevant clues that afternoon...
Dessy and Ru-Ru glided above the bottom of the crystal- watered river, scanning the depths for sunken evidence or anything unusual. The unpleasant flavor of the water seemed strongest upstream, nearest waterfalls. Ru-Ru had a water testing kit, which revealed no pollutants or unsafe PH levels, yet there was something distressing in these waters... much moreso in the vicinity of the waterfall... although it was not something definable by her keen echo-lactive or electromagnetic senses,
Eventually she needed to retreat downstream, where they felt more at ease. As she took a break from the active search, she noticed something.. or rather the lack of something. She heard no frogs croaking- unusual because this was a favorite spot for amphibians. There were fish further downstream- but they too seemed to shy away from this area. Even the insects seemed less prevelant.
“This is most peculiar, “ she spoke to Ru-Ru. “There are no signs of dead creatures, there is no hunting or poaching going on in these parts, and ‘tis not the season for them to migrate away... “
Ru-Ru chan swam up to for a tummy rub, gnawing on some river grass. Dessy patted her pet, which was certainly not getting ill from munching the local flora. She did observe that certain woodland and garden creatures- squirrels, mice, rabbits, butterflies, song birds- were still about, in expected numbers, displaying their usual demeanor. The terrapins- were going about their usual activities, sunning themselves on the mossy green rocks and bright lavender lilly pads... but she did noticed that they seemed to be actually avoiding the water proper. In fact, most creatures of the river were either up out of the water or had traveled far away downstream.
“It is as if the smaller creatures of the watery food-chain have forsaken this place...” Ru-Ru was definitely enjoying the tasty morsels. “Or... maybe they’ve all been eaten?” She had seen no signs of alligators at this part of the island and ruled out any large aquatic super-predator. She wondered and wondered... and after a while, summoned her courage again to search the waterfalls more thoroughly.
Meanwhile in a hidden glade of the Akikiku Forest atop top Mt. Natsutsuji, Mielikki was all-aglow as she communed with the elder trees. These plants were among the oldest residents of the island, and had witnessed many things in their centuries of existence. Some of the more seasoned fae could even extend their probes to the sea oats of the beach and into the kelp and seaweed in the ocean itself, but Mielikki was only 500 and her search could only extend as far as the maritime forest itself.
She also knew that trees had a very simple, limited language, so her search terms would need to be most shrewd and precise and their answers might be rather difficult to interpret. Her deely- boppers sparkled, her wings took on greener hues as sunlight streamed in through the misty glade’s lush canopy. She loved trees, and often thought it’d be wonderful to exist as such a statley, peaceful floral giant in this island paradise.
“Is there an undead entity roaming the forest?” Mielikki asked the old SpokesTree, a towering Royal Floridian Palm that was putting on weight in it’s twilight years.
“Yes”, sang the tree.
“Where is it now?”
“Below “
“Below? Um, we’re like on a mountain top...In the earth? The lake?”
“Below “
“Inside the mountain?” she continued.
“Indeed”, the tree responded”
“That’s exactly what I was afraid you’d say. Thank you, great one.” Mielikki fretted...
Back at the inn, the two catgirls argued incessantly over which was worse, a WereWolf or a WereGator. This followed the previous argument over whether a Lycanthrope was more dangerous than a Sasquatch, which followed on the heels of their Witch vs. Genie debate, which digressed from their argument about whether Leprechauns were bigger than Gnomes.
Rica then realized that there was a constant, dull thumping noise. She and Niko turned to announce it to Dach- seeing that the noise was in fact from him banging his head in exasperation against the console of his computer.
Nemui walked by and set a beverage fashioned on his work table, and suggested to the catgirl sisters that perhaps they’d have much more fun in town... and a shame for them to miss the Vernal Equinox Festival or the local Cherry Blossom Pageant, especially since Palthyna, the eldest of the island's Fae, was to give perform a special concert of story and song. They agreed, and eagerly scampered into town.
“Thanks- I needed that. I’m not sure who is safer now- them or the ghost!” Dach quipped.
“Spirit folk usually have a vulnerability to cold iron... much in the way Holy Water can hurt a vampire, according to myth. We’ve got some anti-ghost mines loaded with-“
“WHAT???” Nemui said with a tone of rage, her tail rigid at a 45 degree angle.
“loaded with iron chaff foil flakes. Don’t worry- they can’t hurt people or animals. To a living creature, it’s no worse than getting hit with a party popper or burst pinata. I hope you don’t mind if we set them up...?”
“Wellll, okay, I’ll warn the guests, so they don’t accidentally set any off. So, do you think wards and mines are going to help?” she asked.
“Can’t hurt...” Dach shrugged, He had a wards placed already, but hoped the Miko girls could bring more by later.
Chapter Six: Eggstinct Species
When Nemui rang the Afternoon Tea Time bell, everyone convened by the river bank to compare notes. Sha’nami helped her with the tea service, then returned watch over the inn.
“Itadekimasu!” Mielikki cheered.
“So, what did we discover?” Meryl inquired.
“The trees were like, way helpful!” Mielikki chimed. “I found out a few things, but I wish some of the older [fae] weren’t so busy with the important ceremonies in town- they’d have been able to make more sense of it all!”
“Well, let’s each take turns, starting with Mielikki, then!” Dach suggested. “So what DID you learn?”
“So, like the old tree told me that there’s this totally ancient ghost that predates our Netherworld Treaty, and it’s maybe under the lake or inside the mountain, but it’s gonna come out again at twilight to chow down again after it wakes up! Talking to a tree is hard work...”
“That explains the bad vibes we got near the waterfalls, I guess...”Dessy suggested. “There’s something just not quite right about the water there- no toxic chemicals but... something unnatural! We couldn’t find any submerged evidence- maybe there’s something behind the waterfall- in the mountain side?”
“There are many grottos- and underwater volcanic vents that heat the springs in the area. Sigh... I just can’t figure why if it’s been here so long, why hasn’t this ghost been encontered ‘til now?” Dach noted.
“We know all about the caverns beneath the island, don’t we? Meryl grinned at Dach, referencing their in famous Cursed Idol incident
“Yeah... “ Dach sighed, recalling his previous, unpleasant subterranean supernatural adventure. “If there are caves or tunnels behind the waterfall, my equipment will certainly detect them.”
“Oh- and given the sparse population of small fry around here, this creature apparently likes to eat bugs, little fish and frogs” Dessy continued. “The reptiles and amphibians are staying out of the water, too.”
“It would seem to also have an appetite for sushi!” Nemui added.
“... and the nummy bread, too!” Mielikki lamented, wishing she had a nice yummy biscuit to go with her tea.
“What about that horrible stench, Dach?” Meryl asked, as Dach pondered the ghost’s dietary habits.
“It seemed to be simple decayed ectoplasm."
“Goodness! What else did you find out?” Nemui asked.
“Apparenty that Genies are more powerful than Witches and that Saturn’s rings are an extraerrestrial highway,” Dach mused with sarcasm,
recalling Rica & Niko’s non-stop occultish banter.
“Well, DUH!” Mielikki exclaimed. Dach just stared at her for a moment.
“What about that awful noise, then?” Meryl wanted to know. “and how does a ghost eat solid food, anyway?”
“Ghosts can sometimes partially physically manifest themselves. Whereas the ghost might not actually require food, maybe it just likes food... a remaining personality trait. As for the noise- glad you asked!” grinned the weener dog. “I ran that squawk recording through some acoustic filters, adjusting the signature for dimensional variance and ecto-conductivity.”
“Did you call it a ‘squawk?’ Sounded more like pigs inn a abattoir, it did!” The Officer insisted.
“Oh- it is most definitely a sort of... squawk. I’ll play the sound file.”
Everyone gathered around his new laptop to see the results- but cupped their hands over their ears in anticipation. Dach turned the volume way down, then played the original recording. After everyone grimaced, he then played the new filtered sound file, t did in fact sound like a rather loud, full-bodied, big honk.
“That does sound like ‘squawk’, doesn’t it?” agreed Nemui.
“It is rather avian, isn’t it?” Mielikki concured.
“Mm-hmm. Sounds just (ahem) DUCKY to this dog's ears...” Dach hinted.
“Yes it does sound like a duck quack!” Dessy exclaimed. “A really BIG duck!”
“Well, if it QUACKS like a duck, and EATS like a duck, then...” Dach started.
“You can’t be serious...!” Meryl moaned.
“Maybe the ectoplasm is actually more of an... ecto yolk”. Mielikki said, watching as Dach cross-referenced the ghostly sound with an archived bird song database. “Which is why it smells so rotten!” Dach looked at Mielikki oddly. Her antenna drooped as she sheepishly shrugged.
“So, about that duck’s loudness... what’s up with that?”
“Well, it could be that either the noise is amplified by the ectoplasm, which is highly acousticly conductive- and explains why many ghosts are so terrifying... but this level of sound is off the scale!” Dach offered. “I am pretty sure that this is a female of the species, based on the pitch.”
“Maybe this breed of duck just happened to have an unusually loud call.” Mielikki suggested
“ehhh, possibly but, it just does not make sense for any creature to be THAT loud.” Dach said, unconvinced that even a duck the size of an ostrich could quack so loudly.
“Of course- being that loud, I’m sure no female ducks would come near it- no wonder they went -“ Dach began-
“Don’t say it-“ Meryl tried to stop him but-
“-eggstinct.” Dach theorized aloud, with a doggy grin.
“He’s serious.” Nemui surmised.
“But how could a duck... become a ghost?” Dessy wondered.
“Good question. I must do some research to see if there is a precedent!” Dach determined. “But I daresay we’d better figure out something before dark. Ghosts tend to be much more powerful at night.”
“What do you think the ghost is doing now? We have not encountered it since lunch time!” Meryl asked.
“Perhaps the ghost is dormant. If my readings are correct, I don’t think it has strayed far from this particular haunt.” Dach theorized. “Some ghosts do actually retain habits from their previous mortal life. Perhaps this ghost does have a regular sleep and feeding cycle..” Dach added, as he began to study the creature’s unusual magical properties... which were unusual even by ghostly standards.
“It’s always good to be able to predict a culprit’s next move! But, what ‘appens when the Monster Duck’s goes lookin’ for food, and finds the cupboards are all bare?” the Officer wondered.
“The Chef has not returned yet with supper!” Nemui fretted.
“I wonder what it’ll do when it has run out of food in this vicinity?” the mermaid asked.
“I just hope those wards keep that thing out of my inn tonight!” the innkeeper said.
4:30 pm...
Between her detective skills and Dach’s fancy equipment, Meryl found an ectoplasmic residue, which trailed from the Kitchen and through the garden, disappearing at the riverbank. She gave Dessy a quick instruction on how to use the device and a radio headset (which were well insulated and quite waterproof down to a depth of 500 meters) in hopes of determining if the trail continued in the water. Nemui served drinks to her hungry guests, as she barely managed to cellphone Chef Bullpup, who reported that he and the waitress were delayed in festival traffic, but would be there very soon with the meals. Dach logged into the internet to research any cases of undead fowl. Ru-Ru chan got fidgity as the afternoon waned.
Dessy and Ru-Ru swam off with the device, Mort returned, and strolled over to see how Dach was doing.
“Find anything?”
“There are thousands of myths, legends, and reported sightings of Ornithological Paranormality ... but none on ghostly ducks,” Dach sadly reported. “I think referencing the supernatural angle is a.. wild goose chase. Heh!”
“Right now I’m cross-referencing with databases on extinct birds. I think I have isolated the species... funny thing is it was an average size duck- and no way it had the lung capacity to transmit such sonic intensity. Given all the duck craniums I have catalogued, I’m also ruling out any chance that it had echo-location ability- such as a dolphin’s sonar.”
Dessy found evidence of the infernal bird’s egress- the trail originated directly behind the falls. There were indeed openings in the rock wall behind the cascading waters... leading inside the mountain, and possibly the key to the mystery of the ghost duck. Ru-Ru chan was growing ever more agitated, therefore Meryl suggested Dessy take him for a swim downstream for a while. She still had her radio, and could return if summoned.
Inside the inn, Mielikki was attempting to boost the morale of the remaining lodgers; the fae are excellent storytellers, able to conjur up emotions and drama so vivid that the listeners almost feel as if they are actually experiencing the events themselves. They applauded Mielikki’s faerie Tales, but heartbreak ensued afterwards when Nemui told them the bad news: that the bar had finally run out of spirits- and the worse news: that there would soon be a less desirable spirit on its way...
Chapter Seven: Beak the the Future
“Mielikki- could you assist me with something?” She joined him at his computer. Dach asked her to translate some ancient Fae Lore that he discovered on-line. Her antennae stood on end upon seeing the images on the screen.
“My Old Fae is a little rusty- I cannot make out a lot of this dialect.. “ He frowned.
“Oh my goddess!” Mielikki gasped in amazement. “Those are secret sacred scrolls you’ve found! Why, I’ve never even seen those! How ever did you manage that?” Her antanna began to twitch, translucent wings beating with a slight nervous flutter.
“Ahhh...let’s just say that I have a keen nose for, um, rare antiquities.”
Dach preferred not to reveal how he gained access into this particular information. Sneaking into places that could get him shot at - from skyscrapers to subterranean tombs- was the bread and butter of his career.
Mielikki spoke the text in a whisper, a hesitant tremor in her faint voice, as she read:
“It tells of the fae, chosen protectors of the flora and fauna of the island... and an attempt to save a pathetic creature whose pain seemed beyond their healing prowess. I think it says that they ultimately cast a sleep enchantment upon the poor soul, and concealed it in a subterranean sanctorum, to be kept warm by the volcanic springs... protected from the elements or intruders...” Her antennae dimmed and drooped sadly as her voice faltered.”It continued in tranquil slumber, in suspended animation in a magical chrysalis until a future day when the fae could find a cure for the rare malady.” Her eyes began to tear slightly as she read a bit more. “The centuries passed... but the enchantment withered like an untended garden. Eventually the magic there diminished...thus the sleeper died and decayed like as things of nature do.”
“Um, Mielikki- Why don’t you hold off on any more - I can see how emotional this is for you. But, please, just one more thing—there’s this one word here that seems to recur a few times... this one right here?”
“Um. the word is WIR’DNYRA... it .. is the proper name of a faerie that... had closest bond with the duck.”
“Moosiwake arimasen. Perhaps I should go, a-and can contact elder sisters, who might be more adept at the translation.” Mielikki wiped her tears and walked away. Dach knew that the fae take the lives and deaths of the forest creatures very personally.
“Well I’ll be! So this ghost was actually born, or rather hatched... and within the last day or so!” Dach noted, his doggy tail going thip thip thip thip -
“The incubation chamber she spoke of is behind the waterfall, inside Mt. Natsutsuji .” Dach deduced. “Well, that's not good, 'cause it’s essentially a sentient newborn entity, just old enough to walk and talk and eat and manifest itself to a limited extent, right? Just wait ‘til it becomes a two year old, and starts throwing supernatural tantrums! That duck will pitch fits, with no parents around to curb its hunger or rage- and left out of control, it could easily evolve into a Class Four- maybe even a Class Five...“
“Psst- say Dach-?” Meryl whispered, after the faerie walked away. “What was all that about? I thought you knew every faerie artifact like the back of your hand! I’ve never seen you so bewildered like that’!”
“Yeah- I know. I can understand almost all ancient fae documents. But there are a couple of off darn things about this first- it looks as i it is written in some sort of code...I and got the impression that she was almost... afraid of what she read. Maybe there was something that she feared to tell us.. some horrible prophecies perhaps. I did notice some past/ future tense shifts in the grammatical structure of the document. But the kicker is... I’ve never even heard of these particular scrolls before, and I’ve had my paws on almost every sacred fae artifact with the elders’ highest blessings. And look at this- these numerals here would seem to correspond to dates but - (sniff sniff) - I smell food!” Dach exclaimed, noticing that the Chef ‘s truck had returned.
“Hooray!” cheered Kyralindalani the Maid as stopped lighting the inn’s many lanterns to help unload the truck.
“More nummy buns!” beamed Mielikki, her wings cheerfully a-flutter, golden-hued in the setting sunlight.
“I hope those few wards will keep that duck from attacking our meal!” Nemui said as she lent a hand.
“Me too...anyway, as I was saying earlier- I know everyone is very understandably tense, but we need to make sure that we do not do anything, or create a hostile environment that would frighten the ghost. Oh- I’d better let Dessy know that it is suppertime!” Dach notified Dessy by radio that the food was here.
“Yum yum! We’re on our way. So what is the main course tonight?” the mermaid inquired, as Dach strolled back to the vehicle to carry in another load.
“We’re having GAAHHHH!!!” Dach grimaced in unfettered horror, feeling as if he was going to have a heart attack when he saw IT. Meryl prayed the Saints to preserve her. Nemui went slack-jawed and dropped a platter upon seeing... Chef Bullpup present the night’s entree:
It was Peking Duck, service for twenty-five. If the ghost got wind of this, it would surely be quite livid.
Then they all realized that the ghost was back. The smell wafted by, indicating that it was close- at the edge of the garden. It had returned to it’s favorite feeding ground, perhaps a place it might have come to regard with great content and happiness- until it saw the huge platters of mallard meat. It shuddered at the sight of all those carved breasts and drumsticks covered in glaze. Fear gave into hissing rage, spectral feathers ruffling as it sensed rival magic emanating from the inn. Mielikki gasped as it stared at them, it’s magical battle aura a-flame.
“Ahhh...We’re dead,” Dach mused, as the sun descended below the horizon.
"Night of Dach Shadows" a Tale of CatgirlIsland by Mike Moon
Part Two
originally published in 2002, revised edition 2007*
Chapter Eight: Duck and Covered Dish
The Duck charged at them, but it bounced off of Dach's ward barrier. It shook its head to regain composure, and made another run- again, unable to penetrate the barrier that shielded the Inn and all within.
“Whew! The barrier’s holding” Merylsighed.
“Let’s hope all the wards are intact- look- it’s circling the inn, probing for a weakness!” Bullpup exclaimed, before running to hide under
his bed.
“It’s a good thing Nemui and Kyralindalani have so many stone lanterns lit- in case the ghost disrupts the area’s electricity.
Nemui walked the halls of her inn, like a sea captain sailing her armada into a naval battle. She advised Kyralindalani and Sha’nami to break out all the medicinal supplies and set up an aid station in the Lounge area. She asked all lodgers who were not scared senseless to look after those who were, and for everyone to gather up as many pillows & cushions to hide behind, in case the ghost sent debris flying.
Again, the creature charged the inn, to no avail, and it let out another blood-curdling squawk of rage. A horrid stench of magic gone bad filled the air. Dach hoped that his scanner devices were recording all of this... just as the Duck stomped up and down on the field table full of equipment.
“Son of an egg’s gonna pay for that!” Dach cursed.
“Leave ‘im to me!” Meryl yelled, as she went up to her attic perch where her Anti-Ghost Mines Detonator was.
“W-what are you going to do?” Mielikki called out, following Meryl.
“What you think I’m gonna do? I’m gonna give that bloke what for with those mines when he comes around again!”
“What--?” Mielikki nervously asked.
“ I’ve got Anti-Ghost Mines along the garden trail and in the trees!"
“No- You can’t!!!” Mielikki pleaded.
"Huh?" Meryl could not believe that Mielikki was against such a counter-attack. While Meryl and Mielikki were arguing upstairs, Dach t
flinched as he heard a loud crash coming from the parking lot.
“Oh no-“ Dach winced, as they heard the sounds of several car alarms. “Darn it- he found a hole in the parking lot’s barrier!"
“Dognabbit, he got my car!” Dach muttered, recognizing his own car alarm.
“Well, if we survive you can file an insurance claim- Stan quipped, flinching again from another crash.
“My bicycle!!” Kyralindalani cried as she saw the mangled frame of her mountain bike fly by.
“Oh no- my new car!” Ralph cried as his car was flung many yards. His buddy Stan just shook his head at the totaled car. Amidst the din of the destruction, fraidy catgirl screams coming from that direction.
“Oh my God- that sounded like Rica and Niko!” Dach exclaimed as his ears settled down. Sure enough, they spotted the two catgirls
hiding in a magnolia tree, clinging for dear life. Rica and Niko screamed as they saw the raging duck, glowing with powerful fowl magic
stalking their way.
“And you said this would be more exciting than goldfish catching!” Rica complained to her sister.
“Waaaah!” cried Niko.
An agitated Meryl and Mielikki stopped their tug of war over the detonator upon hearing the catgirls’ cries.
“Oh no!” Meryl and Mielikki said in unison. Mielikki flew out the window towards them. Meryl leaped to the ground and rolled into a sprint, yelling into her radio headset of the situation. Dach responded, warning that the duck was now in pursuit.
“Darn it- Why didn’t she detonate the mines yet?” Dach thought.
“M’ Lady- wha is happening outside?” Kyralindalani fearfully asked Nemui, hearing the screams.
“My guests are in peril- and I must do something. Kyralindalani, please bring my sword!”
“Hai!” The maid bowed and ran to fetch the treasured heirloom weapon.
Dach was able to glance at some of his strewn equipment, a few pieces which miraculously still functioned. About to get sick from the odors. he grabbed the gas masks from the pile of debris and ran as the duck gave chase. Meanwhile, Meryl and Mielikki reached Rica and Niko, safe for a moment as the duck was after other prey.
“Are you hurt?” Meryl asked. The girls were frightened, but unharmed.
“We need to get you back to the inn” Mielikki said.
“If that duck so much as scratched my motorcycle, I’ll have ‘im on a roasting spit!” Meryl fumed, as she helped the girls down from the tree, quite displeased.
“Hey- can we help?” came Dessy’s voice over the radio, as she returned to the nearby riverbank.
“Yes- we need you to evacuate Rica and Niko!” Meryl snorted, realizing they were closer to the river than the inn. She and Mielikki carried the girls to Dessy and Ru. Dach concutred that this was the best strategy. The Officer and the faerie watched in hiding as the catgirl sisters clung to the mermaid and manatee, who quickly swam them downstream, far from the inn and towards the marina. She parked them at a lifeguard station, where there was hot cocoa and warm blankets waiting for hapless catgirls such as they.
“What are they going to do?” Rica asked.
“That ghost duck is super strong!” Niko added.
“I know, Look, I am sure they’ll figure something out,” Dessy tried to calm them.
Then she realized that her radio was not receiving any signals from the others.
“Wow- it’s almost like the creature has created a radio dead-zone in it’s haunting grounds! I hope Dach knows what he’s doing- but I wish they’d summon more faeries to help...”
“Well, why hasn’t he or Officer Meryl done that, if the fae can help?” Rica asked.
“Maybe he knows he can handle the situation withou dragging them away from the festival they’ve been practicing for all season.” Niko added. "Palathyna's concert is a main event that so many people are already camped out for!"
“Or maybe that old dog is just being too stubborn and proud!“ Dessy fumed. “ I swear- sometimes he thinks that he and the Officer are invincible super cops! Sigh... But that does not alter the fact that they all risked their own safety to save your lives!”
“We’re sorry!” Rica and Niko cried in unison.
“Well, never mind that now. Just you two stay out of trouble, and enjoy the concert!” warned the mermaid lifeguard, before she and Ru-Ru swam back upstream. The catgirl sisters ears drooped and their tails sorrowfully wagged as they felt bad for getting into trouble, wishing they could have helped.
Meanwhile- back at the rotemburo, concealed behind bushes, Meryl & Mieli watched as the duck stood between Dach and the inn.
“The duck is catching up with them- I say we return the favor- and run out there to distract the duck so they can get indoors!” Meryl decreed.
“Agreed-“ Mielikki said, about to take flight.
“Hey- why didn’t you want me to strike back at the duck earlier?” Meryl quizzed.
“It- it’s not her fault!” The fae stammered, going airborne. “I’m sorry.. this is so difficult to explain.”
“Not 'her' fault. You keep saying that! Well that doesn’t m” Meryl responded, confused, but then dashed towards the inn just in time, for the ghost duck was closing in on the tiring dog, and it’s battle aura was only intensified.
“That things power curve cannot be for real- its aura almost looks as if it’s been absorbing Fae energy!” Dach theorized. “No wonder the Fae did not detect it before now-! Maybe it masked it’s own undead magical signature with the fae power it somehow acquired!” Dach guessed, as the duck drew too close.
An exhausted, battered, nauseated Dach emptied his pistol into the beast at point blank range, the special .45 shot-shells stunning it for a moment. The others watched as Mielikki flew toward the duck for a parlay.
“Please sister, you must desist! These people mean you no harm!” She pleaded. The duck flapped its wings and levitated at her eye level, it’s aura seeming to diminish.
“By Jove, I think she’s reaching him!” Meryl noted.
Inside the inn, Kyralindalani stood beside the Katanna weilding Nemui with a Naginata, a long bladed pole weapon. Shanami and the lodgers were doling out golf irons, as hopeful weapons, but stopped in wonder as they witnessed the aerial meeting going on outside.
For a moment, it seemed as if the faerie was indeed going to calm the beast. For a moment. Perhaps it just didn’t understand. Perhaps it was beyond reason, consumed by anger. Perhaps the chef should have put those duck dinners in an airtight container and not left them on the garden path, their delicious aroma wafting in the breeze. For whatever reason, the duck reared back its head and unleashed a blast of faerie fire at Mielikki, knocking her out of the sky and bowling over her comrades.
“Dude- the cute Fairy girl’s introuble!” Stan said to snap Ralph out of his demolish sedan mourning.
“No way! Let’s get ‘im!” Ralph said, intent on being her knight in shining golf shoes.
The duck quacked evilly, but was surprised as Nemui, Kyralindalani, Sha’nami, Ralph and Stan all stormed out of the inn to join the battle. It did not like the taste of this metal, and they were actually able to drive it back, at least long enough for Meryl to pick up Mielikki and dart inside. to place the limp faerie on a couch.
Bullpup gulped down his fear, as he charged out with Dach’s fire extinguisher- the one filled with Holy Foam. The ghost duck drank the foam like it was a milk shake, sending the lodgers screaming back indoors. Everyone watched from inside the mystically shielded inn as the Duck summoned more power, drawing upon the earth’s magnetosphere.. Glowing embers of elemental particles twirled above its head in defiance of gravity. The creature unleashed a Force Five Faerie Fire upon the shielded inn...
Dach was astounded not only that it possessed such power- but that the creature was smart enough to use it. He ruled out the notion that the creature merely siphoned off the energy, and concluded that it was actually highly adept in combat with power supposedly only wielded by the eldest of the Fae. The intense blast hit with a thunderclap. The wards burned away, unable to withstand such an attack.
The barrier collapsed, thus leaving the inn unshielded. The Duck sensed this vulnerability and approached. After placing the barely conscious faerie on a couch, Meryl racked one into her shotgun. Nemui, Shan’ami and Kyralindalani also stood their ground. Dach flipped open the safety catch on the detonator.
“Hasta la vista, ducky!” Dach snarled.The mines went off, showering the duck with a cloud of cold iron chaff that erupted from the ground.
Not only did this seem to agonize the, but the effect disrupted its electro-magical field, temporarily nullifying its ability to attack. It staggered, trying unsuccessfully to generate another blast. It was almost a beautiful sight- the ethereal bird majestically shrouded in a flickering magenta glow like a fiery phoenix, as the foil flakes showered upon it like a blizzard of metallic cherry blossoms. As the creature struggled to its feet, Dach hit him with the treetop mines. The blast diminished its radiant aura and hurled the duck clear to the riverbank.
Dessy and Ru-Ru watched discreetly behind large river rocks as the wounded duck limped down the bank. Ru-Ru whimpered, Dessy was wide-eyed in almost-sadness as they watched it slink pitifully into the water, softly quacking in pain as it swam toward the waterfall.
Nemui, Sha’nami and Kyralindalani watched the shimmering sky in wonder, for the gardens were filled with sparkling confetti, set against the distant fireworks coming from town. Dach wished that it hadn’t come to this, as the duck managed to disappear into the misty veil of falling water.
Chapter Nine: Quacking in Their Boots
Then came that surreal moment, in which everyone was unsure if it was over. A minute later most of them realized that the threat had in fact subsided for the time being. A few of the inn guests were shaken like a good martini, desiring nothing short of a ticket off the island, but most were coherent enough to help pick up the pieces after the fight. Folks were tired, scared and... getting on each other’s nerves.
“Whew I am getting too old for this.” Dach moaned, suddenly aware of his various bumps and bruises. “Ahh ...but we need to keep busy though.” He wished he’d gone fishing.
“I’ll look over the damages in the parking lot and make out the police reports,” Meryl declared, as she went inside to round up anyone who would need to file a claim with their automotive insurer.
“I'd better see what equipment still works.” Dach decided, as he began to gather up the strewn technology. Fortunately much of it was specially designed for rough field use and some of it with hardened circuitry designed to withstand ecto-magnetic pulses. Unfortunately, some of it was not.
The remaining lodgers who had braved the haunting had pretty much reached their breaking point. Nemui apologized profusely, offering full refunds to them and arranging to transport them to safer quarters after they ate supper.
As the meals cooked in an ancient wood stove, some of the guests assisted Nemui and Kyralindalani in illuminating the inn with candles and the outdoor lanterns, for they were quite without electrical power, and many of the lamplights had been extinguished by the ghost’s fury. It had created a dead-zone for several acres, which inhibited use of radios, telephones, and other devices. At least that meant that the car alarms were quiet. Dessy and Ruru kept a discreet vigil on the river, hoping not to see the ghost return or any boaters venturing this far upstream.
Mielikki awoke, her magical glow rather dim and of sad hues. As she helped with the candle lighting, she sensed disdainful eyes upon her.
“The visitors only tolerate faerie magic when it suits them it is to their delight if they are being entertained- but like now they fear what I represent. Even Meryl Murrey does not trust me oh, I cannot blame her though”
Chef Bullpup noticed the sad faerie. He might not be the brave field dog that Dach was- but he was a master of cuisine and gourmand without peer, and he had a knack for sizing up any person to determine what sort of food or drink might suit their pallet most. Bullpup offered the sad faerie a nummy bun to cheer her up. she took a bite of the delicious food, and decided to stop sulking, to do something constructive.
“Is it me, or does everyone seem a lot grouchier?” Nemui asked Sha’nami, who was in a steadily worsening disposition as well, complaining about having to work under such dreadful conditions, and about how bad the iced tea tasted. Morale had deteriorated in the last few days; it was more than mere agitation induced by fear- people who were normally the most ideal company were now quite terse.
The disposition of everyone in the vicinity of the Inn or where the ghost had tread, was getting downright surly; not just the natural state of anxiety from being scared, but an uncharacteristically high degree of animosity seemed to be brewing in the air.
Outside, Dach had separated his equipment into three piles: ‘still functional’, ‘in need of repair’, and ‘expensive paperweight’. He was disgusted.
“Ahhh can’t believe this! He almost laughed, as he gleaned some more data from his wounded gadgets. “Hot dog- are we in trouble!” he chortled with a nervous giggle, crossing that threshold of punchiness. He stood up, deciding that he’d need to brief everyone after supper. Speaking of which the wonderful Kitchen aroma hit his keen doggy snout. “ (sniff) Food! And about time, too!” he snorted in testy tone, running inside.
Dessy watched from the rocky banks as Dach bolted indoors. Shortly thereafter, Meryl and the car owners also
