The drive was long. Norm kept babbling about something in the papers and the questioning of some guy named Grand Elder Guild. BJ and Leah occasionally put in their input. Mainly to correct Norms behavior. Spiderella was just smiling widely. Sally stared out the car window, their words going through one ear and out the other. They soon arrived at an old grey mansion, surrounded by wild trees and over grown grass and weeds. BJ parked the car by the curb. "Wow this looks welcoming." Valkyrie said nervously.
Leah slipped on a pair of black sunglasses and followed. Valkyrie made a note of Norms casual strides. He must have been here more then his fair share. He hopped up the stairs, humming to himself, and with the wave of his hand, the door swung open for him. It hit the wall with a light thud. Valkyrie gapped. The floors and stairs were made of white marble and the walls were covered in a dark crimson red. Norm strolled in with a spring in his step like he owned the place. The first thing you saw when you first entered , was a set of stairs surrounded by lilies leading up to an intersection of 2 other sets of stairs and a large silver door.
Norm waved his hand again and the silver door opened. Valkyrie's mouth was now even wider. The walls, all around, were covered with book filled bookshelfs, packed together so tightly reaching the ceiling. The room was shaped like a dome with a dark mural painted on the ceiling depicting demons. An extravagant library. In the center was a round white leather couch. A voice came from it, "Norm you really should stop doing that or you might not see the light of day again."
"I need to ask you a favor." Norm replied cheerfully. "No you can't use the bedrooms." "Oh heavens no. Different favor." The voice stood up. It had to be the most beautiful woman Valkyrie had ever seen (cause China didn't really count with her power and all). This lady was tall and wore a long purple pearl colored silk dress which left her chest slightly open. Her hair was neatly aligned so that it didn't touch her shoulders. It was the same with her bangs which barley touched her eyebrows. Her almost white blond hair complimented her elegant facial features and long neck.
Her eyes were pale and what felt Valkyrie astounded was the six arms coming from her torso. "Then what are you here for?" "My friends Sally and Valkyrie need to talk to the dead." "Is that so." Iris Aurthur placed the book that she was reading into one of the bookcases. She turned her head in their direction (not looking at anyone particular) and smiled, "And why would you need to talk to them? Because it is natural order that people come and go. I'm not going to turn into your cell phone." Sally bit her lip before saying, "Is it natural for one to die more then once?" Sally was sure she caught Iris's attention, "If one is given a second chance at life, then he must live it to the fullest." "But what if this second life was taken unfairly?" "Stolen? Highly unlikely." "Then why is he so close?"
Iris stared off at something, like she wasn't paying attention. "who might you be looking for?" she asked. "Jack Skellington." "And Skulduggery Pleasant." Valkyrie finished for her. "Skulduggery Pleasant has had his fair share of life and unwanted deeds." Iris said. This struck Valkyrie hard. Tears again began to form in her eyes. "As for Jack Skellington..." she took another book out, and ran her manicured fingers across the page without looking at it. "Both his lives where cut a bit short." She sighed. Valkyrie couldn't help herself, "Can you let me speak to him one last time?!" Tears flowing freely. Iris looked in her direction but not at her directly. "But he has..." "Please! Let me talk to him!" she yelled.
Land of the Dead...
Nymphetamine and Elora lived in a tiny house a good distance from the party city. It was nice except for the fact that almost everything was made out of bones and clay. "Welcome to our little piece of heaven." Nymphetamine said. Elora kicked a rat out of the house, "Our little crappy piece of heaven." "I think it's sorta cute." Jack said ducking through the doorway. Skulduggery leaned his head and stared at Jack, "Cute?" "I'm glad you think so." Nymphetamine said from behind him. Skulduggery turned around to face her.
"Uh...thank you for your hospitality." He pushed his black hair out of his face but it fell back into place. She laughed. He smiled and turned back to Jack. Elora was there. He jumped back a bit. "Elora please don't do that." he breathed. "Do what?" she said darkly. "That sneaking up on people and not telling them your there thing." Elora smiled evilly. "I'm glad that freaks you out. I told Jack where your rooms are." "Uh... thank you." She pointed one finger behind her. "Ah yes." Skulduggery said stepping around her and moving down the hallway.
Skulduggery peered into his room and then in Jacks. Jack was staring at something on the wall. Skulduggery walked over to him, "Elora freaks me out." "This freaks me out." Jack pointed at the painting. It depicted a man with something tearing out of his skull, horribly and graphicly. "That is quiet disturbing." Skukduggery agreed. "What are we going to do?" Jack asked ignoring the painting. "Well if my sources are right, and I do most think they are, the land of the dead is ruled by the devil. Which puts us in the position of having to out run or out smart him." Jack thought for a moment, "We need to find a way out. A door?" "I hardly believe that it is a door we're looking for." "Portal perhaps?" "Perhaps." Skulduggery looked out the window at the dirty streets, "I'm not surprised I made it here." Jack blinked. That's right, they were in hell.
"How did you get here?" Jack asked, "I mean I know how I got here. Having in my past life been a criminal but what did you do?" Skulduggery dropped his head and leaned it against the cold glass. "Jack understand me. My life is a dark and twisted thing and I don't enjoy speaking of it. I’ve had many people criticize me and ask me questions like
'What is your real purpose in life?'. When I started training Valkyrie, their opinions of me only got worse.
'Do you really want her to be like you?' they said,
'Do you want her to be like you- devoid of warmth, and compassion, and love?' A cold hearted monster." Jack didn't say anything.
"The war had changed me." he continued, "Professor Kenspeckle actually accused me of needing and liking death and mayhem. He called me a killer." "Cause you killed people?" "I've killed many people and I've buried many friends. I... I have a tendency to hurt people and the ones I love." He paused, "Valkyrie must be devastated. I see the way she looks at me. For advice, for protection, for care and I left her so soon. I admit she is my motivation. If I could talk to her one last time..."
Just then something moved in the air. It began to swirl and part, showing the view of a white marble home. Jack and Skulduggery backed away from it. A face came into focus. "Are you Jack Skellington and Skulduggery Pleasant?" she asked. "Ya." said Jack. She nodded, "Sally and Valkyrie have a message for you."
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More to come
My apologies if this chapter was a bit slow.
Iris Aurther is Nerdy Skellington.
