A new day finds a confused Khatta sitting in the laboratory. Many fruitless hours have been spent searching for some sort of clue – any clue – that might point him in the right direction. As it is, all that's been accomplished is that the foppish fox has been thinking up new songs.

The fox sings …

"Before you succumb to frustration,"

"Or the endless dire aggravation,"

"You just can't go wrong,"

"If you sing along,"

"To the loveliest song in the nation!"

Jynx sits at the desk, with his elbows propped up and his face in his paws, and an angry, frustrated look on his face. His tail-tip twitches agitatedly, deep in thought. That is, until the singing starts… "Would you knock it off? I'm trying to think!"

The fox puts his lute down. "Well, that is precisely your problem! You think too much! You should learn from foxes! Why, I hardly think at all, if I can manage it … and I'm having a positively dandy time!"

The fox sings…

"When the sky pours rain,"

"It only brings you pain,"

"But that's because your brain,"

"Is driving you insane!"

"Just be happy with what you've got,"

"Don't give it another thought!"

"And then you really ought,"

"To not worry about a lot!"

The fox's blathering music continues in the background, despite the Khatta's attempts to focus on his current situation.

"Somehow, I don't doubt that one bit." The Khatta sighs, and looks the ransacked lab over one more time. Whoever it was must have been short, since they needed a stool to get to the table top and take the shard. He massages his temples. "The only person I can think of is… Ysnor… " The feline's ears perk up.

The rat pokes his head into the doorway. "Yesssss, master?"

Jynx gets up from his stool as the rat caretaker appears. "Ysnor, come in here for a minute; I want to talk to you." He offers the stool to the hunchback.

"Yesss, master?" repeats the rat, as he shuffles into the room. He clambers up onto the stool, though it takes him a few tries to do so, given his short and warped stature.

Jynx strokes his chin as he looks Ysnor over. "You didn't happen to do anything with the crystal shard that was in here, did you?" He sits on the desktop. "It's important that I find it."

Jynx blinks at the way the rat climbs up on the stool…

Ysnor shakes his head. "No, master. What does it look like?" He looks around at his surroundings curiously. "Ysnor has been careful not to go into the laboratory. Ysnor would not even come down to the bottom level if not for Master Kurai's return!"

The black Khatta grimaces; so much for finding it easily. "It's just a crystal shard, multicolored when in the light, like a prism. You didn't see anything unusual in the past week or so, have you? Anything that was down here that shouldn't have been?"

The rat's ears pale. "Oh! No, nobody at all, master!"

Jynx shoulders slump, and he throws his paws up. "Well, then I have no idea where to start!" He paces the lab furiously, checking it over once more as closely as he can. "If we don't find that blasted thing, this land will always look like one of Kame Ikata's paintings!"

The rat's nose twitches, and his whiskers wiggle furiously.

"Nobody at all?" repeats the fox. "Not even one eensy weensy little somebody?" He strums his lute for no apparent reason other than that he's a fox.

"Who is Kame Ikata, Master?" asks the rat, ignoring the fox.

The cat finishes searching once more, and turns to the rat. "Never mind that." He gets right up next to the caretaker, and stares him straight in the eyes, "You're sure you didn't see anything or do anything or hear anything?"

The rat's ears are most certainly pale now, and his whiskers vibrate. "NO! Ysnor means, yes, Master! Nothing at all!"

Jynx sighs, and leans on the desk, looking at the fox. "You didn't do anything to it, did you?"

"Me?" says the fox, looking quite innocent. "I was with you at that dreadful crater, and it was already gone when we got back! And, besides, I licked it, and it didn't taste edible in the least… Er, I mean, I never touched it even once!"

The Khatta looks at the rat again, noticing how nervous he is becoming. "Never been down here, eh?" He stares the rat in the eyes again. "You're not lying to me, are you Ysnor?"

"Ysnor would never lie to you, Master!" chitters the rat, looking positively terrified.

"Because you know what I'd have to do if you were… " Jynx starts to polish his claws on his chest, "And nobody wants that."

The fox looks at the terrified rat, back at the Khatta, then back again. "I do say, Ysnor, fellow, but you're a mite bit high-strung… Care to sing along with a cheery song?"

The hunchback looks at the claws, makes a choking noise in his throat … and then his eyes roll up into his head, and he falls backward off the stool!

Jynx blinks, and his ears perk forward. He runs over to the comatose rat. "Ysnor! Wake up! Are you alright?"

The rat is caught before he can smash headlong into the floor. He fumbles about in a daze. "No, no! No, Ysnor said nothing to young Kurai! Ysnor would never tell a thing! Please do not hurt Ysnor!"

The black Khatta blinks again, a puzzled look crossing his features. "Young Kurai? Who do you mean?" He shakes the rat. "Tell me what you're talking about!"

The rat is shaken, and his eyes flutter open again. "Ysnor … Oh! Master! Ysnor is sorry for falling! Did Ysnor bleed on floor? Ysnor will clean up right away!"

The fox wrinkles his nose in disgust. "Nope. No bleeding on the floor."

"Not so fast, rodent!" Jynx keeps his grasp on the rat. "I know you're not being straight with me; now what did you do with the shard? Out with it!"

"Ysnor did nothing with shard!" protests the rat. "Ysnor would never cheat master!"

The black Khatta sets his ears back. "I'm not in the mood to be lied to! When you did your little dizzy spell, you said 'Ysnor said nothing to Young Kurai'. Now, who doesn't want me to know something?"

The rat's ears shrink back. "Oh! Oh … no! Please, Master! Ysnor must not … " He swallows hard. "Please, have mercy on Ysnor! Bakula would kill Ysnor!"

Jynx arches an eyebrow. "Bakula? Who is that?" He shakes theRat. "I'm not fooling around, Skreek, tell me!"

The rat's tongue flops about as he is shaken. "Lnguhlnguhlnguh!" He shakes his head, then squeaks, "Ysnor did not say Bakula! Ysnor would never say Bakula!"

The fox leans over, with a look of sincere pity in his face. "You are a positively dreadful liar, Ysnor."

The black Khatta nods in agreement with the fox. "Not a very good one at all! Now tell me who Bakula is! Is he one of those 'vampire' things?" He shakes the rat again, showing his claws. "Tell me, or… or… I'll make the fox sing at you!"

The fox blinks. "Hey!"

Ysnor wails. "NO! NO, HAVE MERCY ON POOR YSNOR! NOT THE FOX!"

The fox just grumbles and slumps.

"Then tell me who Bakula is, now!" yells Jynx.

"Ysnor will tell all! Ysnor was met by Bakula, who demanded Ysnor give Bakula permission to enter! Bakula went in, and then came out again! That is all, Ysnor swears!" squeals the rat.

"Not the fox?" whines the foppish fox.

"So this Bakula person took the shard?" asks the Khatta. "Who is he, what is he, and where can I find him?"

Ysnor just whines and babbles incoherently.

Jynx scowls at the rat, then looks to the fox. "My bard friend, would you make up a little ditty for our rodent companion here?"

The fox pipes up, "Oh, that's easy! Weren't you listening to Miss Scarlet Water Mage? Remember? Horatio Bakula was that crazy old wizard who worked for your great great … er … many greats grandpappy. And, why, yes, I'd love to sing a song! Why, I could sing a song about Bakula!"

Ysnor yowls pitifully!

Jynx gets the information he needs. "No, stop! No need for cruel and unusual punishment." He drops the rat, grimacing. "But that makes no sense; he'd be… well, hundreds of years old now!"

The fox once again looks supremely disappointed. His ears droop.

Ysnor whines, "Bakula is creature of darkness! Death-raven! Bakula would suck Ysnor's life-blood if Ysnor did not give permission to enter castle!"

The fox swirls his cape around, covering his face. "Blah BLAH, blah BLAH! I vant to thuck you BLUD!" He then exhales, dropping the cape. "Yeah, yeah, sure. Riiiight."

The Khatta takes a seat on the stool, and sighs. "Alright Ysnor, you're off the hook now." He looks to the rat, "Where can I find him?" He glares at the vulpine.

Ysnor trembles. "Ysnor does not know! Bakula comes out only at night, to fly far and wide and prey upon travelers! No one knows where Bakula's lair is!"

"What a name!" crows the fox. "Horatio! Hee hee! Almost as bad as Horace."

Jynx scratches his chin. "Would anyone in town know where his lair is? Anyone who specializes in this sort of thing?"

The fox shrugs. "Well, maybe that Schoolmaster, Horace Bookman, would know. But don't tell him I made fun of his name, huh?" The fox smirks.

The rat nods. "Schoolmaster Bookman is very wise! Knows much more than Ysnor about everything!"

The black Khatta looks deep in thought. "Good idea; we might need to go pay him a visit." He looks to the rat. "You stay here with Grandma Martinette; she'll keep you safe. Whatever you do, don't leave her sight."

Ysnor gulps. "Ysnor will do as master commands!"

The fox smiles. "I like Bookman. He didn't eat a bite of Grandma Martinette's meal … which meant more for me!"

Jynx rolls his eyes, and starts out the door to the lab. "Let me get my stuff, and we'll head off to the village."

Only a couple of vorpal bunnies and one monster squirrel trouble the Khatta and the fox on the way to the village. Well, honestly, they only trouble the Khatta, for the most part, since the fox's solution is to just run away or hide behind the slightly larger warrior when danger arises. In any case, they arrive in the village. It's night-time, so, by local tradition, school is in session. Presumably, that is where the Schoolmaster will be found, naturally.

Jynx, with daggers and vampire-bashing gear in tow, makes his way to the schoolhouse, intent on gathering as much information about Bakula as he can.

As the fox and Khatta step into the schoolhouse, the children – of varying ages, since there aren't enough to divide into classes like in the big cities – are reciting a list of names … They sound like royalty. Perhaps lords of Sylvania? And, wouldn't you just know it, right when Jynx comes in, the list of names goes, "Tempest, Kurai!" And then a hush falls upon the class at the interruption.

The bespectacled crow looks up at Jynx. "Oh! Hello there, young Lord Kurai! So good to have you visiting the school house! Perhaps you could be persuaded to tell the class something about what exactly a lord does?"

The Khatta sets his ears back in embarrassment, hoping he would have been able to slip in unnoticed. "Uhh… well, a Lord… lords I suppose." He grins sheepishly. "You live in a big castle and… rule your lands… " He tugs at his shirt collar.

"How … uh … profound!" offers the crow, forcing a smile on the edges of his beak. "Well, class, there you have it! Now, can you remember the rest of the list?"

Jynx quietly takes a seat at the back of the class, behind the students, and waits for class to adjourn before asking his questions.

The children return to going through the list of names, in no discernable order, in sing-song fashion.

The teacher looks quite pleased at the recitation. "Now, class … I'm going to tell you a story about the history of Sylvania, and its struggle to hold off the invading forces of Gallis… " He then launches into a long and dry history lesson. This may take a while.

The fox, slumped over a desk, makes light snoring noises. A little puddle of drool is slowly forming just under his muzzle, where it rests on the desk.

The black Khatta sighs, and leans his chin into a paw, half-heartedly listening to the story.

"… and so, to this very day, valiant warriors of the many fiefdoms loyal to Czar Nicholas fight against the powdered Gallees, Gallahs and Kujakus of the south, waging a never-ending battle to preserve our long and distinguished heritage."

The crow smiles. "Well, class, I think that shall be it for now."

The cubs, kits, fledglings, colts and fillies cheer at the close of class, stampeding out of the schoolhouse. The fox's tail is stepped upon several times. "Yipe! YELP! Yipe!"

Jynx catches himself from falling off the desk as he begins to doze off, snapped out of it by the cheer and the fox. He yawns, and stretches in feline fashion before getting up from the desk. "Mister Horace? May I ask you a few questions?"

The crow waddles over to Jynx and the fox. "But of course! I am a schoolmaster, so I field questions all night! Now, what might I help you with?"

The crow briefly gives what might be seen as a distasteful look in the fox's direction, though, and keeps a wide berth of the vulpine. He must remember the fox's singing, no doubt.

The black Khatta smiles. "Well, I'm afraid my questions may be hard to answer, at least for most." He takes a seat at a desk again. "It concerns an individual named Bakula… "

The crow takes a step back, cawing in alarm. He then ducks his head. "Do not say that name so loud! Legend has it that he may appear if he hears his own name called out! Beware!"

Jynx blinks, setting his ears back at the crow's start. He lowers his voice. "So you know of whom I speak?"

The crow nods. "An ancient legend has it that Bakula haunts the Whispering Wood … but that he sleeps, waiting for revenge on … " The crow gulps. "Revenge on the blood-line of Kurai."

The Khatta's previously twitching tail freezes. "The blood line of… Kurai? Me?" He stares wide eyed at the Korv. "Tell me more… "

The Korv caws, "Well … it is an old legend … but the story goes that young Mage Bakula in life was a very hard-working and talented mage in the Sphere of Spirit, diligently working to protect the holdings of the Kurai family from the monsters that roam Sylvania after the Necromancer Wars. Alas, after Duke Kurai defeated what he believed to be the last of the Necromancer Kings, and had his sword sealed in wards … he thought that there was no further need for a Spirit Mage's services … save as a court magician for amusements."

Jynx grimaces. "Smart move," he says sarcastically. "But how is he still alive? He'd be hundreds of years old!"

"The young mage was neglected, and his old services were forgotten," caws the Korv. "He fell from being a respected sage and advisor, to being nothing more than an entertainer and court jester of sorts. Dreadfully humiliating, I'm sure it must have been! Alas, it was too much for him … and his great humiliation was so much as to weigh his heart down, and he died in sorrow. His ghost, however, lingered on, with a driving desire to bring ruin to the Kurai household!"

The Khatta's ears fold back. "So what is he now? And where is he?"

"It was this vengeful spirit," caws the Korv, "that caused the castle to sink into the mire … but even that would not uproot the Kurai family. And then, he summoned horrible monsters from the woods … but even that was not enough. But at last, after generations, the family could not take any more, and fled to parts unknown … and the ghost fell into slumber." The crow shrugs. "And that is all there is to tell."

"So now that I'm back, he is too." The cat's tail thrashes about. "He took a possession of mine, threatening my servant Ysnor and ransacking one of my labs. This possession could bring an end to the monsters in the forest, but unless I can find out where this Bakula took it, there is nothing I can do."

The Korv's eye takes on an angry gleam for a moment, then he shakes his head. "The nerve of that monster! To steal from the rightful heir of the Kurai Estate!" He calms a bit. "Alas, there is little I can do, save but to go by rumors. Perhaps it is best just to leave this be. If the monster only seeks revenge against you … perhaps you should continue your quest to defeat the wicked Count Tempest. You would be ridding the land of a great evil … and safely avoiding another one at the same time."

"I was told that Tempest wasn't that evil, and if fighting this ghost guy gets him off my family's back, and rids the forests of those nasty little beasties, then that's what I have to do," says the Khatta. "What are the rumors?"

"Oh. Oh, really? Well … if your heart is set on it … I suppose I must do what I can to aid you. But do realize … this is a terribly dangerous undertaking, if the legends are true," caws the crow, with a worried expression on his face.

The fox smiles proudly. "Lord Kurai is afraid of NOTHING!"

The crow shrinks back from the fox, coughing. "Ah … yes … quite so!"

Jynx ignores the fox. "Whatever the legends say, I can't stay here in Sylvania if that monster is always going to be after me anyways."

"Well … no … true. But … legend would hold that the ghost would probably be haunting the part of the Whispering Wood where, well, his earthly remains would lie buried." The Korv gulps. "That is … on Cemetery Hill."

"No one buries any bodies there anymore, do understand. We know better, here in Sylvania, and cremate bodies instead now. But … there are many ancient corpses there … and it is said that the dead are restless in Sylvania, for good cause," warns the crow.

The Khatta's ears perk, "Cemetery Hill? Where can I find that at?" The Khatta swallows a bit, a voice in the back of his head screaming for him to go back home to Rephidim. "All the more reason to get the shard, to stop that as well."

The crow caws, "Well, actually, I believe it is shown on the map on your deed, Master Kurai. It marks one of the borders of your domain."

Jynx blinks. "It's one of my possessions?" He scratches his Chin. "I'll have to look it up when I get back to my castle then." He looks back to the Korv. "Is there any other information that you can give me?"

"Sounds kind of … creepy, really," comments the fox.

The Korv ponders, then caws, "It is best to travel light. Carry nothing of metal whatsoever. Metal attracts spirits … and will attract the attention of the living dead. After all, metal is a sure sign of that which is used by living beings. If … if absolutely need be, I could show you the way … but I am just an old Korv, so I'm afraid I would be no good in a fight."

"No need, my friend; I'm sure we can find it." The cat puts the sack carrying all the artifacts he found in the cabinet, and takes a bottle of water, a wooden stake, and the crossbow out. "Would these be of any help to us?"

The Korv hisses at the sight of the items, then waves his wings around. "*Caw!* Careful with that! You might shoot someone's eye out!" He regains his composure, shaking his head. "Ah. Well … those might be useful against certain monsters, but of little use against ghosts."

Jynx blinks. "It was the only thing left untouched in my Laboratory; if it was Bakula that raided my lab, he gave it plenty of space." He puts the items back in their sack. "What else do you know of Bakula's life? What race was he?"

The Schoolmaster hmms. "Actually, it is not known. Legends conflict … depending upon what particular race the teller had a grudge against, of course. I'm afraid the details are foggy."

The Khatta nods, and stands up from the desk. "Well, if he's so intent on getting revenge on me, I'm sure I'll find out sooner or later." The feline makes his way to the door. "Thank you for your help, Schoolmaster, and sorry about barging in on your class like that."

"Oh! No trouble at all. Come by any time!" The edges of the crow's beak turn up in a smile, as he waves with a wing-claw.

The foppish fox bounds after Jynx.

Outside, the sky is dark and devoid of stars, thanks to the thick blanket of gloomy clouds covering the landscape. Eerie noises of the creatures of the forest – mundane or otherwise – echo off the walls of the darkened cottages. The children are inside and probably snugly tucked away … and no one bothers leaving any lamps on for those still out at this hour.

The foppish fox walks alongside Jynx. "Well! Nice chap," he says, right up next to Jynx, giving the feline a full blast of his bad breath. Smells like garlic.

Jynx makes his way back out into the town, headed for the outskirts and back home. "Looks like we got our work cut out for us," he says to the fox. "Ghosts and cemeteries and all… " He grins, looking at the fop. "Hope you aren't afraid of the dark."

The dark feline makes his way out into the dark night, a black cat headed for a cemetery. It seems so… proper…