Venturing: Dead

We entered through the doors and went inside where we had found ourselves staring down onto a huge machine in front of us. It had covered up half of the room's walls leaving nothing else. There were four colors staring back onto us: yellow, purple, red and green. We had known that only red was the primary color here however. Finding ourselves staring onto the machine, we all fell to silence. Raising our claws onto our chins as the soundless atmosphere hovered upon us and we thought onward. There was something indeed that we had perhaps missed however and it was the little white squares that were taped underneath the colors. Drawing only a bunch of numbers that counteracted one another. Yellow would be five while purple is the minus of that number, red and green were three and minus three respectfully.

I had frowned, pondering what these numbers had meant and what was their relationship to one another besides being counteractives. However, nothing had came into mind and I was left just scratching my own head because of it. Shaking my head, I had turned my attention towards the other parts of the room. Gazing onto an abyss hole at the center of the room, beyond it was a reflection of us and the machine. But nothing else were around. The talking had started up behind me; the first to starts were Kyro and Zander with Natty and Ozkun taking a step up towards the machine and placing whatever 'requests' that the two dragons had offered. They had gotten yellow and red; and taken samples of each of the colors just by tapping onto the mimicking faucet that was attached to each of those machines. I blinked for a moment and stepped up towards Kyro and Zander, just as they had turned towards me. Frowns and concern were upon their snouts as they turned away just as they had received the 'requested' colors in mind.

“Do not tell me that you are going to drink them." Started Natty as she huffed, crossing her arms. Neither of the two stated it or answered her however while they just kept stare onto the colors that they were given, shortly before they turned themselves around and faced the mirror behind them however. Perplexed, the other officers blinked momentarily while Natty was looking a bit surprise by this that she unfolded her arms across her chest, kept staring onto the pair as they walked towards the mirror and tapped the glass lightly with their drinks. “What are you two doing?" Ozkun questioned the two who never answered, but kept on tapping onto the glass as they kept their eyes onto the mirror in front of them. For surely enough, the mirror was starting to form cracks. Then the pieces began to fall from their stems, revealing what seems to be a shadow or a black void in front of us. “Well well…" I trailed, a bit interested about the blackness of the void hiding behind the mirror, “This case just got interesting." “But what does that have to do with the drinks?" Exclaimed Ozkun, seeing red momentarily as her claws were thrown to the side, glaring down onto Kyro and Zander momentarily before turning back towards me.

“Maybe there was something hiding behind the mirror that drinks these?" Question Natty, raising her claw up while silence answers her anyway. She growled in response, glaring onto the rest of us before spitting “Well it is just a thought anyway!" “But how did you guys knew that there was a mirror here?" I questioned Zande rand Kyro, both of which had stopped to look at me and towards the rest of us in silence. “There was indeed something odd about the room." “What was odd?" “Have you seen the outline of it through a map or something?" Zander finished, raising an eye at us while I pondered for a moment. Then snapped my paw before nodding, “he is right about that." “But what does that have to do with the drinks?" “Someone will drink it if we were to break through this mirror." Zander answered just as the last of the bottom part of the mirror was completely shattered, revealing whatever was behind the mirror.

Two big eyes stared back onto us. It had no mouth or snout, though it had speak for us. Although it was not a solution to the problem, it did gave only a hint to us. Something that we were a bit surprise about. In accordance to whomever that was, this is what he had to say “BBO = 1, BOB = 1, OBB = 1, OBO = -1, and OOB = -1." Then it disappeared afterwards. “You did have that written down right?" Questioned Kyro after throwing away the drink into the corner behind himself, I gave a weak nod towards him following his silence as I turned my attention back towards the machine once more. “The it monster had stated this: BBO, BOB and OBB as one; OBO and OOB as minus one." I raised my head towards the machine in front of us and said, “I do believed that the O represent the Orange that we are missing from these colors. B must be blue then." “How do we get those colors?" Questioned Natty, shifting her attention towards me while I had completely ignored her and just stared at the machine momentarily.

“To make blue; it needs to be white and shads of blue. But I do not see either of those colors however." I frowned, “Think we can find something from elsewhere then?" Suggested Kyro, after a pause of silence. We all had immediately turned towards him; a couple of nods were here and there from some dragons while I responded to them after the silence, “Sure, go right ahead." “We should definitely explore the hallway just outside of the room we are currently in. It had seem that we had entered into this room immediately than to look at the others." Commented Zander which Natty gave a nod onto as the rest of them fled out of the room, leaving me behind as I kept staring onto the machine in silence. Before something snapped onto my mind. “Wait; to make Orange, its blue and yellow. Could it be that Orange is perhaps a bit darker, closest to black while blue is closest to white because of the spectrum of colors?" I had pondered briefly about that thought, frowning as I just shake my head. Dismissing it altogether with a thought in mind as I just shake my head in silence, before keeping an eye onto the machine in front of me as I continued thinking on.

But during the silence, there was as loud yell or rather scream that pierced through the silence. I was a bit startled by it that I flinched before turning my attention towards the doors adjacent to me, glancing at it while it parted and Kyro, Zander and Ozkun came running from the hallway, back into the room altogether. They seem to be panting heavily for breath as if something had scared them beforehand. I had found myself blinking onto which, pondering while as I spoke to them, questioning “What had happened to you guys? What got you rifled up all of the sudden?" “The canines. They were all brutally murdered and hanged onto the closet that is not too far from where we are. Each of them had a certain color dripping from their necks. Blue was one of them. Here." Zander explained briefly before handing me the certain color that I had needed. Though I had thanked him for such, the deaths of canines impaled upon my mind for it was something I was curious about however.

As I had thought about the 'death of canines', I poured the blue 'blood' into the machine which hummed briefly before spilling the blue contents onto a glass jar, sealed on tight before presenting it to us afterwards. “We have the blue 'paint'." I commented, which was more like an announcement than. But I had dismissed it from my own thoughts and instead; starting onto the color combinations then. For in accordance to the set; we had needed orange which blue and yellow would perceived as such. Pouring the two colors into a mixing bowl that we had found inside one of the cabinets adjacent to the machine, I mixed the two colors together and created yellow. “I have it now." I announced towards the other officers just as they had turned their attention towards me. Silence over their heads while Zander gave a nod and stepped forth, snatching such said bowl out of my claws as he went out the door afterwards.

There was a sense of silence shortly afterwards, something that I was not keen of however as my attention was drawn back towards the machine in front of me. Staring down onto the seven different colors that were here. “How are we going to get white?" I questioned out of the blue which Kyro snapped his attention towards me and frowned. Though none of them had any suggestions or comments, leaving the entire room to silence then. We heard the door opened adjacent to us, every head was turned over to Zander who just smiled faintly and gave a nod towards me, “Yeah. The colors match. These seven canines are our victims." “But who's idea was to change the color immediately to different colors? Hence the puzzle and biggest clue that we were handed." I questioned Zander, who had no answer to that.

While another round of silence had fallen over, I turned my attention back towards the machine in front of me and spoke out loud towards Zander, “If the blue 'blood' coloring was a canine, then you suspect that the other six are theirs? Just modified?" “Could be." Zander commented, lifting his head towards the machine in front of us. A few seconds into the silence and I felt a tap onto my shoulder, immediately turning my attention towards Kyro whom was behind me, he said “There is a way to get white. But it dirty." “You are kidding." I mouthed to the red dragon who just shake his head, denying what is to claim. At my head scratched, I frowned irritatedly but shift my attention back towards the machine and spoke to Zander “Show me where the canines are held." “Its messy and smells like rotten, Ling." Zander commented, something that was irrelevant to what I had requested. I blinked onto him for a moment, then shake my head and asked again. Something that he gave a nod for as he lead me out of the room afterwards. As the doors opened for both me and Zander, I heard some whispers behind me, which were the voices of Natty and Ozkun.

At the time, the two were perhaps conversating about something. Something that I was rather embarrassed as to do as we were into the hallway then afterwards. The bright lights shone onto my eyes; temporarily blinding me for a moment while Zander grabbed hold onto my paw and led me out. Down the hallway towards the third door on the right, we had entered right in and truth by told, I was Mortified, by what I had just witnessed. Everywhere was streaks of dry color blood everywhere. But as beforehand, there were only six colors at the time. Blue, orang were painted upon the flooring; mostly covering the blackness that was the tilt. Yellow, Purple and green were upon the walls and even the ceilings it had seemed. There were even streaks of white upon the flooring and ceiling, but those were just fainter than the rest of them. There was even another smell in the air, something that I just wrinkle my nose upon. But Zander, meanwhile, had no trouble however.

That smell was something old. It was as if someone had a pissed but did not flush at all. “What the heck is that smell Zander?" I questioned him, out fo the blue too. But he responded with nothing and kept his eye onto the wall in front of us. Gradually raising his claw into the air, and spoke without answering my question “There are the seven canines hanged along this ceiling. Six are dead; one is currently dying." “Think this is what we get out whiteness?" I questioned the black dragon who gave a nod before turning away. I fixed my attention towards the seven canine in front of me. He was hungry and thirsty; but there was a distinctive smell from him however, I was not sure what that was. Regardless, I saw something attached to his nether regions, something that had looked like a large tube or something. Short that it instantly connects to the machine that was a few inches away from where he was. As for the canine himself, he was all bones. The skin was dirty and moldy as if he had not clean himself for decades, maybe more. His ears were folded against his skull; his eyes were covered by what seems to be a black sleeping wear. He was naked from top down.

“You are kidding…" I trailed, eyes widening upon the 'victim' in front of us, “How long did you think he was like that?" “Maybe two months since his disappearance? He is dying, there is no way for us to-" “We need to…" I trailed, interrupting the black dragon as he gaze back onto me, “Back towards his family at least." “According to Rannar, he is 'kicked' out from the family as they had already declared him 'dead' after being missing for so long. The female, mother of three had already mated with someone else." I looked back onto Zander for ar moment, searching upon his face in hopes that he was just kidding about all of that. But the look of concern, mixed with sadness, had been exposed. My heart was pounding faintly against my chest, I started frowning. But gave a silent nod towards him as he stepped away from me and pressed the button.

We never listened to his whimpers, cry of lust and fear mixed altogether. I tried my best to held back my tears, closing my eyes tightly as I just find myself staring onto the flooring beneath me. Pondering and thinking about the wife that had to remate with someone else. 'I had wondered what they were doing at the time.' “It would be useless to state towards her that 'he is alive. But dying.' as they had already forgotten about him for so long now." Zander responded, avoiding eye contact to me while I just looked away from him, just staring at the door silently for a short moment before questioning Zander, “Who would do such a thing? Why this sacrifice? Why this daunting game?" “No idea." Responded Zander to all of those questions as we heard a loud gasp; then silence as Zander walked over to the canine; snatched onto the 'white' paint inside of the machine before presenting it to me. “And now… here you go." “But are we just culprits of his death? Death of stimulating him until he gives the last of his seed?" There was no answer from Zander, just silence as he walked out the door.

Leaving me alone, I turned my attention towards the now dead canine in front of me. To tell you the truth, I had wanted to cry. But I held it back; with newfounding determination, I immediately headed out the door. Retrace my steps back towards the previous door, entering right in where the other officers were waiting for me. In addition, it had seemed that they had already figured out most of the puzzle that was laid out in front of themselves. Just as I had entered in, Natty and Ozkun were the first to gree me then. I smiled only faintly onto them, but kept my silence after as I briefly looked to Zander, who just gaze at the machine of colors in front of him and I looked back towards the machine. Pouring into the white substance into the third container, I stepped back while Kyro questioned into the air “What is that smell?" “Smells old, do you not think?" Responded Ozkun as Natty kept staring onto the container for a moment. “Just do you think, everyone." I spat, dead voice while the others just stared onto me suddenly before giving a silent nod back and stepped forth to 'finish' their work. In the meanwhile, I walked over to Zander.

He was just silent as I was too. Both of us staring ahead to the machine in front of us; staring upon the other officers' work as they tried to complete the puzzle at hand. Thus suddenly, I laid a claw onto the shoulder of Zander, whom just grunting and turned away from me while I spoke “How did you know all this then? Did this happened to you beforehand or something, long before you had became an officer of VPD?" “Long beforehand." He echoed my words, then grounded his fangs suddenly as he turned to me, “Long very long before you had arrived. Not stop pestering about this and go work with the others. The audience does not want to hear it." “But-" “Do it." and then that was the end of our conversation as I had watched him walked out of the room. Disappeared from my sights afterwards, leaving me alone with the others whom were oblivious to the interaction and conversation that had happened between the two of us.

Thus in my silence, I just kept staring onto him. Watching him go while the emptiness of the voiceless atmosphere went away with him thanks to the others conversing and chatting amongst themselves; finishing the puzzle shortly afterwards as something hummed loudly that had forced the rest of us to turn our attention towards the source. Thus in front of us stood a blank, empty voice of a short hallway. There was nothing beyond the horizon and nothing was within our grips as we gathered around upon the door in front of us. A long winded silence settled before I spoke towards the others, “lets go. Solve this and find out want Zander is hiding." “It is better if you do not, Ling." “Not you too, Natty!" I exclaimed towards the dragoness who just shake her head at me following it, “it is not right. He will tell when time will come. For now just focus onto the case at hand." “But-" But a short claw entered my snout; silencing me while my eyes opened for a moment. Then I exhaled when the claw was removed and Natty just stands there with a faint smile onto her face, satisfied while the others; mainly Kyro and Ozkun just kept staring onto her. I chuckled in response before motioning them, tailing behind me as I take the lead. Heeding through the pure abyss that settled before ourselves.

It never take us that long to reach upon a door; over upon the other side of the abyss. We entered in, one by one due to the door being smaller than what we had suspected however. Entering into a room, we had found ourselves upon an empty place. Nothing but a white piece of note stands at the center of the room, something that Ozkun had noticed then afterwards. Thus as he blinks, he stepped forward towards the note, pushing both me and Kyro out of the way as we blinked onto him, a bit surprise by such. But let him do his own thing. We watched as he tilted himself downward, raising his foot into midair that he had snatched onto the note placed upon the flooring beneath us, returning to his neutral state shortly after. For in his claw was that note. “What does it say?" I questioned, a bit interest as Ozkun turned himself around and stepped towards us; he turned the paper over and read the contents that was found inside.

“Good work on solving the colors of the world. Here is your prize." And a click submerged into the silence of the air, something that we heard upon as we had immediately turned our attention towards our surroundings.