Fiona made her way to the harbor, to a ship that would sail to Dukewood. After Fiona killed Lady Natasha, Dark Umbrella might be after her. Dukewood is one of the largest realms in the world of Grimmhooth; it's twice as big as Dehl…
(Fffps)
Clown: "Hahahaha… (radio static)… I knew she would survive this… the Card of the Mysterious isn't enough, but Holle apparently has something to do with it…."Klara: "Your sister is interested in her."Clown: "Hahh… My sister simply loves to spend time with pretty women… She does represent Sloth, but the reason she doesn't represent Lust is my sister Beatrice…"Klara: "Hmm."Clown: "Dukewood, then… If I'm not mistaken there are many members of the Forbidden Library there…"Klara: "Not just them… also members of the Scythe of the Grave, as well as the… family of Vlad…"Clown: "Vlad…"Klara: "And of course, the family—that is, the organization—your sister likes… the Dark… Cinderella…"Clown: "Oh… hohoho… true… (radio static)… Dukewood is a wonderful realm… It's my father's favorite, because there… many die… and my father is, after all… the Grimm Reaper—Death…"
(Bzzzzzzzz)(Fffps!)(old music)
Narrator: "Hello, dear ones… Welcome to Dukewood… the largest realm in Grimmhoth. I'll tell you a few things now… First, of course, there's the Statue of the Weeping Maidens… This story is about six maidens who were murdered because people thought they were witches… In revenge, in their last seconds the last of them became actual witches… and cast a curse… This curse made it so that every person in Dukewood can only reach the age of 36… Otherwise there is either death… or… you become a living doll… isn't that fun… hahahahahaha…"
(Ffps!)
Narrator: "The curse is called the Curse of the Maidens. The only way to break it is to not be a maiden—that is… if you don't die as a virgin, you can live longer."
(in the harbor of Dehl, Ludwigsstraße 341)
Fiona: "hmm."(Hooooooonk!)
Fiona: "hmmm."Attendant: "Please… board… please… board… hmm."Fiona: "hmm."Attendant: "Ticket, please."Fiona: "Here."Attendant: "hmm."
She showed her card; it said her name, Fiona Hamilton, age 20, card: Card of the Mysterious. Nickname: Lady Mystery. Job: Detective. Organization: Dark Umbrella.
Attendant: "Oh… Sorry…"
He let her in. The Dark Umbrella organization is a well-known, important organization, so its staff are also allowed to ride on ships and airplanes—similar to, well… police officers or officials who have important work to do…
(Hoooooonk!)
Fiona: "hahhh…"
She went inside.
Butler: "Would you like something to drink, my lady?"Fiona: "Hmm… thanks."
She only took a piece of strawberry, ate it, and walked on. She wore a hat, a long black outfit, and underneath a brown suit with long pants.
Fiona: "Hmm."
She went to her room.
Fiona: "Hahhh… Luckily I booked a room quickly yesterday, otherwise I'd have to sleep in the lower section. Too many people… kids crying… it's too loud for me."Crane: "Be honest… It's not that a child's crying annoys you—it makes you sad."Fiona: "Not true."Crane: "Then why did you smile at that child back then when he saw you and started laughing, and you thought I didn't notice how happy you were that he wasn't crying anymore."Fiona: "If you don't shut up, I'll make sure you cry all night…"Crane: "Sorry… Creepy…"Fiona: "Hmph…"
She lay down on the bed.
Fiona: "Hahhhh…"Crane: "What are you planning?"Fiona: "Go to Dukewood… and this time, without help from Dark Umbrella, keep investigating and do my job as a detective."Crane: "You killed Lady Natasha."Fiona: "I did."Crane: "The first time you killed a human."Fiona: "She was a monster…"Crane: "Hmm…"Fiona: "Hahh."
She took off her jacket.
Fiona: "I want to sleep… so I'm changing clothes… look away."Crane: "Oh come on, we're almost like siblings… It's okay if I see your boobies."Fiona: "Well, funnily enough, that's not something you say to your sister, you idiot."Crane: "Oh… that also explains why my sister called me a creep when I was still human."Fiona: "Turns out even a cursed being like you can be pervy, huh."
(Hooooonk!)
Fiona: "hmm."
(A few minutes later)
Fiona: "Hahh."
She wore only an undershirt and short shorts. She had a tattoo on her arm: a detective's hat, under it a pocket watch.
Crane: "You like tattoos?"Fiona: "I don't really care… but I did this because I thought it was cool…"Crane: "hmmm."
A birthmark on the shoulder. She lay down on the sofa and picked up a book titled "Magi and the Tower," a short story about a woman who can only leave the tower if she finds someone who loves her and kisses her… However, she finds out she was lied to and he only used her for her beauty, which is why she was cursed and became the Cursed Woman; her name is Betty…
Fiona: "Hmmm…"Crane: "What do you think happened to Cruella?"Fiona: "I don't know… Edwardson didn't kill her, that's for sure…"Crane: "Edwardson… a riddle."Fiona: "I looked into it. Edwardson is not a member of Dark Umbrella. He's just a… mage who takes contracts, but something's off."Crane: "hmm?"Fiona: "Every group he worked with… died within three days…"Crane: "Edwardson really was a riddle."Fiona: "I should have known…"Crane: "Be that as it may… you really should get some rest…"Fiona: "You're right… I haven't slept for four days… But first… I really want to take a shower…"Crane: "Then do it…"Fiona: "Okay… You stay here… Don't cause trouble."Crane: "No problem."
She went into the shower.
(Splop!) (Splop!)
The water drops fell down.
Crane: "Hmm…"
(A few hours later)
Fiona: "(Sleeping)… hhhh…"Crane: "Hey… Fiona."Fiona: "What… hmm, let me sleep."Crane: "You've been sleeping for six hours…"Fiona: "Oh… really."
She got up.
Fiona: "Damn… I must have been very tired."Crane: "That's normal… but look at this… out the window."Fiona: "hmmm?"
She went to the window.
Fiona: "Ugh…"
The ship was sailing; Dukewood was visible… but… it was inverted… because unlike Dehl, where the sea is above and the clouds are below… in Dukewood it's the other way around—the clouds are above and the sea below… so the kingdom is currently upside down…
Fiona: "Wooow…"
(Hoooonkk!)
Suddenly the ship went deep into the clouds… then it went into a… place… a tunnel… The tunnel is in the clouds and connects to the sea so ships can reach Dukewood.
Fiona: "Oh… whoa."
(Hoooohhhh)
Fiona: "Ugh…"
A whale… above the ship.
Fiona: "Ugh… wow…"
Crane: "Insane…"
The whale looked at her.
Fiona: "Hey…"
She smiled.
Crane: "hmm."
But above the whale… something… swam… and then she realized it.
Fiona: "Ugh."
The whale… was… dead… and whatever was swimming above the whale… was angry.
Fiona: "Ugh."
(Crash!)(Crash!)
Fiona: "What…"
(beep… (beep)… (beep) (beep)
(Warning!)
Announcer (female): "Warning, warning, to the visitors… Please remain in your rooms… Whatever happens, please stay… there…"
(Crash!)
Fiona: "Ugh… what…"
The water came through.
Fiona: "What do we do now…"Crane: "I don't know… damn… we're deep in the sea…"Fiona: "ghhhhh…"
(Crash!)
Fiona: "hahhh…"
(…Kaboom!)
The ship exploded.
Fiona: "mmmmmm…"
There they were… the eyes… of the monster… it was a giant kraken…
Fiona: "hmmm… (what is that… ugh… a… kraken… No… it's too big for a normal kraken. Or not… the king… of the seas in necromancy… the great kraken… Meltoran…)…"
She lost consciousness.
(Pump!) (Pump!)
Fiona: "gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!… (cough!)"Crane: "Everything all right."Fiona: "Hahh… what."
She was… still on the ship… everything was… okay…
Fiona: "hahh… (A nightmare?)"Crane: "You really sweated like crazy… hah… the shower didn't help, looks like you'll need another one."Fiona: "The… ship… is it okay…"Crane: "Why are you asking…"Fiona: "… I… must have had… a… dream…"Crane: "Hhmm?"Fiona: "It was… the king of abominations in the sea… Meltoran…"Crane: "What… That can't be… The mage Nina killed him."Fiona: "Sealed… to be precise."Crane: "Even so… No one can break the seal… except her."Fiona: "I know…"
(Hooooonnnkk!)
Announcer: "Dear passengers, this trip ends with this ship. You have reached your destination, the Dukewood realm. Thank you very much for traveling with us, and if you forgot anything—be it your belongings or a piece of jewelry—please contact the harbor on Ludwigsstraße in Dehl, at street number 341."
Fiona: "She likes to talk."Crane: "Well… suits the job."
The ship stopped and Fiona disembarked.
(left the ship)
Fiona: "Ugh."
The buildings were different, somewhat old-fashioned. Some houses even resembled the houses from the Age of Swords.
Fiona: "Oh…"
At the same time, there were also modern houses, which was very cool.
Crane: "Hmm…"Fiona: "Where exactly are we now."
She looked at the map.
Fiona: "The Old Town?…"Crane: "Makes sense when you look at the buildings."Fiona: "If I remember correctly, Dukewood is the realm my original parents come from."Crane: "hmm."Fiona: "You surely don't know anything about that, do you?"Crane: "When your father—sorry, your adoptive father—brought me, you were already three years old."Fiona: "hmm…"Crane: "Your aunt had it in her diaries, right…"Fiona: "mhm."
(A few days earlier)
Fiona: "Hahh… those are… Aunt Elena's diaries…"Elena's Diary: "Today I'm visiting my niece… well, she's not really that—actually my sister adopted her. She doesn't know her real parents; they simply found her in a hospital without a mother… or father. Perfect for a sacrifice ritual…"Fiona: "Ugh!"
(back to the present)
Crane: "Hmm."Fiona: "Be that as it may… I have to keep going… I booked an apartment… it's actually in the Old Town."Crane: "It's called Hoodswood, by the way."Fiona: "Well, people call it Hoodwood now…"Crane: "That's what I said."Fiona: "Oh… you did… hmm."Crane: "hahhh…"
She walked on… The cities seemed to be connected.
Fiona: "So there's Hoodwood, Forrerstwood, Lindwood, and Timhooth…"Crane: "Why is Timhooth called Timhooth…"Fiona: "Well, it might be because the statues of the maidens are in that city…"Crane: "Ahhh… that could be."