HAUNTED GARDEN: East Gate {5/5}

Rumors were just rumors.

That's what they all said, but this particular one moved Joakim enough for him to try it. It was silly... Visit so-and-so place at so-and-so time and you may meet an ascended relative for a short time. Sounds like the stuff of creepypastas on the net. Hopeful creepypastas.

Silly and hopeful as they may be... There he was, in the meeting area. He eyed the decorations, deciding to not seat himself anywhere and take in the sights instead. It looked like he was the first one there, even. Scoffing, Joakim rubbed his face,

"This is stupid..." he muttered under his breath, even if he didn't feel that it was too stupid to hope he could meet someone from his past here.

Superstition always sat oddly with Heng.

On one hand, no matter how much luck you pray for, the deciding factor in the end is just up to your hand and a trick of fate. On the other, being in the good graces of the gods is never a bad thing. That is if they heed your voice.

His soldiers always prayed. Some even had incense, stuck in the dusty earth. Heng stopped asking for the favour of the Heavens some time after his brothers died. He didn't pray at all during his last month. Perhaps that is why he is here and not in the proper afterlife.

Heng had searched for his brothers throughout Death's Realm a little after he first awoke there. To his relief, he did not find them (or any of his soldiers, to his knowledge).

Heng scratched his head as he walked, unsure of where to go through this fair. This fair happens year and year again, but Heng was always busy or otherwise in China. He was drawn out this time because of the whispers of Hunters in the area. Duty calls, even on holidays (not that holidays mean much to the dead, say for nostalgia's sake).

Before Heng had left for the garden, he had overheard other excited Apprentices (and humans as well) talk of how the garden may allow one to see those who have passed on.

"Why would you want to see your loved ones as a ghost? Is that not sad?" he wondered aloud under his breath. The chatter and the footsteps surrounding him drowned out anything he said. Ghosts never spelled anything good. If one has passed on properly, the living would never see them again. That's the way it should be.

Then what of Apprentices? Are we ghosts?

Before Heng could overthink this, he had arrived at the meeting area. Some humans were hanging around, giggling at each other as they pointed towards the dark garden. Two Apprentices were there also.

A rumor. Now she was gambling her wellbeing on chasing rumors.

Esther tried for a laugh. A small one, to ease her nerves. But instead of laughing, she scoffed wrapping he coat around herself just a little bit tighter.

This place seemed fine by day. At night, with the rumor of deceased relatives in play, and the more tangible concept of nearby hunters? This place was unnerving; full of unknowns.

As she approached the gate, she noticed others. Two tall people -- guardians, perhaps? The other -- no idea. Leaves crunched under her boots as she made her way towards them, semi-relieved to have found them --

But then she stopped dead, settling for standing in the outskirts of the gathering area.

... It would be so, so easy to write this off this whole possible encounter with ascended people as a silly fairytale. An unfounded story, manufactured by someone either desperately hopeful or bitingly cruel. It would definitely be safer to let the matter rest and just retreat back into safety -- HQ was much more secure than the exposure that this particular night provided.

But if it turned out that this rumor was true? And then that she had missed out on it?

It would be unforgivable. Inexcusable. Danger or not, waste of time or no -- if there was even an iota of truth in regards to what she had heard, then she was in. And if hunters attacked, then --

Then, well. She wasn't a fighter. She would run or she would hide, and hopefully the two taller people in the small group were, in fact, guardians.

No; she wouldn't be going back to HQ just yet. As long as there were no reap orders and no horribly imminent threats (hypothetical hunters lurking in bushes did not count), then there was no big problem with going for this. And if there was a payoff to be found, then any risk or loss of time would all be worth it.

Head injury? Now when was that...oh. Lincoln scoffed, waving the question away. "That was a long time ago, and you know it," he responded with a shrug and a grin. "In terms of marbles, I'm still all here," he added with a tap to his forehead. He looked to the side as another tall man, the same size as the viking before him, came into view with the accompaniment of a crunching orchestra. He nodded his head in silent greeting at him. Guy who ran the train thing at the carnival, he recalled. Familiar faces were a nice thing.

"More like for the spooks," he answered Joakim's question, keeping it short in case it was aimed at the newcomer. Lincoln walked over to the table and peered at the items on display. Mad pumpkins, sad pumpkins, teeny pumpkins and well...faceless pumpkins. He knocked at one of them absently, listening to the hollow thumping sound and looking around to see if there was going to be some poltergeist appearing out of the table. None. Nada. If one really did appear it would be a bit of a surprise, given the now rising wind and furious shaking of trees.

Lincoln looked around and idly followed the leaves, flying off into the woods. Mmmmm...this is when the Goosebump theme song starts, he thought, chuckling lightly. "Looks like the spooks want us to go somewhere," he wondered aloud.

[Naaaw you good you good ouo If there was a post order I really wasnt aware of it haha;;; ]

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Joakim nodded at Lincoln's response to his health. It couldn't hurt to ask, and knowing Lincoln was fine was a good thing. He did look pleasantly surprised by the different responses he got and craned his neck slightly to see who had been the second person to answer him.

It couldn't have been Heng, the man's been silent since he got here. Maybe it was the small, equally silent and equally asian young lady behind him? ...Naaah.

Then Winona came into view, asking them in return if they were here for the rumors and if she could tag along. So that was the second person who responded... Joakim simply grinned, "Well, seems we're all here for the spooks, the rumors and everything in between. The weather's voting for the spooks, from the looks of things."

Pocketting his hands, Joakim rolled his shoulders slightly, "I'm good with you joining us. It's a nice night to go for a stroll down the trail," he cocked his head in the general direction of said trail, where the wind seemed to be pointing towards, "If anyone's coming along, better keep up." With a mischievous grin, the viking turned and started along the trail, taking a slow, leisurely pace to take in whatever sights he could in the dark.

For a moment, it reminded him of how he used to scout and hunt in the forest when he was alive. Ah, those were the days.

The others had begun conversing; things about spooks and rumors. Ahh. So they were all here for similar reasons. Unsurprising, all things considered -- what was surprising is that there weren't more people, what with the stakes that had been set up.

But then again, thought Esther, maybe five people is more than enough. If this rumor is true, there could be conditions. There are always conditions. Perhaps only one of us will be allowed to talk to the deceased --

-- Speculation could wait, though. For now, they would have to make their way through the gardens, following the wind.

One of the tall ones had started to walk along the trail. Unafraid of whatever they might find inside the gardens, it seemed. She'd seen him before, during hunter encounters -- generally unfazed. Good for him, I guess.

The other one was introducing himself as Heng. Chinese, then -- quite possibly one of the older apprentices.

"I am Esther," she said, in passing; a short, rushed response as she set off after Joakim (that was his name -- she was almost certain she'd heard it before) into the woods.

"Joakim." He replied to Heng flatly, turning to look at the other Guardian over his shoulder, "Good to know you can talk, at least." he meant it in jest, jabbing at how quiet Heng had been for much of their conversation. Turning his attention back to the path and absently kicking a pebble that got in his way, Joakim chuckled, "You sure you're not here because of Esther?" might as well lighten up the mood. The four he was with was oddly quiet.

Well, maybe not that odd. They WERE walking down a forest trail almost blindly with Halloween spirit hanging heavy in the air and augmented by the chilly breeze, "I'm just kidding, with that look on your face you probably just walked over without knowing what the hype was all about." Lifting one hand, Joakim pushed a low branch over his head. Walking right into that wasn't going to be much fun.

He registered the names as they introduced themselves, chuckling when Lincoln voiced his speculation, "Drunk people in the woods? You mean drunk people can get farther in the woods without passing out? That's a fucking miracle." he let out a small hum, "If it's really just a bunch of drunk fucks, then we've pretty much wasted our time here. Maybe we can try scaring the shit out of them before we head back." he looked over his shoulder at the small group trailing behind him, "Y'think they can even see or hear us when they're drunk, though? One helluva bummer if they can't." The viking scowled at the thought of being unable to even scare the ones who made him waste his evening.

He let out a short whistle when he realized something, though, "Li'l miss in the jacket at the back. ...The one who isn't Esther."

Yeah, he felt the need to be a little more specific, considering most of them were bundled up for the weather... "I don't think we've heard your name yet."