Emrys went through the bars easily. He could've done it before and catch Johnny, but curiosity got the best of him. He wanted to know who was the imposter sheriff and why "he" needed Johnny.  

He knew that there were more accomplices besides the fake sheriff when he heard the commotion outside. 

Emrys immediately left the office without looking at anyone, gotten into his horse and ride away to the trail the vardo was heading.

He pulled out a small glowing potion bottle out of his pocket and poured a few drops on the napkin that had Johnny's blood. He sniffed it and followed the scent. The slaughs were a bit of ahead of Emrys and already following the vardo by the time it pulled out of the town. 

Meanwhile, Johnny grabbed more papers and was sorting on spells that look the easiest to learn and beneficial in the book. He might as well practice since he knew the creatures would still be looking for him, Dakota and Pine were also sorting at the pages to look for some. 

Johnny gotten a spell that makes a ball of light, He attempted to copy the symbol on the ground and did a few hand symbols and a tiny ball of light appeared and floated away.

“I did it.” Said Johnny proudly 

“That’s great, but I don’t think it’s useful for our journey.” Said Dakota, still sorting pages, and pulled one that he liked and gave it to Johnny.

The page described on how to produce fire without any equipment and how to burn things superfast into ashes. 

“Try burning this stomp.” Said Dakota, pointing at it 

Johnny waved his hand and chanted the spell nervously, and fire had appeared on his fingertips. Johnny then became startled. He immediately started to waving his hand back and forth to put it out. Pine grabbed a bucket of water and poured it over Johnny. Johnny was soaking wet. 

“Okay, let’s start with small things, then. “ Said Dakota facepalming 

Johnny continued to practice how to make more ball of lights. When he had learned it completely, he found another page to make things levitate. He grabbed some small pebbles and tried it. The pebbles levitated and fell on the floor. Johnny practiced until he had made it fly into the sky.  He tried it again with something bigger, like pine cones. Then anything else bigger like a branch. He practiced all day. 

 When the dusk settled in, they all packed up and were ready to travel again. There were no overnight stays, and they were not risking having someone still following them. 

Johnny headed to bed, but Dakota went back to driving. Pine sat in the passenger seat. Johnny couldn’t sleep yet and was thinking about his family. How much he misses them. He was worried and wondered If any of them defeated all those evil creatures or are they still in danger. How he regretfully wishes to put the book back on the attic.

He then heard Pine and Dakota were whispering at each other.

“What do we do now?” whispered Pine

“I don’t know.” replied Dakota 

“The boy is clueless with this strange pages.” said Pine 

“I think he might know some things he is not telling us.” said Dakota 

Johnny knew they suspected that   he lied about finding the book in the library, but he still was cautious of telling them the truth. He didn’t know what they would do to him if they find out. But he will debate on telling them or not in the morning.

Johnny eventually fell asleep. Dakota and Pine switched seats, and she drove a bit while Dakota removed his mask and went to bed. 

A little more than an hour, there was something strange flying above the vardo. The flying creature then landed on the top of the roof and there was a loud bump. Johnny and Dakota had immediately woken up. Pine didn’t stop the vardo since there is more coming, 

The creatures hand started piecing the thin wood on the top of the roof. Dakota quickly grabbed his gun and started shooting at it.

The other creatures started hitting the side of the vardo back to forth aggressively, and they tip it over.

The vardo flipped over and everyone started rolling until the vardo stopped. Dakota let go of his gun while they were rolling.  Things were everywhere.

Ignoring his a bloody head and minor concussion, He has quickly gotten up and was quickly looking for his gun.

Johnny and Pine had minor injuries. 

The beast ripped the door off, headed toward Johnny and grabbed him by the neck.

 Johnny immediately used the burning spell and touched the creature's arm. 

It immediately yelped and dropped the teen. Just when it was about to grab him again, Dakota grabbed an iron pan that he found in the messy floor and threw it on its head. Pine immediately shape-shift into an alligator, grabbed its neck and yanked it outside. Pine started scratching, kicking, ripping the others out of rage. 

Another creature sneaked inside while Pine was busy, Johnny saw the gun on the floor and grabbed it. He closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. He shot the slaugh in the chest, and it rushes back outside. 

“Not bad kid, but next time keep your eyes open so you can see who you are shooting.” said Dakota grabbing the gun, going outside and starting shooting all of them. 

The creatures fell down on the ground and didn’t move. But then they started to regenerate quickly from their injuries. 

“You cannot never kill us. We will just come back” Laughed the beast maniacally 

“They are like cockroaches!” Yelled Dakota. Shooting them multiple times again in frustration 

They fell and regenerated again. The beast was already tired of playing the never end game of killing each other. 

“How about a deal? We don’t have to waste in fighting and give us the boy. We all have a mutual understanding that we all want to go back to the living world. Also, the dark lord will give you plenty of awards.” Proposed the beast 

“What kind of rewards?” Asked Dakota with a sarcastic tone

“Anything your little heart desire outlaw, wealth, power, or even eternal life. I see that you are alive like the boy, are you trying to be here for eternity and being in hiding all the time? “ Replied the beast 

“Yeah.” Said Dakota

“Then we have a deal?” Asked the beast with a creepy grin and hold out his hand to shake on the deal

Johnny peeked and became nervous on Dakota’s decision. 

Dakota held out his hand, but then swung it back to himself with a smirk 

“Hmm. Tempting as Eternal life sounds, grant, but your master seemed like an incompetent magician. His reward made your appearance look like that you are an old wash up sack.” Replied Dakota. 

The beast grinned his teeth with anger with that insult and swung a punch at Dakota. Pine shape-shifted again, but the creatures outnumbered her and started clawing, beating and kicking her. The beast pulled Dakota’s ball-and-socket joint and threw him on the floor. 

“I can’t wait to use your pretty little head as my new suit.” Said the beast stepping on Dakota’s chest 

Johnny knew that he had to do something before they kill Dakota or Pine. He stepped outside and shouted at the slaughs.

“If you mess with my friends, then you mess with me!” Yelled Johnny 

The slaugh, Dakota and Pine paused awkwardly with that comment. Everyone looked at Johnny. 

Then the slaughs then started to laugh.

“Oh, what are you going to do? You're going to use your beginner magic on us?” Mocked the beast

“Yes, I am!” Replied Johnny 

“Well show us” said the beast 

“Come and get me and I will.” Said Johnny

“You attempting to be brave is sheer stupidity,” said the beast charging at him. 

Out of anger, He started chanted the floating spell that he learned. Then the beast   started floating a few feet off the ground. Confused, it tries to flap it wings, but it didn’t do much. The other creatures started to charge at Johnny, and Johnny used the floating spell on them as well. Some try to grab anything near to stay in the ground, one grabbed and clawed a bark to keep itself in place. Johnny then used the fire spell to set the tree on fire, for it to let go. Not wanting to be burned, it instantly let go. The tree turned into ashes. 

Dakota and Pine were amazed on what they were seeing and cheered. Dakota stood up and grabbed his gun and started shooting at them as target practices. 

Johnny smiled and waved at them. The creatures cursed at him and promise to come back.

“Now, let’s clean up this mess.” Said Pine approaching Dakota and popping his socket joint back on.

Dakota shouted in pain and grumbled. He moved his arm and then headed toward the vardo to see the damage. 

Everyone started to push the Vardo in the right position and started to cleaning and organize the mess.  Dakota found his mask in the clutter and put it on. They then fixed a broken wheel with a spare one. Thankfully, the engine wasn’t broken.  They had to go to town to get more parts to patch the vardo, but that was their least concern. They climbed inside and started the engine and drove away. Pine picked up her banjo, and started playing it to make the best of the situation. 

An hour later, Emrys had arrived in the same area. He had gotten out of his horse to inspect the scene. He was confused and a bit of shock on what just happened.  He smelled fresh burns and touched the ashes. Likewise, he then inspected the broken items left behind. Furthermore, he didn’t smell death, the boy is still alive. He will be catching him tomorrow.