Chapter Five

Leonhard continued to follow Siegfried as he took out his phone and spoke into it, giving directions for their plan to trick the Vikings into coming into the open. The boy shuddered. What they were scheming was very dangerous. And even if the others couldn't believe that Siegfried was honestly worried about Joey, Leonhard knew he was. This wasn't about honor and who could be the most self-sacrificing. Siegfried honestly didn't want Joey to die. But Leonhard was still deathly afraid that Siegfried would be the one to perish.

"Siegfried . . ." Leonhard looked up at the man as the phone call ended. "I know we have to do what we can to save Joey, but . . . I'm so worried about you. . . ." He gripped the back of a chair. "I can't lose you. . . ."

"You won't, Leonhard," Siegfried insisted. "I don't have any intention of dying. I never did."

"I think most people don't intend on dying," Leonhard said quietly. "I'm really afraid something might go wrong. We're playing with dangerous people!"

"I am quite aware of that." Siegfried brushed a piece of hair over his shoulder. "And I know we are completely out of our element here. But I don't want to let that stop me."

Leonhard bit his lip. "Some people probably might think you're just hoping to cash in on some good publicity or something. . . ."

Siegfried paused. "But you don't, do you, Leonhard?"

"Of course I don't," Leonhard said. "And yet . . . maybe I do kind of wonder why you're willing to go this far. . . ." He looked down. "But maybe I just wonder that because I'm so worried I'm going to lose you. . . ."

"Oh Leonhard. . . ." Frowning, Siegfried laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I don't know if I could even give you a reason if I tried. I'm not sure why I'm doing this either. I don't want Herr Joseph to die, especially not for me and especially not when he wasn't actually trying to sacrifice himself. If I was heartless, I suppose I would laugh and say that if he was willing to even consider something so foolish, I would be more than willing to accept his sacrifice. Instead, I haven't felt like that at all."

"You're a better person than most people think," Leonhard said. "I wish everyone could see you like I do. . . ."

"Well, if they all knew I'm such a bleeding heart, they would walk all over me, would they not?" Siegfried stepped aside. "I really don't need that."

"No . . . of course not," Leonhard sighed.

Siegfried fell silent. If their parents knew, he would probably be a disappointment again. They had both drilled into him that he had to be ruthless and cruel. They would certainly insist that he just accept Joey's unwitting sacrifice and get on with his life. They would be outraged at what he was planning to do instead. And even though they were both gone, they still haunted him at all times. Maybe it was only his memory of them, but that was torment enough.

"Alright," he said at last. "I'm going now to do this broadcast and try to draw them out. I just hope they have access to modern technology," he grunted as an aside. "Leonhard, you must stay here."

"But . . ." Leonhard trailed off and sighed again, looking down. Protesting would do no good. And he didn't want to be in the way so that Siegfried would have to worry about him instead of concentrating on what he needed to do. "Alright," he said then. "Be careful."

"I will be as careful as one can against a warrior civilization that was supposed to have died out centuries ago and that now has returned to specifically target me for death," Siegfried remarked.

That really didn't make Leonhard feel better.

xxxx

Lumis was feeling very shaken up from his near-tumble into a sunken grave. As they walked on, heading up the mountain, he stayed close to Umbra and stayed alert for anything else disturbing.

"I don't remember that grave being sunken in before," he moaned.

"Maybe we didn't come this path," Umbra retorted. "I still don't recognize anything."

"Then maybe we should go back and try a different one!" Crump yelped. "I don't wanna fall in any graves! Me or Gansley would probably sink right down!"

"A charming picture, Crump," Gansley grunted. "But I agree that turning back might be best."

"There's so many paths around here, who knows which one is right," Nesbitt growled. He looked around, nervously brushing a low-hanging tree branch out of his path. Some parts of the cemetery really did look like a forest or a park. They hadn't seen any more graves since Lumis's near-accident, and that only made Nesbitt more tense rather than less. He hated being in this town. Perhaps oddly enough, they hadn't heard any mysterious or ominous sounds from the town while being in the cemetery, but that also made him more nervous. Maybe the town curse wasn't trying to scare them in here because the cemetery had something worse in store for them.

"We could split into two groups and try two pathways," Marik suggested.

"I don't believe splitting up would be wise, Mr. Ishtar," Lector said.

"No, probably not," Marik conceded. He stumbled and flailed, his arms flapping wildly as he fought to keep from falling over. Lector quickly caught up to him and steadied him.

Umbra looked back. "What happened?"

Marik brought a hand to his heart. "Thank you," he said to Lector. "I tripped over something hidden in the grass. I'm afraid it may have been a small tombstone."

Nesbitt brushed some of the long grass away, just enough to see the white stone nestled in the center of it. ". . . You're right," he announced.

"Oh, that's just peachy," Tristan scowled. "Yugi, how's Joey doing?" he said into his phone.

"He's not doing so well again," Yugi said sadly.

"Yeah," Joey mumbled in the background. "Makarios thought I'd have three days. I dunno if I really will or not."

"Maybe getting him upset about the cemetery made things worse in the long run," Johnson spoke up in concern. "It may have been like an adrenaline rush, giving him a burst of energy for a short time but then leaving him exhausted . . . or in this case, closer to death."

Tristan clenched his teeth. "No . . . !" he growled helplessly.

"It's okay, man," Joey sighed. "I know you were just trying to help."

"I know you're going to pull through, Joey," Serenity said in determination. "Everything is going to be just fine!"

Lumis turned and started to walk back. "Well, I think Umbra is right that this is the wrong path," he said. "We had better try another one."

"Couldn't we just reach the top of this one and then see the tombs on whatever path they're on?!" Crump retorted.

"I don't think so," Umbra said. "The trees and bushes are thicker up there. Lumis and I couldn't see anything."

"Ho boy. Well, then I guess it's all the way back down we go," Crump sighed.

"Or maybe just back to where another path branches off," Lector said. "We passed several."

Everyone mutually agreed that that was the best choice. But when they picked the first path they came to, which headed to the left, the lush forest soon gave away to an eerie area of blackened, dead trees and brown grass. The feeling of something wrong hung heavy in the very air around them.

"So now it's a tree graveyard too?!" Crump exclaimed.

"It looks like there was a fire," Nesbitt said. "And there's no graves here. But I see those iron fences that were around some of the graves back there. . . ."

"Iron fences around nothing?" Marik frowned. "That doesn't make sense."

"Yeah, but if those places are graves, and they had the money for iron fences, why not headstones?" Tristan tried to quietly move closer to Marik. This place was giving him the creeps more than he wanted to admit.

". . . You know, sometimes they made headstones out of materials other than stone," Umbra spoke up. "Sometimes they used wood."

Johnson nodded. "In a fire, any wooden markers might have gone completely up in flames."

Now Tristan couldn't hide his horror. "You mean we might be stepping on graves and not even know it?!"

That perked Joey up again enough to quake and put a pillow over his head so he couldn't hear the discussion over Yugi's phone. "No! . . . I am never going there! I swear!"

Serenity had to look away, the tears standing in her eyes. If they couldn't break the curse, Joey might never go anywhere again.

No one wanted to speak aloud and point that out.

". . . In any case, I know we didn't come this way before!" Lumis's eyes had almost doubled in size. "Let's go back and try again!"

The unwelcome feeling was settling over everyone now, nearly suffocating some. They all made a beeline for the head of the path, most not even trying to conceal that they were running away. When they burst through back to the road where they had started, many doubled over and gasped, trying to catch their breath.

"Why are the ghosts so mad back there?!" Crump burst out.

"They don't appreciate that they've been forgotten," Gansley suggested. "They're angry their markers were destroyed."

"And maybe they're angry that we were trespassing," Nesbitt added with a snarl. "We need to get out of here! . . ."

Lector laid a hand on Nesbitt's shoulder. "I most certainly want to," he said. "But we need to locate that magical item, just in case." Fear was still in his eyes, but he pushed it back.

Umbra ran a hand through his turquoise hair. "Okay, I think I remember where we need to go," he said. "Let's try this path to the right."

"This has better be the right one this time," Tristan retorted. "I don't think Joey can take any more surprises!" He wasn't sure he could either.

The new path felt eerie, but not as much so as the burned area. The group quickly made their way past the towering, leafy trees, green shrubs, and the occasional hillside grave as they hiked to the top. Finally the mausoleums came into view.

"There!" Lumis ran ahead and over to the imposing structures.

"Well, so you were right," Tristan grunted. "But do you remember which tomb it's in?"

"It won't take long to go through them both," Umbra said.

Lumis reached for the iron gate in front of the door on the nearest one. It creaked open with a loud and ominous moan that chilled everyone present. Trying to ignore how unsettled he felt, Lumis pushed open the door.

"I thought people usually locked tombs," Lector frowned.

"These always seem to be open," Lumis said with a shrug. He looked around. "Let's see here. . . ." He crossed the old floor and started opening the chambers. Umbra followed him and reached for the higher ones.

Crump shifted. "Are we gonna havta join in with that or should we just let them go at it since they hid it?" He eyed the chambers uneasily.

Marik walked over and opened some as well. "If we help, it will go faster," he pointed out. "I'm sure any of us can spot something that doesn't belong."

Several of the others slowly went over and started pulled open the chambers.

"I don't know," Lumis sighed after a moment. "I think maybe it's the other one. . . ."

"I'm pretty sure you're right." Umbra slammed the last upper chamber shut with a bang. "I thought there was supposed to be a Madonna statue in the middle of the floor." He turned around. "Let's go to the other tomb."

"Here's a question," Tristan said as they departed. "This place doesn't feel great, but still not as bad as some places. How does the other tomb feel?"

"Maybe fine?" Crump said hopefully. "If there's a Madonna statue, maybe she keeps the creeps away?"

"On the other hand, when the entire town is cursed, a Madonna statue might not be able to offer protection," Gansley grunted. "The church didn't seem free from the curse."

"My memory is that we wanted to get in and out as soon as possible," Umbra said. "It didn't feel right, statue or no statue."

"Say it ain't so," Crump groaned.

Lumis led the way to the other tomb. He grimaced as first the iron gate and then the door fought him, screaming on rusty hinges. Umbra and Lector eventually had to help him push both open.

"Well, that's sure not a pleasant greeting," Crump said. "Were they this bad before?"

"No," Umbra said. "Maybe when it rains, it hits this tomb worse."

"You just keep thinking that," Tristan said uneasily.

Lumis scrambled into the room. "Here's the statue!" he announced. "This is the right place!" He scurried around it and over to the compartments in the wall. Once again, he and Umbra started to open them. Lector and Nesbitt joined in as well as Marik.

It was Nesbitt who found himself looking at something very strange. ". . . Is this it?" he asked as he stared down into one particular drawer. "It doesn't look like it belongs in a tomb."

Lumis looked. "That's it!" He grabbed it and pulled it out with some difficulty. "I remember we had a terrible time getting it to fit!"

"A shield. . . ." Nesbitt shook his head. "How is that going to help at all?!"

"There's some kinda inscription on it," Crump announced. He bent down to look as Lumis held it up. "Looks like really old English, before they decided on standard spellings for stuff."

"Oh great," Tristan scowled. "Figuring out what it says might take more time than we have!"

"Maybe you'd better read it later, Crump," Johnson said nervously. "It really doesn't feel very good in here." He tugged on his tie. "I think we should go."

Crump straightened. "Yeah, you've got a good point. Okay, let's beat it!" He looked around, chilled by the clammy sensation that was quickly starting to creep over him.

Everyone was more than willing to swiftly file out the door and shut it and the gate behind them. Once they were sure they had all made it out, they walked very quickly back down the path and towards the front gate.

"I vote we don't come back here again!" Crump exclaimed.

"I'm sure no one would object," Gansley said.

No one was able to relax until they had gone through the gate and were diving into the limousine. Tristan sighed, slumping into the softness of the seat. "Well, we got it," he said into the phone. "I don't know what good it'll do, Yugi, but it's a shield. There's some kind of writing on it."

"That's great, Tristan!" Yugi said in relief. "We'll try to find out what the shield does by the time you get back. I'm still trying to get in touch with Dartz. He's having a business meeting or something." He sighed. "And Makarios and the Big Five's ancestors must still be in the air; we can't reach them either."

"How's Joey?" Tristan asked.

"He's holding on," Yugi said. He bit his lip. "And Siegfried is broadcasting his announcement in the hopes that the Vikings will see or hear it and come."

"Then we don't have any time to waste," Tristan said. "We'll be there as soon as we can."

Crump was studying the shield as the chauffeur started the engine and headed back through the ghost town. "You know, I can't be sure, but it looks like what this thing is trying to say is that it can only be wielded by a true warrior with a worthy cause," he said.

"That sounds potentially promising," Marik said. "I can't remember why I thought this item could be used against the Millennium Rod. Maybe I thought it would defend against the Rod's powers of mind-control."

"There has to be a way we can use it to save Joey," Tristan insisted.

"In any case, perhaps von Schroeder can use it to protect himself if the Vikings take the bait and come after him," Gansley said. "We should get it to him."

"In what universe is he a true warrior?!" Tristan objected.

"He's trying to save Mr. Wheeler," Lector pointed out. "He's stepping out of his comfort zone a good bit to do everything he can. I would consider that not only is that a true warrior, but a worthy cause."

Tristan sighed, his shoulders slumping. ". . . Maybe I'm still afraid that when it comes right down to it, he'll flake out. And he's Joey's only hope!"

"Then maybe it wouldn't kill ya to believe in him at least a little bit," Crump said. "It sounds like he needs all the belief he can get!"

"I know you're right," Tristan admitted. "I just don't want to believe in him and then get let down."

Nesbitt certainly knew what that was like. "Yeah, I know," he said gruffly. "It's not easy. But . . . maybe believing in him will help Joey in the long run. I never thought I'd say something like that, but . . ." He gave an awkward shrug.

"Nah, you're probably right," Tristan grunted. "I get what you're saying."

Without warning the schoolhouse bell rang long and loud from the town square. Everyone jumped a mile.

"What the heck?!" Crump bellowed.

Fear passed through Lector's eyes, stronger this time. He had nothing but bad memories concerning ringing bells in this town. "We have to get out of here," he said. "We made it out of the cemetery alright, so now the town is starting to prey on us!"

Nesbitt growled and looked to the chauffeur. "Step on it!" he ordered.

The chauffeur needed no prodding. He knew of the stories about the town curse. He pressed hard on the accelerator, sending dirt flying from every tire as he pealed towards the gate.

Nesbitt gripped Lector's shoulder. Whether Lector wanted to admit it out loud or not, it was obvious that he was badly affected by the town's frights. Would it prove worth it to have come here and brought all those painful memories to light? They would know soon, he supposed.

"Whatever happened to you guys here before must have really been a doozy!" Lumis exclaimed.

"It was . . . bad," Gansley said quietly. But he didn't feel like talking about it further.

No one said anything more until at last they zoomed through the gate and were finally free of Cooperstown. The terror that had started to envelope them evaporated almost all at once.

". . . Somehow that didn't manage to be any less shocking than it was when it happened when we were here before," Lumis said with a shiver.

"It's so bizarre you almost wonder if you dreamed it when it only happened once," Umbra said. "But now it happened again. It was all real." He sighed. "At least now it's over."

"Is it?" Tristan retorted. "It won't really be over until Joey's safe."

Lector looked to the shield on Crump's lap. "Let's just hope and pray we're bringing back something that will save everyone who needs it," he said.