Chapter 2: The Journey Begins

Thursday Morning, July 17th

“You shouldn’t have said yes,” Jake declared, entering Phinn’s kitchen early the next morning.

Phineas paused, spoon in the air above his cereal. Then, after noting his best friend’s first words of the day, the skinny teen ate the Choco Charms. Aware that he often skipped meals during an investigation, Phinn waited through three more rapid spoonfuls before addressing the statement.

“Why? It sounds like an intriguing case.”

“I don’t like the sound of it at all,” Jake countered, causing his oldest friend to sigh.

“Is this about the ghost? Once again, they don’t exist. Additionally, Violet isn’t hiring us to be ghostbusters. She explicitly stated that she knows the ghost is fake. We certainly heard a string of non-supernatural incidents that have occurred at the old fairgrounds.”

“Whoa! A poltergeist could’ve been behind every single one of those incidents. You know that,” the superstitious detective insisted. “But I, uh, think we could use a break.”

“A break? From an investigation?” Phinn questioned, pushing the bowl away. His appetite had vanished.

“We’ve had a busy period lately. The Phantom Diver, the crazy hypnotist, and the elderly blackmailers. Not to mention my solo case, Masked Creep, and Monster Manfredi. Shouldn’t we investigate those last two people further? If they weren’t tied to the blackmail, as you said, then something else is going on,” Jake rattled off, showing his level of disapproval.

“Do you think we’re burnt out?” Phinn challenged, sounding almost insulted by the suggestion.

“We’ve had a lot of close calls. We’ve almost been shot several times. And are your ribs even fully healed at this point?” Jake questioned.

“My ribs are fine. The discomfort is almost gone. I don’t need to sit around on my ass to heal. Where’s the fun in that?”

“There are other ways to have fun besides running around playing Geeks & Nerds,” Jake muttered.

“Ah, now we get to the gist of your argument. This is about your discomfort; your distaste for fantasy games,” Phinn proclaimed, realizing the source of his partner’s opposition. “Jacob, please, don’t worry about being embarrassed. I’m sure you’ve picked up some of the subject matter over the years. You’ve had Dusty’s comic books to go along with Ethan and Galen’s Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. What you’ve tried to ignore will likely come back during the course of our undercover work.”

“I don’t want to go undercover as a geek!”

“Geez, talk about harsh. If Adora Rose or Honey Cantrell starred in a fantasy film, would you really skip it? You’ve already watched the latter’s horror movies,” Phinn reminded.

“First, they wouldn’t lower themselves to that level,” Jake began. Immediately, he dismissed Phinn’s comment about Adora’s superhero roles. “Second, there won’t be any women who look like them at this crap.”

“So that’s either part two or the main thing, huh? You’re worried there won’t be any attractive women at the LARPing.”

"I'm just saying that it would be nice to investigate someplace cool with hot girls for once!"

“What about Lumlow? Sure, it wasn’t cool, but you had plenty of–”

“Why couldn’t we investigate a cheerleader camp sometime?”

“Cheer camp? Seriously? Do you really want to cross paths with Tara again so soon? I seem to remember that you didn’t react in a manner befitting you at the fireworks,” Phinn recalled about Jake’s ex-girlfriend.

“I’m not talking about our school’s squad. It could be a different one. Hell, college cheerleaders would be nice. Or maybe a mystery involving a sexy sorority. Anything but a bunch of nerdy girls. Not again,” Jake moaned. “Or we can stay around here. Maybe investigate that monster sighting on the bike trail near Bentworth College?”

“Jakey, I’m sure there will be attractive girls where we’re headed,” Phinn responded, ignoring his friend’s effort to be near coeds. “Don’t you think Violet is pretty?”

“Yeah, sure. She’s cute.”

“Vi is more than cute, but there is nothing wrong with cute,” Phinn argued. “Uh, what about Quinn Rusch? I recall somebody being amazed that she could transform into a sexy pirate.”

“Is Quinn going to be there?” Jake asked, looking somewhat intrigued.

“Doubtful. Quinn is more into cosplay. However, I’m sure there will be other Quinns. Jake, buddy, it’s a role-playing event. That’s not too far off from Halloween, and you know some girls love to dress slutty for that, right?” Phinn queried, thinking he’d found the necessary hook to draw his horny friend into the case.

“Where is it?” a voice demanded.

“Hold on,” Phinn said to his best friend before turning to face a younger, rounder version of himself. “Where is what, Pug?”

“Don’t call me that!” Putnam Farris hissed.

The baby of the family, the thirteen-year-old, somehow eclipsed Phineas with his troublemaking, a habit that their mother often blamed on the lawbreaking detective. Phinn found that suggestion offensive. Smart and scheming, Putnam had been born with that attitude. If anything, Phinn frequently called his kid brother his villainous counterpart.

“You know what I mean. You took it,” Putnam continued.

“Do I?” Phinn responded, glancing at Jake with an innocent expression.

Of course, Phinn knew what Putnam, or Pug, wanted. The younger brother had been given that unfortunate nickname early in life when Jake struggled to pronounce his baby neighbor’s name. Considering it matched the “The Addams Family” character quite well, it had stuck over the years.

“Give me back my crossbow, or I’ll tell Mom.”

"A crossbow?! Why on earth would you own one of those?" Phinn questioned, faking shock. "Now, at your age, I would have had a perfectly solid reason to own such a deadly weapon. Wouldn't I have, Jake?"

“Don’t drag me into this.”

“Oh, that’s not fair. I always get dragged kicking and screaming into your sibling wars,” Phinn complained before turning back to his brother. “Pug, since I’ll be leaving for several days, I’d say you could check my room for your weapon. However, I would never be so stupid as to hide anything under a loose floorboard in my bedroom closet.”

“I knew it! Give it back or else,” Putnam threatened.

“Oh, Putty,” Phineas began, using their mother’s nickname for her youngest. “Do you really, truly want Mom to know that you own a deadly weapon? I’m merely worried about your life. After the crap you pulled on that impromptu vacation visit to our aunt and uncles, not to mention what you did at our grandparents’ place, I don’t think you have much wiggle room left.”

“Wait, you never mentioned that something went down with your grandparents,” Jake interrupted.

“I thought you didn’t want to get dragged into this?”

“Give it back! Or I will get revenge,” Putnam vowed.

“No, you won’t. I’ll be keeping the crossbow until I can be sure that you won’t shoot somebody with it,” Phinn announced. “Also, don’t you know how close you are to getting sent away?”

“What? Where? No, you’re full of bullshit,” the junior high school student declared.

“How have you not overheard Mom and Dad? Talk of military school is back,” the older brother hinted ominously.

“No…No fucking way,” the thirteen-year-old said, but Putnam quickly fled upstairs.

“Are your parents really thinking about sending–”

“Jake, my mom’s not an idiot. A military school might actually teach Pug how to kill,” Phinn predicted, leading them outside. “Why is Corky here?”

One of his little brother’s past bully victims, the copper-haired aspiring investigator, turned to wave at his neighbors while petting Bandit in Jake’s backyard. Phinn didn’t like the excited look in his blue eyes. He immediately sensed a plot by his partner.

“No, I’m not angling for Corky to come with us,” Jake replied, shooting down the accusation. “He’s borrowing my camping equipment.”

“Hiya, Bandie!” Phinn greeted, picking up the bulldog for a hug. “Camping? Yuck! Have you ever been camping, Cormac?”

“Don’t knock camping,” Jake warned, as Phinn sat down at the patio table and explained to his friend’s dog why they needed to leave for a few days. “It’s a good time, and, yes, Corky has gone before.”

“It is far from a good time,” Phinn argued, standing firm on his point. “You’ve got to deal with the weather: Is it too hot, humid, or cold? Let’s not forget the morning dew. Then, you have to try to sleep on the ground. No, don’t even argue about the mats. No sleeping pad is ever sufficient. Let’s see, you also have the smoke, the campground weirdos, and the bugs. The fucking never-ending swarms of bugs.”

“And you called me a whiner earlier?”

“I never said it, yet it was implied,” Phinn clarified.

“Don’t worry, buddy. You’ll have a blast,” Jake said, gesturing for Corky to follow him inside.

Three trips in and out of the house left a large assortment of camping items on Jake’s half of the driveway. There was a tent, a high-quality sleeping bag, two of the aforementioned mattress pads, a cooler, a camp stove, and several flashlights, including a headlamp. Additionally, Jake grabbed a pair of camp chairs from his garage.

“Who’s going with you?” Phinn asked, interrupting Jake’s long list of Dos and Don’ts.

“Eli and Pete.”

“Good, solid boys,” Jake announced. “Remember, they caused that distraction during our last case.”

“I forget less than you,’ Phinn replied, growing increasingly suspicious. “What are you really up to, Cormac?”

“We’re only going camping,” the fan club president stated. Yet, he gave off one of his tells that Phineas recognized.

“Where?”

“Geez, back off. Cork and his friends are just going camping for the weekend, nothing more. Not everyone is like Pug,” Jake argued.

“Oh, I know that my brother is a special case. However, it’s a potential case that piqued my curiosity. Doesn’t it strike you as odd that Corky created his own wannabe mystery-solving group, and now he and his two partners are going camping? It sounds more like a stakeout to me.”

“A stakeout? Now, you’re just being paranoid. If he had a…Corky, you’d come to me for advice before you tackled your first case, wouldn’t you?” Jake asked.

“Absolutely!” the overly excited twelve-year-old responded. “Hey, did that crook from yesterday say anything more about Action Agency?”

“I don’t think so. Who are they?” Jake asked, falling for the quick topic change as Phinn’s eyes narrowed.

“Who’s the Action Agency? Only the most incredible new mystery-solving group covered in The Wicked Riddle!” Corky squealed, referring to the magazine and website dedicated to covering teen detectives.

“Not this again,” Phinn groaned, hating that trashy tabloid.

“I doubt anyone has topped The Clue Coterie. The Wicked Riddle’s staff can’t ever stop gushing about them,” Jake said, sounding jealous about the most popular group for the last two years.

“They’ve got competition now! Action Agency is the coolest group. They’ve got a leader who’s a genius at creating gadgets, a martial arts expert, a hot, busty powerhouse, an archerette, and–”

“Did you just say busty? C’mon, Jake, don’t influence the kid that way,” Phinn criticized.

“Why do you blame me? Wait, how busty?”

“And the group leaves these special calling cards with the slogan, “Justice is Coming,” when they’re chasing a crook. It’s become their trademark,” Corky continued, as his gushing started to annoy Jake. “Double A is a big inspiration for the Proofpuffers.”

“Hey, I thought we were the inspiration for your new group?” Jake questioned.

“Yeah, kinda. But Action Agency is awesome!”

“I thought I was awesome and the coolest?” Jake mumbled, sounding hurt.

“Whatever. Violet’s here,” Phinn announced, watching a red coupe pull into Jake’s side of the driveway.

The slim brunette slid out of the driver’s side, looking like an entirely different person. Gone was the hooded cloak; replaced by a T-shirt and jeans. Phineas also noticed that she wasn’t wearing the dark violet eyeshadow from yesterday.

“There you go, Jake. Your masked vigilante’s alter ego,” Phinn teased.

“Laugh it up, Phineas,” Violet responded, popping open the car trunk. “My mom doesn’t like my hobbies or my costumes. She’d rather have me go to auditions, so I can be a star.”

“Around here?” Jake questioned. His confusion covered a glimmer of hope. A film or television production might be starting soon in the area.

“Commercials. That’s basically it around here,” their classmate explained.

While the detective duo hadn’t started attending school with Violet until tenth grade, they’d first met the drama club actress in eighth grade, thanks to a case involving one of their rival junior high schools in Edgewater.

“That’s your car? It’s going to be a tight fit. I think we should follow you in mine,” Jake suggested.

“Does he not listen?” Vi asked Phinn.

“Not all the time,” the bespectacled sleuth admitted.

“What?”

“Jacob, I said that I needed to drive you back because parking is very limited at the CRF,” the light-haired brunette repeated.

“The CRF?”

“Chivalry Renaissance Fair,” Phinn clarified before turning toward their client. “It’s still called that?”

“Not necessarily. It’s more of a nickname that’s still used. Unofficially, the fair replacement is called the Mirthmakers Fellowship. Officially, I don’t know what company Boone is using these days. He changes quite often,” the LARPer explained.

“Boone Brewster? He’s the owner of the property, right? I did some research last night,” Phinn admitted. “The Brewster family used to own a chain of grocery stores.”

“Right. Boone’s grandfather started the grocery store and expanded from there. His uncle and brother eventually took over, but Boone and his sister never had any interest in the grocery business. Eventually, they sold the chain to a much larger one when we were kids.”

“I kind of remember that store,” Jake recalled.

“Boone’s parents were hippies and big on the environment when that started to get popular. So, they sold off their share in the business to buy the land to create the fair in 1972. They ran it until it became too much for them almost fifteen years ago,” Violet continued. “Boone’s not much of a businessman. He’d rather have a good time, so that’s how our fellowship was born.”

“It’s quite a large property. I tried to get an approximate size, but wasn’t able to find it last night,” Phinn said.

"Two hundred and eighty acres. Boone added a sizeable piece across Highway TR after his parents died. The original castle town of the Renaissance Fair, which we now call Crownhold, is about thirty acres in size. The rest of the land has a lake, a fortress, a medieval manor, a sorcery tower, and plenty of other locations for our missions or season-long campaigns to play out at," Violet revealed.

“That sounds like a cool place for a mystery!” Corky said.

“We have run several mystery campaigns. Too bad there isn’t one planned for this week, for you guys,” Violet responded. Then, she noticed the stack of camping equipment on the driveway. “Sorry, you can’t bring that stuff. It’s too modern.”

“No, Corky’s borrowing my camping—what do you mean by too modern?” Jake questioned, glancing at Phinn.

“Sorry, I meant that it looks too modern. Don’t worry, we have some comfy camping equipment that looks like it’s from a different time,” the LARPer explained.

“Gotcha!”

“Hold on. Are we expected to camp at this place? Don’t you have rooms with beds?” Phinn asked, mimicking Jake’s prior concerns but for different reasons.

“A little of both. We can talk about it on the drive. We need to get moving,” Violet announced, checking her phone.

Jake and Phinn swiftly said their goodbyes to Phinn’s mother, Jake’s older sister, and Bandit. Corky helped them carry their bags to the car while waiting for Pete and Eli to arrive and help move the camping equipment to his house down the block.

“Good thing we’re leaving. It looks like Derek is home for the weekend,” Phinn said, nodding in the direction of his neighbors on the other side of his house. A yellow car sat across the street from his next-door neighbor in front of the Ackerly home.

Although they considered themselves to be good, religious people who loved all their neighbors, the Rieses detested the Farris brothers and, by extension, Jake and Dusty. They’d spent the years recording their misdeeds and tattling on them to the boys’ parents, fellow neighbors, and occasionally the police. Even their eldest son, in his mid-twenties, conspired against Busybody, Incorporated.

“Wrong!” Jake announced, fist-bumping Corky goodbye. “Derek drives a Ford Mustang. That’s a Chevy Camaro. Those models in those years do look similar. However, this is a lesson to learn, my young apprentice. A competent detective knows the difference. Keep that in mind.”

“Roger that,” Corky announced, saluting his surrogate older cousin.

“And stay out of trouble,” Phinn warned their younger neighbor. “We’re not going to be around to bail you out.”

Jake waited until Violet backed out of the driveway, then turned around to look at his partner in the backseat.

“Was that necessary? Corky isn’t going to…That’s why he’s looking for a new role model! Dammit, Phinn, stop scolding the poor kid. We don’t want him influenced by this new Action Danger Whatever or the Clue Coterie,” the stocky athlete warned.

“Yet, you mock my lack of car knowledge in front of him.”

“It’s not my fault that you can’t drive.”

“You can’t drive? Still?” Violet questioned, smirking as she looked at Phinn in the rearview mirror.

“Very well. Let’s conduct a test, Mr. Auto. Tell me the license plate number on that yellow car. Yes, the one I mistook as Derek Riese’s,” Phinn said.

“Um, I, hold on, I’m, uh…The first three were C8K…something.”

“Wrong!” Phinn announced, mimicking Jake’s prior tone. “The plate number was GSH-7K4. You know, a competent investigator would immediately note the plates of any nearby vehicle.”

“Why must you show me up in front of a client?” Jake hissed.

“You started it.”

“Boys, don’t even think of doing this for the whole drive,” Violet warned.

Jake followed up the warning with a question about how long it would take to reach the fairgrounds. Violet explained that it usually took around an hour and fifteen minutes to an hour and a half. This was primarily due to the winding roads in the rural western section of Clarrin County, which lay northwest of Kelpie County, where they all lived. Neither detective could recall ever setting foot in that area, but Turnville was a thirty-minute drive directly south of the fairgrounds. Both guys had been threatened with a stint at the juvenile detention facility because of the investigations over the years.

“Okay, let’s go over the incidents once again before we arrive,” Phinn announced, thirty minutes into the car ride. “You said the first known event occurred during the winter, right?”

“Yes. Back in February, a mysterious man was spotted several times in the old cemetery,” Violet began, causing Jake to groan. “This was unusual, since the fairgrounds are closed for LARPing during the winter.”

“Who noticed this man?” Phinn queried.

“Boone and a couple of his friends. Uh, nobody took them seriously at first. They’re known to like their weed and liquor,” Violet admitted sheepishly.

“Okay, so Mr. Brewster is often inebriated. Does he reside year-round nearby?” Phinn inquired.

“He does, usually in an apartment above the Thirsty Jug or at Locksley Manor. The latter is located a decent distance northeast of Crownhold on Goodnight Road. It's the main noble mansion that we use for various events. As for the Jug, it’s the main tavern located in Crownhold. Most of the shops in town also have sleeping quarters above. Everything has been designed or renovated to hide any modern amenities,” Violet described.

“The break-in came next?” Phinn prodded.

“Yes, that happened in March at Griffin Keep, which is the lakeside fortress. However, the incident that even alarmed Boone came in April. A new, small village had been planned for years southwest of Lion Lake. It wouldn’t be located on the lake, but near Nibbler Creek, at the corner of Roaring Road and Crossroad. Construction equipment had been delivered. Days later, somebody torched it. There was no doubt about it, as the fire department ruled it arson,” Violet recounted. “The fire is why Boone hired a security guard to patrol the grounds at night. Considering the size of the property, he’s primarily focused on the area around Crownhold.”

“Okay. It does sound like things were calm in May, correct?” the brain detective double-checked.

“That’s right. May is also when we started preparing for the new season. So, many volunteers spent weekends at CRF. Brittany also arrived in the middle of May, after she finished her classes.”

“Brittany?” Jake repeated, speaking for the first time in twenty minutes.

“Oh, sorry, Brittany Seaborne. She’s Boone’s niece. So, her grandparents founded CRF. She’s also the only other family member who’s interested in the fellowship and LARPing. Britt recently finished her junior year of college, but has played the princess at our events for years,” Violet carried on.

“A princess?”

“Don’t get distracted,” Phinn told his partner. “Now, you said the ghost sightings started in June."

“Somewhat. There have been sightings for years,” Violet said, going on to recount the tale of Grisella/Hedy Medley for the guys again. “However, there hadn’t been any for several years until the first week of June. The first happened along Skulkshore, which is located between Nibbler Creek and Lion Lake.”

“Interesting. The first sighting is close to the site of the arson,” Phinn noted before gesturing at her to continue.

“The second occurred two weeks later off of Hopewell Road, near the Lusty Sylph.”

“The Lusty Sylph?!”

“Focus, Jake.”

“Yes, that’s the name of the other tavern. It’s located at the intersection of Crossroad and Hopewell. It’s also considered one of the few semi-safe places for weary travelers. Then, the final sighting on Tuesday night came at the Shrine of Taithlor, which is not too far from the Lusty Sylph inside the Enchanted Forest.”

Phinn ignored Jake mouthing the words Enchanted Forest to inquire about the remaining incident.

“Yes, back on July 1st, we discovered that the Old Well had been tampered with. It’s not actually a well, but a water tank. It’s located in the Ruins of the Savage Lands. This is the property addition that Boone bought after his grandparents sold him the RFC. It’s located on the other side of Highway TR and can be accessed via the Moon Bridge, which crosses over the road,” Violet said, finishing the list.

“Very good. We’d like to investigate each location as soon as we can, but without drawing any attention to ourselves,” Phinn announced. “We prefer that no one knows our true identities.”

“That’s going to be an issue. We have numerous members who either attend or have graduated from North and South High Schools, as well as Hilltop Academy. Plus, I’ve seen the news coverage of your two cases, and I’ve spent most of my summer at CRF. I’ve heard them discussed around campfires and in the market,” Violet revealed. However, she quickly sought to reassure Phinn, who frowned at the news. “We’ll try to keep your identities secret as long as possible with your characters’ costumes.”

“Who’s we?” Phinn asked.

“We have to wear costumes?” Jake questioned, turning around in the passenger seat to glare at his partner.

“Obviously, Luna,” Violet replied, shrugging. “We’re the two who decided to hire you.”

“Luna? Luna Nilson?” Jake asked, referring to another classmate from North High’s drama club.

“What other Lunas am I friends with? Also, Britt knows. She’s actually going to be your client, since she’s paying you,” Violet revealed.

“Whoa! We’re getting paid for once? Finally!”

“Okay, I sense you have a plan in place already, don’t you?” Phinn asked, ignoring Jake’s comment.

“First things first, when we arrive at Ward Gate, which is the main entrance from the real world to the Realm, we’ll need to get changed. Storage lockers are available for your clothes and items, including phones. You cannot carry any modern items on you inside the Realm. We have replica items that can stand in for many things, including flashlights or lanterns, which I assume you’ll need,” Violet began.

“What roles will we be playing?” Phinn inquired.

“You'll join me as part of the mage community. I figured a less strenuous profession would suffice. As for our star athlete here, Luna is rounding up a fighter position as we drive. She’s trying to get Jake added to one of the bands of traveling heroes, preferably as a knight.”

“A knight? Does that mean I get to have a sword?” Jake questioned, sounding eager for the first time today.

“And what is the plan?” Phinn queried.

“There is a caravan departing at noon from Crownhold. It will travel to Griffin Keep for the night, then return in the morning. Bands of rogues and monsters constantly attack these trade routes,” Violet described. “Based on how many areas you need to investigate, I thought Phinn and I could stay behind in Crownhold so that you can get an idea of the walled city.”

“Sounds acceptable. What about Jake?”

“If Luna can pull the needed strings, he’ll be one of the caravan's guards. While he won’t be able to visit the Shrine, the trade route will travel along the same road, and he’ll spend the night at the Keep,” Violet listed.

“Wait, I’m going on a mission? Jake asked.

“And it sounds like you get the opportunity to play a hero, buddy,” Phinn pointed out.