About five days went by. As I secluded to my house, only leaving for work and house supplies, I did not want to find out what had transpired at the tavern, I didn't want to risk seeing those men again or find myself questioned once more by the witch hunter. He may have saved my life, but who knows what those men had told him or what I had gotten myself involved.
But as I remained locked up in my home, my brother remained just as much away from home. I hated it, not only because I worried where was he, but I needed him. Those men, that witch hunter, could come crashing through the door and there'd be no one to protect me, no one who would care.
On the sixth night, where I laid locked in my room, I heard the door bang open.
I shuddered as I hid beside the wardrobe. I considered screaming out the window, but I felt the intruder would be done with me when I yelled.
"Gretchen!" That was my brother and there was something wrong in his voice.
As I rushed to unlock the door, I heard my brother scream and slam to the floor. "Peter!" I undid the door and then found my brother at the foot of stairs. I got to his side. "Brother! What's happened to you!?"
"Nu-nothing, just happy is all."
He almost didn't seem to notice that he had fell down and just gave a drunken smile.
I hauled him up carried him into the living room and rested him onto a chair and sat opposite to him to catch my breath.
"Where have you been going brother?"
"Do you really want me to tell you? Because if you do, you're going to have to give me time to think about all the places I have been."
"How about telling me who you've been with then? These so-called new friends?"
"They fixed my voice, shouldn't be so hostile to them."
"They came up to me five days ago and tried to drag me out of our favourite tavern."
"They did?"
"Yes. Fact you don't know tells they weren't planning on telling you what they had in mind to do to me."
"No-no, those were probably some other friends."
"What other friends? Before you lost your lisp you had no friends."
"Well these friends would never do that."
"And how can I be sure when I've never met these friends?"
Peter was moping now. He got up and just began to leave.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Somewhere I don't have to put up with this."
I stormed up after him. "Do you realise how much I truly need you at the moment?" My brother paused. "I'm left in my room scared, scared that you've gotten us into some kind of trouble that I can't fathom! And even though you've gotten us both into this mess, you're the only one I can count on to protect me."
My brother stood for a minute before he answered. "There is no reason to be afraid of my friends… but if it's causing you causing you this much bother… I'll-I'll try and get them to see them tomorrow."
I was glad to be getting through to him, finally, but it wasn't enough. "And just what if your friends still don't comfort me."
"Trust me... you will have no reason to fear them." My brother continued on walking. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to be seeing them right now."
He then left me and I was left all alone again and vulnerable.
In the afternoon, my brother took me to see these friends of his. We went into what was actually the noble district, a place where only the rich and privileged were welcomed. It made me feel more uncomfortable why people like these would take an interest in Peter.
We stepped into one of the buildings. I felt my nerves dampen from the powerful exotic smell that filled its hallways, but I wanted to be scared. I didn't want to trust the people inside here or let my guard down.
My breath was taken when we entered one of the rooms. It was spectacular, but haunting. Its walls were painted in multiple bright colours that swirled and danced across the room. There these serpent-like statues both beautiful and terrifying, one that drew me was this one this person, I think, with crab-claws and bird feet.
There were people who just lounged here on the carpet and laid out pillows, smoking happily on some strange substance, probably the thing that affected him last night.
"Greetings Peter." A woman, both gorgeous and yet creepy, like the statues, prowled towards us. She wore brightly coloured dress, her hair waved around her like living snakes and her eyes were almost venomous. "Is this your sister that you have spoken so fondly about?" She gave me both a charming and sinister grin.
"Yes Bella Mortiff. This is Gretchen."
"Ah." She put her hands on my face. "You are such a sweet sister. You are welcomed here my lovely, you are welcomed to the Forgotten Bliss." She came uncomfortably close. "And to anything you need." I didn't know what to do, what was she going to do. She eased off and stroked my head. "Aw, you're a frightened wee lamb aren't you? Peter told me that Gertrude and the others were probably a little too… intimidating when they were just trying to help you."
They were more than just intimidating and now that I knew that Gertrude really was in league with these guys I looked to Peter, wanting to leave now.
"Trust me though. The Forgotten Bliss is a group dedicated to fulfilling the desires of everyone that embraces us and as you can see…" She looked at my brother. "Or heard we have almost no limits."
"Listen to her sister," insisted Peter. "These people are willing to help and all you have to do is become one of them. Just by saying you're a Forgotten Bliss, they can get you a new job or someone for you to marry, anything thing."
"He speaks the truth."
It was tempting, but the allure in this woman's voice was unnatural as if only a goddess could speak like she could. "I am happy enough."
"You are not sister," snapped Peter. "You complain to me about work and always wish about being married and now you live in fear. These people can fix all that."
"Right now all I want is for us to go home."
"Your strong will holds you back from what you truly want," Bella criticised. She smiled. "But I believe it is because you've reframed yourself from embracing those huge desires by burying them deep such inner strength that he has such interest in you."
What? "Who?"
She chuckled. "The being that removed Peter's lisp so that he could speak beautiful. A being that comes to you dreams each night, beckoning you to embrace him and in exchange he will provide you with whatever you want."
Was she insane? Was this some kind of metaphor? Or was she truly talking about a being that could do that? A being that could enter your dreams and beckons you to embrace him. Something like that sounded too hard to belief, but priests warned us of such great evil, but I always believed that was something to make you go to church.
"Sister!" Peter grabbed my shoulder. "These people are going to help us, give us better lives."
He was hurting me! My brother never hurt me!
"Easy Peter." My brother began to loosen being soothed by Bella's voice. "We'll let your sister leave. But know Gretchen that no matter how far you run away or push us… Our offer will always stand and in time when you're ready to accept… He will have great things in store for you."
What did she mean… Whatever it was, I did not want to find out, I was just glad to leave, but as I hastened towards the exit, but the realised. "Brother?" I turned and saw him glaring at me.
"Continue going home sister." He walked away into the shadows.
Please Sigmar no… Had my brother abandoned me?
It had been three days and my brother had indeed not come back. He felt disappeared from my life and it was the loneliest experience I had ever felt. I had no one but him, I only ever really needed him. He never left me, he always listened to me and he would always protect me that was all I needed, he was the only person that made me feel like a person.
My father was so scarred by his time in the military that he stopped being like father. The rest of my family lived in Talabecland. We had been no use at making friends. It was the sort of thing that made having just that one person so badly needed and without him… I was so empty…
I didn't want to give up. I made my prayers to both Shallya and Sigmar and went out into the street. I hoped there would be someone that could perhaps fill my brother's place, just until something could bring Peter back, maybe this person could help me get him back or at least give me the strength.
I didn't go to my favourite tavern. It wasn't the same without my brother and I was worried Gertrude was waiting for me there. I believed only reason he hadn't come for me yet was because he didn't know where else I went but that tavern. It was the only place I knew that he knew I went to. So I went to a different one.
When I walked in, I walked cautiously.
I felt so unsafe. This just didn't have the feel that the Briskwall tavern did. It was darker, the people were quiet and the tables not as clean. I didn't turn back though, I didn't know what the other taverns would be like and I had already stepped in.
"What do you want?" growled the taverner moving some empty tankards.
I was almost knocked back by the shock from his aggressive tone. "Some-some ale?"
The taverner smirked. "Really?"
"Y-yes."
The taverner rolled his eyes. "Fine, two brass."
I paid him and got my ale then shuffled away. I looked around and could see all the suspicious looks. I had never felt so out of place in a tavern. I was dressed like a housewife, all by myself. It also hurt when I had to admit I was unattractive and didn't have the personality you'd find a girl having in a place like this. But that shouldn't bother any of the men that wouldn't mind coming to my place for tonight, I had no problem with it so long as I wasn't alone.
I sat and had my ale. It was either time had passed that fast or I had downed it, but my ale was gone just like that. I wanted to get some more, but I didn't like that taverner. In fact I didn't want to move. The idea of trying to meet someone here wasn't my main concern anymore and if I felt if I got up, I'd draw too much attention.
By Sigmar, how had this happened, how had I become such a wretch.
Two tankards boomed onto the table. "Good to see you still alive." The witch hunter passed one the drinks across. "I wasn't able to apprehend the men that harassed you." He took a swing of his drink. "Somehow he evaded me to have the consciousness to deem him guilty… Always hate someone actually able to sway me with words."
"H-he's not dangerous, is he?"
"If you mean their leader Gertrude, no doubt," growled the witch hunter. "I've strung and burned many men with eyes like his. People like him are dangerous indeed. Which is why I hired men to keep an eye on you. Although I didn't have the sense to just condemn the man and I doubt I can do much to prevent him from causing more evil than he probably already has. I'm at least happy to know he won't be getting his hands on one soul."
Or you were maybe using him as bait. I had always heard Witch hunters were quick to condemn people of guilty just because of the look you gave them and the stories I was told of them just made it even more sense. Still it felt assuring I had someone looking out for me.
I took a sip of the tankard he gave me and spat. "This is wine!"
"What was that you were drinking before then, water?"
"Ale."
"Ale? I normally find girls drinking or another kind of beer, but not ale," criticised the Witch hunter. Well obviously you weren't from around her I wanted to tell him. But I didn't want to cross a man who could nail me to a post for crossing him. "But never mind, I'll go and get you ale then soon as I'm done drinking mine," he grunted. "So tell me that man that enters your house, what is he to you."
Peter? "Wh-why do you ask?"
"Just give me my answer."
What choice did I have? "H-he's my brother."
"And he lives with you or does he just stay the night?"
"He lives with me… But he's been out more than usual."
"Do you know why?"
"He-he's started becoming really ambitious about his acting career that he just goes out a lot to practice and find out options."
"I see where he goes." Oh no. "He goes to the Forgotten Bliss in the noble district. Why, I don't know, but I have a feeling you do." He leered at me. It became clear he wasn't here to comfort me. "The Forgotten Bliss is a club for people to lounge around in and enjoy exotic tastes. Why would your brother go there so frequently if he was so ambitious about an acting career?"
Come on Gretchen, you're a smart girl. Think. "I-I… Because most the production and directors there are open to talking to people from our class, which means then he has a chance of persuading them to let him be in their play."
The witch hunter raised his eyebrow in an impressed way. "He seems to spend a rather lot of time in there. As I know, he's not returned to your house in three days."
"Th-that's because." I lowered my head. "W-we had a fight," I snivelled. I hope confessing a partial amount of truth would throw him off.
"Over what exactly?"
I wanted to say it was personal, but that wasn't something you could say to a witch hunter. "I was getting upset how much he was investing into his career… I was being selfish I guess."
The witch hunter leaned over the table. "I know you're protecting him girl." I was frozen. "I can tell it's me you're protecting him from. The only reason I'm playing this game is to let you repent yourself…" He wasn't, he wasn't going to actually ask me. "By giving me what I want to know. Now try again, why is your brother spending a lot of time with the Forgotten Bliss."
What was I to do? I was caught. I felt like bird caught underneath a cat's paw. Unlike a bird though, I could give the cat something he wanted, but the problem was it was handing over the only real person I had left… But what I had to consider… Did I honestly have that person left or… had his soul been lost?
"He-He thanks them for removing the lisp from his voice."
"A lisp?"
"Yes…" I wasn't sure how far to get into it, but the witch hunters glare told me I hadn't started. "He-he's had it all his life and w-we thought it was incurable… until the Forgotten Bliss."
"And how did they cure it?"
"I.. I don't know. Something always stopped me from asking, b-but…" The last thing that made me think Peter could be saved was in me… But the last image that I got of him… Told me I could only save myself now. "They mentioned it was being… not a person that fixed his lisp."
The witch hunter stared calmly, then finished his drink and slammed it to the table and got up. "I'll tell the taverner to send your drink over when it's ready."
Wh-what had I done.
