For those who want to know what the song at the end of the first chapter sounds like, look up the trailer song for the game Dishonored, titled Drunken Whaler. Offers a level of creepiness my writing can't quite compete with.
A disgraced downcast gaze examined a spot on the rug as five sets of accusing eyes bore into the man on trial.
"And at what point did you believe Lloyd was the ideal choice to go after him?" Raine asked in that manner teachers had of letting someone know they weren't mad, rather were just disappointed in their stupidity, and they wanted that person to feel it more than anything else.
"In hindsight, a poor decision..." Regal confessed shamefully, closing his eyes. "I accept full responsibility for their disappearances."
"The point was to keep us together, which was smart, but sending Lloyd off alone to do it seems like defeating the purpose." Genis folded his arms knowingly before being slapped across the back of the head by Raine.
"You didn't stop him either, and taking responsibility isn't bringing anyone back." Raine chided, rising from her seat on the bed and hefting her staff. "Enough talking, the longer we do so the longer they're out there alone."
"I didn't get a bad feeling from this place, but if you and Regal would feel more comfortable having everyone together then I think we should gather Lloyd and Zelos too." Colette nodded, standing as well.
"I'm with them. This place has been giving me the creeps since we got here." Sheena pushed off the wall she'd been leaning on. "If we don't find Zelos, we'll chalk it up as a loss, but I'm not leaving without Lloyd." Her face began to redden as all eyes set on her but was saved a backpedal by Presea.
"They've been gone for half an hour. They could be anywhere within one-point-three miles of the building." She looked up to Raine who shook her head.
"I don't think either would have left the house, they're probably still wandering the halls." Raine moved for the door. "Not that it makes finding them any easier..."
"Hey! Zelos! You hear me?"
It felt like he'd been wandering the place for hours. He'd found an assortment of waiting rooms, dining rooms, living rooms, lounging rooms, and a number of other rooms he was sure served some purpose but were too refined for his tastes, but no Zelos.
Lloyd popped into a large room with a bunch of couches all surrounding a fireplace that could have easily fit three or four Regals. An old piano sat in the corner but he resisted the urge to try it out and passed through, stopping at a mirror at the corner of the hall to fix his hair for a second.
"Zelos? Miss Maid?" Lloyd called out for the umpteenth time as he passed through a hall. "Anyone...?" He hadn't seen a single person since leaving the group at their rooms, how could so few people live in so much space? He never understood how the rich spent their money. He'd be content with a drop of the bucket that was their wealth.
He could see where Regal might be uncomfortable in this place. If Lloyd hadn't spent so much of his youth walking alone through the forest to and from Iselia he may have agreed, but as it was the house just felt more lonely than anything else. It made sense that Mr. Ever would want to entertain guests when he could and put at least some of this space to use. But then why build his legacy so far off the beaten path?
Lloyd hadn't been paying attention to where his feet were taking him as he walked down a side staircase until he looked up and recognized the entry hall they'd come in from. He arrived at the ground level and looked back up the staircase frowning. Shaking his head he continued to the front of the hall where the first thing he noticed was the darkening sky outside. Raindrops could be seen across the high windows and the interior of the home seemed much darker and less welcoming than when they'd first entered.
Sighing, he debated whether or not to fruitlessly call out again when something on the upper landing caught his eye. Taking a few steps back, he saw someone standing on the second floor facing away from him.
"Hello? Hey! Excuse me!" He yelled loudly enough that someone on the far side of the room could hear him, waving his arms and feeling rather foolish because they weren't facing him.
Excited to finally see another human being in the house he jogged towards the other end of the room before running up the creaking stairs, feeling the wood bend slightly under his weight. "Hey, I'm looking for a... Friend." His boyish smile faded slightly as he looked around, seeing no one on the clear upper level of the room.
He ducked down to check under the desk they'd evidently been standing at before looking around again scratching the back of his head. "It's okay, I'm just looking for someone... Can you hear me?"
Lloyd approached the desk in puzzlement. There were a number of mementos across the length of it, but a particular picture in the center drew his gaze. A photo of what he presumed was the Ever family. The quality was grainy at best in black and white, but lifting the frame he could make out a man with an arm around an older boy. Both were standing behind a kneeling woman with a young girl kneeling beside her. The picture seemed to have been taken on the grounds of the house, the side visible in the corner of the picture. The background was the dark forest Lloyd's group had hiked through earlier that day, but something was wrong. He stared hard at the photo, waiting for the discrepancy to appear.
His heart skipped a beat when he saw something in the trees. Something that blended in, looked almost like a tree, but was too unnatural in appearance to fit in. As his eyes moved up, focusing to try to give shape to the conspicuous form, he thought he could make out a body.
The subtle sound of a door closing to his right caused him to jump. Setting the photo down offhandedly, he walked around the side of the wall to see the door that had closed. Odd, he couldn't remember seeing it open before.
Clearing his throat he knocked a couple times. "Hey, could I talk to you for a sec? I'm looking for my friend, Zelos. Maybe you've seen him?"
The silence was broken only by the light pattering of rain against the windows. Rather than knocking again he cleared his throat once more and tried the door. It was tight, like it hadn't been used in some time, but by putting some weight behind his shoulder it grudgingly slid open revealing a small study.
Hundreds of books lined the circular walls and a small merry fire burned in a fireplace to the side of the room, before it stood a desk with a single lamp and a mess of papers strewn across it. It reminded Lloyd sickeningly of the library of Syback.
"How can anyone read this much..." Lloyd shook his head walking over to the desk before remembering why he was here. "Hey is there anyone in here? I just heard the door close and..." He ducked to look under the desk again, "And I'm wasting my time."
Lloyd didn't get it. Did the person leave the study? Why didn't he see them on the balcony? Why light a fire if they were just going to leave? Rich people made no sense.
As he turned to leave a small leather-bound journal, lying open on the desk, caught his eyes. It seemed strange that someone would sneak into the study just to make a diary entry then sneak out again, leaving it open like this.
He made his way around the desk to sit in the chair, careful not to touch anything but drawing up closer to read the neat print more clearly.
The new servant has been a tremendous help. Taffy? Toffee? Her name escapes me but already I can't understand how we ran the home without her. She's so friendly with the guests, they all rave about her. I'll have to keep her away from Robert whenever he comes back from his business trip... Already I think Jacob fancies her. Sarah adores her to no end, I may be out of a job as a mother soon enough.
Lloyd thumbed past a few pages, unsure what he was looking for. Adding a new entry to the middle of a journal didn't make much sense.
Just when I thought Martel had abandoned us. But it turns out luck can be around the unlikeliest corners. After our conversation Robert's moved his business to the home, a true blessing. He really was listening. We can spend more time as a family together again, like we used to. I think all the change is getting to him a bit, he seems distracted and irritable at times. But he'll settle down. This will be a good change, I can feel it.
Lloyd glanced around the room to ensure nothing had changed and flipped a few pages ahead marked by a tear in the corner.
I caught him staring out the window again today. He's been doing it more and more of late. Last night I passed him on the way to tend to Sarah's nosebleed. When I came through that part of the house again hours later he was still there. I believe it helps him think. I had to call out to him a couple times before he came to, and when he finally did he got a damn nosebleed too! Martel everyone's getting them these days...
Reminder: Tell Jacob to stop tracking mud through the backdoor. It's either him or the servants, and they know better than to increase their workload.
Lloyd flipped the page to discover why the previous one was torn. A cluster of pages were missing from the spine, ripped out hastily by the looks of it. Curiously he looked at the following page to find himself staring a very detailed eye staring at the ceiling.
As if on cue Lloyd glanced up just to be sure, only seeing the open sky artwork that decorated the roof of the study. Shrugging he looked back to the book and read the caption: "Always watching."
"I guess so..." He muttered flipping the page to see the handwriting had deteriorated significantly in the time frame he'd missed.
He's been acting so strange lately. I'll catch him staring at walls for minutes at a time if no one's around. Then as soon as a servant passes or he notices me he'll smile in that odd way and continue about his business. Speaking of which he barely pays attention to anymore. You'd think he already retired, which I'm fine with. But he keeps at it like it's what's expected of him, like we'll think something's wrong if he doesn't.
Lloyd skipped a few more pages frowning slightly. Whoever had written this diary seemed to be in some form of trouble.
I'm scared. First Jacob and now... the next few lines were smeared with could have been water, rendering the ink illegible. I want out. I'm taking Sarah with me and we're not waiting for "the next batch of servants" or whatever weird excuses he keeps coming up with. Tomorrow, first thing in the morning a carriage is arriving. We're not coming back.
A single page was missing after that, though barely noticeable. As if someone had tried to take each bit of paper out of the bindings and assumed no one would look closely enough to see there were still fragments of shredded paper around the spine. After examining the scraps Lloyd read the last entry.
It was like I dreamt. The move here was smart, and safe. We spend alot time together now, walks in forest. Tiffs next. I miss her.
Lloyd stood, closing the book and thinking for a moment. He didn't understand what exactly was going on, but he knew Regal or Raine could make sense of this. Tiff was "next?" He didn't know who the journal belonged to but if Tiff was in any kind of danger the others should know about it too. He picked up the book, mind racing and made for the door. As he approached it started to close and he lurched forward extended the book ahead of himself just in time to catch the door. Wedging himself in the crack he pulled it open and stumbled into the hall, door slamming behind him.
'What the hell is going on here?' He thought quickly, brain still jumpy from reading the book. A flash of light darkened the entire room as thunder crashed outside and he leaned against the rail, slowing his breathing and focusing on keeping his thoughts together. There was nothing to be anxious about. He wasn't being pursued, he wasn't in immediate danger. Relax, collect thoughts and just find the group again. One thing at a time.
He took a deep breath, clutching the book tighter and forced himself to make slow, calm steps for the stairs.
"–oyd...?"
He paused as he thought he heard his name. There it was again, coming from downstairs. Heart leaping in relief that the reunion would be sooner rather than later he grinned, quickly dropping down the stairs.
The feeling of someone standing directly behind him gave him pause. That presence when someone is alone in the room with another. A few steps from the top of the landing he turned, seeing someone standing above him.
He recognized her as the woman sitting in the portrait. Lloyd opened his mouth to greet her as he took in her disheveled appearance, first words coming to mind being the first out of his mouth. "Oh hey! You... Have not aged well..."
Regretting his choice he worked quickly to rephrase but she didn't seem to notice, long unwashed hair hanging down as she leaned her head back, mouth agape.
"Err, you okay?" He asked taking a step up towards her. Her wide eyes shot to him, then down to the book in his hands, then to him again as a hollow gasping noise escaped her throat. Her head began shaking violently and Lloyd rescinded his previous action by taking two steps back down the stairs. Somehow managing to take his eyes off her contorting face he looked down, heart skipping a beat as he noticed her feet hovering a good several inches off the ground.
"Ah... Well then..." He took another step backwards as she snapped her head down at the floor.
The staircase made one loud cracking sound and the wood beneath his feet splintered. One second of cold air rushing past him and the light from the room above disappeared, plunging him into utter blackness as he fell.
"Lloyd?" Genis called as the group entered the entry hall.
"Lloyd isn't here." Presea stated, in case no one had noticed as they neared the front doors again. "It's unlikely he found Zelos either."
Raine frowned, looking around the room before noticing Regal, eyes narrowed as he examined something on the far end of the room.
"That's weird, I thought I heard something before we came in here but... Maybe I mistook the lightning." Genis sighed, putting his hands behind his head. "What now sis?"
Raine had followed Regal across the room, everyone moving behind them. As they drew near the staircase they saw what Regal had noticed. Half-way up the staircase had given away, leading to a pitch black hole. Deciding he wasn't the ideal candidate to do so Regal motioned for Sheena to test the stairs leading up to the hole.
Testing each step she reached the edge of the abyss and leaned over. "I can't see a thing..."
"I can help!" Genis volunteered, ignoring his sister's protest and ducking under her hand to carefully make his way up the stairs. Standing beside Sheena he lifted his hand and closed his eyes, opening them a second later with a fire alight over his palm.
Before he had a chance to toss it down Sheena grabbed his wrist. "That might not be such a good idea. Zelos could be down there."
"Don't you mean Lloyd?" He smirked before she smacked the back of his head. "Okay, okay jeez. You're not my sister. What do you think we should do?"
Sheena leaned over again but still saw nothing. "Zelos!" She called, scowling at Genis who grinned. After not even an echo came back she stood up again. "Maybe he's hurt. Or unconscious. Try water?" Genis stared at her and she shrugged. "I don't know!"
Genis rolled his eyes before closing them again and moving his hand in a circle as if over a cauldron. After a moment of silence water began spilling out of the air under his palm, falling in a spiral into the shadows. They didn't even hear it hit the bottom.
"We're wasting time, we don't even know if they're down there." Colette said worriedly. It was clear one or both of their friends had probably made the hole, but if it ran so deep not even an echo returned... "We should keep looking someplace else."
"Wait, I see something at the top of the stairs..." Sheena called behind her. She looked down at the hole then across the staircase guesstimating the distance. Looking to the side and noticing the railing of the second floor not too much higher than the handrails of the stairs, she took a stride, planted her foot on the banister and leapt for the second story. Catching the vertical bars easily she hoisted herself up and over, moving to the other side of the hole.
"Y'know there's another staircase..." Genis said to her from the lower end, but she ignored him as she stooped, quickly picking up the object.
The others watched her blank expression before she looked down to them, holding out a dark red Exsphere. "It's Lloyd's..." Was all she said before returning her gaze to the hole.
"Sheena, we don't know what happened here, but if that hole goes to the foundations somewhere there has to be another entrance." Raine said, calm voice sounding forced. Sheena didn't move, still looking somberly into the pit. "Come back down Sheena, and we'll plan our next step."
Sheena motioned for Genis to step back and jumped across the pit after he was clear. She looked disappointed the steps didn't give out under her and moved down the stairs to rejoin the group. Colette moved beside her quietly and put an arm around her. "He'll be okay. Lloyd's always okay..." She said, looking on the verge of tears herself. "We'll find him."
Sheena nodded, looking away as she preemptively dried her eyes. "Yeah. You're right, we'll find him and he'll be fine. What's the plan?" She asked looking to Raine.
Raine opened her mouth to speak before the sound of rushed footsteps came from the hall. Everyone held their breath, hoping to see one of their missing friends, when an older boy in his late teens rounded the corner. His clothes were a bit dated and scuffed, but he looked relieved when he saw them. "Oh thank the goddess, travelers. Have you seen my father?"
"Mr. Ever? I don't think he's returned yet." Raine said moving to the front of the group to address him. "We were told he was out–"
"Hunting?" He finished for her, nodding irritably like it was an excuse he'd heard a hundred times over. "Bullshit, that's what everyone's saying. He's been missing for days. I've been waiting for someone to help me look for him, please will you come with me? I can't do it alone in this weather."
Raine opened her mouth, looking back to the group. It was usually Lloyd who spoke first, offering assistance at every opportunity, but Lloyd wasn't with them now. Lloyd needed their help, Zelos could very well too, but what would they want?
Regal stepped forward. "Yes, we'll help you." Raine shot him a look demanding explanation.
He leaned in as the boy nodded gratefully and moved towards the door. "You mentioned this house would have foundations. Any of them could very well lead outside." He shared a meaningful look with her before she nodded in understanding.
"Good luck." She said resting a hand on his arm.
"Be careful." He responded, throwing a wary look around the large room one last time. "There are forces are at play we haven't encountered yet. Don't trust the house." He turned to depart when he saw Colette standing before him, hands before her chest.
"I'm coming too." She said determinedly. "I heard you, Lloyd could be out there... Or if he isn't, maybe my senses can help find Mr. Ever instead." It was clear she wanted to find Lloyd as much as anyone else, but a stranger's plea for help would never go ignored before her.
"Presea?" Genis asked as she stepped forward to stand beside Colette, "You're going too?"
"Yes." She answered plainly. "I know forests better than mansions. My skills would be better allocated to locating Mr. Ever than our friends. It's... What they would want." She lamented expressionlessly, moving towards the door.
"Very well." Raine nodded as Sheena and Genis drew behind her. "We'll continue searching the interior, you three will take the outside. The storm's getting worse, so don't stay out too long."
Regal led the girls outside where the boy was waiting.
"I'm sorry, we forgot to ask your name." Colette said apologetically, extending a hand to the boy.
"Call me Jake. Can we go now? I got a bad feeling about this weather." Jake said quickly, turning away and heading directly into the forest.
"I think we should do a once around the house before heading into the forest." Regal called after him.
"If he was hanging around the side of the house he wouldn't be missing." Jake called back to him dryly.
Regal stopped at the corner of the house with Colette and Presea. "It would be wise to confirm what we know before expanding our search. We might see something you didn't."
"Be my guest!" Jake shouted back to them not stopping on his way into the forest. "I'm looking for father."
Regal made a sound of displeasure in his throat before turning to the girls.
"We can't let him go on alone!" Colette urged quickly looking around his shoulder to see Jake disappear into the trees.
Regal looked back in his direction and shook his head, disbelieving the situation. "Can you two promise to stick together?" Presea nodded stepping directly beside Colette as if to prove it. "Search the perimeter of the house for look for anything that could possibly lead under it. Basement doors, flood drains, anything. When you're done go inside and find Raine. Stick. Together." He repeated, both pointer fingers directed at them.
Colette was about to ask what he'd be doing when he turned and jogged after Jake. She looked down to see Presea watching him disappear into the trees before turning her gaze to the building.
Together they looked around the corner at the length of the house. Regal might very well return to this spot before they did...
"So we should start looking around for basement doors and stuff right?" Sheena asked, looking between the half-elven siblings.
Raine frowned, glancing back up the stairs. "No. Lloyd was supposed to find Zelos. Something may have drawn him up there in the first place. We should start there."
"He could have just been wandering around aimlessly!" Sheena objected, following Raine and Genis up the stairs.
"It's a possible start. Better than wandering around aimlessly ourselves." Genis commented, looking around the upper level as Raine made for the desk at the far end of the landing.
Unsure of what to look for Sheena scanned the area for anything obvious before taking to pacing the length of the second level, on the hunt for anything out of the ordinary. Genis went back to the hole and crouched along the edge, examining the wood as Raine opened various drawers at the desk.
"What, did Lloyd follow Zelos into a drawer?" Sheena asked impatiently, watching Raine shift through the contents of one before closing it and opening another.
"We're here, no harm in being thorough." Raine muttered, as if to herself, as she slid the drawer closed and roughly opened another. Normally she might have felt a sense of guilt over the invasion of privacy, but with one student and companion missing and no one in this ridiculous house being able to help them she was getting irritable. She slammed the door shut and opened another before taking a step back covering her mouth.
"Something's up with this sis." Genis called over his shoulder, Sheena coming up behind him. "If the steps had just given in the hole shouldn't be this big. Lloyd's not Regal, two maybe three steps should have given way. Not..." He gestured back and forth between the sides of the damage almost three times the size he'd estimated. "And the way the wood broke, shouldn't there be more debris around? It was like a pitfall trap waiting to happen."
"Raine?" He heard Sheena ask. Turning he saw Raine compose herself, sedately remove a handkerchief from her pocket, and approach the desk again.
They moved closer as she reached inside the drawer, hand shielded by the handkerchief, and retrieved something from the bottom.
"What is it?" Genis asked hesitantly, voice sounding uncertain if he wanted to know.
Raine looked between her brother and Sheena whose eyes also bore both trepidation and curiosity. She swallowed, turning the cloth over and pulling one of the folds back. The immediate reaction would have been to step back had the object been recognizable. It wasn't until Raine shifted her hand that the reflective surface under the coagulated blood caught the light.
"Oh.." Sheena breathed, turning away hand to her mouth as she saw what it was.
Genis leaned in with knit brows, poking the bright red gem embedded in a simple gold plaque. It looked familiar but he couldn't place...
"Oh..." He echoed, jerking back and looking away as well when he saw the tattered bloodied flesh attached to the sides of the keycrest.
"From now on no one goes anywhere alone." Raine instructed folding the Cruxis Crystal up again. "This house is a hostile environment, treat everything as a threat."
"It was just his crystal..." Genis offered hopefully to Sheena who looked like she would be sick. "He can still be alive, with Lloyd even!" He said, excitement rising in his voice. "That could be why the stairs gave way in such a weird way, maybe they were both on it!"
Raine didn't look satisfied however, and began looking around the second level, ensuring they hadn't missed anything. "That hardly justifies removing their Exspheres. There's nothing else either of you found?"
"There was a room over there," Sheena pointed to the open door around the corner from the desk, "but I didn't see anything inside.
Raine walked around the corner to where she was pointing, spotting the open door. Checking the frame before proceeding inside she was greeted by a warm fire and about a year's worth of reading material. Sheena hovered near the door for a while, watching before moving to check the rest of the landing.
Approaching the hearth Raine noted the new logs on top of the merrily burning fire. "Neither of you saw anyone come in or out of here?" She called over her shoulder.
"No, just the open door." Genis answered, sticking his head around the corner before disappearing again.
Raine frowned, standing straight and coming around the desk where a leather-bound journal lay open, revealing a detailed sketch of an eye staring at the ceiling. She glanced up to ensure there wasn't a chandelier or anything about to fall on her and knelt to open the drawers of the desk. Finding a quill she stood again, impressed by its preservation. She carefully slid the end of the quill under the page of the eye and turned it to the other side, frowning again. Its composition seemed different from the other pages somehow. It was difficult to tell in the dim light but the coloring was just slightly off. Nose almost to the bindings she guessed this page was added into the journal after it was put together.
She ran her finger along the sides of the pages on either side, feeling. This wasn't the only added page, several others jutted out ever so slightly. Using the quill to flip to one she looked at it for a moment before picking up the book and holding it against the light.
It was a drawing, childlike almost. It depicted several trees surrounding a clearing with an elongated stick figure stepping out of them into the foreground. Or so she surmised, it was a crude picture after all.
She flipped back to the first page she'd found, passing the eye, and began reading. She recognized the first name it mentioned and an alarm went off in her head. Her eyes shot to the previous entry's date. Raine stepped out beside the desk as she turned to the inside cover to read the name on the journal.
"Sheena, Genis."
"Sis!" Genis' urgent tone made her look up in time to see the door close completely before she reached it. Moving to the door she heard Genis trying the other end as she pulled with all her might.
A low gasp in the room made Raine spin, seeing a crippled woman lying at the base of one of the bookcases.
"Genis!" She called to him back to the door as the woman rolled over onto her stomach, "Find Sheena."
"I'm here, Raine!" The young woman's voice could be heard from the other side of the door.
"Do not get separated from each other, do you understand me?" Raine demanded from the door as the writhing woman saw Raine, white eyes bulging. "Whatever you do, stick together, find the others."
The woman began scrambling towards the door before Raine strode towards her, slamming the end of her staff into the ground and whispering a rapid prayer. A ward of white light materialized in a circle around her staff and began to spin in a slow circle. Raine calmly walked to the edge of the ring and quickly pulled the chair from the desk into her sanctuary, taking a seat and opening the journal. She read the first entry and looked up in time to see the woman clumsily stand before her less than five feet away, breathing heavily. Matted hair hid her features, but Raine could sense the animosity towards the living.
"Lady Ever." Raine addressed coolly, consulting the journal again before looking her companion over. "You won't mind if I learn a bit about you... I find history a fascinating subject."
Regal caught up behind Jake. Even with his superior conditioning the boy made a hard pace to keep up with, even with his constant calls for "Father!" or "Dad!" he hardly seemed winded.
As they drew into a clearing Jake stopped, turning to Regal. "Do you have any tracking experience?"
"I'm afraid not. The wilderness is not my forte." Regal answered taking a deep breath through his nose and recovering. "Does your father have any particular area he frequents? Some place we can start at?"
"We own a cabin about a mile out from the house. We should be coming up on it shortly." Jake said pointing into the forest where Regal presumed the cabin was. "But if he could make it there why wouldn't he just return home?"
"I'm unsure, but it's a possible lead." Regal nodded. "Let's begin there."
Jake nodded and continued walking. "It's this way."
"If we hold a loud conversation it's possible he could hear it from a distance." Regal suggested as rain began to fall harder through the trees. "It's unlikely he'll hear us once the rain picks up, but you won't have to shout yourself hoarse."
Jake scowled. "I guess. What do you want to talk about?"
"Have you had any trouble with Desians on your land so close to Luin?" Regal asked raising his voice noticeably even though they were only a few feet apart.
"Is that the big city nearby?" Jake asked loudly in response, shaking his head and shrugging. "That doesn't sound right... Anyway, I've never been outside our forest, father likes to keep us in the house when he can."
"Why is that?" Regal pressed, ducking under a branch to avoid being bushwhacked by Jake.
Jake shrugged again pushing past another tree branch without looking back. "He says he works so we don't have to."
"And what does he do?"
"Businessman. I'm not sure what kind..."
"Your father owns this much land, that house, employs dozens of servants and you don't know what he does?"
"He works so we don't have to..." Jake repeated resignedly.
"He seems like a generous man." Regal commented watching Jake ahead carefully. "I suppose you housed quite a few refugees after Luin was attacked."
"Father's generous, but we don't run homeless shelters. Most travelers we take in are on their way in a day or two." Jake shook his head again. "Luin's not sounding right though. Do you mean Asgard?"
Regal thought back to the map Raine had spent an evening going over with him. "No... I believe Asgard was to the south. Luin's just north of you, your servants must go there for supplies."
"Geography was never my strong suit." Jake said indifferently, stopping for a second to get his bearings before proceeding again. "We never really follow up on things going on in the outside world." He looked over his shoulder to Regal. "If the 'designs' are some form of local gang, the guards tend to keep riffraff off of our property."
"I see..."
As they entered another clearing it was clear Regal had stopped following. At the edge of the wood Jake turned, "Are you still coming? The cabin's just up ahead."
Regal's eyes narrowed as lightning forked overhead. "I'm from another world and I know who the Desians are. How is it possible you, the son of a wealthy businessman, located near a town recently ravaged by Desians, have never heard of them?" He shouted over the thunder.
Jake stared at him. "Because I don't need to?" He asked, tone mocking.
"What's going on here?" Regal demanded, stepping forward. "You're either lying about the guards or they're the worst hands you've hired in your home, and that's saying something. It isn't possible your family hasn't felt the decline of this world, or never interacted with Desians."
Jake continued staring at him. "There were guards right outside the manor as we departed." He said slowly. "Did you not see them?"
"No, because they weren't there." Regal spoke calmly across the clearing. "In fact, you're the only person I've had a real conversation with since we came here. Explain to me why that is." Despite his accusatory tone Jake was staring at him like he'd lost his mind. Regal's offense was failing as the boy was sticking to his story.
"I'm... Going to keep looking for my father. You can stay here." Jake finally answered him with some nervousness. He threw one last look over his shoulder before disappearing into the woods.
Regal sighed heavily. That hadn't gone as planned. The look in his eyes in that final moment wasn't that of someone hiding something, rather someone who feared being pursued through a forest by a madman. Calling his name, Regal set off after him again, shaking water from his long hair. It would be an awkward apology, but he couldn't let him continue searching on his own.
Perhaps once they found Mr. Ever he would have some of the answers Regal was looking for.
"They must play amazing games of tag in their house." Colette commented as they rounded the first corner.
"I don't think they have enough people. One game would last days..." Presea responded, stopping for a moment to stoop under a bush and see if they'd missed anything. "Hide and seek would be better."
"No, they could get the servants to play with them." Colette explained raising on the tips of her toes to peek inside a window. "Hide and seek would take days."
"There wouldn't be anyone to clean the house if they made the servants play."
"Maybe they clean when they're not being chased. Or as they run by with feather dusters!" Colette suggested as they both peered into a gap in the bushes leading to the house. It was dark, but obvious there were no secret entrances there either. As Colette continued she noticed Presea had stopped, looking at her. "Is something wrong?"
"Colette, you have wings." Presea stated plainly.
The older girl nodded. "Yes...?" She confirmed uncertainly.
Presea continued looking at her blankly, raindrop sliding from one bang onto her nose. Colette looked blankly back, blinking once as water slid into the corner of her eye. In the distance a raven cawed over the sound of rainfall.
"Oh!" Colette exclaimed excitedly after some time. "I'll be right back!" She grinned as she closed her eyes for a moment, ethereal wings appearing behind her. "Wait here!"
Presea nodded as Colette hovered a little off the ground before taking off at a much faster pace, scanning the sides of the house as she went.
"Hide and seek would be better..." Presea muttered looking away from the house into the forest some distance away.
"No it wouldn't!" Colette's call could be heard just before she disappeared around the corner.
The view from this side of the house would have been beautiful on a clear day. The windows faced an expanse of ground that led into a small hill, walking over to it she saw halfway down it met the forest but the height difference meant one could see over the treetops into the far distance. What was in that far distance remained a mystery to Presea as rain and darkness shrouded anything past the trees, but she wouldn't mind coming back here under better weather conditions.
Everyone else seemed frightened by the atmosphere of the home, which puzzled her. It was just a large house, well sheltered by natural terrain. It should encompass everything everyone wanted a home for. Then again she'd grown up at the edge of a supposedly haunted forest. Perhaps the others simply needed to spend more time there. Then they might see how nice it was.
Lost in her thoughts it was a moment before she realized she wasn't looking blankly into the forest. Her eyes had fixated on something between two trees directly below. It was that man from earlier. She cocked her head realizing he was looking directly at her.
Something lifted her foot, something she couldn't see but whose unexpected strength caught her off guard. Struggling to regain control of her renegade limb she watched it step forward, down the slope onto a precariously placed stone. Slick with rainfall the stone gave way and she tumbled down the hill.
The last image she had was of the house disappearing over the bend in the hillside before her head hit something hard on the fall down and her vision went black.
An earsplitting scream resounded through the halls.
"W-what is that?" Genis asked loudly after the echoes had died. "Raine?!"
"I don't think it was her." Sheena assured him, looking anxiously around the hall. It was true the silence coming from the room behind the closed door was disturbing but Raine could handle herself. "It sounded like it came from one of the halls."
No sooner had the sentence finished than the maid Tiff ran into view below them. "Traveler, please! Please help there's been... Something terrible has happened!"
Sheena noticed the dark crimson that splattered her front and the distinct red smeared on her hands. She moved to the edge of the banister and looked down. "What's wrong Tiff? Are you okay? Did you find our friends?"
Tiff looked up at her tears in her eyes, shaking her head. "I need help! Please come with me!"
Sheena looked back at Genis.
"I'm not leaving Raine." He said before she could propose anything.
"Genis she needs help, and you heard Raine, we have to stick together!" Sheena argued moving to the stairs. "What if she found Zelos or Lloyd?"
"What if Raine calls for help and no one is around to give it?" Genis retorted. "You go, Raine and I are close enough to be 'together' and you have Tiff. No one's alone."
Sheena clenched her jaw, "I don't think that's what she–"
"They're dying, please come!" Tiff shouted before running into the hall again.
"Genis!" Sheena called moving down the stairs before Tiff got too far ahead of her.
"I'll be fine, just keep your guard up!"
Sheena growled before taking off after the maid, catching her heels disappearing around the next corner.
Presea's eyes shot open. She was looking at the forest sideways, feeling water pooling between the bridge of her nose and her eye. She could have been out for five seconds or three hours, it was impossible to tell.
Regaining her sense of surroundings quickly she stood, noticing she was again in full command of her body. Mud smeared the side of her face and she looked around seeing the large hillside she slid down.
What had... The mental image of the man flashed through her brain and she stared around trying to find him again. Rainfall caused motion to be detected out of her peripherals wherever she looked.
Slowing her breathing as she turned she realized what stood out did so because it wasn't moving. There, behind a tree two long thin shapes were visible leading to something behind the trunk. Cautiously taking a step to the side giving the tree a large berth she saw the body it connected to. As the torso became visible she saw he was looking directly at her.
Stumbling backward she put the tree between them again and moved back to the hillside, never taking her eyes off the trunk. Lightning flashed at an angle and the small amount of light that made it through the branches showed no shadow being cast from behind the tree.
Turning she scampered up the hill, grabbing for roots, boulders, anything that could hold her weight. But the slope was steep and would have been hard enough to climb if the ground hadn't been soaked, and after one patch of grass gave way she found herself sliding helplessly back down. Flipping over as she reached the bottom she saw him standing less than five feet away looking down at her, stock still.
Scrambling backward she let out a cry, foot finding a solid hold and pushing her up the hill. Turning again she hurriedly grasped at anything that could help her climb, short limbs making slow but determined progress to pull her to safety. Glancing back down over her shoulder she saw him standing at the base of the hill, waiting. If she fell again she would be right at his feet, and she knew there wouldn't be another opportunity to escape.
Digging her fingers into the soft dirt she grit her teeth, pulling her body up the muddy slope.
Just as she could see the very top of the house over the hill she felt long, cold fingers graze her ankles. Shrieking she kicked out, not daring to look behind her as she redoubled her efforts to make it to the top.
The fingers seized her foot and pulled down, hard. Presea tried digging her short fingers into the mud, but despite her formidable strength the ground simply wouldn't hold. She was dragged back down to the halfway point where the large rock she'd initially hit her head on caught on her glove. First reaction being to grab whatever surface she could on it she held on for dear life as the hold on her foot pulled harder.
A low churning sound was heard as the rock she was holding on started to come out of the ground, mud squelching around it as it loosened.
Suddenly the hand let go. Presea looked down to see the man had disappeared, rock she was laying on sliding back into the earth.
"Presea! Presea?"
"Down here!" She called at the top of her lungs answering the voice from the top of the hill.
A dim light silhouetted a form at the top of the hill gliding its way towards her. Presea dropped her head against the rock in relief when she recognized her.
"What happened? I thought you were going to wait for me?" Colette asked, grabbing Presea by the arm and lifting her with some effort off the ground. Her wings flapped harder with the extra weight but they made it to the top of the hill and she set the girl down, staring at her from muddy hair down to shoes that could barely be distinguished from the ground.
"Regal was right." Was all Presea said catching her breath, "Go nowhere alone."
