Hello! Looks like I'm here again and giving you all the third chapter! I'm surprised I'm actually pumping these out a lot faster than my main fic, Winters' Ballad; but I suppose that is all in no small part to the less strenuous task of rearranging and adding some of my own ideas into this plot than the overarching story of Young Justice. XD
But in any case, please enjoy this new installment. And if you can, please review if you can. It always helps the writing process and boost a writers' morale. X3
"Reginald, are you sure you're okay?" Samantha asked, worry clear in her voice.
The sun that had settled in the morning sky had begun its trip back down towards the Earth, its light slowly fading outside as the sky dyed in mesmerizing mixes of orange-purple, painting the cottage walls of the outsiders home in warm colors.
Sadly Samantha couldn't focus on the natural beauty coating the home. She was far too busy trapped by the worry snaking its way around her heart, her chocolate brown eyes constantly moving on the form of Reginald sitting in front of her, his back turned as he worked on the invention that had nearly burst him into bits that day.
The results hadn't been hard to spot once she'd walked inside the home after she'd calmed herself down from her earlier cry outside, eyes still a bit red and puffy.
Smoke still filling the rooms and ash on the floor, Samantha along with Reginald hastily focused on putting the home into a clean and presentable order as soon as they got inside. Whether dusting dirt off the floors or opening all the windows to get breathable air back into the tiny cottage, the task had taken them all day and both had become quite tired from the cleaning.
Or, at least Samantha had.
Reginald on the other hand seemed to be sparked by the failure, his drive to continue working appearing just as soon as she'd placed the broom back into the kitchen. Once she'd stepped back into the living room, all she could see was her father figure yet again at his workbench, mind focused and tools clink-clanking with activity.
She wouldn't be lying if she thought going back to such dangerous work so soon seemed a bit dangerous. She'd known Reginald to do this many times before, but this newest failure had gotten her on edge.
He wasn't as young as he used to be. Who knew how much more knocks to the back of the head or bruises he could take before. And as much as she did not want to remember such terrible things, Samantha's mind reminded her of the rude comments the villagers would say. That Reginald was getting old, that he needed her help now more than ever...
She nervously shut her eyes closed, realizing how terrible it was to be thinking of such things; believing they had some kind of meaning or merit to them.
No, you're being paranoid. Everything is fine. Her thoughts spoke, hoping to ease her.
Chuckling at her worried tone, Reginald wiped a bit of sweat from his head and turned back to see the fearful stance of the young woman behind him. Giving her a grateful smile, Reginald reached over and held the brunette's smaller, smoother hand in his rough calloused one.
"I'm alright, don't you worry about me. I've been through enough trial and error in my lifetime to take a few hits. I'm not going to be leaving you like that anytime soon, Samantha. I promise." Reginald stated, squeezing her hand lightly for reassurance.
Opening her eyes at the words addressed to her, a sheepish nod of understanding became her reply, the warmth of Reginalds' voice and words overshadowing the worry inside her while the comfort coming from the squeeze of Reginalds' hand grounded her thoughts.
"I...I know. I just worry. About you, your safety. Your inventions are wonderful, Reginald. Truly they are, but I get scared sometimes that they might get you hurt far worse than we think." Samantha spoke, voicing her concern clearly while her eyes gazed at the few mechanical contraptions left on the many work tables in the home.
"And it's alright to worry, Samantha," Reginald answered back, cleaning his hands of any leftover oil and stepped out of his seat, facing the taller girl. "But sometimes we need to take a step forward and put ourselves into a little danger to get towards our goals or help the people we care about; fight our fears of failure to try again even more. I'm not saying to be irresponsible, but sometimes its the necessary and the right thing to do. After all, if I didn't do some of this dangerous work of mine even after failing the first time, we wouldn't have gotten this cottage to stay in, nor the food we've been able to have up to this point."
His small speech almost over, the shorter old man placed a comforting hand on Samanthas' cheek, cupping her face so she'd look him straight in the eye.
"It's knowing that this work of mine is helping me keep food on the table and seeing your happy face that keeps me going. It's dangerous sometimes, but is just as much a treat to do it for my family. Blood or otherwise." Reginald finished truthfully, a nod of confirmation coming from the old man as he grinned at the brunette.
The words of her father figure making her voice close up a bit, Samantha said nothing more and nodded with a small smile, leaning into the soft comforting warmth Reginald gifted her from his touch upon her cheek.
"You always know what to say," Samantha whispered faintly, a small smile tugging her lips. Emotions of gratitude beginning to well up inside her, a small stray tear slipped out of the corner of her eye."Thank you, Reginald. You're the greatest family a girl could ever have. And a great inventor too."
"Oh, you're just saying that." Reginald spoke, chuckling at the young girl. "Now, no more tears, my dear. Someone as sweet as you doesn't need to cry for a silly old man like me." The man spoke up cheerfully, grinning at her as his thumb rubbed away the single tear and reached for the small piece he'd been working on moments ago.
A smile growing on her face, Samantha leaned over to look at the piece of metal Reginald had put together. "Is that going to fix your invention your taking to that fair?"
"I hope so." Inspecting the piece for a moment, Reginald walked across the room towards a large contraption hidden beneath a cloth. "If the invention fair is going to be mine, I'll have to make sure this works at top capacity. No mistakes, no errors."
"What does it do again? I think the last time I saw it you tried to make it into some sort of wood chopping machine?" Samantha asked, walking over to the hidden invention and slowly recovered from her emotions rattling inside of her.
"Why don't you take a look for yourself?" Reginald asked, excitement brewing in his voice as he grabbed the cloth on his invention, pulling it off with a swift yank of the end.
A flutter of cotton flowing past her eyes, Samantha watched the cloth fall to the ground with the softest of thuds, the invention underneath shown in its full glory to the brunette.
No longer was it the strange machine she had seen so many times in its trial phases from Reginald, stacked and stacked with piles of nailed wood and gears protruding from its openings and springs threatening to pop out with the slightest of taps. Instead the finished result looked much cleaner, more defined in design and size.
The mess of wood that Reginald had once made now cut neatly into a well fitted square box, a large carved opening was made at the center, small organ pipes lined next to each other one by one to fill the hole that closely resembled a real organ. However, the pipes weren't its only defining feature, for just as Samanthas' eyes took notice of the pipes, the curved metal of a trumpet horn caught her eyes, poking out from the left hand side along with a shelf holding a harmonica and drum cymbals held by small metal wires. Similar smaller pipers seemed to be connected to each little musical instrument, connecting them all to curve through the large box and head to the right, where a bronze wind up crank poked out from the end. Last but not least, large wooden poles were drilled into the bottom, holding the large instrument holder steady as wheels were screwed into the bottom legs, allowing the invention to be transported.
To Samantha, it sort of looked like a large music box, but with even more instruments attached to it.
Eyes widening at the new invention now in front of her, Samantha smiled with wonder and turned back to Reginald. "It looks amazing, Reginald! I don't know what it is, but it looks fantastic. What is it?"
Laughing at her answer, Reginald walked over to his creation and nodded thoughtfully, eyes moving up and down to inspect his work. "It's sort of like a moving band."
Curiosity making her raise her eyebrow, Samantha looked back at the invention with interest. "A band? Oh, that's why you have all of these instruments on it," Samantha observed, walking closer as she pointed out each instrument her eyes could see. "How did you find all of these pieces?"
"People seem to just throw away anything they think is useless. I went out searching the market for any scrap metal I could use, and there these things were in a junk pile. It got me thinking about how much music makes people smile, and soon enough I was already starting to draw out the machine. I call it the Mobile Musician!" Reginald proclaimed in a jovial voice, a hand waving in front of the invention in a joking flair.
Placing a hand over her mouth to hold in a giggle, Samantha stared at the machine with interest, only for her mind to remember the piece Reginald had been working on. "And that piece? Whats' it for?"
"Ah, this?" Reginald asked, raising his hand up to show the small metal piece. "This is to help the crank work through the machinery and make the gears spin without breaking. Here, I can show you how it works once I get it inside. Hand me a wrench?" The older man asked, walking over to his invention and pulling apart a small opening to reach inside.
"Sure," Samantha replied, heading back into the kitchen for a moment and grabbing the tool her father figure needed. Heading back into the living room, Samantha handed it to Reginald. "I got it."
"Thank you, my dear." Reginald replied, his answer muffled from his head being stuck inside his invention. Wrench going into the machine soon after and watching from a distance the work Reginald began to do, Samantha felt her shoulder shudder at the loud clanking of metal and screws being loosened and tightened.
A cough here or there coming from Reginald, the old man finally finished his work and popped his head out from the machine, pulling his hands out and closing the contraptions door shut. "There we are. That should do the trick now."
"So, how does this all work? You said it's supposed to be a moving band?" Samantha asked, grabbing Reginalds work cloth and handing it to the old man to clean himself.
Accepting the item with a smile, Reginald cleaned his greased hands off and stared at his invention. "Well, I wondered about that myself, really. I wanted to make a machine that could bring music to others for things such as fairs or celebrations, but in case a band made up of people could not perform. And then...it hit me!" Reginald exclaimed, raising his arms up excitedly to his machine. "If there are instruments that used wind to power their noise, why could I not do the same for my machine?"
Placing his rag on the table, Reginald walked toward the crank on his machine and grabbed a hold of it, slowly cranking the lever in well paced yet strenuous circles. "You see...this crank will...push the gears...fooorward in the machine," Reginald explained, his voice strained as he tried to balance his talking and the physical labor. "And...then it...will use the stored energy to...push the bellow I've placed in..side to make air flow. Like a...music box!"
Finally turning the crank enough times to make his point, Reginald took a long deep breath and wiped a bit of sweat off his forehead. Taking his moment to himself, the invention suddenly began to slowly spring to life, the sounds of gears clanking and metal pieces moving reaching Samanthas' ears.
Soon enough the sound of wind blew a bit in the room, the tiny howl rushing through the pipes of the invention as they headed straight into the instruments of the device. The harmonica was first to respond, the air flowing out into the pipes, creating a melodically timed tune that was followed by the heavy sound of the trumpet horn beside it. Clinging of cymbals coming next in the chorus of sounds, the noisy banging of the circular pieces of metal somehow adding harmoniously to the rest of the group, a tune tip-toeing its way into the air as the instruments formed a melodic song to its pair of spectators.
The sound of music filling the small home, Samanthas' face beamed with happiness at the results, rushing over to Reginald and giving him a big hug. "Reginald, this is fantastic! You'll win for sure with this!"
Wrapping his own arms around the brunette, Reginald laughed heartily. "Well, I hope it puts up a fight. It may not be the man power machine I thought of before, but at least its something." Letting go of Samantha, Reginald moved back towards his machine and slowed cranked the handle backwards, a small clink noise snapping in the air before the instruments began to slow down in tune until shutting off all together. "I'm a bit worried, to be honest. That it may not be taken seriously."
"That's nonsense." Samantha spoke up, shaking her head at the thought. "It's amazing. It may not chop wood or do something beyond our comprehension, but it is a really nice invention, Reginald." Eyes shifting to the machine, Samantha smiled at the sunlight catching the small pipes, a glimmer of light beaming off them. "Inventions help us progress, but they also make our lives easier. This invention does that by bringing smiles to peoples faces. Everyone needs a little help smiling from time to time."
Feeling like her words were holding true, Samantha nodded with pride at her own answer and walked back to Reginalds' side, placing a small hand on her father figures' shoulder. "It'll win. I know it."
A grateful smile her first response, Reginald placed a comforting hand atop Samantha's head, softly rubbing a hand through her hair. "How did you become such a sweet, young woman?"
Giggling a bit at the question, Samantha didn't make a move to stop her caretakers' actions. "Well, you did raise me."
That only made Reginald laugh even more.
"I'll be back in three days time. Make sure to keep an eye on everything while I'm gone, alright?"
"Of course. I'm not a little girl anymore. I have everything under control."
Reginald felt his lips tug up into a small smile, the older man this time looking down at his surrogate daughter from atop their family horse, Sphere. A strange name for a horse indeed, but Samantha had named the animal herself when it was only a young colt. Named for her tendency to get a bit round from eating too much, she'd named the horse and it had stuck before Reginald had a chance to suggest another.
It was odd, but the name really did suit the horse in the end. And it helped the loyal animal fit in perfectly with their family, whether a companion to play with or as a helpful mode of transportation.
The latter skill now needed for his trip.
The invention already loaded on a cart and tied to a pulley system of his own design with the help of Sphere, Reginald sat atop the horse with a dark cloak worn over his body to shield him from any chilling spring winds. He was just about ready to leave...
But not before saying good bye to the most important person in his life.
"Are you sure? I could always stay another day or so in case." Reginald joked, a playful look in his eyes as he looked back at the brown eyes of his child.
Embarrassment flaring her cheeks, Samantha shook her head and returned the playful look. "Reginald, I'm fine. Now you need to hurry or you'll delay your trip any-oh, wait! I forgot something!"
Watching as the young woman stopped talking and rushed back into the house, Reginald couldn't help but chuckle.
Ah, how much he was worrying deep down about it all. Leaving his child behind for a mere few days. It wouldn't be long, but even Reginald felt a sense of worry claw at his heart.
I suppose it is the instincts of a father. He surmised, the sight of Samantha running back down the steps of their cottage bringing a smile to his face.
"I'm back! I nearly forgot to give this to you," Samantha spoke up, handing Reginald a sandwich wrapped in paper. "It's not much since the shopping became a bit of trouble...but I hope it helps."
Taking the food, Reginald showed a thankful look to the brunette, putting the food away. "If you made it, I am sure it will fill my belly for my entire trip with how delicious is." Reginald complimented, making the brunette laugh. "I'm off, my dear. Take care while I'm gone."
Snapping the reigns of Spheres' reigns, Reginald turned back once more to wave goodbye to Samantha, a small tug of sadness in his chest as he watched Samantha get smaller and smaller with each passing second, only to disappear behind the waves of the forest trees.
"Good luck, Reginald!"
No longer able to see his child with his own eyes, Reginald felt the tugging of his heartstrings cease at still being able to hear Samantha, her goodbye a melodic tune akin to the song of birds to his ears.
Again she called him by his name.
It was not to be disrespectful in any way to him, that was a given. Samantha was far too kind and polite in that regard, but still the use of the family title never left her tongue often. It was a curious thing to many of the villagers, noting that perhaps their familial relationship was not so bright or closer knit as they thought. That she was disrespectful for not calling her father figure by his proper title, using his first name at that.
Reginald knew far better than town gossip, though. His relationship with his adopted child was surely the strongest in the land. No title would somehow change that, even if she did suddenly call him her father.
But for Samantha, the title held more significance than most would see it for. A past she could barely remember with the faintest of memories. Of her true fathers' voice, his face, his warmth. She'd only been a baby when he'd began to succumb to the very plague his wife died of. Left with no choice Nikolai Freya left his daughter in Reginalds' care as his time came closer and closer until its very end.
To give that title to someone else meant that her true father would just be a memory. A role replaced by someone else now that they were gone. To never respect the work and hardship Nikolai went through to keep her safe before his passing. And Reginald didn't want to take something so precious from a dear, old friend of his.
At least, that was what Reginald thought at least.
He could have been blowing it all out of proportion for all he knew, the reason perhaps being more simple. Such as feeling more relaxed using his first name or that maybe she just didn't see him as the father figure he saw himself as.
Whatever the case may be, Reginald could only come to a single conclusion throughout his time in his thoughts.
He loved Samantha with all his heart as any true father would. Nobody would deny him that.
"I'll miss you." He muttered softly, his words unable to be heard beyond the thicket of the forest. Feeling he was beginning to damper his own mood, Reginald sighed and turned his head back to the road ahead of him, Sphere following the well driven path towards a long road through the old woods away from town.
"This trip will succeed. I will help to make a better life for you."
It was becoming a good trip from what Reginald could tell. Making a good amount of time towards the destination, the older man hummed softly as the clopping of Spheres' hooves beat the dirt road, tall trees surrounding the road and fauna covering the land beyond their view. However, the atmosphere was becoming quite...different than what he'd expected.
The forest trees had lost most of its leaves, only misshapen branches and cracked bark their welcome from the tall onlookers. Grass and bushes still bloomed around them, yet they did not seem inviting. Thorns prickled out from the leaves and vines snaked through the ground, trapping any distracted prey that was foolish enough not to stay clear.
And the most horrible of all was the fog.
Dense and thick like mud in a swamp, it distracted Reginalds' senses and made it difficult to see a thing a few feet passed him. The smell was a mix of damp wetness and sea salt from the ocean miles away, but even the salty seas' stench could not somehow calm his nerves at the dark atmosphere he and Sphere seemed to be walking through.
"W-Well, it seems we've gotten ourselves a bit lost. Not the sunny home of Happy Harbor anymore, is it Sphere?" Reginald asked, knowing full well the horse wasn't going to answer back. It was really just to calm himself down, fear starting to rattle his bones.
That, or it was the cold.
"Wait! I think there's a sign up ahead." Reginald pointed out, moving his flickering light of a lantern up towards his face. The carriage slowly to a stop at the center of a fork in the road, Reginald groaned as he tried to decipher the broken carvings that riddled the old sign post.
It was an unfortunate situation given the clear sight in front of him, the large post of wooden signs illuminated by his lantern. Eyes searched up and down, left and right, but no matter how much Reginald tried all that stood before him was rotting wood with barely legible words carved into the old frames. There was no way he could make heads or tails of which way to go.
"I...guess we'll have to go on ol' intuition." Reginald mumbled, turning his head to look at both pathways beside him. Mulling over which way to go, Reginald lightly whipped the reigns in his hands to make Sphere move forward, moving the cart to the right side path as the two headed down the literal path of uncertainty.
The scenery around them not becoming any better for them as each hoove beat against the dirt path, Reginald pulled his small robe closer to his body as the cold wind began to pick up in the air, chilling his bones as the sun began to set beyond the trees. As the shadows of dark twisted their way into the dense forest, limbs of trees became more menacing with each speck of light disappearing, becoming claws that inched towards the two every moment they looked away.
"E-Everythings' fine, Sphere. We're going the right way, I assure you." The old man spoke up, teeth chattering from the cold while speaking loudly to the family horse, noticing the nervous eyes of the horse moving around the ink black forest that hid all kinds of unknown enemies from them.
The sound of a wolfs' howl cutting through the silent night, the hairs' on Reginalds' neck stood up at attention from the sound, hastily turning his head back to try and find the source of the noise.
"W-We're fine. Just...Just some animals out late at night." Reginald again spoke up, this time though speaking more to himself rather than the horse. Gripping the reigns tighter, the old man mushed Sphere onward in the hopes of escaping the maze of a forest they walked through. The faster they got out, the faster they would avoid the danger.
At least that was the plan, but the residence of the forest had other plans.
A snarling growl coming from a bush nearby, Reginald swiveled his head and felt his eyes widen at a pair of glowing yellow eyes looking back at him, narrowed at him like prey being watched by a hunter. His eyes glued to the sight the old man didn't notice at first that another pair popped up beside the first pair, with another coming up soon after and another appeared shortly behind.
Sucking in a short breath and feeling his blood run cold through his veins, Reginald mushed hard on the reigns of his horse, motioning Sphere to step on it and run down the dirt road. The snap waking the horse up and another howl from beyond catching the transporters' ears, the horse neighed loudly and flopped hard onto the road and rushed as fast as they could, pulling their master and the wooden cart along with them.
A chorus of howls reverberated through the cold air like a song of death, following on the heels of Reginald and Sphere who continued to try and outrun the pack of hungry wolves chasing their prey. Yet it seemed the two were set on outrunning the group of hunters the whole way...
Until a root of a tree ruined their plan.
Catching the cart behind them by surprise and added by their fast speed, Sphere neighed loudly as the cart behind him slammed against the tree root and caught air, the force of the action snapping the cart and invention off as it crashed into pieces beside a large dead oak tree. The mix of wolf howls, crashing metals, and the shock of the whole thing radiating through the animal, Sphere neighed loudly and jumped back on his hind legs.
"S-Sphere, no!" Reginald yelled in vain, unable to keep his grip on the cold reigns as he fell back off his saddle. Crashing down on the ground below him and lantern snuffed out with a hard crash to the ground, the old man groaned and looked back up, only to see his horse already galloping away from his sight into the dense forest.
Fear once again settling inside his chest and wrapping his cloak further over his chilling body, Reginald grit his teeth and got up front he ground and rushed as fast as his old legs could take him ahead, hoping to get away from the growing sounds of growls and howls from wolves rushing quickly behind him.
H-Have to keep moving. Can't die out here. Promised...promised her I wouldn't leave her!
Images of Samantha appearing in his half hazard state, Reginald gasped out tired breaths of air as he continued his pace, trying to match his own speed and breathing so he didn't end up tiring himself out faster.
"Gah!" His running suddenly halted, Reginald felt his left foot caught by a hidden tree root on the ground, pulling him back as he twisted to fall on his side. Groaning in pain at the wind kicked out of him, Reginald braced himself up with his arms and struggled to get back to his feet, only to gasp out again at a shot of pain running through his left leg.
"Twisted for sure. Curse my luck!" The old man grimaced as he leaned on his right side. Pushing himself up one more time, Reginald continued to think of a solution to his situation. A makeshift idea he could use to save himself and live another day. To get home and see his wonderful daughter and forget this ever happened. But his mind was so much clouded by the fog as the forest he ran in, no such ideas would surface. All he could think about was the pain that radiated in his leg, the rush of fear that ran through his shaking body, the icy feeling of cold snow beneath his hands...
Wait a moment.
"S-Snow?" Reginald whispered in confusion, not sure if he was seeing the very thing beneath his fingertips. He'd thought his senses were misguiding him, tricking him about the cold ice beneath his wrinkled hands, but he looked down to discern the strange feeling and truly saw what he had thought an illusion. Clawing at the snow as the cold sting cut through the small cuts on his hands, Reginald looked up ahead of him, curious to see if more of the powdered winter would appear before him.
The very same snow appear before his eyes, however another sight caught the old mans' gaze even more than the unnatural seasonal cloak.
Immense in size that cast a shadow far greater than the darkness of the night itself, Reginald felt a chill run beneath his skin, yet his eyes continue to stare widely at the structure of an icy cloaked castle in his sights.
Details of the structure were hidden by the night, deciding to stay invisible only to those who would take a step closer through the large iron gates and walls surrounding the large castle, as if it begged for those foolish enough to come to see the horrors that hid beneath the darkness.
The ominous structure in fact did its work, Reginald feeling another strong wave of dread wash over his from. However another wolves' howl mad the old mans' teeth chatter as he clambered to his feet. If this was the only chance he had let to survive the night, he would do whatever he could!
"P-Please! Someone help me!" Reginald yelled as best he could, his throat freezing from the sudden chill that hung in the air, a cold winter wind blowing against the old an and nearly pushing his cloak off him. Clutching it close, Reginald reached out to the freezing iron bars, ready to rattle them with all his might to gets someones' attention...
Only to see them push effortlessly open.
Shocked by the sudden chance set before him, Reginald ran in without hesitation into the snow covered courtyard, shutting the gate hard before him, the clang of metal resounding in the air. Making sure any locks nearby were tightened, Reginald took a few steps away from the gate to separate himself from any lingering danger, trying to catch his breath despite the cold air filling his lungs.
"I-It's a miracle this place was here." Reginald spoke to himself, clutching his cloak closer. Turning back to the dark castle behind him, the old inventor nervously stared at the structure before taking a few steps forward, ignoring the crunch of snow beneath his feet and made his way closer.
Eyes drifting around his newfound location, Reginald could only feel his tired eyes grow wide in amazement at what he saw. It seemed that the snow outside the gate he'd fallen in was not the only snow there. The entire courtyard he walked through was covered in snow, as if spring had never come. Benches and bushes were dusted with powdered snow, icicles hanging from the edges of archways and tree branches.
It was mystifying. Something out of a fairytale that Samantha would read to him.
Samantha. I promise to get to you as soon as I can. So please, wait for me.
A prayer sent to whatever higher being had seemed to spare him this day, Reginald walked up the snowy steps of the castles' porch, stopping to look at the large oak doors and stain glass ornate windows neatly lined against one another at its sides.
Was this the home of a king? Or perhaps a noble? The beautiful sculpting could only be owned by people of great wealth and blue blood, but why was it hidden away in the forest? Looking so terrifying? Reginald didn't remember hearing about royalty living near Happy Harbor.
Shivering, Reginald pushed the door to open it. "I'll find out later. Right now I need to get out of this cold."
Stepping into the dark castle, Reginald was not sure what else he was expecting from the castle. Most likely riches beyond his wildest dreams, but nothing could compared to what he saw in front of him. Red carpet that outstretched marble floors. Stairs that reached to large balconies and rooms beyond his vision. Gold and silver decorations resting on tables. Clocks and candelabra resting beside a table close by his side.
He could fit twenty of his own home in this castle alone. Perhaps more.
"H-Hello?" Reginald called out, his voice the only answer as it echoed back to him against the walls. Closing the door behind him, the inventor stepped further into he castle, his shoes silenced by the plush carpet beneath him. "Is anyone there? I am sorry to intrude, but my cart and horse were lost by a pack of wolves and heavy storm is outside. I was just looking for shelter Just for the night."
"Oh, you poor man. Of course you can stay!"
"Are you insane, Wallace? Keep your voice down."
The sound of voices resonating close by, Reginald hastily turned around to find the sources of the newfound voices talking to him. Or rather gossiping about him. However no matter how hard he looked, there was nobody there behind him. All there was was a beautifully carved wooden table, a clock and candlestick holder sitting side by side on the surface.
Perhaps he had misheard?
"Who...said that?" Reginald spoke up, wondering if he'd get an answer the second time around.
"Well I did, of course!" The candlestick answered, springing to life as it waved its...arm towards Reginald.
Wait...Candletsick?
"Ahhh...Whaaat?!" His heart jump starting at the sight, Reginald felt his foot slip great caught on the carpet as he fell onto his bottom, groaning in pain as he tried to register what he'd just seen. What he was still looking at.
A candlestick just...spoke to him. Had he hit his head too hard when he'd fallen outside earlier? Or was he dead? In some sort of dream near deaths door?
"I...I must be dreaming." Reginald muttered, a nervous sweat rolling down the side of his skull.
But rather than think the hallucination he just saw would disappear, it instead came closer; the candelabra hopping towards the edge of the table to look down at Reginald. It was a moderately sized candlestick holder, its gold shining with the help of its candle flames resting in its holders to show a magnificent crafting of gold vines and leaves curved to form around the arms and body of the strange, speaking contraption. At its holders were candles, to small ones that were alit with flame and a final one resting at the "head", with the metal sculpted as a human-like face with green eye and...freckles.
A face, now that he noticed, was smiling cheerfully to him.
"Oh, I am terribly sorry for scaring you, sir. I am Wallace, head servant of this castle. It is a pleasure to make your acquantince. But everyone here calls me Wally. Well, everyone except Kaldur." The candlestick replied jovially, bowing to Reginald with regal practice.
Unsure of how to respond, Reginald felt his throat go dry with surprise, his mind whirling from a. Mix of confusion and exhaustion from what he'd been through and what he was seeing. All that seemed to come out as a response was-
"Ahh...Y-Yes. A pleasure, Wally." He sputtered out, all he could say at the moment.
A groan from another person making their presence known, Reginald turned his head again to the left ever so slightly, this time looking to see a moving wind up clock hop to stand next to Wally. Like the candlestick holder, it too had its own unique design. Fashionably carved wood that made it stand out like a perfect ornament, yet was decorated with clean glass to show the inner workings of the clock and specks of gold and bronze designs curving along the body like the waves the an ocean.
However unlike his design, the clock didn't seem calm or jovial to his presence. Nor the situation.
"Now look what you have caused, Wallace. Didn't I say to stay quiet?" The clock asked, raising his small wooden arms up in protest.
"Kaldur, have a heart. The man was freezing outside. It would be rude of us to not do anything to help." Wally responded back, turning to look at Kaldur with a shocked expression.
"I understand that but-ahh!" Suddenly being pulled off the table, Kaldur could do nothing but shriek in protest as he felt himself pulled closer to Reginald for inspection.
"Fascinating." Reginald muttered, eyes swarming Kaldurs' body like he was the newest technology at the science fair. Well, surely these...whatever they were had to be better than anything he would have seen at the fair. "How do you operate?" Reginald asked curiously, flicking the tiny door Reginalds body open to press a finger into the small gears turning within.
Offended by the sudden handling of his body, Kaldur reached out and smacked Reginalds hand with all the force he could "Excuse me, sir! I demand you put me down this instant!"
Realizing just what he was doing, Reginald frowned and nodded, placing the clock on the table beside Wally. "I-I apologize. I was just so curious as to how you move and talk." Reginald answered honestly, only to raise up to cover his mouth and sneeze loudly.
Watching the scene go on and the ragged state of Reginald, Wally frowned and shook his head. "Forgive us. We are making you stand on your tired feet after surviving a chilling storm. Come this way sir and we shall let you rest by an open fire." Wally spoke, motioning Reginald to follow after him.
"Oh, thank you kindly." Reginald exclaimed happily, glad for some warmth from his long day.
"No no no no no! You know what the master will do if he finds out about this." Kaldur warned, hopping after Wally and Reginald who began retreating to the small living room of the castle off to the side.
The three heading inside, none had noticed a figure watching from the higher floors of the castle. Their body large and hunched behind a pillar, a beastly growl hissed beneath the beings' breath while their sights were set on the strange invading their castle. Red cape flowing gently behind them with each movement made, the figure moved swiftly through the shadows, getting closer to the scene little by little.
There was absolutely no chance of someone resting in his castle.
Taken into a small room plush with a single large chair and stunning objects, Reginald followed Wally to the large chair and took a seat snuggly into the cushion. His body melting in a softness he'd never known before, the old man couldn't help but chuckle as a bark from somewhere sounded and the appearance of a footstool rushing like an energetic pup placed its body underneath his feet. "This is wonderful. Thank you."
Happy to see the old man feeling a bit better, Wally hopped to the fireplace and moved his candle arm out to light the firewood within, flames bursting to life within a matter of moments that illuminated the room.
"It is no trouble my good sir. And do not fret. Are little pup, Wolf, does not bite. Quite the playful animal companion actually." Wally added, bowing with a flourish to Reginald. "Now why don't we get you some tea to warm those tired bones?" Wally asked, raising his "hands" up to whistle loudly.
The signal seemingly heard from far beyond their place in the room, a large tea tray suddenly burst through the doorway, knocking down Kaldur as it stopped beside Reginald.
"Now, what can I help you with tonight, sir?" A new voice spoke up. Reginald moved his eyes down to look at the new tea tray, wondering what new sight he would see this time. Smiling, he noticed a pristine tea pot of light green looking up to him, dashes of red and white painted along the edges of the teapots rim in flower vines and a colorful assortment of flowers; the teapot lid decorated with a resemblance to blooming spring flowers.
Was there nothing this castle could not surprise him with?
"Oh umm...just some tea. No sugar. I've had enough excitement tonight." Reginald joked, trying to make the situation more light hearted.
"Is anyone listening to me?" Kaldur exclaimed, his wooden feet skittering across the marble floor while raising his arms up to get someones' attention. "Megan, you at least must understand my worry. We can't let this man stay here, even if he was stuck in the cold. The master will be furious!"
The teapot, or Megan as she was called did not answer back. Instead focusing on the task of helping her guest, she smiled and nodded to Reginalds' request and poured fresh tea into a nearby cup. "Here you are, sir. Please enjoy."
"Is anyone listening to me?!" Kaldur exclaimed, fear radiating off his clock body as carved eyes shifted back and forth at everyone in the room who seemed preoccupied with either talking to Reginald or helping her get comfortable.
"No, we aren't." Wally replied, making Kaldur groan with annoyance.
"Thank you, miss. I shall." Taking the cup of freshly brewed tea, Reginald couldn't help but stare at the contents within, his reflection mirroring within the liquid and showing the face of a pale and tired looking man. "I'm am eternally grateful for coming here. Now that I am saved, I'll be able to get back home to Samantha without worry."
Happy that his own wish would come true, Reginald took a long sip of the warm tea...
Only to stop when he felt something moving near his lips.
"Hahaha! Hey, that tickles too much! You gotta stop that."
A wriggling coming from his lips and a voice calling close by, Reginald once again felt his eyes widen in shock as he pulled the small teacup from his lips, but smiled at the sight of a blue eyes looking back at him. It too looked different among the other living objects. Rather than have the same design as Megan, this small cup was black all around, except for the rim of the cup being red on top and the lower rim at the bottom gold. Along its body small painted designs of black robins danced around the body, safe for the small spot where the cups' eyes and mouth were.
Yet another surprise for Reginald to experience.
"Now, who are you?" Reginald asked, laughing a bit at the small smirk the teacup in his hands showed him.
"The names' Richard, but everyone calls me Dick." The teacup spoke up, a young boys voice escaping the teacup who smiled back at him.
"Dick, be more polite. He's a guest." Megan chided, shaking her head at the playful banter of Dick taking up the conversation.
"Oh, the boy is fine miss," Reginald spoke, smiling to Megan before looking back to Dick. "Sorry about tickling you there my boy. My name is Reginald."
"It's okay Mr. Reginald," Dick said, squirming a bit to try and nod despite Reginald holding him. "So who's Samantha? Is she you're friend?"
The name of his only family popping up in the conversation, Reginald chuckled and nodded. "Well, something of the sort. She's-"
"RRRAAAAUUUUUGGGHH!"
The loud howl of something beastly blasting through the halls and foyer of the castle, the force of the sound brought a large gust of wind into the small living room, any few candles and fireplace alit blown into nothingness as darkness flooded the once lit room.
Reginald jumping in his seat, he'd nearly dropped Dick out of fright if not remembering the poor boy...cups' placement in his hands. Shaking palms placing him on the tea tray behind a scared looking Megan, Reginald moved to cling to the armrests of the chair, afraid to move in fear of being spotted by...whatever made the noise.
Knowing he couldn't turn around to see what had made the noise, Reginald felt his eyes drift from his shaking form to those of Wally, Dick, Megan, and Kaldur. Each one like himself had a nervous or scared look in their painted or sculpted features, eyes starting at something that was behind him.
And from the way the shadow that was cast from the being, it was a large creature.
Realizing that there was no way of hiding in the chair for too long, Reginald took a shaky breath to try and calm his nerves, pushing his body off the chair momentarily to help turn his head and see who had made the floor shaking roar.
He didn't know what to expect, but what he saw went beyond anything the inventor could imagine.
Fear unlike any he'd felt that day, no his entire life had clutched his heart. Blood freezing as cold as the ice he'd seen out int he courtyard, Reginald felt his mouth part in amazement and surprise, the figure beside him towering over his withering, cold form like an animal inspecting his prey.
It had to be at least eight, no perhaps ten feet tall. A large wolf-like being standing on two legs like a human being. Their body was covered in ebony black hair that hid the muscle and strength beneath his skin, their snout and nose sniffing the air to get a hint of the mans' sweat and fear. Hunched with arms lumbering at his sides, claws as sharp as knights' blades protruded from the beasts' knuckles, ready to cut through him if he so dared make the wrong move, a tail every so often swishing from behind his back to show he was keeping his attention on him.
And his eyes...
They were dark blue like the ocean, but held no kindness or serenity the great mass of water had. There was no friendless in those pools. Instead the blue ocean in the beasts' eyes roared with anger akin to storms or whirlpools, ready to drown you if you dare got closer.
But they held some form of humanity. Anger and hatred, but humanity nonetheless.
Already had Reginald been surprised by his turn of events. His invention and horse lost in a chase against wolves. Finding a dark and thought abandoned castle that encountered snow despite it being spring. Living furniture that was as smart and talkative as people. And now...a beast that looked somewhat human through his burning gaze.
What kind of world had he stepped into?
"Who are you!?" The beast suddenly yelled, making the staring of Reginald cease as he jumped in his...or the beasts' chair. "What are you doing in my castle!?"
Squirming out of his seat, Reginald collapsed to the carpet floor as he got up to continue staring at the beast, trying to find his voice to explain himself. "I-I didn't mean any harm! I...was nearly killed in the forest by wolves and lost my horse. I ran through the forest and found this place. I was just looking for shelter. I swear!" Reginald exclaimed, answer shaky despite his attempt to remedy the situation.
His answer however seemed to have no affect on the beast. Rather than understand his situation, the beat instead continued to glare even harder at the old man, seeing his gaze settle on him for so long. "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT!?"
"N-Nothing, sir! Please, have mercy!" Reginald asked, legs shaking like a leaf at the anger radiating off the owner.
Blue eyes hardening on the shaking individual in front of him, the beast growled beneath his breath as his hunched form moved to stand straight, showing the eight foot tall form of the beast glower at Reginald.
The mercy he asked for did not appear.
"I'll give you a place to stay!" A clawed hand reaching to grab Reginald by the collar of his shirt, the beast pulled the old man along with him in a forceful exit of the room, the rest of the servants clambering against one another in fright at the situation that had occurred and could not stop.
Once again were they failing their prince.
"Please! Where are you taking me?" Reginald pleaded, body bumping against stone steps and walls as he was dragged upwards through a tower by the beast.
"You'll know soon enough." His captor growled back, reaching the last step of the tower to look at a row of cells blocked by metal cage doors. No furniture sat in the rooms except for a single wooden stool for a chair, bales of hay resting on the floor as makeshift beds for whomever stayed within. "This will be you're new home. Get used to it!"
"What?! N-No! You can't!" Reginald pleaded, eyes going wide as he saw one of the cells get closer and closer to him without his permission. Feeling his own feet disappear from the ground, Reginald could only lift his arms up weakly to shield himself as he was flung into a cell, thankfully landing on a pile of hay to cushion his fall.
"I can! This is what happens to those who try to come here and take pleasure in my castle. Coming to steal from me? To look at the hideous beast?!" He roared, banging against the cage door in anger while glaring at Reginald.
Reginald however had no energy to continue fighting with his captor. His body weak front he cold and lack of rest, all he could do was weakly shake his head and stare back at the beast. "No, never. Please, I must get home. My daughter...She needs me. I promised I would return to her."
Sadly, his pleas came unanswered by the beast.
A harsh glare of dark blue crushing his old form, the beast merely turned his back on Reginald and walked down the tower steps. "You should have thought of that before trespassing."
The padding of pawed steps growing weaker and weaker with each second passing, Reginald felt his body slump further into the pile of hay in his cell as reality of his situation sunk in.
No matter how uncertain or crazy this was, it was happening. Despite being an inventor and delver in the world of machinery and science, there was something here that just could not be explained. It was as if the world he once new of real facts and life was replaced by magic and strange spells, the tales in which Samantha would enjoy reading...
"Samantha..." Reginald breathlessly spoke, his voice sore from the events that had transpired. The very mention of his daughters' game made his heart ache, somehow still having the energy to make it seem like someone was crushing his chest.
He had been so close.
He had somehow avoided deaths' door today to try and get back home to his enigmatic and sensible adopted daughter, only to fall into a new Hell that was far worse than anything he would most likely experience.
"Please forgive me, Samantha," Reginald muttered, groaning as he lifted himself up from his bed to stare at the dungeon before him.
"I promised I would not leave you so soon, but it looks like the world has other plans for me."
There was no way out. No key nearby to try and steal. No items within the cage to use as tools. No manpower in himself to weather a fight against...that thing, nor get home through the storms or wolves.
He was going to die here.
Was this punishment? A cruel fate given to him for not being a good father? His work making his daughters' life difficult? For making her life somewhere where she was shunned by others for being her?
If this was his to be his life until the end, the very least he needed to do was make one more plea. Clasping his tired, pale hands together to ensure the message came across to where she was, Reginald felt a tear run down his cheek as thought about the only family he had left in the world.
Samantha, follow your heart and always do what you believe is right. I am proud of you no matter what you do, so please do not worry about me. I am happy knowing you've grown to be a capable and smart woman.
I could be no more prouder of my daughter.
Ah, all done. So glad I could get this one done. Thankfully finals are starting to simmer down in about two weeks, so I've got a little free time to relax and write. Since this was halfway done, I really wanted to finish this for you all, so I hope you like it.
I promise Schooled is still coming. It's just...taking me a bit longer than I thought. Getting back into the mindset and groove of a chapter I hadn't even started yet is throwing me off, but I hope to have it done but the end of December at the latest. But Beauty Within Two Beasts should still be going strong while that's happening. And next chappy Sam is goin' on a journey to find her father! Plus reject Roy on the way! XD
If you can, please read and review! I'd really like some feedback on how this is going, if you like any of the tiny plot changes or differences, or if theres' something you actively want to see happen in "movie canon" or change into something different. There's no fear in asking. I'm always willing to answer back and talk in PMs too.
Until then, you all have a wonderful day/night/close holiday. XD