He didn't know how long he sat there for… long enough for his limbs to start to ache in the cold. Suddenly, the door opened up, prompting him to jump to his feet, as a strangers' voice spoke up from the shadows.
"I didn't mean to scare you, and forgive my intrusion, but we are here to escort you to your room."
Miguel bent down and picked a wooden stool up off the ground, shuffling closer to the now-open door, "My room? But I thought- "
"- Ah he gave you the whole 'once this door closes, it will never open again' speech?"
Miguel peeked around the doorframe, only to see the colourful coat pulling against the lever… a coat which then moved away and stood up all on its own.
"He can be very dramatic at times."
Yes… that was definitely the coat speaking. It wriggled, almost like it was waving. "Hello."
Miguel yelped and threw the stool at it, frowning when the stool shattered, and the coat was merely knocked to the ground.
"You are very strong." The coat rose back into a standing position, "That is an excellent quality."
"W-who are you?!"
"My name is Joseph."
"And… you can talk?"
"Well, of course he can talk!"
Miguel spun around to see the Shepard's crook hopping up the stairs towards him.
"It's all he ever does sometimes!" The crook then seemed to turn to the coat, "Joseph, you need to put him back in the cell before the Master realises!"
As the pair muttered to each other about curses, Miguel darted back into the cell and picked up something a little heavier. However, when he peeked back out, the coat… Joseph bowed, "Follow me please."
As they headed out of the tower and into the cold winter air, Joseph wrapped around Miguel's shoulders. "You must forgive first impressions." Joseph murmured, "I hope you are not too startled."
"Why would I be startled? I'm just talking to a coat and a shepard's crook."
"… Good point. But please, consider me at your service, the temple is your home now. So feel free to go anywhere you like."
"Except for the west wing!" the crook, who had introduced themselves as Moses, piped up, only to hop back at some frantic sleeve shaking from Joseph, "Which… we don't have."
Miguel frowned, "What's in the west wing?"
"Nothing." "Nothing." "Storage Space." "Storage Space!" "That's it." "That's it."
They both seemed to come to an agreement between them, as Moses turned away again, "Follow me to the east wing."
"Or as I like to call it…" Joseph piped up, "… the only wing. Watch your step now."
Once they were back inside the temple, Miguel was led to a gorgeous door, which then led to a stunning bedroom. Joseph floated off his back, stretching the sleeves out wide. "Welcome to your new home. It's modest, but comfortable."
That was putting it lightly. This room was larger than the home he shared with Eugene. Spinning around, he tried to take everything in, noting the large bed and gorgeous decorations around the walls.
"It's… amazing."
"Of course… the master wanted you to have the best room in the house." Joseph floated over to the bed, brushing a sleeve against it, almost seeming to wince at the amount of dust that was kicked up, "Sorry, but we weren't expecting guests."
Before Miguel could say anything, a duster flew into the room, looking almost Egyptian in origin as it started to dust the walls. "Don't worry…" she stated, a slight accent in her voice, "… I'll have this place spotless in no time."
Miguel watched as it… she, flew all around the room before settling down next to Joseph, "This plan of yours is dangerous." She whispered, as the sleeves wrapped around her.
"I would do anything to touch you properly again Asenath."
Miguel turned away from the pair, as did Moses, "Is everything alive in here?"
"Not quite…" Moses sighed, "… certainly less of us than there were."
The statement sounded ominous, and Miguel felt a shiver go up and down his spine.
"We'll leave you to get settled." Moses broke the uncomfortable silence, waiting for Joseph and Asenath to leave, before following them out and closing the door behind them.
As soon as he thought they were far enough away, Miguel raced over to the window, wrenching them open and peering out…. Nothing beneath that would cushion him if he decided to jump for it. Turning to the bed, his eyes fell on the decorated fabrics covering it.
Just like Flynn Rider.
…
"He said no?" The Acolyte questioned, a frown on his face, "How… unfortunate."
Tzekel-Khan shook his head, sharpening the sacrificial knife, "He said he would never join with me. He would never join the temple." He growled in frustration, "I don't understand why though. He should have been honoured with my decision!"
Before the Acolyte could reply, there was a commotion out in the hall-way and someone burst through the door.
"Priest Tzekel-Khan! Priest Tzekel-han!" Eugene raced towards the pair of them, "Help, please- someone, someone please help! It's got Daddy! It's got Daddy in the dungeon!"
"Who's got him?"
"A monster!" Eugene cried out, "A monster in an empty temple in the woods! He's going to keep Daddy locked up! We need to help him!"
When the Acolyte muttered something about 'overactive imaginations', Eugene spun around and glared at him.
"Listen to me! I'm not making this up, there's a monster in a hidden temple and he's got my Daddy!"
Nothing.
"Y-You're not going to help?"
There was a brief moment of silence, before Tzekel-Khan nodded, "Of course we will my child."
"Really?"
"Really. Me and my assistant will follow you and help rescue Miguel."
Eugene beamed, "Thank you! Thank you!"
"No need to thank me dear boy… now, take us to this hidden temple.
As Eugene turned to walk in the other direction, Tzekel-Khan turned to the Acolyte and gave him a significant smile.
Befriend the son to get to the father.
…
"There's a stranger in the castle!" Jim used his coaster like a skateboard, skidding along the shelves.
The face on the whiskey decanter almost seemed to roll his eyes, "Yes, yes, we know."
"I wonder what he likes to drink?"
"Jim! If you break another coaster, you're not getting another one!"
Jim came to a skidding stop as the doors to the kitchen/dining room slammed open and the Master burst into the room, instantly spotting the other meal on the table.
"Joseph!" he growled, turning to the frantic coat, who was fluttering his sleeves frantically, "You're making him dinner?"
"W-we thought you might appreciate the company!" Joseph floated over to try and hide behind Moses, who immediately started to protest, insisting that he had no part in this plan. It wasn't his idea to feed Miguel, or give a room in the east wing… which the Master immediately picked up on.
"You gave him a bedroom?!"
"Yes!" Joseph sighed, "Because if this man is the one to break the spell, then maybe you can use dinner to try and charm him!"
"That's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard! Charm the prisoner?!"
"You have to try though… with every passing day, we become less human!"
"His son is a little thief! What does that say about the man who raised him?!"
This time, it was the decanter who spoke up, "You know better than to judge the child because of the parents."
The Master couldn't argue with that.
Next thing they knew, they were all standing outside Miguel's new room, as the Master pounded on the door. "You will join me for dinner. That's not a request."
"Really?" The decanter rolled his glass eyes, "The man lost his son and his freedom in one day, and now you're ordering him to spend time with you?"
The coat nodded in agreement, "Yeah, he's probably scared to death!"
….
Miguel was fine.
Hopefully his knots were as well.
…..
This time, the Master knocked on the door a little more softly.
"Just a minute!" was the reply from inside the room.
"See, there he is!" Joseph piped up, "Now, just remember to be gentle."
"Kind." The decanter next.
"Charming." Asenath
"Sweet." Moses
"And when he opens the door, give him a dashing smile." Joseph waved his sleeves in encouragement, "Come on, show me that smile."
Needless to say, the result was traumatic.
The Master took a deep breath, "Will you join me for dinner."
"… You've taken me as your prisoner and now you want to have dinner with me?" Are you insane?!"
The Master snapped, banging on the door again, "I TOLD YOU TO JOIN ME FOR DINNER!"
"And I said NO! I'd rather STARVE than eat with YOU!"
"FINE, BE MY GUEST! GO AHEAD AND STARVE!" He then turned to the servants behind him, "If he doesn't eat with me, then he doesn't eat at all! IDIOTS!"
As he stormed away, Moses hopped out of his hiding place, "Well… that could have gone a lot better."
…
Storming up to his own chambers, the Master glanced over the rose hidden in the glass dome, before grabbing a small mirror from the same table.
"Show him to me."
The glass fogged up for a few seconds, before clearing, an image of the prisoner huddled up against the wall near the door revealing itself.
The man looked terrified.
The Master scowled, slamming the mirror back down on the table, glass side down.
Why should he care about a prisoner?
