Chapter 3
It Gets Worse
Markarov was lost.
"We are definitely not lost, Romeo."
Markarov was "definitely not lost" in the middle of the scary woods with his "very brave" horse.
"Definitely not lost," he grumbled, pulling a crumpled, hand-drawn map out of his pocket. After examining it for a minute, Markarov exclaimed, "Ah-ha! I've found us! You see Romeo?" He held up the map in front of the horse's face. "We're right here! Not lost at all." He paused. "Right?" Romeo shook his head. "Don't worry, Romeo. We'll be there soon, if all is right."
Suddenly, a loud HOWL! tore through the woods, petrifying the horse and Markarov alike. After a few minutes of silence, Romeo pushed on hurriedly, immediately followed by another distinctive HOWL! The terrified horse reared up on his hind legs, knocking Markarov to the ground, and cantered off toward the house.
Markarov was getting up from the ground groggily when the sound came again, this time louder. "The wind," he whispered, "It's only the wind." A stick broke in the woods behind him, and Markarov spun around to see nothing but darkness staring back. He was having trouble breathing and knew that if he didn't run now, it would be certain death by whatever was out there hiding in the night. The trouble was, his legs wouldn't move.
"It's a binding spell, right!" Markarov yelled to the trees. "Let me go," he growled. When there was no response but a low rumble, he said firmly, "Let. Me. Go." There was a blinding flash of light, and Markarov was down on the ground, unconscious.
. . .
Laxus was mad. So mad, in fact that he hadn't moved from in front of Levi's house since he'd been turned down. Rejected. Scorned. Refused. Discarded. Disallowed. Vetoed. Laxus punched Freid who had been coming up with synonyms again.
"Feel better?" Freid asked from his place on the ground. Laxus glared at him.
"What the hell were you doing in her bathroom, you ass!" he growled.
"It was nice! She had some good literature! You can't blame a man for wanting to read a woman's bathroom magazines!" Laxus kicked him.
"Pansy," he grumbled. "Get up. I need a beer."
"Of course, of course," Freid mumbled.
"On you."
"On me," he sighed as Laxus stalked off to the pub.
Levi pulled back her blinds as Laxus walked away and slumped t the ground, wiping tears off her face. What was that? She thought to herself. How could this day get any worse? As if on cue, Romeo came roaring up the path, his hooves click clacking all the way to the door. Levi spun around and opened the window.
"Romeo?" she called to him. "Where's Father?" The horse walked over to Levi and huffed, digging his hooves into the ground. "Where is Papa, Romeo?"
At that precise moment, there was a whirring sound in the cart attached to Romeo's saddle. Levi jumped and, realizing that it was Voir, dashed out the front door to the automaton. The transparent man held a sketchbook and a pencil. He had just finished as Levi got to his side.
Voir held a picture. It was a picture of Markarov, all alone, unconscious. Levi face was filled with horror.
It just got worse, Voir wrote.
Author's Note:
O, the drama of it all! How will they get out of this crazy situation? What happened to Markarov? (Wish I knew how to type an interobang…)
