"Ya ho! Sir Raizel! I hope you do not mind, but we let ourselves in!" The Lord barged into the room with a bright smile on his face, only for his smile to vanish somewhat as he received no response. "Hello?" His red eyes scanned the room, finding no trace of the Noblesse. The window was left open, allowing a breeze to blow in and cause the curtains to flutter in the air. The Lord glanced around as he felt Raizel's energy, though it was faint. If he had been here, he had left the room not long after.
Zarga wrinkled his nose as he stepped in behind the Lord. "It smells in here. Has Frankenstein not been airing out the room?"
"I must admit that it does carry a foul odor," Roctis agreed. He raised a hand to his nose, grimacing as the smelly stench reached his senses. "Perhaps Frankenstein has grown rather lax in his duties."
The Lord sniffed, then grimaced as the offensive aroma reached his nose. "Then we shall air out this room. In fact, air out all the rooms. We are bound to find Sir Raizel and Frankenstein here somewhere." With that, the Lord proceeded to open all the remaining windows in the room. Pulling back one of the curtains, he opened Raizel's favorite window, the breeze billowing in. He came to a halt, however, when his foot bumped against a small trash bin. With a frown, the Lord looked down into the bin, and quickly recoiled in disgust.
Sensing the sudden disgust emerging from his monarch, Roctis looked up with concern. "My Lord!" Roctis exclaimed worriedly, rushing forward. But the Lord merely waved him away dismissively.
"No need to worry," the Lord commented, plugging his nose. "I think that we have discovered the source of the stench." He backed away, eyeing the bin. He could only wonder what was in that bin that could cause such a horrible smell. Was it some source of rotten food? If so, why would Frankenstein discard something so revolting in his Master's favorite room?
The Lord sighed. "Perhaps, that is why we have been unable to locate Sir Raizel and Frankenstein. They must be taking a breather from this stench." With a firm nod, the Lord proclaimed, "And when they come back, they will find all of the rooms aired out!" He paused when Zarga stumbled into the room, a look of alarm on the Noble's face. The Lord frowned. "Zarga? Whatever is the matter?"
Zarga glanced behind him and out into the hallway before hastily backing into the wall. Clearing his throat, the Noble portrayed a look of one extremely uncomfortable being. "You said to open all the windows and doors to air everything out."
The Lord nodded, failing to see why this should be a problem. "Yes," he started. "That is precisely what I would have wanted. Why? What is wrong?" He beamed. "Did you locate Sir Raizel?"
Zarga cleared his throat once more and shifted his feet slightly. However, before he could answer, the sound of a disturbance echoed throughout the halls. Both the Lord and Roctis took note of how Zarga winced at the noise just as a brown creature pranced in.
The Lord beamed. "Oh! Look, it appears that Raizel has a goat for a pet." He frowned. "I know that I don't want Sir Raizel to be lonely, but would a smelly animal really make for a good companion, aside from Frankenstein?" He cocked his head. Well, he did have his doubts about Frankenstein, so maybe this goat would surprise him as well just as the human had.
The goat hesitantly observed the room, keeping a wary eye out for the dangerous blonde man with the scary dark aura. She had tried to get away from that horrifying energy! Just feeling her heart pound from the memories...oh the tragedy! But, she didn't see the scary blonde man anywhere, or the quiet, black haired man that she had attacked previously. Obviously, in her mind's eye, she had scared off that black haired man with her attack as he was nowhere to be found.
But wait! There was a blonde-haired man in here! He was still there, ready to assault her in all the private, indecent parts of her body! Well, she would not allow him to get his hands on her anymore. So, with a determined huff and a snort, the she-goat charged forward with her horns aimed to crash right into the Lord's groin.
The indignant shouting could be heard throughout Lukedonia as the Lord was assaulted.
Frankenstein paced the room with a frown, resisting the urge to bite his nails. He glanced over at his Master in the dim, dark room. The Noblesse was sitting on the edge of the bed, his hands folded on his lap. The bed was positioned near the window, and Frankenstein had pulled the curtain back to offer his Master a view of the village they were seeking refuge in. It was not much of a view, but the dark woods offered Raizel something different to look at.
But Raizel's gaze was not focused on the outside. Instead, he was focused on watching the children. Tao was asleep and wrapped in blankets that had, unintentionally, kept him from moving. Placed in the middle of the bed so as not to fall off, both Takeo and Tao were asleep. Takeo's mouth was parted open, soft sighs emerging from him. M21, on the other hand, seemed more interested with trying to climb on Raizel's lab. In their haste to leave the mansion, M21 had been wrapped up in the blanket he seemed so fond of. Even now, he was clutching the blue blanket in his hands as he tried to sit on Raizel's lap.
The child fixed Raizel with a stare, his grey eyes wide. Frankenstein watched with faint amusement how his Master stared back at M21, as if this was some sort of staring contest. Frankenstein did not have a doubt that if his Master was ever placed in a staring contest, then the Noblesse would win. However, M21 did not seem all that interested at staring.
M21 tugged on Raizel's shirt, his expression thoughtful. "Baby gaba da wooby."
Raizel blinked, and Frankenstein barely resisted snorting in amusement. However, he could detect Raizel's helplessness through the bond.
"Frankenstein, what do I do?"
"He's talking to you Master," Frankenstein assured him through the bond. "Talk back to him."
"...I do not know what he has said."
"You don't need to. Just smile, nod, and say something."
A sigh escaped the Noblesse, and his back straightened up. Fixing M21 with a stare, Raizel nodded. "What?"
M21 sighed, as if tired. "Baba da wooby." And with that, Raizel was assaulted with undecipherable baby talk and gibberish. But M21 seemed content with just having a captive audience with him. And Raizel was certainly a captive in this situation. Sounds and small giggles emerged from M21's mouth as he seemed to be talking about 'something' that intrigued him. Raizel looked utterly lost, but to his credit, he just nodded to whatever M21 was saying, as Frankenstein had instructed.
"-a da whoop!" M21 cut off suddenly, and Frankenstein's warm smile of affection vanished as he noticed the sudden change in M21. Despair seemed to cloud the child's eyes. His small body sagged; his eyes downcast. Taking a step forward, Frankenstein watched as M21 merely crawled onto Raziel's lap, hugging the Noblesse with his small arms.
"I...I scared," he whimpered. Burying his face in Raizel's shirt, he looked away.
Raizel and Frankenstein both traded concerned glances. With great hesitation, Raizel raised his hand. Frankenstein watched carefully as his Master slowly rested his hand on M21's head, running his fingers through the infant's hair.
"Why?" Raizel asked softly. "Why are you scared?"
M21 whimpered, the small sounds of fear muffled as he buried his head in Raizel's shirt. "I scared," he whimpered.
"Hold him, Master," Frankenstein encouraged. He wondered if he should step in himself and offer M21 any comfort, but he was unsure if he should interfere. His Master was currently in the situation to help M21, and he was willing to give his Master the chance to become involved with the children and step out of his comfort zone.
But the Noblesse did not need any encouraging. He was already pulling M21 closer, holding him. His lips moved as he offered words of comfort to M21, to which Frankenstein could not hear. M21's small body trembled, but he was no longer whimpering.
Frankenstein's frown deepened. Was M21 having unpleasant memories? If so, how much did he remember? His gaze swept over to look at Takeo and Tao. How much did they all remember?
"I...I scared."
He didn't know why he was scared. The unpleasant feeling of fear had just taken ahold of his heart, freezing him for a moment. His small lungs tried to breathe as he felt himself suddenly become submerged in thick liquid. Unfriendly, red eyes flashed towards him with a twisted smile.
"Wow. Wow. I never thought I would get such fascinating test subjects."
That was a woman's voice. Her compliment...it filled him with fear. M21 whimpered in response to her statements.
That woman...she scared him.
He wanted to go home.
He saw long, sharp needles. He felt nothing. But the familiar feeling of fear spiked through his heart.
He sought comfort immediately, crawling towards the warm, welcoming presence. With one small hand clutching his blanket, and the other reaching out to that one being he knew would protect him, he moved forward. He did not care how he was positioned on this person's lap as he buried his face in the folds of their shirt. He just wanted to be protected from the scary people in the long white coats with the mean needles.
And that woman. That scary, red-eyed woman.
Warm arms wrapped around him, pulling him close. With safety ensured, M21 closed his eyes, growing still as the assurance of protection encircled him.
Frankenstein watched as his Master held M21. Raizel reached to use the blanket M21 was clinging to cover the small child's body. Worry was shared between them through the bond as they both watched M21.
Frankenstein sighed. Well, he wanted to check on the children's physical conditions anyway. He might as well do it now while thinking of a suitable place to stay. It certainly couldn't be in this smelly village. Especially with the plague coming up. That particular thought led him to a new idea. What village could they go to that would be safe from wars, famine, and the plague? Obviously, they would have to go somewhere warm to avoid any harsh winters. If his initial fear was right about Tao being premature, then he did not want to risk Tao becoming sick in winter, and possibly perishing.
They would also need to go somewhere with a rich market. Somewhere he could buy necessary supplies for not only the babies, but for the Master and himself. Rich markets that were well protected. Egypt might be nice, but the Berbers would become overrun by the Arabs. He couldn't remember when exactly that took place in history, but he didn't want to take any chances in finding a nice place, only to be slaughtered because of his oversight. England was most certainly out because of the plagues and the poor living conditions.
Now that he thought about it, maybe it would be best that they find a secluded place. After all, would it be in their best interest to avoid Lukedonia all together? If they stayed away from the other Nobles, then his Master would be safe; free from the problems that the future would bring. His Master would be safe from the betrayal and heartache he had suffered before.
He would be safe from his fate; a fate that involved him dying.
His heart ached from the phantom pain as he remembered how his Master's body had felt in his arms as the Noblesse was finally succumbing to Eternal Sleep. He had felt their bond grow weak, and it was a horrifying feeling. The very bond that he cherished so much had nearly been destroyed. The very being in the world he held most dear had nearly left him. There was nothing he could have done, except watch his Master die in his arms. It had been different when his Master had gone missing for 820 years. At least he could sense the fact that his Master was alive. But then, he knew that his Master was dying.
He would never feel that helpless. Never again would he allow his Master to come so close to death.
But to do that, leaving Lukedonia forever would ensure his Master's safety.
With that tempting thought, Frankenstein's blue eyes glanced over at his Master. The Noblesse was gently running his fingers through M21's hair soothingly. Frankenstein's gaze softened as he noticed how content his Master seemed to be. Yes, maybe they could find a nice, large cottage located in a tropical market. He could give not only his Master, but the children as well, a normal life amongst the humans, safe from the Nobles. If he could figure out how to hide his Master's unique energy, then the Nobles would not think to look for the Noblesse in a human village, living with human children. If the thought of their precious Noblesse living with one human was unthinkable, then how would the Nobles react to find out that Raizel was raising not only one, but three human children? Such a thing would not even cross their minds!
"Frankenstein."
Pulled from his thoughts rather abruptly, Frankenstein looked up at the Noblesse. "Master?"
Raizel did not look at him, as his gaze was solely focused on the small child on his lap, but Frankenstein could detect the shift in his attention through the bond. "I want...I want to save them."
Frankenstein frowned, confused. "Pardon?"
This time, Raizel looked at him, his red eyes holding such newfound hope and determination. "I want to save them all."
Then, Frankenstein knew, and his heart became heavy with the knowledge. "You want to save the traitors."
Raizel nodded.
Frankenstein sighed. He had anticipated this conversation. Planned for it, even. He knew that they would have to deal with the traitors at some point. To be honest, he would have wanted to deal with them right away by introducing them to Dark Spear. But he knew his Master would object to that method. So, the new solution would most likely involve stopping them from betraying his Master and Lukedonia in the first place. Just how and when did they turn? When had they all decided to band together and kill his Master?
His frown deepened. Was it when he had arrived? Just as quickly as he thought that, he dismissed it. No, he had known that the Nobles were keeping an eye on his Master long before he had arrived. Urokai had been too obvious in that situation.
"People keep an eye on things that bother them. They have to keep an eye on them so that they feel relieved. From a human's perspective, I can see you guys have other plans."
Frankenstein winced at the memory. Yes, when he had confronted Urokai and Roctis, he had suspected them of some foul intent. But he had never imagined that they were planning to kill his Master. But still, could his Master's life had been spared if Frankenstein had not intervened? Had he spurred the traitors into action just with his arrival because he made them nervous?
"Of course. I left Lukedonia because of him."
Frankenstein grimaced as Urokai's words came back to haunt him.
"Frankenstein, it is not your fault."
Frankenstein looked at his Master quizzically. The Noblesse regarded him with such kindness, his head tilted in understanding. "You are not the reason I was betrayed. The decision for my death was decided long before I met you." This time, regret hung in the Noblesse's eyes. "I am the reason for my own demise."
Frankenstein blinked. Was his Master...blaming himself?
In two steps, Frankenstein had rushed before his Master, dropping to his knees so that he could look him in the eye. "Master, you are not at fault," he said urgently. "You had no right to be betrayed. You...you were used, you were used in such a way that those traitors could gain power and authority. Your death was orchestrated just because you existed. That is not your fault."
Raizel frowned, concerned. "Frankenstein…"
"It's not your fault!" Frankenstein hissed, his anger building. The more he dwelled on the thought, the more his rage began to build. He did not know how intense the fight between Raizel and Muzaka had been. He did not know just how badly their friendship had been used and twisted, all to fulfill the traitor's desires. But he did know the pain it had caused his Master, and the agony he experienced as he found out that it had been his closest followers who had wanted him dead.
They had wanted him dead. They wanted him dead.
"Regrets are an extravagant emotion for me."
"It's not your fault," Frankenstein repeated, his tone nearly a whisper. "You did nothing wrong. You did nothing to deserve such betrayal." He looked up, blue eyes meeting red. "They betrayed you, used, and lied to you." He bowed his head. "They...they do not deserve you, or your forgiveness."
The silence was penetrated. "Do any of us deserve forgiveness?"
Frankenstein looked up to see his Master's kind smile. "None of us deserve forgiveness. Even me. I...I have killed those by my side with my own hands, yet you and the children look at me with kindness and acceptance. It is not about deserving; it is about chances. I am willing to take this chance and change our fate."
His hand rested once more on M21; the child now fast asleep. "This opportunity that we have been given, to change the future, has been given to us. I intend to use it." His gaze became firm, and his hold visibly tightened around M21 possessively.
"But not at the risk of the children."
Frankenstein could not help but nod in agreement. Yes, he understood that his Master wanted to save the others, but there was no guarantee that the future could be changed. But one thing that they could both guarantee was the devotion and love that came with Tao, Takeo, and M21. That was something neither Frankenstein nor Raizel would sacrifice for anyone.
Frankenstein stood back up with a sigh. He stroked his chin, deep in thought. "Muzaka is an obvious case," he concluded.
Raizel tilted his head quizzically.
"If Muzaka has no reason to fight you," he continued. "Then you will not use your power, and the traitor's plan will fail. To prevent Muzaka from going on a wild rampage, we will have to prevent Ashleen's death. When was his daughter born?"
However, Frankenstein paused. If Ashleen was never born, then they would not have to worry about Muzaka. Just as quickly as that thought occurred, he banished it. A quick glance at the sleeping children, the very ones that Frankenstein desired to protect, and he could sympathize with Muzaka.
"Ashleen...she brought such joy to Muzaka," Raizel murmured.
Frankenstein nodded with understanding. "Then we will have to track Ashleen down and save her. If we can save her, and quite possibly the mother, then we can avoid any possible fights with Muzaka." At this moment, Frankenstein was pacing up and down, his thoughts swarming. "We will have to be discreet with Muzaka when inquiring about his daughter. A daughter we should not know about just yet." His frown deepened. "Breaking the ties of the traitors is another thing. Edian is another case as well."
Raizel's eyes narrowed slightly. "Largus."
Frankenstein's glare became dark. "He drugged her." Running a hand through his hair, he let out another sigh. "I will have to examine Edian to see what kind of drug or spell Largus has on her. But if we can eliminate that, then it is one less traitor to deal with."
Raizel continued to watch as Frankenstein paced around the room, his muttering and ideas spilling out. He examined each and every possibility involving the traitor Nobles. How were they supposed to deal with them? Did Roctis turn because of his daughter? How were they supposed to deal with that? And what of Urokai? Frankenstein really wasn't looking forward to dealing with him. Or any of them for that matter.
A small cry caught their attention, and both Frankenstein and Raizel watched as Takeo tried to sit up, rubbing his tired eyes.
Right. They still had to deal with the children. Maybe they should take care of this matter first before dealing with the complicated issues in Lukedonia.
"Hungee," M21 murmured tiredly.
Raizel shot Frankenstein a helpless look, to which Frankenstein just smiled. "Do not worry, Master," he promised. "I will take care of everything." He already had a destination in mind, and he knew just what to do right now with the current situation.
