Haunting ground chapter 6
Grinding gears
Seek passage without a trace
-Zen Adage
Ren tore down the red hall, and back up the stairs to the upper mansion, as he slowed to a pause, He glanced around, "Hewie?" he called, trying to stay below the maids hearing level, but the dog had disappeared. He charged towards the nursery balcony, he was hoping to see the maid there. The 20 foot drop might do her some good. Ren's mind Raced trying to figure out how to get back to Fiona he entered the east hall, no sounds registered. He tried the small room east of the statue room, but it was just a balcony, the eerie thing was it was looking over a graveyard.
Of all the places to put a balcony, he turned and continued searching.
Fiona hid behind a door in the hallway gallery. She shivered as light footsteps charged past her. A few minutes later Hewie peered around the door, and inquisitive look on his face. She knelt down pulling in the dog; so far there was no sound. A minute later she got up and headed down the stairs and wondered down the hall. She eventually came to stand in front of the dragon room door. She thought about going up the ice pillar, but decided to stick to the ground, she headed to her right. She paused in front of a mirror; she pulled off the cloth covering it. It was just an ordinary mirror. She stared at herself for a moment; her eyes were red from tears, her white blouse covered with dirt and grime. He knees where a little scraped, Hewie rubbed up against her. She turned facing the rest of the hall, it was strewn with dolls and mannequins, and it was an eerie sight. She lightly pet Hewie's head, "we have to find Ren," she said. Hewie seemed to understand as he went to sniff around, the door at the end of the hall lead to a large pool of water, across was a door; she looked into the deep water. She could see long slender shapes swimming about. Turning back she found herself wandering back to the dragon room, to her left and down the hall were two stair cases. One that led left to a door, the other leading down to a mural. She stepped down and looked the mural over. It was old and faded; Fiona couldn't make out what it had once been. Under it was a plate with a description.
The right path leads to Truth, the left leads to deception.
When deception no longer exists the hidden path will make its self know.
To Ye faithful flock, Right these wrongs.
If three truths exist, it must be so that three lies also exist.
This is what Ren must have stopped to look at, Fiona shook her head. 'I shouldn't have run off back there like that.' She thought about waiting for Ren to catch up, but discarded that thought. Fiona turned and headed to the left the room of Deception. To her surprise she found it unlocked, she thought it might be Ren, she had seen him pick locks before, and there was nothing here too state of the art here. She slowly opened up the door and looked around, "three Lies" Fiona said to herself, she heard a noise, in a off to the side corner, she walked past the two tables.
She froze when she noticed Daniella; the maid was stroking the fire of a large oven. Fiona backed as the maid stood up and turned to face her.
"Daniella!?! Why are you after us, is it something we did?" Fiona found herself asking. The woman didn't answer she just starred at her blankly, Fiona took in a breath to speek but she could smell burning meat, a faint smoke was coming from Daniella's hand, Fiona finally noticed the red hot poker in her hand. The iron rod was beginning to sear the maids flesh. Her neck cracked as she tilted her head. Fiona turned and ran, she could hear Daniella right behind her. She quickly headed down the hall to the dragon room, "Hewie get out of here!" she yelled hoping the dog would run and she would try heading up the ice pillar. But the dog growled defiantly, Daniella came through the door and into sight.
She smiled, Fiona felt her back hit the wall. Daniella raised her poker, just as an arrow struck her in the back. Daniella dropped her poker, tearing the shaft out. She turned just as Ren leaped off the balcony, delivering a heavy side kick.
Ren yelled out when Daniella caught his foot and dropped him to the ground with an angry thud. Still holding on she dragged him across the floor to her poker, Ren spun kicking her in the head, she let go, and Ren rolled back.
Now with poker in hand she advanced, Ren backed up grabbing an arrow from his quiver. Hewie let out a bark Jumping on to Daniella's back, tearing in to her neck, she dropped to the ground, Ren called over to Fiona as the dog tore in to the woman's neck, Hewie finally leapt of leaped off as Daniella fell. Fiona grabbed the arrow while running passed the maid. A pool of blood spreading along the floor, Ren smiled lightly as they headed for the door, disappearing down the long hall
Fiona followed Ren closing the door to the Terrence behind her. The two headed down the hall, Ren stopped. Rubbing the shoulder he had landed on, Fiona came over, "are you alright" she went to touch his arm but he gently blocked it. He pointed to the rooms of truth and deception. "Have you been down here yet?" Ren asked, Fiona nodded. "Truth and deception, bet the idea is to figure out the differences. Like those games that come with the morning newspaper." Ren nodded, Fiona headed to the right, and Ren went to the left. She looked back waiting for Ren, who never came Fiona looked around, everything looked so menacing. The two wax figures seemed to stare at her. She let out a sigh, wishing Ren had come with her. The safe feeling was disappearing and that cold fear returning she went to go join him. But stopped, not wanting to appear a coward, Hewie Let out a Whine as he started sniffing about. When suddenly a door slammed outside. She waited for Ren to come walking in, but he never did, "wonder how your taking this?" she asked no one.
"God this sucks." he hated the situation they were in. "wonder if Riccardo knows what's going on." Ren thought to himself. Probably not, no way he would let his best friend's grandson die at the hands of this place. "Course there's no way am I going to let them hurt me or Fiona." Ren popped out his cell phone, his photographic memory sucked but his phones camera snapped each item in the area, the door, the cabinet. On the two tables where chemistry set and a chessboard, along the wall were a massive distiller, and two wax figures. Ren checked his back as he turned, wondering if the figures would come to life. He smiled No more R rated movies for me Ren said to himself, snapping a pic of the huge kiln on the stove top and the hour glass beside it. Ren turned, the Wing of his bow bumping a Bunsen burner. Suddenly the door slammed shut, Ren paused scanning the area. That's when the door to a cabinet opened, and Daniella stepped out.
The wound on her neck already healing, Ren grit his Teeth. "You aren't Human are you?" she continued to walk towards him, when a small beetle landed on her shoulder. She brushed it off, as another landed. Ren looked around as he felt something bite his arm, he crushed the bug as another one landed on his leg. He looked up, a swarm started crawling out of vents in the ceiling, pulling up his hood he headed for the door, as he slamming in to the maid he felt the hot poker burn at his leg. Daniella screamed as the beetle's attacked her exposed skin. He grabbed the door handle as the bugs started to swarm him as well, it was locked.
Fiona finished looking around. She turned and headed for the other room, alerted to how quiet Ren was. Fiona put her hand on the door knob, Hewie began to growl. She looked down at the dog when something slammed into the door from the other side, Fiona screamed falling back against the wall, just as it hit the door again. She screamed as the door buckle. Just as the heard Ren yell out
Ren slammed his foot in to the door one final time, shaking the bugs off, he turned Daniella screamed again. "Ren!?!" He heard Fiona Yell. He felt her hand grab his, they backed in to a corner, as the bugs swarmed. "Fiona hold your breath!" He yelled as he pulled a smoke bomb from his pocket, he lit it and dropped it to they're feet.
They both took in a deep breath, as a thick cloud of black smoke rose from the small bomb. The smoke curled around them repelling the small golden scarabs.
They heard Daniella Run past them, the beetle's not caught in the cloud went after her.
Fiona put her hand over her mouth trying not to breath her lungs screaming for air, Finally it was quiet, the smoke started filtering out of the hall. Fiona bent down coughing trying to breath knormaly as Ren went to see if Daniella was gone for good, Fiona turned to him looking him over. As he looked down at her, her face dusty but she was alright. "What happened?" she asked. "I think I just found the truth." After a second they both stared at each other and burst out laughing.
After a while and some convincing, Ren reluctantly followed Fiona in to the room of truth. Fiona looked around catching a difference in the wax statues, Ren noticed her staring at them. "There!" she pointed out. After a quick 360 of the room he went over to the wax dummies. Fiona glanced around, noticing the chessboard also was different, the white king was in the wrong position putting him in check, making sure Ren wasn't looking she moved it out of the position. There was a low rumble and the sound of gears moving... Then quiet, Ren froze. "Wonder what that was?" Ren said turning back to the statues. One was on his knees, while the other seemed to comfort its comrade.
Ren looked them over, the standing statues hand was on the kneeling figures shoulder, but the lining and the skin texture didn't line up, Ren took the arm moving it to the figures side, until its synthetic flesh lined. A second passed and there was another rumbling, and the grinding of gears, Ren nodded to himself. "One lie left, so what's the third?"
Ren took in a deep breath and let his senses take over, "with the chess board and the statues something wasn't right about them." Fiona said, after a second thery're eyes settled on the huge hour glass. the only problem was all the sand was in the top, and not trickling down through the small hole, according to gravity that wasn't right. Ren waited as she looked at it and nodded. "The sand was on the bottom, I'm sure of it." Ren nodded, handing her Flidais. She lightly took the bow, hopping she wasn't wrong
Ren sized up the hour glass, taking a deep breath he grabbed the huge timekeeper, managing to get it off the table, but it was too heavy. Fiona put Flidais on the table, smiling mischievously at Ren. "Just grab an end," Ren growled, his ego taking a bit of a hit. The two grunted and groaned as they flipped the 150 pound hour glass over and repositioned it. Once again there was the sound of gears. Ren swiped his bow off the table, flexing his arm a bit. 'Hitting the gym when I get home' He thought. Triumphant, the trio left truth and deception behind them.
Hewie was the first to notice the foots steps heading for them, Daniella!
quickly grabbing Ren's hand Fiona followed Hewie across the hall and up a small flight of stairs, quickly hanging a right, they ducked behind the banister that over looked the hall, the two held their breaths hearing the maid walk passed. Ren knew he could jump the banister and slit her throat, but knew it was useless, she had taken worse. Ryu smiled what he needed was tank of gas and a lighter, or some military grade plastic explosive.
"She dosen't stop dose she" Fiona said, she saw Ren smile, "Nothing some well paced explosives can't fix." Ryu said, his face went serious when he saw she wasn't laughing. Fiona pointed to the door and the three slipped in, quietly closing the door behind them. Fiona looked around it was some sort of carousel, at least half it was cut off by a mirror, three large messed up looking horse's, where set up in carousel fashion, a weird kind of carnival music playing. Fiona was glancing at what she could tell was a moose head. "Guy had to be 15 feet tall," Ren said. Admiring the head. "You've seen one?" Ren smiled "Sure have, I've hunted them."I live in northern Canada after all, Never bagged one this big though." He seemed to enjoy the sight.
"I've only seen them in books." Fiona said lightly touching its soft dried nose.
Ren smiled. "Tell you what, when we get out of this, I'll give you a chance to get up close to one." She looked at the massive head, and smiled "I'd like that."
opening the door across the room. His smile fading, he slowly pulled his knife. Fiona caught a look at the room, even Hewie was reluctant to step in. they were in some sort of torture room. Fiona shivered as she stepped down the stairs, she heard Ren swipe surgical scalpels and other torture devices hit the ground as Ren swiped them away with his knife, then placing Flidais on the table. Caked on blood covered everything, the smell of rot attacked they're nose's, The feel of death assaulting everyone of their senses, both realizing how close to dieing they had always been. "Guess no castle is complete without one," Fiona whispered. "And we want to be here why?" Ren replied.
Fiona glanced around the room. Large weapons lined the wall, Ren paid a small glance at each of them. A look of pure anger and disgust covered his face, Fiona stood infornt of a large iron maiden, used to threaten death. Dried blood surrounded the tiles around it.
Their eyes finally landed on a large circuit barker, a long cord leading to the center of the room and into an interrogation chair and the room's latest victim. "Man I'm glad I didn't eat too much at dinner," Fiona heard Ren say. It was a dried corpse. Sitting upright his eyes wide open, his mouth in a wide smile. But when Fiona got a closer look, she saw it wasn't smiling at all, his eye lids and lips had been cut out. It looked like his chest had been surgically cut open and then stapled back up. Ren sneered at the key that was around his neck, Fiona took in a Gulp. "That's original." Ren said to himself. He pulled his knife and moved to cut the key from the mummy's neck.
Ren breathed in slightly. Bad idea, he thought waiting for the smell of rot to burst through his nose. But that made him freeze, no death Oder, no smell at all. Fiona screamed as the mummies dried hands shot up grabbing Ren's arms. The knife clattered to the ground.
The mummy brought his mouth to Ren's face, its eyes had a sort of desperation, its breath hot and dry it made him wince, "GIVE ME DEATTHH!!!!" it forced out. Ren threw his arms to the side, forcing away the mummies grip, then smashed his right palm in to its chest, letting out "Hiya!" Ren grabbed a small blade from his belt, raising his arm, darting back he waited for the mummy to stand, Reaching in to his jacket for his throwing weapon. It took him a second to realize the mummy wasn't moving, he just stared up at him. Ren scooped up his knife. He couldn't figure out if he had imagined it.
But the way Fiona had her back pressed tightly to the wall, breathing heavily, she shook her head in denial, Hewie's hair standing on end. Ren sneered, looking back. "I want that key," he said lightly.
Fiona couldn't believe it, things like that weren't real, that mummy was dead, but it wasn't. Her eyes where wide, remembering the dead woman from before. Ren approached slowly, the mummies head rose to meet him. She wanted to scream to run. 'Why was this happening.' Her chest heaved, 'Daddy.' She whimpered, she looked at Ren who was un-naturally calm, he was studying it."
"I could try to kill it... but the way it looks now it's probably pointless,"
Ren's eyes fell on Fiona.
"Throwing this poor thing to the ground and using a kill strike. Would more then likely freak her out, and look's like he's been through worse."
Ren crossed the floor, turning his attention towards the huge statue behind the interrogation chair, the mummies eyes followed.
Fiona wasn't sure why but she grabbed Ren's bow, the heavy weapon comforted her it was a catalyst of protection. Looking back Hewie seemed to be guarding the mummy, growling every few seconds, his fur standing on end. Ren seemed to be reading an inscription. The statue looked like a man and a woman, each holding a flaming jar. A third jar was suspended above, and one was at its feet. Right directly in front of them were four large three foot by three foot pressure plates.
A yellow one a red one a green and a blue, a triangular inscription in each.
each representing an element. Air, water, fire, and earth. "its some kind of totem," Ren said.
"Used for what?" Fiona asked. Ren shrugged, "I don't know." She looked at him a little disappointed "the inscription explains how fire is of hotness and dryness, and air is of hotness and moistness." Fiona quickly read the inscription. "I think its describing the four elements Earth, fire, water, and air. Right?" she nodded. Fiona pointed with the bow to the top jar, "white is air. The one on the left is blue, water. On the Right is red, fire. And the bottom yellow is earth. It's some sort of puzzle." She glanced down at the plates,
Ren was already standing on the green plate, Fiona guessed was cold, and the blue plate was wetness. She stepped on the blue plate. The second she did that, the blue pot went out. Before Ren could say a word, Fiona stepped off the blue plate, and on to the yellow one, as the earth pot wet off.
"These plates represent cretin conditions that create the four elements"
"Blue and green are wet and cold, water. So cold with yellow that is dry..."
"And that makes earth. I get it," Ren finished
Ren stepped on the red plate, while Fiona remained on the yellow plate "so dry and hot make fire." The red pot went out. "And last is air." she said stepping back on to the blue plate. "You pretty good at this." Fiona blushed they looked around, nothing happened as the final pot went out. Hewie let out a bark and they caught sight of a small flicker of light, a blue flame sprouted from the mummy's foot, then on his arm. Ren circled to get a better look. Fiona went the opposite way. The way she was holding Flidais, he prayed she wouldn't try to use it as a club. Just then the mummy let out a scream as lines of energy burst from its mouth. They swirled around the chair before falling in to the four pots of the totem. Creating four blue flames. The mummy fell silent its head falling to a restful position and didn't move. Ren waved his hand in the mummies face. After Ren removed the key from the dearly departed, he took his bow back. Fiona walked up to the corpse; "it looks so peaceful, why it wouldn't want to be free, instead of dying?" they went back out through the Carousel. Ren sat down on the steps, Fiona sat down next to him, as he handed her his flask he had filled earlier, and she took some sips, and poured some of the cool water in to her hand for Hewie, who happily lapped it up.
"The human body can live forever, but the human mind can't, Immortality comes with a dire price. A friend told me that once." Ren said quietly.
"Finding away to re-fresh the body is one thing, re-freshen the brain is another," Fiona rhymed off. Fiona smiled, yet she looked like she wanted to cry. "Something my dad taught me, some alchemy seeks to prolong life, but I didn't think it could actually be done."
Ren stood, "that makes two of us." Fiona and Ren where interrupted by foot steps, they ducked back in to the dragon room to avoid Daniella's ever vigilance, but this time she seemed more interested in dusting, then trying to kill them. "Back in cleaning mode I see." Fiona Giggled, he closed the door. Fiona walked across the room to the opposing door and tried the new key, "hey Ren!" she said unlocking it. In side they recognized the place immediately; it was the plant nursery with the platform up above. Ren looked up, just as they heard footsteps "Hide!" he hissed. They ducked in to the shadows as the door opened, Daniella crossed the upper balcony. Ren grabbed Fiona, pulling up his hood and hugging her close, sticking to the shadows so not to be seen. Her white cloths stuck out well, but with Ren covering her with his jet black clothing he kept them both hidden.
Ren was surprised she didn't resist; he could feel her chest slowly moving up and down against his. She was calm; she kept her head low knowing her blond hair would give them away. Daniella crossed the balcony and closed the door behind her. Fiona looked up, and then at him. They both went red as Ren backed away. "Sorry." Ren apologized.
"No it's ok..." she said. Ren turned scooping up his bow. He didn't see it, but Fiona smiled. As they went to leave, Fiona's boot struck something. She glanced down, by the looks of it; it was some sort of radish. She picked it up, she gasped in surprise when she turned it over, and instead of round flesh it had what looked like a ghostly face. She yelled as it let out a shrill shriek that made her drop it, and grasp her ears, But Ren was quickly by her side firing and arrow right in to it, the shriek was cut off. They glanced at the vegetable; a red liquid was starting to leak from it. Ren pulled the arrow out, and examined it.
"Its blood?!?" he dropped and kicked the plant in disgust; it left a bloody trail behind as it skipped along. Ren shook his head, cleaning the arrow in one of the automated sprinklers, more to the plants where rooted in little gardens all over the room. Fiona explored the area, there where many colures of flowers, each one were one of those evil little radishes. "Hey there's some kind of info sheet on these plants." she called. She cleared her throat and read, In order to produce the large quantity of blood required to complete the grand process, a fusion of plant and animal known as the floranimaila was created. It was originally derived from a secret formula and named Mandragon.
Multiple plant types were fused in an attempt to create the Mandragona. But only the combination of the 'Hebel,' seemed to possess a similar liquid composition.
In current research, our subjects are nearly identical to real Mandragona.
Flower color and an ever faint difference in smell is the only way to tell the original from the substitute. Caution must be exercised.
If the Mandragona is ever uprooted it has two powerful defense mechanisms:
It emits a loud ear-rupturing shriek and can paralyze its attacker with poisonous leaves." after a quick look around. They left the area out to the hall way, towards where the mannequins and dolls where. Fiona was about to tell Ren of the water hole, but when they got there a new iron platform was waiting for them, she looked up, the floor from up stairs had dropped down The trio made there way across it and out in to the cool night air.
Ren quickly recognized the balcony that over looked the Graveyard, they where standing in. Fiona and Ren moved to the other end of the yard, while Hewie went about his business. The two approached a mausoleum at the far corner, a small bowl stood in front of the stone hut. Fiona started to speak; it took Ren a second to realize she was reading a new inscription.
Dead spirit craving for life,
Crawling back from the under world...
Sip of the fresh-flowing Life-blood. When your thirst is quenched, return to the darkness from whence you came.
"Sprits and lifeblood sounds like they want a sacrifice." Ren said quietly.
Fiona took in a gulp "No matter how you cut it, it doesn't sound like words to the dearly departed." Fiona added. "Sounds like something from..." Ren was about to say but stopped, Fiona saw him look up, Fiona followed his gaze to the balcony, the maid stood there watching them. Ren grabbed Fiona's arm and went for the mausoleum, the darkness called to him it was always a safe place. They both yelled in horror as a thin hand shot out and reached out for them. Ren got up and pulled his Knife, slashing at the arm, it cut in deep but no blood poured out. Fiona looked up at the balcony Daniella was gone, "Daniella...!?!" Fiona forced out. Ren ran for the door, his feet barely touching the ground, hoping to barricade it. He slammed his boot in to the door; he heard the maid grunt as the door slammed into her. She tore the door open. He nocked an arrow and fired it at point blank, the bolt passed right through her, she didn't even flinch. She just kept coming; she didn't feel pain after all. "What the hell are you!?!" Ren growled.
