Hazy Vision

By: Komo Pineconeseed

Disclaimer: Haunting Ground belongs to CAPCOM.

Warnings: young!Lorenzo/Fiona. WIP. Sporadic chapter lengths, genres, and updating.

Chapter Ten

Fiona was sick and tired of waking up in the castle suite. The nearby window was still broken, and the thin sheet pulled over her was doing little to keep her warm. The various paintings hanging on the walls started and continued disturbing her once she realized whose portraits they were. And finally, she had no recollection how she got to the room, an event that was worryingly increasing in frequency.

The college student left her room and down the stairs. What was the last thing she remembered? Oh, that was right. She had gotten into a fight with Aureolus Lorenzo over the horrendous treatment of her dog. He had threatened to take her life in the creepiest way possible. She was still stuck in the castle, and who knew how her precious Hewie was? The crazy alchemist surely would not know, as he had simply locked him up and threw away the key.

When she arrived in the dining room, she realized that someone had fixed her breakfast. Normally she would be greatly placated by waffles and sausages, but yesterday's events were still dragging her down.

Struck with an idea, she decided to grab the plateful before heading towards the mansion. The walk was uneventful, but she was still struck by how quiet the castle and the courtyard were even in the day. There were no signs of life—not even the sound of singing birds. Fiona hurried along.

When she walked towards he Saturnus door, the young woman was starting to feel anxious. What if she couldn't get to Hewie? Her previous attempts were unsuccessful after all.

Her fears were unfounded when the door was unlocked. Fiona's hand had hovered over the knob for just a millisecond—she could've sworn it was locked—but she continued onward. The girl was grateful the spiral staircase had become bone dry as she walked down it with a plateful of food. She did not want to trip on a wet step, but such an accident was likely, especially given her history of tripping on stairs.

Finding Hewie was another endeavor altogether. She was certain he was in the mansion. Aureolus Lorenzo said he wasn't in the House of Truth, and although Fiona trusted him to omit the truth, she did not think he would outright lie to her. He wasn't in the Water Tower as the younger Belli remembered very clearly what the cell at the bottom floor of the tower was like. Finally, she had already turned the castle over many times, and she did not think the alchemist would hide him so close to her. The mansion was the only place left.

She remembered that the man had brought her into a cage that was next to a table, but her memory of how the halls were connected was hazy. The sketch she found while being chased by the maid Daniella was not helpful.

Still, all the doors were unlocked, and Fiona had all the time in the world to wander. And then, finally, after meandering through the crypt, going up the Impossible Stairs, taking a right, going down another set of stairs, and walking past a mumbling homunculus, she finally found her dog. It was a tad embarrassing that she didn't remember the giant cage he was trapped in since she stared into that very cage while she was hiding under the table from both the maid and Riccardo.

Fiona walked up the cage and kneeled right next to the bars. While the bars themselves were wide set, there was a second mesh net preventing her from easily reaching in. Hewie was weak and panting, but he seemed to perk up when he saw her arrive and limped towards her. The girl's heart broke as she squeezed her hand in through the wire to pet him. After a few moments of petting the canine, Fiona snapped a small bit of sausage and slipped it into the cage.

It was a small blessing that, despite the German Shepherd's miserable physical state, his appetite was not significantly diminished. In fact, he had finished off all of the meat his mistress brought and some of her waffle. While she was still incredibly hungry, the blonde's spirits were the highest as they had ever been since arriving at this hellhole.

To both their delights, the cage holes were big enough for Fiona to squeeze in the yellow rubber ball she found. The canine seemed ecstatic to have something to play with, and girl and dog enjoyed a squash-resembling game of fetch as the ball bounced off the walls. The Azoth-holder was sure this was the most mental stimulation Hewie has had since they were separated, and they kept playing, but it soon became clear that whatever Lorenzo had sedated him had not completely worn off. The enthusiasm waned, and he started just mouthing the ball instead of handing it to her. A little while later, he simply laid down completely and fell asleep. Fiona patted him the entire time he was off in dreamland.

The young woman sat down with her back to the bars. Her hand snaked into the cage, and her fingers smoothed out her dog's fur.

It wasn't fair that this was what her and Hewie's lives had become. Hewie deserved to eat and drink good food and water. He deserved to not live as a caged animal. He deserved to be able to run and play to his heart's content. He was in this predicament because he came back to save Fiona. It just wasn't fair.

Fiona sighed. It was the exact same complaint she griped to Aureolus Lorenzo yesterday. And to be honest with herself, that wasn't all. She was sick and tired of living in either extreme boredom or absolute sheer terror. Her life as a college student wasn't something particularly exotic or exciting, but what she would give to be able to return to that…

Her hand stilled as an idea formed. It was a frightening prospect, and Fiona could feel herself starting to panic the more she continued contemplating it. She resumed stroking Hewie's haunches to distract herself.

Minutes passed, and the rhythmic sensation of bare skin again white fur calmed Fiona down. The thought wouldn't leave however, but with each passing moment, it seemed less scary and more feasible.

Equivalent exchange was how he put it. Fiona wanted two things: her freedom and her dog's freedom. She was absolutely certain Aureolus Lorenzo wanted her Azoth, and she was almost completely positive that he wanted to sleep with her. She was no master alchemist, so she wasn't sure if she could give her Azoth without giving up her life. However, her captor's actions yesterday said he wasn't interested in obtaining her Azoth immediately, so that left her with her sexuality as a bargaining chip.

Could she seduce him? Long enough for him to lower his guard, so that she could escape with her dog? Could she kiss him and trust that her life wasn't being sucked out through her mouth? Or worse?

What were her options?

She and Hewie could continue living like caged birds. Her life would constantly be out of her control. Her dog would remain trapped.

If she tried and succeeded, she and Hewie could escape this castle finally and put this nightmare behind them.

If she tried and failed, she would likely lose her life, but who knew what else Aureolus Lorenzo would have in store for her if he found out about her plan? Her mind wandered to the medieval torture room that she exposed right here in this very mansion. Would her soul be permanently separated her body, yet still eternally bound like that corpse holding onto the Venus key? And what about Hewie? Would he be killed immediately? Tortured? Drowned? Or simply left here to rot?

Would it be worth it?

Days passed. Fiona kept sneaking food and water to Hewie, who became stronger every day. It became apparent that being stuck in a tiny cage was stressing him. After seeing her dog void in a corner again, she decided enough was enough.

Life without purpose was not better than death. It was simply existence.