"How the fuck do we kill it?" someone asked as she came to the lip of the deep hole she had been dragged down.
"You don't"
chapter 18
The troupe looked towards the voice, while keeping an eye on the mass of black before them. The shadows shifted like smoke pouring out of the hole, it wasn't long before the troupe could make out the white gleaming bones in between the wisps of darkness.
The corrupted shadow paused, its head snapped into the hole as Z came into view. Appearing out of the darkness Z stepped onto the wooden floor boards a frown on her face as she spotted the monster.
"What the fuck..." whisper phinks as he took in her appearance.
Her pale skin had darken like the shadows around them, but the bones glowed an eerie white – glowing though her skin. Her eyes were a pitch black like pits to the abyss narrowed and deadly. Kuroro let of a breath he didn't know he was holding, as he sighed at her appearance.
Internally he frozen, why was he glad at her appearance and that she wasn't harmed? He was happy that she came to save them… something he didn't know how to defeat. He was happy that she was alive and well from the fall into the unknown. She was a pawn to be used, to manipulate her to his use. He wasn't supposed to fall for her it should be the other way. He shook his thoughts – no that wasn't it, he was only glad that she had appeared before he lost precious members of his troupe.
"I would advise against battling this fucking thing, unless any of one actually listened to my fucking advice…" hissed Z as she moved to the centre of the room standing before the enemy that growled at her.
"It's mine all mine! You can't have it!" the thing growled, though my mouth could be seen on the creature.
"Your advice? Would sliver actually work against this thing?"
"It would give you a fucking better chance at living to tell the tale afterwards" Z hissed. Looking at her opponent before her. "Let me introduce you to this thing…" she pointed to the monster, "That is a manifestation of greed, the dead have many names for things like this. The dead speak a different tongue to the living, words that should never be said to people like you... in this case we shall call that thing, a 'demon' or a 'monster', whatever you fucking prefer"
"It's mine all mine! You can't have it!" the demon repeated, taking a daring step forward.
"I don't fucking care and neither do they" as she spoke the shadows shifted, becoming more solid. Gleaming bones grew as hands gripped as the beast legs, it let out a shriek swiping at the barely formed shadows puppets.
Who wants it? She asked the voices in her head that were banging against the cage she locked them in all like the beast before her yet all different, or shall it be a free for all...
The beast whipped it head towards her, as the troupe retreated further into the walls surrounding them not wanting to get in the way. It swung its shadows claws towards her as she stared blankly at where its face would be.
There was a clash as the crawl scraped against mental inches away from her face. The troupe watched in shock at Z who hadn't moved an inch. Kuroro eyes narrowed how had she countered should a blow without moving? Or even anything in sight…
His eyes drifted, contracting on the space around the shadow like claws. A slim line of shadows was holding the claws at by. It seemed to move like a sword would, pushing against the creature strange limbs. The sword like shadow trailed downwards holding onto what could be an arm, but it ended there, vanishing into mist. The shadowy arm and sword floated besides her as an eerie voice spoke. "I shall not mistress, it would be a dull victory that I do not wish for"
It was male, with a strong accent to join.
"I'm do even going to touch that… he's not my type~" another voice purred, causing heads to snap towards the shadowy apparition. Kuroro felt the hairs on the back of his arms raise, as the female voice spoke, the presence was… familiar. But he couldn't pinpoint where he had felt it before.
Z signed, eyes narrowed at the sight of the female appeared. She just wants me to fail so that she has first pick of those another's. "If you're not going to help leave" she growled, before stepping towards the beast.
It panicked, swinging at her again and again, unable to take a step back due to the skeleton arms wrapped around its legs. It would be over in a matter of seconds. The darkness grew enveloping the room till it was almost pitch black. Kuroro squinted to make out Z in the middle her hand reaching towards the beast.
Her hand didn't push, but carefully moved forward. Moving directly into its chest without any resistance. She pulled - ripping something out, bright red light glowing though the skin and bone of her hand. He blinked, confused as he watched Z bring the bright light to her mouth. Darkness covered his vision, he brought a hand to cover his face as wind buffered at his hair and coat. There was a blood curdling scream- that sounded inhuman to his ears before silent the room deadly silent.
Then the rush began.
The darkness clear up, giving him a view of the Z and the beast before her. Its motionless body being dragged no sucked towards the hole she had emerged from, the skeleton hands pulling it into its depths as the shadowy wisp followed.
There was a shudder as the wooden boards reappeared back in place, the room look like nothing had happened, no big mass of darkness that came out of your nightmares. No ghost or moving shadows. No nothing.
Just an original normal room with unoriginal and strange people standing in it.
"Come on," Z spoke her voice reverted back to normal as the glowing stopped and her nen returned to its usually state. "I show you the way to the treasure"
Kuroro watched her as she moved, her black hues tried but unreadable as the blank expression of boredom covered her features. He could see the bags starting to grow under her eyes from lack of sleep, the slightly sluggish movement of her limbs as she led the way.
Just the little things tell him, how much her powers took the toll on her.
Phinks finally broke the silence, "what the fuck was that?"
"I fucking told you before" Z stated, her eyes dead ahead.
"Yeah but what about those thing that spoke! Your other puppets didn't speak"
"That because they weren't puppets" she stated bluntly, "here it is"
Kuroro noted the sudden change of topic as they began to descend a narrow hidden staircase they had yet to discover. The walls on either made out of cold stone, that were surprising dry and clean despite not being used in such a long time. Less than a 100 steps down and the walls surrounding them vanished as they entered the treasure room. Light flicker into life and glittering treasure trove before them came into view.
Gold. Jewels. Artwork. Tons and tons of valuable objects lay scatter across the large room. All for taking.
"Now I did my end, you need to do yours" Z spoke from besides him as he examined a ruby encrusted necklace.
"That I do," he smirked, taking out his phone. "You're in luck, it seems someone is going to sell it at an auction"
"How is that fucking lucky?" she grumbled a frown donning her lips.
"It's lucky, as the troupe were already planned to rob the auction blind. You will have your book in September, Z"
She nodded, before taking a step back, "let's hope it's not a fake. I'm going to fucking sleep, this whole thing has given me a bloody headache"
With that Z disappearing into a whirl of darkness.
In the rooms above the thieving troupe, Z collapsed onto the main bed face first. Not caring that many of the previous occupants had died in it.
She tilted her head as something came into the room, she could sense the presence sat on the Chester draws. "You can leave you know, to the afterlife? I can show you the way"
"I don't want to leave" the childlike voice called.
Z sighed, sitting up from her position to stare at the ghost child. "You get bored, and you no longer have that thing about trying to eat you"
"I know but..." the child floated over to her, his feature becoming more profound the closer he got. Were his eyes would be were black sockets of darkness same with his mouth that was spilt into a wide grin. "I want to play with miss angel"
"I'm not a fucking angel" Z quickly countered.
The boys smile faltered as he glanced towards a spot behind her and back, before realisation stuck him. "You're my favourite angel no matter what you say. I don't want to leave till I have all the fun I want!" the child giggled, flipping backwards as he floated.
She shrugged, shooing him away, "go and have fun then, you're not tied to this house anymore" the ghost giggled some more, "just be careful, and when you wont to move on. You know how to find me"
The child nodded, before vanishing though the stone wall. She fell backwards, letting sleep take her.
Outside the room, kuroro stood silently listening to the one sided conversation Z was having with what he thinks is a ghost. Adding the knowledge to his brain, hopefully being useful later on, he hear a thump as she fell back against the covers. Stepping into the room he watched Z sleep peacefully – something she hadn't managed to do since arriving here.
Walking up to the bed, he raised an arm brushing the hair out of her face. How could get her to show more emotion? To get her to become a pawn for him without dealing the strong cards?
How could he do that without falling for her?
to be continued...
hey all!
hope you like the chapter!
is it okay? does it make sense? let us know if it doesnt please! XD
and i know its not as long as normal but i didnt wanna make it too long..
gonna go onto the next arch in the story! maybe even throw in a few curve ball for ya all :D
tell us what you think!
love ya all!
happy hunting xx