Chapter 9

Savino

Emptiness. That's how it felt for Luna as she rowed her way towards Loch Loud. Her muscles screamed as she grew closer and closer to the ancient town, but she refused to yield. Her eyes couldn't escape the site of the castle clawing against the sky, standing like a monolith lost to time as her beloved city slumbered underneath a cold fog, its crystallized hands offering no comfort against the falling snow.

She shivered the closer she got, feeling her nerves cracking as her breath turned solid. It felt like she was journeying her way into a glacier, slowly becoming an ice cube that shall never melt. Even as the moon watched intently, the storm refused to yield, blanketing the freezing water with a blanket of white powder, its own existence seemingly taunting the rocker as the breeze slapped itself against her back.

But the cold meant nothing compared to the sheer silence she was experiencing. Loch Loud was just a mere ride away, and not one sign of life could be found. No flames or lights to be found, and even as the first buildings by the docks could be deciphered amongst the fog, they still seemed to carry the same energy as the coffins Lucy enjoyed oh so very much. Unlike last time, back when the town was far more rundown, this seemed... off.

She felt she was entering a ghost town, and knowing the kind people that lived there, that was enough to freak her out.

And that man in the boathouse... or whatever the hell that was...

She shook her head. "Wasn't a person. Couldn't be. Just... Maybe the darkness just got to you. Yeah! R-Right?"

At last, the boat reached the dock, the very one where her family landed in the sub the previous summer. She quickly threw the rope around a wooden pole (thank goodness she was an expert at tying knots), and stepped up onto the wooden planks. Rifle in hand and flashlight wrapped around her belt, Luna stared at the old town, only to see the endless cold fog taking everything over.

She always wanted to return one day, just to take in the Scottish landscape. She loved it here, and hope for the day when she could invite her band to come visit. Sully would fall in love immediately, she could tell, and who knows? Mazzy may finally understand how awesome open fields and marshes could end up. Sam? There was no worry. She would love every place they went together.

So would the Louds. A family that Luna had no idea their status. The pleasant thoughts of her band fled away, returning to those corpses that once were the ones she loved. Luna gagged, holding her stomach tight as she made her way slowly down the dock, nearly finding herself tripping against the icy conditions.

"Stay strong. They're safe-and-sound. Right now, they just want you, okay?" She told herself. Does that make it any better? If that's the case, she was being hunted by another damn party out for blood. At least it wasn't Lincoln this time, but she didn't get her hopes up.

She muttered as she wandered. "I swear, if they dare mess with even one hair on that head..."

Her feet reached cobblestone, where even then the town was quiet and despairing. She stepped towards the closest building, one meant for tourists and registration, but even as she saw the wood and stones that formed it up, it still felt like she was staring at a silhouette, with all details masked underneath the frozen winds of this unforgiving weather. Every second staring brought her nerves to an even higher level.

She was gonna freeze to death at this rate. She needed to get warm, and soon.

Lowering her weapon, she walked to the wooden door, seeing it practically frozen from the hinges to the knob. Coughing into her mouth, she quickly began knocking. "Uh, hello? Anyone inside? I, uh, I need help!" She kept up the knocking, but heard no life within. Hopefully just asleep? Then again, this was a business; probably should find a home first.

Her next journey brought her towards a smaller building on the opposite side of the street. Been some time, but she knew a fisherman lived there. He loved the sound she made with the bagpipes she explored with last summer, and overall, an upstanding man. It was dark out, naturally, and of course he'd probably be cranky, but maybe knowing a Loud family member was around would ease his troubled mind?

Once more, a knock. "Excuse me! I need help, please! Is anyone home? There's a wreck across the lake, and..."

Nothing. Not even a mutter. She hated to do it, but she tip-toed her way towards the nearby window, hoping to see any sign of life. The curtains weren't even drawn, but even that gave no respite, for the entire indoors was silent and cold. Quickly smacking herself, she hoped the flashlight would give some clue if somebody was close, but her reflection bounced right back.

She tried to knock one more time, but at this point it was worthless. She was getting nowhere fast, and the weather was getting progressively damper. Holding herself close, she began looking around, at last seeing the fog give a clearing for her eyes to finally observe anything about this town. Not a lot, but at least the road and some buildings beyond had some detail.

And that detail was rather striking. Luna's heart froze without the cold's help, seeing the strange oddities surrounding her. Fences lay crushed against walls, with those walls suffering from giant holes made by an unknown force. The snowy ground below appeared fresh, with marks all about showing what appeared to be a horse that once made its journey. During her stay here, she only saw a few horses, but they didn't seem that common. Now that it's the winter, it was rather strange to see how common and forced they all were.

Against those, smashed barrels and thrown about splinters of wood made themselves far more common, but with those sights, her eyes began to climb towards the other doors, where she encountered something far more frightening than she could ever think. The entryways were nothing special, but above them were signs she didn't recognize. They seemed... out of place in Loch Loud.

They were simple wooden designs, but they showed off a design that Luna felt rather disturbed by. Strange too, for all it depicted was a monster on the front that was rather crudely drawn. She wasn't an exact expert on mythological creatures, but based on its look, she assumed it was a... centaur? Was that right? It was a creature that had the top half of a man, but the lower half of a horse.

Underneath it, a name could be seen. She didn't need to walk far, for the door she was standing by had the same design. It was a simple name that, once again, made her frightened. "S-Savino?" She read out loud. Who was Savino, or what was it? She didn't recognize them from before, so they must be new. Should be nothing, but just looking at the monster made her tense up.

Luna shook her head. "What happened here? Is this place okay?" She asked herself, before at last leaving the lawn behind. She returned to the road, moving up quickly as she stared at every house and business she passed by. All had that sign, and darkness lurked within. There was nothing to show that this place was ever inhabited, with any sign of life being crushed by what appeared to be horse marks everywhere.

Her grip on the rifle tightened. "Keep it together... keep it together... They're fine... They're..."

She froze. Before her, just as her feet were about to enter the center square, a barren sight laid before her. Figures, all looking human, stood before her trapped in a web of agony and grief. Barrel raised, She slowly approached, sweat losing to the cold. "H-Hey! Who's there? Identify yourself!"

No words, but that was obvious. She knew there wouldn't be. Getting closer, she saw the same white hairs protruding from them, holding all of their limbs hostage against the worm-like creatures. The people were trapped within, but there was nothing Luna could do. She got a closer look, but the creatures attacked back, forcing her to retreat.

"Oh God, what is this stuff? W-Wait, are they alive?"

She looked at the man closest to her. Unlike the one in the boat house, she saw the man's face clearly, including the eyes staring at her in fear. When they blinked, she wanted to scream. "Holy... hey, hang on! I'll get you out of this!"

But as she reached for a knife she didn't even have, another nuisance quickly made itself known. Far off, a scream could be heard. "Help! Please!"

Another person, struggling? Luna looked over towards the town square, and sure enough, she saw someone coming close, frightened beyond belief. A young woman, hair tied back into a ponytail almost looking like her dear roommate, Luan.

But unlike her comedic sibling, this woman was anything but. Her eyes were crying, and her body, covered in some sort of robe, was flailing about. She cried and ran for her life, shaking her head as despair took over. "Please, please help! Oh God, please!"

Luna's heart sunk. The nightmare was coming alive before her very eyes.

FROM: A government record, undated

"Was it really safe for Manager to leave Luna and Lincoln at home? If his theories of another party watching over them are true, then it is crucial that they are moved as fast as possible. He's a good man, but he's still learning the tricks of the trade, it seems. I'm happy he wants the family to be left alone, but if they're in trouble, we have to save them no matter what.

"Speaking of which, we got a strange message in our system. No idea who it was from, but it had a strange word repeating over and over. Savino, was it? No idea what it was. Gotta investigate."