Chapter 3: The Mansion
Snow, such a beautiful thing, you will never find the same snowflake twice. The best kind of snow is at night where there is big chunks floating all around you. It makes you feel so magical and powerful. As Mustangs team heads for this so called mansion they are walking in this very snow that I just described. But the only difference is there walking through 6-inch deep snow and its –15.
"Urg, I thought you said 5 minutes Havoc." Roy yelled while checking his pocket watch.
"I guess they didn't calculate that it would slow us down while walking through all this snow." Havoc said dragging his feet in the snow while lighting up another cigarette.
Riza was looking down while she was walking, something about walking through deep snow made her walk weird and uneven. Just as she looked forward she saw something glittering in the snow. As she got closer she saw that it was a necklace with a crystal ball as a pendent about 10mm in size.
"What a beautiful necklace." Riza picked it up and examined it.
Roy turned around and noticed that Riza was far back then she usually would be. Roy stopped and waited a moment. Havoc caught up to Roy with his smoke in his mouth just in time to see Roy roll his eyes.
Havoc stopped and turned around to see what Roy was waiting for. "What is she doing?"
"Havoc keep leading, I have to go pick up the slack." Roy said in a tired yet demanding voice and took a few steps then heard a little chuckle form his subordinate.
"And havoc. I know what your thinking. Don't make me put you in flames again." Roy said looking back at havoc with a grin.
"Ok sir!" Havoc laughed and raised his hands up while backing away.
As the rest of Roy's team passed him in confusion, Roy continued along and caught up to Riza. Riza was staring into this crystal ball with her back to him, her eyes slowly changing colour form Fire red to Ice blue she was losing all thought of everything around her. With a shove form the front of her shoulder she quickly snapped out if it and as fast as her coming back to reality, her eyes changed colour. She quickly looked up with her eyes wide open.
"RIZA!" Roy yelled.
"Sir!" Riza replied not realizing what just happened.
"Urg, I just finished calling you name. Didn't you hear me?" Roy asked while putting his hand down.
"No, sorry Sir, wont happen again." Riza said while calming her eyes.
Roy still looking intently in her eyes then looked down at her hand.
"What's that?" Roy asked.
"It's a necklace I found here in the snow Sir" Riza replied still looking at Roy.
"Well, why did you go and stab it into your hand?" Roy said looking back at Riza.
Riza still puzzled didn't notice till a sharp pain jolted through her hand, it started to throb and bleed heavily through her glove. With a sigh Roy took Riza's hand and pulled the necklace out of her hand and placed it in the palm of his hand while he worked some snow into her wound. Slowly he started to pull the glove off and examined the wound in the middle of her hand. Clearing some blood off with snow.
The icy sensation was over come by the warmth of his hand on hers. It made Riza blush.
"Sir, don't worry. I don't need you to…" Riza tried to say but was cut off with Roy pulling out a handkerchief and ripping it into two.
"Your not yourself tonight Riza" Roy said while wrapping her hand in the ripped cloth.
"Try to be more careful, let's go" Roy said with more determination then before and walked passed Riza.
"Yes Sir, Sorry Sir" Riza said out loud while pulling her glove back on and placing the necklace into her pocket then caught up to Roy.
A few minutes passed and they finally caught up with Havoc and the others.
"Took you long enough Sirs." Havoc said while resting his weight on the gate.
"Shut up Havoc!" Roy said while passing him and punching in the number code to get in.
As the gates opened it reviled an icy wonderland. With statues in the courtyard, bushes that almost looked as if the snow and ice grew there own flowers on the bare vines, everyone's breath stopped. The house its self was in a horse-shoe style with a dome made of glass and iron on the right side. Most of the windows were stained glass and on the left side of the house there was an unusually big piece. The window its self looked like a flower of some sort. The house had a hunting feel but with the lights on in some rooms it felt warm against their skin.
"Wow! That's one big house! People still live here?" Fuery asked.
"Apparently there are only a few people who still live here. A caretaker and his wife, and staff members who only come during the day. The Caretaker who is 49 doesn't believe in this so-called ghost thing so people say because he doesn't believe in the ghosts, the ghost wont hurt or harm him and his family. People tried to not believe but it seems like they get hurt or killed if they spend the night here." Falman explained.
"And to think were staying for 3 nights…" Armstrong added.
"What are the ages of the other people who come here?" Havoc asked curiously.
"Not sure only says stuff about him Mr. Andrew Berri." Falman replied.
While everyone continued for the front door Fury stopped and looked behind him to see his Conrad shaking in fear behind a statue "Hey Breda. Are you coming?" Fuery asked.
"You said there is ghosts in that cursive building!" Breda said while pointing at the house.
"Ah common Breda. You herd Falman its only if you believe in ghosts that it will come after you." Havoc said while putting his arm around Breda and pushing him to the front door.
Roy was already at the door and rang the doorbell. " Common, do I have to hold all of your hands like Children?' Roy said in a make fun way.
"Sir no Sir!" Armstrong and Falman said almost exactly then walked up to the door.
Riza made her way beside Roy and by accident brushed her hand onto Roy's. Roy looked at Riza and she quickly looked away and pulled her away. She whispered quietly "Sorry Sir" then quickly turned her head to avoid Roy's and looked back over to Fuery and Havoc, who were pulling Breda from a stone Statue. Roy gave a little smirk at Riza's reaction and took a step forward so he was beside Riza. He chuckled at the sight of his subordinated trying so hard to get Breda off the stone statue. Roy started to reach for her hand and stopped he realized it wasn't the time or appropriate to make such a move. As he pulled his hand away and took a little step back towards the door, Riza felt the warmth of his hand leave hers. She figured that he was going to try to touch her hand but backed away. In a way she was relieved but again she wanted it.
"Urg, fine if little Breda wants to stay here in the freezing cold then let him, lets go Fuery." Havoc said while letting go of Breda and waking to join the others.
"Fine Breda, I guess you will be here all alone with no food or heat. I wouldn't be surprised if the ghost lived in that very statue." Fuery said while walking away
"But be our guest. If you want to stay there and freeze" Falman said.
With his eyes starting to water and mouth starting to tremble Breda let out a loud yell "AHHH DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!" and ran up to Riza and held on to her waist like a little child.
"Umm Breda?" Riza said looking down at the poor man who was scared to death.
"I'm not scared, I'm not scared," Breda kept repeating.
"You keep saying that Breda! Gees like a little kid afraid of what's not there" Havoc said slyly while leaning against the door.
As Roy smiled and chuckled again, Riza looked at him with an angry look. Before she could say something the door that Havoc was leaning against opened. The force of gravity dropped havoc on the floor and made his body slide down the main fovea then smacked into a pair of legs.
"Umm? Hello?" a lady's voice called out.
Havoc looked up and immediately fell in love. His cigarette fell out of his mouth. He was standing underneath a lady with long brown hair (down to her bum) and ice blue eyes. She was wearing black dress pants and a white long sleeve sweater. She was also wearing a while apron around her waist which was stained and covered with dust but was still clean.
Havoc struggled to get up and finally stood at attention "well hello ma'am I'm second Lieutenant Jean Havoc and this here is my team. We're here to figure out your ghost problem." Havoc said while clapping her hands in his.
"Oh my, well my name is wind, my husband is somewhere in the house so please forgive me for answering the door. We are used to old customs so ladies shouldn't be answering the door." Wind said politely.
"You.. Your husband? Aww that screws that plan into the ground." Havoc said while letting go of Wind's hands and lighting another cigarette.
"Umm, which one of you is Mr. Roy Mustang?" Wind asked shyly.
Roy walked over to wind. "I presume your him? Well I welcome you and your team to the mansion. If you would be so kind as to remove your shoes. Your boots are soaked and we don't want to have an accident on the slippery floors. Oh you can leave your bags here until we come back. I'm sure your boots will be dry by then." Wind said while smiling sweetly.
After waiting a moment while everyone pulled their soaked leather boots off. Wind, as if a little child, grabbed Roy's hand. "Please follow me this way"
Armstrong looked imminently at Riza. But to him she didn't seem to care too much. As the rest of the group followed Roy and Wind, Riza hesitated for a minuet.
"Riza?" Armstrong said quietly
"Yes Sir?" Riza asked.
"Are you going to be ok?" Armstrong asked.
Riza started walking a little more slowly then before.
Armstrong put his arm around her shoulders and walked with her.
"I'll be ok Sir, really" Riza said looking up at Armstrong with a strong voice.
"I know but everyone needs a friend to walk with them sometimes." Armstrong continued to walk with Riza.
As they all entered the living room Wind bowed "I'll go find my husband I'll be back real soon!" and she left the room.
Roy turned and looked as Riza who gave him a look.
"What are you upset about now?" Roy asked.
"Don't worry about it Sir." Riza replied while sitting down in one of the many chairs and couches around the room.
The room was practically a green room. Everything was a shade of green an had plants around the room. The floor was hard wood with a dark colour to it, the couches and chairs has deep forest green velvet material. Everything that was wood was the same colour as the floor or a tat lighter. The walls were a shade of green that complimented the floor and the furniture. The room had a big fireplace that was still burning at the farthest wall. There were many bamboo plants around the room as well as fancy flowers and many roses. At the front of the room was the huge stained glass window that everyone saw form outside. Up close the window actually looked like leaves vines and trees. To the right of the window was a door that leads them out of the room to the hall where they came in. door beside the one that lead to the hall was the door where Wind left through. The corner between those two doors was a black piano. The walls were covered with many portraits and pictures of old people who used to live in the house everyone assumed.
Riza sat in the corner of the couch closest to the fireplace. Havoc went and examined the piano. He had played once or twice in his life (as a kid) and thought he could still play. Fuery and Breda were sitting in the other couch across form Riza. Armstrong stood looking at photographs while Falman was examining the window. To him it really was a beautiful window. Roy who was by the door at first walked around the room then sat down beside Riza on the couch but in the other corner. There was a big space between them. He closes his eyes and lowered his head a bit. You could hear talking in the ext room and just as Havoc was about to get up and examine what the commotion was Wind popped back into the room with her husband.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, here is my husband, Andrew Berri." Wind introduced.
Roy stood up and walked over to the couple. "Andrew?" Roy started
"Andrew Berri and Roy?" Andrew said with a little grin.
"Roy Mustang." as they both shook hands Andrew started off
"Please call me Andrew no need for formalities here, and who are the rest of you?" Andrew said while looking passed Roy more towards Riza who wasn't paying attention.
"Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc and Heymans Breda. Warrant Officer Vato Falman. Master Sergeant Kain Fuery. Major Alex Armstrong and First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye." Roy introduced everyone.
"Well hello everyone nice to meat you all. Its 11:26pm I think we should get you to your rooms. I'm sorry I'm a little busy with paper work so I can't stay long and explain things but Wind here is an excellent Hostess. She'll make you feel right at home," said Andrew.
"Oh honey stop." Wind said with a blush.
"Its alright, were all pretty tired ourselves, good timing." Armstrong added
"Dear could you show them to there rooms. Here theses rooms if you don't mind." Andrew took out a piece of paper and wrote down 7 rooms.
"Ok honey see you later tonight." Wind said planting a kiss on Andrews's forehead.