(Authors Note: *Takes an enormous breath* Okay...it's official...this is NOT a dead fic...I'm so so so x10000 sorry for my extremely late update but after I wrote chapter 14 I hit a time where I struggled to find inspiration and then GCSE coursework and timetables started and we have our GCSE exams next week so I managed to write this chapter and get it uploaded before then. Hopefully I should update MUCH quicker in future now especially in the summer holidays but with college starting in September I'm not sure...anyway thank you so so much for all of your patience and continued support with this story and I hope you enjoy this chapter...the main mystery can begin to be unravelled later but this is the chapter where it links into my other story which I have almost finished editing. Anyway take care everyone, plant peace for the planet and keep safe, well and happy! :D :D :D)
Chapter 15-The missing link?
"…Try…me...?"
Flora inhaled sharply as the bloodied words repeatedly passed in front of her eyes, her skin rapidly becoming more transparent with every second that passed, nauseous with terror. She was barely aware of how much her limbs were quivering at the mere pronunciation of the words; she'd seemed to have adjusted to this familiar sensation over the past few hours. Her veins were now seemingly as discernible and as dark as the grotesque physical message positioned just a few metres away from where she currently stood.
Fighting fiercely to avert her gaze from Connie's still form and the apple planted delicately in her upturned white hand, she instead turned her shadowy questioning eyes towards the apprehensive, repulsed expression adorning the professor's face. In turn, nothing could break his impenetrable gaze away from his daughter's horrified expression, the ceaseless tremors of her body as if she'd been thrown into the depths of the iciest ocean adorning the planet's surface. His black eyes broadened intensely as he surveyed her innocent form with undying fear, his current emotions shrouded by the darkness of his enlarged pupils.
"That…is definitely from her…," he confirmed gravely in a low tone, after having found the energy to force the hesitant string of words from his hoarse dry throat.
"How…how does she know I'm…here?" she choked, bile steadily rising in her throat as she fought desperately to swallow the gargantuan sensation of sheer paranoia.
Myra began gnawing on her lower lip so violently in apprehension that scarlet managed to ooze through the thick layer of her makeup, soaking into her trembling lips.
"…Lily must have informed the sect somehow…," she stammered, shaking her head incredulously, "I…but I swear that I never took my eyes off of her for one second! She was…unconscious for as long as I can remember—"
"If the sect has been notified then we cannot allow ourselves to linger here much longer!" Emmy exclaimed, her widened eyes swiftly scanning every inch of the room as if expecting an entire mob of devotees to leap out and viciously ambush them.
"What happened to Brenda and Clive was enough; there can be no more casualties!"
"Why…why won't she leave us alone?!" Flora cried hysterically, exasperated beyond description.
An icy dread gradually crept up her legs, paralysing them with the terror that every inhabitant in the room was trying their hardest to disguise, presumably for her own sake. Anticipating her escalating distress, Luke instinctively dashed to her side and hurriedly steadied her when her body began to lurch downwards, his hands grasped protectively under her quivering arms.
"L-Listen to me, Flora!" he pleaded shakily in what was meant to be a reassuring tone, yet after having witnessed blood dripping down the walls of one ordinary bedroom it took an exceeding amount of effort to make it sound one tenth convincing, "We're…we're right by you! The sorceress wouldn't dare lay a finger on you whilst the professor still stands!"
Having regained her strength to stand, the girl weakly raised her head after a moment of hesitancy to peer into her friend's consoling eyes, to hear his affectionate words of comfort even if they were just designed to ease her fears. An expression of determination was clearly imprinted on his face and through that were tears of pity that were forcibly being held back.
"L-Luke…," she murmured, forcing an appreciative smile to crease the corner of her lips.
"What…do you propose to be our next action, Hershel?" Clark enquired as calmly as he could manage in the current situation, compelling himself to wrench his gaze away from the bloodied letters that brought back the horrifying memory of the previous night's events.
"…The most prudent thing to do would be to leave the manor as soon as possible. If the sect really has been notified by our presence then we could only have a few moments before they arrive-and I highly doubt that they'd be prepared to be lenient."
His friend nodded, his gaze averted to the ground, wringing his hands with anxiety.
"Why can't we just get out of the village and return to London? They wouldn't be that desperate to get to Flora that they'd follow us—"
"If only that were true, dear girl," Myra interrupted Emmy sadly, her eyes closed in concentration, "The…the return of the Golden Apple…and the time that her powers are at their strongest…has been prophesised for many years. They've waited ravenously for this chance. Do you honestly think, as emancipating as it would be, that they would let the opportunity slip from their monstrous grasp when all they would have to do is simply follow you all back to where you came from?! I'd bet my entire fortune that the sorceress would even be willing to travel to opposite ends of the world just to hunt you down—"
Their expressions of sheer horror merely intensified at Myra's outburst. Flora released a choked gasp and turned even whiter, failing to discern Luke's countless feeble entreats as the echoing bloodthirsty laughter from her nightmare threatened to rip open her very mind.
"So…what you're trying…to say…is…?" she stammered helplessly, trailing off, already having predicted that the answer would terrify her further.
"I'm…I'm truly sorry, Flora…but nowhere is safe for you now…"
Her heart abruptly halted the moment the words met her ears, vision barely perceptible. The familiar sensation of the professor's arms wrapped defensively around her waist and his quiet soothing voice almost penetrated through the ceaseless horrifying thoughts that raced through her mind. Emmy, Clark and Luke could only watch sympathetically, shaken beyond description at the course that events had taken.
"There, there, dear. Luke is right; we are and always will be right by your side, no matter the circumstance," he told her calmly but with an identifiable firmness also, "I'm frightened of what may lie ahead also, but we must keep clear minds at times like this and please remember one thing: you are the only person I could call my daughter and I would never see any harm come to you. I would prevent it if it was the last thing I ever did..."
"P…Professor…," she faltered, sniffing weakly, "I…I have never been more scared in my life than I am now…but…you should know something too: after Papa, you are the only person I could…call my father too. I love you so much and…I couldn't bear it if anything were to befall you either…"
"I know, dear, I know," he murmured soothingly, gently rubbing her back to console her, "We will get to the bottom of this. I promise you and this is true because…?"
The girl swallowed and allowed the tiniest smile to envelope her face at his prompt.
"A gentleman never breaks his promise," she finished quietly, withdrawing from him slightly to allow him to loosen his grip on her.
A muffled cry from below them abruptly terminated what little and brief calmness presently lingered in the atmosphere, causing Flora to release a sharp gasp of shock and to instinctively slam her palm on her chest. Slightly startled, the professor peered down at the floor as the others followed suit, Luke and Flora still rather hesitant, merely to see Connie's previously motionless form twitch slightly. Instinctively, Layton instantly knelt down next to her and gently turned her over so that her face was not obscured, placing one of his hands under her head to support her as her fiery hair pooled around her like thin wisps of flame. His other hand rested on her whitened hand, generously offering consoling warmth to the girl in his attempts to resume her circulation. He watched expectantly, his breathing heavy, as her eyes gradually began to open with what was clearly a strained and exhausting effort for her.
"Ungh…ugh…," she murmured, her words barely audible, slithers of emerald exposed as her eyelids slowly rose upwards.
Myra's chest heaved dramatically with relief, colour flooding into her cheeks. Simultaneous sighs of relief swept across the room, a chorus of intense relief, evaporating the tiniest amount of icy tension from the surrounding atmosphere. Clark and Emmy both advanced towards the two children, placing both of their hands protectively on their shoulders in the hopes of providing some form of reassurance. Luke and Flora peered cautiously at Connie's pallid complexion, the trepidation and confusion dissolved in her irises, which were presently almost whole once again. They both desperately wanted to rush to her side and offer any form of help and comfort that they could, desiring to actively put their virtues into practise during this dire situation, but decided to remain respectful and keep a short distance from the girl so that Myra and the professor had enough space in order to tend to her.
"C-Connie?" she breathed hopefully, bending over the girl so that her dark strands of hair delicately brushed against her frozen cheeks, "A-are you…?"
"M-Myra…"
"Oh, d-dear!"
A small, compassionate smile creased her face as the woman hastily moved to assist the professor, supporting Connie's back as they helped her rise herself into an upright position. The girl released a sharp cry of pain as Myra carefully forced her erect, squinting around the room and allowing her hand to cradle her head as she tried to return to reality after what had seemed to her like an eternity of unconsciousness. Her mind throbbed achingly in a constant rhythmical beat, causing her to compress her forehead harder and a discernible whimper to be freed from her lips. Despite the flushed colour steadily melting the thin layer of ice coating her skin, Layton and Myra appeared to be unsatisfied, repeatedly checking her for any signs of injury.
"Myra…"
"Shh, Connie. It's okay; everything's okay," she soothed quietly as she gingerly let her own smooth palm rest against her forehead, "You must've received quite a shock to—"
"Myra," Connie emphasised, her eyebrows furrowing in obvious discomfort.
"What? What is it, dear? Are you hurt? Do you bear any signs of injury? Were you attacked? Do you have concussion?" Myra fussed, her face having taken on a solemn expression of extreme concern, her apparently infinite fretting list of ailments rapidly continuing.
"I-I'm fine, Myra. Honestly," she assured, her abrupt wince contradicting her words, "I just…I remember a stranger in here, standing next to that wall…"
She extended her finger, trembling, to the wall now adorned in running scarlet ink, oblivious to the presence of the ominous crimson letters.
"What did they look like?" Layton inquired, keeping his voice calm so as not to aggravate the girl's current condition, "Did you attempt to stop them?"
Connie nodded shakily and hesitantly closed her eyes, as if to recapture the image in her mind before it evaded her.
"W-well…it was hard to make out their main features, Professor, because they were shrouded in a dark cloak which effectively obscured their face, b-but I did, however, notice that he was gripping what looked like a sharp glistening b-blade and s-some kind of brush. He h-had his back to me and appeared to be focusing on the wall but when I entered the room h-he must've heard me and spun around. That's when I saw the b-blade, but when he stared at me his eyes were narrowed with hatred and he g-growled savagely before lunging at me…"
She paused, breathing deeply to console herself, as the professor peered at her with a pitying yet thoughtful expression.
"Wh-what happened after that?" Luke faltered, his broadened eyes blinking repeatedly in dread.
"All I r-remember is him lunging at me…then I dived to the side to avoid him and a-attempted to knock whatever he had in his hands away to render him weapon-less. H-however he was too s-swift and I felt a sharp fist collide with the back of my neck…and after that all I can recount is hurtling through immeasurable d-darkness, until your voices roused me…"
Myra inhaled sharply, her quivering hand caressing the side of Connie's neck, whilst subconsciously running her fingers through various stray strands of her aburn hair, almost subconsciously.
"W-well he's gone now, Connie. You're alright and that is all that matters to me."
The girl smiled weakly in response, contentment washing over her as her guardian removed her hand from her neck and supportively began patting her shoulder tenderly. The professor shook his head, peering at Connie with a hint of admiration in his eyes.
"You clearly endured a frightful ordeal, Connie. I believe you should certainly to rest for a while to recover your strength," he advised her gently, before a small, satisfied smile formed on his face, "but I must say that you were very brave, trying to stop the intruder bare-handed."
"I-it was nothing, Professor. I just…I just wanted to help Myra," she answered, her cheeks glowing with pleasure at his compliment, "It was so unanticipated though: one moment I'm taking breakfast up to Flora and the next a hooded stranger prowls about the room and attempts to harm me! I…I was half expecting him to be there for Flora, b-but I was immensely relieved when he showed not the slightest hint of interest in her—"
"You…you thought he'd come from the sect?" Flora confirmed, her voice wavering slightly despite her valiant efforts to maintain a neutral tone.
"Of course; it was the first thought that crossed my mind because…well, he wore the exact attire of the other members and he…well, he just had that ominous icy aura surrounding him, almost identical to Lily. However…he paid absolutely no attention to Flora. I-it was like she was invisible to him…so I doubt that he'd come from the s-sect…unless he'd been given direct orders not to harm her until…until…the right time…"
Flora swallowed and exhaled deeply, exceedingly grateful that she had been trapped in that horrifying nightmare in light of this new information; if she'd been aware of the…intruder's movements then would she perhaps have acted differently? Would she have instantaneously assumed that he'd come from the Sect of Darkness and attempted to scream a warning, or even defend herself by using what little courage she could muster to cast a certainly harmless incantation? Either way the result would've been futile-and if that had been the case and the intruder had been alerted to her presence (had he truly come from the sect) then she might not have been so fortunate to even be standing there unscathed, bearing an invisible shield of protection from those dearest to her—
She shook her head quickly, determined to drive away her persistent infinite worries and mounting anxiety. In all honesty, she didn't desire to imagine the previous course of events with a different, irreversible conclusion and she had every right to; as far as the terrified teenager was concerned, she could've been a mere golden hair's breadth from that fate, for all she knew. Emmy frowned at Connie's stammering sentence, squinting at the wall suspiciously, her firm gaze scrutinising every visible area of its surface as she approached it with a steady tread. The barely perceptible scuffling sound of her boots against the smooth carpet fibres was seemingly magnified due to the inauspicious silence that had abruptly descended upon the group, like a hawk would upon its inferior prey. Nonetheless, despite her tenacious efforts to keep her signs of weakness disguised, even she still couldn't conceal the slight shudders that tickled her nerves as her eyes purposefully skimmed past the scarlet substance adorning most of the wall. It had finally begun to dry, but no vaccination in existence would be able to immunise her or the others against the imposing, deadly threat that lay hidden behind the ink.
Placing a hand to his chin in thought, the professor turned to Connie, his voice as gentle as before despite the countless questions racking his mind.
"Hmm…that is very interesting," he mused quietly, "However, there is the matter of determining who could've left such an ominous message, for the only person that I can currently think of is the Sorceress of Darkness—"
"M-message?" the girl faltered abruptly, completely forgetting to scold the professor for inappropriately addressing their adversary, "Wh-what message, what would that be?"
"The message over there, painted on that wall," he answered gravely, his expression darkening as his eyes once again passed over each crimson letter, "We discovered it when we bust into the room and heard Flora screaming. You must've been unconscious if you didn't notice such an imposing message; it certainly wouldn't have been difficult to discern, not with its…scarlet shade…"
Frightfully, taking a deep breath to compose herself, Connie gradually turned her head to the side, until nothing but the letters enveloped her entire vision. She instantly inhaled sharply, repulsed and terrified at their existence, yet transfixed, unable to wrench her gaze away from it for several moments. Her eyes broadening, she was barely aware of her hands quivering vigorously as if her nerves had been attacked by the unseen force of trepidation radiating from the liquid smeared across the wall. Sensing her distress, Myra gently placed a soothing hand on her shoulder, immediately jerking the girl back to reality, her breathing rapid.
"Th-that message…was it written in…?"
She trailed off, swallowing what little saliva she could at the prospect of such an idea, although by the expressions on the rest of their faces, it was evident that they had been wanting to ask the same question for some time.
"I…am not sure about that," Layton answered after a brief pause, desperately trying to permanently rid the idea from his mind, "However...do you think that there is anyone else who would make such a threat against us? Against Flora?"
"…No," Myra answered for Connie, who had instantly fallen silent and had averted her eyes to the carpet at his words, "I…can't think of anyone else other than the…the sect."
"So…d-does that mean…?"
"Yes, my boy," Layton replied quietly to his apprentice, whose eyes were shining with fearful tears, "I believe that we can safely assume that the intruder was…from the Sect of Darkness."
"He…or she…must have been given orders to leave Flora unharmed," Clark murmured thoughtfully, a solemn expression creasing his face, "At least, for now."
Ceaseless worries for the innocent pure girl whom he considered his daughter threatening to drive him to insanity, Layton could only manage a firm nod to finalise Clark's words. It was his duty, after all, as a gentleman to keep a rational mind and ultimately keep his friends and his daughter safe from the barbarous bloodthirsty clutches of the sect. He had to keep a calm yet firm demeanour; his assistants were clearly trying with all of the strength that they could muster, so it would therefore be completely and utterly unjust if he didn't put every ounce of effort he possessed into keeping his promise to them, the silent promise that he'd vowed the previous night before being dragged into his restless sleep, to protect every one of them with his life.
"Wh-wha-?! P-Professor, I've found something!"
Being immediately wrenched from his persistent dreaded concepts by the ringing tone of urgency in his assistant's voice, the professor sharply turned his head in her direction, his eyes wide with a combination of both intrigue and consternation as he focused on her suddenly apprehensive features.
"Excellent work, Emmy," he began in a slightly relieved tone, not forgetting to praise his assistant as a gentleman should in such circumstances, "Can you tell what it is at present?"
He watched her intently, frowning slightly as she began sceptically turning what appeared to be a small, sleek scarlet object between her fingers, a repulsed expression attached to her face. At the news of a discovery, even if it was the tiniest lead that could possibly exist, Luke and Flora immediately raised their hands to glance inquisitively at Emmy, although their intrigue swiftly vanished at the expression of absolute disgust adorning her face.
"Erm…well…i-it looks like…a paintbrush of some kind," she answered with a repulsed frown, her tone slightly uncertain as she suddenly winced at seeing the still wet liquid drip unnervingly from the tip of the brush, "A-although…I really, really hope that that's paint…"
"M-me too…," Luke stammered, his voice quivering slightly as his father instinctively put a protective hand on his shoulder, "K-Knowing the sorceress though…ugh…I r-really don't like i-it…"
Myra wrinkled her nose in revulsion, glancing at the new find with evident abhorrence as Connie swallowed hard and peered apprehensively at her guardian, clearly questioning if there was the possibility that the liquid on the brush wasn't…what they thought it was.
"Is…that so?" Layton affirmed in a voice that he was trying to keep steady but even the notation of the substance on the brush made him wince in extreme discomfort.
"Hmm," she responded quietly, now obsessively running it between her fingers, her gaze scrutinising every visible inch of the item.
"Well…I'm not too sure if it yields any clues regarding any leads," Clark concluded after finally swallowing hard on the bile rising in his throat.
"How perplexing…," Layton mused to himself thoughtfully, his barely audible murmurs being terminated by a shrill shriek from his assistant as her face morphed into an expression of complete disgust, "E-Emmy, are you alright?"
It was so unlike the usually unbreakable woman to release such a strident shriek. Layton's bewildered gaze flitted instantly to his assistant, his gaze apprehensive and frightful despite her response of giving her hand a dismissive wave, although the expression refused to leave her face as she dug through her pockets for a small white handkerchief and began vigorously dabbing at her sleeve, before proceeding to wipe the unnerving substance off of the brush, biting her lip to force her breakfast to stay down as she did so.
"U-urgh…I'm…okay, Professor…I just…urgh…I got some of that s-stuff on my-hey, wait a minute! There's…engraved words under here!"
Myra gasped sharply at this new revelation and immediately spun around on her heel to catch the now excited and rather pleased expression on the young woman's face, her eyes flitting to Connie as the girl shakily attempted to get a better view at the item from her uncomfortable position on the floor. Instinctively, the professor carefully advanced towards his assistant, his bold eyes wide with curiosity and intrigue at what could be considered a potential lead at this point in the investigation since the brush itself hadn't shed any necessary light on the course of events thus far. He gently squeezed his daughter's hand as she hurried to stand next to him, her fingers seemingly inseparable from his own as the tiniest hopeful expression began to form on her face.
"Wh-what?!" Luke exclaimed in a tone portraying immense interest but with an undertone of undeniable apprehension as he cautiously moved closer to the others under his father's permanent gaze, "Wh-what does it say?"
"Well…um…I can make out the letter 'S' engraved on the wooden part of it…," she responded after several silent moments of thoroughly scrutinising the brush, "I…I can't determine the other letter though…it must be initials! Although…I think that looks like—"
"A-an 'S'?" Connie interrupted, her eyes having broadened to their maximum length, dread identifiable in her pupils, "Th-that…that could…d-do you suppose it stands for the sorc—"
Her words were lost through a sudden, alarming shriek that seemed to resonate throughout the room as the other inhabitants rapidly joined in the chorus of resounding shock, trying to keep to their feet as the very floor seemed to vigorously shake beneath them. The professor himself wore an expression of alarm as he instinctively wrapped his fingers around the brim of his signature top hat and used his other arm to reach for his daughter's hand, if only to offer her some form of consolation during the sudden event. She gave a piercing squeal as the carpet rippled under her feet and immediately ran for the protection of her guardian, her eyes broad, fear filling her pupils as she felt her whole body shaking from the shock.
"Wh-what is this thing?!"
"I-nggh-have no idea, Emmy!" he hollered in response to his assistant as she almost dropped the paintbrush in shock and had to cling to the wall to prevent herself from falling to her knees from the force of the abrupt impact.
"A-an earthquake perhaps?!" Clark suggested stridently as he eventually managed to regain his feet after being lurched forwards from the sudden jolt that almost sent him face-planting into the carpet.
Assuring himself that his pride wouldn't be bruised again, he ran over to where Luke was presently hopping from one foot to the other, eyes wide with anxiety as though venturing across a rather intimidating tightrope, although the professional performance might have been quite light-heartening had the situation taken place under a less ominous circumstance.
"It seems to be the only logical explanation at present, Clark!"
"What else would it be?!" Luke cried, still trying to regain his balance, trembling almost as much as the suddenly unstable floor below their feet.
"I have no idea, my boy!"
"E-eeeeep!" Flora's terrified squeals permeated the atmosphere, her overwhelming terror made evident in that single resounding sound, "I d-don't like it, Professor!"
Her guardian swiftly erased the exceedingly bewildered and apprehensive expression from his face upon hearing his daughter's desperate helpless cries, her resounding shriek pleading for the monstrosity to cease, to spare them, to have mercy. He adopted his signature placid expression, an invisible mask suddenly adorning his face from his previous demeanour, a relieving aura radiating from the single reassuring expression in his gleaming eyes. Although his stomach felt warped with anxiety at the course that events had taken, he forced himself to remain rational, taking a deep breath to console himself and reaching for his daughter's quivering hand with a firm extended arm. He needed to comfort her, to whisper gently into her ear, promising her that whatever was happening was only temporary, obviously omitting the truth that he was unsure of how truthful his words were. Fortunately, no one had to wait too long to uncover the answer; as the tips of his fingers lightly brushed against her own, which were quivering uncontrollably, the movement of the ground beneath their feet was abruptly terminated as unpredictably as it had occurred. Nonetheless, the girl clung to her guardian's hand with a vice grip, refusing to let go in case the invisible monstrosity returned again. Bewildered, Connie hesitantly opened one emerald fearful eye, which was swiftly followed by the other when she acknowledged the silence that had descended upon the room again. Myra, whose shaking arms had been protectively encasing her daughter during the whole course of events, carefully helped her to her feet and immediately turned her attention to the others, her raised eyebrows asking if they were all unscathed.
"O-ow…th-that was h-horrible, Professor!"
"I am in agreement there, Luke," he responded with a rather distasteful expression as Emmy proceeded to pull the shaking boy to his feet from where he'd awkwardly fallen over again.
"I-I still don't understand what that was...," Connie stammered, running her hand through her tangled hair, which was evidently a frequent habit designed to calm herself, whilst glancing frightfully around her as she tried to deduce what may have been the cause of the disruption.
"There has to be at least one logical explanation behind this!" The bearded man exclaimed, making rather exaggerated movements with his slightly shaking hands at the room.
The only visible signs of the previous events occurring consisted of a detailed painting hanging limply from the wall at an irregular angle, the repetitive trembles of the room's inhabitants-almost as much as the actual quake itself- and a few fallen ornaments that had been precariously balanced on the edge of the shelves, scathed but unbroken nonetheless.
"W-well…it could've been worse...," Myra eventually stated in a barely audible whisper, having surveyed what thankfully minor damage had been done to the room, "It was quite an unpleasant sh-shock…but…it's over…or at least…for now…"
The professor nodded in firm agreement, trying to form a calming but firm expression on his face as he averted his gaze to the woman.
"We will get to the bottom of this, Myra," he promised, adjusting his hat with one of his hands, "I can give you my word on that as a gentleman—"
"A-Ah!"
"C-Connie? What's wrong?!" Emmy demanded, unable to hide the apprehensive undertone in her voice as she spun on her heel to meet the girl's suddenly horrified eyes.
The others instantly averted their startled gazes to Connie, unnerved by how her emerald eyes stared vacantly into the distance, an expression of realisation swirling in her pupils through a startlingly glazed iris, undeniably formed from a film of tears. The eyes that stared back at her filled with immediate concern as the ominous sensation slowly settled upon the abruptly bitter, icy room once again.
"I-I…Myra I've j-just remembered…the…the passage…" She trailed off in horror, her eyes still broad with apprehension.
Mira's own expression almost immediately reflected Connie's as she held her hand over her mouth in dread, barely daring to even breath.
"The…passage?" Layton repeated, frowning slightly in confusion at their foreboding expressions, although he couldn't help but feel an icy shiver of trepidation course through his spine as he deduced that it wasn't something that put the odds in their favour-more so the opposite.
Flora clung on tighter to his arm, her breathing becoming much deeper as she fought valiantly to relieve herself of the terror that was threatening to engulf her again.
"Y-You…you have to get out of here!" Her shaking hands were suddenly pressed against the professor's arm, almost forcefully attempting to push him and the others backwards towards the door to the room, "You must leave this place now!"
"H-Huh?!" Luke gasped, bemused and undeniably frightened at the ringing insistence in the woman's voice, "M-Myra what do you mean—"
"They're…coming…"
"Wh-what?" Emmy stammered, swallowing hard as she silently wished that she hadn't heard those exact words.
The woman only shook her head, her hands positioned over her chest and her eyes displaying intense fear as Connie averted her gaze to the floor, obsessively picking at her nails so hard that she barely registered the skin surrounding some had begun to bleed.
"Th-they're coming…," she stated again, only this time in a voice that was bordering that of a hoarse whisper, "Th-the passage…Lily…i-it is…it is how she…she attends the meetings of the sect…she uses it as a connection between the manor and the sect…th-the passage is triggered by a complex mechanism h-hidden somewhere inside the manor…I-I have never found out wh-where or h-how exactly the mechanism works…j-just that it is existent."
"Wh-whenever the passage is opened…i-it sends similar tremors like you just experienced th-through the entire manor. I-If I am to t-take an accurate g-guess…L-Lily has opened the passage. There is only one place she can be going…and only…one person she can be alerting…t-to your…your presence…"
"Connie, are you absolutely certain about this?" the professor enquired in a steady voice, although his eyes had widened abruptly and his heart was currently racing inside his chest, "You have no clue to the nature of such a mechanism, Myra? Not even the tiniest possible idea that may provide a lead for us?"
The woman shook her head sadly, biting hard on hr lip.
"No, I'm afraid neither of us has the slightest idea, Professor Layton. H-however…if Lily has indeed gone to alert the sect of your whereabouts then staying here a moment longer would be undeniable suicide! You still have time-you must run, leave this place, put as much distance between yourselves and here! It may give you valuable time, hopefully enough to escape back to the village and continue your enquiries…i-it may at least stall them for some time…b-but not for long."
Her eyes narrowed as she peered seriously at him. "The sect are bloodthirsty and desperate…remember that…as long as Flora lives…they will not rest until they have her. The longer you stay here the more you endanger yourselves and the others. You can hold them off for a while but they possess the darkest and unimaginably powerful forms of magic; it will not take them long to deduce where you have gone. Just keep moving, don't look back and don't stop for anything!"
"M-Myra—"
"Go, Professor! A-all of you must leave now—"
"Myra, what about you and Connie? Where will you—"
"Connie and I will…," Myra sighed, drawing a deep breath as she chose her next words carefully, "We will stay here to…to hold them off. Send them down a false track and lead to find you…It's your best chance—"
"No, I simply cannot allow the two of you to stay here and risk your lives for us!" Layton argued, his teeth tightly gritted at the futility of the situation, "Myra…you and Connie…you told us yourself about the methods of this sect! They will not show you or Connie any mercy! As a gentleman I will not allow this to—"
"They won't kill us, Professor," Connie answered firmly, in contrast to the hopeless expression that was gradually beginning to fill her eyes, "If they think we truly know your whereabouts then they will keep us alive to…elicit it from us…which will last longer itself…b-but that is only if they catch us! If need be we can try to escape but…we will hold them off as long as we can…"
She peered at Flora's frightened pallid face with saddened eyes and a strange expression flickered across her face for a brief moment.
"I…I will keep my…promise to keep Flora safe. I…I owe it to Seryna…and I shall not fail…my friend…"
The girl glanced back at Connie, her own eyes beginning to brim with guilty tears.
"C-Connie…," she whispered, closing her eyes as she felt her father's hand gently massage her hair, "Th-thank you so…"
"I…very well." The professor inclined his head in resignation to their selfless suggestion, "However…you must promise us that if an opportunity for escape arises then you will take it. If anything were to happen to either of you…I dread to even imagine. Please know that…we couldn't be more grateful for your assistance…and your hospitality as our hosts."
Myra nodded lightly, a small smile creasing the corners of her lips.
"It was…our pleasure, Professor Layton, but you and your friends must leave this place, now! Th-they could infiltrate the manor at any time!"
"I understand, Myra. We…we shall go now." He glanced towards his assistants, readjusting the position of his top hat, "Come along, everyone! We must leave here at once!"
He gently took his daughter's hand and swiftly began to usher his assistants out of the room as Myra and Connie merely observed them, not a sound escaping their lips.
"P-Professor…"
"It will be alright, Dear," Layton peered softly at his daughter as he helped her make her way towards the door, his voice providing an almost completely soothing effect, "We have to return to the village for now though. We must keep you safe. It seems that all of us are…now on the hit list of this sect and the Sorceress of Darkness. We shall all be fine though, as long as we keep a clear and rational mind and take Myra's advice—"
"P-Professor, wh-what about Mum and Clive?!"
Layton's head jerked towards his apprentice, gasping, his eyes widening in realisation. Emmy and Clark immediately reacted in an almost identical manner, faces paling in horror.
"O-oh my…B-Brenda…," Clark stammered, guilt washing over him instantly as the memory of the emaciated, agonised form of his wife from the previous night flooded his vision, "Sh-she…there is no possible way she is well enough to travel so soon! She almost died last night! I-I'd wager that she can b-barley walk!"
"Wh-what about Clive as too?!" Emmy demanded, her heart hammering against her ribs, "H-he's probably too weak to walk too! H-how are we going to bring them with us?! W-we'll have to carry them or something—"
"We have to find them immediately, but I'd have to agree that they are in no fit state to travel as of yet…we will have to hurry because our traversing will be slower—"
"I am not leaving my wife here, Hershel-or Clive!" Clark protested firmly, his tone sharp as his eyes peered deep into his friend's, "However t-the shock of having to travel again so soon could worsen their condition!"
"We can't leave them behind!" Luke cried desperately, his eyes filling with pleading tears.
"There has to be a way! There must be—"
"There is, Emmy."
The young woman spun on her heel abruptly in response to Connie's sudden words.
"Th-there is?" She repeated uncertainly, a hopeful tone lingering at the end of her sentence.
"Yes," Connie answered quietly, taking steady breaths to compose herself, "The manor has a cellar deep under the kitchens…we could just about manage to safely move them down there without forcing too much pressure on their current state. It should keep them hidden until the sect leaves the manor."
"B-but…wouldn't that endanger them?" Luke enquired, his words wavering as he spoke.
"The sect will not be interested in them nor will they find them; if Flora is not present they will sense that with their abilities and know they have been tricked. However…if Connie and myself aren't present then…they will become suspicious. We are stronger than you think, Professor. We will be just fine…and we'll protect your friends—"
"I'll stay too."
"C-Clark!" Layton exclaimed in disbelief, peering fearfully at his friend as Luke's jaw almost dropped open.
"D-Dad?!"
"It will be alright, Luke," Clark promised, kneeling down slightly to face his son, holding his chin so that he was peering into his eyes, "I…I cannot leave your mother again…and Clive has already been through so much…b-besides…I might still hold you all up with my injuries from the night before. We'll stay in the cellar and then meet you all later…when the sect have left, if they are indeed coming."
"D-Dad…P-please be careful."
"Luke, I love you, but you need to go with the professor, Flora and Emmy now. Flora needs you, Luke. Promise me that you'll be there for her?"
The boy nodded and quickly embraced his father, closing his eyes.
"*Sniff* I-I promise, Dad…I love you too…and Mum…please stay safe…"
"Of course, my boy," he smiled gently, lightly ruffling his hair before glancing at the professor, "Hershel, I'll see you later. Please make sure nothing happens to Luke or the others."
Layton raised his head, peering sincerely at his friend, holding his gaze for several trusting moments.
"I promise, Clark. Just promise me you'll be careful."
The man nodded in response and giving a final reassuring glance to them, he turned on his heel and swiftly made his way down the opposite corridor towards the room where his wife and Clive were currently still sleeping. How they had not been awoken by the commotion that had occurred, Layton found that itself a puzzle.
"Farewell for now, Professor. Good luck," Myra waved her fingers lightly, a small sad smile on her face as Connie held tightly onto her other hand, undeniable fright swirling in her irises.
"Likewise, Myra, Connie. Farwell for now."
Tipping his hat to the two women, he turned back to his remaining assistants and took Luke and Flora's hands, helping to lead them and Emmy swiftly down the staircase back down to the parlour. With the threats of the methods of the Sect of Darkness ringing in his ears, he could only pray silently under his breath that that they would be fast enough to safely seek refuge in the village and that the last final gesture from both Myra and Connie wouldn't be the last they ever saw of either of them...
Hands clenched into tight shaking fists by her sides, Flora stared up at the towering manor for what she feared would be the final time, her eyes swirling with tears that betrayed her overwhelming emotions.
"P-Professor…wh-what if the sect do h-hurt them…? Myra and Connie sheltered us and gave us protect-tion…I don't want anyone to be harmed!"
"Flora dear, I promise you, they will be alright," Layton assured the trembling girl beside him, gently wiping away her terrified tears with his index finger and peering consolingly into her eyes, although he couldn't help but feel a similar sensation of dread gnawing at his insides, "Myra knows what she is doing. She and Connie will protect Clark, Brenda and Clive and we can only hope that nothing shall befall them. However, Myra has given us a precious gift of time. We must do what we can to use it wisely, which means returning to the village and continuing our investigation. We still have yet to find out what truly happened to Dahlia…and besides…I can't help but shake the feeling that something is slightly…off."
Luke peered up at the professor with enquiring eyes, forcing his apprehension of leaving his parents alone in that mansion-that could very well be ambushed by sorceress and her indescribably bloodthirsty sect-to recede for the time being at last. Flora was evidently wracked with terror despite her greatest valiant efforts to hide it; he had to be strong for her, be a true gentleman to help the lady-and his best friend-in her most desperate time of need.
"What do you mean, Professor? Ah, has your famous intuition returned to shed some light on this mystery, eh?"
"Hmm…I believe you could say that, my boy," he answered, glancing down at his apprentice, admiration swelling in his heart for how much bravery the two were demonstrating in spite of their undeniable trepidation, "There are quite a few things that I think would be prudent to investigate when we return to the village. I need you and Flora to stay close to Emmy and myself at all times, alright?"
"M-Mhmm," Flora answered, averting her gaze to the ground before she felt Luke's gentle fingers tenderly wrap around her own and she raised her head slightly to peer at him, her expression being enough to show her appreciation without the need for words.
Emmy stood a short distance away from the two, anxiously tapping her boot against the ground to produce a consoling rhythm to ease her racing apprehensive thoughts about what could happen to the others, especially Clive, who had only recently been returned to safety from being in Bruno's hands…she still couldn't believe that the seemingly gentle and compassionate caretaker could have done such a despicable deed. Then again…she shouldn't have been surprised. She had herself managed it, at one particular time. No, this wasn't the time to be thinking about that. All had been forgiven, though not necessarily forgotten. The woman shook her head vigorously to rid the persistent unpleasant memories from her mind.
"Erm…but, Professor…how are we going to return to the village?" she asked quietly, turning around to glance at him, as if seeking guidance in her bold and restless irises, "Barton brought us here in the Scotland Yard vehicle and I haven't seen a single car pass by this road for the past ten minutes…"
The professor bit his lip slightly; his mind had been so congested with the new information they'd acquired that he'd failed to acknowledge such a feat.
"Oh…that might prove to be quite the problem…"
"We'll have walk back all the way back! We're out in the middle of nowhere in a deserted area where everyone stays away from like the plague because of their intense overpowering terror of it!" she exclaimed incredulously, throwing her arms outwards in exasperation, "That will take all day!"
"Then…it seems like we have a long walk ahead of us…Flora, Luke, are you sure you'll be alright?"
"Uhm…it is a long way…b-but a gentleman, never complains, right?" Luke gave a reluctant smile and adjusted his cap, secretly dreading the agonising treck back to St Mystere.
"I-I suppose…but what about the—Oh! I think I see someone over there, Professor!"
Bemused yet immensely relieved at the same time to know that they weren't completely alone in the area of what was the Blood dominion, Layton turned on his heel to follow his daughter's frantic outstretched arm towards the identifiable figure staggering along the road, weighed down by a neon green backpack (which made Layton wince as the blinding colour nearly deprived him of his sight for a few moments) that resulted in his slow weary progression. From their current position, the group could identify the familiar tint of gold lining his hair and the light olive tone of his skin, as well as the dancing rays of sunlight across the polaroid camera dangling from a leather strap around the man's neck.
"Yes, it seems we're not alone…and that young man looks very familiar…"
Emmy groaned quietly behind him and resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands.
"Oh…it's that keen photographer we saw last night, before we arrived at the town plaza. What was his name again…Marty?"
"Oh! That's right, Professor! It's Mr Marvel!" Luke beamed, breathing deeply in relief that they had managed to escape the dreaded treck back to the village, "But what's he doing here? Do you think he got curious about Blood Manor and decided to investigate against the wishes of the villagers like ourselves?"
"I couldn't say, Luke, but a short discussion shouldn't cause any harm. I do wonder what he's doing out here myself…"
Straightening his hat, the professor led his assistants carefully over to the aspiring camera man, which succeeded in attracting the man's attention.
"Oh! I didn't expect anyone to be out in these parts…thank goodness! It was getting awfully lonely and troublesome being all by my-nggh-self…" he grunted, heaving his backpack back onto his shoulders as he it had begun to slide steadily down his shoulders, "Oh…wait a moment! I think I've seen you before!"
"Indeed, Marvel. I believe we crossed paths last night, before the events that happened in the town plaza…I must say that it is a relief that you are safe and unscathed."
"Y-yes…I barely escaped to be honest…when those h-howling dogs began tearing around the village, I-I quickly packed all of my photography equipment away in my backpack and-nggh-fled whilst I could. I was too s-scared to go back, so I kept on going, besides, I'd heard some rumours from several of the villagers that this region was most dangerous…but I suppose I c-couldn't resist the opportunity to take some stunning pictures for my album! It is a pity I didn't get close enough to those demon hounds last night but…I was rather keen to keep my head!"
"Of course, Marvel, those dogs were very dangerous and…it would have been exceedingly risky to have attempted to…take a photograph of such dangerous creatures…," the professor answered, wincing at the man's discomfort, "Sir, perhaps you'd like to take your back pack off for a few moments, it might ease your shoulders from the strain of it."
Marvel groaned again as he hauled the pack upwards again, shaking his head politely at the offer.
"Ah no, no, no, it's perfectly fine, Mr Professor sir…no pain no gain, that's what I always like to think!" he gave a weak laugh before glancing at Emmy and smiling expectantly at her, "Ah, it is my photographer friend! A pleasure to see you again! How are you ah, doing in your quest of retrieving the scraps of my photographs?"
Emmy sighed silently to herself and rubbed the back of her neck at his question; she'd hoped he'd forgotten about that.
"Ahm…well…we are keeping an eye out for them, but we will manage to piece them all together for you, I promise, Marvel," she answered, meeting the professor's gaze and knowing just from the simple calm expression he gave her that she would be wrong to lie. She knew her morals well enough after having disregarded them carelessly mere years ago.
"Ah, I see, but thank you anyway, my friend. I look forward to seeing the finished result!" he smiled at her, although his face had creased slightly to reveal his evident disappointment.
"S-So you ventured out here to get more photographs, despite the warnings of the townspeople and about what might happen to you?" Luke interrupted, his eyes wide in disbelief, "Well…it's reckless, but I suppose it must show that you're extremely dedicated to your work, Marvel!"
The man glanced down at the young boy and smiled proudly as he once again readjusted his backpack with a moan of effort.
"Nnggh-I did indeed…I do aim to become the most famous and professional photographer in the entire continent, however…well, I also thought that coming here might help me in my search for something very special indeed."
"Wow…you must be dedicated, Marvel," Flora answered, her eyebrows furrowing slightly as she wondered just what the eccentric and overly enthusiastic photographer considered as 'special'.
The professor tilted his head, intrigued, believing that any information they could obtain at this stage would be incredibly beneficial to their investigating.
"Something special you say?" he inquired gently, putting a hand to his chin in thought, "Would you perhaps be able to give us some more information on what it is you are looking for. In truth, my companions and I are searching for any leads onto the Sorceress of Darkness…we wish to unveil the truth behind her despicable sorcery and motivations."
The man bit uncomfortably on his lip, glancing over his shoulder and closing his eyes for several moments as if attempting to come to the right decision. After a few more seconds had passed, he turned back to the professor, sighing sadly as he ran a hand through his golden hair.
"W-well…I've never told anyone about it but…you seem like very kind people and you are helping me collect my photo scraps after all," he answered, mulling over the thought as he gave a small smile, "So I guess it can't hurt to tell-nggh-you."
"Thank you, Marvel. Please go ahead, but I do understand if you do not completely trust us or wish to keep some information classified. Rest assured, my companions and I will not repeat a word of what you have said to anyone that could misuse the information."
Marvel's shoulders relaxed slightly, flexing his fingers as he finally lowered his enormous pack onto the dusty ground, hastily unzipping it and rummaging through the contents, his eyes darting frantically around as his fingers groped around the deepest corners of the bag. Luke couldn't help but stand on the balls of his feet to catch a glance at the contents of the man's bag, sure enough seeing that it was full of cameras, cogs, camcorders-anything to do with the art of photography. Emmy also couldn't resist the temptation to sneak a discreet glance, hungrily eyeing the no doubt expensive and professional equipment. The resolution on the one camera she'd seen resting comfortably at the top of the back must have been the clearest that had been invented yet!
"Well, you see, after careful research over the years and in between my time as an aspiring photographer, have managed to gather information on an extremely rare, precious and valuable treasure hidden somewhere within this very region, or more specifically this village," he told them, his eyes wide as his smile broadened, as though proud of himself for making such a discovery and evidently waiting for an awed reaction from the group at his skills, "It is known as…The Golden Apple."
Layton's hopes diminished slightly and he couldn't help but let his eyebrows furrow in disappointment. Luke wore an identical expression on his face as Emmy bit her lip awkwardly and tapped her foot lightly on the ground again.
"Ah…," he eventually murmured, feeling rather awkward as he had no idea how to explain the truth to the expectant and eager man, "Pardon me for interrupting, sir, but the treasure you seek…well…that was a test set out about two years ago by the late Baron Augustus Reinhold to find a worthy successor to his fortune and guardian to his daughter, Flora."
"Y-Yes," Flora stammered, "Papa told me to wait in the St Mystere Tower until a suitable guardian came for me. I was…The Golden Apple…because…erm, Papa always thought I was the apple of his eye…"
She decided it was best for the time being not to reveal any more information about herself; she had no desire to take any chances which could put all of their lives in grave danger. Marvel paused for a moment, eyebrows knitting together in a frown before he clicked his fingers and shook his head dismissively.
"Oh that Golden Apple! Oh no, I know all about that story of the Golden Apple! No, it might be hard to believe, Miss Flora…but I don't believe you are the only Golden Apple that St Mystere is hiding."
"Wh-what? What do you mean, Marvel? I…I think you must be mistaken…P-Papa never said anything about there being another 'Golden Apple'…" the girl stammered, unable to form sufficient words to describe her confusion at this particular moment.
"Are you saying that…there is another Golden Apple existent in St Mystere?" Layton pressed, folding his arms as he tried to form logical thoughts in his mind, "How would you happen to know this?"
"Oh, well, I have some close friends that are very into this archaeology business…they go on about it quite frequently. I had no idea such a thing existed, but it was in some ancient manuscript—Ah, here it is!"
Grinning triumphantly, the man tenderly pulled out a rolled length of parchment from his bag, its ends fraying slightly from age, a dressing of dust adorning its back.
"Yes, that's right, it's all here on this little piece of parchment my dearest friend gave to me," he explained, unfurling it carefully as he spoke, "It depicts the ancient myth-or legend, if you would prefer-of the Golden Apple of the Fairest of Goddesses."
"The Fairest…of Goddesses…?" Layton repeated, placing his index finger to his chin in thought, "Hmm…please enlighten us on this particular legend, Marvel."
Luke closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again, biting his lip as conflicting emotions swirled in his bold irises. Shifting his feet nervously, kicking a few gravelled grains across the ground; it was evident he had heard of it.
"I think I know the one you mean, unless I'm mistaken," Luke quietly responded as Flora turned to glance worriedly at her friend, along with Emmy and the professor, "It's…it's of Greek mythology…the story of the Goddesses' contest."
Marvel raised his eyebrows slightly at the boy, clearly having not expected him to have heard of it.
"Well…They didn't give me details like that, but I'd imagine it to have been of that particular culture. Anyway, yes. Several millennia ago, when Gods and Goddesses ruled over mortals, there was a raging fire of destruction and conflict between some of the immortals themselves. One such immortal was the Goddess of Discord, or as she was known, Eris. She loathed the happiness of the other Gods and Goddesses after the conflict had ceased and at how she had been so unjustly mistreated. A desire to begin the conflict again swelled within her heart and with her ambitions set, she swiftly put her plan into action. The Goddess of Discord had her own secret that neither the Gods nor Goddesses had known about-and this secret treasure of hers, was a tree bearing branch upon branch of golden apples."
"Golden apples…?" Flora breathed, her wide eyes blinking as she tried to comprehend the man's words in her currently racing mind.
"Yes indeed, golden apples-and lots of them. However, she only needed one for her plan to work. She picked her moment carefully, waiting until all of the Gods were busy celebrating together, she released the Golden Apple, allowing it to roll into the centre of the congregation, effectively capturing the attention of all of them. Inscribed on the apple were the words: 'To the Fairest'. Of course, I'd imagine they'd all have wondered what that meant and just who 'the Fairest' was. It was at this point that three of the Goddesses all claimed to be 'The Fairest' and each one angered at their competitors, they began to fight each other and conflict between them broke out again as violently as before. Even the Gods couldn't keep it under control, for each of those three Goddesses desired to have the apple for herself so much, as was the power of such a treasure. A snake-like venomous envy had seized hold of their hearts to turn them against each other."
"That must have been…quite the conundrum," Layton stated quietly, frowning slightly, "Such behaviour was completely irrational though. Who had any idea that higher entities could experience such human feelings?"
"That must have ruined their celebrations, I suppose," Emmy sighed, her hand resting on her hip, "Although, wasn't the apple enchanted to make them behave like that?"
Marvel nodded in agreement. Luke merely listening quietly, licking his lips as the man continued the tale that he had become familiar with at one time.
"Yes, the apple was enchanted. That was the beauty of them to the Goddess of Discord. This was exactly what she'd intended and she took great delight in the unrest. Eventually, the Gods came to the conclusion that they had to decide between the three Goddesses who truly was 'The Fairest'. In the end, they chose a cowherd who was in reality a young prince, to choose between them. There was the Goddess of women, Hera, the Goddess of wisdom and strategy in battle, Athena and lastly, the Goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite."
"How…how did he choose between them all? Wouldn't…the ones that were not chosen be offended?"
"Of course they would, Flora…either way he could not win, but the Gods themselves had demanded he make the decision and he couldn't refuse them," Luke informed her, his eyes still averted to the ground.
The professor moved to put a hand on his apprentices' shoulder; the Greek myth had evidently reminded him of another one, that they had actively lived through almost a mere year ago.
"That was the catch, see? Therefore, in order to get the Golden Apple, each Goddess attempted to bribe him. In exchange for the golden apple, the Goddess of women offered the prince all of the riches in the mortal world and to be the most powerful king alive, the Goddess of wisdom and strategy in battle promised to make him her own general alongside the ability to be indestructible-to never be wounded in battle and have the courage of a hundred lions and the strength of twenty men—"
"Now that offer sounds tempting!" Emmy interrupted with a smirk, "Hah, I'd be able to beat the bad guys, senseless so they'd never harm you again, Professor!"
"Erm…that is a considerate offer, Emmy, however, a lady should not resort to violence unless absolutely necessary," he amended, his cheeks flushing slightly, "but it is comforting to know you wish to protect me."
Luke gave a tiny smile, having been consoled by the professor's presence.
"What about the Goddess of love? What did she offer the prince?" Flora inquired, now determined to hear what would be the ending of the mythological tale.
"Ah, the Goddess of love…she offered the young prince the hand in marriage of the most beautiful of all mortal women, the Queen of Sparta herself," Marvel answered, smiling to himself, "Although she was already married, Aphrodite didn't care any-more. Anyway, the prince was smitten with the idea and within seconds he had declared the Goddess of love as the Fairest of all Goddesses. Of course, Hera and Athena were livid and vowed vengeance. However, they say that the golden apple only strengthened the abilities of the Goddess of love, despite the prince's decision resulting in one of the most catastrophic wars to happen in that time, the Trojan War-but anyway, that's another story for another time."
"Hmm…so the Goddess of love held the Golden Apple as the Fairest of all Goddesses," Layton concluded, peering with intrigue at their somewhat eccentric companion, "That is quite an intriguing tale, however, why does that make you think that the Golden Apple is present here, in St Mystere?"
Marvel gingerly placed the parchment back into his bulging backpack and sighed to himself.
"Well…it seems as good a lead as any. I mean, Baron August Reinhold did talk about the family treasure being the Golden Apple...and I'll openly admit now that his wife was quite the attractive heiress. Honestly, where else could it be?"
Flora frowned, eyebrows furrowing as she tried to make sense of the information they had obtained.
"W-well…it may be a possibility but…but surely P-Papa would have told me about it…I…Papa called me the apple of his eye…maybe that was why he called me the Golden Apple but…," she trailed off, shaking her head sadly, "I don't know…if so then…why didn't he tell me?"
"Maybe for the same reason why he didn't tell you about your abi-the other thing," Emmy quickly amended herself, knowing the girl didn't want the information about her true abilities being exposed through her clumsy wording, "Either way…this sounds like more than just a coincidence to me, right, Professor?"
Layton hummed quietly to himself, his eyes closed in a state of intense concentration, before he finally answered his assistant.
"It does sound as though it may have a larger role to play in all of this. It certainly wouldn't hurt to consider it as an option during our inquiries when we return back to the village—"
"Professor Layton! There you are! Th-thank goodness!"
Bemused and slightly startled at the familiar voice calling frantically across to him, Layton spun around, relaxing when he recognised the welcoming face of Constable Barton, running as though in the final stretch of a marathon race towards them.
"*Pant* Thank goodness y-you're *pant* safe…I feared that the *puff* tales about Blood Manor were *pant* true!"
Marvel quickly glanced at the newcomer and sighed, heaving his pack back onto his shoulders and wincing at its agonisingly heavy weight.
"W-well, I'd better be off, Professor Layton. The Golden Apple won't find itself…heh and neither will the gazillion photographs I have yet to take! Please continue your search for the missing scraps of my photographs and thank you so much again! Good luck with your investigating!"
"No, thank you, Marvel, you've supplied us with some potentially vital information and we shall continue to look for your photographs, although there is no need to disappear so soo—ah, it seems he's already gone," Layton sighed, glancing at the swiftly fading figure of the eccentric photographer disappear down the dusty road, "Well…as I was saying, it's a pleasure and relief to see you again, my good man."
Luke's face quickly lit up at the sight of Barton, mirroring Emmy's expression almost perfectly.
"Hello again, Barton! Have you just returned from Scotland Yard?"
The constable fiddled with his moustache, but it was evident he was smiling underneath it.
"Ah, young Luke, yes I have, sir. I um went to perform those favours the inspector asked of me and I performed the tests on that substance you'd discovered as well as obtained a few more helping hands. They've already gone back to the inspectors, but I…I simply couldn't just stand around in St Mystere not knowing whether you'd all fallen foul to the d-demons of this manor that the villagers were so afraid of."
Flora smiled politely at him, though the dark circles under her eyes reflected her fatigue.
"Well…it was understandable why they were frightened but…the owners of the manor are very nice albeit rather erm, mysterious and with interests in the occult."
"The o-occult?" Barton repeated, swallowing hard on his clear apprehension before he noticed the marginally smaller group, "W-wait a moment, where are the rest of your companions, Mr and Mrs Triton and Clive Dove?
"Merely an interest, Barton, but we found out some useful information from it," Layton answered with a smile, hesitating slightly when the man asked of his other companions, "Well, they wished to rest at the manor whilst we continued our investigation. They are quite fatigued and at least I know they will be…relatively safe."
The constable shifted his feet slightly, obviously uncomfortable with the situation despite his best attempts to hide it.
"Oh, well…if that is the case then I suppose that is okay. Were you all heading out somewhere?"
"We were going back to St Mystere to continue further investigations. However we erm, lack sufficient transport," Emmy answered, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly, "I-I apologise for my bluntness, but…you came here by car, right?"
"Yes, I got it refuelled back in London so I should have enough for…the inspector to not have a go at me again, I hope," he replied, biting his lip slightly, "Um…but anyway, the torrential weather finally stopped…but I take it you wish to continue investigating rather than leave here as soon as possible?"
Layton simply nodded, holding the rim of his hat with his free hand.
"Ah, I thought so, Professor, nothing doesn't pique your interest, eh? Ah, sorry, yes, I parked the car a short distance from here. When I saw you I practically abandoned it and came running up to see you were all well!"
"That's great, Barton, because, well…we don't really want to have to walk all the way back to the village ourselves…"
"Inspector Altava, you don't have to say anything else!" the constable interrupted, immediately saluting her with a smile, "If I can do anything to assist you and the professor then I shall gladly do it! It is an honour to help the great Professor Layton and his assistants in any form!"
The professor bit his lip, wondering whether to gently correct Emmy in her bluntness, but he decided against it; he didn't have to be a genius to know that the treck back would take several hours and in doing so, cost them valuable time with their enemies potentially already on the loose.
"R-Really, Barton?! Oh, thank you so much! I was beginning to worry about the exhausting treck back!" Luke laughed, sighing immensely in relief.
"You have our greatest gratitude, my good man. Thank you for your assistance to us," Layton beamed at him, gently bringing his daughter and apprentice close, "Once we return to the village we shall continue our investigations. I also require to speak with Inspector Chelmey and Inspector Grosky over a matter of urgency, if that would be permitted."
Barton saluted once again, brimming with pride to be of use to them.
"You say such kind things, Professor, I wish um the inspector was as polite as you sometimes…although, I shall certainly speak to Inspector Chelmey about that. If you need any further help please just let me know and I'll see what I can do."
"Oh, thank you, Constable Barton! It is of great urgency we must return to the village!"
"Of course, Flora dear, we shall be there shortly. Did you say that the car was far, Barton?"
"Only a short distance away, Professor, if you would just follow me. I apologise for the erm…cramped space though, it might be a squeeze but if you don't mind…"
Layton shook his head as the constable trailed off, walking ahead of the group to lead them towards the vehicle. He never once let go of his daughter's hand, or kept his eyes off his assistant and apprentice.
"D-do you think we'll be…safe at the village?" Flora broke the professor's train of thought, her eyes wide with evident trepidation, "What if…sh-she finds us, Professor—"
"I promised you, my flower, I won't let anything happen to you. We should be safer…but for how much longer, I do not know, we must just remain positive and think rationally, alright, dear? This is a terrifying time and I am frightened too…but we must not give up."
The girl was silent for several moments before nodding and followed after the professor before crawling into the back of the car with Emmy and Luke, both giving her reassuring expressions to console her overwhelming dread. Grasping Luke's hand tightly, she stared anxiously out the window as the car began to speed away to leave the manor as a tiny speck of darkness in the distance and closed her eyes to let a tear crawl down her cheek, whispering under her breath helplessly.
"P-Papa…what else have you hidden from me…? What is the truth behind…the dark sect, the Reinhold legacy and…and me…?"
Mystery 9 The Golden Apple
Having heard about the ancient myth about the origins and truth behind the Golden Apple, the professor is convinced that it is related to their current case. However, Flora denies knowing nothing about such a treasure, nor the Baron himself. Could such a treasure really exist from the mythological tale?
The car journey back to the village had been deadly silent for the entire drive, an ominous, dreaded and sombre sensation ensnaring the group in its dastardly clutches, which was impenetrable even in spite of Barton's desperate attempts to crack a lively comment to keep their spirits up. After several attempts however the constable finally capitulated, knowing that they must all have been focused on a much more grave matter that he could not apprehend. Luke's hand had virtually been attached to Flora's throughout the entire ride, the professor's arm wrapped delicately around her and rubbing discreet consoling circles into her shoulders. The assistant in yellow herself found she couldn't lighten the atmosphere and just stared out the windows with thoughts racing through her mind faster than Grosky himself could actually have ever ran. She was extremely grateful to the constable's efforts though.
"It's a tough time, Constable Barton, the professor needs time to think," she quietly informed him so as not to disrupt the atmosphere.
The man merely nodded, sighing sadly as he proceeded to drive them back towards the village. Truth be told, the constable was understandably immensely relieved once the familiar sight of St Mystere gradually came into view through the windows and having quietly thanked the man for his aid, Layton had carefully stepped out of the car before helping out his young assistants and refusing to keep his eyes off of them for a moment.
"So…now that we are here…what do we have next to investigate, Professor?" Flora inquired, determined to swallow her gnawing trepidation and clear her mind to be of at least some use to her guardian and friends.
Layton glanced at his daughter, clearly trying to keep his expression as gentle as possible.
"Well, Flora…we have quite a few options in front of us at the present time. Firstly we haven't interrogated Bruno ourselves, which I believe would be prudent to do as soon as possible. I find it hard to believe Bruno alone could be capable of such a thing and some of his actions lead me to believe that…there is more to his involvement than meets the eye. Also, it might be beneficial if we were to find Matthew and find out precisely what occurred in the moments leading up to Dahlia's abduction."
"Then there is that myth about the Golden Apple…," Emmy added, flicking through the pages in her notebook rapidly as she spoke, "I mean, it seems too connected to all of this to be charted off as a mere coincidence, although…I would usually brush off a myth but after what we've seen…I'm not so willing to."
Following suit, Luke began feverishly turning the pages of his own notebook too, as though engaged in a secret competition between Emmy over who could flick through their notebook the fastest. If that was the case, Luke was definitely the winner.
"But as well as that, Professor, there are other things that don't add up! Remember, Mum said about finding some scrap metal and then the incident with that strange water and the cult and—uugh, all this is making my head hurt!"
"That is understandable, my boy, there are certainly several aspects that cannot simply be overlooked," Layton replied, giving his apprentice a sympathetic smile, "Also, I think we might find more leads around St Mystere, in particular inside Bruno's tower."
"The…tower?" Flora repeated, eyebrows furrowing in confusion, "Where we found the Death Dogs that turned out to be robotically controlled creatures?"
The professor inclined his head to his daughter, his eyes radiating with softness. As he was about to continue before his train of thought abruptly left him, his idea was violently thrown off of track by his apprentice giving a yelp of shock and being sent sharply against the ground.
"Oof!" he complained, carefully sitting up and rubbing his head, eyes closed and teeth gritted from pain, "N-nggooh…wh-what was that?"
His rhetorical question was answered by a pair of glaring green eyes that threatened to pierce through his own soul.
"Watch where you're going!" The owner of them snapped snidely, having already regained his feet and brushing gravel from his striped red and black jumper in evident disgust, "Get your bleeding head out the clouds for once in your life! Didn't you see me coming?! You must be blind as an old grey bat!"
Luke straightened his cap out on his head, shocked at the boy's rudeness, especially that he was just slightly younger than himself, clenching his fists in anger.
"N-No I'm not!" he retorted furiously, resisting the urge to growl at the boy, "For your information my head wasn't in the clouds and no I didn't see you coming because you weren't giving any kind of warning!"
The other boy scowled at him, eyes darkening as he flicked the purple strands of his wispy hair out of his eyes viciously, fists balled uncomfortably tightly.
"I wouldn't argue with my if I were you," he growled under his breath, not taking his eyes off of the boy, "because I can make things turn very…red."
"Wh-who do you think you are?! Why you—"
"Calm down, Luke. Remember, a gentleman remembers his manners in every situation," he carefully reprimanded his apprentice, but was quick to bring Luke closer to his side, lest the boy's words were true, before he turned to meet the burning pair of eyes himself, "Now, now, young man. Luke didn't mean any harm but he does tend to let his mind carry him elsewhere at the best of times."
"B-But, Professor—" the startled boy attempted to protest but fell silent at his mentor's discreet wave of the hand, instead staying close to a sympathetic and equally shocked Flora whilst Emmy was merely staring with an expression of what could have been contempt, as if taking in every aspect of the boy before moving in to do what she did best.
"Pardon my curiosity, but I don't believe I've seen you before, young man. Are you lost? You appear to have scraped your knee slightly. Perhaps we can tend to the bleeding—"
"Leave it," he bluntly answered, a strange expression twisting the boy's face as he ran a finger around the oozing scarlet substance beginning to drip from his knee, "Blood doesn't hurt anyone. I like blood; blood is red. Aha, I like red…red is good, like blood, streaming everywhere in great streams whilst some freak shrieks with elation as he runs a cold steel knife across his pretty victim's neck—"
"Y-you're too young to be watching movies like that!" Emmy interrupted, inwardly shuddering herself at the young boy's words and…entranced description of something so ghastly, becoming even more bemused when the boy suddenly began softly chuckling to himself.
"Hah…oh no…it isn't what you see in movies…it's what you see in real life!"
"P-Professor, this boy is beginning to frighten m-me…" Luke stammered, pushing Flora behind himself.
The girl's face had morphed into one as white and delicate as a thin sheet of paper, clearly fighting valiantly not to retch at the prospect. She clung to the professor's side tighter, her hands beginning to shake again.
"We mustn't jump to conclusions, Luke…but he has a most odd and…violent infatuation," he whispered quietly to his apprentice, not wanting to offend the boy further, "Erm, did you say you were lost, young man?"
"Lost? Aha, no I'm not lost…but Mother is. Mother has been lost for such a long time, ever since that monster sliced her into itty bitty pieces aha, I've been searching for her for such a long time! Do you know where she could b—"
"Al! Thank goodness!"
Immensely relieved to have been spared from answering the impossible and stomach churning question to even imagine such a scenario, Layton spun on his heel to see a group of police officers sprinting into the clearing. A dark and shaggy haired constable with glinting green eyes was at the head of the group, his eyes widening in relief to see the boy. The familiar faces of Chelmey and Grosky were also identifiable in the group amongst Constable Colby and the rest of Scotland Yard's finest.
"Ah, there's where the little twerp ran off to!" Chelmey sighed, clearly having had his patience tested from his narrowed eyes and crimson face, "Honestly, Wilson, you need to watch that boy with the eyes of a hawk! Who knows what trouble he could have ran into, the little tyke?!"
"He is not 'that boy', Inspector, he is my son!" the constable corrected coolly, running up to the boy and lifting him into his arms, tenderly, oblivious to the boy's evidently displeased curses and writhes to get out of his father's arms.
"Nnggh! Put me down, Dad! I have to find Mother! She's out there somewhere! Why can't you trust me to go about doing my own thing for once! I'm not a baby!" the teenager lividly argued, continuing to thrash and struggle.
"Alfendi…" he sighed, tightening his hold on the boy as he reluctantly placed him down on the ground, but kept a hold of his arm, "Your mother…isn't with us anymore. You are my son, I can't risk what happened to your mother befalling you."
Grosky sped up behind Chelmey, frowning as he folding his arms across his chest, almost obscuring his embarrassingly prominent chest-hair.
"Couldn't you have left the lad at home, Constable Wilson? He's becoming quite a handful and has no place here disrupting our very serious investigations and inquiries."
Wilson shook his head immediately, fists clenched. As Layton peered closer, he noticed tears brimming in the man's red eyelids.
"That is not an option anymore, Inspector Grosky," he answered after some hesitation to control his composure, "I cannot leave Alfendi anywhere on his own. After what happened…when he…saw them murder her…he…he has never been the same. There's an almost permanent side to him…that is obsessed with criminals and…forensics…some of the things he comes out with are terrifying, he has no friends whatsoever at school and he's…he's as volatile as a ticking time bomb, exploding at the slightest thing…but he never stops talking about her; he thinks his mother is still out there despite having seen her being…"
Grosky sighed as the man trailed off with a delicate sob, eyebrows furrowing slightly as he experienced a stray sense of guilt at his argument. Chelmey closed his eyes for a moment but respectfully just nodded his head, knowing he had no connection to the issue whatsoever.
"How…how despicable…" Layton breathed, pulling a shivering Luke and Flora close, Emmy's face having paled considerably at the constable's words, trying to ignore the tears threatening to spill from her own eyes as the boy reminded her so much of…when she was just a child herself.
"Thank you, so much for finding him," the man eventually forced out, having finally acknowledged the professor and the rest of his assistants and forcing the ghost of a smile on his face, "Alfendi tends to run off a lot on his own…he attracts danger like a magnet, but thank you so very much, Professor Layton. We'd searched all of St Mystere and could see no sign of him but once again you saved the day with your intellect just like all of the other cases you've solved in London. Honestly, having been taught under you back at Gressenheller, I don't think I could have managed this career."
"There is no need for thanks, Wilson, but I am glad that we have been of service. We initially deduced he'd gotten lost but thankfully you've found him, although he has grazed his knee."
Wilson smiled back at him before glancing at the bleeding wound and Alfendi stroking his finger across it just to stare at the red liquid. He winced visibly.
"Ah, I'll fix that up quickly then-Al, please don't do that. It will make you bad," he tried to tell the child as he just ignored him and continued surveying the blood, "Anyway, I'll take him back to the inn. Again I am in your debt, Professor. Thank you kindly."
With a final grateful glance to each of them, the constable quickly led his son back through the crowds towards the village, the child kicking at stones and murmuring inaudibly under his breath as he was led away. Layton himself had been shocked at the child's condition, although he had witnessed an exceedingly traumatic and terrifying thing that not even the most heartless of men should be forced to endure.
"Ah, Layton. Good to see you're all back safe and sound-well, most of you. What happened to Dove and the two Tritons?"
"Don't worry, Inspector, they're in safe hands. We decided to let them rest whilst we continued our own investigations," Layton answered, smiling at the inspector whilst fiddling with the rim of his top hat again, "However, there is evidence of odd happenings occurring, some linked with the occult, but we aren't quite sure yet. There are several clues that have been uncovered but there is still something missing, a link to piece all of them together."
Grosky chortled loudly.
"Heh, heh! To think those town-folk were terrified of a derelict manor believing it brought certain doom upon anyone that walked through its gates?! I knew all along you'd return safely, Layton, as always."
"Ah, indeed, Inspector. I see Constable Barton brought back more members of the Yard to help aid in these investigations?"
"Yeah, he excelled himself. I was actually surprised but he managed to do the job in double time. He got the tests on the chemical you'd found done with the results printed and brought back more helping hands. Honestly, I thought he might have been replaced with a clone from this 'sorceress'," Chelmey admitted, half aware that Barton was standing right behind the professor and was visibly smiling to himself at his friend's comments, "However, we're not doing very well so far, Layton, I must say: the towns-folk are overcome with hysteria over the goings on, the suspect in custody is being very uncooperative and is refusing to confess to anything and we've found no more leads. I'm guessing you've been stuck in a similar scenario eh? Well, I guess it's true when they say not all cases are as simple as others."
"You could say that, Inspector," Emmy added, stopping on a page in her notebook, "We're uncovering some clues and hints that only seem to end up as red herrings. Even the professor is stuck, but he's determined to figure it out!"
"Indeed, Inspector. I believe that we just need to find the link to piece all of the clues we've uncovered this far together…and then the answer to this puzzle will be right there before us," the professor assured them, patting his daughter's shoulder reassuringly, "Barton, did you say you had the results on that substance?"
Upon hearing his name, the constable immediately raised his hand in salute and couldn't hide a proud grin underneath his rather large moustache.
"Yes, Professor Layton, sir! I managed to record the results of the chemical testing that transpired back at the Yard in full accuracy. I left it with the rest of our notes though back in our room at the inn, but I can run along and collect them for you if you'd so wish."
"Ah, that would be most helpful if you would, my good man—"
"Pah! If anyone is going to be doing any running around here, it shall be I, Grosky of the Yard! I bet even a snail could outrun Barton!"
The constable merely sighed under his breath, resisting the urge to bury his face in his hands.
"Ah, although that fact may be true, Inspector, I would require a different favour from you if you wouldn't mind. It is one that requires a greater distance which I would think is more ahm…suiting, for a man of your stature."
The inspector hesitated for a moment before grinning widely and folding his arms smugly across his chest.
"Heh, heh. Well, I could never pass up on a good sprint, Layton! Tell me, what is it you require? I'll be back with what you need before one can yell 'FOR THE YARD'!"
"That would be um…quite fast," Luke quietly commented, allowing himself to smile at the inspector's high opinion of himself even if it was just to lighten their spirits.
"You have my thanks, Inspector. Well, what I require is relatively simple to explain but probably much harder to find. In the St Mystere Town Hall you should find several various files and information stored about the villagers and inhabitants of the village and possibly around the outskirts of it too," he explained carefully, thoughts still turning the invisible cogs in his mind as he turned to his apprentice, "Luke, might I be able to borrow a page from your journal there?"
"Hm? Oh! Sure thing, Professor," he responded as he gingerly tore a page out of his notebook, being extremely careful to not rip it or damage the rest of his notebook in any way, "Here you are. You can borrow my pen as well, if you need to."
"What would I do without you, my boy?" Layton laughed, patting his apprentice on the head before proceeding to quickly scribble some ink instructions on the page and hand it to the somewhat suddenly eager inspector, "If you can, I need you to find the files on these three people if you could. If you cannot find them please let me know immediately, but I'm sure at least one of them should be present in there. It might take a long time to find it though. Are you sure you don't mind?"
Grosky puffed out his chest proudly with a wide enthusiastic grin.
"Not at all, Layton! I'll have those files found and delivered to you as soon as I find them. They'll have trouble keeping away from me! I suppose I'll see you later, Chelmey, Barton, Layton and crew. FOR THE YARD!"
"Inspector wai—"Emmy began, biting her lip to supress a helpless smirk as the man had already disappeared down the other end of the road and having left a minor dust storm where he had been standing a few seconds before, "Ah, he's gone…"
"Why must he always run so fast?" Flora questioned quietly, the ghost of a smile playing on her lips, "He'll hurt himself running at that speed!"
"Eh, I keep telling him that all the time, Miss, but for Grosky it's always in one ear and out of the other," Chelmey sighed, rubbing his neck before turning to glance sharply at Barton again, "Well, Barton? What are you doing still standing there?! Go and retrieve that analysis for Layton already-and be quick about it!"
Barton immediately jumped to attention, wiping a few beads of sweat from his forehead.
"A-Ahh! My apologies, Inspector. I'll um go straight back to the inn and pick them up! I'll catch up with you later and please be careful all of you!" Barton called over his shoulder as he quickly dispersed in the opposite direction after the inspector.
"Right…now that's Barton taken care of, what are your plans now, Layton?"
The professor adjusted the rim of his hat and peered into the inspector's eyes thoughtfully.
"Well, Inspector, we have several leads before us. Something tells me that Bruno's tower might unveil some further clues upon thorough investigation, we have yet to talk to Matthew about what he witnessed when Dahlia was abducted and lastly we have not yet spoken to Bruno since the revelation of yesterday. Might it be possible if we were to exchange a few words with him?"
Chelmey grunted slightly, his great eyebrows furrowing as he scowled slightly.
"Now hang on just a minute, Layton! You might know the guy but he's in custody at present. We're doing just fine with his interrogation at the moment—"
"Well I thought I heard you say that Bruno was being 'uncooperative', Inspector," Luke cut him off, giving a discreet triumph smile, "Besides, no matter what he has done, Bruno has always had a desire to care for Flora. He was practically hr guardian before the professor came along! Don't you think she'll encourage him to release more information?"
"Luke does have a point, Inspector. Bruno cares greatly for Flora. When you led him away the guilt was identifiable in his eyes; I could see it clearly. I believe if Flora were to talk with him he'd be willing to disclose more than what he is offering you now, which could well prove vital, no matter how minor the details."
"Please, Inspector Chelmey," Flora pleaded, her voice soft and quiet as she peered up at the inspector with broadened shining eyes.
"Mm…harrumph…Well…he isn't being very helpful at present, I'll admit it. However, I think we can get something out of him sooner or later. We can't go going soft on him now—"
"Surely you can't argue it's a valid explanation?" Emmy retorted, frowning in distaste at the inspector's reluctance.
"Well…Fine, if you really think it's best, Altava. I suppose…I can make an exception. However!" His sudden change of tone reversed the direction of the conversation entirely, "If you really want me to let you in to see the suspect then you'll have to do something for me. Rumours are going around that some rascals are planning a robbery! I have some information here…but I can't quite get my head around it. If you can solve it for me, I'll let you interrogate the suspect, Layton."
"Hmm, most intriguing," Layton responded, peering at the inspector's notes in deep thought before a small smile formed on his lips, "Well, Inspector, I'm sure you know that I for one will never pass up on a challenge. I accept your conditions. Now let us see what challenge presents itself to us here…"
Puzzle 23- Rascal robbers (35 picarats)
What luck! A plot to rob a priceless treasure has been uncovered! Now the only thing left to do is identify who is responsible for it! You have four suspects before you: A, B, C and D. The only trouble is only one of them is telling the truth. The rest are lying. You only want to arrest the one who is responsible for coming up with the plan. Can you work out who is the culprit?
I swear on my life B is the one responsible!
I definitely heard C talking about a plot to steal something last night!
Well…I believe it is A or B, both seem to have a motive, but I don't know which is responsible…
It's C or B, I'm sure of it!
(Get this puzzle correct and you will have a grand total of 1040 picarats)
"Ah, I do believe I have the answer!" Layton declared after a few moments' thought, pointing his finger determinedly at the page, "The one responsible is culprit A. Suspects A, B and D are lying so only C is telling the truth. There you have it, Inspector, we have found your solution. Now, you did promise to allow us to talk with the suspect?"
Chelmey sighed and rubbed his chin with his hand/
"Honestly, I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised. I knew you'd solve that puzzle relatively quickly, Layton. Hmph, I guess I'm wrong to underestimate you."
"So it was just a puzzle!" Luke protested, his mouth open in shock, "I honestly thought it was an actual crime then!"
"Well, my boy, I had similar thoughts but you know it isn't the act of a gentleman to pass up on an exciting puzzle such as that," Layton chuckled, "So may we be permitted to visit Bruno?"
"…Fine. You win, Layton. He's under lock and key in the Crummeatrice Inn. I'll show you there."
"My thanks, Inspector," Layton replied, gently wrapping a reassuring arm around Flora's shoulders, "However we still have other areas to investigate—"
"Don't you worry, Professor! You, Luke and Flora can go with the inspector to interview Bruno and Matthew and I'll go and explore the creepy tower again!" Emmy interrupted, grinning enthusiastically as she fiddled with her notebook in her bag, "Just you leave it to your number one assistant to scrape up some leads for you!"
Although the offer would benefit them, Layton was most reluctant to risk putting the woman in danger.
"Now, Emmy, remember what I said earlier. It is dangerous, especially with the sect close by. I couldn't possibly forgive myself if anything were to happen to you—"
"I'll be fine, Professor! Remember, a gentleman never refuses the request of a lady!"
"Well…yes, I have said that in the past but—"
"Then it's settled! You just leave it to me, Professor!" Emmy flipped her book shut and grinned reassuringly at the two apprehensive teenagers, "I'll be fine! I'm as tough as old boots! Anyway, those clues won't find themselves! I'll meet you all later outside Reinhold Manor to speak with Matthew. You look after yourselves now!"
"Emmy, please wait!" Flora called after the woman in yellow as she sprinted down the street, "Ah…she's gone. I forgot how fast she was. Professor…Emmy will be alright, won't she?"
Layton was unsure himself but he couldn't tell his daughter so. Putting his hands tenderly on her shoulders, he peered consolingly at her with a soft smile.
"Emmy will be fine, Flora. I promise you. Now we can't let her down, can we?"
"Well…no, we can't…okay, please take us to Bruno, Inspector Chelmey!"
Holding tightly to the professor and Luke's hand, she quickly fell into step behind the inspector as he led them down the winding streets towards the inn. She just prayed that the professor was right about his assistant.
"N-Nnggh…NGGH!"
The door to the tower creaked open ominously as Emmy gave it an agonisingly powerful kick to the rusting hinges to allow it to finally admit her. Needless to say, she'd had a rather stressful journey getting there, having been forced to stop at least ten times to the shocked exclamations of relief and joy that she was actually alive and unscarred from their journey to Blood Manor and she'd been forced to brush away a hundred simultaneous questions that bombarded her on her way there about how she'd escaped. Eventually she'd just pushed past the twelfth person to stare and point incredulously at her and quickly made her way into the tower.
Glancing around, scrutinising every inch of the room for signs of life, the woman frowned at the eerie silence in the tower and called out uncertainly, not desiring to be alone much longer.
"Dominic? Jacob?"
Their names echoed off of the mildew covered walls, but that was the only response she received. She shivered slightly, deeply unnerved by the silence and the darkness. Darkness consumed her, terrified her and reminded her of…when she was a child. What was worse was that she couldn't see so there was no telling what could be there, even spiders. Swallowing hard, Emmy's fingers groped around desperately for a light switch, releasing an enormous sigh of absolute relief when she found it and immediately flicked it on, illuminating the entire room in a fading light. Taking a few moments to compose herself, Emmy clenched her fists in determination before advancing towards the main room, thoroughly examining every nook and cranny that her eyes could find, moving aside bags with bulging contents, musty boxes and toolkits containing various cogs, springs and mechanical devices. It was useless searching the secret entrance they'd uncovered and where they'd found Clive; the inspectors had done a complete investigation of the room and had also promised to get the Layton Mobile fixed as soon as they possibly could, not that it could make much difference now, with the sect's ringing bloodthirsty threats. She huffed in agitation when she found nothing of real value (not mentioning how her shriek may have been enough to rouse the dead when a particularly large spider had crawled across her hand), proceeding to fling the vile arachnid to the farthest corner of the room.
"U-uggh…spiders…why…no, breathe, breathe…get a grip on yourself, Emmy…you're not a trembling kid anymore…"
Forcing down the lump in her throat and with her search of the room's corners proving fruitless in terms of leads to their investigations, Emmy turned her attention to the desk at the end of the room-or at least, what appeared to be a desk underneath the countless sheets of paper sprawled across it, inked complex diagrams, untidy scrawls and parchments containing instructions to make various mechanical devices.
"There has got to be something within one of these wads of paper…," she muttered to herself as she began feverishly flicking through every piece of paper in sight, forcing her fatigued eyes to scan every line of text or every line of a sketch.
There simply had to be a lead somewhere. There had to be. Growing frustrated now at her failure and having no idea how much time had passed since her investigation had begun (and what a help it had been-not) Emmy threw down the wad of paper she currently held and ripped the second to last wad of paper from one of the overflowing desk drawers, immediately pausing to scan its contents. Eyes widening, she allowed her finger to trace the words, thoughts processing through her mind as she held the paper to the light, examining all of the other sheets or parchment in that particular wad which enticed an identical reaction to the majority of them.
"This…this sounds strange…," she thought aloud as she made some notes in her trusty notebook, "Well…I don't know how much help it will be…some hand drawn designs of the death dogs we encountered, instructions, an intricate map of St Mystere…"
The woman instantly trailed off, her eyes broadening in immensely when she heard the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching her way. Not even risking to call out and having no time to extract the pages of paper one at a time, she grabbed the whole wad and forced it into her bag before running to duck behind the nearest crate large enough to conceal her now shaking form. She held her breath, not even daring to breathe as two hooded figures entered the room swiftly, both of them talking furiously to each other in low and somewhat angered voices.
"It has to be somewhere! I'm not lying, I told you about it after my encounter with my 'friend' such a long time ago! Such a thing exists!"
"You've said that about twenty times these past few days and my patience is drawing thin. Time is precious and the longer we wait the less time we have to find where the Reinhold fortune is located before they do!"
"Pah, like I didn't know that?!" the first figure retorted furiously, tugging on his hood in agitation, "We will find it before he does! I've had enough of their interfering, all of them! Keeping that troublesome boy down here wasn't enough! We need to get rid of them, get them away, if our plan is to succeed!"
"Or more severe, although I wouldn't want to have to dirty my hands, in all honesty," the second responded quietly, pausing for a moment before a livid cry rang out around the room causing Emmy to wince, "What the?! Someone's been going through these! Look! The drawers are all open! Everything is out of place!"
Oh dammit! Why didn't I think to close the draws?! Emmy reprimanded herself harshly as she strained her ears to listen further, heart pounding against her ribs. Although something about the voices made her frown deepen.
"It seems someone's been having a snoop in our tower, my friend," the first figure declared loud enough for Emmy to hear, causing Emmy to suck in another breath as his voice snidely echoed around the room, "Oh come out, come out wherever you arrrre!"
The footsteps became louder, until Emmy could hear their heavy breathing just inches away from where she was hiding with her knees tucked into her chest behind the crate. Her eyes flickered to the door, sweat decorating her forehead as she began racking her brain, processing how effective the plan might work out. She was a fast runner, well not as fast as Grosky, but she might be able to make it to that door in time…?
What choice do I have?!
Taking a deep breath, Emmy forcefully shoved aside the crate she was hiding behind, which resulted in several curses following her before a deafening: 'GET HER!' She had no time to turn around to see who it was as she bolted desperately for the door, literally within reaching distance of freedom when a blinding pain shot across the back of her head and with an agonised shout she fell awkwardly across the floor, grazing her limbs as she did so, teeth tightly gritted in pain as her vision swam in and out of focus. Dazed and disorientated, there was no possible chance of resistance as the footsteps found her, followed by a ringing jeer from the hooded figures.
"So you thought you could escape? Now…what to do with you…? Don't think we will make the same mistake as last time..."
"It's a terrible pity you had to come and snoop around here…but for now, lights out!"
A fire of agony tore through Emmy's mind as countless crystal shards shattered against her head and darkness immediately obscured her vision.
"Right, this is the room, Layton. Are you sure you're ready?"
The professor nodded, holding onto Flora's hand and reassuring her with a calming expression as he gingerly pushed on the wooden door frame. The heavy oak door swung open to admit them, having been unlocked prior by Chelmey, who followed the trio inside, a stern expression plastered across his face, his eagle eyes watching their every move. The girl abruptly stopped, releasing a small gasp as her eyes fell on the dishevelled and exhausted figure of the man she had grown to love as a guardian and a friend. He had his back to them prior but had immediately stiffened at the sound of the opening door, his hands shaking from where they'd been cuffed in front of him. At a small cough from the professor, Luke watching in concern and hating to see his friend so upset, the man turned his head slightly to the side, every wrinkle emphasised, dark circles under his eyes as his hopeless expression was lifted ever so slightly, although he still appeared pitiable and undeniably being gnawed at by guilt. That was evident by the tears that formed in his red eyelids and the hesitancy to his wavering voice when he finally spoke.
"I…I have been expecting y-you…Professor…"
Layton fingered his top hat, his eyes trained on the old caretaker although he tried to keep his voice calm for his daughter's sake.
"Hello, Bruno."
Breathing deeply, the old man shuffled around, his tearful eyes staring at the pained expression on the young girl's face. Flora sniffed quietly, slowly walking towards the man with tears welling in her eyes.
"B-Bruno…please…p-please tell us everything…I-I can't believe you would do something like th-this…! Wh-why? Please tell me—"
"I-It is…a long…s-story, Flora dear…but i-if you will give me your time…I will tell y-you…everything you n-need…t-to know…"
