19.
Midnight woke Kiba and he stood up from the pile of wolves. He moved to the door and pushed slightly, seeing if the coast was clear. The maids and cooks were asleep on mats and Jocque was working by candle light, sitting at a table. Neko was curled up next to him, Kiba smiled. Kiba walked out and looked into the small window that provided the only light. He looked up at the moon was a bright full moon. He smiled, feeling the warm and glow from the moon. He walked to Jocque and he nodded showing Kiba the plan. It was a map on the blueprints of the castle.
"Where'd you get this?"
"My great great great grandparents help build this castle. Now, shush and I'll explain it."
His finger pointed to the kitchen where they were, his other pointed to a small circle far right side of the map. It was almost at the very bottom of the castle and they need to go quite a long way, Kiba sighed.
"As a safety situation they built little tunnels and hideaways just incase assassins came into the castle to kill Tsukimono, "his voice dropped as he muttered, "sadly that attempt hasn't work," he shook his head, "anyway, there are two tunnels leading from here…" a door slammed and he jumped up looking at the cellar. Tsuki yawned and stretched, "sorry…" she made her way to Kiba and looked at the prints, "what's going on?"
"We're discussing the plan, next time, be more quiet, I could've had a heart attack. Now continuing, go through this tunnel and you'll find yourself in a small storage room on the 5th floor. Yes, there will be a lot of spiral climbing and rats because I guarantee you we don't do rats and spiderwebs. From there behind, I think it's hidden somewhere is another small door, go through that and it should lead you to the alchemist's chamber. The Book of the Moon will be there waiting for you and the pages missing will help you find out the answers to get rid of the curse."
"We have the pages, it's nothing but what we did and some language we can't speak... but wait, Alex said that an Agent knows where the Book is, how do you know?"
Jocque smiled, "the language is that of your ancestors, you will know how to speak it, to read it, if you only look and for your question. Voices travel, son, Agents tend to have the loudest. The maids also have to clean everywhere and one of them found it. We made a promise to wolves long ago that we will help them even if it should cost us our life."
Kiba nodded and understood.
Tsuki took Kiba's hand, "let's go, we shouldn't take the others, it would be too dangerous if we all went."
He turned and looked down at her, "I'll talk to them."
With that he left and walked into the storage room. Tsuki looked at Jocque and smiled, "did I really give you a heart attack?"
He laughed, "no, but close. I have a question, are you and Kiba together?"
She thought about it for a moment and nodded, "I guess so. We just met really but I like him."
He nodded, "keep him close, and don't let your heart weaken you. Moon wolf."
Again with the Moon statements, her lips parted to ask him what he meant, but he turned to leave. Kiba walked up from behind her and hugged her, whispering in her ear, "they want sleep, we are on our own."
Neko jumped up on Kiba's head, "I'm coming, and you need someone to scare the rats."
Kiba smiled, "alright kitty."
They climbed through the tunnel door, neko going first, using her body as a white brush to rid of the spiderwebs. Few rats were in the way and she hissed. Tsuki followed then Kiba and they began to climb the winding stairs. They decided to be a wolf was their best bet, but were afraid that they might get caught. After much debate they became wolves.
Tsuki sneezed.
"Bless you," both Kiba and Neko responded.
"How far do we have to go?" Neko asked.
"Well up to the 5th floor, I'm guessing a long ways considering every floor of the castle is about 13ft tall," Kiba figured.
Neko sighed, shaking the cobwebs off her fur. A scream was heard down a distant shaft. Everyone's heads turned to the direction.
"Let's check it out," they ran down the leveled path. It led to a door and Kiba opened it with human hands. Slowly, he listened as he opened but there was only a boy crying. He looked into the dim light and saw a body huddled in the corner. Neko ran out first to check and she meowed happily, "Toboe!"
Her head rubbed against his body and Toboe smiled at the happy sight and hugged her. Tsuki ran out and hugged Toboe to while Kiba watched from the entrance. They were in some dungeon with a laboratory look of it. There was a giant table in the middle and utencils hanging on the wall. There was a door on the opposite side of the small room.
"Toboe, let's go, we are in a hurry to get the Book. Can you walk?"
Toboe nodded and stood up on two feet, "they were talking about sacrificing. I would die then an Agent will die and his soul will take over mine and mine would be trapped into my own body but sleeping. Kiba it's awful, they did that to Tsume!" he ran over to Kiba and hugged him. Kiba showed him to the door, "we have to go, they are getting the Book of the Moon now for you and we know where it is."
Toboe nodded and ran through the door. Neko followed and Tsuki did aswell. The lab door was opening and Kiba rushed in, slamming the tunnel door behind him.
They heard a man cursing, it wasn't Tsume. But familiar. They ran away and continued up the stairs. Toboe was moving slowly, his body badly beaten.
Kiba noticed this said, "Toboe, go back down the stairs to the very bottom, the others are there and Hana will dress your wounds."
Toboe nodded and moved down the flights, passing by quickly from the branch of tunnel from which he ran from. Kiba made sure he was going in the right direction before continuing up with Neko and Tsuki. He was glad that they found Toboe, worried also about what had really happened to Tsume. The Book had this much power in its words and he didn't know it. Sighing, they finally reached the top door. They heard a gruff man's speaking voice from the other side and another familiar voice. Kiba gasped. He knew the voice; he leaned in close to listening. Tsume.