Time of Dying
A Hagi story based off the song "Time of Dying" by Three Days Grace
Serin: *whispering* Before Aldedron comes back, I'll give you guys the chapter… I copied it from her notebook…
*approaching footsteps*
Serin: Quickly! Read it!!
Two months later, Aiya finally heard that song again. To think she'd gone two whole months without seeing Master Hagi even once… The mansion was big, but it wasn't that big.
Pierre looked up with surprise. He turned to Aiya with questioning eyes. She appeared to recognize the melody. "Does Goldschmidt-sama play an instrument or something?" he inquired with confusion. There were no guests staying at Goldschmidt Manor at the moment and Pierre, Aiya, and Melody were the only staff, so there was no other logical explanation to him.
"Goldschmidt-sama didn't warn you about Master Hagi??"
"Master Hagi desu ka??" he repeated. He was all the more puzzled.
"I'm not sure why he's here…" she admitted cautiously. "As far as I can tell, he does some sort of business with the guests who come to visit Goldschmidt-sama. But I'm not sure. Last I saw him was two months ago."
"Didn't you start working here two months ago?" he asked flatly. "In other words, you've only seen him once. Wouldn't that make this guy a guest?"
"Iie…" She inwardly recalled her first meeting. "I met him on my first day. Didn't see him again till a week later. And this is the first I've even heard of him in two months."
"And how exactly do you know this guy's even the one playing this song?" He was getting annoyed with her evading his questions.
"He was my first day here," she answered honestly, looking Pierre in the eyes to emphasize her point.
Pierre was actually starting to believe her now. "Do you know this music's coming from?" he asked curiously. This guy sounded interesting… and he wanted to meet him. He completely disregarded the whole "Master Hagi" remark Aiya had made earlier, though.
"It sounds like it's coming from the library. That's where I first met him, too," Aiya muttered thoughtfully. "This way," she said with a smile, leading him expertly through the empty halls.
They soon came upon the library. Once again, the door was slightly open. Pierre peered through first. He was shocked at what he saw. The curtains were pulled open. He could clearly see the overcast sky through the spotless windows. The filtered sunlight poured lightly into the room, revealing a man in black playing an instrument Pierre recognized to be a cello. A music stand was placed before him, but it wasn't music that rested upon the metal frame. It was a complicated bio-science dictionary. Between notes, the man managed to turn the pages without halting in his music. The song ended as he finished the massive book. He stood, laying the cello on its side and closing the book, sighing.
"Still nothing," he sighed with obvious disappointment. He turned towards the door where he knew the pair stood. "Is there something you want?" he asked casually.
Pierre just continued to stare in shock, frozen in his position at the crack in the door. He finally regained his composure after Aiya tapped his shoulder. "You are an amazing cellist, sir," he said with a deep bow after stepping into the room.
He was holding up a front before Pierre. Something was off… He picked the book up off the stand, snapping it closed. He was obviously ignoring the remark Pierre had made. Finally, he turned to him. "And you are here because…?"
Pierre cocked an eyebrow at that. "Because we heard you playing…" he answered hesitantly. He then realized that the man clad in black was asking who he was. "Oh! Sumimasen. Pierre Ire desu. Hajimemashite. I'm a new servant—"
"That's not what I was asking," the man said in response, interrupting Pierre. This startled Ire. What else could he possibly be asking? Unless… "Why is an agent of France inside Goldschmidt Manor?" he asked finitely.
He had been found out so soon?? He'd only been there a week!! Wait… how did this person find him out?? Just who was this "Master Hagi" when Joel Goldschmidt had yet to notice himself. He'd just play dumb for now… "What ever do you mean… Gomene sai. What was your name again??"
"Alias: Pierre Ire. Real name: Andre Vick. Level T ranking and in special favor of the higher ups because of lineage," he listed. "Special assignment: infiltrate Goldschmidt Manor and investigate. My questions is: Investigate what?" He was dead serious as he said this, looking "Andre Vick" straight in the eye. The intensity of his gaze actually caused him to shiver in fear. It was felt… animalistic and threatening. The man straightened suddenly. The dangerous look disappeared immediately.
Aiya fainted right then and there. This was just too much to take…
"Why did you poison her?" he asked now. She had been perfectly fine only a moment ago. Until a small gas cloud was released from Andre's clenched hands.
"So we could speak without any interruptions," Andre answered firmly. "Who are you?"
"That is my own business."
"Hai…" he said doubtfully. This person was annoying him greatly. What a pain… "How did you find out my true identity?"
"I do believe I asked you a question first."
"Using your own words, that is my own business." He smirked. "Actually, I'll tell. I doubt you'll believe me anyways."
The man was silent and stoic, revealing no expression or thought. He was waiting for Andre Vick to continue.
"In reality, vampires do exist, only they're called Chiropterans instead of vampires. It is believed that a group of Chiropterans murdered the first Joel Goldschmidt, two hundred high society guests attending his birthday party, and two hundred Federal agents. It is also believed that the first Joel Goldschmidt was doing research on these monsters and creating them… possibly passing his knowledge onto his son upon his death. It is my mission to uncover whether this accusation is true or not and find out if these monsters could be used to France's benefit—"
"As tools of war."
Vick's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Hai, that's exactly it…" he agreed slowly, cautiously. This guy was catching on. Fast. Of course, it made sense that he could catch his drift so easily since he'd been playing Bach while reading a bio-medical-technological-science dictionary that could easily be seven hundred pages long. "So, since I answered your question, answer mine. Dare desu ka?"
"This is not a trade or compromise of any sort. I hold no obligation to answer any of your questions."
Vick clenched his teeth angrily. Such… such… cockiness!! Who did this guy think he was!!? Andre Vick was a high ranking French agent who had close relations with those who lead the country!! And yet this kisama (this is a rude form of "you" which could also be translated into "bastard") wouldn't answer his questions after he answered his!!? Such outrage!!
"I am a representative of the law. I could arrest you for withholding information key to solving a cold case."
"Didn't you just assault an unarmed girl?" the man said in return, monotone and apathetic even with his accusation. He was steadily changing the subject.
"For the better good of a clean interrogation of you!" the agent snapped fiercely. This guy was pissing him off. Nobody got in Andre Vick's way!! "Now you are going to reveal your identity this moment or so help me, I'll arrest you for contempt. And Mr. Joel Goldschmidt will be charged for harboring a felon, as well."
The man seemed unswayed. The agent's threats did were entirely ineffective, failing to make even a scratch upon him. Words were not something which could harm or make him back down. Not even the threat of death could, making him an invincible warrior in the face of intimidation. Those who relied entirely on intimidation were especially ineffective, such as Agent Andre Vick was.
The man ran his hand along the papers covering the desk in front of the window. Andre saw them to be a mix of music scores and complicated notes. Page after page covered top to bottom in notes written in multiple languages. All the notes had one word in common: Chiropteran. The agent recognized that word in every single language on every single page. This guy was researching Chiropterans!!
"You… are researching Chiropterans!!" he exclaimed in shock. "So you knew what I was talking about from the start!! But how the hell did you get ahold of such information!! That's classified information—"
"And yet there is book after book, authorized and published by the French government," he said calmly, blinking slowly. It was his way of showing annoyance, but the agent didn't catch on, which was why he was annoyed. Wasn't this hint obvious enough? "You are mistaken concerning your description of Chiropterans, Mr. Agent. Chiropteran doesn't mean vampire, it means bat."
Vick's eyes narrowed suspiciously. This guy was an expert on Chiropterans. Even more so than the top scientists working for the French government. This was going to get interesting…
Aldedron: OMG!! UW beat USC!!!
Saya: … I don't see the reason to celebrate…
Serin: USC is often considered the best college football team in the nation. When UW and USC faced off, USC was already ranked as 3rd while UW wasn't even in the top twenty five
Aldedron: *smugly* I think I'm rubbing off on her
Serin: Using Ceresa's words, if you listen to something enough, you can come to understand it
Lulu: Who's "Ceresa"?
Serin: One of Aldedron's crazy friends. She's a 4.0 student, but nobody takes her seriously because she acts like a total blonde… And her hair is blonde, too…
Aldedron: Ceresa knows some of the best blonde jokes in the WORLD!!
Saya: … Hai…
Aldedron: Oh, and by the way my lovely readers, I've got Writer's Block again… So it might be a while before I post the next chapter…
Serin: So you're finally willing to admit that you have Writer's Block. *annoyed* Took you long enough...
Aldedron: *glare* …