Chapter 15

I did not struggle at all when Elizaveta and Gilbert ushered me inside her home. They sat me down at a grand dining table, and even offered me a warm beverage, but I politely declined. I think sake would help me more in this kind of situation...not that I should be drinking at the moment.

A weight dropped on my shoulders. I looked up to see Gilbert draping a fleece blanket over me. "H-here. It will keep you warm. Are you sure you do not want coffee or something? Not even some beer?"

"I just need to be away from that house for a while," I told him.

He grumbled, and settled in a chair beside me. "How come? Don't tell me Feli and my brother were making out too much and you have to leave." I did not reply, so he grunted. "They did, didn't they?"

"Does it matter?" I barked. Gilbert leaned away. I shook my head. "No, it is not like that. Not anymore. Not yet. I do not know!'

"Okay, okay!" He held up his hands. "Touchy subject."

Elizaveta's voice grew closer. She entered the dining room with her husband not too far behind. He stared at me disdainfully, and pushed up his glasses. Gilbert glowered as he asked, "Kiku, right? How are you? Elizaveta told me they found you standing in the middle of the road, and took you in."

I stared back at him.

Roderich cleared his throat, glancing away the both of us. "Well, if you need anything, let Elizaveta know, and she will get it for you."

With that said, he breezed out of the room.

"Stupid priss," Gilbert huffed.

"He does not work well with people," Elizaveta took the seat on my other side. She put a delicate hand on my shoulder, and I tensed under the contact.

"More like, he does not work well away from his piano."

Elizaveta leaned back on her chair and called out behind me, "If you are going to be an ass, then go to your room."

He grunted, and slouched in his seat. "Whatever, Mom."

She turned back to me. "Are you feeling better? You looked so lost and confused..."

I swallowed a lump rising in my throat and meekly nodded.

"So how's Feli doing? Did you leave him all alone in that house while Ludwig is working? I know how anxious he can get if left alone for long periods of time..." she trailed off.

Oh, Elizaveta, do you really know? "Fine. He is fine."

"Then what the hell got you so worked up? Every time someone touches you, you jump out of your skin," Gilbert jabbed my arm.

I hissed through my teeth, and flinched away from him. My hand reached up and massaged the scores underneath my baggy sleeves.

"Like that!" He exclaimed. I glared at him, and he lightly snorted.

"If he does not want to tell us, then he does not have to!" Elizaveta retorted. She asked in a softer tone, "Would you like to stay the night? There's a guest bedroom upstairs."

Bedrooms. Sleep. "I am tired."

She stood up. "Then let me show you where it is."

I unwillingly rose, too. My legs trembled as I followed her up the grand staircase. Gilbert stayed behind after she told him to be of use somewhere else. She showed me a room much larger than the guest bedroom at Ludwig's house. I nodded and thanked her as I shuffled inside.

"You are welcome to use anything in this house," Elizaveta told me. She hesitated with a hand on the door knob, but I gazed at the dark carpet, not meeting her gaze. My friend let out a light sigh, shaking her head, and gently shut the door behind her.

I flopped backwards against the bed, and stared at the shadows of the trees swaying on the wall. My eyelids fought with me to close for the night, but I had no plans to be holed up here, especially with what I done, and left behind. Eventually, someone shut off the hallway lights outside the bedroom. I slowly lifted myself from the silky sheets and cracked open the door. I snuck down the stairs, and approached the front door.

"Use the back door. The front sconce will come on if you leave that way."

I stiffened.

"It is fine. I won't say anything, but they will wonder why you stuck out in the middle of the night."

I twisted around, balling my hands into fists. Roderich raised a cup to his face, and took a long drag from it. "I need to go back. I left something behind."

He shrugged, and pointed in the direction of the kitchen. There were double glass doors leading the back yard, and I turned around to quietly close them. I glowered at Roderich through the square panes, and he furrowed his eyebrows beneath my stare. Wordlessly, I followed the path to the front of the house.

It was nearing midnight, so I picked up the pace to a near run. Ludwig would be home soon, and if he saw the mess in the bathroom, the militia could be on me once again, and again, all too soon. The front light was shining, but his vehicle was not there, so I still had time.

I flicked on the bathroom light, and had to rub my eyes to make sure I was not imagining things. The bath tub was empty. The floor was dry, and the towels were hung up neatly on their designated racks. I gawked at the now empty space where I left my friend.

"You came back!"

I jumped as slender arms wrapped around my torso. Something nuzzled between my shoulder blades. My fingertips twitched as I slowly turned my head to peek over my shoulder.

Feliciano picked up his head and giggled. "When I woke up from taking a bath, I couldn't find you anywhere!"

A shaky exhale escaped my lips. He tightened his grip a bit more. I squeezed my eyes shut, swallowing a whine of fright that threatened to follow. It was bad enough that my knees wobbled, threatening to make me tumble to the floor, beneath Feliciano's feet.

"I thought you left me! You were acting so weird!"

It was as if he was reveling in the fact that my heart sped up underneath his hand. I shot backwards, and he let out a cry of surprise. We collided with the hallway wall, and his arms loosened from my body. I staggered away from him and turned around.

Feliciano reached his hand up, and rubbed where his head hit the wall. He whined, "Why'd you do that?" The noise made a shudder run down my spine. "Something is wrong with you, Kiku!"

I scoffed, and barked, "You are the last person I want to hear that from!"

He reached out.

"Leave me alone!" I snapped, backing away.

My friend's breath caught. His mouth quivered and tears spilled out of his eyes. "It hurts me that you are hurt! Tell me what is wrong!"

"You do not know. You will never understand."

It was quiet between us. The clock hanging off the wall at the end of the wall way filled the silence with its proud ticking. My eyes flickered to it.

Feliciano took a step towards me, and I was flying down the stairs, yet again, without my mind's consent. I heard his footsteps hammer across the hall as my feet thumped down the steps. I grasped the door handle and threw it open, smacking against the screen door and spilling out on to the concrete steps. The rough cement ripped at my kimono, and chewed at the skin on my knees. I groaned, flipping my hand over to groan at my tore palm, feeling as if the excuses to loathe my friend piled up in an overwhelming avalanche.

I saw Feliciano's hand reach for me, and I gasped shooting away. The frosty grass was numbing as I sprinted across the yard. This time, I turned right, toward Elizaveta's house, in the opposite direction of Arthur's. I saw his figure get closer as I weaved between the pine trees separating the lawn and the main road.

I blindly streaked across the street, desperate to lose him, but his calls still followed me no matter where I turned. I passed the gas station, and post office, to a row of trees that stood in the darkness, opening up to a field. The pavilions were the town's civilians grill food and throw parties were empty. Some figures stood around, and I sucked in a breath to call to them, "Please, help-!" As I neared them, they revealed themselves to be snowmen some people built.

A sob tore through my throat. I could not make my legs go faster. If they were made of burning lead, it would not make a difference to how slow I was moving. My foot caught something solid and I crashed to the ground. Snow caked my face, and I clawed at it in panicked swipes. Something snaked around my body, and pulled me to the ground.

I hollered and tried yanking away, but whoever grabbed me had a firm hold. "Let go, Feli-kun!" I snarled, and twisted around to begin smacking my attacker.

"Who's Feelycoon?" The body rumbled. "I know that's not me."

I stiffened, awkwardly lowering my arm. "Heracles-san! What the hell are you doing laying in the snow at a park at eleven at night?"

"It's eleven already? Is that why everyone left?" He murmured with a lazy yawn, "I just woke up, or more like, that wail woke me up. You have more spunk than I remember."

I ripped away from him, and rolled into the snow. "I need to leave!" I leaped up only for my legs to give out, making me fall face first onto the frozen ground.

"What's the rush?" Heracles leaned over to pull me out of my predicament.

I gasped for air. "I am being chased!"

He looked to the side. "By that fellow over there with the strange curl sticking out of his head?"

I followed his gaze. Feliciano's figure was uncertainly padding over to us. I heard him call out for me, but I yelled at him to go away. My company only seemed to be slightly fazed at my reply. I began to crawl on my hands and knees, not making great progress with the snow hindering my already pained movements.

Before I could react, I was swept into the air. Heracles tossed me over his shoulder as if I were weightless, and strode across the clearing with long legs. I stared at Feliciano take a few steps after us before he began running again.

"Heracles-san! He is after us!"

He broke into a sprint, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, not in a choking manner, and clutched onto his jacket as if my life depended on it. Perhaps it did. We passed another line of trees, and crossed a smaller road, gaining distance from Feliciano when he tripped over a soft pile of snow. Any house I saw was dark, offering no solace during my horror. Heracles was panting noticeably, and he began running slower.

"You do not have to do this! I can run again!" I told him, even though I doubted it.

"It's fine. I need to get some exercise anyway," he huffed. "Did we...lose him?"

"I think so." I hope so.

He slowed down to a walk. "Good. We're here anyway."

"Where is here?" I twisted around.

Tall columns stood in a circle. The ground turned into sand colored stairs that descended and surrounded a small field. However, the place was in ruins. Most of the pillars had been worn in some way, and cracks ran through the bleachers.

"It is a stadium," I noted, answering my own question.

"A Greek styled, one, too," Heracles readjusted his grip around my legs and back. "It's my favorite spot to spend my time in this whole town."

"I did not know it was here."

"You learn something new everyday."

"You can put me down now."

Heracles carried me to the closet pillar, and cleared away some of the snow with his foot. A shock wave ran up my legs once I was released from his arms and I took this opportunity to sit down, using the column as a back rest. The rocky landscape felt like a luxury recliner.

He knelt down next to me, and lifted an strong arm to pet my cheek. "What was that about?"

I sighed, having a new dislike to that question. "It is rather complicated."

"Did he hurt you? Is that why you are running from him?"

Feliciano did try to hurt me once, but that was before I used that spell, and if I started to spout out things about magic, he would probably push me down the stadium stairs. "No, no. Feliciano-kun is my friend, but he is...delicate. He becomes very nervous and anxious if left alone, and I made a mistake of leaving the house after...we had an argument, and he thought I never wanted anything to do with him, and so he chased me..." I stopped to moisten my lips, but lost my lousy train of thought from the pause.

"Does he want to hurt you?"

A large knife once was stuck in Ludwig's back. "I do not know."

"Kiku!"

We both snapped our heads to the direction of the wail. I braced against the pillar and rose to my feet. "That would be Feliciano-kun," I announced grimly, hissing when my legs wobbled under the strain of standing.

"Let me take care of him."

"Heracles-san, he is dangerous!"

"A little guy like him?" He turned to me and patted my head. "You're only saying that because you are little, too." I tried forming coherent words, but he took my arm, and guided me behind the pillar. "Stay here. I can deal with your friend."

I stared after him, my chest burning with held breath, as he turned away. Feliciano appeared from the top of the hill. He looked around, and spotted Heracles. He bounded forward, but slowed down as he drew closer. My friend appeared nervous, eyes wide, and he fiddled with his hands.

He called to Heracles, "Where's Kiku?"

Heracles stepped toward Feliciano. "Kiku does not want to be bothered right now."

"Something is wrong with him!"

"I can take care of him."

Feliciano's expression morphed into one of disgust. It looked unnatural. "What makes you say that? I am his friend. He told me so! I can help!"

"Go away," Heracles warned.

Feliciano snarled. "I won't let you take him away!"

I ran out from my spot. "Feli-kun, don't!"

Feliciano growled and lunged. Heracles gasped and stumbled backwards. I guess my friend's innocent face fooled another person. Yet the force did not knock Heracles over. He grabbed Feliciano's hands, and forced him back.

Heracles grumbled, "I told you to leave."

Feliciano glanced over at me, and shouted, "Kiku!" As if my annoyed sigh made him angrier, he swept his leg up, and kicked Heracles in the groin. He immediately let go and fell to his knees. My friend spun around, and ran toward me.

"Stop! Stop!" I shouted, but he did not listen. Feliciano held his arms out. Whether it was for a hug, or a threatening stance, I did not wait to find out. I ducked and scrambled to the side. He tripped, but caught himself with the pillar I leaned against.

I spun around to face him. "Why do you not listen?!"

"Kiku, something is wrong with you! It's scaring me!"

I scoffed. "I am scaring you? No, Feli-kun, it always has been the other way around."

"W-what are you saying?" He reached out once more, and before I could react, Heracles slammed into him, shoving him away from me. Feliciano wailed, and staggered to the side. His foot skittered and his arms flailed as he lost his balance.

Heracles gasped, and threw out a hand to him, but my friend slipped on the snow caked to the bleachers. His feet were swept from under him just as the other man gripped at the spot were he was a split second ago. Feliciano fell to the side, colliding with the first step, and tumbled down the rest of the way.

"No!" I cried out, trying to go after him, but Heracles grabbed my arm.

Feliciano did not stop rolling until he barreled off the last step, and into the snow covering the field below. We stared with baited breaths for him to move, but he never did.

"Feli-kun," I murmured, kneeling to go down a stair.

"Be careful! It is dangerous." Heracles grasped my elbow.

We slowly made our way to the field where my friend laid. He was not moving at all. I knelt down and turned him over. I recoiled, scooting away until I was against Heracles. Feliciano's forehead had a large dent, where snow dyed red with blood clung to his head.

"He is dead. He is dead!" I buried my face in my hands, mostly to block myself from the sight of my fallen friend. "There is no way he survived that."

"Hush, Kiku. It was an accident. Anyone could have slipped on the snow. At least it wasn't you."

I looked up at him. Was I supposed to thank him? He lifted a hand to brush some of my hair out of my face. "I need to get back to Ludwig-san's house. Ludwig-san needs to know..." The spell was at the house, too. I needed, I had to go back. Again.

"I can take you there," Heracles offered.

"What about Feli-kun?"

"I will carry him...unless you are not fit to walk?"

I violently shook my head. It would be embarrassing to be carried like a child again. He helped me to my feet, and scooped up my friend. I looked away from Feliciano, and started to climb up the steep steps. I gritted my teeth, trying to ignore the pain in the back making itself known again. I realized then, I was a little more than unenthusiastic to use the spell again. After all, this third failure was my fault.