Chapter 6: The Search

The battle in the resort had gone surprisingly well.

Only two more managed to get inside, and someone was able to detain them.

Granted, fifty got away...

...but that was only because they were already in retreat.

Shisuta had been practicing her advanced Chemical Warfare bomb craft, so the ones who were swallowed by her cloud died quickly. The others didn't want to stick around for that. None of the customers or staff died in the raid, and our customers were impressed with our dedication and services. They left large tips and great reviews.

An astonishing success.

After the lobby and courtyard had been cleared of poison, everyone was safe to roam again.

"Wow! We made money on this!? Hell yeah!" Linn was ecstatic. "We should find Hiro, and tell her that everyone's safe! And with all the extra profit, well... I was thinking we should buy her something for her birthday something really nice. What do you think Kuhn?"

Kuhn smiled. "Yeah, she'll be really excited. Wow... Ten years old. She's growing up so fast!"

Linn punched him in the shoulder.

"No way! She's not growing up, take it back!"

She grinned, then laughed.

Kuhn laughed too. "It's so hard to believe... It's like yesterday she was three and swinging off of Boh's hair.

Boh grabbed his hair. "Painful memories those... But you had to love the kid!"

"She is upstairs hiding in the Altar room." Said Shisuta. "Just call her name, and I am sure she will come out."

Kuhn nodded. "Will do."

He walked upstairs, and opened the door to the Altar room...

He froze.

The windows were broken.

"Hiro? Hun, are you in here?"

No answer.

He remembered the two Leviathans locked in the room.

Horrific fantasies played through his mind, as he imagined Hiro locked in there with those monsters.

He ran to that room.

"Hiro!? Say something! HIRO!"

They all came running when they heard him. When they found him, he was tearing the room apart looking for her.

"What's going on!?" Linn exclaimed. "Where's Hiro!?"

"She wasn't in the Altar room, and the windows were broken!" He yelled.

"But there's no body!?" Kahn asked frantically. "You didn't see a body!? What about blood!?"

He shook his head. "No, none of those things! But what does that-!?"

"The back window is open!" Shisuta exclaimed. "But there's no sign of Hiro!"

"That means she's probably still alive." Said Kahn. "Leviathan's broadcast their carnage, and if Hiro would have fallen from this height, she would not have survived."

"Let's go find her then!" Said Karo. "She may be alive, but she may have also run into trouble. The Leviathan's scattered, so you can't be too safe."

"I agree." Said Nina. "If we leave now, we could make it in time!"

"Let's go then!" Said Linn. "I mean NOW. Let's GO!"

...

We began searching immediately, trying to find traces of Hiro.

I noticed something on the grass a ways out from the resort. I knelt down, and looked at it.

There appeared to be drag marks across the grass. No... They were different, like someone had slid across the ground at high speeds.

Something Eiji had said crossed my mind...

"I've gotten so fast! Look! I'm the fastest flyer in the area, dad said so himself!"

He was six then, and he was fast. No doubt he had gotten faster since then.

Eiji... What happened to you and Hiro?

He got stuck here, didn't he? Not even his parents can save him now. They can't return because they have died here once.

Eiji was never born here, so it's always been a risk.

This place is the worst of spirit traps, and it seems Eiji has fallen into it.

I know one thing for sure now, and one thing only...

...There's more than one set of parents scared for their children now.

"What is it brother?" Kuhn asked frantically. "Have you found something?"

I nodded. "They were headed in this direction, past the old pens, if I'm correct."

Kuhn stopped. "Wait, they!? There's someone with her? But we're all accounted for!"

"It's someone her and I know. I don't have time to explain it right now, but I will when we find Hiro."

He nodded. "Right, let's find her then."

It was getting dark, and we had followed the footprints leading off the grounds...

"Hold on!" Said Nina, stopping. "Shisuta, remember this? This is close to one of the Kurayami's main headquarters!"

Shisuta froze.

"Wait... You don't mean...?"

They both started running.

We followed close behind.

The Kurayami... Please don't let that be what I think it is!

We stopped. There was trace amounts of blood on the ground, and there seemed to have been a struggle.

"EIJI! No... NO! WHERE ARE YOU!?"

It was Chihiro's voice. Maybe if I project my inner voice loud enough, she can here me.

I think he's stuck. He was trying to save my Niece, and his friend. they may have both been taken.

"Taken? Where? Is he alright!? I need to know what's going on."

That was Haku. He was trying to keep calm, but even he sounded stressed.

That's what we're trying to find out. We suspect they've been taken to a nearby... Well, maze. Do you see anything?

"A maze!? No... Not Eiji! Please... No..."

I felt my own heart ache as I heard Chihiro start to weep.

"Chihiro... I think I see it just ahead. Eiji... He'll be alright. We'll make sure of it..."

Haku was trying to comfort her, but I could hear his composure breaking. I could hear the pain in his voice.

Don't you worry now, we'll try our hardest on this end!

"Thank you Kahn..." Said Haku.

They had left, no doubt to find Eiji.

I heard a humming in the direction of the maze, and ran past Nina.

"I know where we're going, so I'll go ahead." I said.

Shisuta nodded. "Alright, but be careful."

Nina ran beside me. "I'll make sure to keep up!" She said.

We raced toward the hedges, and stopped.

There were Leviathan's guarding the grounds.

We quickly hid behind some trees, and pulled the others with us.

"What are Leviathans doing at the maze!?" I whispered frantically.

"It's not as if we can blow them away this time! There are CHILDREN in there, and Hiro is one of them!"

Nina went pale. "Oh yeah... That. I forgot about the Leviathans..."

"Are you serious!?" Kuhn whispered. "Leviathans are guarding it!?"

"Yeah I guess." Linn said. "But our daughter's in there! There's no way in hell I'm letting some damn puny Leviathan's stop me!"

She stepped out from behind the tree.

"HEY! MONSTER MOUTH!?" She yelled. They all looked at her.

"Yeah, that's right! I'm talking to all of you ASS HAT'S!"

We all stepped out.

"I guess we're doing this now!" Said Kuhn.

Two ran toward her, and she grabbed both of them by their throats. She squeezed until their head's popped. One more ran at her, and she grabbed it by the face and started slamming it's head into the tree.

"You! Stupid! Damn! MONSTERS! YOU'LL ALL DIE! Because NO BODY MESSES WITH MY HIRO!"

She slammed the mutilated Leviathan on the ground, and let out a bloody war cry.

"So WHO'S NEXT!?" She yelled.

They all ran off.

Linn fell to her knees, clutching her torso. Kuhn ran to her.

"Linn!? Hey, let me see..."

She shook her head, covering the wound.

"Linn... Please! Don't be so... That's... THAT'S A LOT OF BLOOD! Shisuta! Do you have some serum left!?"

She nodded.

She pulled out a serum, and injected it into her torso.

Linn seemed to relax a little as the wound healed. She tried to go toward the maze, but stumbled as she stood.

"Linn, just stay here! You've lost a lot of blood, and you shouldn't be moving... Please love..."

"Kuhn, you'd better find her..." She said softly.

She began to cry softly. "You'd better bring her back alive! Please! Just... Let her be alive..."

Kuhn began to lose his composure, sobbing for a moment. He took in slow breaths.

"I'll get her back if it kills me." He said.

He gave her a soft kiss. "Try not to move love, we'll be back."

He stood, and joined the rest of us.

It was time to infiltrate the maze, and we needed all of the able bodies we could get.