Chapter 23.
The
Flames
Among
Water;
Prologue
ME: Here we finally are at ARCH II! With new action, some new and some familiar faces and a new adventure for our heroes!
Also the beginnings of very interesting mystery surrounding a certain few . . . Which shall not be revealed until later.
I am so sorry for being late with my update! I always have a tough getting motivated to write and, on top of worrying about my dad having to get an hip implant and having to help him out until he can move on his own months ago, there's was a lot on my plate and I lost all track of time. That and I am INCREDIBLY lazy! Grr . . .
Now, enough of my rambling. Reviews are appreciated, so please read and enjoy!
"Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum . . .
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum . . .
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum . . .
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum . . .
What's wrong with me?
Why do I feel like this?
I'm going crazy now . . .
No more gas in the rig,
Can't even get it started.
Nothing heard, nothing said,
Can't even speak about it.
Out my life, out my head,
Don't wanna think about it.
Feels like I'm going insane,
Yeah . . .
It's a thief in the night to come and grab you,
It can creep up inside you and consume you
A disease of the mind,
It can control you . . .
It's too close for comfort . . .
Throw on your brake lights!
We're in the city of wonder,
Ain't gonna play nice!
Watch out, you might just go under,
Better think twice!
Your train of thought will be altered,
So if you must falter be wise . . .
Your mind is in disturbia!
It's like the darkness is the light . . .
Disturbia!
Am I scaring you tonight?
Disturbia!
Ain't used to what you like . . .
Disturbia!
Disturbia . . ."
"Disturbia" – Rihanna
~X~
Drip, drip, drip . . . Plunk!
Drip, drip, drip . . . Plunk!
Drip, drip, drip . . . Plunk!
The meeting place was dark and damp.
It stunk of sewage and it was cold enough to reduce a man to cover up in layers until he resembled something like a lampshade. But even then, you could not help but feel the chill lingering in the air.
Shadows echoed the corners of the room, the lights of the torches giving birth to an aura of yellow, burning light and falling into a pocket of darkness as they tried feebly to extend their reach. The light succeeded only by shimmering in the many puddles that flowed and dripped from the walls to the stone pavements of the floor.
How pathetic their resources had become. To be reduced to slinking and scurrying underground like a feeble-minded rat. How degrading.
But after tonight's meeting, soon it would be nothing but a thing of the past.
Shapes in the darkness started to appear, long and fluid, the sound of footsteps, fast and swift, bounced off the walls within the archways connecting to near pitch-black tunnels. A small breeze pushed at the flames of the torches as the shapes went past. The noise of footwork grew stronger and louder as they each drew closer and closer.
Suddenly, the meeting place was no longer as empty; six shapes accompanied the one who had been waiting alone all along. The sharp, rapid sounds ceased entirely, leaving nothing but the wisps of their cloaks dusting the floors.
The one man gave each hooded shape a slow but brief glance.
So, everyone had made it. Good.
The one man stepped forward and his low, smooth voice rose delicately in the silence. "Good tidings to you, brothers. What news do you bring?"
The figure right across from him stepped forward and bowed his head reverently. "Sire, the preparations are nearly complete. We need only a bit more time to finish the formation." He informed in a neutral tone, doing nothing to hide the monotone hiss.
The apparent "Sire" gave a noise of approval, as hiss-like as his brother's had been. "Excellent. It shouldn't be too long now for the time to proceed." His voice then turned low and dark. "Of course, it will mean nothing unless our Offering is found!"
"Is a live Offering really necessary?" Another figure's pompous voice piped up with a sneering hiss of his own. "Trying to get something living is a waste of time and energy when we can all too easily just grab a expired one from the resting grounds up above ground –"
The Sire moved without warning.
KSSSSSSSS!
BAM!
A frightful hiss sliced through the air like a scythe, ripping towards the unfortunate hooded figure that had no time to move before he was swatted like a bug into the wall.
With a pained grunt and a new collection of cracks webbing on the stone walls, the figure would've slid to the ground in a heap had not the Sire grabbed him by the hood and hoisted him up. The figure was bitterly reminded of the Sire's strength as the fabric of his hood bit into the skin of his neck from the friction of the grip that was in no ways letting up.
"May I remind you, brother, had it not been for your incompetence, we would not be "wasting our time and energy"!" The Sire's voice was level but each person in the room could hear the chilling venom soaking beneath it, his hiss as effective as poisonous darts. "You weren't efficient enough with that little spell that you cast on the Offering. Although she no longer has a voice to speak, she still has a mind to control, which allowed her enough coherent thought to escape our grasp!" He gave the person a mighty shake as he continued, "As I recall, you swore that spell would "keep her in line" until it was time!"
The Pompous one's hiss now shook like rattling can of rusty nails as he feared anything he said then would set the Sire off. "I-It, It wasn't my fault! During the casting, she ripped off the part of the spell that would've repressed her will. She fought against the spell with much more strength then we had originally thought!"
"Which was the reason why she was a worthy selection in the first place." A cool, wise hiss pointed out from behind the both of them. "As I had said, Sire, her perseverance and courageous virtue is indeed suitable to our demands."
A gruff, curt hiss from the left of him then snapped vehemently. "Oh, yes, of course! After all, we know as much from the ones we took her from; humans whose deaths were of enough significant importance to draw the attention of the entire City Guard!"
The Cool one waved him off dismissively as though the Gruff One was no older than a child. "Would you suggest simply to use the body of one who came before her like our esteemed brother here?" He gestured blithely to the said person still hanging from the Sire's grip. "Would you have us try and go beyond past the circles of poison which rounds up the island like hordes of wasps? Certainly not, I would like to keep my insides in where they belong, thank you very much. It would take too much time, anyways."
The Gruff One's hiss was growing stronger and stronger each passing minute until he finally snarled, "Not as much time it would take to slice you open and –"
"Oh, enough!" A younger and much calmer hiss spoke up from where he slipped up between the both of them. "This is not the time for this; this whole conversation is a moot point! The Offering needs to still be alive when we use her soul for our plan. A dead Offering is only as good as a bag of bones." Turning to the Sire, he added. "Even as our prize is free she is still liable to use to our advantage. In the state she's in, I doubt it'll be too hard to track her down and bring her back."
"Y-you see, Sire?" The now quivering figure said with a shaky hiss. "I haven't failed the plan! We s-still have time and everything we need!"
The Sire did not say anything of relief, only glared at him lowly as he drew him closer. "Were it not for the fact that our numbers were as thin as it is, I would skin you right here and now. But for now, we need each hand that we have." His voice held every note of that threat. The formerly Pompous One gulped nervously before the Sire finally gave him mercy, dropping him onto the floor like a sack.
Turning back towards the others, he went on, "We are the last few of a race who is near dead and gone. We are the last few survivors of a people who were persecuted and exiled decades ago simply for believing in one who holds the key to our revival, our return back from the clutches of darkness and cold." He began to stride forward with confidence. "We seven have survived because of our faith. We seven have survived because we refuse to give up the hope that we will one day once again breathe the air of life reborn." Placing a hand on the Younger one's shoulder, he nodded to him in confidence as the Younger One covered his hand with a trembling grip. "A life that we deserve just as much as any pitiful being who lives above us who hold no appreciation for it as we do. A life without slinking from one hiding ground to the next, without scavenging for a meal with what little strength we have, without worry for being discovered and driven out, without being afraid of living in sunshine only to fall into a never-ending sleep." He whipped back around, his cloak slashing against the ground, sending flakes of water to splatter on the already damp stone floor. "We deserve this life above anything or anyone else, agreed?"
"Agreed." Six voices echoed back, just as strongly.
Why wouldn't they?
Their right to a new life meant more than anything.
"Yes! Because we have suffered and toiled for long enough!" The Sire nodded sharply. "Soon we will claim what should have been ours long ago. The time is drawing near for us to make our move. We still have to wait, for now, but when it's just about time, we will begin again!"
A light, calculating hiss carefully spoke after a near beat of silence. "Sire, we are all eager for the plan's success but interference from the residents upstairs may be problem. Not now, but if word somehow gets out, perhaps sometime in the future . . ."
The Sire accepted this with a near mute hiss. "Of course, but I doubt we have much to worry about, brother. The only ones who have ever known about our plan are either seen to or dead."
"Save for that fellow I mentioned earlier on, Sire." The Cool One stated. "He's certainly nosing a little too much into affairs that are none of his to be doing such. Perhaps nosing enough to be . . . Dealt with?" His hiss seemed to be heavy with glee at the obviously ill notion.
"Haven't you caused enough damage?" The Gruff one snapped at him again, tensing as though he was ready to deal him just as much.
The Sire held up a hand to cease any more action from him. "Indeed." To the Cool One, he stated bluntly. "Your actions with the retrieval of the Offering were strictly against my orders; stay low, stay quiet. You were lucky that you had left no one alive to tell of the specific details of this incident."
Instead of shrinking in fear like his "brother" earlier, the Cool One simply bowed his head like he had just been praised. "But, of course, Sire. You know I'm never one to let live and tell, sort of speak."
The Sire breathed out as though exhausted by his confidence. "Your confidence is sure to be your downfall one of these days, brother. But you are not yet hopeless . . ." The Cool One started a little at that, but at the last second held back his tongue lest he want it ripped out. "The City Guard aren't bothersome now but may very well lead to a problem; you are to speak with our partner about this. We'll need a wide berth if we are to succeed. And you," The Gruff One turned at the gesture of the Sire. "Will go with him to make sure nothing goes wrong."
The Gruff One nodded. "Yes, Sire. As you command."
The Sire's gaze fell back to the Cool One. "I trust you will follow my instructions, this time, brother?" His hiss held no room for argument.
The Cool One looked as though he was radically bored, but still nodded his head in compliance. "Yes, Sire. I will . . . Follow your command."
"Good." The Sire then turned to the Pompous one who was now attempting to hide in the dark. "As for you," The figure nearly jumped in his so-called hiding place. The Sire's voice was clear and blunt as he spoke, drawing closer with each menacing step. "You are to go back to that little hovel of yours and find a way to fix your mistake; the Offering is crucial to our goal. If she is not found soon, I will not be as lenient in my judgement the next time around. Understood?"
The Sire's anger was not to be trifled with. The Pompous One nodded meekly in response.
The Sire sneered at his cowardice and then spoke up for the rest to hear. "As for the rest of you, keep your eyes and senses open! The Offering could be anywhere on the whole island, from the Town Hall or to the Sub Docks. She could be planning her comeback as we speak and that is not a risk worth taking! If any of you hear word of her whereabouts or have a lead, you follow it! I don't care if it leads to nowhere or not, I want the Offering back in our grasp and soon! I don't need to spill the importance of her being brought back alive and well."
He then breathed quietly, muttering low to himself more than anyone, "Especially for his sake . . ."
No one spoke as to what he meant.
Who needed to when they all knew?
The Neutral One, who had kept as still and quiet to a statue, moved about in his cloak and pulled out a pocket watch. The ticks of the gears echoed for only one, two, three seconds before it disappeared back into the folds of fabric. "Sire, if nothing else is needed to be spoken, we best go our ways now before the Patrol make their rounds above us. Or else . . ."
The Sire waved his hand in confirmation, already knowing the rest. "Yes, of course, brother, of course." To the other five, he inquired one last time. "We need to hurry this along. Is there anything new to report back before we conclude this meeting?"
No hiss responded back. Simply the sound of water dripping and fire crackling remained.
The Sire gave a stout, confirming hiss. "Very well. Fair tidings, brothers, until the time of –"
"S-Sire, wait!"
All heads turned towards the quick hiss. The Sire halted in mid-step.
The Younger One's voice stopped just as fast, his hand extended almost in reach before he drew it back as if it were offensive. "U-Uhm, That- That is, uhm . . . S-Sire, there is something I would like to report. I – I – . . . I think it's something you should h–hear."
The Sire turned to give him something like a side-glance, light and bluntly curious, as he said lowly. "Of what importance, can it be, brother?"
The Younger One shook as though his skin had turned notably pale. It was a good moment of silent contemplation before he came out with a near stumble, "I– It's . . . I – I think I found our wayward sister."
The air suddenly froze like ice. Each figure tensed at those words. Clearly they were meant of almost forbidden importance to each of the room's occupants. The Sire stiffened in place for one precious minute . . .
. . . The next, he shoot out, almost instantly poised and erect in front of the Younger One, his form twice as menacing as before when used on the Pompous One, earning a near squeak of shock at the sight of blazing eyes. The Sire's gaze bore down on the Younger One with such animosity, that he very nearly . . . Went on himself.
Not anyone moved or breathed at the sight of such a frightful form of anger and power, a form that could slay them faster than one could say. The room was thick with tension.
After a few choice moments of heavy silence, The Sire's voice was crackling with vengeful excitement and deadly anxiety as he prodded as curiously as a predator. "Do tell, young Brother. What, per say, have you found out about our missing kin?"
Everyone shivered.
They knew that particular hiss.
The hiss that was as enjoyable and coddling as guiding a sweet baby lamb to the brutal, slaughterhouse. If not the right words were spoken, death was swift to follow.
The Younger One knew that all too well, so his reply was as deep and echoing as the sound of the dripping of the water around them.
Drip, drip, drip . . . Plunk!
Drip, drip, drip . . . Plunk!
Drip, drip, drip . . . Plunk!
ME: HO-LEE CRAP! I got all of this written in ONE day! Well, technically the first few parts I had written not too long ago but I finally wrapped all this up in one day! That's first amount of short-period writing I've done in what, months?!
Boy, this is way to start off a story, huh? What better than another chilling mystery to stumble into! I wonder who are going to be the unlucky saps who – OH. Right.
Anyways, I only own the characters mentioned so far! Until next time with a much swifter update!