The rest of their journey was relatively lax. Perhaps a few stops from small bandit groups or those desperate enough to resort to raiding a single lone transport, but those groups were either driven off without major issue, or given as much aid as the group could give.. No large ambushes or raiding parties were intent on claiming Cecilia for some shadowy puppet master since the first attempt. The trip itself however should have taken three days to reach Arcadia and it would be a three days return, however the incident on the first day derailed the plans by some hours. So in order to make up for lost time, they forwent sleeping in towns.
They only stopped for the bare minimum of supplies; food, water, fuel, and drove in shifts in order to make distance. Always two up to drive and navigate. They had been buffeted from small sand storms, but no catastrophe level incidents. The three days of travel felt like a week before they finally saw the stone walls of the nomadic city Arcadia. It was another long hour for processing and checking through the city's onboarding ramp, and the five in the car looked as every bit as worn as their car's exterior.
Sargon's infamous heat and dryness was not a lie as everyone had willingly begun to dress down as a result. Though some to different levels. Ezel had rolled his pants up and forgone his outer shirt, Cecilia was quite comfortable with her sundress being light enough. For Penance and Fiametta they changed out of heavy jackets and armored trousers for more breathable shorts and tank tops if they could help. Both sat in the back with Cecilia fanning each other in vain. As for Mlynar? He simply rolled up his sleeves and took off his coat.
Ezel had been the one driving once they reached Arcadia and Mlynar in the navigator's seat. The small town itself was a small hustle and bustle of activity. They parked their car near the bazar, they were lucky enough to find a parking spot amongst the other vehicles that were there. Much of the exterior paint which marked the Rhode Island vehicle had been stripped by sand and bleached by the sun to the point it looked as haggard as the rest of the vehicles it sat near, a blessing in disguise really.
Coming out of the car, they all stretched their legs, but kept a watchful eye. The two Sankta in particular had gotten some sidelong glances, their kind were a rarity in Sargon after all. The many other Ancients here, nominally Felines, Caprinaes, and Vouivre, did not care as much but the few Sarkaz's in the shadow looked to Ezel and Cecilia with meandering eyes before moving back amongst the alleys and shadowed windows.
"How is this Uncle meant to contact you after we make it to Arcadia?" Mlynar asked. He handed some Sargonain coins to a parking attendant before the others began to unload their small collection of belongings from the car's trunk. He kept his blade to his hip, a hand grabbing both scabbard and crossguard.
"We need to look for a building, the "Devil's Hand"," Ezel answered.. A sheepish look on his face. "Quite ominous in all honesty." Fiametta scoffed as she kept her gun case close by.
"I know it's a bit late to ask, but have you ever considered the odds of this being a trap?" Ezel nervously laughed at her question, and she rolled her eyes. Then she took a quick glance at Cecilia who was more focused on trying to carry the gun. Fiametta bent down to help her clip a strap around her shoulders, securing the gun. "Well if it is one, we've traveled too far to NOT trigger it."
"We should find proper lodgings first. Since there isn't a Rhode Island branch associated here," Penance added. She perhaps had looked the most worn from their days of travel. Her limited field experiences showed in her expressions and actions over the days, but now with some mileage under her belt there was a sense of knowing about her now. Tired as she was, she considered all of what has happened so far as a necessary warm up into her new life. "I'd also prefer if we could get lodgings that have access to a shower or just somewhere to wash?" Fiametta, Cecilia, and Ezel shared her sentiment.
"We probably won't find individual bathing areas here. Sargon has a big culture of communal bathing, but their facilities are quite nice," Fiametta added. "What are our funds looking like Mlynar?"
"More than we need if we're only looking for lodgings. We also need to recuperate food and supplies for our return trip as well, and we have at least three days here before the Doctor said it would be wise to leave. Any longer and we might run the risk of being caught in a sudden Catastrophe on our road back. We lost one day as well."
"Anyone speak Sargonian by the way?" Ezel asked.
"Yes/A little, I read better.." Fiametta and Penance responded respectively.
"We need to partner up. Fiametta with me, Penance you stay with Strawberry and Enforcer," Mlynar said, switching consciously from given names to code names for Cecilia and Ezel. "Fiametta and I will look for lodgings suitable to create a temporary base before we'll radio where we'll stay. Enforcer, Penance, see if you can find where this "Devil's Hand" is, but avoid getting too deep in the city. There's… An oddness about the air." Turning on his heel, he cast his eyes down an alleyway. He didn't see any movement when he turned, but he saw some shadows dance from his periphery before.
"Keep to Rhode Island's rule of engagement, respond only in self defense. We don't need whichever Sargonian clan heading this town breathing on our necks." There was a collective nod before the group separated.
Penance walked ahead of Cecilia, Enforcer walking behind. His gun disassembled in two parts but the main body was still able to fire, albeit in a more reduced accuracy. She felt Cecilia grip the tails of the coat she put on, both to help obscure her but also to hide the coil flail she gripped in her hand.
"Were any other hints given about this "Devil's Hand?" Penance asked Cecilia. The girl shook her head, but she was more enthralled with all the pretty sights and sounds of the busy Sargonian market street. Hawkers on either side trying to sell goods.
"You there, family! You look like you could use a rug!"
"Tea pot! Wonderful tea pot! Will remain warm even in the cold nights!"
"Jewels from a long forgotten tomb! Beautiful baubles!"
The hawkers were insistent, and the crowd grew thick with merchants and customers viewing with eachother back and forth. A multitute of languages shooting out like arrows intent on piercing their targets with charm and beguile. Victorian, Yan, Sargonian, even some Siracusan and Iberian as well. It was a dizzying spectacle for Cecilia and Ezel who were not used to such crowds and clashing voices. Penance was slightly reminded of the old markets, though with predominately more Siracusan cursing on eachside for their "bad product" or "bad service".
"You! Beautiful family there! Would you like a Devil's hand?" At this Sargonian voice,, Penance's ears flicked and she turned suddenly, trying to find the source for the words. Cecilia bumped into her tail from the sudden stop, but a firm hand by Penance steadied her.
"Yes, yes! Fresh hands of the Devil for sale!" It changed now from Sargonian to Siracusan, but the voice remained the same. Her eyes looked towards a black clad merchant, face and body obscured by a dark cloth. Piercing red eyes from behind the cloth was the only indication that it was a person there. Ezel now stood beside, he felt that strangeness that Mlynar referenced now. Something was just… off.
"What do you mean, Fresh hands of the Devil?" Penance questioned. The products on the hawkers stand was covered by a thick black cloth same as he. There were several lumps by nothing discernable. A loud buzzing noise growing louder the closer she got, and some sort of… smell?
"Exactly as said, fresh hands! Everything is true! Nothing is permitted! Kack kack kack!" The cloth was torn away and Penance almost threw up. With flies buzzing around, several severed hands lay on the table. Some were still red and bleeding, but many were turning green with rot. Enforcer moved to cover Cecilia's eyes who stared in abject horror before both he and Penance were shoved aside as a black shape rushed from the side. It scooped up Cecilia before sprinting through the bazaar's crowd. Enforcer reacted fast enough, despite falling to the ground, he rolled to his side, giving a clear way for his gun to be pulled out and he fired. The shot went wide, but it was close enough that it winged the black shape in the leg, a splash of blood shooting out.
The shot however caused the bazaar crowd to scream and scramble all around as Penance and Enforcer pulled themselves up to give chase. Her sharp eyes were the only things that kept them from losing the black shape. A faint blood trail accompanied it as it took Cecilia through the myraid of people and twists and turns. They ran through several allies, over carts, and through dilapidated storage buildings, never getting close but not letting it get too far.
It seemed to be aware of being in areas with too much clearance and singular length, as everytime Enforcer would think he had a shot lined up, it would dip into another corner or some sort of dagger would be thrown at him, causing him to avoid the knife and giving the figure precious time to go around a corner. They felt themselves get deeper and deeper into the centers of the city, all the while Cecilia was screaming, her legs trying to kick what held her. Eventually it made a fatal mistake at the same time that Penance had an epiphany. It would take too long for Enforcer to line up a safe shot, but she had a weapon that did not need such a thing.
Unclasping the spiked end of her flail, she only held the chain in one hand before she whipped it above her head towards the figure's legs. The chain sped through the air before heavy weights struck it behind the knees and wrapped around it tightly, knotting itself. The figure fell forward in silence, the momentum carrying Cecilia out of his grip and she was sent flying in the air. Before she landed, Enforcer slid to catch her with a heavy breath.
"Are you alright?" Enforcer asked the shaken Cecilia. The girl nodded, eyes wide and face still flushed from her screaming and struggle. Penance likewise looked relieved as well before turning around, intent on confronting the person who tried to take her, only to gasp. It was the shopkeep, or maybe it wasn't as the figure beneath the clock seemed to vanish as it gave her that sickening laugh. Eventually the chain around its legs fell slack and she ripped the cloth back to reveal a severed hand. She looked disgusted before picking her chain back up and kicking the hand aside. It seemed to shatter like ashes when her foot contacted it.
"Arts," Penance grounded out. Enforcer nodded as he held the still shaken Ceciila. "Where are we?" Both now looked around to see they were in some abandoned part of the settlement. The stone walls of these places covered in cobwebs and the low sound of some sort of vagrants were behind the wall. Shadows seem to look out beyond darkness that instinctively made the two move back to back. The chain now reattached to spiked head, and Enforcer's rifle out and reattached to its full size. Then their comlink sparked to life.
"Penance, Enforcer. This is Mlynar, can you hear me?"
"Go for Penance/Enforcer." They responded.
"We've found lodgings, but there was apparently a commotion in some bizarre? We're getting some reports of city officials investigating the issue?" Enforcer sent a nervous glance at Penance before he quickly repositioned his gun below his coat and put Cecilia back down on her feet.
"We might've had some part in that, hahah…" Mlynar didn't immediately respond to Enforcer's attempt at brevity, but both could see the wince as Mlynar would pinch the bridge of his nose.
"Ezel! Penance! Look!" Cecilia tugged both their coats and they turned. Neatly wrapped around the barrel of her gun was a piece of worn parchment. "A message!" Grabbing it off the gun barrel, she opened it up to reveal… a bloody handprint, the message below it simply reading, "we'll be watching. you will be waiting".
"What was that? A message? Did you make contact with that Uncle?" Mlynar questioned from his side.
"We'll come back to you and tell you more in depth. Our location isn't secure. What lodgings did you find?" Penance asked, remembering their issue. If they weren't in a secure area, then there might be a chance that they'll try and take Cecilia again. Even with the knowledge that whatever that thing was was in association with the Uncle, she wouldn't hand Cecilia off to them.
"Look for a giant glowing banana." That was Fiametta's voice which chimed in, a laughing edge to it that confused both Penance and Enforcer. A long sigh came from Mlynar's comm before he spoke again.
"Just… Get here."
-L&L-
"Huh, that is a giant glowing banana…" Enforcer remarked as he, Penance, and Cecilia stared at the entrance. The appearance made it look far too ostentatious for a cheap inn. The trio saw Mlynar sitting at the foot of it, eyes more tired than before and leafing through a couple of Sargonian flyers. He seemed desperate to distance himself away from the person sitting besides him, who seemed to be taking no offense to seemingly being ignored. Their bright halo and chipper demeanor ousted them out as a Sankta, and Penance now realized how fitting the giant glowing banana was now as a set piece.
"Oh, hiya, you must be the agents sent by Holiness! Nice to finally meet ya, and you too little one!" The Sankta greeted, springing up to their feet. They came over and quickly shook Ezel's hand, who easily matched their energy, Cecilia who was a little slow but smiled brightly in return, and lastly Penance. She gingerly took the hand and was shaked more than reciprocating the handshake.
"Welcome to the Ice Cream Sunday Retreat! A hotel in an oasis to help foster some relations, especially on Sargon's city of Arcadia! My name's Muriel!" The Sankta finished.
"Muriel is a representative of this establishment. He's been in contact with the Laterno Vatican and Rhode Island, so he's acting as our go between for our stay here." Mlynar supplied, and Muriel gasped with delight in his eyes.
"Oh my goodness, you were listening! I thought you weren't since you didn't respond and kept reading the flyers, but it looks like you really were!" Muriel gushed as he hugged Mlynar. The other man only let out a pained look before Muriel let go and he went to grab their weapons. "Per estate policy, all weapons, even Laterno sanctioned ones, must be stored before entering the premises." Ezel was more readily accepting of the fact, Cecilia was a little afraid.
"Excuse, but could I keep one piece of it?" She asked. Muriel smiled widely.
"Why of course! It would not do good of me to separate any Laterno weapon unwillingly!" Cecilia smiled before she unlocked the bolt of the gun before handing it to Muriel. She had the bolt put on a chain necklace which she wore close to her. Now carrying both Ezel and Cecilia's gun, he approached Penance who had already unwrapped the flail from her arm. Once it was given to him, there seemed to be some visible strain as he did his best to carry all their weapons.
"Do you need help?" She offered, but a strained bright smile stayed her attempts.
"N-Nope, its all good! J-Just follow me to your lodgings!"
"Fiametta is already setting up in the room, but we should hurry. I don't think he can last much longer." Standing up alongside them, they now entered the (Ice Cream Sunday Retreat) and Penance found it to be much like many Laternos. Bright and very colorful. It almost seemed out of place with the majority of stonework outside, but there were hints of Sargonian influences within Sankta design. Sandstone floors, the uniforms of the staff, though it seemed that Rhode Island was not the only people who were using these facilities. Fiametta eyed some rich Columbian looking types, a Victorian businessman, and a few Leithanian nobles seemingly on some sort of vacation trip.
Roughly three and a half floors of rooms, with Rhode Island's being placed on a top floor room, perhaps appropriately named the (Cherry) suites. Muriel had handed them off to another staff member, not a Sankta but what looked to be a Liberi, who lead them up the floor. Each of them was handed a steel key, even Cecilia, and was lead inside to find Fiametta busying herself with setting up some larger terminals and radio equipment.
"We hope you enjoy your stay with us!" The Liberi said as they waved farewell and left Rhode Island to their own devices. This let the three newcomers observe their room, although it seemed more like a small apartment rather than a home. The central living room was where Fiametta had finished setting up the operations center, the terminals blaring to life as they connected to local networks.
Penance noted the small kitchen that was included in their abode, and three other doors as well. Opening two of the doors revealed bedrooms. Quite ample in size and niceness in terms of bed quality, which would be boon compared to the sleeping pads and hard ground they had been using. The third door was a simple toilet room, a sink and accompanied toilet inside but no shower or bath.
"They have an attached bath house here." Fiametta supplied upon seeing Penance's look. "You, Cecilia, and I can go down later since they have assigned hours for men and women."
"One of us should stay here in order to look into things and send a report to Rhode Island about our current situation." Penance said.
"I'll write up the report, you three can go, you look like you need it after all this traveling!" Ezel said with an oblivious smile. Mlynar wisely choose to begin edging away once the words left Ezel's mouth.
"Ha? What's that meant to be about?" Fiametta rounded onto the Notarial Hall agent. Penance took a careful sniff of her own self, growing somewhat self-conscious.
"U-Uh, no, that's not what I meant!" Ezel stammered he backed up as Fiametta pressed into him. Even Cecelia was giving him a dead eyed stare. "I-Its that the sand and dust got everywhere. So everyone stinks–"
"Oh so we stink now, is that it!" Fiametta now gripped the wall behind Ezel, who for his part looked to Mlynar for help. Where the Kuranta was now just had empty air and a flyer reading in Sargonian in its place .
"Don't look to him, look at me, or do I look disgusting to you now?!"
"Ezel, do I… stink?" Cecilia asked and her guardian felt his soul leave his body before Penance picked her up.
"Come on Fiametta, we're heading to the baths. Might as well clean up before we stink up the room," the Lupo mused as she grabbed a still glaring Fiametta. Ezel was let go and he felt his legs crumple beneath him in a heap. He got a lasting glare from the Liberi before the three exited the room. Once the door closed, Mlynar had walked out of the water closest, drying his hands on a hand towel.
"Oh, did they leave?" Mlynar mused as he stared at the still pale Ezel. The Sankta looked towards Mlynar with a look of betrayal on his face. "Next time don't ever say if a woman smells, only if they smell nice. Actually, maybe don't even be the one to say it unless they ask about it first." There was sagely advice that came from the words. Words that sound as if they experienced years of trial and error involved in their understanding.
-L&L-
Penance walked into a steaming warm room with some level of comfort. Siracusa still had some practices of public bating forums, a holdover from an older era, and more recently Rhode Island themselves had public bath facilities. They by no means enforced tho use such, communal single bathrooms and associated personal bathrooms littered the dorms of Rhode Island, however attached to the training and locker rooms were communal showers.
The bathhouse attached to (the Ice Cream Sunday) was a bit more expansive. Reaching the changing room door, or rather curtain, they had been told to strip bare and handed some modesty towels to cover themselves up before entering the first of three bath rooms. Both Penance and Fiametta politely requested bigger towels on account of their proportions, the attendant understood and luckily they had some in stock. Wrapped in the towels, the three entered the first of the rooms, a hot room. Apparently they were meant to sit here in the heat and steam for a bit. Letting the hot air and steam work away sore muscles and aches, there were several in the room who were in the process of it. Red faced with pleasant smiles.
Penance noted that many had forgone the use of the towels, using it rather to cover their figures, but to either dab on their forehead to avoid sweat getting in their eyes or using it to tie up their hair and it out of their faces.
"You've ever been in one of these?" Fiametta asked as she and Penance found a bench to sit at. Cecilia was left on her own, but it seemed some mothers or sisters brought their younger children or siblings along and she was pulled into some sort of game. The children would run about, trying to make creatures out of the more convalescing steam.
"Somewhat? Public bathing isn't as common a practice in Siracusa," Penance replied. She ran her fingers through her tail, intent on getting knots and sands out. An attendant in the room handed her a comb which she thanked her fore. "I've gone to one in Siracusa before."
"Hm, you still seem pretty tense though," Fiametta noted. "Oh, can you hand that thing to me when you're done? My tail has been stiff cause of the dust in it."
"What do you mean I'm still tense?" Penance asked, handing the comb to her.
"You've been flicking your eyes to the doors every few seconds. I might do the same, but not as often. You're also clenching your other hand, as if you're itching for a fight." When Fiametta noted such, Penance felt her other hand go lax. "This really is your first field mission, huh?"
"What gave it away?" Penance replied glumly. Her shoulders slackened as she felt some of her preparedness get shot from underneath her. Fiametta snorted and rolled her eyes.
"Don't take it too much to heart. You were a lawyer or something before coming to Rhodes weren't you?"
"A judge."
"So someone who's definitely not used to being in active combat scenarios. Heck, I doubt you've been outside Siracusa much." Penance didn't need to answer, the crestfallen expression was pained enough for Fiametta. "I won't question how or why a judge joined Rhodes, or why you're even trying to get combat training, but you're doing pretty good for someone who worked a desk job, and I haven't even seen you fight yet."
"Not good enough. I need to get better." Penance looked into the swirling mists. "I almost let Cecilia get taken."
"And you were the one who also got her back. Odds are that might've been in their plan anyways," Fiametta groaned, stretching out her legs and back, several joints popped. Her towel fell, but the steam had gotten her too comforted to care about it at this point. "Sarkaz was tricky like that. You can never see what they're gonna do, till they do it. Course, not like Sankta are better at times." Before Penance could question what that meant, a shrill bell rang and all the women in the steam sauna began to move towards the next room. Cecilia was already ahead with the other kids as Fiametta and Penance followed close behind.
Hot steam flowed out and away and there was an initial shiver of cold before heat returned to a lesser degree. Instead of a hot air room, there was a large pool of slightly colored water, a sort of murky color but not one that came with stagnation. Penance had already put one foot in before letting out an involuntary moan of pleasure at the absolute perfect heat. Her body quickly slid up to her neck with Fiametta following close behind her. Cecilia sat between them, making happy little bubbles.
"Shit. I never got to stay and try places like this when I was in Sargon last. Chasing Mostima ain't worth it," Fiametta sighed as she lay on her back in the water. Only her face lay just out of the water. Penance just mumbled something unintelligible, her body getting too lax and her head too hazy to think any proper thoughts. She felt the last three days edge away within the hot water. Even the base of her tail, which had grown stiff from hours upon hours of sitting in the car and laying on the sleeping mat finally relaxed.
She didn't feel like she was on a mission at this moment. No, she almost felt at peace. It was almost enough to make her forget. Almost.
-L&L-
Mlynar had opted to stay in the room to monitor any incoming messages from Rhode Island while Ezel had went to the bath. That's how the three found him after completing the third room of the bath. The three were refreshed, though a bit chilled to the bone from the "cold room" of the bathhouse. But they were in better moods and were met with Mlynar sitting in front of the terminals, looking over them all with the same sort of scowled deep lines face he had when he drove. The only indication that he saw them come in was him indicating towards the table of food, as well as a person all in black who seemed much too comfortable despite the situation. So comfortable that when they tried to grab one of the potato cakes they only let out a huff of indignation when Mlynar smacked it out of their hand.
The other three stared at the figure in black turned to them, perhaps the shopkeeper, perhaps the person who tried to take Cecilia, or perhaps a different person altogether, Penance could not tell and her mind short circuited as she stared at the person.
"Hehe, we did say we'd be watching. However we perhaps did not expect this," the figure said. Cecilia gripped Fiametta's pant leg as Penance flickered her eyes between them and Cecilia.
"No, no, we come in peaces now!" It held up its hands now, the black cloak falling away to reveal painfully thin wrists with mottled flesh. "Pieces, see."
"Mlynar?" Penance asked.
"They're speaking the truth. Muriel brought them up here, even searched them. It seems that whatever is the case, they wish to talk now instead of stealing Cecilia away," Mlynar mused. "It would've been better had they taken off their cloak, but they insisted on only doing it when she was around."
"Oh hey guys you're back from the bath too-What in the name of his Holiness!" Ezel had come around the corner refreshed and chipper as always before seeing the figure in black. Holding their towel like a whip, he realized he was the only one who seemed to be physically unnerved by the situation. "Oh, uh… Am I late to something? Are we not fighting?'
"No, its seems rather than fighting, we'll be talking." Mlynar sighed as he finished typing. "And now I've apprised the Doctor of our current situation, and everyone is here."
"Ah wonderful, we can start now," the figure cackled as everyone sat around the table. Cecilia still kept her distance from the figure, opting to sit between Penance and Ezel, while Mlynar and Fiametta flanked the figure. "Such hostility, excellent. There should be no comfort." It cackled once again but Mlynar leaned onto one arm eyeing it passively.
"Mhm, very well. As a show of faith, allow us to reveal ourselves." Gnarled hands reached up to the fabric near their face. "Ah, but could we ask for the lights to be dimmed? Its quite painful for us. Bad pain, yes." Fiametta turned off the lights, the room now only remaining alight from the table's central candle fixture and the slowly setting sun.
Gripping the black fabric, the figure pulled it down at the same time the sun had set. The first to show amongst the dim candlelight was jet black hair. So black and dark, when the fire light touched it, it seemed to be consumed in the ebony. An unhealthy unnatural black that was frayed and worn. Sharp angular features, more skull than flesh really was there face. Jagged scars around their mouth, eyes, and nose made it look rougher than it would be, but with the thinness of its flesh it didn't detract from much. They had no upper lip, the flesh the lip would connect to ripped and white, reveal starling white teeth. A rictus on its face framed by one and a half curved horns that were red at their base but bleached white at one of the tips that remained. The other jagged broken haft..
"Its been so long since this face has been. We have waited so long for it to be seen by the child, yes." It voice did not match its mouth, and many realized neither did its eyes. Those piercing red eyes now revealed to be glazed without the fabric covering them. Blinded. It reached out to tentatively touch Cecilia's hand. Its long arms gangly and thin, but veins and muscles rippled along the almost human looking hands. Flesh of the hands was bright and lifelike, yet the scars dotting along its flesh and wrapping around both wrists were mangled and sewn like fabric. "We just wish, we could see it."
"W-What are you?"
"We are a Sarkaz. Long and dead, but not so. A friend of your father, and your uncle, and once, your mother." The figure's tongue flitted past its teeth. "Your Uncle could not make it, can never make it again. He died… Many years ago." Cecilia's eyes looked downcasted. She was so close to learning about him, maybe seeing her father, and now it was dashed. She was back to nothing. No one alive. Alone again. Alone once more… Alone.
A hand held hers. She looked to see Ezel, through his empathy he could feel her turmoil. But with his heart he could hope to alleviate some of that. She looked to see the other operators, though put together from the Doctor's efforts to cobble a team together, they had grown somewhat close over the limited days. Another hand held her fingers gingerly, the Sarkaz.
"Do not fret child. It was inevitable. He knew he would die, but he knew he would be needed. So he asked us to help. To deliver a message to you. His message. Your father is north." The simple statement held gravity. Cecilia swallowed, Ezel looked between the Sarkaz and Cecilia. Mlynar, Fiametta, and Penance remained apprehensive, all were initially shocked by the Sarkaz's appearance but soon saw the frailty it was. This was a person who should be long dead yet remained out of pure drive and duty. A sickly perverse shell of life, held together by the strings of a promise. Once it said those words to Cecilia, it seemed its strings cut as it slumped forward, helped only by Fiametta and Mlynar who held it up.
"Hehe. Such kindness. We haven't seen it in a long time. Thank you for bringing her here safely. They sought to kill her, thinking she would take revenge for the death. They send those children to stop you, take her… They failed. And they'll never get the chance to do so again." It stood now, an impressive height that was hidden by its hunched back. Its cloak fell away fully, revealing its emaciated scarred body as it went to walk out. Only stopped when Cecilia grabbed its hand.
"Wait, what do you mean north? Where is my father? What happened to my uncle?" she asked. Tears would not fall from her eyes. Tears would mean that she had lost something, but this Uncle had long since died and she could cry for something she never knew or even had. Yet they still threatened all the same. "I'm so confused. What… What am I?" Nothing, not even Ezel could help her here.
"Dear child. You are a miracle. Like the holder of the Black Crown. Your father continues to fight in an endless crusade against the darkness. And your uncle, betrayed. His bones and body were desecrated in this very city. But not his hands… Aye, not his hands. They are ours." To the horror of everyone, they all saw why the scars wrapped around the wrists, why the hands still looked so alive despite being on the body of a cadaver. Those were nots its original hands. "Sleep for the night. And the next. Leave on the seventh day. See this city in its virtues and splendor. Learn of what sins can be held in this same city. See what the sinners and what their punishment begets. Learn what sins should not stain you." It then opened the window of their room. Its large form melding into the night's shadows like ink mixing. "Remember, everything is true. Nothing is permitted." Then it fell backwards, free falling and disappearing into the night. Leaving all those in attendance with much to discuss, and one child much to think about.
Apologies for the lateness here as well