2-1 Alice Winters

Alice was in the passenger seat of a small vehicle which was being driven by Tundra, who had a scarf around her face to cover her mouth and nose. They were heading through the thick forest to get to the village that Dr. Anastasia told her about. The dirty blond looked out the window as she saw the scene passing her by as the sun was slowly rising. Part of her was nervous as she wasn't sure what to expect from this mission she was on. As of now though, it was too late to turn back. Tundra steered the wheel as she made it to a small trail through a few trees. "Alright, here we are." She declared.

Alice hopped out of the car, looking around as she saw the pathway. It was pretty narrow, with some rock ledges surrounding it. She took out her map to see where they were, just outside of the village. "Last chance to turn back." Tundra told her. "From here, you'll be on your own, and I can't promise you will be able to survive."

Alice rolled up her map and stuck it in her backpack. "If you were that worried, you should have told me that before." Alice remarked with sarcasm.

Tundra looked at her with a bit of guilt, as if she hated the idea of getting Alice involved in this mess. But it was not her call to make. "I'm sorry things turned out this way. I know you might not want to hear it, but Alpha was trying to help your brother."

Alice stared at Tundra, her eyes becoming a harsh expression, thought not towards the woman herself. "That wasn't helping! He just made things worse!"

Tundra sighed. "Look, Redfield lost so many of his crew and partners in the past. He may not be the brightest at times, but he has enough experience and trauma to know that if something is wrong, it needs to be fixed. What he did was inexcusable, but you can understand why he wanted to go in right away. Even so, me and the rest of the squad agreed that he should have told Ethan. Especially when we realized that he wasn't under Miranda's influence."

Alice had to admit, it did make her feel better knowing that some of the soldiers had common sense. She didn't hate them as much at the moment, and to their credit, they really did seem worried about her. The dirty blond sighed as she adjusted her shawl over her shoulders and placed the hood over her hair. "So, where do I go?"

"Follow the path, it should take you to the village square. If you need anything, you can contact Dr. Anastasia. Though chances are she will be the one to check up on you." Tundra stated. "And if you find any survivors or your family, send them back right away. I'll stay here for the next 24-hours, that should give you enough time to collect the samples and look around the village. After that, meet me back here and we'll head to the base camp."

Alice nodded at the soldier. "Sounds simple enough. Well, here I go." Alice took in a deep breath before trudging through the snow. Tundra watched her go, as the woman headed up the trail. Alice walked through the branches, climbing over a few steps, and being careful to not be crushed by the ledges of stone.

"No wonder this village doesn't get many tourists." Alice complained, realizing how difficult it was just to get to this place. Then again, even if she was just sight-seeing, this village would probably be the last place she would want to be in. When she managed to get through, she came to a clearing and was standing on top of the ledge. Below her, she could see the large area of many homes and structures. "Woah…" She had to admit, part of her was speechless as she looked at the village. To her left she could see a large castle overlooking the place, and to the right she noticed a couple of operational windmills. She had to admit, the view was beautiful. "Maybe a tour wouldn't be a bad idea, too bad I don't have the time."

The younger Winters stepped down the ledge, gracefully and carefully until she managed to land on the ground. The first thing she noticed was how quiet the place was, there was no one in sight. The streets looked abandoned, the houses were tattered and some even looked burnt? Was there a fire here? "Looks like I came late to the party…" Alice remarked as she began to walk around the area, checking her surroundings. She didn't like how deserted the area was, it made her wonder if she truly was alone. She reached inside of her backpack and took out the map that Dr. Anastasia gave to her. It appeared like a map out of a kid's fairy tale, with black and white illustrations drawn on and even odd creatures around certain areas. "Did she get this map from a children's book?" Alice questioned.

Even so, she looked it over and hummed, trying to determine where to go first. When she looked up to take a look around the village, the first thing she noticed was the looming castle that seemed to stretch out miles and take up a large chunk of the area. "That castle seems promising. If I were Miranda, I would definitely be living there. And maybe Ethan thought the same thing as well." She rolled the map back up before putting it into her bag. If she was correct in her judgement, then the first root of the Mold was located in that large building, as well as her brother. Maybe even his wife and daughter were stationed there as well. "Better get to the center of this town, see how to get into the castle from there." Alice declared, as she began to walk along the path.

As she walked, her eyes were peeled open, trying to see if there were any survivors or any trace of her brother. Alice wondered if he got here before her, if that was the case, he was the unlucky one. "You better still be alive when I find you Ethan, or I'll kill you myself." Alice stated as her eyes kept focusing on the trail and the houses. She wondered if Mother Miranda did this, or perhaps her experiments with the Cadou caused this destruction. "Wonder what Miranda's projects are…" Alice asked herself as she passed by a few goat heads hanging from the branches. "Talk about a warm welcome… Guess these people don't get too many outsiders." She walked past the decapitated animals, as each house seemed in worse condition on the outside. Curiosity got the better of her as she decided to take a look for herself.

She walked to one of the houses, with a burnt roof by taking a small bridge. The wooden door had a hole to show a glimpse inside. Alice tried pushing the door open, but was baffled as it would not move. She used more force, trying to get inside. It took a lot of effort, but she managed to slowly press the door into the house as she heard the crashing of wood. When she walked through the narrow hole, she could see what looked like a bookshelf had fallen to the floor. The structure was damaged, showing signs of vandalism. The house that Alice was in seemed more like a storage unit than anything. Hay was littered on the wet ground, with different pieces of furniture strune about the place. On the clothed table, she could see a radio with a glowing green light, emitting static. But the most noticeable thing that caught her attention was the sound of snarls and growls which was above her. Alice could smell the metallic fragrance of blood, as the crimson liquid fell through the floorboards of the upper level.

The dirty blond had watched too many horror movies to know that this was a sure sign something was wrong. She brought out her hand gun, making sure it was full of bullets before she carefully took the steps upstairs. Some of the floorboards had broken, meaning she needed to watch where she placed her feet. When she managed to get to the second floor, she was mortified at the very sight. A hairy figure was hunched over on another, as their face was buried deep within the flesh of the corpse. The smell of blood continued to wraf through her nose, as Alice listened to the grinding of teeth and the peeling of something soft. The hunched figure slowly turned over to the young woman, growling as it showed off the face of a monster. Bloody lips with razor sharp teeth that had been worn and mismatched. A bipedal face resembling both man and canine, with wild silver hair and glossy blue eyes.

The moment that it saw her, the creature growled as it stood up and unleashed the claws that were covered in crimson blond. It snarled rabidly, as it went over and jumped on Alice. The woman dodged in time, aiming her gun and began to shoot at the monster. She aimed at the head, but this abomination was much quicker than she anticipated. And a lot more sturdy as well, even when she managed to shoot it in the head two or three times, it just staggered back before it moved to the side and attacked. The creature was on her, holding onto her shoulders as it snapped its jaw to try and take a bite out of her. Alice had to give this creature credit, it was strong. But not strong enough. Reaching into her belt, she pulled out her pocket knife, which she hoped it would do the trick.

With what little force she could muster, she jammed the knife deep within the skin of its neck. The monster howled in pain, as it was enough for it to jump away and try to claw the weapon out of its skin. Once she was freed, Alice grabbed hold of her gun again and aimed it right between the eyes. Firing the bullet, it blasted right into the cranium, as the beast fell to the floor in an unresponsive manner. She panted a bit to catch her breath, keeping her guard up in case it wanted a second round. After about a minute, Alice believed she was safe, so she stashed her gun away. Her curiosity made her look over the creature, as she could only poke it with her toes. "This must be one of the Cadou experiments Miranda was working on." Alice realized. "I can't imagine how Ethan managed to fend them off. And considering how strong they are, it makes sense why this place is empty…" Alice noted, as she looked over at the half-eaten corpse of a colored man who was long past dead. She could only assume that these monsters were the cause of the low population of this village. Either the villagers became these monsters, or they became their snacks.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard the earpiece inside of her ringing. She reached over, pressing the button and clicked it. On her lens attached to the piece, she could see Dr. Anastasia's image being brought up. "Alice, I wanted to check on your progress since Tundra informed me you left her almost half an hour ago."

"I just entered the village, and had my first contact with one of the monsters here. It looks like a werewolf, except not by Hollywood's terrible standards."

"Ah, yes! Those are called Lycans. They are villagers that got infested by the Cadou and became wolf-hybrids. They are fairly strong and very rabid."

"Yeah, no shit." Alice complained. "I caught one feasting on a corpse of a human. It was tough, but I was able to take it down."

"Don't be cocky now, they mostly hunt in packs and have retained enough intelligence to wield weapons. There are different sub-classes as well, and once they know you are here, they will inform the higher ups, including Miranda."

"So much for this being easy." Alice stated sarcastically.

"How are you doing progress wise?" Dr. Anastasia questioned.

"I was heading to the large castle of this village before I got sidetracked."

"Castle Dimitrescu."

"Yeah, the one on the map. I'm hoping to find my brother and his family inside, as well as one of the roots."

"A castle like that would have a dungeon. That's probably a good place to start. If you want to go there, head to the west side of the village. You'll know you're there once you see a statue of a woman holding a sword and shield in her hands. There you should be able to find the gate leading to the castle."

"As long as I don't end up as dog food, that is." Alice retorted.

"I am certain you can handle yourself. They may be strong, but they aren't immortal. Still, I would recommend avoiding fights if you can, especially if they are in larger groups." Anastasia stated.

"Copy that." Alice reported before the doctor was no longer visible in her lens. She was on her own again, but hopefully that wouldn't be for long. She walked out of that house, going around from the gate and began to find her way to that statue. That was the mark she needed to find. She had to go through so many houses, climbing down ladders and crawling out of spaces below the floorboards just to find herself near a shallow river that flowed below some of the houses. To her left, she could see a red, iron gate leading to another section of the town. The younger Winters headed there, seeing the gate was opened. "Wonder if Ethan must have come through here already…" She questioned as she walked through the gates, heading up the trail as she saw another house before finding a clearing. Her eyes went to the center, seeing a white stone figure holding some weapons. "That's the statue, which means the castle should be…" She searched around, seeing a few gravestones nearby.

She followed the trail more, as she realized that her feet had carried her to a graveyard. Crows rested on the stones, as they stared at Alice with observant and beady eyes. She ignored them, heading to a large stone gate with a torch on either side, and a carved image of a woman who looked similar to the statue, fighting some sort of demon. No doubt about it, this led to the castle. Alice went over to the gate, attempting to push her way through. She grunted as her strength failed her, for the doors would not pass. After a few minutes of trying, she sighed in annoyance. "Damn, won't budge." Looks like it wouldn't be that easy to get inside. Even though she was so close, she couldn't turn back now. The blond looked around, wondering if there was a place for her to use her grappling hook so she could just get over the gate.

Her ears however rung with the sound of crunching snow. Her guard was up as she raised her gun, ready to aim it in case someone was going to get the jump on her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a small figure of green and brown running inside the door of another building inside a brick wall. "Hello?" Alice called out, wondering who or what had just ran off. She wondered if it was a Lycan, but it appeared too small and didn't attack her right away. She decided to investigate, in case it could be someone from the village who hadn't turned or was eaten. She ran over through the iron barred gates and entered the wooden door, finding herself in a church-like setting. "Looks like I missed morning mass." She half-joked as she went to investigate.

To her left, she saw an alcove where there was an altar of flowers and candles surrounded by five pictures. Four of which were in diamond shaped frames while the one in the center was in a large square, and was colored with red, yellow and blue shading. She examined the pictures, taking note of the features of every person inside. "This must be Mother Miranda and her Court. So that's what they look like." Alice noted as she went to describe them from left to right. "A hunchback in a cloak, a pale lady who belongs in the 60's, a bird Jesus, some Corpse Bride doll and… a cowboy? Not really the most intimidating leaders in terms of looks." Alice remarked. At least she knew what these leaders of the village looked like. Which meant that if she saw any of them, she would need to get out of there.

Her eyes wandered over to the rest of the small church, wondering where that person went. She walked down the pews, humming as she tried to figure out what she was looking for. Her eyes saw an old typewriter to the far end of the back, which made her curious. She stepped over, seeing that there was a piece of paper next to the machine. She checked it over, reading the message.

'To any survivors or unfortunate travelers who come across this village. My name is Ethan Winters, I stumbled upon this place after being taken against my will. I am currently searching for my six-month old daughter, Rosemary, who was taken here by this Mother Miranda. Upon arriving, I have seen only one survivor who did not last long. He was attacked and dragged off by some kind of beast. I managed to survive those creatures and an old woman told me that Rose is here… somewhere. I have limited ammo and weapons on me, but my goal is to head inside that castle. I have a strong feeling that my daughter is inside there. I have to get to her, before those monsters find her first. If you are still in the village, run and get out of here before you are dragged off by those creatures. I only hope you make it out.'

Alice read the words over the papyrus as her eyes went wide. Ethan wrote this, which meant he was in the village! She couldn't tell how fresh this letter was, so she didn't know when he wrote it. At least she knew where he was heading, and hopefully once she found a way inside, she could get him out of here. The younger Winters heard the creaking of the floorboards behind her, making her tense up. She quickly turned on her heels, aiming her handgun at the threat. Only to pull it back when she saw who it was. A small child, probably around the age of 10-11. She had a fair complexion, as she stared up at Alice with grass-green eyes. Her hair was slightly bouncy and a dirty blond, reaching past her shoulders. She wore a tan colored jacket that matched her ankle snow shoes and beret on her head, which had a white pom on top. A snow colored scarf wrapped around her neck, complimenting her skirt which were the same shade of green as her eyes. She also wore black leggings and gloves, along with a leather satchel around her shoulder. She stared at the older woman. "Oh god…" Alice breathed as she quickly put her weapon away. A child? Out here alone? How did she get here though? "Sorry, I thought you were one of those monsters outside. Are you okay?"

The child merely stared at Alice, blinking a few times as her lips remained shut. The younger Winters knelt down so she was at eye level with the girl. "Hey, it's alright. I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise." She reassured.

The little girl held up her hands as she rested them to her chest, while her eyes stared widely at the other blond. "Do you… live around here?" She finally spoke, in an accent that Alice could only assume was British. "You're the first survivor I've seen that managed to out-maneuver the Lycans."

Alice was slightly surprised by how calm this child was asking the questions, but it seemed she knew what was going on. The older woman shook her head. "No, I'm not from this village. I actually came here on a mission to find my brother and his family. They all got dragged to this place, and I'm trying to find them."

"Your brother?" The child repeated.

Alice nodded. "Yeah, he lost his niece to one of the leaders of this village and I can only assume he's gotten into some trouble. So I have to find him before something bad happens." Alice explained. "Are you alone out here?"

The child gave a nod herself. "I haven't seen anyone else from the village that made it out. I tried finding Luiza, but when I went to her house…" The child downcasted her eyes as they wavered. "I saw flames and smoke…" She didn't have to say anything else, as Alice knew what happened. Considering some of the other houses looked burnt, she could only assume that the same fate happened to those in Luiza's house. Was Luiza this child's mother? No, if she was then this young girl wouldn't be calling her by her first name.

"Well, you're not going there now…" Alice stated firmly. She hummed as she looked at the door to the church, biting her lip. It would take her a while to head back to Tundra and drop this kid off, which meant she would lose some time. But she couldn't let this sole survivor of the village get killed. "Well, we better get you out of here while the pack is out. There's a soldier not too far from here who will take you to a base camp from this place. They'll take care of you there." Alice reassured.

The child backed away as she seemed against the idea. "We can't go out now! The Lycans will find us and won't let us leave!"

"I can handle those monsters just fine." Alice promised her as she remained calm. The young girl was probably just scared because of how terrifying the Lycans were.

But that didn't convince her. "We can't leave… The village is under constant watch of Mother Miranda. She blocked all of the exits… I tried…" Hilda noted sadly.

"What?!" Alice was shocked to hear that. Dr. Anastasia didn't mention the possibility of being trapped in this village. She grunted as she tried to figure out what to do next. "Are you sure the village is blocked?" The child merely nodded, but the Winters wanted to make sure. She pressed the earpiece and tried calling Tundra, since she was close to the drop off area and would confirm the situation. The image of the soldier appeared on the lens.

"Alice, is something the matter?" Tundra asked.

"I found a survivor in the village, she's a young girl and she's all alone."

"Is she hurt?" Tundra questioned in worry.

"No, she appears fine. But she informed me that the village has been blocked off." Alice stated. "Can you determine if that's true?"

"I'll have to do a perimeter check around the village to confirm it, but I'll let you know if that's true. What are you gonna do about the kid?"

"I'll figure that out on my own. Let me know what you find." Alice stated before hanging up. She looked back at the young girl, who tilted her head as she seemed to stare at Alice in contentment. She seemed to just observe the older woman, which Alice had to admit was kind of cute. She assumed that this village didn't get many outsiders, though there was probably a good reason for it. Either way, Alice needed to figure out what to do with her. "There wouldn't happen to be any place for you to stay, is there?"

The young girl took a step closer to Alice as she seemed worried. "You aren't going to leave me are you?" She asked, sounding worried.

"No, no… but I can't take you with me either. It's too dangerous for you to come with me." Alice tried to explain.

The young girl shook her head. "I won't be any safer in here…" she pointed out. As if to prove that point, the two heard the howls of the Lycans in the distance. Alice kept her gun at the ready, in case they decided to head this way. When they died down, Alice sighed. The kid wasn't wrong. Based on the condition of the houses, those monsters have been everywhere and probably had scouts stationed in certain places.

With a heavy sigh, Alice knew what she had to do. "Why do I always get stuck on escort missions?" She complained to herself before looking at the younger girl. "Alright, I'll have to keep an eye on you from now on. Hopefully once I find my brother and his family, you'll be safer with them." The child nodded as she smiled up at the woman. "Alright, now I have to figure out how to get inside the castle."

"The castle?" The child repeated.

"Yeah, I have a feeling my brother might be held hostage inside there, so I need to get inside. The only problem is that the gate seems to be sealed shut, so I need to find another route." Alice explained.

The child smiled as she bounced. "I know how to get inside the castle!"

"You do?" Alice questioned, raising a brow.

The child nodded. "There's secret passageways below the village, they connect to many areas around the place. I know one that can get you to the castle!"

"Really? Is it close by?"

"We have to go to the Altar for that, but it's just a little ways past the graveyard. From there, I know where to go."

Alice smiled, glad that things were turning out for her. If she could get into the castle, she should be able to find her brother and get the root sample. "I need you to take me there, can you do that?" The child nodded as she turned over and went to the door. Alice followed, knowing she would have to let this child be her guide. At least it wouldn't be a real escort mission. She followed the child out of the church, staying close to her so if any of the Lycans did come after her, she would protect the child. They headed out of the church, as the pair walked down the trail and began to head through the graves. As they were heading to the location, Alice decided to learn more about this girl. "So, what's your name, sweetie?"

"My name is Hilda." The child introduced herself confidently.

"Hilda? What a pretty name." Alice smiled as they headed to the statue to find the stairwell to the altar. "I'm Alice."

"Alice?" Hilda repeated. The older woman nodded.

"That's right, and I'll be your bodyguard. Nothing bad will happen to you while I'm around." Alice promised.

"I trust you." Hilda smiled as the two of them walked up a few steps to a small, red gate which they pushed, only to be met by another gate, this time with a wooden foundation.

"So you aren't scared of me then?" Alice asked as they moved ahead.

"No, you seem alright." Hilda reassured her. "Not too scary."

"Even though I'm an outsider?" Alice questioned.

"I don't think it matters whether you're from this village or not. You're only interested in finding the people you love, just like any normal person would."

Alice chuckled at that remark. "Ha… you're really perceptive for a kid your age."

"Thank you." Hilda took that as a compliment. "Alright, we just have to get through this gate, and we should be taken to the Altar!" Hilda reassured as she led Alice through the wooden gates. When they walked inside, they found themselves in a clearing with snow on the ground. There were two other gates, one on the left and one on the right. In front of them was a stone arched with figures in robes carved in gesturing towards the walkway. In the center was an octagon stone base with many pillars around it, and a larger one in the center. Torches and candles were lit up in this place, making it seem ritualistic.

"Looks like a place of sacrifice…" Alice noted as she checked the area around. "What is this place used for anyways?"

"Not sure… but it was said that only Mother Miranda and the Lords come here to make rituals. Though this place hasn't been used in ages, according to Luiza." Hilda stated.

"Let's hope it stays that way…" Alice muttered as she kept checking the area. To the right of where she entered, Alice noticed a strange caravan that was parked with a horse neighing and looking at her. The Winters raised a brow as she wondered if this was a trap. She became even more jumpy as the doors opened, revealing a very obese figure that sighed as he made his appearance. The man in the caravan had a large body and arms, with no shoes at all. His hair was a silver color and had small blue eyes. He was dressed in clothing that barely fit his body, with rings on his fingers decorated in gold and jewels.

"I've been waiting for you, Miss Winters." He spoke in a sophisticated yet jolly tone.

Alice raised a brow as she looked at the large man in the caravan. "How do you know my name?"

"Anyone who is anyone has heard of the likes of you. A young sister who is searching for her brother and his family. Very heroic." The man smiled as he clapped his hands together. Alice took a look at the sides of his doors, seeing a lamp above the left one which shone and displayed meats, garlic, boxes and what not hanging on the wooden doors.

Alice was about to speak up, asking more questions. She didn't trust this guy, there was something off about his nature. And how could he have known what she was doing in the village when she hadn't been there for long? Hilda however rushed past Alice and looked up at the man with a smile. "Duke!"

The obese man, known as the Duke by Hilda, smiled widely as he looked at the child. "Hilda! It's been so long! Where have you been, you little rascal?" He chuckled.

"Sorry to appear like this out of the blue, but I've been a bit busy."

"Have the Lycans been giving you a hard time?" The Duke asked nonchalantly.

"Nothing I couldn't handle." Alice stated confidently. "Oh, that reminds me! I saw some remains of the Lycans and found this." She reached into her bag, rummaging through it before pulling out a skull with crystals covering it. With sausage fingers, the Duke took it and examined it.

"You sure do have an eye for valuables, dear Hilda. What would I do without you?" He laughed as he stashed the skull behind him.

Alice watched the interaction, seeing the connection the two had. Hilda could see how confused Alice was, and elaborated. "Alice, this is the Duke. He's the village merchant and has been here for many years."
"Pleasure to be in the company of such a charming woman." The Duke smiled at Alice. "Any friend of Hilda's also gets a special discount in our shop. Weapons, ammunition, healing salves - anything you desire, I can provide. And you can even sell me certain treasures for Lei to use to get more items." He explained.

Even though Alice was still a bit distrustful, having a merchant might come in handy if she ever got low on some of her stock. And considering these monsters drop some loot when they die, she wouldn't have trouble scavenging change. "Anyways, since this is your first purchase in my shop and you are close with Hilda, I'll give you something special for free! Consider it an exchange between that crystal skull the young lady got me."

Alice shrugged. "Alright, what do you got?"

"Well, since you are going to the castle, you best make sure you use the darkness and stealth to your advantage. How about a silencer attached to your handgun? That way, it will deliver a silent but deadly blow. Get it now, and I'll throw in a much sharper and thicker combat knife to help with cleaner cuts." The Duke offered.

It seemed like too good of a deal, but it would help her immensely in her travels so Alice nodded. "Alright, it's a deal." The Duke gave a smile as he reached out his hands, where Alice gave him her handgun. He quickly retreated back into his caravan, closing the doors for a moment as the sounds of grinding and whirring of tools could be heard on the other side. After several moments, he opened the doors and appeared with the upgraded gun in his hands and the combat knife.

"I do hope these help you on your journey." The Duke prayed as Alice checked over the weapons. She smiled up at him and nodded.

"Thanks… I'll come back if I need any more." She promised.

"Yes, do come again. And be careful, that castle is very dangerous." The Duke warned. "After all, nothing lies in that castle but blood and death."

"I think the same could be said for the rest of this village." Alice remarked.

The Duke merely laughed as he looked at the woman. "Charming and funny. You are the whole package, Miss Winters. If you find any more treasures, do share them with me in exchange for favors. Best of luck on your adventure."

Hilda waved to the Duke with enthusiasm before looking back at Alice. "Come on, Alice, we better get to the passageway." The young child grabbed onto Alice's hand and started to walk with her passed the Altar.

"No offense, Hilda, but is the Duke usually that cryptic?" Alice questioned as they were far from him so he wouldn't hear.

"I don't think he's that strange… he's the only connection this village has to the outside world. Since Mother Miranda banned people from learning about the on goings." Hilda explained.

"So how come he hasn't been tossed out by Miranda then?" Alice questioned as they walked up a few stairs to some more stone pillars.

"Not sure… The Duke is a strange guy, but he's really nice. He's the reason I learned the ins and outs of the village." She stated as they went to another wooden gate, with a golden ring and black feathers on either door. "Alright, onto Lone Road!" The child declared as she walked through. Alice looked around, seeing that this place looked like ancient ruins of some sort of small town or at least a base camp. She questioned how old this village was, and the history behind it. Even though she didn't particularly care, her curiosity was still there.

Alice turned to see Hilda kneeling over a corpse of a woman against a stone settlement. Blood was on the wall, indicating that was how she died. The child placed her hands together in a prayer like manner as she started to speak. "Great ones of the past, hear my voice of reverence. I call to thee unto this request so you may deliver these poor souls into the hands of our God. For as the midnight moon rises on strong wings, let their suffering find peace at the light. In life and in death, we are connected eternally." Hilda stood back up and bowed at the corpse. "May you be reunited with your loved ones that have passed before you." She smiled at the body sadly.

Alice approached, waiting for her to be finished as she raised a brow. "That's a… very interesting prayer…"

Hilda looked up at the older woman. "It's to make sure that their souls are connected with our God, who has watched over this land and when we die, we become part of it." Alice was certain Hilda was referring to the Megamycete, though this child probably didn't understand the real being that it was. She decided not to say anything, as her focus was getting inside the castle. Hilda picked her feet up as the two headed towards a bridge across a river. Taking a right, they went down a small flight of stairs onto a wooden dock with railings. "Perfect, the bridge is still down!" Hilda jumped in excitement as she crossed the metal walkway, going down a flight of stairs to the left and to a small wooden boat. Alice followed, climbing in and noticed that there was a motor on the end.

"Looks like there's still fuel inside. How far down do we have to go?" Alice asked.

"Just passed the Suspension Bridge and Mountain Stream. I'll tell you when we have to stop." Hilda reassured her. Alice didn't question it, turning on the motor as she steered the small boat down the waves, going through the narrow stream and under other passes before she saw another wooden dock. Parking the boat, she quickly got on the planks and helped Hilda out. On the small land, she could see a house on the other side, with a drawbridge raised up to block their way. "Over here!" Hilda waved as she was at a double set of iron doors with lit torches. She walked right in, pushing the gates open to find herself in a small chamber.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Alice questioned as they descended to the lower level.

"Positive." Hilda already went all the way down and opened another set of doors, being taken to an old chamber with a door on either the left and right side, as well as an opening further ahead. A fire was going in a pot in the center of the room, hanging from a chain with tall, golden torches in one of the corners next to one of the doors. The child rushed past the room, going to the one that had an opening, only to find herself in another stone chamber with a single unlit torch and iron doors. "Oh no… the doors are locked…" Hilda stated as she tried pushing through the barricade, but had no luck.

"Well, I should have figured it wouldn't be that easy." Alice stated as she looked around the small chambers. "There's got to be some sort of switch or puzzle to open that door." Alice noted as she examined the room. The fire still blazed in the center of the pot, as her eyes kept going between the unlit wood of the troches in the corners of the room. Alice wondered if there was a connection. "Hilda, stay against the wall!" Alice ordered, which made the young child take cover. The woman raised her gun, aiming it right at the pot and shot it with her bullet, making the chain fly over, hitting the torch to the right of the room and setting the wood on fire. When that happened, the door next to the lit torch opened. "So that's how it's done!" She smiled with triumph. She shot at the cauldron again, making the fire reach the other lamp, the room became brighter and another door opened.

"You did it!" Hilda cheered. Checking the right room and seeing some bags of the village money laying on a clothed table.

"Not yet… still have to figure out how to get the torch in the other room lit." Alice stated, as her eyes went back to the side room with double locked doors. She doubted she could get that caldron into that room or close to the last torch, which meant she would need to find some other way to transfer the fire. Perhaps she could take one of the logs from the already flaming ones and place it there? Though that would mean she would risk getting burnt. She could light one of the arrows on fire and aim it right at the center one? Though she didn't want to waste ammo and didn't know how effective that plan would work.

Hilda was taking the loot she found in the side room, picking off the bags from the table as she stuffed them in her satchel. As she managed to clear the treasure, the child's ears rang as a chill ran over her spine. She jumped as she turned back to the older woman. "Alice, look out!" The dirty blond snapped out of her thoughts as she heard Hilda's cries. She turned to her right, seeing a figure staggering slowly towards her. It was a humanoid figure, covered in multiple wounds and scars, draped in a brownish cloak that had been torn and tattered. Alice grunted as she saw the pale eyes and elongated canine teeth of the creature. What was worse was that it had a thin but long sword, swinging it at Alice clumsily.

She managed to dodge in time, looking over at the child. "Hilda, stay back!" Alice raised up her gun in defense, shooting at the monster. It staggered back, only to hiss more as it swung the sword again. Alice jumped back, as she was face to face with another enemy. It wasn't one of the Lycans, so it must have been another sub enemy infected by the Cadou. She tried to keep it back, but it was a lot more agile than she gave credit for. Alice knew she couldn't keep this up, she didn't want to waste so much ammo on just one creature. She looked back over at the hanging cauldron of fire, as an idea came to her mind. She jumped over near the flaming pot, as the female monster hissed and tried to bite at her. Alice prepared herself, using her bullets to shoot at the metal and watched as it hit the creature.

With a painful howl, the monster's body was covered in flames, as it thrashed around, becoming a walking candlestick. Alice went back to the loot room and watched as the monster wandered around aimlessly. "Not so tough when it's on fire…" Alice smiled.

"Are you alright?" Hilda asked as she held onto the older woman.

"Yeah… took me by surprise, but nothing I couldn't handle." Alice reassured her. "How did you know that creature was nearby? It was pretty quiet."

Hilda gave a shrug as she clutched the strap of her bag. "I could just… sense it." Alice raised a brow as she looked at the child. What did she mean by 'sense'? Like she could feel when they were nearby? She heard about people who had such abilities, and in the world of B.O.W's, it wasn't exactly a weird power. The two women watched as the figure staggered to the other room, crashing into the golden torch as the flames transferred from it into the wood. It fell to the ground, body burnt as the double doors suddenly opened.

"Huh… well that's one way to get inside." The younger Winters stepped over the corpse and headed to the small chambers, seeing yet another decorated table with candles, flowers and a golden statue in the form of a sophisticated lady. Behind the table was an arch that led into the darkness. Alice was focused on the passageway, while Hilda reached over and grabbed the object of shiny metal, stuffing it into her bag with a satisfied grin on her face. Once that was done, she went over to Alice and looked at the passageway. "If these creatures and the Lycans are scattered around here, I can only imagine that Ethan must be having a hard time as well."

Hilda's eyes went wide as she stared at the older woman. "Your brother's name is… Ethan?"

"Yeah… Ethan Winters." Alice added. Hilda gasped as she took a few steps back, holding herself in a hug as her eyes wavered. "Hilda? Hey, what's the matter?" Alice knelt by her side as she tried to help her calm.

"Ethan… he's… he's dead."

Alice's own orbs shrunk in her skull as her ears registered Hilda's words. "...What?"