Chapter 5-1 Alice Winters
Ethan and Hilda were stunned to say the least. Not as shocked as the Hunter that had just gotten fried, but surprised nonetheless. Alice panted as she reeled in the wires to her taser gun, putting it back in her arsenal of weapons and looked over to her brother and the child. "Alice… you saved us!" Hilda gasped, looking up at the older woman.
"Good thing I did. That monster didn't look like it was trying to be friendly." Alice noted as she knelt down to Hilda's level. "Are you alright?" The child nodded in response, reassuring the woman. Alice then turned to Ethan, seeing him approach her as he was confused.
"What about you?"
"Me?" Ethan questioned. "We should be asking you that! How are you walking around? Hilda told me you got poisoned by one of those… Crowned Orb Weavers."
"We were getting you some blue herbs to cure your toxins…" Hilda explained.
Alice looked at the child, sighing as she rubbed her neck. "Yeah… I did. Was." She corrected herself. "I was laying against the area where the Megamycete root was. Hilda ran off on her own, but I couldn't go after her. I was really weak to the point I closed my eyes and could hardly breath. I thought I was a goner for a while. Then… I felt something in my mouth. It was bitter, but it gave me back my strength. I tried opening my eyes and…"
"And what?" Ethan asked, getting invested in the story.
"I… saw someone. Someone in black with their face covered. I couldn't make out the shape since it was still blurry. When I woke up again, they were gone. But I felt better." Alice stated.
Ethan raised a brow as he stared at his sister in question. He didn't like her story, as it generated many questions that he wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer to. Even though he should be grateful that Alice seemed alright, he didn't know how to process the events of her being healed.
"Someone else gave you herbs before us?" Hilda pondered, as she seemed to be the one asking the questions.
"I guess so. I tried finding you, but when I woke up, the water was drained."
"Yeah, that was us. We did it to take down Moreau." Ethan explained. Alice was the one who stared at her brother with a confused expression. Ethan shook his head. "Long story, but Moreau is defeated. Or, more so, he won't be bothering us."
"Maybe it was Moreau who gave you those herbs!" Hilda suggested, imagining the fish Lord saving Alice.
"Not sure how he would have gotten to her from us in a short amount of time, especially without the water…" Ethan rubbed his chin before looking at Alice. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm not poisoned. At least, I don't feel like it." Alice stated. "But… I don't know who that figure was. I want to believe they were a member of the Hound Wolf Squad."
"Chris's team? The one separated from the BSAA?" Ethan asked.
Alice nodded. "They also had black outfits as well when I met them. And considering that place seemed to have been set up by that group, and with them surveying the area…" Alice trailed off. Even though she wished that was the case, and for once she would have wanted it to be Chris or any of the Hound Wolf Squad members, she knew that couldn't have been possible, as they were trying to stay away from the Village to not gain any attention from Miranda. She knew none of the other villagers were still alive, so it had to be either that woman or one of her children. Alice shuddered at the thought of any of them getting their hands on her.
Hilda reached over to Alice, tugging on her shirt and smiling. "At least you're safe now. I was worried after you got poisoned… I didn't know if you would make it…" The child admitted, keeping hold of the older woman.
Alice and Ethan looked at the young girl, while the female Winters knelt down and petted her head. "I'm glad to have made it out as well. And I'm grateful you two are safe. Did you find anything else of interest?" She asked.
Ethan nodded. "We finally have the Six-Winged Unborn key. So now we should be able to get anywhere. I also saw a Cadou in a jar sitting in Moreau's area. It looked just like that fetus etched on the gates and this key."
"The parasites used to infect the Lords and Lycans…" Alice added.
"That wasn't all. Apparently Moreau was the one behind the creation of the Lycans, and a lot of the other creatures in the Reservoir. According to his notes, the Cadou can adapt depending on the body and the environment. Miranda wanted him to see how adaptable it was."
Alice took notice of this, rubbing her chin. "Miranda used the Cadou on the four Lords, and they got their powers. Dimitrescu used the parasite on her maidens to create those husks in the dungeons and her three daughters. Donna used them to infect the children from the Orphanage and turn them into dolls. And now, Moreau placed them in different people to create wolves, lizards, leeches, spiders…"
"And toads… but don't ask about that." Ethan urged.
"There's still so much we don't know about the Megamycete or the Cadou which it came from. On top of that… how come the Cadou kills many it infects but allows others to live?" Alice pondered, generally curious.
"Look, it isn't our job to figure out the history of this Village or the Megamycete. We need to find my daughter and Mia, as well as gather the sample of the roots." Ethan told her.
Alice glanced at her brother, for someone that was so confused, he didn't seem to be asking the big questions. Still, she couldn't deny that he wasn't wrong. They were so close now, and with the sun starting to set on the horizon, they were running out of time. Hilda went over to Alice, holding up the parchment she got from the Water Wheel Labyrinth. "Hmm? What's this?" Alice grabbed the paper and opened it up.
"It was inside the Water Wheel Labyrinth, next to the Windmill here. It was with a rusted fishing hook. I was about to read the letter, but that Hunter showed up." Hilda explained. Alice decided to be the one to read it, as she wondered if, like the other two letters, it would give them an insight of Moreau's past. When she began to read the letter, the other two listened.
"To Salvatore Moreau,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to the college of Sorbonne Université for your studies in the field of medicine and biology. Classes begin at the start of spring semester, and you may have the option to partake in any of the dorms that are open. We recommend that you fill out the application and send it back as soon as possible so we can process you into our system. Make sure to contact the finance department so you can pay for your semester. The information is on page three of this document. We hope to see you in class.
Sincerely: Head Professor, Laurent Bernard"
"A college application?" Ethan raised a brow as he listened to the letter. "I mean, he has some knowledge of medicine with his clinic, but for it to be university level?" Ethan found it hard to believe.
"He must have gotten this before he became a Lord for Miranda…" Alice theorized. The college they mentioned was in France, many countries away from the village. Moreau did sound like a French name, so maybe there was a connection? "Hilda, do you know anything about Lord Moreau and his family?" She asked the child.
Hilda tried to think for a moment. "I don't remember the Moreau's ever having a clinic, until Lord Moreau came in. They owned that part because it was used to gather fish from the mountain river, which were rich with nutrients and juices."
"So, his ancestors were just fishermen?" Ethan questioned.
"That would explain the mermaid get-up." Alice retorted.
"And this fish hook." Hilda held it up for the Winters to see.
"Okay, I'll admit there seems to be a lot more history to these Lords and Village than we first believed." Ethan was honest with his response. That made Alice think back on the conversation she had with Dr. Anastasia and the note she found in that base that held the Reservoir Megamycete root. When she first took this job for the doctor's sake, she only focused on the sample collection and locating her family. Now though, with certain information coming to light, it made Alice ponder how much the Hound Wolf Squad knew about what they were getting into. Surely they wouldn't keep secrets from her, especially after threatening Chris Redfield about keeping her in the dark. Then again… what if this false or misinformation wasn't Chris's fault, but of someone else? "Alice? Is something wrong?" Ethan asked, as he noticed her reaction. She was lost in thought, and it made him worry for his little sister.
Alice shook her head, knowing that asking questions without a source of answers wouldn't do her any good. "Forget it… it doesn't matter who the Lords were or what they are now. We still have a mission to accomplish, and we need to get out of here before nightfall."
Ethan wouldn't argue with that. "Did you manage to get another of Rose's flask?"
Alice nodded, looking over at Hilda who held up the third Rose jar. "We got her arms, which means we are missing one more."
"While I was getting the third root sample, Dr. Anastasia called me. She did some more research and believes if we put all of the flasks in that Giant Chalice from the Altar and take it to the Ceremony Site, we might be able to revive Rose."
Ethan's eyes lit up with hope. "You think that will work?!"
Alice shrugged. "Honestly, I can't say for certain. But at this point, aren't you willing to try anything?"
"If it means saving my daughter, yes!" Ethan wasn't hesitant to answer.
"In that case, we better make our next move. I still need two more samples to get and we still have one more flask to find." Alice noted. "The last Megamycete root should be where Heisenberg is, under his factory."
"So we'll have to face that giant hammer welding asshole then…" Ethan muttered. "But how will you get there? I didn't see any path to the factory." Alice couldn't answer that right away, since she didn't even know how to get there.
"You can take the bridge on the dam!" Hilda suggested with a smile. Alice and Ethan turned to the child and she explained. "The dam on the other side of the Reservoir where that lab was can get you to the mountain side that the factory is on."
"It did seem like a bridge on top of that place." Alice remembered. "Hopefully with the water drained, it will make getting there easier."
"We can go there, locate the root and find the last flask." Ethan suggested.
Hilda thought back to what Lord Heisenberg said, about wanting to have Alice go to the factory alone. Even though the child didn't want to separate from Alice again, she couldn't refuse her favorite Lord. "Actually… the flask isn't with Lord Heisenberg." Once again, the siblings found themselves staring at her for answers. "Lord Heisenberg placed the last flask in the Stronghold, where the Lycan's made their den in."
"How do you know that?" Ethan questioned.
"It was mentioned in Moreau's journal… I snuck a peek while you were opening the gate…" Hilda lied, which she hated but she had to keep that promise Heisenberg made her keep.
Ethan was a bit hesitant to believe her, it didn't settle right with how her tone was. Then again, considering the spectacle that he put on for the others with Ethan being the main act… it would be something that metal-wielding asshole would do. "It does seem like Heisenberg. And Moreau had some sort of understanding… not really a connection, but with how he talked with him during Rose's separation, maybe it shows they are somewhat close…"
"Come to think of it, when we were in Dimitrecu's castle, she mentioned that he was a fool when she called Miranda on her phone. She even wrote in her diary that Heisenberg was a riffraff and little brother in quotation marks." Alice added.
"I'm not surprised… Lord Heisenberg has a complex relationship with the others, since he's the most powerful out of all of them… and most dangerous…" Hilda added.
"They seem interchangeable to me. I have experience." Ethan corrected her. "He does seem to be a big shot around the village…"
"Not really, Lord Heisenberg tended to keep to himself in his factory. He rarely went out to mingle with the villagers." Hilda stated.
"So he's deluded, a showman and a hermit. Wonder how many ladies fell at his feet." He scoffed at that idea.
"Well I can't imagine you would be one of them." Alice mocked her brother. "Though based on what we know, it almost seems like Heisenberg is a favorite for Miranda."
"Every parent has their favorite, I know you were dad's." Ethan told her.
"Well, glad that's one less secret I don't have to tell you." She chuckled. "So, what can you tell us about this Stronghold?" She asked Hilda.
"It used to be a fort back when the Kings ruled this land. Aside from the castle, it's the only landmark that wasn't changed when the village was built. As of now, the Lycans have made it into their den."
"Which means they'll be guarding the flask if it's there…" Ethan pointed out. "And there will be a large horde of them…"
"There shouldn't be too many left, since we killed a few of them at this point." Alice stated. "And chances are, many of them will still be scouting the Village for any other survivors."
"But we can still expect a horde regardless." Ethan retorted.
Alice nodded, knowing that to be true. "In that case… we better head out now. Hilda, do you know where the Stronghold is?"
The child nodded. "It's past the Graveyard, through the Forbidden Woods."
"So, what's the plan?" Ethan asked, knowing Alice was up to something.
"You take Hilda to the Stronghold and locate the flask. I'll head to the dam and go to the factory." Alice explained.
"You want to go by yourself?" Ethan questioned, being a bit defensive. "You'll be facing Heisenberg! The most dangerous of the four Lords!"
"I know what I'm getting into, but we're already short on time. There's no point in us making two stops. As long as we keep a low profile, we can get Rose and the root samples. Heisenberg will be expecting you in his factory, but he doesn't know about me yet, so I'll have the advantage. You said you wanted to do whatever it took to get your daughter back, right?"
Ethan sighed, rubbing the back of his head with his two fingered hand. "I did…" He admits. "But, it might be too dangerous for you to go alone. For either of us."
"Then we better stock up now and head out." Alice suggested. Once again, Ethan was reluctant on this idea. He just got Alice back, and now they were going to be separated once again. What's more, she would be going into the domain of the worst Lord of them all, next to Miranda. He knew that getting Rose back was his top priority at this point, but he didn't know if he could keep risking his sister. Even though Alice could take care of herself and had managed to get out of any situation, Ethan wasn't sure how much longer her luck was going to hold out.
The two went back through the Village and to the Altar, where the Duke was already waiting for them. He sat in his caravan, his fat sticking out of his clothes as he looked over at the Winters siblings and child coming towards him. "My, it seems you three are making quite a stride in your progress."
"Just here to fill up on ammo and items…" Alice told him as she approached.
"As long as I get my money's worth, please feel free to browse and purchase." The Duke stated with his cheerful smile.
Ethan approached first, handing the Merchant the Crystal Beast remains he got from the large werewolf he managed to slay. The Duke examined it, amazed by the size and worth. He gave Ethan and Alice plenty of Lei in exchange for it, which they would be using to get some ammo and healing items. Hilda also gave some of her recent treasures to the Duke, which he praised her for and petted her head. After purchasing what they needed, Alice reloaded her weapons so they were full of bullets. "Alright, I should be all set."
"Same here… looks like this is it." Ethan sighed. "Are you sure you want to be the one to go to the factory?" He wanted to see if he could convince her at the last minute.
"That's where the root is… and I'm taking the samples for Dr. Anastasia. If the last flask is in the Stronghold, then you should go and find it." Alice stated. "Besides, I managed to outmaneuver the other three Lords, Heisenberg shouldn't be any different."
"Alright… I trust you." Ethan sounded reluctant, but knew she wouldn't change her mind regardless.
"Hilda, you got the other three flasks right?" Alice asked the child. The youngest one nodded as she patted her satchel. "Once you get the last flask, put them in the Giant Chalice in the Altar. I'm not sure how that will revive Rose, but it's all we have to go on so far."
"In that case, let's agree to meet at the Ceremony Site once we're done." Ethan suggested.
"Hopefully we can be done before the sun goes down." Alice told him. "Best of luck, and keep Hilda safe."
"You stay safe yourself." Ethan told her.
Alice nodded, as she was about to leave. "Alice, wait!" Hilda ran over to her, digging into her bag and taking out a handful of blue herbs. "Here… I know you may not need them again, but if those Crowned Orb Weavers get a hold of you, you'll have something to cure you."
The female Winters smiled, grabbing them and stashing them away. "Thanks sweetie." Alice looked at her, which made Hilda's face beam. With the herbs in her bag, she gave a nod towards Ethan. Then, she turned her heels and looked through the gate where Moreau's territory was. Taking a breath, she began to head back to where she was before. "Alright, to the factory I go." Alice told herself as she headed through the gate down to East Old Town according to her map.
She kept her eyes peeled as she wasn't sure how many B.O.W's were around after the water in the Reservoir drained. So far, she hadn't seen anything of the sort, which was good for her. She went through the pathway to the old Windmill and took the stairs to head to the lift, bringing her down to the mines. That was when things started to become more of a challenge. As she headed through the rocky walls, she heard the faint hissing of creatures nearby. She only took one turn around a corner until she saw a Hunter glaring at her with its slit eyes.
Alice knew it was too good to be true that she could get through this place with no problems. However, she had dealt with worse at this point, and nothing was going to stop her. The Winters took out her Spark Shot, which was fully charged and aimed it right at the monster. Just as it was running towards her, she pulled the trigger and shot out the wires. The Hunter felt its body convulse as it was electrocuted before falling to the ground, dying from the shock. Alice pulled her weapon back, staring at the corpse of the B.O.W she just took out. Now she had all the more reason to keep her guard up. Still, as long as she didn't run into Lord Moreau, it would be a blessing.
Thankfully, she remembered where she needed to head through in the caves. Going down the tunnels, and taking out three more Hunters, she finally came back to the area where Hilda and her first found the boat. It was odd coming back here when the water was all dried out, but it would hopefully mean that no other water based creatures would be around. She carefully maneuvered her way through the debris and junk that had been collecting on the bottom floor for many years. Moss and barnacles caked the different surfaces, indicating the time of neglect they suffered. Alice went through the first cave, keeping her eyes peeled as there were a few noises nearby. She readied her Webley and was prepared to take any shots. There were about three Lycans which had managed to crawl into the chasm, making Alice waste a few of her ammo just so she could get past them. She was not going to play the stealth card now, not when she was so close and time was against her.
After trending on foot for a while now, she soon came to the area where Hilda and her were about to find the third root. She looked over to her right, seeing the large dam that stretched up to the sky. Attached to the rocks of the mountain sides, the metal still wet from the waves that crashed against it for many days. "Finally, making some progress…" Alice went over to the large structure, looking around in the hopes she could find a way to move up and cross the Reservoir. To her luck, she found a ladder surrounded by circular rings. The Winters grabbed hold of the bars and began to climb the long pathway from the ground up the concrete. After what felt like an eternity, she managed to eventually get up onto the platform, as this part of the dam acted like a bridge. She looked behind her, seeing the Ceremony Site with its King statues. At least she knew she was heading in the right direction. As she turned to her front, she could see the smoke coming from the pipe of the run-down factory. "So far so good." Alice told herself.
She began jogging her way towards the location, as she was halfway to her destination. Of course, it wasn't that easy. After a few miles, she heard the hissing of nearby creatures. She looked around, seeing large arachnids climbing down from the beams, their long legs reaching out until they were blocking her path. "Should have known you would be back for round two…" Alice grunted, stepping back but kept her ground. This time, she knew what these bugs were capable of, but she was prepared now. There were two in total, which didn't seem bad aside from the fact they outsized her. Alice grabbed her crossbow, lining it up with the arrows. She waited for one of them to come at her, since she knew better than to charge at such a beast.
One of them crawled over to her, raising up its fangs and upper arms as it was ready to strike. Alice rolled as the Crowned Orb Weaver missed her, tucking away before going on her knee and aiming right at the thorax. Pulling the trigger, she shot the arrow right into the largest part of the spider's body. It hissed in pain, as Alice had exposed its weak spot. However, it still had some fight left. The creature turned around and tried striking her once again, but Alice was much quicker. Once again, she was grateful about taking track and field for one semester. She kept shooting the arrows into the monster, taking about five in total until it started to shake before falling down. At least she managed to get one out of the way. Just as she was about to celebrate, the Winters felt a pain in her arm. She pulled back, holding it as it had been bitten into by the maw of the second arachnid.
Alice knew she could have shot another five arrows with only one arm, but she was tired of playing around any longer. She decided to try another course of action. First, she got some distance between her and the spider. The venom hadn't set into her bloodstream yet, so she wasn't weak. It took a lot out of her, but she was able to gain enough space between them. Once she did, she reloaded her crossbow and shot the thorax of the second spider. It went down after five arrows, making Alice the victor. Her arm flared up as the toxins were going through her body. She reached in and grabbed blue herbs that Hilda gave to her, eating the bitter leaves in her mouth. Once it went down her throat and into her stomach, she already felt better. Sighing, Alice regained her strength and headed down the rest of the bridge.
When she made it to the other side, she looked around the ledges of the mountain where the factory rested on top. She looked up at the building, realizing just how out of place it was in the Village. This area seemed like something out of a fairytale: gothic castle, craftsman home, and a merman's swamp. The Village even had a sort of cult revolving around Mother Miranda and the supposed missing Empress. But, this factory appeared too modern. Electric lines connecting with power towers, a metal fence and the smell of molding metal and hot flames. It only made her curious about this Heisenberg guy… What was his story?
She couldn't focus on that though, she needed to find the Megamycete root and get out of there. Alice looked around the cliff as she scanned the area. "Don't think it would be wise to go through the front. Maybe there's a hidden passage. All of these areas had some of them, can't imagine the factory would stray from that as well." The pathway upwards was pretty steep, and it was difficult for her to climb up a stable path. Thankfully, with her grappling hook she was able to go up to higher ledges and walk around the side of the mountain. She looked around, her eyes scanned for any openings. After searching for a while, she found something somewhat promising. The wooden frame of what appeared to be a mineshaft. It was covered with many rocks and boulders, blocking the entrance.
At first, Alice attempted to take them apart. Reaching over and tugging on the earth in an attempt to open the passage. After much grunting and little result, she sighed in frustration. "Won't budge…" She looked around for any other way she could remove these rocks. There didn't appear to be any tool she could use around her area. She checked her own stash in the hopes she could locate something of value. She did have a make-shift explosive bottle, if it was strong enough to destroy some bricks, surely it would be just as damaging to the boulders. The problem was she didn't have a lighter on her, so she didn't have a means to light up the cloth for it to ignite the gunpowder. She checked around the mineshaft, hoping that there was a certain type of rock she needed.
She was thankful that there was some flint nearby, which she took and headed back. She knelt down towards the cloth of the bottle, but kept enough distance so she could get a running start when it was time for the fuse to be lit. She slid the material together a few times, some sparks flying out as a result. After about four times, some of them landed on the cloth, burning it up as it was traveling through the sheet. She stepped a few feet away, watching as the fire soon became encased within the glass. Once it mingled with the black substance, the bottle could no longer contain the power. With a semi-decent explosion, Alice covered her eyes as the sound could be heard. Hopefully not by the fourth Lord.
When she looked up, she was proud to see that the large boulders had tumbled out and were now no longer in her way. Alice smiled as she managed to remove one obstacle. "And boom goes the… explosive bottle…? Sounded better in my head." Alice admitted as she walked over to the shaft. She seemed hesitant as she saw how dark the tunnel was, however it was her only option. "Well, after a castle's dungeon, a craftsman's maze and the monster-filled reservoir, there's no way it can get any worse." She hoped, walking in as she kept herself prepared for what may follow.
