Chapter 5-2 Hilda
As Ethan watched his sister head back to Moreau's area, he knew what had to be done. The old man looked down at the child, as she would be his guide now. "Alright kid, where's the Stronghold?"
Hilda looked up at the older Winters. She knew it would just be the two of them, but they had managed to get through worse. Sure, she was slightly on edge every time she was around him, but Ethan needed her help. And she wasn't going to allow his daughter to suffer any longer. "It's through the Forbidden Woods, just past the Graveyard…" She told him.
"Alright, lead the way but stay close." Ethan stated. They were so close to getting back Rose, and he was not gonna fail his daughter after coming so far.
"Before you go, I have something of interest for you." The Duke gestured as Hilda was the one who approached. The Duke reached into one of his cubicles in his wagon and pulled out a strange canister. Hilda took it and looked it over. "Lycans are especially known to rely on their noses, much like any wolf. Launch one of these cans when surrounded by a pack, the smoke will cloud their sense of smell and knock them off balance for a chance to attack them."
Ethan had to admit, it sounded like a useful item. "How much does it cost?" He asked.
"The first one is free, courtesy of Hilda's discount. If you want the others, it will cost you. Fortunately, that Crystal Beast you sold me should pay for the rest. I only have four others in stock though."
So they would only have five in total. At least they would have a way to avoid the Lycans if they become surrounded. Better than not having enough supplies. "Deal." Ethan agreed. The Duke handed the rest of the canisters to Ethan, who gave it to Hilda since she had the space.
"You know, if we can find some dirt and animal droppings, the Lycans wouldn't be able to smell us! And we can be sneaky, like Alice!" Hilda suggested, smiling as she seemed proud of her idea.
Even though Ethan would have been willing to do anything to save his daughter, there should be some lines he was not willing to cross. Plus, he felt he had enough ammo and material anyways, so he could manage. "Thanks, but I think we should be good." Ethan politely stated. "Alright, let's get going."
"Best of luck, and be safe, Hilda." The Duke called to her.
"I will! See you soon, Duke." Hilda waved, before leading Ethan through the red gate, down the small path past the Graveyard. Ethan was just aware of how the light was getting dimmer out now, and fog was rolling in as it began to blanket certain aspects of the village. Most noticeable was the castle, which they had to go past along with the Church. They soon came up to a wooden gate with the symbol of the Six-Winged Unborn Child. Luckily, Ethan still had the key which he used to unlock the gate. "The Stronghold is just a little ways from this gate. Once we make it through the Forbidden Woods."
"Then we better not waste anymore time." Ethan held out his handgun, ready for anything as he and Hilda walked through the path, being taken to a fork in the road. Hilda didn't hesitate to walk forward, going up a long stairwell that was covered with wooden walls and roof. Ethan kept his eyes peeled as he watched the child, ensuring she would be safe. The Winters noticed three body bags hanging from the roof, whether this was a warning or bait for the Lycans he wasn't sure. Hilda managed to pass them by, not minding them at all. As They walked up the stairwell, Ethan couldn't help but comment on the child. "I have to admit, you're a tough kid."
Hilda turned back to look at Ethan as he caught up to her. "You think so?"
"I mean, you're being so strong and calm about everything. Despite being the only survivor and surrounded by monsters, you've kept a level head. Especially for your age, I'm pretty impressed."
Hilda merely shrugged with a humble demeanor. "It's not that big of a deal. The Village has been dealing with Lycan's for decades, ever since Mother Miranda came into power. I've learned how to survive around the village both with the people and monsters. Had to since I lived in the Orphanage."
When he heard that, Ethan raised a brow. "Wait… you're an orphan?" He felt a string of sympathy upon the realization. "Were your parents… killed by the monsters?" He asked, wondering if she had to watch them being torn apart like he did back at Luiza's house.
The child told Ethan what she told Alice. "No, I never knew who my father was. He was an outsider of the Village and he and my mum had me out of wedlock."
"And… your mother?" Ethan was nervous to ask, but he had to out of curiosity.
Hilda looked down as she retold her story. "She was attacked by a villager when I was two and was killed. Apparently she was outcasted for bearing a child before marriage with an outsider… So she paid for it with her life. I was in the Beneviento Orphanage ever since." So she had been alone for a long while, before Mother Miranda decided to turn her back against the Village she swore to protect.
"I'm sorry, kid… I won't ask anymore questions." Ethan reassured her.
"It's alright, you didn't know. Besides, Alice told me that was something her and I had in common. She told me about what happened to her… your parents…" Hilda explained.
Ethan sighed inwardly, biting his lip as he remembered what Alice mentioned after coming back from Donna's estate. She wasn't the only one who had suffered after what happened. "Yeah… we only had each other for most of our lives. Alice was still so young when we lost our mom, and then our dad. I guess that's why I'm very protective of her and my own family. I don't want to lose anyone else I care about anymore."
Hilda smiled up at him. "Alice is lucky to have you as her brother."
"Yeah, I'm also lucky to have her as a sister." Ethan admitted. "She's managed to come through for me when I needed it most." Both of them grinned as they admitted how they felt about Alice. Which was why they needed to do this, for her sake. After going through the passage, they came out to find themselves in a large area with towering trees, steep cliff sides and the howls of monsters from every angle. Ethan got serious as he held up his hand gun while reloading his bullets. "Stay close." Ethan urged, as Hilda was behind him. When he looked up, he could see the brick structure with plenty of crows flying above. They seemed to be in the right place. Ethan and Hilda marched onward, going under a small bridge with more bodies hanging from the planks. A tower made out of sticks and cloth with other human remains. Ethan jogged lightly with the child behind him, as the howls began to grow in volume.
"Ethan…" Hilda pointed up to the steeper rocks.
"I know…" He already saw them. Four beasts perched up on stone, two of them carrying lit torches as they were making their way towards their prey. Ethan decided to take out his shotgun, knowing they would need a stronger weapon to get past this pack. He steady it clearly, aiming the barrel right at where the head of the Lycans were. He kept himself steady as he pulled the trigger. Before he knew it, he blasted one head off, killing the first monster in one shot. He did the same to the second, then the third and the fourth that he could see from where they were. "Ha, not so tough now." Ethan chuckled.
Hilda was just as pleased to see Ethan's killing record, only to gasp as she held his pants. "In front of you!" She pointed, as two other Lycans with lit torches approached. One coming from the rock formation and the other down the path. Ethan retaliated quickly as he shot them again in the head, as if they posed no threat. "Woah… you're better at the gun than you let on!"
"This time, I'm serious. Come on, there will be more coming our way, so we need to head in quickly." Hilda nodded, as she and Ethan ran the rest of the path, getting closer to the Stronghold and the structure was in their line of sights.
The child's senses began to act up as she grabbed hold of the man. "Look out!" She pulled him to the side just in time as a flaming arrow landed where he stood. Ethan and her hid behind a stone pillar, looking up to see two other Lycans with bows shooting fire arrows at them.
"Damn, forgot they knew how to use weapons…" Ethan grunted. "Stay here…" He went to his left, seeing one of them on the cliff side and killed it with one bullet. Then he aimed his shotgun to the other side, trying to take out the one that was on top of the Stronghold. He missed the first time, but managed to get the chest with his second bullet and finish the monster off with a third.
"How are your shotgun shells?" Hilda asked.
"I still have plenty. Come on." Ethan and her headed up the path until they found themselves standing right in front of the monument itself. Bridges and towers made of centuries of bricks stood proud and tall. History was standing here, being a key to the origin of the Village, which to Ethan seemed unimportant, but for Hilda, who was already entering and standing in the very center was marveled by the building itself. Ethan kept a look out for any more of the Lycans, while Hilda was taking it all in.
"I can't believe it! I never would have thought I'd be able to be back here again…" Hilda smiled as she looked around the place. "They say this Stronghold was designed by Heisenberg's ancestor when he was trying to take control of the land before the Village was created."
Ethan approached her, after scavenging for some resources. He listened to what she said and raised a brow. "Well, that explains the guy's connection to this place." Ethan noted. "So, where would the last flask be?"
Hilda looked around, checking the place as she tried to focus. The child slowly pressed her hand against the wall, going towards the side and climbing up the steps. She was quiet, but Ethan followed her. They climbed up the stairs until they were on the second level, where he could see the structure was at its most damage. Torches lined the walls as sparks to flames helped light the path. As they were walking, Ethan heard the familiar howls which seemed to have snapped Hilda out of it. She hid behind one of the pillars as a few more scouts climbed from the depths, using the flames to equip onto their arrows. Ethan acted quickly, aiming his shotgun and fired the bullets to headshot them. The moment they were taken care of, three others were heading up the stairs behind Ethan.
Even though he could take care of these creatures, he wanted to save on his ammo. So, he decided to try one of the Duke's inventions. Taking out the canister, he pulled the pin and threw it towards the group. Once it hit the ground, smoke covered their bodies encasing them in the gas. Ethan was surprised as he watched them attack each other, probably since their senses were blinded. He took the chance to grab Hilda and continued up the steps until they were on the second floor, able to see Castle Dimitrescu in the distance, yet it looked so close. More crows circled around the Stronghold, making Hilda cling to Ethan.
The older Winters noticed her action, and rubbed her back. "Don't worry, those crows are the least of our problems." He kept hold of her and continued, they found themselves in an area with multiple cases of stairs and an iron gate up a step. Ethan went over to the barrier which was between a lit torch on either side of the wall. He tried pushing and pulling, but the doors were firmly shut. "Damn… not budging. Doesn't look like we can get over it either." He turned to the child with a questionable expression. "You wouldn't happen to know how to get this gate open, do you?"
Hilda looked around, humming as she scanned the area. "There should be a switch somewhere…" She walked away from the gate and checked all the nooks and crannies. She found herself another staircase that was on the left side of the gate. She quickly went up there, with Ethan following behind her. Once there, they saw a lever on their side and another on the other end. Hilda smiled as she went over to them. "Here we are!"
"Huh, pretty convenient." Ethan noted. Hilda tried pulling on the lever to open the gate, but much like the dam in the Reservoir, she wasn't strong enough. Ethan went over and grabbed hold of the stick, pulling it and heard the gears within the gate turn. "One down…" Ethan sighed.
"Good thing these levers don't have to be pulled down at the same time." Hilda smiled. Their moment of victory was interrupted at the growls of the Lycans. Ethan turned around as he saw a bunch of them running through the floors and heading their way.
"Damn, they don't stop coming." He was getting annoyed as he saw them heading towards the pair. Ethan tried to shoot one at the other side of the same level, using the shotgun to blast at the head. It stunned the creature, only to jump down with four others approaching the stairs. The Winters knew he wouldn't be able to take them all on, so he had to think of another solution. His eyes caught sight of a red barrel with a flame painted on the wood, recognizing the flammable material within. It gave him the idea to aim and shoot at the target. Once the bullet hit, sparks and flames shot out, causing the pack of five to be down.
Just as Ethan felt a sense of pride, it was short-lived as another Lycan jumped over from the ledge onto the one he was on. It knocked Ethan down, then jumped on the Winters to bite into the flesh. He screamed, trying to keep the monster at bay and used what strength he had to push it off. Blood hungry, the Lycan was adamant to tear Ethan apart. The Lycan howled as it gnawed its jaw, only to hiss as it felt a knife buried deep into the skin. Hilda stabbed at the creature, trying to get it off while Ethan used that distraction to push the B.O.W off of him. He then quickly got to his feet and took out his hand gun, shooting the head and pushed it off to the ground.
Ethan kept blasting the rounds of bullets, blowing up more barrels to let them take the damage of the pack. He was caught off guard as another Lycan jumped from across the second switch towards them, trying to grab at Hilda. The child cried out as the Lycan grabbed hold of her arm, tugging at her and growling in her face. "Let go!" She cried out, swinging her knife at the monster.
Ethan held up his hand gun and took out the head of the Lycan. It fell to the ground as Hilda stepped away. The Winters began to head down the steps, killing the two hybrids that were making their way up. It was quite for a moment, as Ethan believed they had stopped. Hilda went around and collected the treasures and ammo their bodies left behind. Just as they were about to reach the other side where the second lever was, more war cries were heard. Ethan turned and saw five others coming his way. Looks like they were appearing in waves at this point, but at least there were only a few at a time. It took up most of his handgun bullets and another of the red barrels, but he was able to defeat fourteen Lycans in one setting.
The man panted as he was a bit exhausted from the ordeal. He looked over at Hilda, hoping she was safe. The child appeared fine, already combining certain parts to create more ammo for them to use. She was a brave and resourceful child, Ethan had to admit. Even though it was still dangerous for her to be with him, he was glad she was being helpful. "I don't sense anymore of them." Hilda declared.
"Then let's hurry up and keep going before their friends drop in." Ethan and her went to the right side of the gate. Instead of climbing up the broken stairs, they used a rusted ladder to get to where the second switch was. Ethan grabbed hold of the stick and pulled it back. The sound of metal scraping against stone could be heard as the gates slowly opened to reveal the pathway. Ethan held his handgun just to be safe, keeping Hilda close to him. Thankfully, no other Lycans appeared, so he and her quickly headed down and went through the gates up the steep path until they reached the larger building. Wooden planks surrounded the top for walkways and iron doors were shut at the entrance.
Hilda stayed behind Ethan as the Winters opened up the doors, being taken to an opening with old barrels, stone stairwells and entrances around the area. Some candles were lit up for light, and many supplies were scattered around for Hilda to claim. Ethan heard some rustling around, but no sign of any life. It appeared quiet… too quiet for Ethan's taste. Something did catch his interest though, as it sat in a case right against the center of the wall. He went over, grabbing the weapon of metal and wood. Ethan couldn't believe it, he was holding a GM 79 Grenade Launcher. It was even in working condition despite staying in such a place. "Hey Hilda, can you show me what else you got in that satchel?"
The young girl went over, showing him her collection of treasures and scrapes she found. He grabbed the ingredients he needed and began to combine them. Hilda watched in interest as he created two different types of grenades: Flashbang and Explosive Rounds. The Flashbang would release a powerful light to daze the enemies while the Explosive Rounds would do damage to a wide area. "These should do…"
"Will they be enough to take out the Lycans?" Hilda asked.
"Between this and the Wolfsbane, we should be able to get through with a chance. Of course, the downside is that this Grenade Launcher can only hold one chamber at a time, but that's a small detail." Ethan tucked the weapon away, reminding himself he would have to reload it after each fire. With the new equipment, Ethan figured it was time they continued. Hopefully they were close by to the last flask. The two of them headed up the spiral stairs against the wall, using the candles as their light source. The two turned a corner down a corridor and down another set of stairs. They stayed quiet and kept their guard up as they came to the other side. Many floors that had large chunks taken out of. Debris of bricks and stone laid on the ground, removed from their original spots. The building had been through a lot over the centuries, and it showed.
"Looks like we've arrived at the den." Ethan noted, looking around. He saw that the roof had caved in, the only covering were wooden beams that grew leaves and vines. They could hear the screams of the monsters, but saw none in their line of sight. Of course, they would be coming soon enough. "Keep your senses up, kid. And be on the lookout for the flask." Ethan advised.
Hilda nodded as she stayed close. "We should try the basement of the Stronghold, it might be down there." She suggested.
"You know where it is?"
"Down?" Hilda blinked. Ethan rolled his eyes but kept going with his weapon up and feet running. There were explosive barrels around, along with lit torches and ladders. Clearly the Lycans were intelligent enough to keep around the place. Speaking of which, the howls grew louder as Ethan saw some of the B.O.W's coming down from the higher ledges. He grunted as he saw four, five, six… a total of eight of them surrounding the pair. Hilda gasped as she heard their growls and threatened to come forward. Ethan thought it was best to save his ammo and use the hideout to his advantage. He used another of the Duke's canisters and launched it, blinding the Lycans for a moment before they started to tear each other apart. He and Hilda headed up the stairwell they came from. Once he lured them up the steps and with enough distance, he began to use his shotgun on them and got a few headshots in. Taking two of the remaining four out with the shotgun, then grabbed his handgun and shot six bullets at one that tried rushing him.
Hilda helped as well, throwing a few explosive bottles the enemy's way and taking out the last in a ball of fire. "Ha, not bad kid." Ethan commented. Hilda smiled as she loved the praise. Her head turned back though as the howls continued.
"There's more coming!" Hilda stated. Ethan and her continued, crossing a few planks to get from one area to another. One Lycan tried to get the jump on them, but Ethan managed to shoot it with his handgun and watch as the body toppled from the height to the ground. One however came over and slashed at Ethan with an ax, giving him a wound and caused him to scream out. Hilda stood in front of him and sent out another of her exploding bottles which caught the Lycans off guard. Once he applied the liquid healing juice, Ethan managed to take out the other two monsters as they were distracted by the flames.
Two others came from above, dodging the rounds Ethan was firing off. They were getting smarter with their fighting patterns. One ducked around Ethan only to claw him in the back. He nearly fell off the bridge, but managed to pick himself up and continue firing at them. He had to be backed against a wall just to get both of their heads. Once they were down from the double headshot, he could hear more of them coming. "Damn it! There's too many of them!" Ethan realized now that it would be useless to take them all on at this point. They had to find the flask and get out of there.
Hilda climbed up some stairs, leading Ethan up to a platform. They didn't see any other way, until Ethan noticed a long zipline above them. It seemed like an ideal get around, and he already knew how to use it. Holding onto the hook, he grabbed hold of the child. "Hang on!" He told her, before pushing his legs off and going to the other side of the Stronghold, while the Lycans tried to get at them. Once on the other side, he and Hilda climbed up more stairs and ran through the halls, finding themselves on a large wooden platform with about six Lycans before them. "Ok, mutts! Time to put you all down!" Ethan declared, getting fed up with how many obstacles there were now. It didn't help that two others came in, with bigger frames and wrapped up in armor.
He placed the explosive grenade into his launcher, sending it over to the pack. Thankfully, it managed to take out most of the weaker ones. However, the two buffed ones would not go down so easily. Ethan quickly reloaded the weapon and launched another round off. Despite being weaker now, with some of their protective skin off, they were still capable enough to jump over and slash at Ethan with their long claws. He screamed, pulling back as he could only see red for a moment.
"Ethan!" Hilda cried out, grabbing her bottle and throwing it to set the two on fire. She then rummaged through her bag and took out some healing juice for Ethan. Once she poured it over his body, he managed to regain his strength. The two jumped down from the ledge and climbed around some more stairs, baiting the last two. The green eyes of the Winters noticed a flammable barrel not too far from him. Once the Lycans turned the corner, he fired at the barrel and flames ate up the armor of the Lycans. He shot a few more bullets into their exposed skin, and got some treasures out of it. More Lycans were coming, but with the bigger ones taken out, they had nothing standing in their way. Grabbing Hilda, he zipped across the line, headed up the stairs, crossed some bridges until he was back at the top level.
Once they pushed through the metal doors, Ethan and Hilda barricaded the gate with large stones and barrels right away. Once they knew they were secured, the Winters looked around. They were in a circular room, with many pillars holding up the ceiling. Flaming torches were chained to the wall for light, and any type of decoration consisted of suits of armor, boxes and crates. At least they could check for supplies and craft while they were catching their breath. Hilda was already on the search for such items, as she was gathering them while Ethan reloaded his weapons and created other ammo for them. "The Lycans keep coming and they don't stop…" He sighed in annoyance.
"I didn't even think there were that many…" Hilda admitted. "At least, not since I was last here…"
When he heard that part, he turned to Hilda with wide eyes. "Hold on, you've been here before?!"
Hilda nodded. "We're not supposed to go to the Forbidden Woods, since it's a rule in the Orphanage. But I figured the Stronghold would have some metal and scrap I could donate to Lord Heisenberg."
"Donate?" Ethan repeated, trying to understand her.
Hilda smiled. "Yeah, I made gifts for all of the Lords of the Village. For Heisenberg, I got him some scrap metal, since he uses it for his machines and experiments." She explained.
As Ethan heard this, he thought back to the Church he came across near the Castle. Where he saw the altar of Miranda and the four Lords… along with the journal. He thought back to what was written as his eyes looked around anywhere but near the child. "Wine for Dimitrescu, a doll for Donna, and romantic movies for Moreau…"
Hilda jumped as Ethan spoke, noticing how he was acting. "Y-yeah. Those were the gifts I gave them. How did you know?" She asked.
The Winters turned to her so he could answer. "There was a journal near the altar in the Church, next to the Castle…" He told her.
Before he could finish, Hilda's eyes lit up. "Oh yeah! My journal! I went back to the Church to get it since I was looking for it. I'm not sure how it ended up there, but I managed to get it back." She patted her satchel, where he could only assume that was where it was. "That was around the same time I met Alice. She came to the Church and said she was looking for you."
"Huh… so that's what you were doing there." Ethan noted. "Still, you shouldn't have gone there by yourself. It was dangerous."
"I know… but I wanted my journal back." Hilda explained. "And I was gonna head back to the house afterwards. But those roots showed up and blocked me…"
"Wait… what house? You mean the Orphanage?"
The child shook her head. "No, there's a house up over the hill from the Village. Near a stream with a bridge."
Ethan tried to figure out what she meant, until he remembered the hut he saw before he entered the area. A place with a basement, some notes he couldn't understand but took, and the symbols along with drawings from a child. Hilda was a child. "I… think I know which house you mean… I came across one before coming up to the Village. There was trash around it, the inside was a mess, and there was a basement with kid stuff…" Ethan turned up and looked at the young girl again. "You were living there?"
"Yeah, I was taken in by a woman who found me after the Lycans came after me…"
"Wait, wait… The Lycans came after you?!" Ethan stood up as he tried to wrap his head around this. "Hilda… what happened to you?" The child's eyes were glued to the floor, as she kept her lips shut. Ethan was unnerved by the fact she wasn't sharing any information with him. What was she trying to hide? Was it something traumatic for her and she didn't want to share it? "Hey, I'm not gonna judge you." He tried to reason as he knelt to her level. "But I want to make sure whatever happened to you, didn't get you hurt." He was attempting to sound considerate, and he was worried for the child. Whatever happened to her in the house, couldn't have been anything good. Especially with the state he last saw it in.
Hilda looked up at him, as their green eyes met one another. She still seemed hesitant to speak, yet Ethan would remain patient. Of course, he didn't get an answer as he heard the cries of more Lycans, banging on the door to try and get in. Even though they were barricaded, Hilda was certain they would find some other way. She looked around the room, seeing a staircase leading down behind Ethan. Taking his hand, she dragged him over there. "Hurry! We have to go before they come in!"
"H-hey, not so hard!" Ethan called out, getting up and following her down the many flights. Passing by many torches and other decorations, until they came to a dead end. He looked over his right where he saw a large hole in the center of the staircase spiral, doubting that was where they had to go. Hilda looked around, as the howls were increasing in volume. She noticed a pathway to her right, pointing to it. "This way!" She called out, already running ahead.
"Hilda, wait!" Ethan called after her, as he descended down more steps until they came to a crack in the wall. Snarling and grunts could be heard on the other side, as if the Lycans were close. Hilda turned back to him, pressing a finger against her lips before she crawled through the small space. Ethan soon followed, his body being slightly pressed against the brick and dirt as he moved carefully through the narrow passage. He could see that the wall had some gaps in them, giving him a glimpse on the other side. The sight alone felt like something out of a gothic horror movie. The Lycans were feasting upon hanging bodies, still fresh with their first layer of skin pulled off, for Ethan to see the muscle and bloody tissue. The smell of the metallic liquid quickly filled his nose, making him want to gag. They climbed up on pillars, vines, and the walls like spiders as they tried to find a spot to settle.
Holding his breath, Ethan continued to slowly trudge through the crawl space and managed to be on the other side, where Hilda was crouched over in a corner holding a piece of paper. Ethan raised a brow as he approached her. "Hilda?"
The child looked up, standing on her feet and handed him the paper. "I found something! I think it was written by one of the soldiers who guarded this place."
Ethan took hold of the paper and decided to read it over outload. "The King's orders finally arrived… "We won". Foul Dimitrescu has apparently taken his own life, or so they say. Without their leader, his people have no choice but to surrender. It is vexing that we claim victory this way, but at least we no longer have to entertain those heretics through battle anymore. Now we can devote our time to learning more about this land, and search for the secrets of everlasting life. Even I have become but curious of the mysteries that ties me to this place.
I am fascinated by the idea that an Alchemist from Spain managed to find the secret of immortality within this area. If it is here, the Heisenberg bloodline will continue for many years to come, and we can take over more land for ourselves. But are we truly capable of locating such a treasure with only the one sentence we managed to translate from a singular page? I am certain the translation may not have been accurate, for we should have located the source by now. It irks me that despite a decade of the four Lords fighting, we are not any closer to the answers we have sought. Hopefully, now that we have claimed this land as our own, we may be able to uncover the Alchemist's secret."
"King Dimitrescu?" Ethan repeated.
"That must have been one of the Kings who fought for the land. Lady Dimitrescu's ancestor…" Hilda explained.
"You mean one of those Kings around the Ceremony Site?" Ethan asked. Hilda nodded, while he looked back at the note. "And they mentioned Heisenberg as well… so this fortress must have been used by him. Probably explains why he has an attachment. But… who's this alchemist they referred to?"
Hilda shook her head. "I… dunno…" She admitted. "This is the first I've heard about such a person."
Ethan hummed. The soldier mentioned something about this Alchemist's secret of immortality. Apparently, according to Hilda and Alice, the main reason the Kings were fighting for this land was searching for such an ability. Whoever this man was, he must have found it first and the Kings were trying to claim it for themselves. There was still a lot of mystery behind the history of this land, and it seemed they weren't even scratching the surface yet. "Damn, part of me kind of wants to find out more about this Village." He admits.
"It's fascinating, isn't it?" Hilda giggled, sharing in his enjoyment.
Ethan looked over at Hilda, looking back at the message before he pocketed it. "Hilda, what do you know about this Heisenberg Lord?"
"Lord Heisenberg?" Ethan nodded, as he was curious about the metal wielding man. "Well, he's probably the most mysterious out of them all. He rarely comes out of his factory, but I do see him in the Village at night, going to the Graveyard mostly."
"Graveyard?" Ethan repeated. Why would he be going there?
"He doesn't seem to like the Lords, Dimitrescu especially. I don't even think he likes the Village either."
"Kind of reminds me of Lucas Baker…" Ethan noted more to himself. "But he seems more sane than the others. Still an asshole though."
"Asshole?" Hilda repeated.
Upon hearing her say that word, Ethan became flustered as he was being a bad influence on a kid. "Uh… forget it. We should focus on finding the last flask." He tried to change the subject. Hilda nodded, as her and Ethan headed downward again, through a long cavern with torches. They kept their guard up and eyes opened for any sign of enemies. After coming out of the other side, They found themselves in a large area with thick pillars holding the ceiling. It was more cave-like with rocks and dirt rather than brick and stone. Ethan didn't trust it, he was certain something was waiting for them. Still, there was little choice. The Winters hopped down, Hilda next to him as they looked around. Screams and howls could be heard above, which made Ethan even more alert.
"That… doesn't sound good." Hilda noted.
"Stay close." Ethan stated, keeping hold of her as he made sure all of his weapons were loaded.
Hilda looked around, sensing something was nearby. It wasn't until she looked up at the ledge above them, her eyes went wide. Ethan followed her gaze, just as terrified. A larger creature of the Lycans cried out, with a mane like that of a lion and holding a giant hammer. "Not this guy again." Ethan grunted, already having an encounter with this beast.
Hilda was still shaken as she looked up at the alpha Lycan. Her eyes were wide as she saw the monster, howling as he raised his weapon in the air. Ethan held up his gun and started to shoot bullets at the mane. He could see them hitting with blood splatters coming out, but it didn't appear to stun him in the slightest. Instead, the man-beast jumped from the ledge. Ethan pushed Hilda away, as the leader of the Lycans smashed his hammer to the ground. The earth rumbled as dust covered the area. Ethan pushed Hilda into a small alcove, where she would be hidden. "Stay here, I'll handle this."
Before Hilda could protest, Ethan was already on his way to face the monster one on one. He switched out his handgun with the magnum, deciding to do massive damage right away. He only had twelve bullets for the weapon, but he hoped it would be enough. The alpha held up his hammer, going towards Ethan with his own instrument raised up. Ethan circled around the pillar he was hiding and managed to outmaneuver the beast just as the head of the hammer came down onto the ground. Ethan turned back, aiming the barrel at the head. He shot two bullets, hitting the monster in the head. He staggered back after the second shell, which gave Ethan the chance to hit him with a third. That time, he didn't flinch, and instead headed up to the ledge. The Winters quickly reloaded the chambers as his enemy howled through the room. He didn't think much of it, until Ethan realized he was calling for his friends. Two other Lycans jumped down, to be at their leader's side.
"Oh no you don't!" Ethan called out, taking out his grenade launcher and shot at them. The explosive round went off, dust and sparks covered the area. He managed to take down the lackeys, which made him grin in satisfaction. However, the leader was not happy, howling as the dust made it impossible to find him. Ethan didn't even see the beast come down and smash him with the hammer. He yelled out, seeing red as he took a massive hit. The B.O.W howled, picking up his hammer while Ethan tried to get some distance. He reached to his stash and grabbed out a health juice, pouring it over his body to lessen the pain. He was not going to play around any longer.
Taking out the magnum again, he aimed it right at the head and shot three more bullets. He only had half of his ammo from that weapon now, but when he saw the beast crying out before falling to his knees, he knew he won. The Lycan leader began to crumble, turning to dust as his body was no longer stable. Ethan panted, approaching the decayed B.O.W. All that was left was an enlarged skull that was attached to the hammer with crystals gluing them together. It was a large treasure, and one Ethan was planning on taking for the Duke in exchange for Lei to get more supplies. "Eat shit…" Ethan grunted, looking around to make sure no other surprises were coming their way. Thankfully, it seemed that they were safe.
Hilda came out from her hiding spot, stepping over to the Winters and looked at him. Ethan saw the child, thankful she looked unharmed. "Are you okay?" He asked her.
"Fine… what about you?"
"Took a bit out of me, but he was surprisingly underwhelming. Not much of a leader…" Ethan shrugged.
Hilda looked back to where his corpse once lay, a frown on her face as she held herself. "Poor Urias…"
"Urias?" Ethan repeated. "Was that… his name?"
Hilda nodded. "He was the leader of the Village. Well, one of them. He worked under Mother Miranda and from what I heard, they were together."
Ethan processed this information. Urias and Miranda were a couple? That explains why Urais seemed to have gotten the better deal of this Cadou infection. But, didn't Miranda exist for over a century? How old was Urias then? He was confused on a few aspects, but figured that answering them would do him nothing. "Sorry for killing him…"
"It's okay… I didn't really know him that well anyways." Hilda reassured Ethan. The Winters nodded, glad that it wasn't personally for her. He watched her go on her knees and place her hands in a prayer manner, speaking the same chant she did for the others that had fallen. Once she was done, she looked up at Ethan with wide, green eyes.
"I'm… sorry you have to be exposed to this stuff."
"You don't have to apologize… I saw this while I grew up here. To me, this is normal." Hilda reassured him.
"Still, you shouldn't have to see this. Christ, how could anyone live like this?" Ethan said more to himself. No wonder Alice was so adamant on bringing Hilda with them once this was all over. She was a victim in this ordeal, and such a young child did not deserve to go through this. Hilda looked up at the Winters, she herself failed to see how truly messed up this Village and the inhabitants were. Not that Ethan blamed her. It was as the young girl said, this was how life for her was growing up. "Let's find the flask and get out of here…" Ethan urged, checking around to see where the last piece of Rose was.
Hilda didn't argue, she started to look around as well. Separating herself from Ethan, though since it was safe she didn't mind. She circled around the large ledge, going to the right of the room as her eyes were peeled for any signs of the jar. "Over here…"
"This way…" Her ears were the ones to pick up on something nearby. She turned and saw a red door opened, with bright white light inside. The child slowly approached, hearing the voices beckoning her. "Come along." They whispered. "You're almost there…" In a trance, Hilda walked through the open entrance, being taken to a cave where the walls and ceiling were encased in clear crystals. The bases around the larger stalagmites and stalactites, were glowing brightly. Her feet carried her across the room, mesmerized by the sparkles that reflected off of the surface. In the end, her treasure hunting side took over. She grabbed hold of any loose gemstones she could find, stashing them in her satchel.
Hilda was pleased with the find, but she found herself still being called to as she made it on the other side. The structure was back to brick and mud, with a flaming torch on a corner. She looked to her right to see another passageway, leading her. She looked down and saw steps descending below. By herself, she took the path and was taken to a large room. Crates and a few lanterns were stashed against the walls. An iron barred gate concealed the other exit. What gained her attention however was a desk, with a static television set. Bags of flour lend against one side, with many tools stationed above the bench. What caught her pupils the most was the familiar yellow flask. Much like how in the castle, she only acted as her tiny hands reached for the jar. When she held it, she saw that the last piece of Rosemary Winters was the torso. Now they had all four flasks and could finally piece them together. However, as Hilda looked closer at the glass, her eyes went wide as her body went rigid and cold. Her orbs extended in her sclera's as she had a distinct vision.
Hilda was panting as she was trying to keep air in her lungs. She was ducking under branches and kicking up dirt from the ground. The child could hear the growls and snarls from behind, but she dared not look back as the Lycans were on her trail. She looked ahead of herself, gasping for breath as she tried to keep heading forward. She had to get to one of the Lord's domains, she would be safe there. That was all she could think about, despite how far she was from any of those areas. Even so, she would try to survive as long as she could. Her feet were picking the pace up as quickly as they could, running on any kind of energy at this point. It only took a dingaling branch to trip her toes, causing her to fall face first into the mud. She coughed, spitting the dirt out on the mid-summer earth. She tried to push herself back up, even though her body was sore and tired. Her mind fought against her body's needs, but it was no use. The hissing grew louder, and when she turned her head, all she could see were the twisted and bloody faces of the Lycans. They surrounded her, trapping her before they started to approach with either their clawed hands or sharp weapons. She didn't scream, her mind wasn't able to register what was happening.
The child gasped, shaking before falling to her knees. Her eyes felt wet with tears forming, and her body was shivering from the aftershock. She gripped the jar in her hands, panting as her heart was racing a mile a minute. What was that? What did she just see? Was that… a memory?
"Hilda!" Ethan's voice was soon heard. The Winters stepped into the room, searching for the child. He soon found her sitting on the floor, marching over to her. "There you are! You got to stop running off like that! I was worried when you didn't answer-" He approached her, and was cut off from his sentence when he saw the state she was in. Her cheeks were wet with tears and her lips quivered. This caught Ethan by surprise, but it soon turned into worry. "Hilda? What happened?" He knelt by her side, reaching out gently. She ran into him, clutching onto his chest as she was hyperventilating. Whatever had happened, it clearly shocked her. For the first time in a while, he had to be a father and calm her down. "Easy Hilda… you're safe now. You're okay." He promised her, rubbing her back as he let her cry on his jacket. "Deep breaths… don't over do yourself." He told her.
The child wept into him, while he allowed her to get it out of her system. What the hell happened to her? Even though he was curious, he decided it was better not to ask. After a few minutes, he heard her sniffle before their eyes met. "Hilda?"
She reached her free hand up to her face and wiped her tears away. "I-I'm sorry… I won't run off again…" She promised.
"Hey, hey, I'm not mad. You aren't in any trouble." He told her, trying to keep her anchored. "But we have to stick together from now on, alright?" Hilda nodded, not arguing anymore. Instead, she raised her other arm up, showing the Winters what she had. Ethan's own eyes became saucers as he managed to see the torso of his baby girl. "Ah! Rose!" He took the jar from the child and held it close to him. "We have her… we have all of her…" He felt like crying himself, but in a more happy manner. "Daddy's here, sweetie. We'll get you patched up soon." He promised. He couldn't believe it. They were so close. They were going to save Rose and get out of here.
"We still have to put her in the Altar at the Ceremony Site… in the Big Chalice." Hilda reminded him.
Ethan looked up at the child, hearing her words. He nodded, handing her the jar so she put it in her satchel with the rest. "Alright, let's get out of here. Hopefully Alice is there ready to meet us." Hilda nodded, hoping for that as well. The gate was lifted up now, showing another stairwell downwards. Taking Ethan's hand, Hilda and him went down another flight. This time, the source of light to guide them were lanterns rather than torches. When they were on the ground, Ethan tried to figure out where to go next. To their left, Hilda saw a large, golden plate with plenty of decorations etched into the metal. She reached over, taking it and smiled.
"Guglielmo's Plate! He was one of the four founders of this Village!" Hilda smiled, stashing the treasure in her satchel.
Ethan watched her take another item and smile. At least she seemed like her cheery self again. "Well, with all of this on us, we should make a fine profit from the Duke." He chuckled. Ethan's eyes drifted over to the large picture that was above where the plate rested. It was of an image of a woman holding a baby, the woman he now assumed was Miranda and the baby was Eva. Considering Miranda's motive for using the Megamycete, it was no surprise the religion she created was based off of that idea. Though, there was something else that caught Ethan's attention. The image was a lot larger than the ones he had seen before. And most of the upper right side of the picture was torn off. Did that mean the photo was incomplete?
"Ethan, look!" Hilda ran to the other side of the room. When Ethan checked, he saw a dock with a small motor boat stationed there.
"Huh… didn't think they would have something like this down here." Ethan noted.
Hilda reached into her stash and found a small key. She plugged it into the engine and turned it. After a few turns, the motor purred to life. Ethan smiled, hopping in and taking the reins. "Just like Louisiana." He noted, steering the motor as they headed down the large waterway through the dimly lit tunnels.
"Woah… I wonder if it was Lord Heisenberg's ancestors that built this place." Hilda questioned, fascinated by the architect of the tunnels alone.
"If he's as much of an engineer as you say he is, then he must have gotten it from somewhere…" Ethan noted, as the boat wadded across the water. "Still… if he does have a connection to this place, why would he build a factory to live in instead of being here?"
"Maybe because the Village began to adapt to certain technology just like the younger Heisenberg descendants." Hilda theorized. "Plus, Heisenberg doesn't like to be associated as nobility. So maybe this Stronghold reminds him of it."
Hearing her say that made him wonder, what were the Lords like before they were under Miranda's control? Come to think of it, were they actually doing this of their own will? Or much like the Bakers, they had no choice and are just puppets on strings? Part of Ethan did feel bad for them. He couldn't imagine being trapped in a small village away from society, turned into a B.O.W and forced to serve under the one that ruined your life. Still, they took and hurt Rose, so they were the enemy. But Miranda was the one to truly blame.
Soon they found another docking station where they could get out. Once Ethan parked the boat, they hopped onto the steps. The two headed up the claustrophobic room, following the electric light to find another stairwell to the left. Heading downward, following the fluorescence illumination on the ceilings, they were taken to an area with many small spaces that were separated by iron bars. "This looks like the dungeons from Lady Dimitrescu's castle." Hilda noted.
"This must have been their holding cells." Ethan realized, as they walked through the rooms easily through the holes in the walls. They followed the light and were taken to what appeared to be a workbench. Going over, Ethan's eyes landed on some papers that were under the shining beams of a lamp. He picked them up and checked them over, reading them out loud. "Cadou Implantation Notes. Subjects 174-181.
"Subject 174: Mihai M. Characteristics: 21, male, Silversmith. Scars from Pneumonia. Results: Low affinity. Cadou failed to grow. Body transformation, drop in dognition. (Another Lycan). Send to pasture.
"Subject 177: Bernadette B. Characteristics: 21, female, no occupation. No history of illness. Results: Death.
"Subject 181: Alcina D. Characteristics: 44, female, noble descendant. Born in the village, left for decades, came back. Hereditary blood disease. Results: Very high affinity. No loss of cognition. Arbitrarily able to control body transformation. Applied cognition control procedure. Sent for observation."
Ethan checked the notes over as he tried to put the pieces together. It didn't take long for him to do so. "These must be Miranda's notes on the people she tested…"
"Alcina…" Hilda repeated. "That's Lady Dimistrecu's name." The Winters turned to the child as she said that, raising a brow in confusion before turning back to the papers. "And Donna had a great aunt named Bernadette! One of her children told me so. But, she disappeared years before her father was born. And if I'm not mistaken, there was a Moreau by the name of Mihai as well." Hilda added.
Ethan felt like he lost color in his face, flipping through the notes again as his eyes scanned the words. "Then these subjects weren't random… they were either the Lords themselves or related to them."
"Why would Mother Miranda experiment on the people related to the Kings who once ruled this land?" Hilda questioned.
"Maybe it's because of their relations and names that she decided to experiment on them." Ethan theorized. "Maybe because of their connection to this land, Miranda would assume they would have more… affinity to the Cadou the Megamycete came from. Whatever that means. From the notes alone though, it doesn't seem all of them made it. The lucky ones seemed to have died without being turned."
"That's considered lucky?"
"Better than being a mindless Lycan… at least as far as I'm concerned." Ethan admitted. Hilda peeked up to take a look at the notes herself and see what was on them.
She managed to decipher the words despite her age, yet something didn't sit right with her. "Where's Lord Heisenberg's notes?"
"Heisenberg's notes?" Ethan repeated confused at first.
"All of these papers have people related to the Lords. But… there isn't one mentioning the Heisenberg bloodline." Hilda explained. Ethan looked back at the sheets, raising a brow as he realized that. Only three victims, but each of them had some sort of correspondent with the Lords themselves. Except for the fourth one.
"Maybe she didn't get to Heisenberg yet when she made these notes…" Ethan suggested. Then again, there weren't any date stamps on them to determine when these experiments took place. "Or maybe they're somewhere else?" Ethan pondered. It wasn't like finding such information would be useful to them at the moment… he laid them back on the bench since he didn't see any need for keeping them.
Hilda turned her head to look back towards the hallway with the barred rooms. She shuddered as her skin turned cold. "Monsters…" She cried. Ethan looked down at her, then started to hear some grunts and hissing. Getting his shotgun ready, he walked down the path and kept his eyes opened. It didn't take long for the enemies to appear. Two of them, in rags and holding ax-like weapons. He wasted no time in pumping bullets into them, shooting their heads off. This surprised Ethan with how quickly they went down. Curious, he went over to investigate them. To his shock, they didn't look like Lycans. Rather, they seemed like men that were dressed up in tattered clothing. What was even stranger was the fact they looked more human. No sign of Lycan features anywhere. Aside from the bald head, pale skin and dull eyes… they didn't look like the other servants of Miranda.
"What the hell are these guys?" Ethan questioned. Hilda stared at the two that were down, curious just like Ethan. The Winters was so distracted by the corpses that he wasn't able to see someone coming behind him. When he turned around, he was attacked by a third enemy who hit him in the back of the head with a large, metal club. Grunting, he fell to the floor with a hard thud.
"Ethan!" Hilda cried out, going to his side. The man tried to get up, but he felt the pain in his skull radiate to the point he couldn't even process anymore. His vision grew blurry as all he could see was the child before him and the monster ready to tear her apart. Hilda gasped, seeing the enemy ready to attack. She was scared, and she wouldn't be able to rely on Ethan anymore. The child looked up at the enemy with wide, green eyes as she was by the older man's side, just as Ethan once again blacked out.
