“Which leaves only violence, and while I would like to put a hole in her head for what she did to my mother, killing a noble is no easy task. It’d be a struggle to cover this up, and we’d certainly be put to death if we’re caught.” Rayan said. “But we’ll have to take the risk. We can’t let her continue on with this madness.”
Aethel fiddled with her shirt as she threw it back on. “I could cook something up. Maybe make it look like her experiment backfired and she burned to death.”
“No, the experts would come in and see through that really quick. Trust me, I used to do that stuff, and it was incredibly easy to find out when someone was trying to cover something up.” His eyes were wide as he finished the sentence.
“Wait, I thought you said you were a corporal?” Aethel asked, a blonde brow raised in a questioning glance. “They only help train and lead units into battle, and yet you say you were an investigator. Were you really in the military or was that a lie?”
Rayan was silent for a moment before he replied. “I cannot tell you anything more about it.” He exposed his tongue to reveal a strange rune that had been branded onto it, the symbol pulsating a bright blue color. She may not have had the experience to identify exactly what that rune was, but she could certainly tell it was explosive. “Just know that I didn’t lie about being in the military.”
“So you’re keeping secrets from me?” Aethel didn’t know why, but she felt a pang of hurt in her heart from that revelation.
“I’m sorry Aethel, I truly am, but it’s for your own good.” He tossed her shirt to her, the woman carefully putting it back on to avoid the new sensitive skin she had regrown. “But don’t worry, I will tell you someday.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” She replied.
“But you’ve got to promise to tell me of your past as well. It wouldn’t be fair to tell you all my secrets and for you to hold back.” A small smile spread across his face. “Unless it was to continue that little flirting game we had back before you visited the mansion. We never did finish that game.”
Aethel let out a laugh, a bit of delight filling her heart. “You are such a charmer, aren’t you? Where was the nervous man that I knew who would blush like a virgin every time I was near him?”
“Well considering I seemed to have confessed how I felt about you in my little speech, and you to me, I only think it may be fine to try and court you.” Rayan shrugged. “Besides, I’d like to think that I got to be with beautiful woman who wasn’t a bed warmer before going on a deadly mission.”
“You’re pretty straight-forward when you want to be?” Aethel asked, a hint of amusement in her voice. “However, I’ll have to decline for now. Perhaps once we rescue my son, we can try for something more between us. Maybe even go on a date at your place like you promised.”
“So, all I’ve got to do to have a chance with you is charge into a mansion probably filled with abominations of nature, a crazy alchemist, and probably some traps, and rescue your son and escape. You sure do have high standards.”
Aethel let out a chuckle. “What can I say? I’m a classy kind of woman.”
“I’ll say.” Rayan stood up before he walked over to one of the cabinets in the living room, and opened it. “Where is it?” Aethel heard the clang of bottles as he looked through the cabinet, before he pulled out one that seemed to be a white jar along with two shot glasses. “Spiced crattlerat milk! Eighty percent proof variant too.” Rayan walked back to the couch the two had sat on and laid the glasses and bottle down on the table. “Might as well celebrate before we go for our big night out.”
“I-I’m sorry, but I don’t drink.” Aethel said as Rayan poured a little bit of the Spiced Crattlerat Milk into the shot glasses.
“Are you religious? I never took you for a Miionist.” Rayan said.
“No, it’s for more personal reasons.” She replied. “I had a bit of a problem with drugs earlier on in my life, and so once I got clean, I swore off anything that would be detrimental to me like crys-rock, numbing potions, and alcohol.”
“Ah my apologies then.” He looked at the two glasses of the spiced crattlerat milk he had already poured. “Well then, I’ll celebrate for the both of us.” Rayan downed both shots, one after the other. He immediately regretted it as he felt like his throat was on fire as he began to cough.
Aethel let out a laugh as she watched Rayan cough, the man clearly overwhelmed by the alcohol. “I see that I’m not the only one who shouldn’t be having any alcohol.”
He sent a playful glare her way as he straightened up and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “Hey, it’s not my fault! I haven’t had some of that stuff in years.”
“By the way you were coughing, it seemed to be a good thing that you haven’t had it in so long, and probably shouldn’t ever again if that’s the way you react to it.” Aethel replied, a playful smile on her face, one that Rayan returned with one of his own.
“Well, to be fair, I’ve seen father use it to get rust off of some of his tools, so there may be some truth to those words.” Aethel’s eyes twitched at his words. “Still, at the very least, if we do die tomorrow, I can pass on with that last memory keeping me warm.”
“Yeah.” Aethel had a morose smile on her face as she saw her reflection in the shot glass. A small silence filled the room as she lost herself in her thoughts. “If I die, will you take care of Craeft for me?”
Rayan was stunned at her words, a hint of shock in his eyes. He wondered if perhaps the alcohol had affected him more than he thought and he had become buzzed. “What?”
“I’m asking you, that if I perish, will you take care of my son for me?” She asked. The question seemed to make him stare at her intensely, as if he was seeing something he had seen before in his life.
He laid his hand on hers, his rough calloused hands meeting her rough ones. “No, I won’t.” Aethel’s eyes held a hint of fury at his reply, and strangely enough, betrayal. “Because you won’t die. If it comes down to it, take the kid and run.”
“But…”
“Aethel, I’m only twenty years old, but I’ve lived through so much that I feel triple that age.” The hollowed look in his eyes lent testament to his words. “I joined the military when I was fourteen, the minimum age, because I wanted to get out and explore the world, but it was foolish of me to do so ma’am. I’ve done so many things, and I just…” Rayan clenched his hand around hers. “Just…run. If it goes wrong, I’ll take the fall. Just run and live your life.”
Aethel was silent for a moment, before she replied. “Why are you so kind to me?”
“You remember all those things I said earlier? About conviction and inner strength?” She nodded. “You’re not the first woman who I’ve met who had those qualities, but I failed her and she died. I don’t want the same to happen to you.”
“Rayan…” Aethel whispered, before she kissed him on the lips. Rayan’s eyes were filled with shock as she pulled back, a small blush on both their faces as she held his hand tight. “Thank you for everything.
The cheesy smile on his face didn’t go away for a long while.
Chapter Ten
“Are we in?” Rayan asked.
“Yeah.” Aethel replied as she opened the front door to the Alcott Mansion. It had taken the trio a while to gather up their strength, especially Gawain since he had been seriously injured by Lianza, now having only one hand, but they had made up for it. Within the next few hours, they were ready and they had taken to the mansion under the cover of the full moon.
Rayan wore his bright red military armor, his amulet glove on his right hand and his caster on his back. He flexed his fingers, and a bright red flame appeared in his hand, alighting the darkness as they entered the mansion. “It seems those electro-magic pulse runes you carved onto those stones worked wonders on those wards and automatons. Shame you had to use blood to make them powerful enough to take down those wards.”
Aethel shrugged, her body covered with a simple brown shirt and pants, alon
g a belt full of runic stones to help her. Her wounds had healed, but she still felt a little weak from losing the blood for the runes. Still, it had empowered her creation enough to wreck the wards that surrounded the place, and had the bonus of messing up the automatons that patrolled the grounds, so it was a fair trade in her books. “A little blood is a small price to pay for finding my son. Speaking of Craeft, how are we going to find him. This place is…”
“Enormous.” Gawain said gruffly. He wore a leather vest atop a buttoned-up shirt and pants. He was having difficulty with being one handed, but Aethel knew that it would not stop him from killing the woman who turned his wife into an abomination. “Far bigger on the inside then on the outside. Probably some fancy spatial manipulation charms, though I can’t complain. I had someone cast the same thing on my barns to make em’ bigger as well. Enough yappin’ though, we gotta find Ms. Alcott.”
Aethel narrowed her green eyes at the man. Ever since Rayan had told Gawain about what had happened to Glorina, he had been focused on revenge, even with his injured form. In her opinion, he should have been laying in a hospital bed, but it seemed that he had let his lust for revenge overtake his common sense.
She couldn’t really blame him thought. She would’ve done the same for Craeft.
Or rather, was going to do the same for Craeft if Ailbe even laid a finger on him.
Aethel’s eyes roamed the hallways as they slowly walked throughout the mansion, the creak of the hardwood echoing through the large rooms as they kept moving. They checked room after room, and yet, it seemed like no body was home, which leant to the creepy atmosphere as the explored the place, the only light being the one Rayan held in the palm of his hand.
“Is anybody home?” Gawain asked, a hint of fear in his voice. Aethel didn’t want to let it show, but she felt scared too. The place was completely empty. It was clean, the Automatons seemed to have made sure of that, but there was no warmth there, no feeling of life. “This place is givin’ me the creeps.”
Aethel kept calm as they continued on. The sound of wood creaking, the lack of light, and just the sheer lack of life leant the mansion a particularly malicious edge.
She began to get even more worried as they had passed a dining room, a kitchen, even a study, and a library, yet found nobody. Even the bedrooms they had found were empty.
Yet, she knew something was wrong when they heard heavy thumps in the distance, the sound of several feet stomping throughout the place. The floors leant it an even heavier edge as it creaked and groaned under the stress of whatever was walking throughout the place.
“I guess I’m not the only one hearing that?” Rayan said, a trickle of sweat running down his face. Rayan had told her that they would be going in blind, and while she seemed a bit nervous, he seemed far more so.
“No, I hear it too.” Aethel replied. Gawain nodded as well, and the trio steadily moved on, careful not to make any noise as they searched the massive home. The footsteps never seemed to get any closer, staying at a certain distance behind them.
Aethel thought it was eerie. Like they were being stalked, but the being that stalked them was simply watching them, yet there was nowhere to watch them from. Whatever was in the mansion was close, they could hear it, yet only so close.
Her emerald eyes widened.
Close enough to make them begin to panic and make mistakes. She noticed the sweat running down her friend’s faces, and had to wipe her own brow, her hand coming back wet with some of her own. “We have to calm down.” Aethel whispered out, the two men’s eyes wide as a hint of adrenaline flowed through their veins. “I think it’s just trying to toy with us and make us screw up.”
“How do you know that?” Gawain asked.
“It’s my best guess really.” Aethel said. “If it wanted to attack us, it could’ve easily done so, yet it keeps staying a certain distance away. It’s either trying to get us to panic or its…” Her eyes widened in realization. “It’s herding us.”
“That’s what I was starting to think as well,” Rayan said as the flames in his hand intensified, as if eager to burn whatever should approach them. “The question is, should we play along with it, or go and try and fight it?”
“Considering what other things Ailbe could throw at us, I don’t like the prospect of facing what’s following us.” Aethel said. “Besides, it’ll probably struggle more if we don’t play along with its game, and we might be able to catch it off guard that way.”
“Can’t argue with that.” Rayan replied. “But we’ll still have to keep our eyes open for any traps.” Gawain and Aethel nod as they followed Rayan. Aethel could tell that he was trying to keep his cool, but the nervous twitch of his hands and the constant glances out of the corner of his eye, as if seeing things in the shadows, gave it away.
After what seemed like an eternity, they arrived at what seemed to be the master bedroom, an assortment of jewels and trinkets lining the walls, along with a few book cases, seemingly filled with plenty of arcane knowledge.
But it was also empty.
“Where the hell is everyone?!” Gawain shouted. “This whole place is empty! We came here for nothing, and now, we’re being stalked by some freak of nature that’s probably going to try and kill us just like Alcott’s pet werewolf did!”
Rayan was desperate to quiet the man. “Father, please quiet down-“
“Don’t you tell me to quiet down!” Gawain’s blue eyes were filled with anger. “I came here to get Glorina and get my revenge on Mrs. Alcott for daring to lay a finger on her!”
“And we can’t get revenge if you attract the attention of everyone in the mansion.” Rayan whispered harshly. “We just got to keep looking around. I’m sure we’ll find something.”
Gawain pointed at Aethel. “And yet, we’ve found nothing! We’ve been in here for over an hour, and found nothing, and yet you want me to calm down?!” He pointed at Aethel. “I understand that she came here for her son, and while I’m helpin’ her do that, my primary concern is my wife! Your mother! And yet you seem so calm about this whole thing!”
“I came to terms with mother’s disappearance long ago.” Rayan replied, his eyes cold. “Father, she’s either dead, an experiment that wishes she were dead, or simply lost to us.” The words felt cold coming out of his mouth, and Aethel felt herself shudder. He must have gotten used to death with his time in the military, but even then, it sounded quite chilling to hear him say that.
Even if what he said was probably true. If Glorina had spent the past few months with Mrs. Alcott, she was either dead, or wishing she was.
“No.” Gawain whispered through gritted teeth. “No! I refuse to accept that! Just because you’ve given up on your mother, doesn’t mean I have!” He slammed his fist into the wall, hitting a bright red ruby. “Ow, son of a…what the?”
The instant he had hit the jewel, the bed had begun to move to the side, revealing a set of stairs underneath. A smile flew across the older man’s face. “A secret passageway! She’s probably down there! C’mon!”
“Father!” Rayan called out, but Gawain ignored him as he quickly descended down the barely lit stairs, floating purple lamps lending the place an eerie light. “Don’t just go run off!” Rayan turned towards Aethel, a ball of flame still above his hand. “Well, since he seems so intent on running off, you want to go after him?”
“I’m going after Craeft.” She said, resolve filling her heart as she began to walk down the stairs. “If that means I have to descend down into the unknown, I will.” She held her hand out. “Are you coming?”
“Guess I’ve got no choice.” He mumbled out as he grabbed her hand. A small warmth grew in Aethel’s chest as he took her hand, though she was sure it was just the heat coming from his flames. They descended deeper and deeper till they finally reached the floor to what seemed to be a very long hallway, the walls a bright and sterile white, and the lamps had changed from a malicious purple to an almost plain white.
Yet, for all the room’s s
terility, it felt even more menacing than the rooms upstairs, a feeling of cleanliness that hid horrors perpetrating the environment.
That didn’t seem to perturb Gawain any though, as she spotted him at the end of the hallway, trying to unlock a spell-locked door. His fingers pounded away at the keypad, yet it didn’t seem to respond to anything, the numbers on it not even being able to be pushed.
Gawain’s frustration grew as he futilely tried to push the buttons, only for nothing to happen. Aethel and Rayan felt pity for the man as he punched the door in his rage, the man screaming curses to the heavens for allowing him to get so close to his beloved wife, yet so far.
His curses quieted however, as the trio heard the stomping noises getting closer, sounding like they were descending down the staircase. Rayan aimed his caster at the staircase, the barrel of it poised and ready to unleash the deadly spell contained within. “Hurry up and open the door father!”
“I’m tryin’ ya runt!” Gawain shouted. “But I can’t even press the buttons! It’s like it’s not even a real-keypad!”
“Try using your magic then! Maybe that’ll work!” Aethel shouted as she aimed her amulet glove at the stairs as well. She knew that her blood runes could possibly stop whatever was coming, but that would require getting close, and she had seen the size of those things that followed Mona around.
She had no intention of getting that close.
Gawain grunted as held his amulet glove up to the keypad, but stopped as he turned to look back at the staircase one last time, and saw what had been following them.
“Glorina?”
Gawain’s voice was a whisper as he beheld his wife’s form. Skin so pale that it was practically translucent revealed the veins underneath. Her bright brown eyes, once so full of life, looked like a doll’s, like they were a sad mimicry of a human. Patches of brown hair still laid on her head, as if a piece of herself was hanging on despite the modifications done to her body.
Seeing this filled Aethel with disgust, and Rayan with pity. But Aethel saw from the corner of her eye that it seemed to be too much for Gawain. Simply seeing his wife again, even if her body was a hideous mockery of life itself, caused him to break down completely. Tears slid down his face as he began to walk towards her, the she-thing that was his wife staring back at him with dead eyes. An arm reached out and halted Gawain.
A New Life Page 11