18th Fragment: -NARROW-
[Meanwhile…]
[The Training Hall, Tower of Nexus]
Breathing heavily, Marie leaned against the wall with a wooden sword in hand, her emerald eyes stared down at the straw doll lying on the floor. She grunted, slightly annoyed at the absence of a clock in the Training Hall - making it difficult to tell how many hours passed since she started sparring against the inanimate object.
"Huh, I thought I told Stephanie to add one last week," she mumbled, "Oh well, must have slipped her mind." Seconds after, a thin, beige-skinned woman stomped into the room - frantically shifting her head left and right until her shining magenta eyes met Marie's startled expression.
"Miss Strelitzia!" exclaimed the visitor. Her blonde, tousled hair swayed around as she rushed toward her upperclassman with a sense of urgency. "Sorry, I just...remembered about...the clock," she panted.
"Easy, Stephanie. Try catching your breath first," said Marie calmly. However, the thing that instantly caught her attention was the orange boilersuit the woman was wearing. "Did you just run all the way here from Maintenance? Steph dear, have you forgotten Pascal's advice about overexerting yourself?"
"I'm truly sorry, Miss, but as soon as I recalled your request, my legs kinda moved on their own," Stephanie replied bashfully. "Oh, did you hear? Markus nominated you for a seat in the Council."
"Again?" Marie sighed, rolling her eyes. "That sly man – he’s a persistent one, I'll give him that. Guess I have to give him the bad news later."
"You're...declining the offer?" Stephanie was taken aback by the woman's response.
"Oh, don't be upset, dear. I'm sure there is someone else better for the job than me. Besides, the last time I was given a big responsibility, I screwed it up pretty badly," Marie let out a humorless laugh.
"That's not true," Stephanie muttered, shaking her head vigorously, "You have saved a lot of people, Miss Marie, and I don't think you gave yourself enough credit for that."
After listening to the heartfelt compliment, Marie couldn't help but beams at her. "I appreciate the kind words, but I still won't change my mind. I’m pretty comfortable with my current job, and just because I saved a lot of people, that doesn’t mean I’m worthy of a seat in the Council."
“That’s…that’s a bummer. Are you sure you won’t reconsider? For Markus to nominate you for the second time – he must have seen something special about you.”
“No, he thought he saw something in me. You know, Steph – even though Markus is the second-in-command, he can sometimes be a little naïve – in a good way. He thinks I’m…redeemable when in reality, I’m not.”
“Miss Marie…,” said Stephanie. She wanted to say something to the lady in black in return but not a single word came out of her mouth.
“Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to bring the mood down,” Marie instantly changed the subject. “So, who's the other sad sap that got recommended? Let me guess – it’s Jason Helians, isn't it?"
"Yeah, how did you know?" Stephanie looked somewhat perplexed.
"'How? First and foremost, he's the Crown Prince of the Opal Sun Kingdom who, at the same time, is a brilliant strategist and an adept swordsman - not to mention a fairly good-looking guy. Uh...don't tell him that, okay?"
"Somehow, you don't look too thrilled about it. Isn’t that supposed to be good news?"
A smirk appeared on Marie's face as if she was anticipating the question, "Oh, it is good news – that is if, and only if he accepted the offer."
A soft 'oh' flew out of Stephanie's mouth as she recalled the ongoing turmoil in the eastern kingdom. "I'm guessing he’ll reject the offer as well?"
“Jason has a lot on his plate right now. The Liberation Army, and the Inner Circle, just to name a few. But hey, who knows? Maybe he’ll change his mind one day and decides to take on the responsibility.
“He should. I don’t think there is anyone more worthy for a seat in the Council than Jason – and, you, of course.”
Marie’s eyes narrowed. She slowly raised her right hand toward Stephanie before flicking the latter on the forehead.
“OW!”
“Nice try, Steph,” Marie retorted. “Now, aren’t you here to do something?”
The bespectacled woman fidgeted. "Drat! I nearly forgot about that!" exclaimed Stephanie, as she pulled out a pair of oval glasses from one of her suit’s pockets. "I'm...ah, gonna, you know...the clock?"
"Sure. Take your time, sweetie," Marie responded with a motherly smile.
qs********************************************
[Meanwhile…]
[Inside the Old Disciples' Complex, Desert of Ashes]
"You made it sound so trivial, Edelweiss – but, you are right. I am indeed one of the Disciples' creations - a Reprieved who was turned into an Accursed, " Elisabeth shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "Now, I think that should be enough to answer your question about the biometric system."
"Perhaps," replied Sam, his eyes narrowed. Although he could tell that every word uttered by Elisabeth was the truth, he still had a sneaking suspicion that the sorrowful-looking woman was still hiding something. Instead of probing further, Sam decided to let it slide for now. "Alright, we'll help you stop them - on one condition."
Elisabeth grunted, "Are you serious? We don’t have time for that right now!”
"You’re right, and that’s why you need to listen very carefully to what I’m about to say," Sam answered. "Now, considering your history with the Disciples, I suggest you stay in the bunker while Lucy, Rupert, and I deal with the scientists. Sadly, I don't exactly have authority over you, since you are still the Overseer of this land."
"That, and the fact that she is as stubborn as a mule," Lucy giggled, much to Elisabeth's dismay.
"Yeah, yeah, jokes aside," Sam interjected, "When we go past this door, I would prefer if we minimize the number of casualties - in other words - unless threatened, use only non-lethal forces."
"What?" Elisabeth's voice cracked.
"Don't get me wrong - I hate them as much as you do – well, perhaps not as much as you, but you get the point. We need them alive for further questioning. Neither of us here is well-versed in the language of the dead, and I don't think Ethan is generous enough to lend us a hand on that particular matter," Sam exhaled, putting back the vial he was holding into his pants. "So, do we have a truce?"
Elisabeth stared intently at the vermillion-eyed man; her frown soon deepened into a scowl. "Quite bold of you to impose such demand on me. You’re not even an official member of the Order, so what makes you think I will abide by your rule?"
"Markus is the one who sent us," Elisabeth instantly shuddered at Sam's retort. "If you won't listen to me as equals, perhaps you'll listen to me as his former apprentice. You, after all, like the rest of us here, are honor-bound to him." Elisabeth's fierce expression began to ease up after hearing Sam's last sentence, a reaction that took the siblings by surprise.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Elisabeth let out a snort of disgust, later accompanied by a grimace. "I wonder – what exactly is the price of honor when you are 10 feet underground surrounded by rusted metals and grating sand?”
“None. Your conscience, however, is a whole different story.”
“Yeah, unfortunately,” Elisabeth glared into Sam’s eyes for a few seconds before she eventually replied, "Fine. I will try not to harm the scientists. You have my word."
"Good," said Sam, bobbing his head as a wave of relief washed over him. As he turned back to face the rusty door, Sam noticed the Nightingales quietly eyeing him. "Is there a problem?" he asked.
"No, it's just, ah...," before Lucy finished her sentence, she suddenly shoved her brother to the front, "Rupert wants to do the honor of opening the door."
"Wait-what!? I never said such-OW!" the elder Nightingale yelped after his sister slapped the back of his head.
"See? He's really, REALLY looking forward to it. Right, big brother?" Lucy added.
"I'll do it," Elisabeth casually jumped into the conversation. "And you two can take those things off. They won't be much use to you down here - at least, not until we shut down the signal jammer."
While the siblings removed their masks, the stern-looking woman strolled past Sam and grabbed the handwheel with her right hand. Thanks to Lucy’s contribution, Elisabeth could wrench the metal door open effortlessly.
"Ah, shit," said Elisabeth after seeing a figure in a yellow hazmat suit standing right in front of her.
"INTRU-UGH!" the person cried out as Elisabeth caught them by the arm and slammed their entire body into the concrete wall.
"Huh, that was too close," remarked Elisabeth as she released her hold, causing the person to slide down the wall - completely out cold. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Sam glaring at her disapprovingly. "A non-lethal approach - just as you instructed."
"Well, he may still be alive, but the impact just now was probably enough to confine them to a wheelchair for the rest of his life," Rupert stated.
"Or he'll just wake up with a mild headache. Can we go now?" Elisabeth replied before hopping over the unconscious Disciple.
**qs******************************************
As the four Accursed walked along the rock-strewn passageway, Lucy tugged on Sam's arm - slightly tilting her head toward the man's right ear and whispered, "Are you sure it's okay to let her tag along?"
"Even if I told her to stay behind, do you think she'll listen?" Sam answered. "And I also have the feeling that she's still withholding some information from us.”
“About what?”
“About the real reason she wanted to get rid of the Disciples.”
"No offense, Sam, but don't you think you're being a little paranoid? You’ve been on edge ever since…ever since the Sandcreeper," Lucy responded.
“I know you trust her, Luce, and honestly, I wish I could say the same. But, there’s something in her eyes – it was not the gaze of someone who wanted justice; it was a gaze of regret and suppressed anger.”
“Anger toward who?
“Toward herself.”
GRRR!
The tunnel began to rumble, causing the four Accursed to stop dead in their tracks. The next thing they heard was the screaming of the Sandcreepers echoing throughout the dark burrow.
“That sounded pretty close,” Rupert remarked. “This…this place won’t collapse on us, right?”
“No, they’re built to last,” Elisabeth swiftly replied. “And the Sandcreepers are far away from our current position. I’m not sure what is happening but something must have caught their attention.”
“Or someone,” Lucy added.
GRRR!
Another rumbling, but this time, a few grains of sand fell from the ceiling above their heads.
“We should go. Now,” said Sam, a decision that was unanimously agreed by his three companions.
The four Accursed rushed onward without taking a single peek over their shoulders. However, it did not take long until all of them walked into a solid brick wall.
"Hold it," Elisabeth suddenly blurted out as she pushed her hands against the barrier. “Oh, you gotta be kidding me.”
"A dead end?" said Rupert with his eyebrows raised, "Wait, is it supposed to be a dead end?"
"Tsk," Elisabeth clicked her tongue - loud enough to be heard by the trio behind her. "This is not a dead-end. It’s a door," the amber-eyed woman grumbled, lifting her head upward. "Those bastards know we're in here."
The Accursed trembled after hearing a third rumbling above their heads, followed by the overlapping clattering of stone and rock debris. Rupert snapped his head skyward and realized the ceiling gradually descended towards them. "Holy shit! We need to get out of here!" he uttered, but Elisabeth immediately scolded him.
"Stop panicking, Nightingale - this is not your first rodeo, so calm yourself down!" Elisabeth then leisurely knocked on the solid wall until she heard a hollow sound. "There’s no other way, but forward.”
“Wait, Liz! What are you doing!?” Sam shouted.
“Finding us a way out,” Elisabeth muttered as she curled her right hand into a fist and exclaimed, “BRACE!”
18th Fragment: -NARROW-
[Meanwhile…]
[The Training Hall, Tower of Nexus]
Breathing heavily, Marie leaned against the wall with a wooden sword in hand, her emerald eyes stared down at the straw doll lying on the floor. She grunted, slightly annoyed at the absence of a clock in the Training Hall - making it difficult to tell how many hours passed since she started sparring against the inanimate object.
"Huh, I thought I told Stephanie to add one last week," she mumbled, "Oh well, must have slipped her mind." Seconds after, a thin, beige-skinned woman stomped into the room - frantically shifting her head left and right until her shining magenta eyes met Marie's startled expression.
"Miss Strelitzia!" exclaimed the visitor. Her blonde, tousled hair swayed around as she rushed toward her upperclassman with a sense of urgency. "Sorry, I just...remembered about...the clock," she panted.
"Easy, Stephanie. Try catching your breath first," said Marie calmly. However, the thing that instantly caught her attention was the orange boilersuit the woman was wearing. "Did you just run all the way here from Maintenance? Steph dear, have you forgotten Pascal's advice about overexerting yourself?"
"I'm truly sorry, Miss, but as soon as I recalled your request, my legs kinda moved on their own," Stephanie replied bashfully. "Oh, did you hear? Markus nominated you for a seat in the Council."
"Again?" Marie sighed, rolling her eyes. "That sly man – he’s a persistent one, I'll give him that. Guess I have to give him the bad news later."
"You're...declining the offer?" Stephanie was taken aback by the woman's response.
"Oh, don't be upset, dear. I'm sure there is someone else better for the job than me. Besides, the last time I was given a big responsibility, I screwed it up pretty badly," Marie let out a humorless laugh.
"That's not true," Stephanie muttered, shaking her head vigorously, "You have saved a lot of people, Miss Marie, and I don't think you gave yourself enough credit for that."
After listening to the heartfelt compliment, Marie couldn't help but beams at her. "I appreciate the kind words, but I still won't change my mind. I’m pretty comfortable with my current job, and just because I saved a lot of people, that doesn’t mean I’m worthy of a seat in the Council."
“That’s…that’s a bummer. Are you sure you won’t reconsider? For Markus to nominate you for the second time – he must have seen something special about you.”
“No, he thought he saw something in me. You know, Steph – even though Markus is the second-in-command, he can sometimes be a little naïve – in a good way. He thinks I’m…redeemable when in reality, I’m not.”
“Miss Marie…,” said Stephanie. She wanted to say something to the lady in black in return but not a single word came out of her mouth.
“Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to bring the mood down,” Marie instantly changed the subject. “So, who's the other sad sap that got recommended? Let me guess – it’s Jason Helians, isn't it?"
"Yeah, how did you know?" Stephanie looked somewhat perplexed.
"'How? First and foremost, he's the Crown Prince of the Opal Sun Kingdom who, at the same time, is a brilliant strategist and an adept swordsman - not to mention a fairly good-looking guy. Uh...don't tell him that, okay?"
"Somehow, you don't look too thrilled about it. Isn’t that supposed to be good news?"
A smirk appeared on Marie's face as if she was anticipating the question, "Oh, it is good news – that is if, and only if he accepted the offer."
A soft 'oh' flew out of Stephanie's mouth as she recalled the ongoing turmoil in the eastern kingdom. "I'm guessing he’ll reject the offer as well?"
“Jason has a lot on his plate right now. The Liberation Army, and the Inner Circle, just to name a few. But hey, who knows? Maybe he’ll change his mind one day and decides to take on the responsibility.
“He should. I don’t think there is anyone more worthy for a seat in the Council than Jason – and, you, of course.”
Marie’s eyes narrowed. She slowly raised her right hand toward Stephanie before flicking the latter on the forehead.
“OW!”
“Nice try, Steph,” Marie retorted. “Now, aren’t you here to do something?”
The bespectacled woman fidgeted. "Drat! I nearly forgot about that!" exclaimed Stephanie, as she pulled out a pair of oval glasses from one of her suit’s pockets. "I'm...ah, gonna, you know...the clock?"
"Sure. Take your time, sweetie," Marie responded with a motherly smile.
qs********************************************
[Meanwhile…]
[Inside the Old Disciples' Complex, Desert of Ashes]
"You made it sound so trivial, Edelweiss – but, you are right. I am indeed one of the Disciples' creations - a Reprieved who was turned into an Accursed, " Elisabeth shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "Now, I think that should be enough to answer your question about the biometric system."
"Perhaps," replied Sam, his eyes narrowed. Although he could tell that every word uttered by Elisabeth was the truth, he still had a sneaking suspicion that the sorrowful-looking woman was still hiding something. Instead of probing further, Sam decided to let it slide for now. "Alright, we'll help you stop them - on one condition."
Elisabeth grunted, "Are you serious? We don’t have time for that right now!”
"You’re right, and that’s why you need to listen very carefully to what I’m about to say," Sam answered. "Now, considering your history with the Disciples, I suggest you stay in the bunker while Lucy, Rupert, and I deal with the scientists. Sadly, I don't exactly have authority over you, since you are still the Overseer of this land."
"That, and the fact that she is as stubborn as a mule," Lucy giggled, much to Elisabeth's dismay.
"Yeah, yeah, jokes aside," Sam interjected, "When we go past this door, I would prefer if we minimize the number of casualties - in other words - unless threatened, use only non-lethal forces."
"What?" Elisabeth's voice cracked.
"Don't get me wrong - I hate them as much as you do – well, perhaps not as much as you, but you get the point. We need them alive for further questioning. Neither of us here is well-versed in the language of the dead, and I don't think Ethan is generous enough to lend us a hand on that particular matter," Sam exhaled, putting back the vial he was holding into his pants. "So, do we have a truce?"
Elisabeth stared intently at the vermillion-eyed man; her frown soon deepened into a scowl. "Quite bold of you to impose such demand on me. You’re not even an official member of the Order, so what makes you think I will abide by your rule?"
"Markus is the one who sent us," Elisabeth instantly shuddered at Sam's retort. "If you won't listen to me as equals, perhaps you'll listen to me as his former apprentice. You, after all, like the rest of us here, are honor-bound to him." Elisabeth's fierce expression began to ease up after hearing Sam's last sentence, a reaction that took the siblings by surprise.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Elisabeth let out a snort of disgust, later accompanied by a grimace. "I wonder – what exactly is the price of honor when you are 10 feet underground surrounded by rusted metals and grating sand?”
“None. Your conscience, however, is a whole different story.”
“Yeah, unfortunately,” Elisabeth glared into Sam’s eyes for a few seconds before she eventually replied, "Fine. I will try not to harm the scientists. You have my word."
"Good," said Sam, bobbing his head as a wave of relief washed over him. As he turned back to face the rusty door, Sam noticed the Nightingales quietly eyeing him. "Is there a problem?" he asked.
"No, it's just, ah...," before Lucy finished her sentence, she suddenly shoved her brother to the front, "Rupert wants to do the honor of opening the door."
"Wait-what!? I never said such-OW!" the elder Nightingale yelped after his sister slapped the back of his head.
"See? He's really, REALLY looking forward to it. Right, big brother?" Lucy added.
"I'll do it," Elisabeth casually jumped into the conversation. "And you two can take those things off. They won't be much use to you down here - at least, not until we shut down the signal jammer."
While the siblings removed their masks, the stern-looking woman strolled past Sam and grabbed the handwheel with her right hand. Thanks to Lucy’s contribution, Elisabeth could wrench the metal door open effortlessly.
"Ah, shit," said Elisabeth after seeing a figure in a yellow hazmat suit standing right in front of her.
"INTRU-UGH!" the person cried out as Elisabeth caught them by the arm and slammed their entire body into the concrete wall.
"Huh, that was too close," remarked Elisabeth as she released her hold, causing the person to slide down the wall - completely out cold. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Sam glaring at her disapprovingly. "A non-lethal approach - just as you instructed."
"Well, he may still be alive, but the impact just now was probably enough to confine them to a wheelchair for the rest of his life," Rupert stated.
"Or he'll just wake up with a mild headache. Can we go now?" Elisabeth replied before hopping over the unconscious Disciple.
**qs******************************************
As the four Accursed walked along the rock-strewn passageway, Lucy tugged on Sam's arm - slightly tilting her head toward the man's right ear and whispered, "Are you sure it's okay to let her tag along?"
"Even if I told her to stay behind, do you think she'll listen?" Sam answered. "And I also have the feeling that she's still withholding some information from us.”
“About what?”
“About the real reason she wanted to get rid of the Disciples.”
"No offense, Sam, but don't you think you're being a little paranoid? You’ve been on edge ever since…ever since the Sandcreeper," Lucy responded.
“I know you trust her, Luce, and honestly, I wish I could say the same. But, there’s something in her eyes – it was not the gaze of someone who wanted justice; it was a gaze of regret and suppressed anger.”
“Anger toward who?
“Toward herself.”
GRRR!
The tunnel began to rumble, causing the four Accursed to stop dead in their tracks. The next thing they heard was the screaming of the Sandcreepers echoing throughout the dark burrow.
“That sounded pretty close,” Rupert remarked. “This…this place won’t collapse on us, right?”
“No, they’re built to last,” Elisabeth swiftly replied. “And the Sandcreepers are far away from our current position. I’m not sure what is happening but something must have caught their attention.”
“Or someone,” Lucy added.
GRRR!
Another rumbling, but this time, a few grains of sand fell from the ceiling above their heads.
“We should go. Now,” said Sam, a decision that was unanimously agreed by his three companions.
The four Accursed rushed onward without taking a single peek over their shoulders. However, it did not take long until all of them walked into a solid brick wall.
"Hold it," Elisabeth suddenly blurted out as she pushed her hands against the barrier. “Oh, you gotta be kidding me.”
"A dead end?" said Rupert with his eyebrows raised, "Wait, is it supposed to be a dead end?"
"Tsk," Elisabeth clicked her tongue - loud enough to be heard by the trio behind her. "This is not a dead-end. It’s a door," the amber-eyed woman grumbled, lifting her head upward. "Those bastards know we're in here."
The Accursed trembled after hearing a third rumbling above their heads, followed by the overlapping clattering of stone and rock debris. Rupert snapped his head skyward and realized the ceiling gradually descended towards them. "Holy shit! We need to get out of here!" he uttered, but Elisabeth immediately scolded him.
"Stop panicking, Nightingale - this is not your first rodeo, so calm yourself down!" Elisabeth then leisurely knocked on the solid wall until she heard a hollow sound. "There’s no other way, but forward.”
“Wait, Liz! What are you doing!?” Sam shouted.
“Finding us a way out,” Elisabeth muttered as she curled her right hand into a fist and exclaimed, “BRACE!”
