Cerit slowly raised his eyes upwards. The perpetrator still had a smile on her face, so it was easy for him to determine who the culprit was. "Ah, so you have come to the aid of your lover, I see." Caden, who had a hostile glance on his face said finally, before turning to the direction of Egiel. "Should you not consider yourself fortunate? This implies the both of you would get a privilege to die together." The man stated, In a voice which unfailingly depicted his rage. The same force which had blocked their access to magic obviously did not block, their killing intent. "This action of yours is rather reckless of you, my lady." Egiel mustered up the strength to say, making it seem as though he was glancing at Natasha- although he secretly took peeks towards Diane. Fortunately for him, the damsel had received the secret message in good health, And she her lips gradually formed an upward curve the longer she stared at him. "So what if the lady decided to join us? It is of her own choosing, no.?" Diane inquired, while glancing at Natasha, who had taken a candle stand to be her ultimate weapon. 'Whatever does she intend to do with that?' Egiel could not Help but shake his head in a dejected state as soon as he saw that. "It would have been more beneficial to me it you ladies had gone with the rest of the family members." "Don't be ridiculous, Egiel." Diane stated, as the smile on her face grew even wider. "We vowed to be together till the end of time, did we not?" Diane asked. 'My lady, Let this be their time you would utter such things from your mouth.' Egiel stated, as he glanced at the woman beside him with a wry smile. "Enough of this nonsense!" A blade Suddenly swung forward, separating the two passionate lovers. Fortunately, the both of them had evaded at the right moment, so neither of them were unhurt. "You filthy whore!" A man called out from Natasha's corner, holding on to a bleeding Hand. It turned out that the true potential of the candle stand did not just lie in its weight, but on a sharp edge which ended up becoming beneficial in this sort of situation. Natasha simply gave a the man a slight smile- waving her now favorite weapon around; it was little wonder how she was able to perform such a feat, given how heavy the item was. "You dare to defame a noble lady, without fear of the consequences?" She asked a slight smile on her face. Egiel only managed to parry the sword of his opponent once more, increasing the distance between them Both. "You do realize that all of this is unnecessary, do you not?" Cerit, the strongest opponent among the group of fiends, asked lightly with a smile on his face. "All you need do, Is to unveil the location of the damsel to us, and we shall be on our destination without Further ado." The man explained. Egiel gave a small smile in response- his weapon felt inexplicably heavy in his hand at the moment. "Is it really that obvious? I did not ever conceive myself as someone who was weak." The butler stated, as he stared in Diane's direction. There was a slight exclamation at the corner- Diane had somehow managed to get herself apprehended by one of the men. "Di!" Natasha nearly made that grave slip of a tongue- she had long taken off her heels, and the intruder had used the chance to seize her at the arm. "That a grave choice which you had just made, my lady." The man said, as he bounded her by both hands, using the opportunity to fling the candles stand away, which did not hesitate to fall to the ground with a clatter. "I have never been so glad at disarming one of my opponent before." The man stated, in a slightly relieved voice. He would have very much preferred, to be slashed a thousand times by a sword, than to be continously struck with an item that was approximately ten kilograms in weight. And so crafty was she, that he was not aware of the moments of which she would strike- whenever he was of the impression that she was bout to dodged, The maiden would suddenly unleash her fury- a rather good way to gamble, despite the inherent risks which came along with it.
"I was beginning to think that you all have become so incompetent, not even being able to deal with two women." Surit stated, as he glanced at the direction of the men. "Bring the both of them over here." The leader instructed, as he gave Egiel a triumphant gaze. Before Diane and Natasha could comprehend what was happening, they realised that they were being displayed before the butler like items on a show Glass. "I would give you one more opportunity- will you inform us of the location the damsel had been hidden?" Cerit inquired of the butler, who was currently having troubles in breathing. Cerit narrowed his eyes at the butler. 'It appears that he has not succumbed, as of yet.' The man stated, before pointing the blade at Natasha's neck. Diane, who had obviously witnessed this action, gave a desperate but futile struggle in the grasp of the one that held her. "If you chose to remain as obstinate as you are now, then I am afraid that it shall not End well for this family." The man stated, his voice even more stern now. "Well, what would be your choice? You certainly would not wish for your lover to die, would you?" Surit asked, but all he got in response was a sigh. "I am exhausted." The man simply said, seating himself on the ground. 'And it appears that I have misplaced my priorities, As well.' He thought within himself, gazing at Diane for a brief moment. 'Is this butler being serious at the moment?' Cerit asked, as he stared at the entity that was before him. He had expected Egiel to falter, but not In such a way. And the worst aspect of It all was that.. They still did not have a way to possess their magic. If that had been the case- the outcome of this battle would have been long decided. "You must think I jest.." Cerit stated, pressing the sword even closer to her neck. "You shall not touch a single strand of her hair." It was the maid who spoke. Cerit turned to her in surprise- there was somethings different in her intonation and articulation of her words. And what was more- "That.." He stated in surprise, staring at the warm light which emanated from her thoracic cavity. And it was not him alone- everyone else also stared In the direction of the damsel, they all being flabbergasted. 'It seems that for as long as I exsist; Time would always be, my principal nemesis.' Such were the thoughts of the butler, as he rose back up on his feet. 'Surit cautiously made his way to the damsel; that glow, it was overly familiar to him. 'It is not possible for a mere servant to be in possession of such an item.. unless..' He scanned the feautures of the lady carefully, while those bright blue pair of eyes stared back at him, as though they were flames that wished to burn the core of his soul. Without the slightest bit of warning, he removed in a crude fashion, the white shawl that concealed the hair of the damsel. "I should have known.." Cerit Muttered quietly, as he clenched his fists. I'm such a situation, he was unsure if it was appropriate to curse, or, raze the entire manor to the ground in a fit of rage. "Are you the mind responsibly for an instigation of this sort?" Surit stated, in an eerily gentle voice, as he cast his glance on the butler. "You were correct in your supposition, Caden." Cerit remarked, as he glanced at his subordinate. "I would not be bothered about that, If I were surrounded by similar circumstances." Egiel simply stated, a small smile coming to his face. "Afterall, my master is probably close by- is that not so, Lady Natasha?" The butler asked, turning towards the damsel. "You are correct, Egiel." Nataha replied, her eyes shimmering for reasons best known to her. There was a mild bruising on her nape- the region of her skin which had the longest contact with the sword. 'Oh, I do not think he shall take that lightly.' Egiel mused, before Averting his gaze. "Leader." Caden suddenly stated, walking towards him. "It would be best if we were to terminate the mission- we would be at a great disadvantage if they were to suddenly show up here." He insisted. The man on the other instance, grabbed Diane's hand strongly, causing her to cry out In pain. "You may leave if you wish to, you Coward." The man stated, as he glanced at his subordinate. "Do you realize how much time was spent, searching for her?" Surit asked, as he mercilessly pulled Diane close to him. "But, Cerit.." Caden stated, drawing closer to his companion. "I am willing to take her to the underworld with me, if need be." Cerit replied in an angry whisper, ignoring the damsel who squirmed in his arms. "Irrational as always..." Caden gave an angry retort, before turning away. It was only after a brief interval, when he heard a dreadful cry. "Damn.." He could only glance at his companion, who had pitifully held his eyes. Diane only stood in shock, the pocket knife in her hand still dripping with blood. "I didn't.. I only acted on impulse." She began, in a trembling voice. "Are you alright, my lady?" Egiel asked, as he bounded up to her. "I am alright, but you obviously, are not." Diane stated in a skeptical tone, as she stared at the beads of sweat on his face- prompting the man to give an awakard laugh. "All units, dispatch." Caden commanded in an instant, as he came to the aid of his blind friend. "Are you insane? Do you realize how much time was spent just to find her?" Cerit asked, as he felt the sensation of someone leading him away. "This is not the time to form a rebellious attitude; the circumstance is currently against us, for the now." Caden insisted, as he Pulled his companion along with him. Cerit could only grit his teeth; he had no other option but to bow his head in submission- especially as he had currently received a grave wound. Egiel glanced at them as the men desperately made their escape- he could not bother himself to be deal with them; he neither had the energy or mental capacity. "You are unhurt, are you not?" Natasha asked, as she bounded up towards them. Diane was relieved to see the latter. "Yes, I am." She stated, giving the latter a warm smile in return. But the sweet reunion was interrupted by a sudden cough. "Egiel.." Diane called out in alarm, as she made frantic movements towards the man. 'Damn it...' Egiel muttered inwardly, as he glanced at the bloody fluids in his hands. 'I am really going to perish along with this body at this rate' As he raised his head up, he noticed the damsel running towards him. 'But maybe.. I can still take advantage of this situation.' He felt someone grab on to him, before he Nearly fell to the ground. "Say something, Egiel." A slight smile came to the face of the butler, as he heard that voice. What occured next was unprecedented... Even Diane did not predict such an action. "Egiel!" The shriek of Natasha was so loud that it nearly split apart Diane's eardrums. She could not comprehend the event which has just unfolded itself- neither would she ever be able to. Her eyes trailed downwards to the region where the dull ache emanated from. Although her vision blurred a little, she was still capable of making out the silhouette of a Blade coated in blood- Her blood.
**************************************
A light tap on his shoulder made Diego to turn his head. Theodore glanced at him with much confusion in his face. "Did you.. make mention of something?" The man asked, in an equally perplexed tone. "I did not, but it is quite obvious that your attention is elsewhere." Thedore stated simply, as he glanced out of his window. Ever since the man had stepped into the carraige, he had remained mute, his eyes distant. Theodore was left with no other alternative but to force himself to intervene; in the midst of that unsettling silence. "Is Diane perhaps in your mind?" Diego frowned as he head that question. "I am not.." "Do not Deny." Thedore replied, turning to his cousin. "There shall be no need for you to do such, anyway." Theodore stated, as the carraige pulled in tjrought the gates of the manor. Diego squinted his eyes as they rolled past- the keepers were not there for an appearance reason, and he had also caught sign of a peculiar stain on the gates. 'Was that blood?' He thought inwardly within himself, but he eventually shook his head, attempted to wave off the pessimistic thought. "Diego. Do you not believe that something is rather strange.." The carraige gave a violent jerk, bringing an end to Theodore's inquisitive nature. The loud neighing of horses could be heard- accompanied by the agitated voice of the coachman. Theodore craned his neck from the window of the carraige; only for a sudden breeze to blow past his face. When he looked behind however; none came to his vision. "What is the cause of the problem?" Theodore asked the coachman, who had alighted from the carraige, and was currently stroking one of the said horses, in order to pacify it. "A man turned out suddenly out of nowhere, my lord." The coachman explained, his voice somewhat faint. "Hooves here must have been sacred at his sudden appearance; If I had not taken a guick hold of the helm, I am afraid that the carraige would have been overturned.." While the man had continued to stutter, Theodore deemed it upon himself to glance back once more. Not surprisingly, he saw nothing of peculiarity; save for the breeze which gently swayed the gates. A sudden sound made him to retract his head; and that was the moment he realized, that he was Currently the sole occupant of the carraige. Glancing ahead; he could behold the sight of a certain man running towards the carraige in Haste. He bit his lower lip- even if he called after him now, what difference would it possibly make?
The whistling wind was almost like a painful exclamation in his ears, and his eyes stung for some reason. His chest tightened- or perhaps he was moving do fast in the wind that he could not breathe? He was unsure of the exact cause. The moment he bolted into the manor, the sounds of voices Pais respects to him from the left and from the right, but he had no time to acknowledge them. What he had taken into consideration, however, was the strong stench of blood in the hallways, as well as the ashen faced servants, who greeted him in quivering voices. He finally got to the top of the Stairs- but where was Diane? He could not behold her presence anywhere. Could she be in the bedroom? Was she not aware of his arrival?
"Diego." The man immediately skidded into a halt, when he noticed the presence of those gathered before his bedroom door. "What.." He wanted to ask; "Why are you all here? Was there an intrusion, as the coachman had stated earlier?" But his voice failed him. And his eyes still stung, causing him to blink rapidly. His heart.. Goodness, why did it feel so heavy? "Where is Diane?" He managed to stutter. A child broke into tears as soon as that was mentioned- it was Morris. The man could only help but stare at the toddler, who Dorothy had held In her hands. Taking an intuitive glance at his sister- He came to the realization that she too, had reddened eyes, although she tried to conceal them from him. "Uncle." He muttered slowly, his throat hurting as he spoke. "Your keeping me in constant suspense does not help matters."
******************************************
Maria paced around the room for some time, before shifting her attention once more on the maiden, which laid on the bed. Despite her healing the wounds of her children and Diego constantly in the time past, she would admit that this was the first time of which the sight of blood caused her to feel faint. And it appeared it was not willing to stop soon- blood continued to feel the basins below like a fountain. "I do not understand.." The physician, a male, furrowed his brows as he glanced at the peculiar case before him. Despite the amount of times he had parched the affected region; it consistently reopened itself, and he was beginning to run out of all feasible solutions. He had tried all possible means with the knowledge attained, and yet.. At That peculiar point in time, he could not resist shaking his head dejectedly. He would have pronounced her dead the moment that he arrived at the abode, but the pleas of the family members were too heartwrenching for his ears. Where would his humanity have resisded; if he did not provide them with the assistance they dutifully required?
The heart of the older woman skipped two beats, when she saw the countenance on the face of the physician. The man gradually walked up to her, his clothing nearly soaked in the blood of his patient. In the farthest corner of the room, Lisa stood, fixated to the spot, grasping a clothing which had been dyed red. The physician had come with no apprentice to aid him- so the poor maid was compelled to perform such an arduous task- against her consent. "Is it not too quick to draw conclusions?" Maria asked, glancing at the damsel on the bed. She had mastery over her powers since the mysterious men left, but it could still not Help in Diane's Case, compelling the family to delve into another sphere of reality. "There is not much that can be done, I am afraid." The physical spoke, in a clear tone. "The mesenteric arteries have been deeply affected, I am afraid. Even I never knew that a stab wound could be so complex- whoever was responsible for this made clear his attention." Lisa swallowed the lump in her throat as she said that. "But you have not done all within your disposition?" Maria interrogated, feeling a slight bit of fury without knowing why. The physician sighed- majority of the Households were like this. The sooner they came to terms with the Grief, the better it was for them. Or did he instill too much assurance to this household?
"There is really nothing that I can do concerning this affair." The physician stated, in a nearly irritated tone this time. "Further interventions would only lead to the development of scar tissues. And what if an internal rupture occurs? The infection which Is caused by it is good enough to guarantee her demise.." The man was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door. Maria glanced towards the door, where the source of the sound emanated from. "Open the door, aunt." The voice made Maria to feel a slight sense of foreboding. She had initially sealed it, in order for the children not to behold what occured within. "But, Diego, are the children still there?" Maria called out, her voice hesitant. But all she received in response was the angry rattle from the door. "If you refuse to open this door, then perhaps I shall break it down myself." The voice retorted angrily. "Ah- just hold on for a moment, alright?" Maria stated in a hurried format, and was glad when she received no response. 'Was that perhaps a silent consent?' Maria thought, but just as she move towards the door- both sides ended up swinging violently open, but not of their own accord. The man stood at the entrance for a moment, his eyes nearly processing everything In the room. Diego clenched his fists- nearly anything he laid his eyes on in the room, made him to feel infuriated. Even when he saw the motionless figure on the bed..
His eyes wandered over her, for some time. Never had a time Come when he would imagine for her cheeks to be so pale,.devoid of life- nor did he expect to see her so rigid on the bed. His eyes wandered to the basins which were at the foot of the bed- Yes, they were filled to the brim with blood- her blood. "What is the physician's verdict?" Diego asked, his eyes not leaving the damsel for a while. "Well, he.." "Are you the lord of this household?" The physician interrogated, rendering the attempt of Maria to be fruitless. Diego turned to him. "Yes, indeed I am." The man stated, as he narrowed his eyes at the man, surprised of the fact that they existed one who had not heard of his legends. But again.. it was not impossible that the physician's base was not in the western district, but rather either ot the three regions. "As I had explained to your aunt earlier- there is nothing more which can be said concerning her condition." Diego's pupils instantly dilated. "What is that supposed to mean?" He asked, gripping the physician by the collar. "Diego!" "Master!" Both women Called out in dismay, as the latter tightly held on to the former. But what action could both women possibly have taken, given the disparity in size? "You better grant me your full attention, and listen well." Diego stated, his voice nearly in a growl. As for the women- they were simply non- exsistent to him. "You will find a way to bring her back to consciousness, do you understand? And I do not care what price it may be- just name it. What resource in the west am I not eligible to attain?" The physical could not Help but gulp. Gazing into those icy silver eyes- perhaps glancing into an abyss would be much better instead. "A- alright." Only when he had stuttered that word, did the man finally place him on the ground. "Lisa, give him all the assistance necessary." Diego instructed. "Of course, My lord." Lisa replied, as the physician went back to his post. Unfortunately, the man was not as precise as he was before- he was too mentally shaken. He fidgeted with the instruments, his hands trembling. Fresh droplets of red dripped on the sheets; while the physician made curses to himself.
One of the stitches had come lose, and the poor man was on dismay as on how to resolve the issue. "Ah, let's see here.." He finally paused, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "You are supposed to aid her, not to cause further harm." Diego stated, in a calm tone. "You may leave." He added. "Pardon?" The physician asked, obviously confused. Was this man not the one asking to do all within his means to resolve the conflict? "You heard me." Diego repeated, his tone even more frosty than before. "But, my lord..." Lisa interrupted, as she glanced towards the corner. The bleeding afterall, was yet to stop. "Leave." Diego muttered quietly, as he stared at the area that had greedily accepted the new color. "But, it would be detrimental to her health.." "I said get lost!" The voice reverberated across the room, containing both a mixture of bitterness and helplessness. Maria could not Help but stare at the man, who had placed his hands against the bedside Table, his head lowered. A silent sigh could be heard; it was Lisa. "Come, I shall see you off." The maid stated, addressing the physician. "We should probably leave, my lady." Lisa informed the woman, in a quiet tone.
As soon as Maria placed her foot against the threshold, the door slammed shut with immediate effect. "Diego? Diego!" The Lady called out in the midst of her agitation, slamming her hand agains the door. Both Lisa and the servant had gone before her; and the hallway was currently deserted. "Di.." "Mother." Maria turned at the sound of that voice, and beheld The young man, who glanced at her with much melancholy. "I would rather you speak to him, Theodore." Maria stated in an instant, hurriedly walking over to him. "You should.." "There is nothing which can be possibly said to him, mother." Theodore interrupted, glancing towards the door. "It would be best for him, and for us, if we let him take his time."
.....
Diego still had his eyes fixated on the latch he was holding. Silence. He gently peeled his hands away. When was the last time his room had been so silent?
"I told you." Diego stated with a small smile on his face, as he walked over to where the damsel was. "Yet you always insist on having your way. Now look what has happened." He stated, as he sat next to her, scrutinizing her feautures. His hands temporarily wandered over to her blonde locks, and he carefully ran his fingers over each delicate strand. It texture remained the same in his arms- tender, smooth. 'You would have long pushed my hand away, by now.' Diego thought, as he gripped his fist. "I am not a child" "Stop treating me like a child." That voice came to his hearing, causing him to chuckle to himself. "You have longed for my presence for so long.." Diego stated, taking her dainty hands in his. "So please... " Why Were the words so problematic for him to say? "Please...I.. I love you, Diane." It felt as though a huge Boulder had been lifted from his chest, as the tears finally began to flow at long last. But he received no verification from her- neither confirmation, nor rejection. The hand remained frosty, underneath the warmth of his lips.