Chapter 246: Reunitement
I watched as Sylvie stood in the middle of Boys living room, staring at Aliss.
Where in flames have you been?! Sylvie demanded.
Who are these two? Aliss asked, nodding to me and Erani. Neither of us were in our typical disguise, so she didnt recognize us.
Sylvie audibly groaned, clearly annoyed that shed have to play into our lie. This is Arlan and Erani, theyre friends of Annor and Eita. Okay, shake hands, bow heads, exchange your philosophies on life, whatever, youre acquainted. Now answer my question, Alisswhere have you been, and why are you here now?
Aliss chewed her lip. Ive beenrunning errands. Busy with something. Ive come by because I needed to pick up some food, but Im still busy. So, Im sorry, I would normally love to speak with the famous Arlan and Erani, but I do need to get going soon. If youll excuse
Are you flamin stupid? Sylvie interrupted. Obviously Im not gonna excuse you. Keep talking! Whatre you busy with?
I cant tell you, Im sorry.
Oh, cmon. Sylvie turned to me. Arlan, can you convince her? Flex your Demon knowledge. Aliss, dont you wanna know what these two know about Demons? You can trade info, or something. And then tell me all the info you traded for. But like, for free. I dont have to trade anything.
Before I could speak up, Aliss responded. I cant do that, not even for information about Demons. Though, I would love to speak about them with you sometime.
What?! I thought you used to do, like, anything to get Demon info! Didnt you make us go and take that whole job with Annor just so you could interrogate them? What happened?
I just Aliss sighed and shook her head. I have a new source of information now. Now, please, let me get into the kitchen so I can grab some food.
Does Boy know youre taking his food?
Yes. Were you always this nosy?
Yes.
To be fair, she was, I offered.
Aliss groaned in anger. Im doing something seriously important, okay? Please let me do it without interruption. I can talk to you and answer all your questions later, but not now, and definitely not in present company.
Oh, cmon, Im not that bad, am I? Sylvie asked.
Im not talking about you.
She glanced over at us. What, Arlan and Erani? They arent gonna kill you or anything, you know. Theyre actually very nice and kind and trustworthy and all that. Actually, I know a bunch of super top-secret stuff about them, so if you tell them anything youre worried theyll leak I can just blackmail them into not talking. Boom, problem solved. So talk.
Its not about whether or not theyll leak it. Aliss turned to us. Im sorry, Im sure youre both wonderful people. But Imconducting some very sensitive research. And, quite frankly, given your history, I believe you may disrupt it if you know what it is. I hope thats a good enough answer for you.
Its not a good enough answer for me, Sylvie replied. Cmon, Im downtrodden! Doesnt anyone ever think about the little guy?
Aliss rolled her eyes. Youre anything but downtrodden.
Actually, Im homeless now, Sylvie said smugly, as if that were something to be smug about. Totally broke. Nothing to my name. Disowned. Parents dont love. Fighting for my life. So yeah, actually youre maybe being super mean and a terrible person for not helping me out. Which, the main way to help me out would be to tell me all of your secret information.
Aliss looked at us. Is she being serious?
She actually is, I said.
Why are you saying that like Im usually so untrustworthy? Sylvie demanded, folding her arms. Give me one time Ive told a lie. Ill wait.
You literally just said youre homeless, which youre not. Weve given you a place to stay.
Okay, but I dont own an estate anymore, so, like, Im basically homeless. Im houseless. Which is basically homeless. So boom, no lies. Sylvie the truthful, they call me!
No, wait, you dont own an estate? Disowned? Aliss looked between us. What happened?
Now, see, wouldnt I be an asshole if I just said Im busy, and then pranced around like I was so much more important than you? Thats what youre doing. Youre being an asshole.
Okay, I will tell you later, Aliss said. But really, I cannot just say this to anyone. And these two are certainly more than anyone.
Fine, fine. Sylvie stepped aside. As she watched Aliss walk by her to the kitchen, she muttered, Ill just follow you back to wherever youre going anyway.
Aliss stopped and twirled around. Do not follow me.
Oh, cmon, youll be fine. You just said youd tell me later, right? Whats the difference?
Just, it would be extremely troublesome if someone followed me back to the place Im going. For you, and for me, and foreveryone involved. Things would go very poorly. So please, just listen to me, and do not follow me. Do not bother me. Let me do what I need to do right now, and when I get some time, Ill explain things to everyone.
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Sylvie raised her hands in mock surrender. Okay, okay, I get it. No need to get all pissy.
Im pissy because you Aliss sighed. Nevermind.
She walked past us and opened one of the cabinets, staring into it for a moment. Then she whirled around to look at Sylvie. Did you eat out of this bag of sugar?!
**********
Entismo snuck through the streets, doing his best to be stealthy. In the dead of night, he tried to navigate correctly, glancing around at every intersection. He didnt want to get lost, and he definitely didnt want to run into the wrong person.
The night before, after Boy had departed from his home, Entismo had gone shortly after to follow him to his destination. Perhaps it wasnt the most proper thing to do, but he needed to know what was going on with Aliss. If she was in trouble, hehe needed to save her. Though, he wasnt entirely sure how hed go about doing that. He really just hoped she wasnt in trouble.
Either way, he needed to find out. Shed been gone for so long, what if she didnt come back? He would never forgive himself.
So he had done it. Hed followed Boy and managed to stay hidden as he discovered the location the man had returned toan orphanage in a run-down part of town. He hadnt the courage to go in at the timenot when Boy was still in therebut it should have been empty now. So tonight would be the night. Maybe Aliss would be there, maybe not, but he would at least look until he found something that pointed him in the right direction. A scrap of paper with an address written on it, maybe. Or a letter from someone calling her to another town.
He looked up from the directions scribbled on his hand. This one last left turn would be the last, and thenYes! There it was! It was in sight!
He crept up to the front door, turning it, andoh, it was locked.
Wait, how was he supposed to get into a locked building?! He hadnt brought any tools for this. Could he just break a window? Thatd be a crime, he couldnt do that! Oh no, would he need to return home? Maybe tomorrow would be a better day
No. He shook his head. No, it had to be today. Hed never be able to work up the courage again if he let his cowardice take him now.
Surely, theres some other way inHe crept around the building, pulling on each of the windows to try and open them. He was locked out by wooden shutters covering each of the holes in the wall, preventing him from entering.
But then, around at the back of the orphanage, one of the shutters was broken! Just wide enough to crawl through. He pulled a crate over to use as a stepping stool, just barely able to wiggle his way through the hole, and crashed to the wooden floor. He was inside!
Hello? a childs voice called. Miss Aliss, are you there? Im thirsty. Can you get me some water?
His eyes widened, unsure what to do. He stayed there frozen for a while, but no more sound came. In front of him was a door that apparently went into a childs bedroom.
Of course, you dunce! Its an orphanage, the children will be sleeping inside here now. You must be quiet.
But that child, he had mentioned Aliss by name. So she had been here! That was his clue.
He wanted to leave immediately. Crawl right back out of the window. Okay, good, he got his clue, he knew where she was, time to go. Buthe needed more. His heart beat so hard he felt like the sound of it may wake the children. He couldnt bring himself to stand on both feet. There were people in this place! Some of whom were clearly awake! How could he just waltz around and look around? What if he got caught? Would he be taken to jail? Was this place Enchanted? Would it kill him if he took another step?
No, no, no, stop worrying. Come on, Entismo. What was it mothers doctor always said to you? Ground yourself. Look around at the things you can concretely see, listen for the things you can assuredly hear. What can you smell? What did you have for your last meal? Live in the real world.
But the real world is the problem! I can see a dark, uninviting house awaiting me! I can hear the footsteps of these children ready to scream in fear!
He took a deep breath. He had to do this.
At the very least, just get to your feet.
As carefully as he could, he stood, wincing as the floorboards creaked beneath him. Nobody said anything.
One step forward. Another step. Its just one step at a time. You can turn and run at any sign of trouble. For now, just take a single step.
Eventually, he got to the living room. Empty. It was at that point he realized he didnt actually know where to go from there. Down another hallway? Itd just connect to more bedrooms. And he was sure that any room containing more information would have some big sign pointing it out.
Maybe I should just turn and leave. Youve got at least a little bit, isnt that enough?
And he almost did turn around and leave. Perhaps it would have been better if he had. But instead, he waited just a little bit longer to think things over. And in those extra seconds, he heard the faintest noise.
A crash, like someone tumbling to the ground. And then, a shout. Fucking bullshit!
It was faint, sounding like it was coming through the floor. But
That wasnt a childs voice. And what was it that they said? Was that Koinkarian slang? Annor and his crew are gone, and theyre the only Koinkarians I know. So then, who?
He looked around the room again. Was there some sort of basement door? Nothing in the walls, but
His eyes widened. There. Underneath a stack of crates, he saw the corner of a hatch set into the floor. Breathing heavily, he crept over. There was clearly something going on here. And when he got to the crates, he realized so even more. They were heavyextremely heavy. Peeking inside, they were filled with a random assortment of stone and dirt. They werent even holding anything; their entire purpose was to keep this hatch closed.
So then, that person wasimprisoned in the basement?! If there were prisoners being kept here, could Aliss be one of them?!
With newfound haste, Entismo started pushing the crates off of the hatch, not caring about the noise he made anymore. He had to save her!
Once hed shoved the last of the crates out of the way, the box toppling over in a loud crash, he threw the hatch open and started his way down the ladder. Just before his head disappeared below the floor, he caught a glimpse of a childs foot walking out from one of the hallways.
Miss Aliss? the little boy called. Are you working in the basement again? Can I
Entismo slammed the hatch shut and continued down. He was past the point of no return now. He had to save her.
Hopping off the ladder to skip the last couple steps, he glanced around to catch his bearings. He was in a short hallway, a door at the end of it. From behind the door, he could still hear muffled shouting.
Of fucking course, you forbid me from touching a book, then leave the book in the middle of the fucking floor! What is this, the third time Ive tripped over it? I swear to the lord below, when she comes back, I am going to
Entismo threw the door open, ready to see a room lined with holding cells, and ready to find the one that held Aliss.
Only, it wasnt a room lined with holding cells. It was justan office. A particularly messy one, really.
And standing in the middle of the office, was
Entismos eyes grew wide. Crimson skin. Blue, glowing veins. Horns atop its head. It was
The beast glanced back at him. Oh, youre here late. Hey, do you mind moving this
Its eyes grew wide, too.
Oh, shit, the thing said.
Entismo stumbled back, hyperventilating. Then, at the top of his lungs, he shouted. D-Demon!
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