Zindra led the group towards Pata's house when she noticed the solemn atmosphere surrounding the Ambrosia Race Seedlings, who dotted the streets. They seemed to be more than just upset about the recent events that had taken place over the last week. The matriarch of their race had died under mysterious circumstances, and now their patriarch had been killed. These two individuals had led their race out of the shadow of the Alchemic Race. Although death was an inevitable fate, the situation seemed ominous, as if they were being specifically targeted by something. The mood of the Ambrosia Race Seedlings was heavy, and it was evident that the recent events had taken a significant toll on them. As Zindra made her way through the streets, she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease at the glares directed toward her.
"Are they blaming me? Or is it the Alchemic Race?" Zindra whispered
As Zindra walked down the street, she noticed that her pace had slowed considerably. She couldn't help but feel the weight of the glares directed at her. It felt as if each of those stares held the weight of Genisis, which pressed down on her shoulders and pulled her to the ground. The intensity of those glares made Zindra feel small and insignificant, as if she was being judged and everything was being laid bare before those judging her. It was a deeply unnerving feeling that made her want to retreat into herself and disappear from the world.
"Zindra?"
Zindra's body reacted instantly to the sound of Arc's voice and the feeling of his hand resting on her shoulder. A shiver ran down her spine as if caught off guard. The weight of his hand was both reassuring and unsettling.
"Is something the matter?" Arc asked
"It's nothing..." Zindra replied
Arc nodded as Zindra's pace began to pick up, but a sneer soon spread across his face.
"Annoying pest, I should gouge their eyes out. Better yet, just take their heads. That should be fine. Tch, they might die if I do that." A smile spread across Arc's face, "I know I can just take everything above their nose. That should be fine! Uhhh!"
"What are you mumbling about so intently, young Feyrishan friend?" Hermes asked
"Why is an old man like you so strong that hurt!" Arc screamed as he rubbed his back where Hermes had just hit.
"Haha, it seems we are being left behind, Feyrishian. Come, we need to keep up."
***
As Zindra barged into Pata's residence, the door slammed shut with a loud bang. She was panting heavily, and her face was drenched in sweat. The hostile gazes of the Ambrosia Race, which had been growing more intense as she approached Pata's home, were almost suffocating. The air felt thick with tension and hostility, making it hard for Zindra to catch her breath.
Zindra closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had run too far ahead of the others to escape the glares, so it would be a few moments before the rest caught up with her.
"I guess I can... What happened here?"
Zindra stood in the entryway, her eyes wide open as she took in the extent of the destruction. The walls were either crumbling or entirely missing, leaving behind gaping holes in the ceiling, charred patches covering the surfaces, and streaks of what seemed like weapon marks. The floor was slick with spilled liquids, and the air was heavy with the smell of a strange, processed mixture prevalent in the Alchemic Race. Zindra couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as she realized why she had been met with hostile stares and kept in the dark about the situation.
"It was an Alchemic Race Seedling that killed Pata. Why?"
Zindra wandered around the home looking at the destruction; this had become personal, and she had to clear the Alchemic Race name, her name. She had to prove their innocence and find the rouge that had done this.
Arc barged through the door. "Zin... Oohhh! ... How was this a fight between Seedlings? It seems more like a beast," Arc said, glancing around the entrance.
"It gets worse the more you explore," Zindra appeared visibly shaken, and her face had lost its natural color, leaving it a pale shade.
What kind of battle had happened here, and how did no one know about it until it was over? Arc ran outside and stared at the outside of the building. It was clean and pristine. Not only that, but it was close to other buildings, so close that Arc doubted that he could fit between the gaps. So, how did this happen?
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"Arc! Let's go to the second floor before Master Hermes gets here!" Zindra yelled
Hermes strolled in as they made their way up the stairs to explore the second floor with an unusual calmness about him. He took a moment to survey the damage the house had sustained - scars now etched into the walls and floors. Hermes remained unfazed and composed despite the destruction as if he had seen it all before.
His hand glided across one of the marks on the wall as he closed his eyes.
"YOU THREW EVERYTHING AWAY FOR WHAT? TOO PLEASE YOUR FATHER!"
Hermes moved his hand over another scar on the wall.
"WE WERE THROWN AWAY! I PICKED UP THOSE PIECES! I GAVE YOU WHAT YOU NEEDED!"
Every mark on the wall seemed to scream in pain from the thoughts floating in the life essence embedded into the scars, and it painted a sad and tedious scene.
"What a mess you have made, Cherese," Hermes grumbled.
He felt frustrated, not because of the mess that Cherese had made that now needed to be cleaned up, but because he could only hear one side of the conversation that happened here. If only he could hear Pata's retorts, he could piece together the events that led to this. If only he had been a little closer, he could have intervened in this. If only he had held back Cherese when he sensed her emotions in turmoil. If only... Hermes knew that blaming himself for what was done was pointless, but it didn't stop him from doing so.
"MASTER HERMES!" Zindra screamed from the second floor
Hermes thought nothing of the shout and slowly made his way toward the stairs, but upon seeing the panicked Arc, Hermes knew that something unsettling had happened. When he arrived at the room Arc had led him to, he noticed it was just outside the servants' dinner room. This room probably belonged to the servants as a resting area or group lounge. He glanced around the area; it seemed more intact than most places he had seen on the way here.
"Master Hermes, look!"
Hermes raised an eyebrow at Zindra's strange behavior as she pointed to one of the side bedrooms with open doors. When he glanced in the room, his jaw went slack, staring at the dismembered head of Pata sitting at the end of the bed with the rest of his dismembered body lying as if it was asleep; only the head seemed out of place.
He couldn't close his mouth. He couldn't look away. It was a sight that had never crossed his mind: Should Pata's body still be here after the life pillar had vanished? No! Then why was it lying on this bed? Was it Cherese? Was it something else? What was happening? He needed to take this matter into his own hands, as there was a sneaking suspicion that the center of this strange event could only lead him to Orion.
"Master Hermes?"
Zindra asked as she saw Hermes storm off in a rage, curious about where he was going and what to do about this investigation, which seemed to become stranger as they explored this house. How many more questions were going to be raised before they were answered? Could they even answer a question like this?
"Leave it."
"Wh-What? Why?"
"It is best not to touch or disturb something like this until we know what is happening. So leave it be."
"But for how long?"
"Until we are sure that is how long," Hermes said as he turned to leave.
"It makes sense, Zindra if something seems strange or out of place, then leave it to experts to explore for answers. We can continue to do what we were doing and assist when called." Arc said
"You just want to be lazy and throw this to someone else."
"I can't deny that, but I want to remind you that I am a head of a house, and one of the responsibilities of a house leader is to know when to step back and let someone with more experience handle a task, even if it seems simple and mundane."
"Wait, Master Hermes! ... Great, he vanished because you distracted me. Now, what am I supposed to do?"
Zindra started to bite her nails deep in thought about her next actions. If she was going to clear her name and her race's name, she needed to find the culprit, not Master Hermes or the Divine Race. The only way to do that was to look for clues, which was difficult when the most significant clue was just an arm's reach away.
After leaving Arc and Zindra, Hermes headed straight to Pata's home office. It could have been seen as strange that he would know where it was in this house, but considering that Pata hated working at the center building and preferred to do most business from his home, Hermes had been here more than once in the last week alone so finding his way there even through all the chaos was simple enough. Once there, he began to rummage around the area where the desk once was, grabbing a small black box that fit into the palm of his hand.
"Master Hermes."
As Hermes lifted his gaze, he caught a glimpse of Zindra standing in the doorway, looking confused and hesitant, as if she was waiting for a clear indication of her next action.
"Start here. This was once his office, so it would be the best place to look for a lead on what has happened. As for myself, I have something else that I need to tend to, so I will be leaving."
Hermes moved past Zindra quickly, gripping the box tighter as he moved through the house. Once outside, he saw his Divine Knight with the young Pit standing just a ways away from the entry. After the pair saw Hermes, they hurried over to him.
"Have you informed him of everything he needs to know?" Hermes asked
"Only what was necessary."
"Child just observe and remain silent. When everything is finished, you may decide, but until then, be a silent observer and distance yourself from everything."
"Yes, Grandmaster Hermes." Pit, although reluctant, agreed
"Good! Now come with me, we are leaving this village. There are many things that I need to see and ensure before more movements take place."