Head Maiden of Castle Dimitrescu

19

"Wakey, wakey!" I gently nudged the two sleeping beauties beneath me. Dusk was quickly turning into night. We had a mission to do, and I wanted it done as soon as possible. We all ate from small things that we brought with us. Daniella gave me this bottle decorated in flowers before I left. She said a few sips a day will last me about a week and a half on its own. Whatever it was, was thick and tasted like strawberries. After a few sips, I set the bottle aside. My eyes trailed to everyone. They all looked a lot more awake with something in their systems. "So, what are we doing?"

"Well, Mother Miranda said that DNA is what she wanted. I think if we took a chunk out of her, it should be enough. My concern is Moreau. He is going to be a nuisance and those damn snot walls of his." Caiden grumbled as she packed away her backpack and stood on her feet.

"Heisenburg heard about our...moment with that gross crap. He gave me a new attachment." His arms transformed into something that was similar to a grenade launcher. Cylinder canisters pocked out the edge of the launcher and he grinned. "He told me that this will recede the snot walls." I stared at the device bewildered. My mind wandered back to when Daniela was creating a short story as a practical exercise in the library. I was the healer compared to the fighters. Somehow though, that did not bother me as much as it did back in the library. Then again, I was not trying to prove myself to a cannibalistic swarm of flies right now either. I was a helpful asset to a team.

"Alright, let's try stealth first. We don't know where Cathleen actually is. Moreau is probably in his dock shack again." Caiden's head was pointed toward the darkened sky. I nodded my agreement. My memory turned back to the paper with a heart that I saw during our first adventure.

"Could be further in the mine," I suggested. "Moreau closed it years ago apparently from what Alcina told me. It used to be a crystal mine but dried up, so they stopped digging down there. Could be where she's hiding. Not many people can easily hide from Mother Miranda in her own village. That is why she is thinking that it would be a place that had closed down before she even got there."

"I'm willing to hedge my bets," Caiden agreed. "Nikolai?"

"Ready when you guys are."

I sighed at the long night that awaited us as we trekked toward the reservoir. Sleeping figures of wolves snored away along the path that led to the docks. My eyes trailed to the building that I found that girly room at. It was desolate and silent. I gulped as our feet trailed onto the dock. An uneasiness settled around me as we continued forward. We swept into the open mouth of the cave that the dock led to. There was more of Moreau's gunk than before. It covered from ceiling to floor. A rancid smell punched my nose the further we trailed in. Low, pained moans vibrated from further in the cave and bounced against the walls. I shuddered slightly.

"Is that Moreau I'm hearing?" Nikolai asked. Caiden shrugged as she used a dagger and created her blood scythe. Nikolai's arms turned into the grenade launcher. My hand went to the magnum that was given to me the first time we went in here. I had required more ammo from Duke before I even knew about this. It was supposed to be a gift for Bela. Thankfully, I waited to give it to her. I loaded the gun and readied it for use. My heart pounded through my chest as we slowed down to a crawl.

"This is...creepy," I whispered. As we walked down the dock, the sound of swishing water filtered in along with the moans. My eyes adjusted to the darkness of the cave and saw the massive fish that swam around in a small, snot enclosed area. My eyes widened as jaw slacked down. "Holy fuck," I said under my breath. The fish opened its mouth and I winced. A sickly white man jutted out from inside its mouth. He was connected like a tongue of the fish. The moan that vibrated around the cave came from his mouth.

"H-H-Help me!" I shook slightly.

"Moreau?" The shock in Caiden's voice was evident. As the man swayed and shoved against the fish mouth, I noticed the gash that indented in his head. His skull was visibly caved in on that side and blood flowed down his head. I watched as Caiden grabbed for her stomach and dry heaved while Nikolai gagged. I was stunned to silence as I assessed the view before me.