Hallowed Kaline (1) (MANUSCRIPT)

Issue # 4 Rooms In The Highest, Pt. 1

         Well, Max held a Cobalt Katana close to his left side, it hung loosely from a brown belt he was wearing. here we are. It's been one week exactly. Father Agnus wasn't kidding when he said we'd go on this mission in a week from when he spoke to me in the arena. Took a fancy trolley to get here, too.
         "Hey Max." Natalie smiled, starting toward Max as she briskly walked over a grassy field with the nightly moon hanging over her, milky light reflecting off her bountiful legs. "You alright?"
         "I am. I just... never really went on a field trip where it was just with one class, you know?"
          Natalie nodded, but then furrowed her brow and looked up to the dark and starry sky. "I guess so. I've gone to this school all my life, though. I spent most of my childhood learning how to become a hunter. Focusing on long-distance combat was my specialty. When that couldn't serve me anymore, I just started to scream or yell. Opponents in the arena would get extremely discouraged and some teachers would even get disturbed."
          Max scratched the back of his head and began to chuckle, dressing in his usual green jacket, white shirt, and blue pants. "I'm pretty sure I'd get disturbed if I was a teacher, too."
           "Maybe. Um... if you ever get scared tonight... don't worry, okay? I've been on missions like this before. I'll help you if you have any doubts, alright?" Natalie's eyes suddenly trailed over just then from Max's chortling face to a short castle. The battlements of the castle were voluptuous, each dark brick holding itself steadily in place. For many yards on end, damp grass had been surrounding an intricate building. Many windows, golden light emitting from them, had been placed at the tops of the castle while the bottom of it proved to be darker than the starry night sky above it all.
           Kyle, Tony, Natalie, and Max had been walking down a vegetative and moist path for quite some time, having previously boarded a trolley. Around the four students, only the sounds of nocturnal insects could be heard. The entrance into the castle was a wide door with numerous chains which hung from the top of it.
           "By the way, that trolley was from this town." Kyle looked down at blue light which was emitting from his watch. "Ehrenburg. It's one of the closest cities to Ostfolk."
          "Hate to burst your bubble, Kyle, but 'closeness' is a pretty relative term." Max shrugged his shoulders.
          "I'll make you a relative term, newbie." Kyle crossed his arms.
          "Max is right, you know." Natalie put her right hand up.
         Maximus put his hand to his chin. "You know, I distinctly remember the headmaster saying that we were to go to a mansion. This... is a castle. I can't recall those two words ever being all that interchangeable, if I'm being honest here." 
        "Well, whatever the case may be, this house does say 'Operetta Clan' on the front of it." Kyle sighed. "And I'm serious, Max. I'm gonna turn you into the most relative term you've ever heard."
         "Would you quit it? You're so annoying." Max rolled his eyes, his mouth slightly agape. 
          Kyle Chimner's face was all but stale, save for a smug smirk which uplifted the right side of his mouth. "Oh? I'm annoying, huh? You wanna fight? Here and now? Hmph. I doubt I'd lose to a... newbie."
       "Why you-"
        "Hello out there! Are you the help we called for?" The giant door of the castle had actually been concealing a small door which was now opening to reveal the silhouette of a hatted woman, though the milky light managed to reveal the intricate linens of a black corsage as well.
         "Huh? Oh. Why, yes!" Natalie cupped her hands around her mouth.
           "Come on in then. Oh, I thought they'd never come. Sister Suzanna will be so pleased to hear it." The silhouette waved the four students over.

________
          "Well, this is a pretty nice house." Max stuck his bottom lip out and tilted his head, eyeing all the chandeliers which hung from a dark brown ceiling. "There's even... tons of statues. Oh boy. That's creepy. Does this 'pesky faerie' ever mess with those?"
          A woman with short orange hair took off a top hat as she stood in a dark corsage, her face nonetheless was slightly covered by a veil. "Thank you for recognizing the kind of work we put into a house like this every day, young man. And... no. The faerie does not mess with these statues. There is a peculiar room, down in the cellar, where the faerie often hibernates. Many of the residents in this household are frightened to go down there and the once proud events of theatre which took place here happen no more."
        "I see." Max nodded.
        Kyle crossed his arms, quickly looking down at his wristwatch. "Why would a basement being off limits freak out any of the actors or actresses of this place?"
         "Because that is where the dressing room was. And despite how big this house is, we have found no other suitable rooms for the actors to partake in the changing of their attire. This house is filled with numerous folk, and to each their own room. The basement, then, was the only place whereby the original residents of this house had found no use for." The veiled woman nodded, keeping her hands by her thighs.
         "So it is then. So it is." Kyle sighed, then uncrossed his arms and turned to Natalie.
        "Hm?" Natalie raised her eyebrows and tilted her head to the right.
           Kyle moved his eyes in a direction which went further down a long and wooden hallway. "Follow me for a sec."
           "Um. Okay."
           "I wanna see all those rooms!" Tony jumped out from behind Max suddenly.
          "Jeez! Kyle's right, you can be very loud. And startling, too." Both of Max's arms went out to his sides.
           "I bet there's all kinds of cool rooms in this place. Tall rooms, short rooms, red rooms, blue rooms. High rooms, low rooms. I could go on." Tony put both hands to his hips.
          "How very astute of you for knowing how the English language works." Maximus laughed, putting just one hand to his hip in response. "Look at all those words you know. That's wonderful, Tony." 
         "Shit. You got me there." Tony closed his eyes. "I guess I was bein' pretty overzealous. But... I've never seen a house so damn big, my man!" He jumped up, shaking his right hand in front of his chest.