Linus Toria

Chapter 5

Viktoria was crying and throwing a tantrum to prevent Lina from leaving. Like always her sister expected her to give in as soon as her green eyes teared up because Lina was too lazy to argue. But just this once she couldn't. Her orders were clear. She had been assigned to leave home and assume her duty together with Charlotta and Mattilda.

Viktoria had never liked it, when Lina spent time with somebody other than her. And this time it was even worse as she couldn't accompany her sister because of the house arrest she was under. So when she realized that she wouldn't get what she wanted, her crying changed into an angry outburst and she started smashing the furniture in her room. Lina was trying to console her but time was running out. Soon her new teammates would arrive to pick her up.

As a last minute resort, Lina hugged her angry sister to prevent her from breaking any more things, and gently whispered in her ear: „Look, Viki, we both know that I have to leave and you can't come with me. I also know that you aren't exactly fond of the rest of our family but please try to get along with them while I'm not here. If you want, you can sleep in my room. Here are the keys. Also, I will give Korbinian to you and I expect you to take good care of him. Could you do that for me?"

Her sister finally seemed to realize that she really couldn't stop her from leaving and resumed crying on her shoulder. She also intensified their hug and Lina felt like she was about to be crushed to death. But she didn't complain. She never did when her twin sister was concerned in any way.

After a few minutes, Lina kept on glancing at the watch, Viktoria finally managed to calm down enough to whine: „You know fully well that Korbinian and I don't get along. Why would you leave him in my care? I don't want to be responsible for him. I would rather just have you stay here. Do you really have to leave? You could just ignore your orders and be put under house arrest together with me. Then we won't have to seperate!" Viktoria brightened up in hope at her own idea.

„You're fully aware I could never go against my orders. Besides if I'm well-behaved the council might shorten your punishment. They still haven't set a time frame and I don't wish to give them any reason to lengthen your arrest. Korbinian will keep you company while I'm gone so that you don't become too lonely. And once your sentence is over you can come visit me. I will look forward to it, so don't disappoint me", Lina concluded as she received a notification that the other two had arrived.

Viktoria didn't want for the embrace to end, so Lina had to pry her off. „Don't be such a brat", she mouthed to her sister with a wink and turned to leave her standing in the hall between their two rooms. On the way outside she felt Viki's stare drill into her back. Sometimes she really couldn't believe that her sister was the same age as her. Around Lina she acted like a spoiled five year old.

Lina's dream, or calling it a memory would be more accurate, came to an end and she realized that she hadn't seen her sister for 44 years. Normally she didn't mind the flow of time and she wouldn't even think of calling 44 years a long time, but without her sister that period felt like an eternity. They used to share a close sisterly bond once. Yet, she couldn't just go and meet her sister. Not after what had happened.

At their last meeting they had a little run-in as Lina liked to call it and she still wasn't ready to face her again. While she mostly enjoyed Viktoroa's presence it could also be quite tiring and overwhelming. And the last image of her sister drenched in blood and smiling manically while spouting nonsense had ingrained itself deep into her memories. Sometimes she still had nightmares about it. Seeing her sister like that hadn't been unusual for her but this time it downright terrified her. Mayhaps Viki's bizarre claims were at fault.

Lina wasn't really angry at her sister. She never could be. But she was also sure that if she forgave her sister too fast, she would never realize that her behaviour 44 years ago was absolutely unacceptable. Lina was fully aware that her sister's morals were twisted and that she had done a lot of bad things at home. Regardless she would never have thought her sister capable of harming so many people for her selfish reasons. Viktoria had challenged her bottom line before but this time she trampeled over it while looking at Lina for praise.

Sighing, she decided to continue those thoughts at an other time and tried to remember were she was. Right, she went over to that group that had been following her to warn them about the magic array they were standing on. She had deemed it to be an inactive relict from the war. Who would have thought that it would get activated the second she got close enough? Like always she had the worst of luck.

After her fall the next surprise was already waiting for her: A manticore that looked exactly like Korbinian pounced on her. Mistaking the two she didn't take any countermeasures and was even more astonished when the beast attacked her with its scorpion tail and stung her. After that she lost consciousness.

Shaking her head at her own stupidity, she opened her eyes, removed her sunglasses and tried to get a feel for the situation she was in. The manticore that had attacked her was dancing around a fire. No, not a manticore, she chided herself. The creatures she had come to know as manticores only lived at her home. Here only chimeras that looked like manticores existed. But they were unable to fly with their wings and the poison inside their scorpion sting was deadly instead of having the paralysing effect she usually attributed to manticores.

Besides the strange chimera, the room she was in was almost empty. Only next to her laid another person. It was the one missing from the group. He was staring at her making her very uncomfortable. And the look in his eyes was just borderline creepy. If she had seen that look inside her sister's eyes she would have called it adoration. But on a stranger's face she was unable to make sense of something like that.

Noticing her discomfort, the man told her proudly: „Don't worry, I'll make sure that we get out of here unscathed. I'm actually quite skilled"

„Uhh, sure", Lina was unsure what she was supposed to reply to that, „How long have I been unconscious for?"

„I'm not certain, I just woke up myself. So, what's your name?", he asked with way too much curiosity.

Feeling even more taken aback, Lina was unwilling to give her name: „Who's asking that?"

„Oh, I'm sorry, how rude of me. My name is Gaspard Laurent. And as you probably already know I'm travelling with my friends. They aren't here at the moment but -"

„Be quiet", Lina hissed at him and he obediently shut his mouth, „The chimera's going to hear you if you keep on chatting happily"

„I'm sorry once again", he whispered and gave her a cheeky smile, „but you don't have to worry. I would give my life to protect you"

„Why are you so nice? You don't even know me", Lina berated him and watched as a look of hurt flashed across his eyes.

„You don't remember?", he asked clearly shocked as if she had just told him that his whole life had been one big lie.

„What am I supposed to remember? I'm fairly sure that my memory is faultless", she told him a little offended.

„But that can't be! During the end of the war, where were you?"

„Like almost everybody else I was busy in Hong Kong. Because that's where the last battle was, you know?", she lied and gave him a look to tell him he was crazy and to leave her alone.

Apparently, that was the wrong answer as his face brightened up again and he eagerly continued: „I was there, too! At the pearl river tower!" He stopped and noticed that Lina was trying to scoot away from him without attracting the manticore's attention. Lina was sure that he would get the message that she had no idea whatsoever who he was now and finally leave her alone.

Instead, he seemed to have a new idea and mumbled: „I understand. I won't expose you if you wish to keep it a secret. Just know that I will be forever grateful to you!"

Lina wanted to tell him that he was wrong and this was their first meeting ever but before she could open her mouth, the manticore had finally noticed that its prey was awake and started strutting over. It seemed a little puzzeled as it was probably used to his poison being enough to kill everything off.