Leon left Gwen in the care of the merchant he had only met minutes ago before departing through the gate. He was immediately spotted and villagers ran with their weapons raised. He grabbed his shotgun and pulled the trigger the moment the group of villagers reached the top of the steps. With the pellets spreading as they exited the barrel, the entire group was knocked down and sent tumbling down the rickety stairs. The one shell was all that was needed as their bodies disintegrated. Before more men could corner Leon, he ran down the stairs and to a nearby building.
The moment Leon stepped into the building, two villagers with pitchforks targeted him. He dodged their weapons and headed out a side door, climbing up to the roof. While avoiding the villagers who were swarming him, the agent found a chest. Opening the lid, he found half an emblem with a strange symbol. "The hell is this for?"
Leon decided to take the incomplete emblem with him, seeing as it was important. He took out his pistol and shot a few villagers in the head before jumping down from the roof. Then, he ran back the way he came and crossed over a rickety bridge. On the other side was a small shack. A man stood on the roof, tossing dynamite at Leon. Fortunately, the agent picked up a few tricks from Gwen and shot the next stick of dynamite he lit before he could toss it. The villager cried out in pain as his body was consumed by the loud explosion.
Up another ladder, Leon found another red chest with golden accents. He popped the lid open and found the other half of the emblem. Curious, the blonde placed the pieces together and heard a small click. "Now what?" Leon peered down from the plateau, spotting a gate with a small alcove in the center. His eyes bounced between the indention and the emblem in his hand. "Guess it opens the gate." Leon descended the ladder he climbed up and rushed over to the gate, placing the emblem in the hollow center.
<------------<<<<<<<<<<
Meanwhile during Leon's struggle through the valley, Gwen opened her eyes with a groan. A wave of nausea washed over her stomach and she flew to her feet. Running, she past the merchant and circled around the house until she reached a dead end. Her stomach lurched and she couldn't keep the contents down. As she vomited, she could taste her silver blood.
Gwen leaned against a barrel as she finally stopped vomiting. As her eyes fell to where she threw up, a strange spherical object caught her attention that was covered in silver blood. "What the hell is that?"
Inside the small object, something moved. She hadn't eaten in hours, but she doesn't remember consuming the object. Then, the sphere popped with a hiss and what was inside spilled out. Gwen frowned as she watched the small, living thing shrivel up with a screech and die. "Okay, I definitely don't remember eating that."
As for the silver blood, Gwen wasn't distressed as to why she coughed up a small amount. She was more concerned of how that living creature ended up inside her body without her knowing.
After having purged her stomach, Gwen felt significantly better. The cold sweat and weakness that had taken over her body vanished. She pressed a hand against her forehead, feeling the clamminess retreat from her skin. She sat down beside the barrel, deciding to rest for a couple more minutes before searching for Leon.
Once well-rested from her sickly state, the archivist stood up and searched her pocket for the mint she had gotten on the plane. Luckily, she still had it and unwrapped the red and white treat, popping it into her mouth. The minty flavor removed the acidic and iron taste from her mouth, which she was grateful for.
When Gwen was ready to leave, she heard running footsteps approaching. She turned her head just as Leon appeared from around the corner. Offering a smile, she waved at the blonde. "Did I miss anything?"
The tenseness in Leon's body left as he walked towards her after hearing her question. "How're you feeling?"
"Much better." Gwen decided to keep the living creature she excreted from her stomach a secret, knowing he would be even more worried about her. "Did you find anything?"
"An exit across the valley. I've already unlocked the gate."
"Good. Did you see what's beyond the gate?"
Leon shook his head. "No. I came back here to check on you."
"Now that I'm feeling better, we can continue to the church. We might lose our chance to save her if you-know-who learns we've escaped," the archivist said.
She walked past Leon, but before she was out of arm's reach, he grabbed her wrist. When their eyes met, his grip tightened slightly. "If you're not feeling well, tell me."
Gwen nodded with a smile. "I will, Leon."
<------------<<<<<<<<<<
Back in the valley, Leon and Gwen crossed the bridge to reach the gate. They pushed the heavy metal door open and walked through, leaving the valley and merchant behind. Further down the narrow path, they entered a large, crumbling compound.
Inside, they were attacked by more villagers in the corridor. "Duck!" Gwen shouted at Leon as a man walked up behind him with a pitchfork. The blonde did as she said, dodging the weapon and allowing the archivist to shoot the old man in the head.
Another man tossed his axe, but Leon deflected it with a single bullet before the blade could hit Gwen. The young woman gaped in astonishment. "Were you aiming for that or was that just a lucky shot?"
"A little bit of both," Leon said while smirking. He killed the man who threw the axe before lowering his pistol. "I'm running low on ammo."
"Found some on a crate. Here."
Gwen tossed the box of bullets to Leon, who caught it and immediately reloaded his pistol. "Thanks."
Continuing through the complex, the agents reached a dead end. Gwen huffed in vexation as she stared at the concrete debris blocking the doorway. "Great. Where do we go from here?"
Leon surveyed the room and found a couple of windows. He didn't bother telling Gwen before leaping out one of them. The archivist flinched when she heard the glass shatter. Looking to her right, she glanced out the broken window and watched as Leon brushed shards of glass off his clothes. She stared at the man, unamused at his actions. "Y'know, you're an agent, not a human wrecking ball. Wanna burst through a wall next?"
"Maybe later," Leon said as Gwen climbed out of the window, avoiding the pieces of glass that remained in the window frame.
Outside, the agents were attacked by more villagers. This time, they had sticks of dynamite to spare and threw them at the couple. They crouched behind a metal trash bin to avoid the explosions and unholstered their pistols. After waiting for the dynamites to explode, the two agents emerged from their cover and shot the villagers. Gwen was able to shoot the dynamite and take out all the men. "As much as I hate dynamite, it sure does make our job easier if we're able to get a good shot in."
"Yeah, but it also makes it more difficult to find an opening," Leon said as he looked around. Seeing all the bear traps, he scoffed. "They really don't want us getting through."
Gwen followed his line of sight. "Geez, this is overkill." The archivist picked up a few pieces of debris and tossed a single shard onto a trap. The jagged, rustic jaws snapped closed as the concrete hit the pressure plate in the center. "There's our solution. Just toss something onto the pressure plate to activate the trap. Simple enough."
Leon followed Gwen's lead and picked up a few shards of concrete. The companions triggered all the bear traps to reach the door on the other side. Through the door, they followed the corridor to another door. Leon opened it slowly to see what was on the other side. "It leads underground."
"Oh, my favorite," Gwen grumbled.
Walking down the stone passageway, the agents found more villagers. While Leon easily disposed of them, Gwen glanced over the railing when she heard splashing below. "Fish?"
"And something else," Leon said, spotting a glint under the water. Without hesitation, the blonde leapt over the railing and splashed in the water below.
Gwen's eyes widened, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "What the hell were you thinking, Leon?!"
Said man looked up at her while shrugging his shoulders, a smirk apparent on her face. "You don't trust me enough, Gwen."
"That is far from the truth and you know it, Kennedy! What if you shattered your ankles?!"
"You worry too much," Leon rebuttals, sifting through the water.
"Wha-no! I worry just enough about your crazy ass!"
Leon grabbed the shotgun shells and handgun ammo before walking to the base of the ladder, glancing up at his girlfriend. "I'm the crazy one in this relationship?"
Gwen leaned against the railing, resting her elbow on it while cupping her chin in her palm. Her unamused expression made Leon chuckle. She raised a brow at hearing his laughter. "Yes. Yes, you are."
"I must be pretty crazy to be dating you," he commented, climbing up the ladder.
"Y'know, I was about to say the same thing," Gwen retorts with a smirk.
Once Leon was up the ladder and back with Gwen, he snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. He pressed his lips against her forehead before releasing her. "Guess we're both crazy."
<-----------<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Once returning to the surface, Leon and Gwen saw a large house at the end of the trail. Crows were scattered on the ground and throughout the trees as they squawked obnoxiously. Gwen rolled her eyes in annoyance at their repugnant chatter. They fluttered their wings as she and Leon walked past them, interrupting their conversation.
One of the black birds sat on a branch and turned its head to watch the couple. Gwen caught it staring with its black, beady eyes and raised a hand towards the bird. "Sorry for interrupting. Please, don't let us stop you." Seeming as if they understood the archivist, all the crows began squawking again.
Leon and Gwen walked up the stairs, promptly being stopped by a strange door. They moved the symbol around until they were able to make it resemble the one they've seen scattered across the village. The door slid open, revealing a neat and tidy room. "Guess no one's home," Leon said, stepping into the bedroom.
What caught Gwen's attention was the painting of a man hanging above the dresser. "Wonder who this guy is?" On the dresser, she found an ornamental box that was open. Snuggled in the velvet fabric inside was a key with the same strange symbol on the tip. "We've seen this insignia everywhere. Any idea on what it represents, Leon?"
"Not one bit. You're gonna want to read this, Gwen," Leon said, showing her the note he found on the bed.
*****
As instructed by Lord Saddler, I have the agents in confinement, alive. Why keep them alive? I do not fully understand what the Lord's intentions are.
I would, however, think he'd keep them separate; not confine them together as has been ordered.
I don't expect Luis would trust strangers but if by chance they did cooperate, the situation could get a bit more complicated.
If for some reason, an unknown third party is involved, I don't think they'd let a chance like this slip by.
But maybe it's all Lord Saddler's ploy-leaving us vulnerable so that this third party will surface, if they even exist that is...
It's an unlikely possibility, but if a prowler is already amongst us, then our plans could be ruined.
I guess the Lord thinks it's worth the risk, if we're able to stop whatever conspiracy is at work.
At any rate, it's the Lord's call.
We will trust his judgement as always.
*****
"Too bad it doesn't explain why they took our jackets. It's not exactly warm here," Gwen scoffs, folding up the piece of paper and sliding it into her pocket.
"It is strange how they took them and nothing else," Leon commented. Then, the agents ceased talking as they heard chatter nearby. It sounded like it was coming from the first floor, but they weren't positive.
They stepped out of room, horror stricken as a familiar large man greeted them. Leon and Gwen were grabbed by their throats before they could reach their weapons and hoisted into the air. They struggled in the man's grip, unable to breath due to his large hands crushing their windpipes. The archivist tried to kick the man in the abdomen, but he only smirked at her attempts.
The adversary met Leon's gaze, eyes narrowed as they stared into the agent's now red optics. He released the blonde, who coughed and gasped for air as he landed on the floor, but kept his hold on the black-haired woman, who continued to struggle in his strong grip. "Hmm... You carry the same blood as us, it seems. Nevertheless, you're an outsider. Just remember, if you become a nuisance to our eyes, you will face severe consequences." Then his eyes darted over to Gwen. "But you do not. Your blood is cursed and will only be a hindrance. Be gone, vile creature." The man's hand tightened around Gwen's throat. She clawed at his hand, trying to pry his fingers from around her throat.
"Hey, bastard!" Leon shouted as he grabbed his gun and aimed it at the assailant. "Let her go."
The man only chuckled as he slammed Gwen's body against the wall, his hand still around her throat. She cried out from the impact, her eyes sealed from the sudden rush of pain. Leon glared daggers at the man and pulled the trigger, aiming at the arm holding Gwen captive. He was forced to drop the agent after four bullets to his arm and headed into the bedroom.
Gwen coughed and gasped for air. She felt as if the man's hand was still around her throat as she clawed at her skin with a few tears running down her cheeks. Leon was in front of her, prying her hands away from her neck to prevent her nails from breaking the skin. "Gwen, hey," he called out. She slowly opened her eyes at the sound of his voice. "You're safe. Just breathe."
Gwen inhaled a shaky breath before being able to steady her erratic breathing. Leon examined her neck, brushing his fingers against the scratch marks from her nails and the imprint of a hand around her throat. He could already see bruises forming from how tight the man had squeezed her throat. Anger rushed through Leon's veins as he stood. "I'll be back." He followed after the man, leaving Gwen in the hallway.