Leon managed to free himself from the garrador too late. Gwen had fallen unconscious and was dragged away by her ankles before he could escape and help her. Anger flashed through the blonde's eyes as he killed the cultists surrounding the cage and the garrador. He shot the lock off the cell door and bursted through it as he headed through the door Gwen was dragged through minutes ago.
Seeing no trace or hint to where the man had taken her, Leon slammed his fist against the wall, causing the picture frames to tremble. "Dammit...!" His chest rose rapidly, his breathing erratic from the anger and frustration. Not only had Leon lost Ashley, but he now had no idea where Gwen was taken or if she was safe. He cursed Salazar and the entire cult for taking away his only semblance of normality, calmness, and jubilation in this hellhole.
Leon fueled his actions with his anger and frustration. The cult members stood no chance against the furious man as he traveled down a warpath of his own creation. No cultists were able to lay a hand on him as he made sure they couldn't surround him or get within inches of him. He killed all the robed men before pulling a lever. It activated a hidden walkway that allowed access to the door on the second level.
More zealots shuffled through the doors as Leon made his way across. They were no match for his shotgun as his trigger finger had a seemingly never-ending itch. Spinning around, he annihilated the parasites that had surfaced and took control of the headless bodies. They popped like balloons, guts spurting everywhere as they were obliterated into nothingness. Before leaving the room, Leon claimed an RPG in a display case. He planned to save the single rocket for a certain short man.
Briskly running down the hallway, Leon stumbled upon the merchant. He placed his hands on the makeshift counter, anger still coursing through his veins. "Did a man pass through here dragging my partner?"
The merchant shook his head. "Sorry, stranger. No one has been this way except for you. I do have some new and rare items for ya to browse, though."
Leon bit his tongue to keep from lashing out at the man. "Not this time. I'm in a hurry." He left the merchant and entered the mezzanine.
As Leon's back was turned to the door, it opened. "Leon, I got it!" Said man turns around just as Luis calls out to him. Before the Spaniard could explain, a soft 'thump' is heard. The blonde watches in horror as Luis is impaled by a huge tendril and is hoisted into the air.
"Luis!" Leon shouted in panic. Screaming, the Spaniard drops what he had in his hand.
Before it could shatter against the tile, Saddler catches the vial. The tendril slams Luis to the ground and then disappears under the adversary's robes. "Now that I have the sample, you serve me no purpose."
"Saddler!" Leon hissed in hatred.
"My boy, Salazar, will make sure you follow the same fate. After all, he did succeed in retrieving our second target," Saddler chuckles.
"Wait! Where is she?!" Leon yelled as the man leaves. Receiving only a villainous chuckle in response, the blonde's hands clench into a fist. Seeing the large pool of blood forming under Luis' body, Leon rushes over to the dying man. He kneels next to him, wondering what he could do to keep Luis from fading. "Stay with me, Luis."
"I am a researcher... hired by Saddler. He found out what I was up to," Luis coughed. Blood trickled from his mouth as he met Leon's sapphire gaze.
"Don't talk," Leon begs. Then, he remembers their first encounter with Luis outside the entrance of the castle. His eyes widen in hope and pat the pockets located on the Spaniard's vest. "Where's the vial Gwen gave you?"
With a shaky hand, Luis fishes the vial out of his pocket. Leon snatches the glass flask from him and pops the lid off. He knew he didn't have much time to save the man and placed the rim of the vial against his chapped lips and gently poured the silver blood into Luis' mouth. "Don't die on me yet, Luis."
Luis used the last of his strength to swallow the silver liquid. Once it traveled down his throat, the large hole in his chest and back mended. The pool of blood he laid in stopped expanding as the skin was repaired. Not even a scar was left behind as proof of the injury.
The Spaniard coughed as he searched his chest for where he was impaled. He slowly sat up, eyes wide in amazement and a hint of fright. "How... How is this possible?"
"Not only is Gwen's blood poison to the parasites, it's also a miracle elixir. It can heal any wound or illness in seconds," Leon responded, relieved to see Luis ingested the blood before he could succumb to his wound. "Without her blood, I'd be dead myself."
"Fascinating," Luis murmurs as he exams his body closer. He looks around the mezzanine for the woman with the miracle elixir flowing through her veins. "Where is the princesa? I wish to thank her for saving my life."
Leon looked away, his gaze melancholic. "She was captured."
"What?" Luis gasped. "If Saddler has Gwen, it is only a matter of time before he reverses the effects of her blood and use it to make the Las Plagas immune to everything. If that happens, there will not be a way to get rid of the parasites. It could possibly kill her in the process."
Leon rested his hand against his knee, squeezing it tightly. "I'm not going to let that happen. I won't let that twisted bastard take Gwen from me. I almost lost her six years ago. Like hell I'm going to lose her now."
"That's what I like to hear, amigo. A beautiful tale of a knight saving his princess. It never gets old," Luis chuckles. "Hope you won't mind a lowly servant tagging along."
"Sorry, Luis, But you need to stay out of sight and away from all the action. Saddler thinks you're dead, and it'd be better to keep it that way," Leon stated as he stood up.
"Quite a compelling argument, indeed," Luis sighed. "But if I find your princesa, I will do all I can to bring her back safely."
Leon was grateful for having a friend like Luis in such dark times. He smiled as he nodded. "Thanks, Luis."
The Spaniard stood up, wiping his bloodied hands on his pants. "Of course, amigo. Although..." A smirk carved across his face. "I might steal a kiss from the lovely maiden if I find her first."
The blonde huffed with laughter. "Just don't sweep her off her feet. That's my job."
Luis' smirk widened. "No promises, amigo." The man went to leave but stopped in his tracks when he forgot to hand over what he brought the agent. He turned and tossed a bottle towards Leon. "Here. It should suppress growth of the parasite. The sample... You have to get it back from Saddler."
"Don't worry. I'll get it back, Luis. You focus on staying out of sight and if you do find Gwen, try to keep your hands to yourself," Leon said.
Luis chuckled at the blonde's response. "Like I said-no promises." He waved over his shoulder as he disappeared behind the door. Leon couldn't wipe the smirk from his face as he searched the mezzanine. He found a couple boxes of ammo for his rifle and a few rounds for his handgun.
While scavenging for any goodies, Leon heard someone struggling. He peered over the stone railing and spotted Ashley. Moving to the middle of the room, he used his rifle to break the metal straps holding her captive. She shouted in fear as each strap shattered, but she calmed down once she was free and saw Leon on the floor above. She placed a hand on her hip as she stared up at the agent. "Talk about near death experience."
Suddenly, several robed zealots appear from hidden doorways. "Ashley, get out of there!" Leon cried out, shooting the men who tried to grab the girl.
Once the first wave of zealots were killed, Ashley stormed over to a door. She yanked on the handle, but it didn't budge. "The door's locked! I can't open it!"
More men appear and target the young girl as she struggled with the door. Leon caught a glimpse of the key around the red-robed cultist's neck and made him his first target. With two shots from his rifle, the cultist was dead. The agent terminated the rest of the cult members as Ashley extracted the key from the corpse. "I got the key! I can get out!"
Leon watched as Ashley used the key and vanished behind the door. He knew he shouldn't leave her to fend for herself, but he had no way to reach her. Nervously, the blonde paced back and forth as his thoughts traveled from Ashley's safety to Gwen's. He stopped and leant against the stone railing, staring down at where Ashley was once trapped. Slowly, he was going insane due to Gwen's absence. She was his unsinkable ship in the middle of a hurricane. Without her, he'd drown.
To keep his mind off his missing girlfriend, Leon checked his guns to make sure they were loaded. He leaned against a pillar, sighing as he held his shotgun. He reclined his head against the marble, staring up at the ceiling.
The agent delved so deeply in thought that he didn't see Ashley until she shouted his name. "Leon!"
"Ashley!" He yelled back as the young girl rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She hugged him tightly, which Leon reciprocated. "You did good."
Realizing what she was doing, Ashley unlatched herself from the agent. She was blushing slightly as she took a step back. "I'm sorry if I was..." Her voice trails off, the embarrassment scrambling her thoughts.
Leon shook his head with a small smile. "Don't worry about it. Come on, let's move on."
"Wait," Ashley calls out. "Where's Gwen?"
Before the man could answer, the radio received a transmission. Leon sighed in vexation as he knew who it was. A notorious cackle echoed from the device's speaker as he accepted the incoming call.
*****
"Aw... what a touching moment we have here. It's a shame your reunion is one short."
*****
"I'll get Gwen back even if I have to kill you in the process. Why don't you do us all a favor and leave before the audience gets pissed off?" Leon scoffed, glaring at the screen displaying Salazar's face.
*****
"What a maniacal response, Mr. Kennedy. You're nothing but an extra in my script, so don't get too carried away. Your biggest scene is over."
*****
"I don't ever remember being a part of your crappy script."
*****
"Well then, why don't you show me what a first-class script is like through your own actions."
*****
The call ended and all that came from the radio was static. Leon clicked his tongue in frustration and he ridded himself of the device. He glanced at Ashley with determination. "Let's go."
<------------<<<<<<<<<<
Succeeding in claiming the lion ornament from a room filled with lava, Leon returns to Ashley. They hop into a car with plush cushions and travel through the castle on the rail system.
As they rode the rails, Ashley sat across from Leon. "You think Gwen's safe?"
"I hope she is," Leon sighed, leaning forward in the seat. "Luis is also helping, but he needs to stay off the radar. Saddler thinks he's dead."
"I really do hope we find her, Leon. All the times I've talked to her, she never pushed me away-not even once. Most people usually get tired of hearing me run my mouth, but not Gwen. I kinda see her as my friend."
Leon clasped his hands together between his knees. A faint smile snuck onto his face. "That sounds exactly like her. She's a good listener and always puts other people's feelings before hers. Sometimes it's a pain in the ass to get her to think about herself for a change, but I know her heart's in the right place."
Ashley placed her hands in her lap as she smiled gently at seeing the soft side of Leon. "You really do love her."
The man gripped his hands tighter. "More than anything."
The car came to a stop and they stepped out. Unlocking the door, Leon and Ashley found themselves back in the grand hall. With all three pieces to the chimera wall relief, the path was cleared.
Through a pair of doors, Ashley tilted her head to the side as she saw what was on the other side. "Another railcar?"
"Let's take another ride." Leon steps into the car with the young girl close behind. They sit across from one another and anxiously await to see where the railway takes them.
They arrive at their destination and exit the railcar. The sparkling tile below showed their reflections as if they were walking on a mirror.
Leon cautiously opens the double doors, scanning the area for any enemies. Fortunately, there were no adversaries in the vicinity. He beckoned Ashley to follow him through the doors and down the hall to their right.
Leon and Ashley dodged a couple of armaduras and their halberds as they followed the corridor until they reached a large, spacious room with an object on display in the center of the chamber.
Before wandering aimlessly into the room, Leon commanded Ashley to stay out in the hall. She listened without bickering and watched as the agent stalked towards the trinket on display. He examined the knickknack and noticed it was a gold-plated chalice with the decoration of a king on the side.
Leon spun around with the grail in his hand just as the exit was sealed. Three armaduras emanated from hidden alcoves in the room and raised their halberds as they lumbered towards the blonde, their armor clanking with every step.
"What the hell?" Leon dodged an incoming weapon and grabbed his shotgun to take down the sets of armor possessed by parasites.
A few minutes later, all the armaduras were dealt with and Leon didn't have a single scratch on him as he regrouped with Ashley. The girl was curious as to what he found and questioned him. "What'd you find?"
Leon holds out the chalice, showcasing it to the young girl. "A grail. Not sure what we need it for, but it looks important."
With the golden cup in their possession, the duo decided to check behind the intricately designed door with gold and red accents next. Inside, they found two sets of armor seeming to be lifeless unlike their fellow knights. Four pressure plates were located in each corner, but there were only two in their party.
Ashley wandered over to one of the sets of armor and placed her hand against the cement pedestal. It budged when she pushed, but she didn't have the strength to push it very far. "Leon, we could push these knights onto the pressure plates and then we can stand on the remaining two."
"Good idea," Leon complimented. He pushed the two knights into place while he and Ashley stood on the final two pressure plates. The door leading to an adjacent room unlocked.
Leon and Ashley meandered into the annex and saw two people standing in the room. The agent recognized the short man as Salazar, but he wasn't sure who was standing next to him. He knew it was a woman by looking at the beautiful dress she wore.
When the woman turned around, Leon's eyes widened as he recognized her. "Gwen..."