Underneath that, the layers became blurred and more secretive. Crooked casinos, brothels, broken down residential areas, a spotless marketplace... it was all there. Within a given hotel, one might find a financial deal being made. Within a given casino, one might find winners, losers, plans of war and plans of merriment.
Antei was kind of like a really twisted... onion.
"I hate onions." Ronnie remarked to no one in particular as they reached the edge of the famous city.
"I think that's Jaoullin's armor you're smelling, not onion, Ron..." Scotch said plainly.
"He-ey!" Jaoullin objected. "I'll have you know I received a very nice, hot sponge bath after that whole vampire ordeal back there."
"Funny, I didn't see any nurses doing that." Norman remarked. Pauline suddenly turned a shade of crimson and became very interested in the cobblestones for some reason.
"Then why do you still smell?" Scotch inquired innocently.
"So I forgot to do anything with my armor. It woulda rusted anyway..." Jaoullin mumbled.
"Look, I'm sure everyone here is a few baths short. That's not what we're here for, so just drop it already." Ronnie said, not looking at them but still gazing at the buildings.
Though they had passed through Antei not long ago at all, it was like a dark cloud hung over the city upon their visit this time. Ronnie could feel that she was nearing answers, answers she had been seeking for ten long years, and it excited and terrified her. Somewhere in there, Clara was waiting to be found, and Ronnie aimed to find her.
Little did they know she wasn't the only one being sought after in that city.
******
"Klift... is dead, my master." Kranach said mournfully to the figure opposite him in the darkened room with the curtains of deep cranberry.
The curtains were closed. They were always closed.
"Did you get it back?" said the man with a deep voice. He didn't seem too regretful, hearing the news.
"Er... his body, master?" Kranach asked.
"Don't be a fool, Kranach. You know of what I speak." snapped the man.
"Oh, I apologize, my master. There was no time to secure such a thing---" Kranach began, but his master waved him away.
"Nevermind. I'll send someone else to fetch it in due time... that is, if he hasn't decayed by then."
"What shall I do? I have the human girl in one of your warehouses... her friends should be coming to make the exchange."
"Then make it. Try not to flub it up." said the deep-voiced man callously. He glanced at Kranach. "You are my most trustworthy employee, Kranach. Don't start failing me now."
With that, Kranach was dismissed.
******
Ronnie Bell ignored all else as she made a beeline for the tavern indicated in the old woman's letter. Formerly the "Singing Do Re Mi Elf," it had apparently undergone a name-simplification to become "The Song Sprite."
She walked up to its swinging doors---something not seen in many taverns anymore, she supposed---and entered, her crew in tow.
It was almost like coming back home. Ronnie smiled despite herself upon entering. Things had changed over the eight years since she had first come through its doors, but the staples that made this place one of her favorites to come to in Antei were still there.
The decor itself wasn't too different, though she noted there some newer pieces of furniture dotted here and there. Still, the same old pictures hung on the wall.
Most notable was the sound. Music washed over her as soon as she entered---sung with the heavenly voice of the same Do Re Mi elf woman who stood on the same stage, off to the right, that she had always stood upon. Ronnie always found her songs comforting, for some reason.
Ronnie noted as her crew entered behind her that there wasn't much of a crowd in the establishment, as usual when she sporadically visited. They were the only customers besides a man of about thirty who, strangely enough, sat on a stool at the counter, bawling. The same bartender-owner was behind the counter, ignoring everything except drink orders.
Then Ronnie saw a person she hadn't expected to find in the tavern, emerging from the kitchen area.
She had short blonde curls, and the same youthful face as one of her trusted crew members. She wore a simple blue dress with a skirt cut quite high and a top cut quite low (Ronnie remembered that was one of the things she hadn't really liked about the establishment---it made its waitresses look somewhat trashy) with an apron, and carried a pad of paper with which to jot down orders.
"Scotch!!" she exclaimed, shocked. Setting down a tray of empty glasses she had been carrying, she flew into her brother's arms, much to his surprise.
"M-Margie, hi..." he gasped. "I-er, didn't expect you to be here." She squeezed him more tightly than may have been considered comfortable at that.
"Didn't expect me?" she said, glancing deliberately at Ronnie, "Or rather you were hoping not to run into your dearest sister? How cold of you."
"H-hello, Margarita. How have you been?" Ronnie said politely.
"I've been well." Margarita replied, "If a bit lonely." Ronnie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. If there was anyone who could manipulate Scotch, it was his sister.
"It's not like that, Margie. I just came on business, and---"
"I see." she said briskly to him. "Well, I don't care what business you have. You're here, so you're sitting down for a visit. Let me take your order in a moment." She bustled off to get some menus, humming happily. Margie never took no for an answer.
Ronnie sat down, as did the rest of them, bewildered.
"I forgot Margie even lived here, Scotch." Jaoullin whispered in a terrified tone as he sat next to Pauline.
Ronnie hadn't. While she didn't have anything against Scotch's sister, she knew they shouldn't be wasting time dilly-dallying here when she was supposed to be looking for Clara.
"Oh, that's right, Jaoullin..." Scotch said. "You and her were...ah...yes. She wasn't happy about being dumped at all."
"Everyone, please order something small and easy. We can't afford to lose any time here." Ronnie put in.
Margarita returned, and handed out menus. Of course, when everyone ordered a side dish, she glared suspiciously.
"Not hungry this morning?" she said. Cornelius quickly amended his order.
"Why, I'm famished, miss. I'll take one of everything." he said hastily. She stared at him.
"O-of course. One of...everything."
"That's right."
She sashayed off to the kitchen to place the orders.
"Cornelius, how are you going to---" Ronnie began.
"EAT all that??" Eyesoar gasped.
"PAY for all that?" Norman asked.
"I shall employ my rogueish charm." Cornelius announced.
"...dude, you're a crusty bounty hunter." Jaoullin said bluntly, "Have you even...BEEN with a woman?"
"Don't be ridiculous. I've had plenty of women before." Cornelius scoffed. Ronnie shook her head.
While the others conversed, waiting for their food, Ronnie looked around the tavern. What was it, here, that she was supposed to find? The clue hadn't elaborated at all.
There was nothing really, really suspicious she could find upon her scan of the place, and so she reluctantly settled in to eat her meal. They were within Kranach's deadline to show up in the city, so technically nothing should have happened to Clara by then, but Ronnie didn't trust that.
Margarita returned after not too long with their orders.
"Here you are." she said in that chipper way she had.
"Thanks, Margie." Scotch said, digging in.
"Hey, mine's all burnt." Jaoullin said.
"Mine too." Pauline echoed. Margie looked shocked.
"Goodness, what a tragedy. Shall I tell the cook so you can take it up with him??" she offered.
"No, just... nevermind..." Jaoullin mumbled. "I'll eat it." Pauline looked ready to take it up with someone, but merely put a stubborn look on her face and ate it up. Ronnie noticed her own meal was a bit singed, but said nothing. Margie looked satisfied.
"My shift's over in a few minutes, gang, so all of you could come over to my place after your lunch, hmm?" she suggested.
"Mmm, Margie..." Scotch said, his mouth full, "We're really busy..."
"But Scotchie, it would be such fun. Wouldn't it?" Margie said. She turned to Eyesoar. "Eyesoar, sweetie, I have plenty of those candies you always like."
"I...uh..." Eyesoar said guiltily.
"Look, Margie, I'm sure Scotch would be happy to visit you when you get off work, but the rest of us have something really important to attend to first. Perhaps when we're done, we'll drop by, okay?" Norman suggested. Margarita looked like that answer didn't quite satisfy her, but could not protest, as the next meal in Cornelius's line of "one of everything" was ready, and she was forced to go fetch it.
"Nice save, Norman." Jaoullin commended quietly.
"Well, we can't all go visit her, for pete's sake." Norman replied.
"Sorry about this, guys. You know how she gets." Scotch apologized.
"Don't worry about it, Scotch." Ronnie put in, "I can understand your sister wanting to see more of you." Scotch turned slightly redder, shook his head, and mumbled something unintelligible under his breath.
Sure enough, a few minutes (and few Cornelius-meals) later, Margarita returned in a somewhat less slutty outfit, a maroon dress that covered much more of her than her waitress getup had.
"Are you all finished, Scotch?" she asked. She leaned down and whispered conspiratorially to her brother. "I hope you enjoyed it. I had the chef give you extra of everything."
"It was great, Margie." Scotch said, getting up. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and cast a glance at the rest of them as he was dragged from the tavern.
"Good luck, you guys." he said. Ronnie nodded to him.
"Ronnie..." Cornelius piped up.
"Yes?"
"I'm afraid my plan to appease the waitress by purchasing every item on the menu has backfired. May I borrow 458 bits?"
******
Two figures stood in the darkness of the room, discussing certain matters of importance to them.
"They are two offshoots of the same rune, and only one of each exists in this world. That is why." said a man with a deep voice.
"Of course." said the other, presumably someone who worked for him. "I should not have questioned your reasoning."
"This is the perfect opportunity, Maroux." said the deep voiced man, "Both runes----related---one of a kind... HERE. Obtain them both for me at once."
"What would you have me do, master?"
"Just bring them here. I will take care of everything."
"Yes, master."
With that, the one known as Maroux bowed deeply and turned, leaving the room.
******
Margarita walked up the front steps of her home and opened the door, gesturing for her brother to enter.
Once inside, she closed the door neatly behind her, hung her coat up, and turned sweetly to her brother.
"Tea?" she offered.
"No thanks, Margie. I just ate." Scotch pointed out.
"Ah. Of course. We can just talk, then." she said. He was already sitting comfortably in one of her chairs, so she propped herself up on the sofa. Scotch braced himself, as he knew his lifestyle was about to come under attack.
"Why don't you visit more often?" she asked sharply.
"You know I'm busy up north." Scotch answered.
"I don't like it." Margarita said simply. Scotch frowned.
"Well, it's not your decision to make. It's my life." he said firmly. She leveled a suspicious gaze at him.
"You don't like all that business, Scotch. I know you don't. It's her, isn't it?"
"It's who? You mean Ronnie?" Scotch said.
"You know who I mean." Margarita replied huffily. "You...you're with her, aren't you?"
"If you mean I work with her, then yes." Scotch said evenly.
"I think you're in love with her." his sister accused. Scotch found himself becoming annoyed.
"I'm not in love with Ronnie, Margie. And even if I was, why does that bother you so much? We're in a business partnership."
"It's so dangerous, though." she protested. "Don't think I don't know what you do up there. You could get killed. Then who would have to tell mother? I would."
"What a shame that my death would be so inconvenient for you." Scotch said icily. He just wasn't in the mood for his sister's antics.
"I care about you!! Don't you say that!" she shouted. "You never keep in touch, and for all I know you could be dead in a ditch somewhere!!"
"Things don't happen like that, Margie. We're very careful." he assured her wearily.
"That's a lie. You and Ronnie and all of them, you're always off taking risks and ripping people off! They're probably in mortal danger right now!" she cried.
******
"Look, Cornelius, if you're in 'mortal danger of indigestion', just STOP eating. If you keep shoveling it in like that, you're the only one to blame." Ronnie sighed.
"I'm not helping you pay if you just keep eating, either." Jaoullin made clear. Cornelius gave them a not-very-convincing look of helplessness.
"CHERRIE!" the bartender roared suddenly. The music from the Song Sprite on stage halted abruptly. "Get me some more of the Kanakan stuff from the stockroom. NOW! Hop to it!"
Ronnie glanced over at the elfin girl, who was visibly trembling even from there. She nodded meekly and hopped off the stage, skittering over to a door opposite the entrance.
Now, that wasn't right. The girl couldn't have been a child, but she looked it, and Ronnie didn't appreciate her being yelled at like some kind of slave.
"Hey, do you have to yell at her like that?" she said loudly to the bartender. He ignored her.
After a few moments, the sprite girl returned, several bottles in tow. Her arms were unbelievably full, and sure enough, she dropped one, though it didn't break.
"You stupid girl! Be careful with those!!" the bartender howled at her again. She carried the load over to the counter, and he mulled over the labels and scowled.
"I-is that good, sir?" she stammered in a small voice.
"No, you forgot one, of course. Can't you be counted on for anything? Go get it." the bartender said.
"U-um, which...which kind did you want, sir...?"
"Look hard enough and you'll figure it out, peabrain. Honestly, Cherrie, you have to be useful for more than that damn voice around here." the barkeep said, turning away from her. Defeated, the elfin girl slunk back to the stockroom.
Ronnie was having none of that. But rather than confront the bartender, she merely waited until he wasn't watching and slipped after her into the storeroom.
"Hey, there... Cherrie, was it?" Ronnie said in a quiet voice. The elf was so startled, she practically jumped backwards.
"N-no, miss... customers aren't to be in the stockroom... the boss will be terribly a-angry..." she squealed, appalled.
"Why do you let him treat you like that?" she asked firmly, not budging from where she stood.
"I...it is no trouble..." Cherrie justified. "B-boss only does how master tells him..."
"Master?" Ronnie said sharply, her eyes narrowing.
"P-please, m-miss, do not trouble yourself with me..." the elf begged desperately. Ronnie was just about to trouble herself quite a bit when their conversation was interrupted by a horrible scream from beyond the stockroom.
She froze, as did the elf.
"What was that??" Ronnie asked. The scream came again.
"I...I do not know, but...b-but you must not go in there! I will be punished!!" Cherrie cried, tugging at Ronnie's skirt as she made for the door on the other end of the narrow storeroom from where she came in.
Ronnie paid no heed to the cries of the sprite.
******
Kranach fitted a gag over the mouth of the screaming teenager firmly, but not roughly. He didn't see the need for excessive force, as there was no way the girl was escaping anyway. She was bound at hand and foot, though she could still scoot herself around a bit.
She would go nowhere on his watch, though. When it came to doing a job, he did it right, and he kept it simple. So different from Klift. He sighed. It was hard to believe he was really gone.
It seemed so hard to be doing this now, with Klift gone, as well. How could he, Kranach, be stooping so low? Traumatizing some human girl who had nothing to do with anything his master wanted? All for the equivalent of a trinket? It seemed so degrading. Before, Klift would eagerly rush ahead, bent on the objective, leaving few doubts in his mind that this is where they were meant to be.
He hadn't really known Klift for a terribly long time. But they had an element in common, and that was their work. Even then, Klift had not come into his position voluntarily. Kranach suppressed a twinge of guilt. He could never forgive himself for that, and now the boy was gone for good. No chance to make amends. He laughed bitterly. Amends! His partner hadn't even had an inkling of a clue, anyway.
Kranach stood alone in the gloom of the warehouse, among the stacks of crates and supplies, and glanced over at his captive. He was truly beginning to regret the path he was on.
But he was a man of honor, and his first alliegiance was to his master. Regrets or none, he would finish the job.
As always.
Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted as Ronnie Bell burst through the door connecting the warehouse and the tavern stockroom. Though he hadn't expected to see her so soon, and certainly not here, he remained collected, taking it in.
"I see your cries were heard." he noted to the captive girl. "How very fortunate for you."
"Kranach!" Ronnie shouted angrily. Cherrie, the elf, tailed her timidly, her protests long since lost to the bandit's ears. She could see Clara tied up next to some crates, where the tall vampire stood waiting, his sword sheathed and held relaxed between his hands, blade pointed at the ground.
"Miss Bell. I see you arrived punctually." Kranach said to her. "Are you prepared to make the trade as I outlined?"
"Let Clara go, or you'll end up just like your friend." Ronnie promised darkly, stalking forward. The vampire held up his hand.
"I plan to let her walk free, providing you submit yourself in her place as we agreed." Kranach warned.
"We didn't 'agree' on anything." Ronnie snapped. Cherrie spoke up, suddenly.
"S-sir, Kranach, sir! What are you doing??" she dared to ask fearfully. "W-why is that girl... that way?"
"You aren't supposed to be here, Cherrie." Kranach said firmly. "Please go back to work, before you get in trouble."
"Th-this shouldn't be, Sir Kranach!" Cherrie cried, "Why are you hurting that poor girl...?"
"She's not..." Kranach began, "Just never mind, Cherrie. Please go back to work." The elfin girl didn't move, but merely stared in horror, confused.
"Release Clara, and then we'll settle this between the two of us." Ronnie said. It was a bolder statement than she felt (her, one-on-one with a hulking vampire?), but she was on fire.
"There's a way to avoid violence here." Kranach insisted. "Just come with me, and you won't have to worry about the girl any more."
"...What will happen to miss if she goes with Kranach, sir?" Cherrie asked innocently. Kranach sighed. Ronnie knew the elf's presence was staying Kranach's hand, and for that she was fortunate. The vampire was between a rock and a hard place, squirming for an answer. Unfortunately, he found one.
"Master wishes it, Cherrie." he said simply. The elf absolutely shriveled up, and asked no more questions. Lights went off in Ronnie's head. Kranach's master and Cherrie's were one and the same?
"I thought you worked for Neclordia." she said.
"She is my queen, and I would gladly serve her, but first and foremost I serve my master." Kranach said with a sad smile.
Ronnie had heard enough. Steeling herself, she mounted her first attack on the vampire without warning.
******
"Heartburn often attacks without warning," Cornelius said sagely, an odd look on his face. He looked to be in pain.
"Serves you right." Pauline said.
"That's the most I've seen anyone eat at one sitting." remarked Eyesoar. Norman glanced around the tavern.
"Where did Ronnie get to?"
"I thought she went to talk to that song sprite, the one who always sings up there." Jaoullin said, shrugging.
"Yeah, I don't remember that guy ever being so mean before. Of course, he never really said anything the other times we came here." the young Winger said of the bartender.
"She's been gone a while..." Pauline said.
A woman entered the bar. Her features were mostly obscured by the hooded cloak she sported, colored a misty silver, but she still drew attention to herself.
"Ah, that there's a pretty one." Cornelius said with a grin.
"How would you know?" Pauline demanded, as the woman made her way up to the counter.
"The pretty ones always hide." the bounty hunter replied simply, if not regretfully. Jaoullin chuckled.
She stood at the counter for a moment, glanced around the tavern, and then turned and walked straight into the storeroom.
"Hey! HEY! Lady, you can't go back there!" the barkeep howled. Ignoring him, she strode forward through the door. "Stupid bitch..." he mumbled, running after her.
The bandit crew watched with interest, and suspicion. After only a moment, they heard a strangled cry---male.
"I think we should go check on Ronnie..." Norman said, his eyes widening. They all jumped up from the table (Cornelius last, as he was still full), rushing towards the storeroom.
The bartender's pale, lifeless body tumbled back out before they reached it, a fashionable set of puncture wounds in his neck as a new accessory. The tiniest trickle of blood dripped from it.
"...that woman's a vampire!" Jaoullin gasped. "Everyone, watch your backs when we go in!" He made for the door, his sword drawn. Eyesoar just made an odd sound and stumbled forward, staring.
Could it be...?
******
Ronnie crashed into a stack of crates, hard, a gash on her forehead from the hilt of Kranach's sword. Her head spun. It had been foolish of her to attack without a weapon, but she had done it anyway. Cherrie sat in a little ball in a corner, trembling, trying not to watch but unable to tear herself away. She was clearly torn between stopping the violence before her or just letting her master's wishes be carried out, murmuring nothing more than "No, no, no..."
Stumbling to her feet, Ronnie activated her Hate Rune, keeping the vampire, who wasn't really trying hard at all to advance on her anyway, at bay.
"You're making a mistake, Bell." Kranach said, "I am a man of my word. The girl would go free---"
"I'm tired of creatures like you destroying the lives of others for your own benefit. I don't care who your master is or what he wants." Ronnie said with a scowl, attempting to charge him again. He knocked her down with his arm.
"I won't renege on my promise. I will let her go once you're dead, then, as you've given me no other choice." Kranach said grimly, raising his sword to cut her down.
Before he could reach his downstroke, a whip wrapped around his forearm with a crack, going taut and holding him back. Ronnie looked over to see some hooded figure, but her vision was too blurred to make it out. Kranach, however, knew immediately.
"L-lady Nikita!" he gasped, "What are you doing here?!" Nikki tossed back her hood with a flip of her head, and scowled.
"I followed you here because I knew you were up to something, and it seems I was right, Kranach." Neclordia's daughter accused.
"This has nothing to do with you!" Kranach shouted, getting desperate. Ronnie scrambled to her feet, but rather than strike, she made her way towards Clara.
Jaoullin, Norman, Eyesoar, Pauline, and Cornelius burst in on the exchange, weapons drawn.
"Those're the vampires!" the Sunshine Knight shouted. Nikki released Kranach suddenly, and he stumbled forward. She floated into the air, above the range of any attacks.
Ronnie feverishly worked at the ropes binding Clara. Her head was racing. Why would the heir apparent to the legions of vampires they had just slaughtered in Lorimar show up and attack another vampire of all things? Weren't they allies?
Kranach raised his fist, and engulfed the bandits with a Black Shadow attack from his Darkness Rune. Only the Winger, taking to the air just in time, escaped the magical offensive.
"Y-you're the vampire who helped me before!" he hissed to the girl still floating up by the rafters.
"That's right." Nikki replied with a hint of a grin.
"What are you doing??" Eyesoar asked, puzzled.
"I'm taking care of business." she said, diving down towards the ground again.
Just one more rope... Ronnie thought, ripping off the gag as she worked. She noticed that while Kranach was quite clearly trying to murder her friends, he hadn't made a move yet to stop her from freeing Clara. These vampires were giving her a headache, especially now that they seemed to be working in tandem to dispel all her generalizations about them. Weren't they all blood-sucking, parasitic bastards, for goodness sake??
Using the momentum from her flight downwards, Nikki coiled her whip around Kranach's waist and threw him across the warehouse, almost hitting Cherrie with him. The elfin girl squealed and took cover elsewhere, escaping out another door.
"You swore fealty to my mother," Nikki said darkly, walking over to Kranach, "But here I find you and your friend Klift cooking up something not at all in line with her wishes. You're working for someone else, aren't you?"
"That's... that's none of your business, Nikita." Kranach said, getting to his feet and pointing his sword in her direction.
"I'm making it my business." she replied, striking at his feet with her whip. "Attacking humans who invade our land is one thing. This seems to be quite another."
"Oh thank gods...oh thank gods..." Clara sobbed as Ronnie finally freed her. But they weren't out of danger yet. Grabbing the village girl's hand, Ronnie made for the door. Kranach, seeing this, lunged forward, but he wasn't close enough to make contact, with Nikki between he and the humans. Her whipstrike caught him right in the cheek. He recoiled.
"Humans, go! Go now!" Nikki said, glancing back at them before driving Kranach back with another strike.
"I don't get it, what's goin' on here?!" Jaoullin cried. Ronnie didn't take the time to ask questions, and merely charged out the way they had come in. She was followed immediately by Clara, then Pauline and Norman, then Jaoullin, who dragged Cornelius. Eyesoar glanced back for a second, grinned widely, then zipped out the door.
******
The tavern was empty, except for the bartender, who Ronnie was unsure whether he was dead or merely passed out from lack of blood. No music flowed over her as she ran by, and the familiar sights failed to comfort her once more. Still grasping Clara by the hand, she fled through the front door.
The others were right behind her. Not wanting to stop for fear that somehow they would get caught, she looked frantically around for a way to go. Out of town, to the south?
Before she could make up her mind a figure sprang from the rooftops and took Jaoullin to the ground. Startled, Ronnie turned to see who was attacking, but felt Clara tugging desperately at her hand.
"Ronnie, Clara, run! Just run!" Norman shouted. Dutifully she obeyed, taking off without so much as a glance backwards. They could hold their own for long enough to get away.
At Jaoullin's instruction, apparently, Pauline too made her escape, and Eyesoar fled the scene as well, leaving Norman, Cornelius, and the Sunshine Knight to fight off their caped adversary.
Hoping to lose all pursuit, Ronnie and Clara ducked down a side street, then another. She wasn't even sure where they were any longer. Casinos and homes and businesses whizzed past them.
Suddenly, an arm shot out of an alley and grabbed Ronnie, startling her half to death. She let go of Clara's arm. No matter what, that girl wouldn't be caught again.
"Clara, keep going! Don't stop until you're home!" Ronnie commanded, and the girl tearfully complied, fleeing with all her might.
******
Clara's heart was beating faster than it ever had. Her mind was nearly overwhelmed with everything that had happened, but her feet knew what to do: just keep running.
Don't stop until you're home, Ronnie had said. Well, what good was that? At home, she would be safe, of course. But in the back of her mind, nagging doubts arose.
Who was to say it would be over? The vampires could rise again. Anything and everything could happen, and that was what worried her. But what infuriated her was... herself.
I'm so weak... she lamented. Ronnie Bell... Tigerlily... they all work so hard to stick up for me, because I'm not strong enough to do it for myself. It's not fair. I shouldn't burden everyone like that... She knew it didn't have to be that way. What about Mendor? She hadn't done everything herself, but when it counted, she had had it. Why couldn't it always be that way?
Tears streamed down her face as she ran past the homes of happier, oblivious people. Someone back at the tavern was probably very hurt right now, and it was all her fault. She couldn't take it.
"H-hey! HEY! Clara, Clara, is that you?" cried a voice from the porch of one of the homes. She didn't want to stop. She couldn't stop until she was home. But she couldn't run any longer.
Scotch ran down the steps to help the girl as she collapsed.
"What's going on? Clara, where's Ronnie? Where's everyone else?" Scotch asked. Margarita stood on the porch, watching with a cold gaze. Looking the poor girl over, she softened her steely glare and went to her brother's side to help Clara. Nothing intelligible was escaping her lips.
"Margie, something's wrong. Could you please take care of her until I get back?" Scotch said, looking around for any sign of what happened.
"But... it could be dangerous..." Margie protested at first in her usual way.
"I'm not going to ask again, Margie. Don't open the door for anyone." Scotch said, handing the girl off to his sister and marching down the road in the direction of the Song Sprite Tavern.
Clara found herself cradled in someone's helping arms again. Someday, her own two feet would be strong enough, and she wouldn't need anyone. But for now, she merely slipped away into a bittersweet dreamland.
******
After a few moments, Ronnie noticed that she was not, in fact, being brutally attacked or snatched away. She turned to face her attacker, tearing her arm out of his grip.
"W-wait! Wait!" he cried desperately. It was the man from the tavern earlier, the one who had been crying his eyes out at the counter. He looked to be about thirty, and he wasn't exceptionally handsome, nor was he ugly. He was just average-looking, with messy brown hair and bags under his eyes which were red from the crying. He wore a navy blue shirt and brown pants, and didn't look all that powerful, either. Ronnie decided to hear him out. If he was an enemy, she could take him.
"What do you want," she inquired, "if not to harm me?"
"You can hide somewhere safe. Please listen." he pleaded. The street was empty. But Ronnie could hear commotion some ways off.
"...all right. But don't try anything funny." she said, letting herself be led by this odd fellow.
He led her to an ordinary house, painted blue, with neat little shutters and a flower garden that had fallen into disrepair. It was a house she had seen before.
"Why are you...?" she began, suddenly getting a very creepy feeling. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing up. He led her up the steps wordlessly, and stifled a sob.
"Hey, are you all right?" she asked. He shook his head, shivered visibly, and opened his front door, entering. He still hadn't answered, and Ronnie had an uncertain feeling about going inside.
Something within her compelled her feet up and into the little house. It was dark inside.
Ronnie looked around, and suddenly her breath was taken from her just like that. Sitting in a dusty armchair was a withered old woman, clad in a yellow-orange robe with a hood. Her eyes twinkled as she stood and stepped forward.
"Y-you... y-you!" Ronnie blurted. The old woman smiled sadly, as if the weight of a thousand ages lay upon her.
"I have much to tell you, Ronnie Bell..." she said.
