The guards advanced on the cornered bandits. Norman took initiative and decided that they didn't need weapons to fight, but they needed to do something. He darted at a guard, lowering his shoulder and ramming into him. The blow didn't pack much force, but it took the guard by surprise and knocked him down anyway. Eyesoar had much the same idea, shooting up into the air and getting ready to launch an aerial attack. Jaoullin suddenly came to life again, kicking one guard in the shin and throwing the other off his arm. He jumped back over to his comrades and whipped out Star Ostrich Sword. Seeing the tide suddenly turn, Pauline lost her joy.
"Nooooo, father, save meeeee!!" she shrieked, wriggling all around on the ground. Jeeves, looking slightly concerned, did not save his mistress (she hadn't told HIM to save her, after all) but he did step between her and the fighting. Eyesoar dove at Mr. Fargolon's head, making the ever-angry man fall backwards into the kitchen. The sounds of the fight were drawing attention from the rest of the estate, so the bandits knew they had to wrap it up quickly. Scotch hefted a guard into the air and tossed him aside. His mind was almost working too fast for him to keep up--should they keep fighting? Attempt escape? With or without Pauline? How badly did they need the ransom anyway?? And another thing--if they escaped now, would they ever be able to investigate that lead to find Ronnie?
Bechno swung his axe menancingly at the opposition, all of whom jumped back in terror. Pauline squealed a direct order to Jeeves, who calmly cut her loose. She then shrieked a loud 'battle cry' and ran at breakneck speed for the side door. Norman tried to head her off, but got kicked in the mouth by the head chef, who had joyfully joined the chaos.
"This isn't worth the trouble!!" Norman cried, spitting out blood. Bechno nodded.
"I was thinking the same thing!" he shouted. Scotch agreed.
"Yeah...we have no chance of pulling this off now! Let's get outta here!" he cried. The bandits began to make their escape, finally. Unfortunately for them, Fargolon had other ideas. There was such a crowd around the bandits by then, they could scarcely shove their way through. Mere staff members offered no resistance, in fact, most of them backed away warily, but armed guards did their part to prevent escape.
"You...criminals...will be properly dealt with, now. I've alerted the Imperial forces at Fort Rakan, and they are on their way to pick you up." Pauline's father declared smugly, practically spitting the word 'criminals'. They were nearly surrounded.
"It certainly looks grim now, doesn't it??" Norman remarked, back-to-back with Jaoullin.
"No way...Bell's Bandits can't be taken out by the snob mob!" Jaoullin shouted. He waved his sword, and to everyone's surprise including his own, it was glowing brightly.
Ronnie ran and ran until it seemed like she could run no more. Down the winding mountain path, she sprinted as fast as she could. But she wasn't being followed by evil sorcerers, no vampire bats were on her trail, and nor was she chasing any fantastic godlike animal with amazing speed. She was chasing after the only link to her father and boyfriend's disappearance, an old woman. And no matter how fast or far she ran, the old woman always seemed to be just far enough ahead to keep her from catching up. Biggs Amoeba, her uninvited partner, was panting and gasping as he ran behind her, most likely wondering just what variety of drug she had smoked to make her chase this old lady, or just what amount of cash this woman owed her. For all Ronnie knew, this could just be some random person wandering in the mountains. She had only seen the old woman once before in her life, and not for more than a few moments. But in her heart, she somehow knew this was the very same.
"Waiiit! Please wait!!" Ronnie called for the hundredth time. No matter how much she yelled, the old woman didn't seem to acknowledge her presence. They were nearing the bottom of the mountain, and suddenly a heavy fog closed in. She could barely see in front of her, but Ronnie stumbled on downward, calling out at the old woman again. There, of course, was no response. Ronnie felt the ground level out at the bottom, and thought she saw a glimpse of the woman for a split second. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the fog vanished.
Biggs was still running at top speed and collided with Ronnie, knocking them both to the ground.
"Ouch! Watch where you're going, you idiot!" Ronnie snapped. Biggs scowled.
"If you hadn't been standing there in my way..." he said. But Ronnie lost all interest in arguing when she saw a small slip of paper laying on the ground. She crawled over, and picked it up.
"What's that?? A bill from that old lady?" Biggs joked. "Say, where the heck'd she go, anyway??" He looked around in confusion, not seeing the old woman anywhere. Ronnie ignored him and looked at the paper. Only one word was written on it, in spidery handwriting...
"Darston".
"...'Darston'?? What is this??" Ronnie said, puzzled. But her attention was torn from the slip of paper by a sudden flash in the distance.
"What the hell is that?!" Biggs cried. Ronnie was wondering much the same thing.
"What the hell IS that, Jaoullin?!" Bechno bellowed, staring at the Star Ostrich Sword, which was glowing ever brighter, and starting to vibrate.
"I...I don't know! It's..it's...I can't control it!!" Jaoullin cried. The Sunshine Knight's entire body was starting to shake. Then, it was like lightning struck right there---a bright flash, a burst of energy emanating from the blade, and the bandits were flung through the air.
******
Scotch regained consciousness some time later. The first thing he noticed was that he was in a considerable amount of bodily pain. A moment later, he noticed that this was probably due to him being in a tree. He tried to move, slowly, and winced in pain---it felt like he must've cracked a rib or something. But how? What on earth...just why was he in this tree, anyway? He couldn't place it, until he saw the grizzled dwarf sprawled at the foot of the tree trunk. A few yards away, he could make out Norman's figure in the grass. He shifted around, ignoring the pain in his side, and he could see...was it Fifi? Yes, it certainly looked like the chambermaid. Next to her, the Star Ostrich Sword. But he didn't see Jaoullin or Eyesoar anywhere. He manuevered himself off of the gnarled branch he was on, and onto the trunk, which he slid down with some difficulty. They must've been thrown this far by the--was it an explosion? A blast of energy? He had no idea, but he did know that as long as he had known Jaoullin, his sword had never done that before.
"..Bechno! Are you all right?" he asked, shaking the dwarf. He awoke with a start.
"What in the hell happened?! Where are we?" the dwarf gasped.
"I don't know...we're not at the manor anymore. We got thrown clear." Scotch said weakly. Bechno stood up and looked around.
"Dear gods..." he gasped. "Is that it??" He pointed at a structure in the distance that Scotch hadn't noticed a minute ago. It was definitely burning--there was thick black smoke billowing from it, and there appeared to be a large chunk...missing. Scotch and Bechno quickly went and roused the others, all the while staring at the flaming edifice. Norman just sat upright in the grass and stared in awe, then looking around for his best friend. Fifi screamed when she saw it, and then just sat and wept.
"What happened???" Scotch murmured.
"We won't know anything more until we find Jaoullin." Norman said.
"And don't forget Eyesoar. Poor kid was already airborne before that...thing...went off." Bechno said sadly. Scotch walked over and picked up the SOS.
"Well...they aren't here, so...we might as well check...over there." They all turned grimly towards the structure. Fifi sobbed brokenly. They all walked through the meadow, towards the flaming mansion. Scotch was trying to console the maid as they walked.
"Listen, Fifi...I'm sure it's not as bad as we're thinking..." he said.
The bandits and maid reached the smoking building. Unfortunately, it was as bad as they thought...only worse. Piles of rubbles lay everywhere, flames danced everywhere, and there were bodies strewn about. Fifi let out a small cry and ran to a man lying on the ground, bloodied.
"Cortueaz!!" she screamed. "Gods, what HAPPENED??" Scotch remembered Pauline mentioning this man, the manor's doorman, on the night the bandits came to kidnap her.
"I...don't know. There was a great explosion..." Cortueaz murmured. He still seemed disoriented.
"Miss Pauline! Where is Miss Pauline!?" Fifi cried.
"J...eeves..." Cortueaz gasped. "Save...took..." He fell silent. Fifi sobbed miserably again.
"Jeeves??" Bechno repeated. "That butler never did anythin' without an order, but this time he musta saved her." Norman nodded solemnly. Just then, out the wreckage climbed the head chef who had attacked them before.
"I don't know...what your friend did, but...there'll be...hell to pay!" he growled.
"We didn't try to do anything!!" Norman snapped. "That was a total accident. We're victims in this too, see?"
"But now...the master is dead! You killed Master Fargolon!" the chef cried.
"It was an accident." Bechno said evenly.
"Can't you manage, even without Mr. Fargolon??" Scotch asked.
"Perhaps if Miss Pauline was here, or her grandfather...but the last I saw, Jeeves had her under one arm and your murderer friend under another, and he was headed towards the Darston estate. Your winger friend was following them." the chef said.
"...Jeeves?" Fifi said, pausing in her grief for a moment. "Carrying Miss Pauline away?"
"That's what I said." the chef stated. The bandits exchanged a glance.
"We'd better head over there...besides, it's our only lead to Ronnie!" Scotch said. They turned around, cast a final glance back at the shattered manor, and then trudged off in the direction indicated as 'towards the Darston estate'. None of them had any idea they were about to enter what many considered to be a warzone.
When Ronnie and Biggs arrived on the scene, Fargolon Manor was most definitely in shambles. There was a large chunk of the building missing, as well as a scorched crater filled with piles of firey rubble that took up most of the grounds. Ronnie stared, awestruck.
"What in the name of the gods happened here??" she gasped.
"Wow....whatever did this...was packin' some firepower." Biggs said, equally amazed by the scene. Then again, he hadn't been here mere nights before, when the manor was in perfect condition. Ronnie couldn't help but wonder if her men were all right...she had no idea what had befallen them since she got wrongly kidnapped during their kidnapping of Pauline. She prayed fervently that they had not been present during whatever catastrophe had occured here. She again looked at the slip of paper, and turned towards the estate of the Darston family. Biggs stared at the destruction until he realized she was gone, and then he ran after her as fast as he could.
Bell's Bandits decided to be direct, this time. They were not in the mood for sneaking around, and if it meant getting Jaoullin, Eyesoar and possibly even Ronnie back, they weren't going to let anything stop them. This meant, of course, the obligatory charging-through-the-front-gates bit, which Norman was almost guilty to do without Jaoullin (after all, it was one of his greatest ambitions, charging valiantly through a front gate of any kind). However, there was something about the Darston estate that differed from the Fargolon estate. There was actually an attempt at security. Something was nagging at Scotch as he ran past a large group of guards--besides the obvious fact that they were armed guards, and that he had run past them. No, it was something else...something about this family, the Darstons.
Then, it hit him. Or rather, it hit the guards. A cackling old man stood atop the wall surrounding the estate. He threw a round object into the group of guards, and it went off. Some sort of toxic gas bomb--the bandits held their breath, wondering what on earth was going on. But Scotch knew...so did Bechno. They remembered the story of the Darstons, and the Ettes. Two families who had been feuding for who-knows-how-long and would probably be feuding for years to come. It was pretty ridiculous, when you thought about it. But, there the old man stood, obviously a member of the Ette household, cackling as he watched the guards choke and fall to the ground. All because the guards were employed by the old man and his family's mortal enemies: the Darstons.
"Wither and die, Darston-protectors!" the old man wheezed happily, confirming Scotch's suspicions.
"This guy's causing a large enough distraction...we could slip in if we hurry!" Bechno urged.
"Unless this sort of thing is commonplace..." Scotch wondered aloud.
"Or if he mistakes us for a Darston and kills us where we stand." Norman said dryly. They stopped staring and ran for the front door. A front door that swung open and nearly knocked them over. Standing in the doorway was a man with neatly combed reddish-brown hair, clothes perfectly arranged, and a calm expression that Scotch had surely seen before. On a certain butler he knew.
"Were you sent by Rosaline and Capule??" he inquired icily.
"Who??" Scotch asked. The tall man looked them over.
"No, you don't seem the type. Come in, quickly." he said. He ushered them in and closed and latched the door hastily. "Welcome to Darston Estate. I am Pierre." Norman looked at him, and seemed to be thinking the same thing that Scotch was.
"...Butler, right?" he asked.
"Of course." Pierre replied calmly. "Master Mercutio and Lady Verona sent for some mercenaries to help us...I don't suppose you are them?" The bandits exchanged a glance.
"Uh, yes. Of course we're the mercenaries. Don't we ...look the part?" Scotch lied.
"Quite." Pierre said. He turned towards the large central staircase that led upstairs. "Master Mercutio awaits your presence in the billiard room...second on the right." Scotch, Norman and Bechno walked cautiously up the huge flight of stairs. That 'entrance exam' seemed pretty easy, actually.
"Be on your guard." Bechno hissed. They nodded discreetly. They crept down the hall, and entered the second room on the right. Bechno half-expected a bomb to go off as soon as the door slammed behind them. But it was quite the opposite: a gaunt, very-well-dressed man stood across the room, his gray eyes dull and without a spark. He had his arms folded behind his back, and had an expensive pipe in his mouth.
"M-Master...Mercutio Darston...I presume??" Scotch asked.
"Indeed." the gaunt man said. "You must be the mercenaries. Did my wife explain the job to you??" Scotch looked frantically at Norman. What job??
"No...she...didn't." Norman said quickly. Mercutio Darston, for a split second, looked as if he was rolling his eyes, but kept his composure.
"I should have expected that. She can be quite hysterical when it comes to our son." he stated matter-of-factly.
"Your..son?" Scotch said warily. This time he was sure Mercutio rolled his eyes.
"Didn't she tell you anything?? Well, our son, Montague, has run off..ahem, I mean, he was surely kidnapped by those Ette dogs. They've brainwashed him into thinking he's in love with their repulsive daughter. I wish for you to go to the Ette household and bring him back to us." Mercutio explained.
"Uh..." Scotch began. They weren't here to be mercenaries...what they really needed was to find Jaoullin and Eyesoar! ...And Ronnie, too!
Ronnie and Biggs, meanwhile, were following their only clue to the source. They cautiously approached the Darston estate. Unlike most of her men, Ronnie was previously aware of the ongoing Darston-Ette feud. Ronnie crept up to the front gate. It was wide open, which she found unusual.
"So, Ron...when were you planning on telling me what the hell is going on?" Biggs said conversationally.
"Later, Biggs...we have to---" Ronnie began.
"Not later, NOW." Biggs said, stepping in front of her and blocking the way. "I save your life, and you repay me by dragging on some wild goose chase!"
"It's a long story, Biggs...one that I don't have time to tell you right now." she replied impatiently, moving to go past him. Biggs scowled.
"I'm not moving until you explain what this is about." he said adamantly. Ronnie certainly thought that Biggs had picked a bad time to be assertive. They were in plain sight, and a lovely target for anyone who might decide to pick them off.
"Listen, Biggs..." Ronnie said shortly. "Move now, and I'll explain everything later." Biggs made no effort to move out of the way. Then Ronnie saw something flash behind him, in the grounds of the Darston estate. A red flash--like a rune. In fact, the wild old guy who was waving his glowing hand around certainly seemed to be using some kind of rune. And then Ronnie saw large, leaping flames. Oh, okay...a FIRE rune.
"Biggs! Quick, we have to move!!" she cried, tugging at his arm.
"Not a chance. Sit your ass down and talk." Biggs snapped.
"Biggs--fire! C'mon...very large fire...must MOVE..." Ronnie said frantically.
"I know I'm hot, Ron, but putting the moves on me isn't gonna work..." Biggs said. Ronnie finally just dived at him, and knocked him down onto the ground right before the large, flaming fireball she had been describing hit the ground where they had been.
"Gods, Ron...if you wanted to do me this badly, why didn't ya just SAY it??" Biggs said with a smirk as she lay on him. He didn't seem to notice the large fire yet.
"I WHAT?!!" Ronnie spewed. She crawled off of him. "You pervert! You have a one-track mind...have you not <i>noticed</i> that we were just attacked?!!" She gestured angrily to the blaze and now-destroyed front gate. Biggs jumped up in horror.
"Ronnie, there's a fire! We'd better get out of the way!"
If she wasn't doubtful as to their existence, Ronnie would've kicked him in the nuts right then.
"What was the price, again? Was it 5000? Or 5000 apiece? Oh well, it hardly matters. Just as long as you bring back Montague." Mercutio Darston said.
"Er..." Scotch stammered. He decided to be direct. "We don't necessarily want the money. We need some information." Mercutio raised a brow.
"Oh? Information of what nature?"
"We have reason to think that our companions were brought here. There was a mishap at Fargolon Manor, and...someone may have taken our friends here." Scotch explained.
"Here?" Mercutio said. "I don't believe your friends are here. You must be mistaken."
"But they were last seen heading in this direction." Norman protested.
"This is not the only place in this 'direction'." Mercutio said curtly.
"Well...do you know a butler named Jeeves?" Scotch asked.
"Ha! Do I 'know' a butler? Aside from my own, I associate with no butlers. If you are looking for servant-class folk, you had best speak with the servants." Mercutio scoffed.
"We'll do that, then. Then we'll see 'bout your little deal." Bechno said. They left the billiard room. They looked around, unsure of exactly where to go at first, then went back down the grand central staircase. Pierre was standing like a statue in the front hall.
"Hey, Pierre! Just the man we need to see." Scotch said.
"Is your business with the master finished, sirs?" Pierre inquired.
"Uh, not yet. We need to ask you a few questions." Norman said.
"Very well." Pierre said simply. Norman addressed him.
"Has Pauline Fargolon or any of her servants, particularly a butler named Jeeves, been here? Today?" he asked. Pierre appeared to be giving the matter some thought.
"Miss Pauline Fargolon? Not today. I believe there was an accident at her home. I don't see why she would be here." Pierre said.
"We don't know why they left." Scotch admitted.
"Do you know Jeeves, though?" Norman persisted.
"Yes...Jeeves and I have socialized before." Pierre replied.
"Do you know where he might have gone? He was last seen heading this way."
"This isn't the only structure around here, you know." Pierre said.
"So we've been told." Bechno said irritably. "What else, then?"
"The..." Pierre seemed as if he was about to vomit, "Ette estate."
"Well then. If we go there, we'll surely find out what's going on here." Scotch declared. "Let's go tell that Mercutio that we'll go find his son." They ran back up the large staircase. Today, if anything...damn, they were getting some exercise!
Biggs held Ronnie's hand tight, and they both closed their eyes, and plunged through the fire. For a split second, it was really really hot. Not the kind of hot that Biggs liked, either. Then they were through. On the inside of the estate. Where there appeared to be a large struggle going on between a small handful of guards, and a cackling old man. Another group of guards that already appeared to have lost lay unconscious on the ground. The old man, who really seemed like he was not completely well upstairs, fired off more fireballs. So far the guards hadn't noticed Ronnie or Biggs--but when they did, they would almost certainly mistake the bandits for Ette spies. Better, Ronnie figured, to get on their good side now.
So she felt perfectly justified when she fired her Hate Rune several times, and knocked the old man off the wall into some garden shubbery.
"RON!!!" Biggs cried incredulously. "What's gotten INTO you lately??"
"Just be quiet, all right? I'm trying to keep us from getting killed." she said. The guards hurried over.
"Wow, miss...that's a mighty fine rune you got there!" one man said admirably.
"Took that old fossil right outta there!" said another.
"Yes, yes...now, does anyone mind telling me who he was? I...uh...I only attacked him because, well..he was attacking the Darston family...and..I'm...their..." Ronnie said, making it up as she went along, not-too-successfully.
"Uh, we're their biggest FANS!" Biggs finished, for once catching on before it was too late. Ronnie couldn't imagine why anyone would be a fan of uppity rich snobs, but luckily the guards bought it. One of the guards led Ronnie and Biggs up to the front door, and raised his hand to knock on it.
But suddenly, a shadowy figure leapt into view, landing behind them. It was a man, with straggly shoulder-length brown hair, and wild green eyes. He had a scar on the side of his face. He wore dark brown and black clothing, with several capes and gauntlets of the same color. He had a nasty-looking curved blade in his hand. Ronnie, Biggs and the young guard looked at him nervously.
"S-state your b-b-business!" the guard blurted. The mystery-man's eyes glinted dangerously. He pointed his blade at Biggs.
"Montague Darston! I have come for Capule Ette's daughter, release her at once!" he declared. Biggs blinked, looking around in confusion.
"Uh..me?"
"Yes!" the man clarified. "You. Montague Darston."
"You've made a mistake. I ain't--" Biggs said.
"Silence! I wasn't born yesterday!" the man snapped. "I'm getting paid a lot for this, you know. I could get so much more money if I killed the Darston heir, but it's not in my contract, and I'm an honorable man where contracts are concerned. So release her and shut up." Ronnie frowned. She had been mistaken for another rich girl?
"Listen, who do you think you are, you creep?" Ronnie shouted. "I'm NOT any Ette's daughter."
"I, Miss Ette, am Cornelius Anterra Lobel, hunter of men and beasts!" he thundered.
"Well, I'm Ronnie Bell, so you can just go hunt some other men and beasts." she said angrily.
"Yeah, you can shove it up your highly-paid ass, so there!" Biggs spat. Cornelius clenched his teeth, angry. Biggs looked a little nervous and backed up a step. Ronnie was already charging up her Hate Rune. Cornelius advanced a few steps. Biggs seemed to realize, suddenly, that Ronnie hadn't yet backed up. Not one to ever risk looking like a wimp, he puffed out his chest and stared Cornelius in the face.
"I'm not afraid of you." he sneered. Cornelius raised his large, wickedly-curved blade. Biggs leapt back so fast he slammed into the front door.
"Don't hurt me!!" he whimpered. "...or her!" He added belatedly. Ronnie sighed. She aimed her glowing Hate Rune, and--Cornelius used HIS rune.
"Silent Lake..." he murmured. Ronnie's rune stopped glowing.
"Wha--?" she gasped, taken by surprise. Cornelius took advantage of the situation and threw a net that he didn't seem to have a moment before over Ronnie. He grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder.
"Hey!! HEY!! Let me go!" Ronnie shouted, trying to break free. Cornelius, even with her weight on his shoulders, seemed to be walking much faster than he should have. In almost an instant, they were at the front gate.
"Just stop struggling. And be quiet, will ya? You're giving me a headache." Cornelius said calmly as he walked past the diminishing flames at the gate.
Just as Scotch, Bechno and Norman were being walked to the door by Pierre, someone knocked on it. Well, it actually sounded more like someone running into it. They all stopped for a moment, listening--there was someone shouting outside. Then a female voice...a very familiar female voice. Pierre pulled the door open. A muscular man fell back onto the carpet.
"...BIGGS AMOEBA?!" Scotch gasped. "What the hell are you doing here??" He didn't have time to hear whatever explanation Biggs might've had, because Norman grabbed his arm and shook it. He pointed wildly.
"Look, Scotch!! It's Ronnie! Some guy's carrying her away!" he cried.
"He's some nut..thinks I'm Montague Darston, and that Ron's the Ette chick..." Biggs gasped, jumping up. "I hafta...er, we gotta save her!" Pierre gave Biggs a look of contempt that could've been for anything from falling on the clean rug to having the gall to say that someone thought he was Montague Darston. The four bandits ran outside.
Ronnie looked back at the rapidly receding Darston estate, and blinked. Was that...it was! Scotch, Bechno, Norman!! They were running after her! They were safe! Oh, and Biggs was too. But Ronnie was just elated that her men were alive. But..she didn't see Eyesoar or Jaoullin anywhere, and began to worry again. Of course, then there was her own situation--but she had been kidnapped by idiots before. Hopefully, this time, her men would help her get out easier. Providing they could even follow this insanely fast bounty hunter. Ronnie sighed, and would've kicked Cornelius if she were in the position to do it. At the rate she was going, she could make a successful career out of being mistaken for stupid rich women. Too bad she didn't get the money that went with the identity.
Scotch, Bechno, Norman, and Biggs Amoeba ran as fast as they could away from the Darston mansion, but they never caught up to Cornelius no matter how fast they sprinted. The Ette mansion, they knew, was the key to everything--if they hurried, they might be able to find Eyesoar, Jaoullin AND Ronnie. Scotch had some questions he wanted to ask, to several people. Ronnie, Jaoullin, Jeeves, Pauline...Biggs, too. But Biggs could wait. In fact, right now he looked particularly surly. Scotch hadn't seen him in years, but it admittedly was not a new look for him.
"Something wrong, Biggs?" he inquired. Biggs nodded.
"I'm sick and tired of running after people that refuse to be caught, today!"
Scotch echoed that sentiment wholeheartedly.
