*****Warning: This is the start of a tragic event that happened to our FL with her family. If it is too much for some readers, you may wish to skip until this particular arch is over. I will give a quick summary once this arch is over if you do not wish to read this. Thanks for your understanding.*****
Elizabella was working in her workshop behind her store as she looked through a pile of gems. She was making a new custom order chandelier that she would later sell to a Duchess of Edalelia. She was almost finished when her CD vibrated. She normally would have it turned off, but today she had to be somewhere with her family, so she mindlessly picked it up.
"Elizabella here," she said while not looking at her CD and the image of her mother appeared.
"Dear, you are still working? The guests have already started coming. You have not even decided to start your journey over. Your father is asking for you to be here. I need your help here, making sure your younger siblings do not get into any trouble," started her mother as Elizabella picked up the chandelier.
"Mom, I am almost finished. Once I am, I will get dressed quickly into the clothes that I have prepared here. What do you think?" asked Elizabella as she held the chandelier over the workbench, showing it off to her mother.
"It looks beautiful, dear, but please do hurry over. As the eldest in the family, you need to be here. You know we hold a family charity event each year. What will your aunts and uncles think if they do not see you here?" said her mother as Elizabella continued to finish her project.
"Mother, just tell them that I am on my way and that I got busy with work. They will understand. Let me finish this quickly so that I will not need to think about it this weekend," said Elizabella as she tried to do her best to not get distracted.
"Sigh. Please do hurry dear. I have not been feeling well these past few days. Remember to bring an extra coat as it gets very cold this time of the year. I hear it could snow soon."
Her mother's image disappeared from her CD. Elizabella continued to work until she finally finished. It took her a little longer than what she had told her mother, but now that she was finished, she should get ready to leave.
"Walliams, have this wrapped up and give it to the manager for him to handle. I need to get ready," said Elizabella as Walliams appeared from her shadow, showing a baby face and shorter stature.
"Yes, my Lady."
Elizabella left to the back of the room to quickly change and put on some make-up. She decided to let her long silver hair flow down in her well maintained curls. She was planning on styling it in the vehicle.
When she came back out, Walliams was waiting for her and entered her shadow. Another servant led her to the waiting vehicle. Her father owned some vehicles that had the special flying add-on and had preordered the new model that was being released in limited quantities that already had the flying mechanism.
Accordingly, the newer models were faster and sturdier for longer travel time. He had left the newer model for Elizabella to quickly make her way to the event, since he was aware that she tends to get into her work and forget the time around her.
She got in and the driver began to fly off to her destination. While in the vehicle, she continued to fix her hair. She had Walliams come out to hold a mirror for her and thought that she really hated her invisible eyebrows.
She thought about staining them to a darker color but knew that her family suffered from invisible eyebrows, at least on her father's side of the family. Her mother had a sandy blonde hair color and her eyebrows were naturally darker, making Elizabella jealous that her younger five siblings had her looks.
The ride continued on for close to an hour, making Elizabella wonder why her mother had not called her to ask where she was. Logically speaking, her mother should have called as soon as she got on the vehicle since it takes roughly an hour to get there and Elizabella had taken that long on the chandelier. Her mother should have called to see if she was close, even though she would have just started her journey.
She took a look at her CD and did not notice any missed calls or messages. She wondered if her parents were just too busy to call her as they entertained their guests. She decided that she should probably give them a call herself.
The line continued to ring, with no one answering.
"Maybe mother is mad at me, I should try father," since her mother's line did not go through, she called her father, who also did not respond. "How odd. He always answers my calls, no matter how busy he is. Perhaps he does not have his CD on him."
"Did no one answer? Perhaps calling the location directly," suggested Walliams as he sat next to her, making Elizabella frown.
"Alright."
Again, she only received an endless ring. She began to wonder why she could not even leave a message to the calls.
"I cannot even leave a message, what is going on?" asked Elizabella as she looked at her CD, making Walliams sit up and spoke to the driver.
"Sir Hatum, please hurry, Her Ladyship is late. We need to be there soon, the party has already started."
"Yes, Sir," said Hatum as he sped up.
Elizabella felt a little antsy as they got closer to the location. Walliams felt her anxiousness and he too started feeling like something was wrong.
Soon, they got closer and Hatum lowered the flying vehicle to the ground on a forest path. The path led to a large mansion where they would often hold their large parties.
Today, the large magnificent building was in shambles. The sight made the three in the vehicle pale at the sight, making Hatum brake hard and parked the vehicle.
Elizabella, not waiting for someone to open the door for her, rushed outside with Walliams close on her tail and Hatum also running after them.
The steps seemed to be the only thing standing as the building had collapsed.
"An earthquake!?" asked Hatum as he looked around him and saw the devastation of the building.
"I smell gunpowder," said Walliams as he sniffed the air. "I think it is man made..."
"My mother and father were in there! No, not just my parents, my whole family was there! Quick! Find them!" said Elizabella as she approached the rubble with Hatum and Walliams traveled through the rubble in shadow form, making the search even quicker.
Walliams was quick to find the first body, Elizabella's younger cousin. Her limp body was carefully taken by Elizabella and she placed her near the road as she tried to hold back her tears.
Walliams would find the bodies and Hatum would help uncover them, while Elizabella would place them next to each other on side of the road.
"My Lady, at this rate, we will never finish. We need to call for help. Please press the panic button on your CD, it is faster if you press it then to call for help," said Hatum as he came up with Walliams when taking a lifeless male servant up to where Elizabella had placed the others.
The panic button that Hatum spoke of was actually connected to the Royal Family of Edalelia. Her family was so close to the Royal Family that it had made sense to have a panic button connected to them, especially her and her parents.
Hatum's words brought some clarity to Elizabella as she fished for her CD in her purse that she had left in the parked vehicle and pressed the panic button. Soon, a loud beeping noise started and the face of a Military General came into view.
"General Griffon responding to the panic call. What is the situation?" asked the General as Elizabella was a little dazed and answered him halfheartedly.
"The family Blakeloch, has perished. Please come to these coordinates," said Elizabella as she felt all the energy leaving her.
"Pardon? Who has perished?" asked the General in shocked disbelief.
"Sir, the Blakeloch family has been murdered! Please come to these coordinates, at once!" said Hatum as he took over the call, seeing Elizabella no longer have the heart to continue on with the conversation.
"Yes sir, we will immediately be on our way," said the General as his face disappeared from the screen, leaving Hatum to turn his attention back to Elizabella.
"My Lady, how are you holding up? It is starting to get very cold. Walliams and I can continue searching ourselves while you rest here and wait for the military to come and help us," said Hatum as Elizabella seemed to be dazed, but mustered the strength to get up again.
"No. We have not found everyone. The area is large and we have not accounted for everyone who should have been present. My parents and younger siblings have not been found yet. I cannot rest until I know where they are," Elizabella went back to the rubble to continue searching while the two men followed her.
What a tragedy has happened here, how will the family survive this calamity?