In the face of death—he certainly felt tremendous pain and horror while his remaining breath slowly drew. The sinister smile Caesar showed is somewhat engraved in his mind as the final memories he will have is the face of Caesar.
The groans and sound of flesh being sliced apart was gruesome that the fire-spirit winced at the thick smell of blood.
"Since when did you come back?" Boaife asked after transforming back into her human form, hands on hips as she waited for an answer.
Caesar only showed his annoyance towards the bird. She became more annoying the last time he saw her. Caesar could only smile at her while he sheaths his sword. Not too long, Wren has caught up and she has a surprised look on her face.
"What are you doing here, Brother?"
It has been a while since he also left the castle without a word and today he appeared, bathed in blood and his smile didn't waver at Wren's question quite like her spirit.
"the bird's attitude is rubbing off on her."
A sudden urge to roast the spirit emerges—similar to his sister after being annoyed at Boaife most of the time.
"I passed by." He says as he turned his back to examine the surrounding area.
"really?" A hint of suspicion roused in her voice. Sadly, it is too much to say that he just passed by, knowing his brother he must have anticipated this and planned it out.
There is no way she would believe him especially the way he dress is like the intruders. Her eyes squinted at Caesar and he felt the hard stares from her. He doesn't want to admit it to her.
"We should check the carriage first. The Young Lord must be one of the carriages." he changed the topic swiftly.
Wren rolled her eyes as she moved towards a carriage—to one another until they got to the last carriage to find out that the carriages hold nothing. Not even a sign that Lane was being held there.
"..."
Strange. Adara absolutely felt his presence a while ago and Boaife even heard Lane's voice. It wasn't an hour after she arrived and it was impossible that Lane would disappear in a short time.
"I see, even spirits can make mistakes."
Adara and Boaife flinched as both wore the expression of annoyance. The two princes showed up and one of them had a flashy smile or should we say smirk to be exact.
After Wren ran alone earlier, Zairon is ready to run with Theo if Asterion didn't hold him. Even after struggling to get out of his older brother's grasp he still failed and let him take their time to reach Wren.
"Prince Asterion and Prince Zairon what are the two of you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be at the palace?" Asterion smiled and grabs Caesar's hands.
"We decided to stay back when all of this happened. We also want to help Lady Wren," he paused and glanced over at Wren, "Especially my adorable little brother he wanted--"
"The young lord is here, isn't he?" The two princes with different answers both looked into each other. Prince Asterion showed a grin at his brother.
probably because of what Prince Zairon. It irks him to see how sheepishly he looks right now. However the lady in topic was occupied by train of thoughts, as for her brother, Caesar had a curious look as he climbed onto the carriage.
The princes have seen that the siblings were exactly alike to each other. The fact that Caesar purposely ignored the two princes and Wren didn't mind the two makes them somehow, irrelevant.
Prince Asterion then move towards the carriage in which Caesar's been staring at for minutes now. Curious, he moved inside and saw something like a soot in the corner.
Caesar's eyes gleamed with excitement as he turned around. Prince Asterion also had the same expression as Caesar's.
"interesting." said Prince Asterion, "You could have done it."
Prince Asterion's eyes widened and had his hands clutch at his left chest, acting like he was severely hurt at the young Duke's words.
"Oh, an intermediate level spell was used." Adara said soon after the two realized what just happened—and they thought that they were the only one who realized it.
The two suddenly found something in common and that is they both don't like if someone has the same knowledge as them. Occasionally they were fine with it, but sometimes their ego can't handle it.
"It's easy to track this if only---"
"One of the kidnappers didn't wash himself." Boaife nearly had a heart attack and is ready to punch the newly arrived spirit, Cervi, who was sniffing the air for the lingering scent.
Wren is already scanning his face, this made Zairon annoyed for some reason and she didn't see it.
"Good, not a single scratch on your face. When we get home you will have a reward."
Zairon's brow rise and asked, "Why is it his face you checked first?"
"... Should I answer that question Prince Zairon?"
and for Wren she always has a rule for Cervi ever since an intruder got into her room that night and that is he should never have a bruise or scratches on his face.
"If this day is normal I would like to watch you two all day, however, we should go and retrieve the young master Farlon."
Prince Asterion said as he stride past Cervi, "Show the way."
*****
All of them followed Cervi to the deepest part of the forest and the foul smell of something rotten wafting around the area is beginning to thicken.
The children can only breathe because of Cervi as he filtered the air in his radius, "So, Lane is dragged away here?" Wren asked as she looked around.
Indeed, none of them cares where they are as long as they find Lane. However, she was disgusted as she felt some gooey liquid sticks to her shoe.
"... Hey, are you sure we are on the right track?" Zairon asks while glancing over Wren.
Caesar flinched as he realized why he asked that question and he wanted to strangle the boy somehow. After he coldly rejects his sister before he now shows up like a dog— rather a cat.
"come here, Wren. I have something to tell you." He says, glancing over Zairon over his shoulder, "What?"
She waited and his lips were pursed and a slight menace glints in his brother's eyes that made her quiet.
"Did I do something wrong?" She whispered at Boaife and the spirit shrugged as an answer.
Wren is really clueless and dense at times like this. Before they knew it, Cervi stopped on his tracks as he looked at the front and pointed at the opposite side wherein there was a small house.
"The scent leads there."
"Yuck." Says Adara and Wren. Disgust is visible in their eyes because the molds and rotting flesh of animals surround the house.
Prince Asterion and Theo looked at Zairon and Wren as both of them have the same idea. Of course it relates to pushing the two together amidst the rescue operation for Lane.
"You will come with me, Wren." And of course Caesar knows it too, that's why he would rather take her than let the two be alone outside.
A failure judgement if he did. Adara suddenly perked up as she flew towards the house and circled it. Somehow, her eyes are gleaming as Wren and Caesar opened the door.
The rich smell of herbs and plants enveloped their senses and besides it, the interior is not in great shape. Two large bookshelves, a bed, small table with two chairs and a kitchen.
And the next room was filled with different kinds of plants and herbs, mixing on some kind of device as some bottles fizz. "Someone is concocting."
"We can see that, Adara."
Zairon's eyes then moved at the corner and saw some papers scattered with different kinds of patterns and writings; showing some kind of findings on the experiments.
Suddenly his eyes went wide at one piece of paper as his grip began to tremble, on the other hand Theo and the Asterion along with Adara looked around the house. However, they didn't think that there would be someone here since there are already cobwebs and dust that can be seen around.
"We have been looking around for a long time now, Cervi. Are you sure that this is where his scent stopped?"
Cervi nodded and looked upstairs, "I can't be mistaken."
"Boaife and Adara were wrong earlier." Caesar rebuke at Cervi
At the deepest part of the house, Lane is hearing their voices as he pounds the wooden door. However, they couldn't hear it despite how hard he pounds.
"Dummy! I'm here!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, more over the room he's in is like the one he lives at before.
Cold, dark and lonely. There is nothing he would want than to leave here. "You're wrong, Cervi. We couldn't find Lane."
Wren's voice is clear and near, he pounds once again, hard and at a consistent pace until his hands become red.
"We should leave and check the castle before we continue to search for the boy." Says Prince Asterion as his foot steps drift far from where Lane is.
Lane was horrified by the thought, who knows who could come here to get him after they left. He already had someone in mind and he doesn't like it at all.
"If my sister and the bird are wrong, it doesn't mean I will too. I will check everywhere."
After hearing those words he was very thankful to the goddess. For once, that knight is useful and he promised not to diss and curse him for the mean time.
If only the room he's in isn't tampered with magic— a magic where there's a barrier for noise. The very reason why they couldn't hear Lane. Except for one person—maybe two.
Faint traces of mana is flowing and Caesar caught it. It was a lousy execution of the spell, he even started to criticize the Marchioness for hiring such underrated wizards.
"And there they go. Still can't find me and I thought they can find me easily." He says while his confidence is slowly fading out in his body.
Somehow, Wren's blurry face came to mind that he started to curse again, "If I got out of here, I will strangle the girl first."
His demeanor changed and he let out a horrifying laugh as he continued to pound. In doing so, he tries to picture the door as one of the Vacarella (Lexus; as he gave him a scary first impression). Until the door opened and his fists didn't land on the door, it was soft and somehow someone stumbled.
"Wren!"
"Oh dear, she was punched."
"You deserved it." Boaife sighs and different remarks were made; Lane wasn't thrilled nor remorseful.
In fact, he felt great.
"I'm fine. Stop fussing around me. Are you alright, Lane?" Wren asked and he sighs, one that can tell he resigned. "Finally, you found me. Is it that hard to look for someone like me?"
Zairon, Caesar and Boaife's brow perked up as their lips twitched. "I've been pounding the door ever since I heard footsteps and yet..."
"Look at this kid. Your room is under a barrier!" Boaife defended herself. Her ego is already hurt by the prince and Caesar earlier and couldn't bear another criticism.
Wren then patted her shoulders in a consoling manner as she said, "Don't worry. Even if you're earlier it doesn't mean you're useless."
It meant to be comforting. That's what she really meant, but Boaife was annoyed somehow. And with that, All of them came back to the castle.
Caesar had a rough day for fixing the castle all day with Lexus.