Zee's footsteps echoed softly against the marble floor as she ascended the mansion's stairs, her movements calculated and precise. With each floor she climbed, her senses remained heightened, alert for any signs of danger or presence.
As she reached the second floor, then the third, and finally the fourth, Zee's heart pounded against her ribcage, the silence of the mansion amplifying the intensity of her own breaths. *It's so quiet,* she thought to herself, a sense of unease settling in the pit of her stomach. While the absence of guards or summons meant a smoother journey, the emptiness of such a grand mansion unnerved her.
Another source of discomfort lingered in her mind: Orian. The fact that he hadn't made his presence known was both confusing and concerning. She was all too familiar with his theatrical nature and his penchant for being the center of attention, making everyone tread cautiously around him. *Just where could he be?* she pondered, a flicker of worry tainting her thoughts.
Shaking her head to dispel her worries, Zee refocused on her objective: reaching the attic. *He doesn't matter, not now,* she reminded herself sternly, pushing aside her concerns about Orian's whereabouts. With a determined stride, she proceeded down the corridor to her right, the windows along the left casting elongated shadows across the floor while passing closed doors that lined the wall to her right.
Suddenly, one of the doors sprung open, startling Zee. Reacting swiftly, she instinctively drew her dagger, ready to fight whoever or whatever came out. However, her readiness dissolved into surprise as she found herself facing not a summon or a mercenary but a young girl dressed in a maid outfit.
"Eh? Who are you?" Zee asked cautiously, lowering her dagger slightly. The girl turned towards her, her expression a mix of surprise and trepidation. "Huh? Who said that....?" she muttered, her eyes widening with fear and possibly anger upon noticing Zee. Taking a seemingly instinctual step back, she stammered, "Yo-your already here?"
Confused by the girl's reaction, Zee asked for clarification. "What do you mean?" Her tone tinged with genuine confusion. Before she could receive an answer, however, the young girl hastily retreated into the room she had emerged from, slamming the door shut behind her.
"Wait a second!" Zee called out, rushing up to the door and swinging it open. But as she looked inside, she found nothing. The room was empty, devoid of any sign of the girl in the maid uniform. "What was that?" Zee voiced aloud, her perplexity evident as she struggled to make sense of the bizarre encounter. Despite her perplexity, she shook her head, reminding herself to focus. *You need to get to the attic,* she chastised herself, exiting the room and continuing down the corridor. However, the strange encounter lingered in her mind, making her more cautious than ever.
*Just what was that? Who even was she?* Zee's mind raced with questions as she continued to stealthily make her way toward where she assumed the entrance to the attic would be. However, her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a faint sound emanating from the floor below her. She froze in place, her senses on high alert as she strained to discern the source of the noise.
"Are those the sounds of hooves?" Zee whispered to herself, her brows furrowing in confusion as the distant sound grew louder and more distinct. "They are! But that doesn't make any sense. Why would there be a horse-" Her sentence was cut short as the floor beneath her suddenly gave way, sending her plummeting downward.
Acting on instinct, Zee kicked off the falling floor, attempting to propel herself back up to the level above. However, before she could reach safety, a sudden gust of wind knocked her off course, hurtling her down the corridor of the third floor. With quick reflexes, she managed to land safely, her grip tightening on her dagger as she prepared for whatever danger awaited.
As the dust settled, she squinted through the haze, her gaze locking onto the source of the attack. "A razorhoove?" Zee exclaimed aloud, her voice laced with disbelief and confusion. The monster stood ahead of her, its thick black wolf-like fur bristling, its glowing red serpent-like eyes locking onto Zee's emerald ones. Its retractable claws were fully extended and gleamed ominously, ready for battle.
Despite the presence of the razorhoove, Zee's gaze darted around the corridor. She scanned the area, trying to find who could have sent that gust of wind, but there was no one in sight. "Who could have done that?" she muttered as she turned her attention back to the razorhoove ahead of her.
As she refocused her attention on the razorhoove, a flicker of recognition crossed her features. "I recognize you. You're the leader of the pack that chased us into the village," she stated, her voice steady despite the tension in the air. The razorhoove's reaction was subtle, its fur momentarily ceasing its bristling as it turned its equine-like head to regard her.
"Your able to speak to me, elf?" it or judging by the voice, he responded, his voice low and rumbling. Zee nodded in confirmation. "It's one of the applications of my hereditary magic," she explained, watching as the razorhoove narrowed its serpent-like eyes in understanding.
"I see. Well, it doesn't matter if you can speak to me or not. I have to eliminate all those I am asked to eliminate," the razorhoove stated, his fur bristling once more as he reaffirmed his purpose. Zee raised her hand. "Wait. Do you or your partner know what you are doing? By protecting Verandez, you're putting many lives in danger," she implored, her voice tinged with urgency. However, the razorhoove remained resolute, his reply unyielding.
"I care not about the morality of you humanoids. I follow only the words of Marcus. Very little else matters to me," he responded stoically, embodying a loyalty rooted in obedience rather than empathy.
Zee sighed heavily as she shook her head. "Okay, I guess I have no other choice," she muttered, steeling herself for the impending battle against one of the most feared monsters in Aetheria.