"Good morning," Lecter greeted as the door opened for him. On the other side of the door stood Raymond.
"You're early." Raymond yawned and gestured for him to walk in. It wasn't really early, Raymond was just waking up so he assumed it to be early in the day.
"Wake up you old pig. Agnar isn't here, so he's on you." Raymond kicked One-eye awake.
One-eye opened his eyes slightly and looked up at them as if trying to figure out which world he was in. His hair was a mess, he drooled over the pillow he rested on. He looked back and forth between Raymond and Lecter for a while and then fell back.
"Two more hours, that's all I need or I won't be able to teach anything." He said in a husky, low sleepy voice. It came out a bit muffled since he buried his face in the sheets he held.
"You heard him," Raymond turned to Lecter and said. "Two more hours."
Lecter nodded. "T-That's okay, I can wait."
"And Raymond? Make sure there's food when I wake up." One-eye said sleepily.
"Sure. Just tell me what flavour of poison you like," Raymond replied. "Take care of the house." He said to Lecter and made to leave but was stopped by the lad.
"Excuse me, Sir. Uhm, are the twins doing better now? It's been two months already, have they at least regained consciousness?" He asked with worry.
"Go up there and find out for yourself." Raymond said and left. He closed the door behind him leaving Lecter in charge. The one who would have been best suited for that was busy snoring away.
Lecter felt a bit queasy sitting there with nothing to do. He would glance up from time to time contemplating whether to go and check on them or not.
Last time he did, he vomited and almost fainted. Raten was completely unrecognizable, he barely looked like he was once human. And Kiyan, he looked as though his skin shrank into his bones with horrible burn scars all over his skin.
He grew nauseous thinking about it. Still he was very worried. He had no idea what had happened to them. The three men didn't even look bothered about the twins' state at all.
"They are his sons right? He should at least show a bit of concern." Lecter thought but Agnar seemed to be the least concerned and was rarely at home.
He eventually got up and began making his way up the stairs. He moved with hesitation thinking back to their appearances. He really didn't think he'd be able to handle it if he saw them like that again. Still he kept going until the creaking sound of an opening door stopped him in his tracks.
In front of the door was Agnar. He looked at One-eye snoring away on the chair in the living room and walked past him. Behind him treaded slowly a familiar person.
"G-Good morning sir." Lecter greeted with an inclination of the head as he usually did.
"Hm? Hey Lecter!" The boy behind Agnar waved gleefully.
"Jarett?" Lecter said. He waved back slowly.
After the twins were brought back from the woods, most of Agnar's attention was narrowed down to Lecter. He still never trained him in anything physical and only taught him in magic. It seemed like a pastime for him really.
One day, after leaving the hill, Lecter met Jarett who was still being pushy about meeting the twins again. One-eye who was passing by, heard the conversation and got very interested in Jarett.
"Oh? I remember you." One-eye swung his arm over Jarett's shoulder. "If you want to see the twins, I can take you to them." He said with a smile.
"Really?" Jarett asked. His eyes gleaming with joy. One-eye just nodded. "Wait, who are you?" Jarett asked.
"I'm a relative of theirs." One-eye said, still smiling. Jarett's eyes gleamed even more and he smiled brightly. Lecter was thinking One-eye seemed too excited and that was odd.
"But…" Jarett's expression suddenly changed. "Lecter said they were badly hurt." He slouched.
"Badly hurt? Pfft, that's putting it lightly. But yes, yes, they are." One-eye replied. He then inched closer and whispered into Jarett's ears.
"Considering what you are, there's someone you just have to meet and I will take you to him." He snickered.
Lecter didn't know what One-eye said but he saw Jarett was trembling and suddenly sweating.
"What do you mean?" Jarett asked, pretending to not know what One-eye was talking about.
"I mean what I said." One-eye replied. "You seriously have to meet him, it's the chance you have at survival." He whispered.
"H-how did you know? What I am, and the lingering death?" Jarett whispered back.
"Tomorrow, climb up that hill." One-eye pointed in the direction of the twins' home. Then he left.
Jarett looked dazed.
"Are you okay?" Lecter asked, wondering what they must have talked about to have Jarett shaken up like this.
"I'm, I'm okay. I have to go." He said and turned away.
"That was weird." Lecter thought.
The next day, Jarett showed up and oddly, Agnar just started laughing.
"Ha! I knew you'd be amused," One-eye laughed as well.
"Look how he is," Raymond burst into fits of laughter as well. "What a great way to start the day." He laid back on the chair and crossed his legs.
Lecter just looked at them confused.
"What's going on? Is there something I'm not getting? Are they making fun of him?" He wondered sitting awkwardly.
Jarett himself couldn't figure out what they found funny.
"Come with me laddie." Agnar dragged Jarett outside with him.
Since then, Jarett had been coming over often. Lecter just didn't think he would be out with Agnar this early.
"Uh-uhm, Sir Raymond said I could go up and check on the twins." Lecter said feeling a bit nervous seeing Agnar's gaze on him.
Agnar just walked past him and went into Raten's room. Kiyan's bed was moved there. He wanted to keep an eye on both of them without having to move between rooms constantly.
Jarett and Lecter followed behind.
********
Raten slowly opened his eyes to find himself staring at a very familiar ceiling. His vision was blurry, he blinked a few times waking himself fully.
His body still ached a whole lot, he could barely move. Flashes of what had happened before he passed out came to him and the questions in his head rose.
"Where...? How am I here?" He lifted himself up to see the surroundings and he was in his room.
"K-Kiyan?" He loomed over the other person that was laid in the room with him. His brother looked to be resting peacefully.
"I can tell you're awake," He said, still staring directly at Kiyan's face.
"Leave me alone." Kiyan grumbled and turned to the side. He covered himself up properly with the sheets.
"Wait, I can move just fine?" Raten realized. He looked at his arm, it was bandaged but was not shriveled.
He removed the sheets and looked at his legs, they were fine as well. He touched his face remembering the venom had touched it as well but it felt fine although a bit rough. He felt his entire body and he was fine?
"Huh? How come? How am i… who saved me?" He wondered. His mind then centred on one person and he was actually relieved to be alive.
"Since I'm in my room, I'll just go back to sleep. Besides, I have nothing to worry about." He thought and went underneath the covers. He cozied up, smiled satisfactorily and went back to sleep.
That was cut short by Agnar's intrusive entrance. The door was pushed open.
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