Chapter 111: - Whispers and Wonders: An Ally of Peace
The fire crackled, pooped and turned, waving with the wind that blew down the mountain's side, a cold and chilling breeze that set goosebumps crawling along Lia's skin. But it wasn't the cold that caused these bumps, the fire burning in her chest was enough to keep her warm thanks to Cain's magic. No, it was the silence that surrounded them, like a blanket of tense emotions, all fighting amongst one another in an attempt to come to a conclusion.
One thought. That was all it took for their minds to set a course, chart the path, and dive head first into the depths of the ocean.
Their course of actions would be decided, the moment Voln raised his head, his voice ready on his lips, ready to break the silence that held them, binned them like chains to the waist.
He sat watching the fire, flutter and turn over, his eyes glazed over as his mind was elsewhere, deep within his own thoughts. Perhaps it was something to do with his past? Perhaps it was the shock that settled in?
But Lia had the belief that it was something else. She believed he - though he hid it well - secretly knew all along who the true killer was. He just never wished to admit it to himself that the man who killed his father was now his stepfather.
Either way, Lia believed that his mind was more focused on something more deep and distant that she could realize. If it had been as simple as overcoming his past, he would have done it in a heartbeat, anger and rage overcoming him as fuel for revenge.
But it was different now. Like his mind was somewhere in the past, reliving a moment, a conversation, a dream. Something? Anything? What it was though, she could never hope to know.
'One does not know the inner workings of man until his words set you on that path.'
Cain's voice was like the wind brushing against her skin, his ghost ever present behind her, watching her, filled with pride and contempt.
He knew what was coming. He always knew more than he said. But it didn't change what the both knew, what they botched waited patiently for.
Voln shifted in his seat, his head tilting towards the fire as he took in a deep breath of the cool air, letting out a deep sight as if the troubles that controlled his voice now flowed off his bones like hot oil from a pan.
"How certain are you of this?"
Voln's voice broke the silence, surprising Lia that his eyes had already found hers before she could look up to meet his gaze.
She didn't say much of anything, only finding the effort to keep her own eyes trained on his.
"You told us to find the answers from Winslow. We brought you those answers."
Voln frowned, confused as to what her tone was implying. Though it wasn't harsh, nor was it rude, it was cold nonetheless. Emotionless.
"Do with them as you will."
Voln's silence retook him, his eyes shifting back to the fire. It was a few minutes before he spoke, the sounds of crackling wood and the roaring of the distant wind was all that filled their ears for the time being.
"If Winslow said it to be true, I don't doubt it. I had long believed he was the one to feed my father the poison, yet I never blamed him. How I know that, I find it hard for myself to remember. Perhaps one of the maids, or butlers might have known. Or perhaps he confided in me as a child some five years ago. My memories from back then are exceptionally blurry."
Lia nodded her head, knowing what he was talking about and the inner workings of how he could have such a muddled mind.
"Stress can do that. Shift dreams and thoughts into memories. Sometimes it's the opposite."
He scoffed, shifting in his seat before standing up in a long and appeasing stretch for himself.
"I suppose you're right. Then again, I often find myself wondering, itn the short time I've known you Lia of Endless, how vast your mind is."
It sounded like a compliment, but to Lia, it felt more like a question of character. He was trying to figure her out, figure out if she knew more than he did on this matter, and how dangerous that could be in the coming moments of his next major decision.
"My mind is only a reflection of what I own. The person you have to thank for that, lies elsewhere in the forest, watching."
Lia was not big on threats, though she used them if she had to, and as such, didn't see the need to outright call Voln's bluff. In this way, she refuted the glory of knowledge in this case, as well as setting fear across the stage.
Voln had already met Cain once and had seen his power. If the man knew he was watching, he wouldn't try anything suspicious, nor would he act on his own.
However, despite her hidden threat, Voln simply nodded his head, looking out into the dark night forest. Dawn would soon approach, and if they were not quick about this, Lia and her party might find themselves at the mercy of the Masters, hiding with their son in broad daylight.
"I had begun to wonder what type of man he was. Though perhaps…"
With one swift and slow motion, Voln picked up a small pitcher resting on a pile of supplies, things Lia couldn't name, and turned the water over onto the fire, dousing the flames. Smoke trailed towards the night sky, dotted with hundreds of thousands of stars, seemingly endless.
"...it's best if I don't know."
He placed the pitcher down, bushing his arms up and down to warm himself against the chilly breeze. Voln reached for a small brown cloak and in one swift motion, draped it over his back.
Turning to meet Lia's eyes, the red crimson color seemingly glowing in the dark, while his own pale blue eyes seemed to highlight a contrast to her own.
Lia didn't even feel the temperature drop, her senses telling her that Malkova had joined them, as another set of eyes appeared from behind Voln.
"I know I've asked you all for a lot."
His figure was hardly seen by both Rian and Lukali, but his voice was as clear as a beating drum against the wide open air. Like an echoing voice in the chilling silence.
"I know I don't deserve to ask you anything else as you've already been through enough because of me. This is my battle, my past, and my future that I will be paving for myself."
He gestured to all of them, the darkness doing nothing to hinder his vision.
"I know I have no right, but still…"
Voln's voice dropped to a barely audible level, but Lia could hear the slight pricks of anger that feed his voice to rise just above a whisper.
"...will you help me kill these people?"
Rian and Lukali kept silent, their eyes trained on Voln's figure as well as Malkova's, who watched them with an ice chilling gaze.
They didn't look to Lia for answers this time. She was their leader, but Voln treated them all as equals. Thus, it was their decision in the end if they wished to risk it all and go back to the Manor, spill blood like Voln had long since dreamed of, and burn the horrid place to the ground like Winslow had wanted.
But Lia didn't need to say anything either. Rian and Lukali seemed to come to the same conclusion, as they both nodded their heads, confident that Voln could see them in the dark.
"...thank you."
Voln's eyes turned to Lia, and suddenly, she found the gaze of nearly four people focused solely on her. The pressure was great, but even if it was, Lia's face remained stoic and cold, watching with intent as Voln's eyes met hers.
"Are you sure you're ready to do this?"
Her voice was cold, steady, and unafraid. Perhaps it was because of this that Voln felt a prickling chill course though him.
"Yes…I'm sure."
"There's no going back, you know. Once this happens, you won't be that innocent little boy your father raised you to be-"
"That boy died a long time ago. This man just hasn't gotten the chance yet to prove that."
Reaching out his hand, Voln offered her the cache to join him, to help him. He knew that he would lose Rian and Lukali should she choose not to go with him. Their time together was short, but in the time she had known them, loyalty was built.
Loyalty was not easily broken in the right hearts.
Lia turned her head over her shoulder, her ears honed on the wind, a whisper hidden within the cold breeze. It was a moment before she turned back to Voln with stoic eyes.
"I have a condition."
Voln nodded his head, knowing that this wasn't going to be easy.
"What is it then?"
"On top of the payment we're meant to gain from doing all this, there's something a friend of mine wants."
"I assume this friend of yours is the one watching us right now? Cain?"
"You can assume all you want."
"Alright then, what is it that this 'friend' of yours wants?"
Lia was quiet for a moment, wondering in her heart if this was truly worth the risk of asking for this item, seeing as Rian and Lukali had already agreed to go through with this. She wouldn't let them go alone, but she needed this item as much as Cain did.
Power like this, if it was anything like Cain had said it was, should not fall into another's hands. Best to avoid that possibility.
"A scroll. The Dorrows are long time treasure hunters. One of these so-called 'treasures' is a scroll with runic pictures on it. Promise me this, and I will join you."
"Fine, but I must also add a condition."
She frowned, knowing that Voln was smarter than he seemed. There was no way he would let her just have something she wanted, something she was willing to ask permission to have. He also needed reassurance that this new clause in their agreement would not go unrecognized.
"You give it your all."
Cain.
He meant for her to use Cain. The same man who had created a scar across the forest with seemingly no effort at all. Someone that Voln himself had fought against, and even then, he knew the man was going easy on him.
Lia eyed his hand, watching him with a steady gaze, before taking it in her own.
"Done."
Cain wouldn't complain.
He wanted entertainment. He wanted chaos.
He was about to get it.
***
Like the shadows that ran amuck before, hiding within Father Forest, now four figures cloaked in darkness made their way through the night, a blur of steps and footprints as silent as the wind could carry them. Their scent did not betray them to any of the dogs in the kennels, nor did their sound alert any guards to their positions.
They bounced from tree to tree, shadows to shadow, bush to bush and rock to rock. They melded like the darkness around them, always caching places, always disappearing before the eyes of the night sky.
Dawn was rising soon, and when it came, their cover would be blown. This knowledge only served to quicken their steps, as they splashed through puddles, mud, rocks and brush.
The leaves were falling now, like they always did in the autumn season. The crunch of their feet on the hard and dry leaves felt as though it belonged to the forest as much as they did.
Father Forest welcomed his children into his home, wishing them luck as he watched them from his mountain far away, the sun just beginning to peak over the horizon, basking over the tops of various clouds that covered the sky.
It gave the shadows only a few more minutes, an hour at most to do what was needed. The pale light of dawn was bad for them, but not nearly as bad as walking through the woods come daylight. They were too careful for that.
First they passed the kennels like shadows in a blur of motion, the dogs still sound asleep as they made their way past.
The water shifted in the pound as they made their way past, their quick movements leaving behind subtle shifts in the wind. Sound of silence that stirred the waters like the bugs that walked on top of the cool and mirror-like surface.
Past the great oak that stood in the middle of the yard, the swing held up by metal chains swayed in the wind, creaking as they made their way past.
The memories began flashing in Voln's mind as he laid eyes on the white and marble stone Manor. The times he ran with his father and friends in the grass, the times his old man would throw him in the air, laughing as he did with bright and wide smiles on their faces.
He was reminded of the time he was taught how to swim in that very same pond with all the water lilies, memories of his friend teaching him how to use his arms to keep above the water, while their fathers cheered them on.
His friend.
It had been years since he had seen him. But even then, he pushed such thoughts from his mind now. Like the boy that played in the pond, swung on this very same swing, rolled in the grass with his father, they were dead. Both were dead.
It didn't matter who had caused his death, nor did it matter for what reason or purpose his death brought about. None of that matters now.
Lia made a signal to halt, the many feet that shifted in the dirt froze, their bodies and figures hiding within the Oaks great shade. Such a magnificent oak tree it was. Planted long before Voln's time, during the time when the White Manor was being built.
Such a wonderful oak. Voln hoped it wouldn't get destroyed with the manor when they set it aflame.
Two watchmen passed by their position, just on the edge of the Manor's stone walls, chatting amongst one another. Their eyes only momentarily passed cover the vast yard in front of them, before they both turned back to their conversation, continuing on down the trail that led to the dog kennels.
It was feeding time by now. They would have their hands full for an hour or more, depending on how rowdy the dogs would be. It would be just enough time for them.
Lia made the signal. They were off as soon as her hand fell, their feet carrying them quickly to the door, their eyes panned over the yard for any last minute guard patrols. Voln worked on the door, having stolen a key the last time he had broken in.
He still remembered that night, pouring with rain as he made his escape, all the plans he had set in place, only for Saul to catch him leaving. The man didn't do anything to stop him. Unlike the story Saul had given to Lia, the man had made his own plans, letting Voln go as if he was nothing more than a gust of wind.
The lock popped, the key turned, and inwards the door flung slowly and silently, careful to keep the noise contained as quietly as possible. In they all went, their shadows pulling after them as they entered the house, their figures flying down halls, passing by windows, halting near every corner before flying off once again.
They were being led by Voln, who knew the Manor better than them. He knew where Marcus would be kept after the events that had unfolded between him and Lia. He also knew where the Dorrow's room was, a golden and silver encrusted door painted with blue and red flowers dotting the white background.
As one, the four shadows stopped mechanically in front of the very same door in Voln's description. A golden and silver encrusted pale door, with flowers. It was here. They were right in front of them, and the moment Voln turned the handle, they would all rush in.
Voln's eyes found the handle to the door, knowing that all he needed to do now was to turn it, and soon everything would be over. But Lia's attention was elsewhere. Cain had remained quiet throughout the whole ordeal, not wanting to cause a disturbance to Lia as she and her party snuck in. But now, Lia was finding it quite odd that he hadn't said anything.
No warning, no words of advice.
Nothing.
It was then that her eyes found the empty halls around them, the windows panning in the golden light of dawn that crested over the mountains. The morning fog they had used to help them sneak in was chased away, out of sight. But with it, it seemed like every living being, every sound, every breath had been caught in its trap as well.
Throughout their entire infiltration, Lia had not once seen a maid, butler, guard or anyone for that matter. In fact, the house was as silent as the forest was.
Lia's arms prickled with goosebumps as an unsettling feeling settled into her skin. Father Forest even seems to be warning them now, as his woods remained dormant, not even the sound of the leaves swaying in the wind could be heard.
She found her hand on her sword before she heard it.
A click, so subtle no one would have noticed it before, but she did.
A trap.
They had walked right into it.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone