Changes: One Night in Gladea

Revision as of 17:40, 9 May 2020

"One Night in Gladea" is the fourth episode of Season One of The Demon's Light.

Synopsis

Chris Wellington has to escape; the group runs into trouble in the forests of Gladea.

Narrative

Chris Wellington

Even though he was an android, Chris Wellington was nervous. The plan had been formed, and would soon be put into action. Staring across at Dexter, still seated on the other couch, he could think of only one question now.

"But why are you helping me escape?"

Dexter smiled and leaned forward, whispering out of fear of being overheard somehow. "Why am I helping you? Several reasons for it.

"First off, Gabriel Alchemilia. The man acts like he's a gift to the world, helping cities around the globe fight off those pests. When in truth, he's nothing but a thug."

Dexter paused, letting Chris absorb his words before continuing. "He flexes his military muscle whenever he doesn't get his way until people cave to him. Likes to sweet-talk to people as well, went on and on about how I was such a great scientist and how I would be a great asset to his team. He was only interested in my work due to my last name. Nothing would bring me more joy than to see one of his plans backfire on him."

Chris nodded. "I see, I understand. Gabriel was so nice to my friends and I when we first met him. But then he had me locked me up here when I didn't want to join his conquest."

"That's exactly what the bastard does," Dexter replied. "Now, I'm not an emotional or easily moved man, but I feel compelled to help you personally. You see, you and I? We're all that's left of the Wellingtons. You're the closest thing to family I have."

"I am?" Not used to interactions with humans or understanding their feelings, Chris thought for a few seconds before replying. "I guess you're like family to me too."

A slight smile appeared on Dexter's face, quickly overtaken by a look of certainty. "Now let's go. It's time."

The two stood up and silently made their way to the door. The most perilous part of their plan was the beginning.

Walking into the white corridor filled with numbered doors, the two barely spoke, intent on their plan. Dexter made turn after turn, clearly an expert of the building's layout. Eventually, the two descended upon a set of stairs that led to an upper part of the building and walked up them quickly, landing in yet another series of doors and hallways.

Walking past a slightly opened one, a short blond man stepped out of the door, spotting them. Dexter paused upon seeing the man before he began to speak. "Ah, Hermann! Long time no see, how ya been?"

The man — Hermann — reached his hand forward and was soon met with a handshake. "I've been alright, just here doing orders for the boss. Who is this young man with you?"

Dexter waved his hand, dismissing the question. "He's new, just an assistant for me. No need to concern yourself with such."

Hermann stared at Chris for a few seconds, making the android uncomfortable, before turning his gaze back to Dexter. "He looks rather young, but alright. Good luck with him, hope he suits you well."

"Thanks!" Dexter said, faking a smile before turning away. "I must be on my way now, come on, Farlo."

Realizing that Dexter was referring to him, Chris followed in pursuit. Once they were away from the man, he began to question him. "Who was that man?"

"Eh, just one of Alchemilia's henchmen. Hopefully, he doesn't talk about what he saw, someone might realize what is going on. We're almost there, by the way."

"Ah," Chris said, unsure of what else to say.

Eventually, the two came to a dimly lit and slightly smoky area, lined with metal walls and various trash chutes.

"Okay, we're here now. Remember the plan? I'm going to stick you inside one of these and send you flying to the outside garbage bins, then you make a run for it. Get to the woods if you can, don't look back here at all." Dexter lead Chris to one of the walls and pulled the metal lid of the trash chute down, revealing a large opening in the wall.

"But… what is going to happen to you if they realize you helped me escape?" Chris asked, hesitating about going any further.

"Don't know, don't care anymore. Get in."

Nodding again, Chris slowly placed his legs into the chute, before sitting down and placing his whole body in. He looked up at Dexter one final time as Dexter slowly placed the lid back in place and darkness surrounded Chris. He heard Dexter slap a button and the chute began to make a churning sound and Chris was being pulled forward in a fast manner. Barely able to keep track of what was going on, Chris froze.

Fear was a strange thing for him to feel, but currently, he felt it as he continued to be teleported in various directions in the pitch black. Closing his eyes and clenching his hands, he took a deep breath. Slowly a thought began to form in his mind.

He could soon see the barn again, yet this time it wasn't faded with age or missing windows. He was walking into its entrance, looking around in wonder as the man behind him — with his hand placed warmingly on Chris' back - walked him in. Various machine parts and bundles of hay laid around the enclosure.

"Father! What are we here for?" Chris asked, looking up at the man.

The man stared back at him. He was slightly short, but well-built and muscular, with short red hair and a trimmed mustache and beard. He wore a shirt patterned with squares of blue and white and blue jeans.

"Well, you're going to stay here. Until I come back for you." The man said, walking away from Chris and towards the bundles of hay.

"Why? Am I waiting for something for you?" Chris began to help his father move the bundles of hay.

"No, you're not."

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No."

"Then why?"

"That's enough questions for now. Just do as I said." The man, completed with his work, looked over at Chris. "Come here for a second."

Chris hurriedly walked over to the man. His father then placed his arms around him, hugging him, as the world around Chris suddenly became solid black and all his thoughts ceased to exist.

Opening his eyes quickly, Chris was surrounded by darkness again and still hurtling towards the earth in his metal containment. Suddenly feeling claustrophobic, he began to pound on the sides, wanting out as fast as possible.

Quickly, he felt air beneath him as he shot out of the end of the chute and was falling at a quick speed. He felt the cool night around him before he saw it. Feeling nothing below him, he kicked his legs out as he landed on piles of trash, feeling them give away beneath him as he sunk through them.

Baptiste stood in front of the two doors where Dexter and Chris were supposed to be. His armor was now removed in favor of a red business suit — the precaution was hardly necessary for an android like Chris.

In the time Dexter was supposed to be undergoing his analysis, Baptiste had received a personal order from Gabriel to deliver Chris to him. When the two were on the phone, Baptiste shared Gabriel's confusion. After the analysis was finished, Dexter was to either inform Gabriel or Baptiste so that Chris could be prepared for the next step. Dexter did explicitly state it would take a while, but thirty minutes without any word seemed odd.

Baptiste opened the double-doors in front of him and walked into the large room. He was prepared for Dexter to look up and be confused by the interruption, only to find that the room was completely empty. His eyes dotted around the area, but it seemed there was nobody in sight.

Baptiste walked over and stood above the two empty couches where he had left the two. As he began to think about what could have happened and why Dexter and Chris were not there, a voice called out and broke his train of thought.

"Baptiste?"

Baptiste turned around and saw a blond man at the room's entrance. He walked over to him, quickly recognizing who he was.

"Alfred? Evening. Nice to see you," he called out.

"Same to you, Baptiste. I was just on my way to your office for our meeting, and I saw you walking into this lounge. Was I interrupting something?" Hermann asked.

"Nothing too important," Baptiste said, walking over to Hermann. "I was just trying to find Dexter for something."

"Oh, Dexter?" Hermann replied. "I saw him passing by a few minutes ago with an assistant."

Pulling himself out of the dumpster, Chris landed on the ground next to it. Looking around, he noticed he was in a large area filled with dumpsters, dozens of trash chutes above them, and that a long metal fence hugged the enclosure. Thick woods could be seen beyond the fence.

Seeing the entrance of the gate open close-by, he slowly made his way to it, hoping that no employees were around. By the time he reached the entrance, he glanced back, seeing the large shadow of the Alchemilia Corporation building illuminate the scene.

All's well that ends well, but I hope Dexter is going to be alright...

Looking towards the woods in front of him, he began to run towards them, leaving Alchem behind him.

The protagonists

Staring at the beings, the group was at a loss on what to do. The beings moved oddly, quickly and seemingly in unison with each other upon every step, their identities hidden by their armored suits. The leader held the lance to Marshall's throat still, his armored face staring directly at the boy.

"Mulciber?" Marshall asked, glancing down at the weapon. "Who the fuck is Mulciber?"

"That would be me," a mysterious voice growled. A tall skinny creature with two sharp horns, inhuman scarlet skin, and ripped clothing that barely covered its body emerged from the shadows, causing a loud stomp every time it set its foot down. The being towered over both of the groups, even the leader. It carried a long, serrated blade about half its size. The appearance of the being caused the group to go silent, both in awe and fear.

Melissa was the first to break the silence, as she slowly stepped back. "What is that thing?"

Nobody in the group had an answer for her, more silence greeting her words in a tight embrace.

With a plan coming to her as the being continued to step towards them, she quickly turned and started to dash towards the way they had come. "Come on, let's go!"

The group could hear the beings pursuing them as they ran through the woods.

"Who are those people?" Savannah asked, dodging a low-hanging tree limb. "What was that thing?! I've never seen anything like it before."

"Why are they after us?" Melissa joined in. "Are they with Alchem?"

Choosing to keep quiet, Marshall continued forward, pushing tree limbs and bushes aside in a hurry, the sound of the beings behind them suddenly going away.

"Sounds like we lost them?" Atticus asked, from the right of Marshall.

"Maybe, but just keep going."

The group continued to run through the forest, barely able to see their way forward in the night. They soon found themselves in a clearing, a break from the thick patches of wood. A large lake lay in front of them, marshy and covered with fallen leaves.

"The city should be on the other side of this lake," Marshall told the rest.

Melissa looked around, noticing how large the lake was. "But how are we going to get across it? It's too dark to see where it ends."

"We're going to have to swim across it, of course," Marshall replied, stepping closer to the shore of the water. The other three looked towards him in unison, their expressions showing they viewed his idea negatively.

"But it's too cold!" Savannah protested.

"I don't even know if I can swim," Atticus put forward, glancing towards the dark water.

"We don't have a choice," Marshall said, walking into the water and pausing when he was waist-deep. Looking back at the others, he pointed towards the water. "Are you coming?"

The group followed after him, slowly getting into the water and moving forward until they had to swim towards the other side.

Melissa shivered at the coldness of the water, but kept pushing her way forward, fearful of pausing.

Finally reaching the other side, the group poured out on the shore, encountering an even grassier area. The forest continued its reach ahead of them.

"Look? Simple swim." Marshall said, looking over at his shivering companions.

"Please shut up," Atticus replied.

As the group stood there, a rustling was heard from the trees near them. Before they had time to react, the giant from earlier, "Mulciber," burst from the forest and stomped towards them, blocking their entrance into the forest. It began to lumber towards them, blade in hand. Mulciber raised the sword. He prepared to make the killing blow as Marshall called out, "Wait, stop!" The creature lowered the blade and tilted his head.

"Don't kill me, please," Marshall fell to his knees. "I'll do anything, anything!"

"You will do anything in exchange for your own life, hornless child?" The offer intrigued Mulciber. He looked over at Atticus, Savannah, and Melissa. "Kill all of your companions and I will spare you."

Marshall contemplated Mulciber's words. After a moment, he stood up. He grabbed Atticus' arm, and kicked him in the back of his knee, forcing him to his knees.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Atticus asked, struggling against Marshall's grip.

"I'm getting us out of here," Marshall whispered.

Atticus would have protested further if Marshall had not shoved him under the water. He continued to struggle only to give up.

Hearing the beast in front of them develop a heavy laugh, Melissa was paralyzed with fright at the scene unfolding before her. "W-what is he doing? He's killing Atticus! Is he really going to listen to that thing?"

"I don't know, but I know what we need to do, run!" Savannah exclaimed, hoping that Mulciber was too distracted by the sadistic scene it had set up. Looking at the woods near her, she quickly shot towards them, grabbing Melissa's hand and pulling her with them.

Keeping his grip on Atticus' limp body, Marshall pulled the head of his companion out of the water and glanced down at him, feeling a slight sense of regret.

Without a word, he tossed the boy to the ground and turned to face Mulciber, noticing the girls were now gone. "I believe we have business now."

"Savannah, do we even know where we're going?" Melissa pondered, as the two raced through the forest, skipping over fallen logs and brush. "Not really sure of directions, but I do know one thing. There's bound to be dirt roads somewhere around here, especially leading to a town," Savannah replied, keeping an eye on her surroundings.

"I suppose you're right. But do you think that Marshall and Atticus will be okay, even Chris?"

"I don't know..." The girls continued to walk through the forest in silence, hoping for some sign. Suddenly, in the distance, there was a bright light.

"What is that?" Melissa managed to say, her breathing now heavy and labored.

"Don't know, maybe it's the city Marshall mentioned?"

At this mention, the two began to run towards the light. As they pushed their way through the trees, they came out onto a trail. In front of them was a tall set of steel gates, a bright and shining city sitting behind it. Tall buildings reaching high into the sky towered in the distance, blocking out the stars.

"It looks so beautiful," Melissa commented, gazing ahead of them.

Savannah nodded in agreement, at a loss of words. She had never seen such a sight before.

"Excuse me, girls, are you two lost?" A mysterious voice said. Looking for the owner of it, they soon noticed a tall middle-aged man standing next to them on the trail. He had long brown hair and a droopy mustache, and wore a tailored gray suit.

"Who the hell are you?" Savannah asked.

"The name is Hughes," The man replied. "Warren Hughes. Do you two require assistance?"

Feeling wary of the man, Melissa stepped back. "N-no thanks, we're fine."

"No, we're not!" Savannah snapped. "We're lost, we don't know where we're going, we lost our friends."

The man nodded. "I see. If you want, you can both come with me for the night. I have a big place and I don't mind helping you two, you can leave in the morning if you wish."

Feeling suspicious of the offer, Savannah weighed the possible outcomes before making her decision. "I'll come with you, please."

"Are you crazy?!" Melissa instantly choked out. "We don't know this guy, anything could happen. Please don't forget what happened with Gabriel Alchemilia or even..." Melissa paused, still reeling from the previous event. "Marshall."

"We have no other choice, Melissa," Savannah said, looking towards the man again. "I'm sorry for her, she's just scared."

"No, I'm not just scared! I'm not being stupid. Let's just go into the city on our own."

"And go where? We have nowhere. Please take us to your place," Savannah said to the man.

"Right this way then," Warren said, walking towards the steel gates.

"I'm not going," Melissa said again. "If you're going, you'll have to go without me."

The look on Savannah's face showed her confusion and pain at the situation. But the girl eventually nodded slowly to Melissa, "Okay then."

Savannah then turned her back to her and followed after the man.

Epilogue

Barely any light shone in Gabriel's office, but the man could faintly be seen seated at his desk. John Fontaine, still dressed in his trench coat, stood in front of it.

"Getting down to business, I'd like you to follow Rousseau. He's going to search for the android," Gabriel looked up towards Fontaine at this point, from his previous fixture of watching his wall. "But I don't trust him. He's too focused, tries too hard to prove himself. And this isn't a mission that we can afford to mess up."

Fontaine nodded, he knew this was an important offer. "Alright, I'll do so. I'll head out as soon as possible."

"Good," Gabriel replied. "Just don't let Rosseau know you're following him. Wouldn't want him to feel unimportant now, would we?"

With the man shooting him a smile, Fontaine agreed. "I understand. Where is Rousseau's troop headed?"

"To the most likely place for the android to go from here, Silivia."

Episodes
Season One:	Catching Smoke • White Room • Bare Trees • One Night in Gladea • Ceasefire • Hide & Seek • The Hounds • Reunion • Saccharine • In Somnis Veritas • Carpe Diem • Formation • Primo Victoria • Don't Fear the Reaper
Season Two:	Crumbling Castle • Roaming King • Safe Haven • Marked Map • The Less I Know the Better • Riding the Wave • Centuries of Damnation • House of the Rising Sun • The Master • Everybody Plays the Fool • Loyalty

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{EpRewrite}}
 {{Episode
-|episodeNumber = 5
+|episodeNumber = 4
-|nextEpisode = ''[[Divided We Fall]]''
+|nextEpisode = ''[[Divided we Fall]]''
 |partOfSeason = 1
-|previousEpisode = ''[[Getting Screwed]]''
+|previousEpisode = ''[[Bare Trees]]''
+}}"'''One Night in Gladea'''" is the fourth episode of [[Season One]] of {{TDL}}.
-}}
-"'''The City of Silver Lights'''" is the fifth episode in [[Season One]] of {{TDL}}.
 == Synopsis ==
+[[Chris Wellington]] has to escape; the group runs into trouble in the forests of [[Gladea]].
-After a separation at the car, the [[protagonists]] arrive in an unfamiliar city.
-== Prologue ==
-"My son, my son, my son. My only true son... They do not have it. You..." The demon reclined in his throne, removing his helmet and revealing a scarred, brutal face. "You have failed to serve me. Were it not for your power, for my mercy, you'd be dead where you stand. Thine own father hath been betrayed by his own son, his own lying son! You bespawler! You do not deserve to call yourself son of Xeren!"
 == Narrative ==
-=== '''Atticus Anoethite and Marshall Rooke''' ===
+=== '''Chris Wellington''' ===
+Even though he was an android, Chris Wellington was nervous. The plan had been formed, and would soon be put into action. Staring across at [[Minor Characters#Dexter Wellington|Dexter]], still seated on the other couch, he could think of only one question now.
-Meanwhile, a bleeding teenager was stuck in the mud, hugging the injured body of his friend as the sun rose.
+"But why are you helping me escape?"
-"Help?" Atticus called out, as dawn began to break over the horizon. His wrist was still throbbing with pain and tiredness ran through every inch of his body, due to having spent the whole night in the forest.
+Dexter smiled and leaned forward, whispering out of fear of being overheard somehow. "Why am I helping you? Several reasons for it.
-Marshall still gripped Atticus with his arms. "I'll... help..." As he let go of Atticus, he slowly stood up. "5 meters to the left, there is one spider. About 4 meters up in the trees is a hummingbird. We are about eight hundred meters from the nearest demon. It is currently 6:03 A.M. We can't waste any time." He removed his shirt, revealing the bullet hole to be missing, and used it to hold Atticus' arm in place, before helping him up.
+"First off, [[Gabriel Alchemilia]]. The man acts like he's a gift to the world, helping cities around the globe fight off those pests. When in truth, he's nothing but a thug."
-"But-" Atticus tried to speak in shock as Marshall helped him stand. "You're wounded, how are you even standing? You should be resting! And demons? The hell are you on about?"
-He looked down at Atticus. "There is a city over..." Marshall pointed in a seemingly random direction. "There. I think there are humans over there too, but it's pretty fuzzy... My head kinda hurts, man."
+Dexter paused, letting Chris absorb his words before continuing. "He flexes his military muscle whenever he doesn't get his way until people cave to him. Likes to sweet-talk to people as well, went on and on about how I was such a great scientist and how I would be a great asset to his team. He was only interested in my work due to my last name. Nothing would bring me more joy than to see one of his plans backfire on him."
-"Let's go then," Atticus said as he began to slowly walk in the direction Marshall pointed. "Maybe the people you mentioned can help us, will you be able to keep up?"
+Chris nodded. "I see, I understand. Gabriel was so nice to my friends and I when we first met him. But then he had me locked me up here when I didn't want to join his conquest."
-"Is this the city you were talking about?" Atticus asked as they approached a set of steel gates.
+"That's exactly what the bastard does," Dexter replied. "Now, I'm not an emotional or easily moved man, but I feel compelled to help you personally. You see, you and I? We're all that's left of the Wellingtons. You're the closest thing to family I have."
-"I'm not too certain, but we can definitely find help here," Marshall assured him as they walked into the city.
+"I am?" Not used to interactions with humans or understanding their feelings, Chris thought for a few seconds before replying. "I guess you're like family to me too."
-Walking into the city together, Atticus and Marshall were greeted by armed soldiers dressed in metallic body suits that were stationed at the steel gates they had just walked passed.
+A slight smile appeared on Dexter's face, quickly overtaken by a look of certainty. "Now let's go. It's time."
-"Hold up!" The lead of the group called out as soon as the duo fully walked passed the gate, steadily making his way to them until he was towering over the two teens. His face was barely visible due to his helmet, but his strong voice rang out clearly. "What reason do you have for entering Silivia? Something seems shady about you two."
+The two stood up and silently made their way to the door. The most perilous part of their plan was the beginning.
-"Uhh," Atticus started, looking over at Marshall, who simply shrugged. "Well, we're looking for some people. We recently got into some trouble and got separated from them. This was the closest city."
+----
+Walking into the white corridor filled with numbered doors, the two barely spoke, intent on their plan. Dexter made turn after turn, clearly an expert of the building's layout. Eventually, the two descended upon a set of stairs that led to an upper part of the building and walked up them quickly, landing in yet another series of doors and hallways.
+Walking past a slightly opened one, a short blond man stepped out of the door, spotting them. Dexter paused upon seeing the man before he began to speak. "Ah, [[Minor Characters#Alfred Hermann|Hermann!]] Long time no see, how ya been?"
-"Trouble, eh?" The guard replied, in an almost bored tone, as if he'd heard the same thing many times before. "Just what kind of "trouble" did you encounter?"
+The man — Hermann — reached his hand forward and was soon met with a handshake. "I've been alright, just here doing orders for the boss. Who is this young man with you?"
-One of the back guards became to scuffle lightly and muttered under their breath, barely audible, "Probably just got drunk and lost their riches to some bitches or something, haha."
+Dexter waved his hand, dismissing the question. "He's new, just an assistant for me. No need to concern yourself with such."
-"Could you not be a jackass perhaps?" Marshall spat out. "We're just trying to enter the city."
+Hermann stared at Chris for a few seconds, making the android uncomfortable, before turning his gaze back to Dexter. "He looks rather young, but alright. Good luck with him, hope he suits you well."
-The guard in the back laughed at that, pushing his way through the small crowd of guards and standing in front of Marshall. "Haha, this one has quite a bitchy mouth."
+"Thanks!" Dexter said, faking a smile before turning away. "I must be on my way now, come on, Farlo."
-A loud clanking sound was then heard as Marshall lifted his fist up suddenly and took a swipe at the guard's face, clashing against his armor.
+Realizing that Dexter was referring to him, Chris followed in pursuit. Once they were away from the man, he began to question him. "Who was that man?"
-"Fucking bitch!" The guard screamed as he reeled against Marshall's blow. Another guard suddenly stepped forward, jabbing the spear he had in his hands at Marshall, who ducked under the rushing blade and kicked the man in his back with enough force to send him to his knees.
-The original guard then leaped forward again, lunging at Marshall and kneeing him in the stomach, causing him to fall to the ground.
+"Eh, just one of Alchemilia's henchmen. Hopefully, he doesn't talk about what he saw, someone might realize what is going on. We're almost there, by the way."
-"Now now boys, that's enough horsing around." A female guard came out from the shadows, pushing past the guards. She was short, and had long purple hair thrown up in a messy bun and blue eyes. "I'm off break for now before you do anything rash." She pushed past the line of guards and helped Marshall up, looking over at him and Atticus.
+"Ah," Chris said, unsure of what else to say.
-"Are you two okay? Do you need any help?" The guard asked them, as the rest of the guards scuffed and whispered among each other.
+Eventually, the two came to a dimly lit and slightly smoky area, lined with metal walls and various trash chutes.
-Marshall grabbed hold of her hand, staring up at her before quickly grabbing hold of himself and standing back up. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just pissed. So funny how your guards like to team up against people like that."
+"Okay, we're here now. Remember the plan? I'm going to stick you inside one of these and send you flying to the outside garbage bins, then you make a run for it. Get to the woods if you can, don't look back here at all." Dexter lead Chris to one of the walls and pulled the metal lid of the trash chute down, revealing a large opening in the wall.
-Atticus then stepped forward, glaring at Marshall before shaking his head and turning his attention to the woman. "We're not exactly "fine" at all. We were recently separated from our friends and we, uh, in an accident of some sorts. Haven't eaten in a while as well."
+"But… what is going to happen to you if they realize you helped me escape?" Chris asked, hesitating about going any further.
-"Hmm." the female guard replied. "There's nothing I can do about your food issue or your accident. But I can give you this." She placed a map in Atticus' hand. "It's a map of the city. It will help you navigate around, and hopefully find your friends if they are here."
+"Don't know, don't care anymore. Get in."
-"I also apologize about my guards. They can be a bit.. immature, sometimes." She walked over to the line of guards, crossing her arms. All of the guards hurriedly moved to the side, opening the gate. "Oh, and in case you need anything, my name is Kailan. You are always welcome back here if you need help."
+Nodding again, Chris slowly placed his legs into the chute, before sitting down and placing his whole body in. He looked up at Dexter one final time as Dexter slowly placed the lid back in place and darkness surrounded Chris. He heard Dexter slap a button and the chute began to make a churning sound and Chris was being pulled forward in a fast manner. Barely able to keep track of what was going on, Chris froze.
-Atticus wrapped his hand around the map, pulling it from the woman's grasp and then looking down at it, gazing at a well-drawn and detailed map.
+Fear was a strange thing for him to feel, but currently, he felt it as he continued to be teleported in various directions in the pitch black. Closing his eyes and clenching his hands, he took a deep breath. Slowly a thought began to form in his mind.
-"Alright, thanks... Kailan," he said, distracted by looking at the map. Once the guards had fully walked away, Marshall walked over to Atticus and grabbed the map from him, taking a glance as well.
+''He could soon see the barn again, yet this time it wasn't faded with age or missing windows. He was walking into its entrance, looking around in wonder as the man behind him — with his hand placed warmingly on Chris' back - walked him in. Various machine parts and bundles of hay laid around the enclosure.''
-"You could have just, like, asked for it." Atticus replied, rolling his eyes at Marshall's behavior.
+''"Father! What are we here for?" Chris asked, looking up at the man.''
-"Unneeded." Marshall said, glancing up from the map and looking around the city. "I say we head over to a cafe and get something to eat."
+''The man stared back at him. He was slightly short, but well-built and muscular, with short red hair and a trimmed mustache and beard. He wore a shirt patterned with squares of blue and white and blue jeans.''
-"We literally have no money. You also never answered my question. How are you so well instantly? You were literally shot and dying just a few hours ago."
+''"Well, you're going to stay here. Until I come back for you." The man said, walking away from Chris and towards the bundles of hay.''
-"Do you truly think we need money?" Marshall laughed, ignoring Atticus's other question. "Just follow me."
+''"Why? Am I waiting for something for you?" Chris began to help his father move the bundles of hay.''
-Atticus glared as Marshall walked farther into the city without seeming to have a care in the world, walking behind him shortly after.
+''"No, you're not."''
-=== '''Chris Wellington, Harrison Provost, and Piercy Provost''' ===
-A few miles away, Chris Wellington was tucked into a bed inside of a cell that resembled a college dormitory, only without personal possessions. A green sign over the cell read "Reactivation Station." Chris' neck was plugged into the wall, as he was being recharged after a long journey. The bed was rather stiff and uncomfortable, but Chris did not mind.
-He slowly opened his blue metallic eyes and began to get a feel for his surroundings. Right away, Chris noticed that he was not dressed in his usual attire. He was wearing a green and black jumpsuit with a stylized, "ATC" on it, as well as a #15. Endless possibilities went through Chris' mind as he staggered off the bed.
+''"Did I do something wrong?"''
-He peered in through the only window in the room, where he saw another android sleeping. This android appeared to be wearing human pajamas, but had no skin, merely a metal skeleton. Ever so carefully, Chris crept over to the tall door at the front of his room, where he noticed a man in a puffy green Alchemilia Corp sweatshirt.
+''"No."''
-At least, he thought it was a man, but then noticed the laser-like red eyes. It was another android. He must have been in some sort of training facility. Chris sat down on a squashy armchair directly opposite his bed, and decided to wait for some signal that he was supposed to leave for training or some "lunch" of new batteries or whatever was in store for him in this strange new place.
+''"Then why?"''
-A piercing loud bell rang. Chris deduced this was some sort of "Going-To-Training-Bell", a hypothesis that was proven correct when he saw the schedule on his door, with a time for the first session that was precisely five minutes after the time on his watch, 6:03 AM.
-The training session was apparently in room A123. Chris, excited to be heading to his first class, followed a group of androids also wearing two-color jumpsuits into the A-Hall.
-After a minute or so of walking, Chris finally found the room and turned the doorknob. He could hear a female voice giving instructions, but couldn't quite make it out.
+''"That's enough questions for now. Just do as I said." The man, completed with his work, looked over at Chris. "Come here for a second."''
-Chris enjoyed his first training session, much to his surprise. During the session, each of the androids had been told to pair up into groups of 2 and disguise as each person in a set list of photographs given to them by the instructor. Chris successfully disguised as each of them, but his partner, an android by the name of A.L.F.R.E.D., didn't have much luck, and kept mixing the people up. Chris ended up having to slow down his own disguising to help Alfred. When the lesson was done, the instructor gave him extra-credit points, which made Chris extremely happy. "This is such an honor," Chris replied, oblivious to the fact that he had just made a joke.
+''Chris hurriedly walked over to the man. His father then placed his arms around him, hugging him, as the world around Chris suddenly became solid black and all his thoughts ceased to exist.''
-Meanwhile, Chris had taken a break from his training for "recess", where robots recharged themselves and did whatever they wanted for a whole hour. Chris headed over to the Recess Instructor, a tall man that towered over him. "I'd like to do some running, can I get my gym clothes?" Chris asked. It was a lie of course. He had no intention of doing any such thing.
-"Yes, that's fine, but hurry back," The instructor said, smiling.
+Opening his eyes quickly, Chris was surrounded by darkness again and still hurtling towards the earth in his metal containment. Suddenly feeling claustrophobic, he began to pound on the sides, wanting out as fast as possible.
-Chris proceeded to run to the first open room he saw.
+Quickly, he felt air beneath him as he shot out of the end of the chute and was falling at a quick speed. He felt the cool night around him before he saw it. Feeling nothing below him, he kicked his legs out as he landed on piles of trash, feeling them give away beneath him as he sunk through them.
-Previously, Chris managed to break out a small space in his room's window; one that was just large enough for him to fit through. He began searching for a disguise of some sort, one that he could wear as he used his window's opening. To his fortune, he found a duffle bag that contained an orange-and-white guard uniform.
+----
+Baptiste stood in front of the two doors where Dexter and Chris were supposed to be. His armor was now removed in favor of a red business suit — the precaution was hardly necessary for an android like Chris.
+In the time Dexter was supposed to be undergoing his analysis, Baptiste had received a personal order from Gabriel to deliver Chris to him. When the two were on the phone, Baptiste shared Gabriel's confusion. After the analysis was finished, Dexter was to either inform Gabriel or Baptiste so that Chris could be prepared for the next step. Dexter did explicitly state it would take a while, but thirty minutes without any word seemed odd.
-"Perfect! This android must have been a former guard, but gotten fired, yet this remained its casual attire." Chris thought to himself.
+Baptiste opened the double-doors in front of him and walked into the large room. He was prepared for Dexter to look up and be confused by the interruption, only to find that the room was completely empty. His eyes dotted around the area, but it seemed there was nobody in sight.
-After noticing a pair of sunglasses and a bottle of quick red hair dye, Chris slipped the sunglasses on and hastily ran the dye through his hair. Now in his new uniform and with the duffle bag slung over his shoulder, Chris crept into the open hallway.
+Baptiste walked over and stood above the two empty couches where he had left the two. As he began to think about what could have happened and why Dexter and Chris were not there, a voice called out and broke his train of thought.
-"Peterson, where are you going?" A woman called out.
+"Baptiste?"
-"I am going to take an android to the scrap yard," Chris said as he took a left, pleased that there was a guard that looked a decent amount like him.
+Baptiste turned around and saw a blond man at the room's entrance. He walked over to him, quickly recognizing who he was.
-"Uhm, scrap yard's in the other direction though," the woman said. Making a hasty decision, Chris then bolted straight for the scrap yard.
+"Alfred? Evening. Nice to see you," he called out.
-After managing to find his way to the scrap yard, Chris experienced something he rarely felt. Emotion, and horror at that. There was an innumerable amount of bodies in the yard, most haphazardly placed wherever there was space. The corpses were androids who had been disassembled, looted and left to rot.
+"Same to you, Baptiste. I was just on my way to your office for our meeting, and I saw you walking into this lounge. Was I interrupting something?" Hermann asked.
-Chris noticed one of them was a Wellington model. The clothing and hairstyle was different, but the face was clearly the same mold Andrew had used for Chris himself.
+"Nothing too important," Baptiste said, walking over to Hermann. "I was just trying to find Dexter for something."
-He looked across the yard noticing a tall fence he could possibly climb over. He begin to make his way towards it when he realized that on the ground was broken parts of androids that had been tossed out to be recycled. He hurried to the fence accidentally dropping his duffle bag.
-Chris carefully climbed the tall fence, jumping down and ascended into the woods, hoping he would be able to find Atticus, Melissa and the others.
+"Oh, Dexter?" Hermann replied. "I saw him passing by a few minutes ago with an assistant."
-Chris then came to the stunning realization that he had no idea where he was going or where he even was. The forest was dark, despite the sunlight surrounding it. The trees all looked the same, their twisted branches and gaping holes probably would have scared a human to death. Although he saw some stuff growing from the forest floor, he realized that they were, for sure, weeds and rocks. A small furry creature darted past, and Chris looked to see what it was running towards.
+----
+Pulling himself out of the dumpster, Chris landed on the ground next to it. Looking around, he noticed he was in a large area filled with dumpsters, dozens of trash chutes above them, and that a long metal fence hugged the enclosure. Thick woods could be seen beyond the fence.
+Seeing the entrance of the gate open close-by, he slowly made his way to it, hoping that no employees were around. By the time he reached the entrance, he glanced back, seeing the large shadow of the [[Alchemilia Corporation]] building illuminate the scene.
-After losing sight of the creature, Chris, a little dumbstruck, bumped right into a tree. Suddenly, he heard movement behind the tree. Wondering if it was the fuzzy creature again, Chris turned...and saw something he had not expected. It was two young human boys of about 15, with a great resemblance that implied they were brothers. One of them wore glasses, while the other was slightly stockier.
+''All's well that ends well, but I hope Dexter is going to be alright...''
-The younger brother, the one with glasses, appeared to be holding something. Though Chris could not see exactly what it was.
+Looking towards the woods in front of him, he began to run towards them, leaving Alchem behind him.
-"That was a fairly epic robbery Harrison." smirked the older brother.
+=== '''The protagonists''' ===
-"Thank you, Piercy." replied the younger brother. "I'm sure The Demon will be pleased with what we robbed for him. We'll be handsomely rewarded for our efforts for sure".
+Staring at the beings, the group was at a loss on what to do. The beings moved oddly, quickly and seemingly in unison with each other upon every step, their identities hidden by their armored suits. The leader held the lance to [[Marshall Rooke|Marshall]]'s throat still, his armored face staring directly at the boy.
+"[[Minor Characters#Mulciber|Mulciber]]?" Marshall asked, glancing down at the weapon. "Who the fuck is Mulciber?"
-"I'll get the big half, as I'm the older brother." said Piercy.
+"That would be me," a mysterious voice growled. A tall skinny creature with two sharp horns, inhuman scarlet skin, and ripped clothing that barely covered its body emerged from the shadows, causing a loud stomp every time it set its foot down. The being towered over both of the groups, even the leader. It carried a long, serrated blade about half its size. The appearance of the being caused the group to go silent, both in awe and fear.
-"I was the one that did the robbery, so if either of us get the big half, it should be me." said Harrison. "You barely helped".
+[[Melissa Devlin|Melissa]] was the first to break the silence, as she slowly stepped back. "What is that thing?"
-"Robberies?" Chris accidentally blurted aloud, tripping over a rock in front of the tree.
+Nobody in the group had an answer for her, more silence greeting her words in a tight embrace.
-As Chris had predicted for the tiniest space of time, the brothers had heard him. They both turned around.
+With a plan coming to her as the being continued to step towards them, she quickly turned and started to dash towards the way they had come. "Come on, let's go!"
-Though the two of them did look surprised to see that someone had managed to overhear them without their knowledge, one look at their faces convinced Chris that they had braced themselves for the unexpected.
+----
+The group could hear the beings pursuing them as they ran through the woods.
+"Who are those people?" [[Savannah Whitesmith|Savannah]] asked, dodging a low-hanging tree limb. "What was that thing?! I've never seen anything like it before."
-"And who might you be?" asked Harrison. There was something devious about the glint in his eyes. "We had no idea there was anyone else nearby".
+"Why are they after us?" Melissa joined in. "Are they with Alchem?"
-"That's right." said Piercy.
+Choosing to keep quiet, Marshall continued forward, pushing tree limbs and bushes aside in a hurry, the sound of the beings behind them suddenly going away.
-"Ah, salutations, gentlemen," Chris said. "My name is Cunning Humanoid Robot Intelligence Series Wellington MKII," Chris then grabbed onto the tree branch, attempting to get a closer look at what they were holding, but Harrison was blocking it from view.
+"Sounds like we lost them?" [[Atticus Anoethite|Atticus]] asked, from the right of Marshall.
-"Well it's nice to meet you I guess." said Harrison, though neither he nor Piercy looked reassured that it really was nice to meet him.
+"Maybe, but just keep going."
-"Your name sure is one of the most bizarre names that I have ever heard." said Piercy. "It's almost as if it's a model name of some sort, for some kind of robot. Is that your nickname, may I ask?"
+The group continued to run through the forest, barely able to see their way forward in the night. They soon found themselves in a clearing, a break from the thick patches of wood. A large lake lay in front of them, marshy and covered with fallen leaves.
-Chris then saw that both Harrison and Piercy were wearing what appeared to be arrow holders. But the arrows themselves did not look very, if at all, deadly.
+"The city should be on the other side of this lake," Marshall told the rest.
-"My exact species classification is an android." Chris said. "And from what I can gather, the neutrality of my class of beings is highly valuable, so I would much prefer if you explained details concerning your current situation." Chris wasn't sure how he remembered that, perhaps Gabriel's technology had some effect after all.
+Melissa looked around, noticing how large the lake was. "But how are we going to get across it? It's too dark to see where it ends."
-"And what exactly is an Android?" asked Harrison.
+"We're going to have to swim across it, of course," Marshall replied, stepping closer to the shore of the water. The other three looked towards him in unison, their expressions showing they viewed his idea negatively.
-"Androids are high technology, fully functional, extremely complex bionic robots that contain human-like outer appearances, thus enabling us to blend in with the human race more easily than traditional robots." Chris explained.
+"But it's too cold!" Savannah protested.
-"I think I may have come across the word before." said Harrison. "But I didn't know exactly what they were".
+"I don't even know if I can swim," Atticus put forward, glancing towards the dark water.
-"I don't believe I've ever heard of them to be honest." said Piercy. "But something about hearing them makes me hesitant to trust anyone that admits to being one".
+"We don't have a choice," Marshall said, walking into the water and pausing when he was waist-deep. Looking back at the others, he pointed towards the water. "Are you coming?"
-"I wouldn't be hesitant to trust us. We're not a harmful species." Chris assured Harrison and Piercy, still staring with amazement at the set of arrows they were carrying. "And what purpose do the arrows serve?"
+The group followed after him, slowly getting into the water and moving forward until they had to swim towards the other side.
-Piercy, surprised that Chris was interested in their valuable weapons, explained, "The arrows are to threaten people that stand in our way. While they do deal damage, they are almost never fatal, but they scare our enemies nonetheless. We do use a second kind of arrow which has hollow points and is often fatal. Though we don't tend to use them unless it is highly inconvenient for us not to. Usually these arrows are all that we need."
+Melissa shivered at the coldness of the water, but kept pushing her way forward, fearful of pausing.
-"Interesting" replied Chris. "I never used any sort of arrows before, but your usage of them sounds quite efficient."
+Finally reaching the other side, the group poured out on the shore, encountering an even grassier area. The forest continued its reach ahead of them.
-"I suppose so," said Harrison.
+"Look? Simple swim." Marshall said, looking over at his shivering companions.
-"Well then, I ought to get going, I really should be focused on locating some people I was with, I am using up valuable time right here."
+"Please shut up," Atticus replied.
-"Ah alright then. Do you know where you are going?" Harrison asked, feigning concern. "This forest can be very tricky to get out of. There's some silver lights overlooking a city to the east, following its light is usually the best way to find your way out of the forest."
+As the group stood there, a rustling was heard from the trees near them. Before they had time to react, the giant from earlier, "Mulciber," burst from the forest and stomped towards them, blocking their entrance into the forest. It began to lumber towards them, blade in hand.
-"Thanks very much for the directions, but I don't need them, I am positive I know where I am going," Chris lied as he turned around. He slightly hesitated for a second, unsure of exactly where to go before walking away. Once he was out of their view, he ditched the slow pace and started sprinting in the direction of the city. As he ran, he thought long and hard about whether or not he considered Atticus, Melissa, Savannah, and Marshall friends. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he did not see himself crash into the debris of a wrecked car.
+Mulciber raised the sword. He prepared to make the killing blow as Marshall called out, "Wait, stop!" The creature lowered the blade and tilted his head.
+"Don't kill me, please," Marshall fell to his knees. "I'll do anything, anything!"
-"He'll be lucky if he ever finds out of this forest." Piercy chuckled. "He didn't look like he was very certain of his way".
+"You will do anything in exchange for your own life, hornless child?" The offer intrigued Mulciber. He looked over at Atticus, Savannah, and Melissa. "Kill all of your companions and I will spare you."
-"I think it would still pay to inform The Demon of this Cunning guy, in case he did over-hear our conversation." Harrison replied.
+Marshall contemplated Mulciber's words. After a moment, he stood up. He grabbed Atticus' arm, and kicked him in the back of his knee, forcing him to his knees.
-A lanky man in a black shozoku with a red scarf around his mouth watched the two brothers talk as he hid behind the trees, making sure to keep view of himself hidden.
+"What the fuck are you doing?" Atticus asked, struggling against Marshall's grip.
-"Those idiots..." he thought to himself. "Talking loudly about my father and their recent feats, without a fucking care in the world. As stupid as they are, they are right though. This would be useful information for Father to know. A Wellington android...still thriving. It would make a brilliant addition to our team."
+"I'm getting us out of here," Marshall whispered.
-=== '''Melissa Devlin and Richard Smith''' ===
-As Melissa ran from the demon and Atticus, eventually, she regretted her choice to leave him behind. She paused for a moment almost turning to head back, when she heard a faint scream not being able make out what it said. A wave of sadness rushed through her believing the worst had happened.
+Atticus would have protested further if Marshall had not shoved him under the water. He continued to struggle only to give up.
-She turned once more and headed towards the lights, tree branches and plants smacking against her, as she ran. Soon she came to an empty road, she paused to watch her surroundings.
-Not far from her, she saw a city showered in silver light, surrounded by a wall as if to protect the innocent lives within, it was beautiful. She could see an entrance to it with a bridge in front.
-She began to walk towards the city slowly before collapsing at the entrance. She leaned against the wall as the effects of recent events started to come to her. She hugged her knees as she started to think about the others and how this started with her waking up in that barn. Once again she wondered who she was and how she had gotten placed in this to begin with.
-She couldn't find a single memory of her past or who these people where that were with her. She began to cry softly into the silent night in both fear and regret from having left, Atticus behind believing him to have been killed, and it her fault. the only sound that could heard was her sobs slowly she cried herself until she quickly fell asleep having been worn out from recent events.
 ----
+Hearing the beast in front of them develop a heavy laugh, Melissa was paralyzed with fright at the scene unfolding before her. "W-what is he doing? He's killing Atticus! Is he really going to listen to that thing?"
-She didn't notice as the sun had rose up, until she heard voice of a man. "Miss...? What's wrong?" she quickly woke not realizing until, now she had even fallen asleep and rubbed her eyes allowing them to adjust to the bright light.
-The man, wearing a long white trench coat and with grayish-green hair, asked again. "Miss..? Do you need any help?"
+"I don't know, but I know what we need to do, run!" Savannah exclaimed, hoping that Mulciber was too distracted by the sadistic scene it had set up. Looking at the woods near her, she quickly shot towards them, grabbing Melissa's hand and pulling her with them.
-Hearing the voice, Melissa quickly wiped away her tears and took a few breaths to regain herself. "No, thank you." She replied to the strange man she saw standing before her, feeling a sense of distrust due to her past encounters with Gabriel Alchemilia. "What is this place?" She asked in wonder, looking around at the glowing city.
+----
-"Silivia, reasonably the most well-known city in Thales, as it is the largest. Are you sure you don't need any help?" The man says, putting his hands in the pockets of his coat. "How did you get here? Why exactly were you crying, if I may ask..?"
+Keeping his grip on Atticus' limp body, Marshall pulled the head of his companion out of the water and glanced down at him, feeling a slight sense of regret.
-Melissa looked around at the small part of the city she could see, before turning to answer him. "Well......it's a long story but the people I were with were killed...." She replied, slowly piecing together her memories of the previous night. "Um... have you seen a young girl named Savannah?"
+Without a word, he tossed the boy to the ground and turned to face Mulciber, noticing the girls were now gone. "I believe we have business now."
-"I wouldn't say I haven't, but I have not met someone with the name today, what does she look like?" [[Richard Smith|Richard]] asked, calm but puzzled.
+----
-"Um.. well she has pale skin, long brown hair, and brown eyes and she is a bit taller then I am." She said answering him.
+"Savannah, do we even know where we're going?" Melissa pondered, as the two raced through the forest, skipping over fallen logs and brush.
+"Not really sure of directions, but I do know one thing. There's bound to be dirt roads somewhere around here, especially leading to a town," Savannah replied, keeping an eye on her surroundings.
-"Well, well. Mmm.." Richard thought about it for a moment. "No, I don't believe so. Sorry."
-Melissa looked disappointed. "Alright, I'm new here, I'm not really sure what to do now, plus I'm slightly lost, do you have an idea of what I could do?"
+"I suppose you're right. But do you think that Marshall and Atticus will be okay, even Chris?"
-Richard looked at the poor girl quivering in front of him. "You look exhausted, let me take you to the lab and I can help you out." he suggested, giving off a warm smile.
+"I don't know..." The girls continued to walk through the forest in silence, hoping for some sign. Suddenly, in the distance, there was a bright light.
-Melissa paused for a moment before nodding knowing it would be better than staying in the strange city alone. "How far is it?"
+"What is that?" Melissa managed to say, her breathing now heavy and labored.
-"Not far, about 5 minutes walk." Richard replied, estimating.
+"Don't know, maybe it's the city Marshall mentioned?"
-"Alright." Melissa looked around them one last time waiting to follow Richard to his lab as she shivered slightly from the cold.
+At this mention, the two began to run towards the light. As they pushed their way through the trees, they came out onto a trail. In front of them was a tall set of steel gates, a bright and shining city sitting behind it. Tall buildings reaching high into the sky towered in the distance, blocking out the stars.
-"Come with me, it's this way." Richard said, and the two headed off to the lab.
+"It looks so beautiful," Melissa commented, gazing ahead of them.
-Richard and Melissa stood outside a big silver building. Strange pipes poked out either side. Steam wafted out an open window. "Welcome...to the Laboratory of the Unexplainable" Richard exclaimed proudly.
+Savannah nodded in agreement, at a loss of words. She had never seen such a sight before.
-Melissa looked around shyly and in wonder but didn't move to enter the building. "Why is it named Laboratory of the Unexplainable?" she asked suddenly distrusting.
+"Excuse me, girls, are you two lost?" A mysterious voice said. Looking for the owner of it, they soon noticed a tall middle-aged man standing next to them on the trail. He had long brown hair and a droopy mustache, and wore a tailored gray suit.
-Richard explained. "We investigate the things scientists can't even begin to understand. The strange phenomenons throughout Euclid. The 'unexplainable'. Come, let me show you."
+"Who the hell are you?" Savannah asked.
-Melissa paused hesitantly. "Alright, show me."
+"The name is Hughes," The man replied. "[[Minor Characters#Warren Hughes|Warren Hughes]]. Do you two require assistance?"
-Richard opened the door for Melissa. "Come, you have much to see."
+Feeling wary of the man, Melissa stepped back. "N-no thanks, we're fine."
-Melissa walked inside the lab nervously.
+"No, we're not!" Savannah snapped. "We're lost, we don't know where we're going, we lost our friends."
-The door opened into a room filled with high tech equipment and bubbling chemicals. A brown haired, thin man stood inside, reading some papers. He saw Melissa in the corner of his eye and spun around in surprise. "Melissa, you're back! I was so worried!" he exclaimed.
+The man nodded. "I see. If you want, you can both come with me for the night. I have a big place and I don't mind helping you two, you can leave in the morning if you wish."
-Melissa stared at the male in shock. "Who are you? How do you know my name?" She said stepping back towards the door.
+Feeling suspicious of the offer, Savannah weighed the possible outcomes before making her decision. "I'll come with you, please."
-"It's me. It's [[Steven Devlin|Steven]]." He noticed Melissa still didn't recognize him. "Your brother."
+"Are you crazy?!" Melissa instantly choked out. "We don't know this guy, anything could happen. Please don't forget what happened with Gabriel Alchemilia or even..." Melissa paused, still reeling from the previous event. "Marshall."
-=== '''Savannah Whitesmith and Warren Hughes''' ===
-As the sun rose in the sky, kissing the surrounding area of Silivia in its light, Savannah noticed how the buildings and streets began to reflect a beautiful silvery glow. Struck by its beauty, she looked over at Warren and managed to utter "How does..the city glow like this?"
+"We have no other choice, Melissa," Savannah said, looking towards the man again. "I'm sorry for her, she's just scared."
-"Stunning, isn't it?" Warren snickered. "It was a beauty to me when I was younger. Each light in this city has a base made from the finest quartz crystals. These lights don't run on electricity. They run solely on the crystals, giving them a silver glow and a lovely brightness. The effects of these crystals, which are all located deep underground, are amplified by the stainless steel that our lamps rest in." Warren was absolutely delighted by Savannah's clear curiosity and interest, remembering how curious he had been when he first moved to Silivia.
+"No, I'm not just scared! I'm not being stupid. Let's just go into the city on our own."
-Savannah sat intensely focused, attentively nodding at Warren's stories. "How long has it been like this?" Savannah asked Warren curiously.
+"And go where? We have nowhere. Please take us to your place," Savannah said to the man.
-"This city has existed since before the great war," Warren said. "It remained largely untouched, thanks to the power of the lights to repel those horrible beasts. It's notoriety and importance led it to become the capital of Thales. I do believe the lights were first installed a thousand or so years ago when some weird event happened, but I don't know what it was. Led to the war, that's for sure."
+"Right this way then," Warren said, walking towards the steel gates.
-"Absolutely fascinating," Savannah began, until she fully caught unto what Warren had said earlier. "Beasts?" she asked, visibly confused. "What do you mean, 'beasts'? Monsters, some army? Can you elaborate or something?"
+"I'm not going," Melissa said again. "If you're going, you'll have to go without me."
-He looked back at the girl, dumbfounded at her question. "You're kidding," he snickered. "Surely I do not have to explain this, I mean you have to know what a demon is right? Cause for humanity's decline, the low population, something, anything? Come on now. Everyone knows about demons in this age."
+The look on Savannah's face showed her confusion and pain at the situation. But the girl eventually nodded slowly to Melissa, "Okay then."
-"I honestly have no clue as to what you're talking about. Surely you are the one who ought to be kidding, what is this demon foolishness? I'm sorry, I am just really confused."
+Savannah then turned her back to her and followed after the man.
-Back in Silivia, Savannah suddenly remembered that the others were as far as she knew still in the woods.
+== Epilogue ==
-"There are a couple more people I need to find," she said half-panicked to Warren. "Is there room for more in this house?"
+Barely any light shone in Gabriel's office, but the man could faintly be seen seated at his desk. [[John Fontaine]], still dressed in his trench coat, stood in front of it.
+"Getting down to business, I'd like you to follow Rousseau. He's going to search for the android," Gabriel looked up towards Fontaine at this point, from his previous fixture of watching his wall. "But I don't trust him. He's too focused, tries too hard to prove himself. And this isn't a mission that we can afford to mess up."
-"I'm afraid this is quite a small house, but I could try my best to accommodate you," Warren assured Savannah, quickly checking his watch. "My my, it's almost time for me to head to work. Take care of yourself, Savannah. Make yourself at home, maybe go out for a walk," Warren smiled as he went into the house to get his coat.
+Fontaine nodded, he knew this was an important offer. "Alright, I'll do so. I'll head out as soon as possible."
-"What do you do?" asked Savannah curiously.
+"Good," Gabriel replied. "Just don't let Rosseau know you're following him. Wouldn't want him to feel unimportant now, would we?"
-"I work at the Guild of Silivian Writers. Our mission is to write books that are both entertaining and realistic," Warren explained, as he walked out though the open doorway and headed for the sidewalk. "Farewell, Savannah,"
+With the man shooting him a smile, Fontaine agreed. "I understand. Where is Rousseau's troop headed?"
-"Very interesting," Savannah replied fascinated. "Goodbye, Warren." Savannah went over to Warren's bookshelf and decided to read one of his books for herself. As she was sitting down to read, however, she heard a noise near the window and quickly sprang up to see what it was.
+"To the most likely place for the android to go from here, [[Silivia]]."
-Back at Warren's, Savannah was still reading one of Warren's books but while doing so, she had an orange striped cat she took in. The noise near the window was that cat who had gotten lost and fell off a bin. Savannah took in the cat and named her [[Mittens]].
 {{Episodes}}
-[[Category:Episodes]]
 [[Category:Season One episodes]]
-[[Category:Pages to be rewritten]]