The air was stiff, glances from servants darting all over as they took their leave. Adrian feasted into his meal, the usual however his desert was odd. Ice cream, something Marchel was sure Jeannette had arranged. It didn't take long before Adrian left for bed leaving the room to the two.
"This could be our last moments and you want to be so uptight? Live a little darling." Jeannette posed flashing a smile that didn't sit well with Marchel. "What use would it be for you to have a son that was acquainted to nothing but pleasure? We both know how that will end up for him."
His tone sour flashing a look of contempt at Jeannette. "What do you mean end up for him? We might not be able to see tomorrow's sunrise. What's the problem with indulging now?" Her gaze on Marchel was that of disinterest. "What if we manage to make it to tomorrow?" He asked.
"And what if we don't?" She posed her counter argument that left him silent. "What makes you so sure that we'll get to see tomorrow? She may be playing with us only to kill us on the last day." He had thought about it as well and concluded it to be so. 'Am I just thinking that she won't because of the last two days?'
A part of him knew that it was nothing more than wishful thinking and yet once he saw Angus as a fool for believing now he was the one who took a gander at the thought. "...I'm sorry if I yelled darling but I don't see the point of you being so restrained. This might as well be our last moments together." The thought made his skin crawl and yet he could do nothing more than watch.
Angus had his men fill his compound but that never made the worry in his heart leave. "I..." His response cut by his own thoughts. "I'm a fool for thinking so." And with that he rose to his feet and left.
***
*Knock-Knock-Knock*
"Can I come in?" Marchel asked however silence was what met him. Without a response, he took the initiative into making a step into Adrian's room. "Hello Adrian." His tone light as he was met with hateful glares from Adrian who shifted to the side.
Letting out a sigh, he drew closer to his bed and took a seat next to him. He pondered whether to place his arm over his forehead but abandoned the idea. "Look. I'm sorry that we didn't get ice cream like you wanted but you have to know my reasons for it. You have had too much for this week alone and who knows what will happen to your teeth."
No response rang from Adrian. He took another approach. "Tomorrow we can go and have all the ice cream you want. Any flavor, just you, me and mom." This time a response came, low and guttural. "Dad? Am I going to die?" Taken aback by the statement, he managed to calm himself down.
"Why would you think so Adrian?" In his mind he wondered whether Jeanette was the one who told him. "It was a friend of mine, he says that someone called Callista will come and kill us all. Mom...and you. She'll take you away from me....I don't want to die dad!" His chest started to hitch and heave as they muffled his cries.
"Your friend was simply lying to you. We won't die." It wasn't a lie but a truth either as he too was lost with what the outcome would be. "Then why does everyone tell me that. The maids and my other friends as well?" Marchel's hand rested over his body reeling him closer to him.
"They don't know what they're talking about. After all I'm here to watch over you and protect you?" Adrian turned to his side revealing his eyes turned red from tears and running nose. Without a word he embraced his father and the two were locked in a hug, Adrian's tears staining his shirt but he didn't mind.
Breaking away, he flashed a reassuring smile. "You won't die Adrian. After all what would that mean for me? If I don't have you and mom then what more could I do?" Adrian toyed with the thought before giving his answer. "You'd have to join us." His answer though chilling elicited a chuckle from Marchel.
"Exactly. However there's more to life than just death and fear. It's something way too special for you to give up so easily." Adrian's stifles came to a halt but his nose kept running. "Where's your handkerchief?" Marchel asked playfully. "Hm! It's back in the dirty laundry mat. They all are."
Marchel brought out his own and wiped his tears and nose landing a kiss on his forehead. "It'll be okay so there's no need to worry about it too much." A laugh escaped Adrian's lips beaming a smile back at his father. "Thanks dad." And with that, the two bid each other goodnight.
***
Marchel was met with his wife, still alive in their bed with a book in her hands. Seeing his figure she put it aside. "I'm sorry Marchel about...before. I wasn't thinking properly." He merely laughed it off as he switched out of his uniform and making his way to the shower. She took this time to prepare his clothes which he admired as he put them on.
"Your apology is accepted darling." He mused as he made his way out of the bathroom where he was met with her figure adorned in a lingerie. "Well I decided to make sure that this apology was one you wouldn't forget." She chuckled as he closer the distance stealing a kiss.
***
"Hah!" Glancing around, he probed his entire body to make sure that he was fine before letting out a sigh or relief. "It looks like I may have doubted you sweetie." Jeannette cooed to the side still underneath the sheets, her hand wrapping around his chest with a warm and tender smile.
He laughed it off as he rose to his feet revealing his stark figure he masked with a towel. Making his way to the bathroom, he took a long look at his figure. 'It would seem that i may have over-reacted.' He broke into a faint laugh realizing that he had managed to survive her onslaught.
'But if I'm alive then were those bastards lying?' He could feel the rage start to build inside of him but his heart still had reservations. Taking a quick shower, he made his way to the edge of the eastern border where the back up was meant to arrive.
"It would seem that you managed to live." Angus's tone light as he shared a laugh with Marchel. "I'm as equally stunned as you are but I'm grateful for this. Thank you for helping me believe that I would be able to see through it." His words received with a nod. "Or course, after all it is what comrades are for." Angus posed as his gaze remained locked with Marchel's.
The military jeep drove through the wasteland before arriving at the allocated site. Stepping out, the smell of sulphur and crimson filled their noses nearly making them gag. However with the battle they had endured till now, their willpower wasn't easy to dissolve as they preserved. It wasn't long before the whirls of a chopper was heard from the distance.
"It would seem that they managed to make it on time." Angus mused with his eyes focused on the now landing chopper. It's gray design allowed it to blend with the clouds, it's massive thrusters giving it the power to traverse great distances and maintain a level of stealth as well. Soldiers marched out of the chopper, their faces stern as a commander seemed to walk past them.
His face was no less stern as that of his men as he introduced himself to the two. "Marchel Veyden, it's an honor to meet you." His tone sharp as the two exchanged a handshake. "Of course, I'm quite glad that you could make it in time commander." Marchel posed with a hint of respect in his words. "It's a miracle that you managed to survive Callista for so long."
Commander Graham said, his gaze filled with curiosity as to how Marchel has managed to hold out for so long. "It truly was a miracle to say the least. And I appreciate it that you managed to make it here at the eastern border." With a shrug, Graham's tone turned colder. "Let's cut the chatter. Is she still here and how has the fight with the demons bee going?"
As a man of order, his straightforwardness was no shock to Marchel. "Despite her hints, she hasn't made a move on us. Strangely enough the tides have grown smaller and smaller with each day." Graham's face showed no emotion as he made his way to his men before relaying instructions.
Most of which were to watch and patrol the borders while others remain on standby. Two tanks were deployed from the chopper and marched around the border intriguing Marchel. As a man who hadn't been fully exposed to the military's technology, the sight of a tank was intriguing to him however he didn't fawn over it for too long.
"How about we take this conversation elsewhere?" Gesturing at his Jeep, Graham agreed and the two followed with an envoy made their way to his manor. Graham's men immediately launched their investigations without orders however Marchel didn't stress himself as the two made their way to his office.
***
"So far we can confirm that she wants the eastern border to fall to allow the flow of contaminated food and other supplies to breach into Reuthar. As for the traitors we managed to find, they didn't anything of use for us." Marchel quickly began his breakdown. "However I'm sure with your intervention that we should be able to halt her advances."
Graham listened intently to every word Marchel had to say. "Mmm..." He gave a thoughtful hum as he stroked the light goatee on his chin. "It would be catastrophic should Guinevere manage to breach Reuthar however I'm not here to hold your fort. My work here was meant to track down Callista, as for the demonic horde, reinforcements will be sent a week from now."
His words were like a cold shower on Marchel however he didn't bother throwing a fit over it. "Understood Graham however even with my men on the clock I haven't been able to find anything about her." Graham let out a chuckle as a subordinate beside him entered the room with a military tablet in his hands.
"Of course you won't be able to find her using crude means." With a few flicks on the screen, the victorious smile that was meant to flash never came but rather a dissatisfied frown. "How could it be?" He murmured as he kept on skimming through the tablet.
Marchel's face fell from happiness into something far sour. "How could she move without leaving a trace?" Graham's face turned unsightly before looking back at Marchel. "What was the piece that you found?" Handing over the obsidian crystal over, Graham shower great interest.
"Hmm..." The veins on his palms bulged as he planned on shattering it with his hands but it remained strong without a dent in sight. Unwilling to take defeat do easily, he amped up the strength but the result was the same. "Have them run this over." Giving it to his subordinate,he rose to his feet.
"We'll leave at noon should we find no trace of her. The crystal petal is your best evidence but we'll have to leave if it isn't hers. She could have long left for all we know." And with that he turned around and took his leave. 'These people! Are they really just going to leave like this with the lives of innocent on the line?!'
The news of reinforcements wasn't pleasing the more he thought about it. 'Should an abomination or a wave of them attack us, by the time they get here, there will be nothing left.' He cursed looking at the scene play in front of him. A joke he was the tail of bit he had no choice other than to wait for what they would uncover.