After hours had gone by, they were all done, the ones on the horseback whom had left all returned.
Those who were checking the buildings also returned, it was already dark.
Gustev made inquiries from the troops one after the other about what they had found.
While Heimer spoke to the commanders and Heimlich that had returned.
The reports were the same — bloodstains on the walls and nothing else found within the building not even furniture.
"The reports all share a common theme.
Any ideas as to what could be behind this?" Gustev asked Heimer.
Heimer held his helmet in hand.
"I would like to know as well to be honest.
I hate mental battles that deal with the unknown." Heimer said with frustration.
"If it were physical, one might have tried battling it head on.
We don't even have a lead here, I advise we rest…" Gustev sat on the porch of one of the buildings.
"We'll get to the bottom of this one way or the other.
How we would do that is beyond me...but something tells me we will." Heimer had a hunch.
He was about to start walking away from Gustev.
Gustev called for Heimer's attention again.
"I'm yet to receive a report from one of your squad members, it should be the odd boy with the grey hair." Gustev said.
That simple description narrowed it down to one person.
Heimer immediately took a look at both sides of the path searching for Leo, he couldn't find him.
"Where is Leo?!"Heimer asked generally.
Immediately he said so Fiona and Zefroth approached him.
"Have you perhaps seen Leo?" Heimer asked.
"Hmm" Fiona nodded her head.
"He was double checking the houses for any hidden clue." She said to him.
Heimer wasn't buying it.
"It's hard reading through this girl... try as l might , even with my eyes, I can't see through her.
And her face hardly gives anything away…." Heimer's eyes had failed him
"It's easy if I just ask this other one." Heimer thought.
He galnced away from her and shifted his attention to Zefroth.
"Do you know where he went?" Heimer asked with all seriousness.
"I don't, I wasn't with Fiona when she saw him.
Why did Fiona suddenly tell us to report this now?!" Fiona answered and then drifted in thought.
"She doesn't seem to be lying." Heimer exhaled from fatigue.
"Then why are you both here?" Heimer asked.
He looked at them both, expecting answers.
Fiona waited for some time before speaking.
"We killed some snakes." Fiona replied and Zefroth nodded to affirm it.
Heimer's face switched to that of bafflement, he palmed his face and dragged it down.
He took a deep breath…then exhaled, Heimer was fatigued, exhausted and was also tensed.
Add this with being worked up and repressing his confusion, and you get a recipe for terrible mental health.
He hadn't slept for days, the toll of everything else was more so a burden to him, why then would he be bothered about matters as trivial as snakes.
"What do I do with that Information?
This is far from the first time any of you have killed snakes." Heimer said.
Fiona rolled her eyes to Zefroth, then nudged her on the shoulder.
"You can explain this best." Fiona said calmly.
"Why not just do it yourself?" Zefroth asked.
"...
Sure why not" Fiona answered.
Heimer and Zefroth looked confused.
"If she was going to do it anyway, why did she bother asking?!" Zefroth wondered.
It made no sense either way and felt like a waste of time, which was exactly what it was.
"Speak.
I have other things to do" Heimer said in a dismissive manner.
"They were blue" Fiona said.
Heimer sighed.
"There are multiple blue species is that all?" Heimer asked.
Fiona put her fist underneath her jaw, she had trouble remembering so it took a while.
Of course it was all an act.
"It was about seven feet long but only as thick as two inches" Fiona responded.
Heimer's brow raised, he turned to look at Gustev.
"Does any known species fit that description?" Heimer asked.
Gustev rolled his eyeballs up in an attempt to spark his memory, then shook his head subtly.
"No, I can't seem to remember any.
You might have to ask someone knowledgeable in these things." He replied.
Heimer tuned his focus back at the two girls.
"It might be a species we don't know about…
If that's all then can you tell me where last you saw Leo-" said Heimer as he attempted continuing the previous conversation.
"They have green blood, very dark in colour, as well as two eyes on each side of their heads." Fiona said abruptly.
Heimer felt a familiarity with the last description.
"Green, just like the sprout or that one from last night.
It won't be enough to just brush this off." Heimer thought with trouble in his heart.
Heimer sat down beside Gustev.
"How many were there?" Heimer interrogated.
"I think there were three…or were they four?" Fiona said.
She nudged Zefroth.
"How many were they Zefroth?" Fiona asked.
"What is she trying to pull?
I guess I'll play along." Zefroth had a hunch on Fiona's strange behaviour.
"We killed three, and about five others slithered away." Zefroth said.
"So we have to worry about five more.
Snakes moving together is another strange thing.
You can go-
Actually, before you do where last did you see Leo?" Heimer asked Fiona.
Fiona looked at the narrow path to her left - the one beside the building Heimer and Gustev where on - then she turned and looked at Heimer.
"Between the paths" She replied with her usual tone.
"What paths and when?" Heimer needed more information.
It wasn't long before he got his answer, Fiona didn't even need to reply.
From the path in-between the buildings someone emerged with speed, then stopped abruptly before colliding with Fiona.
It was Leo.
They exchanged glances for a short while.
Fiona gently shook her head to the right, gesturing him to look there.
He finally shifted his gaze and was greeted by Heimer's gaze.
"And where have you been?" Heimer asked.
"Just coming back from the duty" Leo replied.
Heimer looked at Leo scanning his body, he 00⁹ⁿ⁹ it couldn't see much except for some minor scratches on his shoulder plates.
"He might have gotten those from yesternight.
Al least I'm relieved he's safe.
But he is also hiding something else, what might it be?" Heimers mind calmed a bit as his priorities changed.
"Then what kept you?" Heimer asked Leo.
Leo looked conflicted on what reply to give, it took a while for him to finally speak.
"...snakes…?" Leo said awkwardly.