Adult-FanFiction.org : Games

Fable : Fall of the Guild	By : Samson Category: +A through F > Fable Views: 8222 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Fable intellectual property, nor am I making any money off of this fanfic. Unauthorized duplication of this work is prohibited.

Chapter List
- 25
- 26
- 27
The Grey House.
Fable : Fall of the Guild

Part VI - "The Hunts"

By: Jesse Racine AKA Samson

Original Date Written: January 12, 2012

It took Bianca only two or three minutes to calm down entirely, but when the two released each other, Timoteo noticed that she seemed rather drained, tired. As the two made their way back to Grizelda's cottage, Bianca was very quiet, her expression always bordering on depression. Timoteo felt worried about her, but he didn't feel he needed to ask her for an explanation. It was obvious that she was thinking over Gibbons' confession. The two eventually came across a small group of balverines, around four or five, but neither of them had to fight the beasts. Bianca simply waved her hand at the creatures, a purple flash shining from her palm for a second, glitters of purple light washing over each balverine. Suddenly, the balverines seemed struck with insanity, striking at each other with their claws. One let out a howl and began to constantly do backflips, doing several in a row before another one tackled into him. Bianca hastily walked off, Timoteo by her side, curious about her spell.
She wouldn't elaborate, remaining quiet. When the two returned to the cottage, she regarded even Grizelda with silence, saying very little and only when questions were directed towards her. Grizelda seemed as worried as Timoteo was, and eventually tried to take Bianca off to speak with her alone. Timoteo waited in the living room for almost half an hour before they returned. When they did, it didn't look like Grizelda had made much progress; Bianca still said little, her expression still lacked warmth and energy. Grizelda still looked worried when she took her seat again. Bianca stayed with the two just long enough to eat lunch, then she slipped away to her room. After an hour had passed, it became clear that she wasn't coming back. Timoteo and Grizelda sat before a fire, alone, eventually speaking of Bianca. "Timoteo, what's wrong with Bianca? She wouldn't tell me a thing. What happened with your old comrade, Gibbons his name was, yes?" She said, relaxing back into her chair.
Timoteo shrugged lightly. "I, um...I don't know if I should tell you, I don't know if Bianca would appreciate it. If she wouldn't tell you herself..." Grizelda's tone was concerned as she said "Clearly it bothered her deeply. She hasn't been this quiet since she was a girl." Timoteo was silent for a few seconds, his elbows to his knees, his face pointed to the floor. His brow furrowed just gently for a moment before he raised a hand to his face, sighing as he rubbed at his eyes for a moment. "Gibbons told her something, it was about when we were kids at the Guild. It was about something pretty personal to her." "Was it about Travis?" Grizelda asked, folding her hands over her lap. Timoteo's mouth hanging open a crack, he hesitated from responding for a moment before he said "Yeah...It was about him. It hit her hard." "Obviously...Nothing I would say could get her to tell me about it. She'd just give one-word answers to my questions."
The two were silent for several seconds before Grizelda said "Listen, I'm going to be on an errand in Darkwood soon. It's likely going to take me the rest of the day. While you two have the cottage to yourselves, talk to her. Try and help her." Timoteo sat up fully, saying "Do you really think I could make a difference? Seems to me like she just wants time to be alone, right now." Grizelda smiled a little. "When she was young, she would always take time to be alone when something upset her. But now, she has you. I don't think being alone will give her the same satisfaction it once did. I would talk to her, were I you. She'll need comfort." Grizelda stood up from her seat, beginning to walk around it and head over to the nearby hallway, saying "That's not to say you should see her right away. A little more time might be good. She might even come to you, once I'm gone. Hard to tell sometimes with her." "Are you leaving right now?" Timoteo asked, raising his eyebrows.
Grizelda smiled a little, saying "Well, I'll be taking a few things from my room, but yes, I'll be leaving very shortly." Timoteo couldn't say anything else, Grizelda having walked down into the hallway, disappearing from view. He waited for a minute before he heard Grizelda step out by the front doorway. He looked over. She didn't appear to have anything with her, but she seemed ready to depart, giving him a wave. "I would suggest you speak to her sooner rather than later. She often didn't even cook when she got like this, as a child. If I didn't make something, she would go quite some time without eating. Problem is, if she tried starving herself now, she'd starve you, too." Grizelda's face went ponderous, and she absent-mindedly said "But, she might still cook something considering you're dependent on her, right now. It's not like you know where the food around here is, or what's even safe to eat."
Grizelda shrugged lightly, saying "It's up to you, Timoteo. I trust you'll do the right thing for my Bianca." Before he could speak, she had opened the door, stepped outside, and shut it behind herself. Timoteo quickly stood up and walked over to the door, about to open it to try and ask her for any sort of advice before she left entirely, but he stopped himself. It sounded like Grizelda had more experience with Bianca when she was quiet and seemed to want to be alone, but Grizelda apparently had faith that he could help Bianca. He took his seat once more, thinking about what he'd say when he went to see her.

He had sat there for a good twenty minutes, his elbows to his knees, his hands up near his face. His fingers were threaded together, his index fingers lightly pressing to his lips as he thought. Eventually, when he was ready, he got up and began heading for Bianca's bedroom. He left his chainmail shirt and pack by the chair, also having slipped off his boots earlier on. When he came to Bianca's door, he slowly took in a deep breath, exhaling gently. He reached for the door handle, paused for a moment, shook his head lightly, and slowly opened the door. Inside, he saw Bianca sitting on her bed, her knees close to her chest, her arms wrapped around her legs. Her cloak was resting over the chair in front of her desk, and her boots were down on the floor by her bed. She had her head down, her forehead to her knees, but she raised her head at the sound of the door opening. She looked over, meeting his eyes for a moment before looking away.
That moment was all Timoteo needed, he could see that her eyes were red from crying. Stepping inside, he said "Grizelda's gone...She said she won't be back for the rest of the afternoon..." Bianca sniffled lightly, Timoteo barely able to hear the sad sound with her head down to her knees once more. He slowly walked over to her bed, taking a seat on the edge near her. She still didn't look at him. They were both quiet for several seconds before he began to speak. "Bianca...What happened with Travis is a tragedy...It was a mistake, we both know that. And I'm not just talking about you killing him. Now we know he didn't even want the bracelet...But that doesn't mean you need to hate yourself." Bianca slowly raised her head, looking at him through the slight curtain her bangs made. "It was just a big string of crappy things, one after the other. You already know that, at the root, your mom is the one that deserves the blame. What happened to Travis is awful...But you know your mother is the one that caused it, really."
Timoteo's brow furrowed a little. "She hurt your dad, and that hurt you. Hurting the people at your home hurt you, but she caused it. Hurting Travis hurt the both of you, but she set you down that path. Knowing that Travis didn't even want the bracelet...?" He shook his head a little. "The pain is her fault, Bianca. You know that. I know that. Grizelda knows that. You can't bring the people from your home back to life, nor can you bring Travis back...But you can't let it weigh down your soul, they were both mistakes. People learn from mistakes, get better at what they do and who they are because of them. Killing Octavia won't erase those mistakes from your life, but you can sure as hell make her pay for all the hurt she's made you feel, how she's influenced your actions." Timoteo's tone grew a little angry as he said "I hate your mother, maybe not as intimately as you do, but I damn well want her to suffer for the pain she's put you through. You wouldn't have hurt anybody if it weren't for her. I think I want answers as much as you do for why she killed your father, and if we have to get those answers as we're choking the life out of her body, then so be it."
Bianca blinked, her mouth hanging open a crack, her eyes a little surprised. Timoteo blinked, realizing his tone had gotten heated, looking away from her. His heart had started to beat harder, and his breathing had picked up a little with the frustration he felt inside. "Sorry...It's just that, the more I hear about her, the more I want to be there when you find her...The more I really want to see justice done." A few seconds of silence passed between the two. Timoteo began to wonder if he should just get up and leave, give her time to be alone and think about what he'd said, when he felt the bed shift a little as she moved. He looked to his side just as he felt her hands come to his shoulders. She was on her knees, close to his left side. A second later, she slipped her arms around his neck, pressing her bosom to his left shoulder blade, hugging him affectionately. He felt her rub her nose and lips against the back of his neck, burying part of her face into his hair.
He blushed, feeling a little quiver come over his heart, his eyes widening a touch for a second before he relaxed. He smiled gently, raising his hands to her's, her hands clasped together over the middle of his chest. They stayed like that for several seconds, embracing in silence. "Thank you..." Bianca eventually murmured, raising her head a little. Timoteo said nothing in response, Bianca releasing him slowly. When she had released him fully, he looked to the side, meeting her eyes. She seemed to be feeling better, more life had come to her expression, her eyes were warmer. She sounded a little shy as she quietly asked "Timoteo, can I...Um..." He raised an eyebrow lightly, smiling gently. A gentle hint of red came to her cheeks, but she couldn't seem to say the words on her mind. After a second or two, she brought a hand to the side of his neck, lightly rubbing the prints of her index and middle fingers against him. He knew what she wanted. He smiled a little more, holding back a little chuckle as he said "Sure. Let's just get into a more comfortable position for that..."

It only took them a moment to get into the position Timoteo wanted. He sat far back on her bed, his back to the wall beside her bed, her pillows to his left side and the foot of the bed to his right. His back wasn't directly against the wall, only his shoulder blades were, letting him relaxingly recline a little. His legs were comfortably outstretched on the bed, his feet close to the other side. Bianca sat on her knees over his legs, her knees near his hips, her luscious bum resting against the lower reaches of his thighs as she comfortably sat back. She kept her hands on his shoulders, his own on her hips, Timoteo tilting his head to the side for her. She smiled gently, coming closer, nuzzling her lips and chin against his skin for a few seconds. Timoteo smiled a little at the sensation, feeling a quiver vibrate down his spine. "You know, I'm wondering...You could taste the blood from anywhere, but you've always gone for my neck." He murmured.
Bianca pressed a gentle kiss to the side of his neck. "This is the most intimate way..." She softly said. "It's like cuddling..." She added, giving him another kiss. He shut his eyes at the fluttery sensation the neck kisses arose inside him. "I can't say it doesn't feel nice..." He said, quietly. Bianca smiled gently, giving his shoulders a gentle squeeze. He lightly rubbed at her hips as she gave his neck a few more little kisses, Timoteo eventually feeling something warm and moist run against his skin for a moment. She licked at his skin for a few seconds, always licking one little patch. He felt Bianca let out a warm breath against the side of his neck before there was a slight nip of pain. Timoteo barely winced for a second before the pain faded. Bianca had her lips around the spot that she had bitten, lightly running her tongue over the small cut every few seconds, licking up the small beads of blood as they appeared.
Timoteo smiled a little, rubbing at her hips for a few moments more. He felt a tremble run along her body as she licked at the cut she had given him, Timoteo smiling a little more. He couldn't see it, but Bianca's eyes were closed, her cheeks bright with blush. Eventually, he began to reach around her, smiling a little more as his hands came closer to her rump. When his hands came down over her skirt, he gave her plump, supple cheeks a light squeeze, feeling Bianca let out a warm breath against his skin through her nose in response. He rubbed at her for a few seconds before giving her another squeeze, a little firmer that time. Bianca gave his shoulders a gentle squeeze in silent reply. He could pick up the light blueberry scent of her hair, it made him close his eyes, his cheeks becoming red like her's. A little rapidly becoming stiff down below, he slowly reached down and under her skirt, smoothing his hands along her bare cheeks.
He could feel the back-straps of her garter belt as they reached down to her stockings, lightly pressing into her plump flesh on their way. He rubbed at her rump for a moment before giving her cheeks an even firmer squeeze, his fingers sinking into her suppleness a little. He heard and felt her coo gently in her throat, the vocalization causing a little vibration to appear against his skin for a second. He smiled a little, blushing more, feeling her cheeks around in a clockwise fashion, giving gentle squeezes every now and then. He kept rubbing at her backside for several moments more before slowly slipping his hands away from her, another destination on his mind. He felt his hands back from around her, smoothing them up her hips and waist, heading for her chest. She pressed a gentle kiss to his cut for a moment before giving it a gentle suck, flicking her tongue at him. He burst fully into arousal, his pants a little uncomfortable as he became as hard as rock.
He felt up to her bosom, running his hands over her mounds from over her soft shirt, feeling around her immense globes. She gave his shoulders a little squeeze when he gave her bosom a squeeze of his own, Timoteo gulping gently as he lightly pressed her mounds together for a moment before relaxing. He felt at her for a few moments more before Bianca pressed another kiss to him. He felt her take her left hand from his shoulder, creeping down his chest and stomach with it, rubbing her hand down against his bulge. He felt another quiver run along her body, Bianca rubbing at him from over his pants for several seconds. He gave her bosom one final squeeze before she gave him one last lick at his cut, pulling back after. Sitting up, they both opened their eyes. She looked down into his eyes, his hands still on her bosom, her hand still down at his groin. They gazed into each other's eyes. They were both blushing bright red, they could see the desire in each other. "Grizelda's gone..." He lightly said.
Bianca smiled happily. "We went through the condoms so fast, last time...Let's make them count...Can't use them all in one shot..." She murmured. She pressed a loving kiss to his lips, followed by a more passionate one. He kissed her back both times, but the third kiss went to his chin. She began crawling back on the bed, Timoteo lowering his arms down to his sides. She pressed a kiss to his throat, then one between his collar bones, just at the edge of his shirt's neckhole. She smiled lightly, looking up at him, still crawling back on her bed. His face went red when he realized what she wanted to do. When she was back far enough, still on her knees with her feet now near the edge of her bed, her face had come over his thighs. She easily undid his pants, tugging them down just enough for her to get at his boxers. Pulling them down, she let his member spring out, a hungry sparkle coming across her eyes. She leaned over, raising his shirt a little, Timoteo shutting his eyes and quivering just gently with delight as she pressed a kiss to the lower reaches of his stomach. Slowly kissing lower and lower, she came closer and closer to his manhood, closing her eyes as she went along...

Timoteo and Bianca stayed at Grizelda's cottage for a single day more before they decided to set out and finally begin their search for Octavia. Grizelda gave them a large amount of supplies to take with them, filling Timoteo's pack up to the brim with food and beverages. She reminded the two that they could come back any time, should they find themselves in danger. Then, they were off.

As per Bianca's plan, the two headed south first, Bianca keeping her hood up to hide her face away as the duo entered Barrow Fields. With Bianca's body entirely hidden away under her cloak, nobody could see the telltale signs that she were an evil Hero. Timoteo didn't think that wearing a chainmail shirt and carrying a pack of supplies would make it obvious that he were a Hero, but he decided that, if asked, he would simply say he were a mercenary; a sword-for-hire, as it were. They searched through Barrow Fields, asking the oldest traders if they ever remembered seeing a woman pass by several years before, a woman that might've gone by the name "Octavia", a woman that might've looked like an evil Hero. Nobody had an answer for her, not a satisfactory one, anyway. One trader sarcastically remarked that he had seen several evil female Heroes over the years, but didn't know if any of them had called themselves Octavia. Bianca, insulted by the man's sarcasm, was only kept from violence by Timoteo. The two made their way to Oakvale, next.

Oakvale had been utterly dominated by the Anti-Hero League even before tensions reached their peak in Bowerstone, as to be expected given that the League had it's origins in the small farming community. Many people regarded the two with questioning eyes, and several individuals made obvious attempts to show off the fact that they owned firearms. Whether they were trying to frighten or provoke the two, neither of them knew. In either case, it didn't work. The two realized they were being followed as they went around and asked for information on anybody calling themselves Octavia, but they didn't let it show that it bothered them. Nobody had an answer for them, and some, suspicious of the duo, simply refused to answer them. Eventually, a group of seven confronted the two. Brandishing their firearms, they asked the two what their business in Oakvale was, asking them to prove they weren't Heroes from the Guild.
Timoteo was quick with his words. He declared Bianca an ambassador of the Eastern Kingdom, with himself as her hired guard. They were in Albion hunting for a dangerous witch calling herself Octavia, a witch who could've been anywhere in the country, even the peaceful hamlet of Oakvale. He warningly proclaimed that harming he or Bianca would cause severe repercussions for Albion, as the Eastern Kingdom would declare war on the country. Taking his story one step further, he said that the League wouldn't have any chance of protecting Albion, as the Eastern Kingdom had numerous Heroes of it's own, as well as an army outfitted with the latest firearms. It's fleet of ships would swarm through the oceans like demonic fish, he said, and considering that Oakvale was along Albion's southern coast, it would be likely that the farming community would be one of the first, if not the very first, to be massacred.
There were a few moments of the silence, the League supporters all hesitant. The idea of bringing war down on their country wasn't appealing. None of them seemed to notice that Timoteo hadn't offered any real proof to verify his story, or to prove that he and Bianca weren't Heroes. Still, most backed off; some even offered to help them on their investigation. None of them had answers for either of them however, none of them could remember someone of Octavia's description ever coming to Oakvale for any considerable length of time.

When they heard about a large camp of bandits not far from Oakvale, they wondered if Octavia might've integrated with them. They asked around to see if the camp was still there, and found out that it was already abandoned; years before, the leader of the bandits, an ex-Hero named Twinblade, had been defeated and chased off by the Hero of Oakvale. His small army of bandits had stuck around for only a little while longer before being rallied under the banner of Benedict, the bandits all having headed north under him. Timoteo and Bianca bought a recent map of Albion, looking specifically for small towns and communities where Octavia might've gone to. Although two or three very small communities could be found along the coast, just south of Darkwood's edge, what caught Bianca's eye was a nearby marker named "the Grey House". They asked about it, hearing hushed whispers about the location from the Oakvale farmers.
It used to be the family home of Lady Grey, the mayor of Bowerstone. It was abandoned when she took the position of mayor, as she had been the only living Grey left at the time. For some reason, the building was always cast under a sad, gray sky, the property a swampy marsh-like land around the decrepit building. It was said to be a dangerous place, haunted with undead and Nymphs, similar to Lychfield. Worse yet, the property's swampy quality seemed to almost be spreading, meaning that, eventually, it could swallow up Barrow Fields, maybe even Oakvale, itself. Many of the Oakvale denizens regarded the Grey House as an evil, cursed place. Bianca felt a need to investigate the property, to see if Octavia might've been drawn to the place. The two departed from Oakvale then, heading for their rather close destination.

Timoteo and Bianca noticed the change occur quite easily as they headed along the path to the Grey House. The path they were on, which was sunny and filled with healthy, strong trees and bordered constantly by grass, seemed to abruptly become ill with disease. The grass disappeared at an almost visible border, eventually coming back, though only in small sickly patches. The trees never disappeared, but they did become gnarled and leafless, like those of Darkwood. The noon sky was suddenly coated in clouds, darkening the property considerably, though not making it shadowed like night would. The clouds blotted the sun out immensely, leaving the sky a depressed gray. The air wasn't chilled or damp like Darkwood or Lychfield, remaining a fair temperature like Oakvale and Barrow Fields. The dirt path led up a small hill, the Grey House visible at the top. The dwelling, looking ancient from neglect, was made from dark stone.
It had two floors to it, a few windows dotting it's walls. Some of the windows were shattered, some had boards nailed over them. Over a good portion of the dwelling's walls, some sort of thick vine had grown, trailing over the walls like some possessive entity. The vine was dark green in colour, big, vicious thorns growing out of it along the entire length of all visible tendrils. A small pond was down on the other side of the hill, stagnant and lifeless by that point. Bianca stared at the Grey House from down the path, slowly approaching it with Timoteo by her side. Timoteo's brow was a little furrowed as he, too, stared at the house. "If I've ever seen a typical "haunted house," this'd be it." He muttered. Bianca slowly took in a deep breath through her nose, exhaling just as slowly. She raised her hands and pulled back her hood, exposing her head. "This place has been touched by Dark Will. There's wisps trapped inside the home." She murmured. "Think it was Octavia?" Timoteo asked, glancing to her.
Bianca was silent for a second before shaking her head lightly. "I can't say, it might've been. But why she would curse a home, I have no clue." Timoteo looked back to the home, saying "Well, let's check it out." Bianca nodded lightly, the two walking up the rest of the path in silence. Approaching the Grey House, they noticed that the dwelling had an old wooden fence surrounding it, a path by the house leading over to what must've been a sort of backyard. The front door to the Grey House was missing, leaving an empty doorway to give a glimpse of what lay inside. The old home didn't appear to have much inside, but some old, cobweb-covered furniture was visible. Bianca didn't enter the home right away, instead walking around it, following the path to the other side of the home. Timoteo stood in front of the house for a few seconds, looking up and around at it. There wasn't a feeling of being watched, not like there was in Darkwood, or had been when the two were at Lychfield.
He eventually walked over and followed the small path to the clearing behind the home. Bianca stood nearby, looking over to a certain area in the small clearing. In a row together, there were a few stone crosses stuck into the ground, marking graves. The thick vine that had covered part of the home had slowly creeped over the fencing nearby until it had gotten behind the crosses, where it eventually began to climb over the crosses, as well. Bianca's brow was a little bit furrowed as she glanced between the crosses. "This was Lady Grey's old home. What happened here that left her the only survivor?" Timoteo stepped over to Bianca's side, looking at her with an eyebrow raised. "You don't think everyone just died of old age? Maybe she was an only child?" Bianca shrugged lightly. "Maybe. But I have to wonder, what kind of life did they all lead if they lived in such an area?" Timoteo smiled a little. "Says the girl who lived in Darkwood for years." He pointed out.
Bianca smiled a little and raised an eyebrow slightly, glancing at him for a second before looking to the crosses again. "Darkwood is natural. This place...Something happened here to make it this way. I can feel it." She quietly said, losing her smile. They were both quiet for a few seconds before Timoteo said "C'mon, let's check inside." Bianca nodded, the two walking back for the front doorway. They stepped inside together, the wooden floorboards creaking beneath their weight. Inside, a few old bookshelves were barely keeping together, covered in cobwebs. A wooden dinner table wasn't far, a few chairs placed around it, two of the chairs having half crumbled to nothingness. Off to the right side, not far from the bookshelves, an ancient grandfather clock stood, still apparently functioning, quietly tick tocking away. Beneath the dinner table, a circular rug still lay, though it had disintegrated to the point that it was as thin as a piece of paper.
Over on the left side of the room, a rickety wooden staircase led up to the second floor of the dwelling. Bianca quietly said "Something's not right..." Timoteo didn't know why she felt that way. Other than desperately needing a restoration and being located in a swampy area, the home didn't seem too forbidding. Suddenly, the grandfather clock let out a loud chime, surprising them both. A whooshing sound appearing behind them, causing them both to glance behind them. A faint blue wall of light had covered the empty doorway, blocking off escape. "A trap!" Timoteo said, looking forward again as whistling sounds appeared. Numerous wisps, at least seven, flew down the staircase. They shot down into the floorboards, chunks of wood going flying as Hollow Men shot up from the floor into standing positions. Each Hollow Man left a gap in the floor, splinters showering up among the undead. Each of the Hollow Men were mere skeletons, showing that there must not have been any corpses for the wisps to possess.
The Hollow Men were each armed with a sword, though one was holding a dagger in it's other hand, as well. Bianca glanced from skeleton to skeleton, the undead quickly beginning their approach amidst unhallow cackles and unintelligible whispers. Timoteo cast Ghost Sword, an ethereal blade coming to life behind the Hollow Men. Bianca, knowing she couldn't use spells related to fire in such an ancient home without fear of something catching fire, simply began to charge up a Force Push spell. Timoteo cast his Physical Shield just as the skeletons came too close for comfort, rushing over as one came close to Bianca. Crashing his mace down against the elbow of it's sword arm, he broke the limb off entirely, the bones landing to the floor in a jumble. To his surprise, the skeleton pulled back it's other hand in a fist, smashing it forward in a punch of surprising strength. He felt his protective barrier vibrate for a second with the force of the strike, but it held strong; powerful or not, a simple punch couldn't lower his shield.
His Ghost Sword hovered behind a skeleton, slashing at it's legs from behind, knocking the skeleton over. It repeatedly slashed at the skeleton as it lay on the floor, severing numerous limbs before the skeleton finally broke apart, crumbling away with an almost sorrowful cry, echoing unnaturally. Bianca blasted her Force Push spell at a skeleton coming for Timoteo's side, her magic destroying it instantly, causing the skeleton to utterly blow apart. Timoteo swung his mace down into the skeleton before him, crushing half of it's skull in one forceful blow. Still, the Hollow Man survived, cackling as it punched his barrier once more. Timoteo simply swung his mace into the skeleton's spine, directly below it's ribs. The Hollow Man collapsed in a heap, slain. His Ghost Sword decapitated one Hollow Man, though it survived, taking another four slashes before collapsing. Acting together, he and Bianca suddenly began throwing out Force Pushes, rippling spheres of air flying from their hands every time they threw them out at one of the remaining Hollow Men. They made short work of those left, blowing off entire limbs, crushing bones to powder, reducing the Hollow Men to nothingness. Once the Hollow Men had all been destroyed, a faint twinkling sound appeared by the front entrance, the duo looking over. Slowly, the blue wall of light over the doorway faded, allowing exit from the Grey House.

Bianca slowly stepped over towards a cabinet nearby, her heeled boots quietly tapping against the floorboards. Timoteo replaced his mace back to it's spot on the side of his pack, letting his Physical Shield fall, his Ghost Sword fading away. Bianca reached for the cabinet's handles, slowly pulling open both doors. Her eyes were only half open as she looked to the only thing within, an old dress that looked partially eaten by spiders or moths. Black with swirls of purple designed into it, the colour was faded with a combination of age and dust. Bianca stepped away from the cabinet, leaving the doors open. She stepped over to the bookshelves, looking at the few books remaining on the shelves. The pages had rotted away in most of them, and none of the others appeared interesting. Timoteo wondered what clue Bianca might hope to find, heading over to the staircase nearby. Walking up the stairs, he got up on the second floor.
There was a large square rug on the floor, coloured a faded green. It was in better shape than the rug on the first floor, but was still a little decayed with age. Off to the side, a little bed remained, the sheets in fairly good condition. Timoteo's brow furrowed a little. The sheets looked a little too well taken care of, as if they weren't quite as old as the rest of the dwelling. A small wooden bedside table remained, looking as old and damaged with time as the rest of the furniture. Over to the right, a bookshelf stood, nothing but old spider webbing on it's shelves. A wooden chest was situated in the far corner, the lid raised, revealing an empty interior. He heard Bianca begin to ascend the staircase behind him, glancing over his shoulder when she reached the top. She stepped over beside him, glancing around at the room. "I'm surprised the floor hasn't broken away entirely." Timoteo remarked, raising an eyebrow. Bianca noticed something, walking over towards the bed.
Timoteo watched her, saying "Sheets look too new to be normal, hm?" Bianca softly said "Yes...And..." Timoteo raised an eyebrow, walking over. She stood in front of the bedside table, bringing a hand to the top. She traced her fingertips over a small section of the wood, her brow lightly furrowed. Timoteo looked to what had caught her attention. Something had been scratched into the surface of the bedside table. A bold "[b]B[/b]" had been conspicuously cut into the bedside table's surface, looking as if it had been done with a knife. "Bianca?" Timoteo said, glancing to her. Bianca shook her head lightly. "Couldn't have been her. Doesn't make sense." She muttered. She grabbed the handle of the bedside table's single drawer, yanking it so hard it nearly came right out. Resting within the drawer was a snake, coiled up in a neat circle. It had dark green scales, a brown diamond pattern running along it's body. It raised it's head to the two, opening it's mouth, hissing angrily.
A section of it's body, near it's head, suddenly flattened and spread out a little, similar to a hood. Bianca and Timoteo both took a step back, the snake darting out a little, trying to bite at Bianca's hand while it had still been on the drawer's handle. Bianca half-smiled for a moment with suppressed anger. "A Darkwood cobra. Very poisonous." She muttered. She pulled out her obsidian dagger, holding it by the end of the handle, letting the point dangle down by the drawer. The snake stared at the dagger, hissing warningly. Bianca slowly reached the dagger over towards the left side of the bedside table, the snake following it, turning with it to watch the dagger. It darted out and tried biting the dagger, Bianca's free hand snapping over at almost the same time, reaching into the drawer. A split-second later, she had thrown her arm off to the side, the snake whipping out on the air; she had grabbed it's tail, tossing it over to the chest.
It landed inside the empty chest with a hiss, harmless now that it was in the container. They both looked into the drawer, Bianca replacing her dagger within a pocket inside her cloak. Lying flat inside, beneath where the cobra had been resting for who knows how long, was a folded-up piece of cream-coloured paper. Bianca reached inside, grabbing the paper, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. She stared at the paper as she slowly said "I wonder if that snake means anything...It was from Darkwood. Maybe she knows I was there with Grizelda. And she must've been here recently, otherwise the snake wouldn't have been alive. Everything has to eat." Bianca's expression was grave as she glanced over towards the chest in the corner, hearing the snake let out another hiss. Timoteo slowly sat down beside her, saying "...Think she might've seen us? Maybe...Yesterday, when we brought Gibbons to Barrow Fields?" Bianca looked back to the paper for a moment before she closed her eyes, her jaw going tight for a moment before she relaxed.
She slowly sighed through her nose, opening her eyes a little. "...Maybe. But I refuse to believe that she's been this close to me all these years. I just can't accept that. She must've only come here recently." Timoteo raised a hand to Bianca's back, soothingly rubbing at her from over her cloak. "Between the Hollow Men, the swampy location, and the lack of any furniture that doesn't look half-busted...I don't think she would've been here for that long." Raising his eyebrows a little, he lightly said "I don't see how anybody could live in a place like this, not for long, at least. There isn't even food, here. Maybe she took it with her, but if she could take it all, she must not have had a lot. Maybe she just came here recently, saw us somehow, and ran. Maybe she planned on living here, fixing the place up...Or, maybe she just stayed here for a night or two before moving on." Bianca was quiet as he spoke, and didn't say anything for a second once he had finished. "Maybe..." She simply mumbled.
She unfolded the piece of paper, looking to the writing etched over the front in black ink. Timoteo noticed her expression turn confused, and then dark. After a minute, she handed him the paper. Timoteo looked to the jagged, erratic writing, the words looking as if Octavia, if she was truly the writer, had been in quite a rush as she wrote the note. She hadn't even written in proper sentences, her words confused and jumbled together, as if she hadn't bothered with dotting in periods.

"B B B knew you would chase run hide but you won't find me, your magic is no good no use!! The acorn doesn't fall far from the tree I see hah hah I hope you liked the snake no cure for a bite!! Did the Hollow Men scare you no need to worry baby the nasty skeletons can't hurt you just be brave for daddy and I...

Daddy says hello he misses his little girl B B B B B B B B B B B my little B no more following path to Skorm death fire sacrifice blackness shadows shadows shadows hold the way!!"

It became blatantly obvious to Timoteo as he read the note that it had been from Octavia, there was just no doubt about it. His brow furrowed as he read the final sentence, written in very calm, precise handwriting, unlike the rest of the scratched and scribbled words.

"I'll kill you if you keep following me. Mark my words."

He looked over to her. Bianca's face was cool, her eyes calm, her brow furrowed just a little. "She was here." She simply muttered. Timoteo folded the paper up again, saying "Only question is, for how long?..." Bianca lightly shook her head. "You're right, I don't think she could've been here for very long. Maybe a few days. If nobody at Barrow Fields remembered seeing her or hearing her name, she must not have gone there for supplies." Timoteo felt like pointing out that the two had asked the traders if they had seen an evil Hero; Octavia may have done enough good at some point that she no longer had any tells of an evil morality. Maybe the only person she had ever killed was Bianca's father, maybe one murder wasn't enough to change the appearance of one with Hero blood. He decided to keep silent on that, though, saying "If she hadn't gone there for supplies, there's no other place in acceptable distance to trade at. She probably-"
Bianca cut him off, saying "No, that's not true. There's a small camp in Darkwood, protected by guards. Traders live there, it's like an outpost for people passing through Darkwood, they can rest there safely. She may have gone there any time she needed food. She might've gotten the cobra from there, even." Bianca put her elbows to her knees, resting her head down in her hands, her palms to her forehead with her fingers digging into her dark hair. "I refuse to believe she's been here this whole time...So close, so..." She mumbled. Timoteo raised his hand to her back, rubbing at her comfortingly. "If you were hiding from someone after killing someone related to them, do you think you'd hide at a place like this? A place marked on maps?" He asked. Bianca quietly said "No...But...She obviously stayed here in the last few days. What if she goes and hides somewhere off the maps, now?...I might never..." Bianca trailed off, a second later raising her head, lowering her arms.
She sat up straight, her face dark. "No. I don't care how long it takes. I'll find her. She'll give me answers. If that note's an indication of anything..." Bianca said, pausing for a moment, glancing at the note still in Timoteo's hand. "...It's that she doesn't have a firm grip on her own sanity, anymore. She needs to be put down. She'll make a mistake, somewhere...I'll catch her." Timoteo took his hand from her back, slowly standing up from the bed's edge. "What do you want to do with the note?" He asked, holding the paper up a little. Bianca stood up slowly, her face going calm. "I'm tempted to burn it...But..." She mumbled. "...I think I'll keep it..." She murmured, her eyes going soft. Timoteo held out the note, curious over her decision. "You want to keep it?" He asked, clearly a little surprised. Bianca nodded, reaching up, taking the note. Her eyes went sharp again as she reached into her cloak with the note, slipping it into a pocket on the cloak's inside. "If anything, I can show it to people to prove how she's unstable and dangerous. It'll make our story more believable." She said, lightly.
Timoteo wondered if there was more to her decision than Bianca's given reason, but he didn't press her for more. As the two began to depart, heading down the staircase, Timoteo said "She can't have gotten very far. Which village on the map do you want to start with, first?" Bianca said "The closest one is Jadestone, isn't it?" Timoteo nodded. Bianca's tone was firm and almost dangerous as she muttered "Let's start there...If the people there know anything, I'll find out."

The two set out for the village of Jadestone, their search so far having taken only two days. Following the southern coast of Albion, they remained beyond the border of Darkwood as they crept through thick forests, walking in areas where no clear paths had ever been made. The two had a peaceful journey on their first day, running across nothing of note.

Some of their comrades had harrowing experiences of their own, over the days the two had spent searching for Octavia...
Gibbons entered Oakvale without incident, given that he had hidden his weapons in his inconspicuous pack and was wearing typical villager clothes. He had easily enough found a little home for sale, using most of what gold he had remaining to purchase it. It wasn't much, but it was his, nobody else's, and that meant much to him. He had been cautious with his thievery in the first few nights, but his prediction had been right; the farmers of Oakvale weren't anywhere near as wealthy as the folk of Bowerstone North, meaning he was taking a bigger risk for only a smaller payoff, what with League members and supporters strutting around everywhere, flashing firearms. Gibbons had almost given up his disguise on his third day in Oakvale, when a ship came in to port at Oakvale's beach. A Hero was on board, and he was promptly seized by the League members of the farming community.
Gibbons had to watch with the rest of the villagers as the Hero was brought to the town center, forced down to his knees, and executed with a slug to the back of his head. Gibbons cheered with the others to avoid suspicion, but secretly, he began to form a plot to assassinate the League members in the community. Stealthily, of course; he couldn't afford another high-profile kill like the League chapter leader in Bowerstone South. He might not get away with his life, if he tried. He didn't think he could get them all, they would likely notice what was happening rather quickly and be on watch for anything suspicious, anything at all. Some might hire guards to watch their homes at night. Some might stay up late inside their homes, waiting to see if an assassin would come for them. Still, Gibbons was determined. Anything he could do to show defiance to the League, show that it hadn't won, he would commit himself to doing.

Marst hadn't stayed with the other Heroes for long. Every hour, more and more had split up and gone their own way, and eventually she felt she had to do the same. She didn't know where was safe; every Cullis Gate might be watched, with League members shooting down any Hero that appeared on one. She headed south, towards Mount Ruon, hoping to perhaps find some settlement near the base of the mountains. She eventually ran into another Hero who had gotten the same idea as her, the two travelling together for only a single hour before a League group had chased them down. The other Hero was shot to death, and Marst, overcome with rage and grief over the rising Hero casualties, fought like she felt she should've back at the Guild. She slew the entire group before they could get a slug in her, and went on the run from another nearby group as it gave chase. The second group was hot on her heels, maybe seconds behind her.
She raced through the trees, the League members firing slugs after her, hoping to avenge their fallen comrades. One of the better shots among the League members managed to hit Marst in the back of her thigh, causing her to stumble and fall to a knee. Not willing to give up, she raced on despite her injury, only causing her wound to become damaged further with additional trauma. Within minutes more, the trees around Marst abruptly cleared, and she found herself right at the edge of a tall cliff. She gasped and came to a skidding stop, almost running over the edge. The cliff was frighteningly high up, but Marst's eyes lit up as she saw a clearing in the forest below. The forest reached right to the base of the mountain walling at Albion's eastern border, but the clearing had wooden buildings visible in a small village. She smiled lightly, but her eyes went hopeless; seeing the village did her no good, from her position.
There was no visible path down the cliff's face, and the cliff was definitely too high for her to jump from. She turned and faced the League members as they burst through the trees, slowing down and smiling viciously as they saw how Marst was trapped. Reloading their firearms, the one who had hit Marst in the thigh with his weapon congratulated her, mockingly, on putting up such an arduous chase, then shot her in the stomach. The force of the shot sent her toppling over the cliff's edge, Marst zooming out of view as she whipped through the air, disappearing into the trees far below. The League supporters, satisfied that she was dead, went on to hunt for more Heroes. None involved, not even Marst, realized that Heroes could survive falls of immense height, falls that would utterly shatter the bones of ordinary people...

Calvin made it to the Northern Wastes without incident, the ship he had secured passage on making it across the sea. He faced terrifying creatures once there, however; balverines with white fur and insane hungers for living flesh, tall Hollow Men that seemed partially formed out of ice, and Nymphs of purple and yellow that moved much faster than those of mainland Albion. He made it to Snowspire however, the only established community in the Northern Wastes, though he was chilled to the point that he almost couldn't move. The villagers took him in, helping him warm up and stay safe. Dressing himself in their thick furs, he all but gave up on his Hero potential, seeing that there didn't seem to be any other Hero in the community. He wouldn't be able to blend in should he try to continue his Hero ways, and while none of the people in Snowspire seemed suspicious of him, he didn't want to provoke the League into attempting to form a presence in the Northern Wastes. News of his presence could bring them down on the frozen island like swooping vultures...
- 25
- 26
- 27
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Fable : Fall of the Guild