To Fall is to Die

Chapter Five (Lydia)

The house was quiet, but only a few years ago it had been the home of one of the most famous people of all time, Feivel Herionie, the last recorded winner of the Cup. This had been his house before he had won, now he lived in a huge mansion. And if Lydia was able to win the Cup, that was what she would do.

Lydia strode through the empty halls, heading towards the spot where Feivel's office had once been. She could only hope that something would be there, but she knew that it would be a foolish one. Everything there would have been moved ages ago, still, her father had wanted to check to see if anything remained.

Her father wasn't a very rich man, and they lived modestly, but on the Black Market, he was one of the biggest people there was. His network was large and encompassed several hundreds of people. Faze was just one of the newest recruits. Even though Lydia was his daughter, he didn't seem to put much value in her. She had never led a mission by herself, and it didn't seem like she ever would. She should have been ordering Faze, not the other way around.

Lydia reached the office and pushed the door open. The old wood was dusty and creaked beneath her fingertips, but she knew how much of a story it would have to tell. Up until he had won the cup at age 18, Feivel had used this very office as his own.

Empty. Lydia growled and stomped her foot on the ground, scaring off a few spiders. The room was picked clean, even down to the faded floral wallpaper. Nothing was here. She was just about to turn and leave when one of the floorboards caught her attention. It was a different shade then the rest of the floor, a darker brown.

She peered down at the floorboard, but no matter how hard she tugged and pulled, it wouldn't come loose. Faze had been the one to pack all of the equipment, and he had the bag. She would have to free him first.

"But, as of right now, I have the upper ground." Lydia muttered, a sly smile stretching across her face. It was time to get some answers.

~

She hadn't gotten any. No matter how hard she had tried, Faze had continued to stay elusive. Lydia had found him in the fireplace, blocked by the grate. She had gotten him out, but from the way in which his leg was twisted, she could predict that he would need a cast for a while. However, now she could finally show him the discoloration in the floorboard and to find the true secret of Feivel's success.

"Are you ready?" Lydia asked Faze, practically bouncing with energy. "The office is just right up these stairs, and I think that I already found a clue."

"Go home." Faze growled, clutching his leg. "I can do it from here. You are too inexperienced."

"But, Faze..." Lydia trailed off when she saw the look on his face. This was not fair at all. They were supposed to work together to find any clues, not hide information from each other.

"Just go." Faze turned from her and started to limp across the hall. She made a move to follow him but he quickly subdued her with a well placed glare.

Lydia glared right back, but she was soon all alone in the hall. There was nothing she could do now but wait and think of all the ways she would punish Faze for this later.