A Twisted Fantasy (Leon Kennedy X OC) [BOOK 2]

Chapter 11: I hate this game

Third path on the left.

I passed through the narrow hall, following Luis' clear directions as the pills rocketed against the bottle in my pocket.

The conversation between Luis and I rattled around in my head with each heavy step. An island, we'd have to get there before we leave this god forsaken place. Hopefully Luis would find us quick if we wanted to avoid the castle owner who at the moment has unknowingly allowed us into his home.

I slowed as tunnel disappeared, giving way to another arch barricaded with a flat wall and a small latch. 

I carefully unhooked the small bolt, and slowly pushed open the panel, listening for any sound or inkling that someone was close. The chirps of insects and crows were a distant hum as I stepped into a small multipurpose area.

There were shelves and bins lined with various gardening tools like hedge trimmers  and rakes. The far wall contained a stack of bagged fertilizers, the soil spilling out from a tear in the uppermost bag. A small bed sat in the corner to my right, suggesting someone might have lived here or at least spent a significant amount of time in here. A gardener perhaps?

I glanced back as the panel click closed behind me, which turned out to actually be a huge renaissance style painting of a young boy in his early teens, alone in front of a throne. The painting captured a huge amount of detail, from the careful gold embroidery of his petticoat as well as the glow of the scones over his shoulders. The insignia of the stag from earlier was hung over the throne behind him, making him seem even smaller in comparison. The painting was the only decor on the otherwise bare walls.

I tore my gaze away from the painting as the pills were becoming leaden in my pocket. I need to get these to them now. 

I moved through the only other door in the room, and was welcomed by cool air and the chirp of night time insects. The large arched walls at my edges cut off a few feet in front of me, giving way to plush grass and neatly trimmed hedges. Small towers peeked out from beyond the leafy maze, each mounted with their own small flags. 

Ahead was a large carved statue of an angel, wings tucked neatly behind her as she gazed up to the night sky overhead. With the small trickle of water leaking between the hedges and the finely made yard decor, this place seemed so at odds with the catapult and village beyond.

I stepped out from the arch, the grass welcoming my boot with a plush sigh as the smell of delicate jasmine floated past my nose. 

"What the hell..." I mumbled, unable to contain my surprise as I continued to scan the maze. I pushed farther in, careful to keep my steps quiet and light as I headed deeper in. As I made the first turn, a low growl caught my attention.

My pistol was in my hand in an instant, but the sound didn't seem to be growing closer. The growl came again, about the same distance it had been. 

I carefully moved onward, glancing through every gap in the leaves, looking past the occasional black metal fencing that acted as a mount for the leaves. 

I glanced upwards, trying to discern where I was based on the peaks I'd seen from outside the castle. Everything looked the same. The tower to my right was near identical to the one behind me. As i stepped into another small clearing, complete with a small fountain that gurgled smooth water, I caught a glance of a slanted railing over the next hedge. A staircase.

I hurried past the fountain, the small rocks surrounding it crunching beneath my boot as I made for the path beyond it. 

As I cleared the hedge, I noted the next path, and moved. 

Before I could make it two steps, another growl reverberated behind me, only this time it was much closer.

I spun around, finding a large hound stalking toward me from the other direction. Its jaws were huge, way beyond that of a normal mutt. Elongated teeth peeked through its lips, each stained and sharper than the last. It's dark eyes were fixed on me, its massive paws surprisingly nimble for its size.