Glistening Embers

Chapter 22: A Deadly Drink

She jumped out of bed and looked to the analog clock for guidance. It was only ten. Good, she still had time. Glisteen opened her door, and realized. She couldn't see. Glisteen raced back inside and dug furiously through her closet until she realized, she could make a light herself. She didn't need a lantern.

Glisteen put everything back and raced back outside. She quietly closed her door. Being caught definitely wouldn't help her. Glisteen caught a dark figure moving through the shadows, so swift, so quiet, Glisteen wouldn't have seen it if she wasn't looking. As it moved along, it paused, right in front of Glisteen. Hepas.

He nodded discreetly and continued walking. Glisteen followed behind. They made their way through halls that Glisteen had never seen, in all her time in the mansion. They walked and walked, until finally, they reached... a door? This was what Glisteen had gotten up in the middle of the night to see?

Hepas turned to Glisteen. "Now, before we go in." he began in a whisper. "You must promise, no matter what, you'll stay out of sight. Promise?" Hepas asked.

"I promise." Glisteen replied.

Hepas touched her shoulder. "No matter what, remember that." With that, they went in, Glisteen hugging the wall. The room was, surprisingly, much like the common room, except everything was black, the floor, the couch, the fireplace (which, had a normal fire, thank goodness.)

That was when Glisteen noticed the four dark, hooded figures already standing in the room. Out of fear of being discovered, she hid in a small closet behind her.

"No one followed you?" the one on the left end asked.

"Of course not, I'm quieter than that." Hepas replied, in his usual cocky way.

"Good, now, we can begin the experiment." the one on the right chimed in. "Bring her in!"

From a door Glisteen hadn't noticed before, the 'experiment' was pushed through. It was... Telma. The cloaked figures turned.

"What am I doing here!?" Telma asked from her curled position, hands tied behind her back.

"Well, since you lost your fight and you are alive. We'd thought we'd use you for a little...how shall we put it? Gift Improvement." said the one right of the middle. A voice so familiar, Glisteen had definitely heard it before, but where?

"What kind of Gift Improvement?" Telma asked, captivated. Glisteen had to clamp her hand over her mouth just to keep from yelling that she was being tricked.

"The good kind." the one on the left replied. Telma relaxed.

"Untie her." The one on the right commanded. The one on the left middle stepped forward and easily untied the knot.

Telma stood. The hooded figure on the right turned. On the mantel above the fireplace, was a glass cup, a normal wine glass with a thick, silver liquid in it. "Drink." The one on the left commanded.

Telma complied. She raised the cup to her lips and immediately collapsed on the floor, writhing in spasms of pain. Glisteen had to use all of her willpower just to stay on the wall. She curled into a ball against the wall, tears falling down her cheeks. This was just so, so...horrible. Telma suddenly stilled. Glisteen slowly stood, as did Telma. Glisteen noticed Telma's hair was now a dark steel grey, so were her eyes. Glisteen gulped.

"Perfection!" chirped the figure on the right. Hepas stood still, as he had the whole time. "Take her away!" the cloaked figure continued. Guards came out of the door and dragged a now struggling Telma back through it.

"Quite the drink." Hepas said, respectfully.

The cloaked figure on the left nodded. "Quite, we've been working on it a long time."

"Now, time to celebrate!" The one on the middle right, with the familiar voice interrupted, opening a wine bottle, and filling five fine glasses on a table that had been hidden behind her. She handed them out.

"A toast," she said, "to Gift Improvement."

Everyone raised their glasses and drank simultaneously. Hepas made a choking sound, and fell to the floor, dying. Glisteen had to use all her willpower not to scream, or rush forward to help.

"Well, what a shame. It seems someone put poison in Hepas's cup." The one on the middle right said. The four cloaked figures drank one more time, when the one on the farthest left put its down.

"Yes, what a shame. Well, that was quite... fun. But I think we all should start heading to bed. We have a busy day tomorrow." The figures nodded, put down their cups, and walked out the door, leaving Glisteen in the room, alone, with a dead body.

Glisteen shakily got up on her feet and took two steps forward before collapsing by Hepas's head. Glisteen moved some hair from his face.

"I'm sorry, Hepas. So, so, sorry."

Hepas took a shuddering breath, or was it Glisteen's imagination? Another one, definitely not imagination. "Room..." Hepas took one more breath, then stilled.

Glisteen sobbed and got up. "Room, did he mean his room?" Glisteen thought. Glisteen made up her mind and walked the door, to find Hepas's room. "Goodbye, Hepas." she whispered, Glisteen turned and walked out of the room. Where to go? That was the one question Glisteen didn't know the answer to.

She didn't know where Hepas's room was, nor if she had enough time to get there, then back to her room before all the Gifted Fighters got up. Glisteen thought back through the night. Hadn't Hepas passed by her door? Yes, and since that was a one way hallway, his room must be up, past her room! Glisteen wanted to run, run all the way to Hepas's room and not stop, but she held back. She couldn't get caught, so she forced herself to walk, quietly.

Glisteen was finally in the hallway where her room was. She walked to the end of the hallway. There were two doors. One was for a Gifted Fighter, the other, possibly, for Hepas.

Glisteen got an idea. She knelt down, by the crack between the bottom of the door and the floor. She lit a small fireball underneath the door. It was all blue. Artew's room.

Glisteen went back across the hallway, and did the same thing. It was purple, and cluttered with paperwork. Definitely Hepas's room. Glisteen stood up. How would she get in? She could try what Sabecary did. Glisteen lit a small fireball in her hand, and pressed it against the door. It slowly, slowly burned through, and soon there was enough room for Glisteen to fit her hand through. She reached through.

"Now, where is the door knob?" Glisteen thought to herself. "There!" Glisteen turned it and walked in, shutting it quietly behind her. Glisteen walked towards the desk, on the left wall. It, unlike the rest of the room, had one paper on it. Glisteen picked it up. In blocky lettering, it said:

Dear Glisteen,
If you are reading this, I have passed away, or more likely, killed by one of my cohorts. Strange, I'm writing to you while dead. Don't mourn me, I'm in a better place. I hope you saw what you needed to see, and are warned about what is to come. I wish you and your sister the best of luck, and hope you survive this. Oh, and a reminder. Some of those you trust most, will betray you. Be careful, be safe, and stay alive.
Your friend,
Hepas

Glisteen took a shuddering breath. Poor Hepas. Glisteen stuffed the note in her pocket. She found had what she needed. She snuck back to her room, for the last few hours of sleep she could get.

Glisteen groaned as she awoke from a deep, untroubled slumber. She then realized, she had slept in her clothes. Great. Now she had to get up, shower, and get into new ones. Glisteen forced herself out of bed, and made her way to the bathroom, where she remembered the note.

Glisteen took it out. "Where to put you?" Glisteen thought to herself. Glisteen looked around her room, when she got an idea. Glisteen knelt down by her closet. There! A little rim under her closet. Glisteen carefully placed the paper there. She took a shower, and dressed into a black shirt and black jeans. Glisteen walked out of her room and walked to the cafeteria. She had just discovered the magical drink, coffee, a couple days ago, and ordered a cup with some oatmeal, and sat down with her meal.

"There you are!" Glisteen jumped at the voice, the voice of one of the figures that killed Hepas. Glisteen turned around, and when she saw who it was, she felt her blood run cold.

Aritraya.