Frozen Away

Ælfheah

'Bingo'

Somehow, figuring out what was its weakness, only made me feel worse. It stepped closer to me and I quickly stood up, ready to get out of the way, but there was no where to go. It stopped in front of me, and towered over me. I wasn't short by any means, but I felt small with how much this ghostly figure seemed to engulf me. White hair seemed to cascade down my face as it leaned down to face me, my heart beating out of my chest.

"Even the most glorious of kingdoms will reap the darkness vows." It spat at me, getting even closer to me. "Keep an open mind of friend and foe alike Paladin."

I couldn't find the words to say, and it took this opportunity to continue.

"My people lay in a blood ruin forged by those who sought to enslave us. Victors imagine great histories of a false past, burying what taints their name. None shall be the wiser without knowledge." Ever word it said burned my soul as it was only an inch from my face.

"....." I tried to say what I wanted but, I could only make the shape. "I-.... Then tell me..." Everything was shaking as it tilted its head.

A smirk came onto its face as it slowly creeped back, giving me room to breath and I greedily took that. It moved back and stood a foot in front of me and took a breath. "My paladin... My child, I commend your maturity of diplomacy and your desire for the truth. I do not wish to cloud your judgment of the past as for you will be able to make judgment soon." It paused and glanced down the hall.

"Can... Can you at least tell me your name?" It was a shot in the dark, but I thought it was better to take then to keep calling it space monster, head buddy, or spook dude.

"Ælfheah," and with that, it disappeared and left me alone in the hall.

I slowly let myself fall back against the wall and I tried to calm down. My hands were still shaking as I pushed myself off of the wall.

"Yeah... Definitely something to keep to myself..." I mumbled as I took a few shaky steps down the hall, further putting myself into the block I am in.

At this point, I have no idea where I am going. I've never been this far, but the more I walk, the creepier it gets. There's just something with these dark hallways and dull blue lights that really gives a horror vibe. Though, I will say after my little talk with Ælfheah, I do feel a bit better. It feels like, whatever they feel, I end up feeling if its strong enough. I really hope that the truth isn't what I think it is.... Wait, what time is it?

Deciding that its best to check, I've only realized that I am lost. Fully and wholly lost in the creepy part of the castle. Of course of all times to be lost, its when I can't waste any time. Wondering around, there still isn't much to be seen except the same boring halls that I can't find my way through. Although, I did see a small light, at the end of one of the halls and decided that there wasn't anything better to be looking for and went for it. The hallway seemed to go on forever without much pay off. That small light didn't want to get any closer to me as I walked. Eventually, I did reach it after what seemed like a five hour walk, I met a door with a single hand panel a few feet in front of the door.

I could only guess that the writing that littered the door and panel was Altean, but it seemed to glow brighter the closer I got to it. Something about it seemed to draw me closer to it, almost as if it was calling to me, begging me to come to it. It was as if it wanted me to submit to the text presented on the door. Slowly, I started to feel the buzz inside of my head, and bright blue veins pressed against the surface of my skin when both the console and door began to glow a bright, pale gold, illuminating the hallway. However, the buzzing tuned itself to drown my thoughts with the whispers of a different tongue, willing my body to move on its own. My hand rose higher the closer I got to the console and once I was directly in front of it, my finger tips barely drifted above the small orb in the very center of the symbols. Gently, the smooth surface of the orb slipped down my fingers and into my palm leading my hand to comfortably rest on the console. The whispered voices suddenly got louder and I gripped the side of my head with my free hand, the other being locked to the orb when a searing, white pain ripped itself through my body. I let out a blood curling scream as the ice inside of me clashed with the fire that was burning through like a wild fire, causing my vision to crackle and burn in to a murky darkness.

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"It is not like Lance to be late for these things..."

"Relax Allura, I'm sure he'll show up," Keith mumbled, as he looked up from the map laid out in front of him.

Allura didn't seemed convinced, as she took to pacing over to the control panel across the room. "You and I both know something is amiss if he is not here after two of your Earth hours." She let out a pained sigh and slowly flicked on the console.

He slowly rose from the map and let out a breath, looking across to her. They had split after training was over, Allura to the bridge and Keith to the showers, but after figuring she had already talked to Lance, Keith decided to go over previous locations within the Galra fleets. However, he was met with a very worried and annoyed Altean, who was growing tired of waiting for the Cuban. Slowly, he walked over to her, looking at the map that had materialized of the castle.

"Look, I'm sure he's just off in his room resting. I doubt he'd got himself in trouble in such a short time."

"But he isn't Keith, I am checking all common areas of the castle and he is not in a single one." The strain in her voice was slowly making itself known, as she continued to type in more commands. "He is not in the hangers, dinning hall, sleeping quarters, nor is he with the others. It is almost as if he has vanished from all sensors."

Keith leaned back onto his heels as he looked up at the screen. There were respectively colored dots floating around the castle signalling the locations of everyone on the ship. Coran is in the diagnostic center, Hunk and Pidge in the Green lion's hanger, and lastly, he and Allura were on the bridge. Everyone was accounted for except for a single blue dot.

"Maybe he's in one of the low power areas?"

"Why would he be in there?-" She cut her self off as a faint white dot briefly flickered on the edge of the current room display, "Did you see that?"

"See what?" Keith leaned in closer, skimming over the picture and supporting text that flew across the screen.

"Something activated the energy sensor in the servant quarters?" Allura's puzzled look only grew more as she refocused the screen to accommodate for the readings. She reached over and pressed the only pinkish button on the console. "Coran? Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear princess! What can I do for you?"

"Did any of your tests affect the lower servant quarters?"

"Hm... Nope. If anything they should have effected the hangers. Is there something wrong?" Coran's voice was laced with a bit of concern as he spoke.

"I'm not sure.. Thank you Coran. Tell me if you pick up anything unusual down there."

"Will do," and with that he signed off as Keith and Allura exchanged the same concerned look.

"Is there any way to turn on a camera and look down there?" Keith asked to receive a small head shake.

"I'm afraid not. The security system in much of the castle rely on energy based readings. The only way to check would be to physically investigate where the energy reading occured." She stood up from the control panel, looking over the readings one last time before catching Keith walking over to the elevator.

He turned around and looked over to her smirking a bit, "Well, what are you waiting for? Coming or not?" She smiled and turned off the panel before walking over to join him on the elevator.

"Let's go."

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Ælfheah (pronounced  alf-heh):
- Derived from the old english elements of  Ælf "elf" and heah "high"
- commonly used for a saint and/or martyr

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Crime-aid Reader out