Cavaliere del Giardino Overture

Chapter 12

Soon enough Bria heard a door open and shut, its creaking noise bringing a chill to his spine. It sounded like some dying animal, crying out its pain and sorrow with its last breath. The three stepped in and set their things down. Pilo sat at the table with the Mantis, Sammy walked to the bar as Angelos pulled the mask off. "Do we still have my first mask?"

Bria stared at the moth. "The backroom, I assume you got the attention of someo-" Angelos didn't listen as he walked to the backroom grabbing the April mask, it was black and blue with golden trims. A dent in the forehead from where the blade struck some of her dried blood was still on the mask. He sighed. "Angelos, I don't think you should put that on, especially if you're going after her brother," Bria said turning to see the moth already had it on. "Fuck it," he turned to the bee. "Are you okay? No bruises or anything?"

"My fingers hurt, but besides that, I'm fine, Bria," he said before having a drink set out for the two. Pilo smiled. "Thanks, Zito," he said taking a sip of what was clearly apple juice to Giants. Pilo smiled. "H-" the door opened and a maxipede stepped in. "Long horse?" Pilo asked walking over to the maxipede. "How'd you find me, girl?" He asked.

Bria tilted his head. "What's that?"

"Long horse, she is a maxipede," The maxipede shook off the snow from her and stepped to a booth, the booth Sammy was currently sleeping in. It was black with white spots on it. It wrapped itself around the inexperienced adventurer. "She's my....well....horse, though I thought she was supposed to be resting or something,"

"Perhaps she got dependent on you two," Zito shrugged as he watched Angelos grab the yellow blade he got from April. He put it on his back. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I have his attention," He said walking to the door. "Clearly I want to settle things as much as he does,"

The rest of the bar was silent. "I'll go with," Pilo stood up and smiled, the long horse stood up. "No girl, sit," he said. "You keep Bria and Sammy safe, no offense Zito," Zito shrugged. Pilo stood up grabbing his plastic sword and spinning it. He followed Angelos out of the bar as the beetle lowered back into the ground.

The two walked, staying quiet.

May, on the other hand, was nearby, having found the two grasshoppers, pulling the pole like sword out of Gibs chest as Gob was already killed. He turned around stepping onto the frozen lake. The lake was completely frozen, thick and thin ice, the bug stepped onto the lake dragging the sword as he looked down in the ice, finding frozen blood. He touched the ground before looking around. "This must be where it happened, no other reason I was drawn here," He looked around hearing movement as he grabbed his blade and unsheathed it.

Through the fall the only problem at night was the blackness, some nights even the stars had been hidden behind a wall of foreboding cloud. As they moved on toward winter those nights drew longer, eager to arrive, reluctant to pass. No longer could they sleep in the open with only their thin clothes for cover and each other for warmth. The nights were as ferocious as a dip in the frozen lakes would be, taking their body heat until their lips blued and teeth chattered. He threw the blade hearing it collide with a dragon, it hit the ground a crack sounding through the forest, the ice cracked as May went to collect his sword. "Perfect," he said grabbing the chunk of ice above the blood. He frowned and looked in before hearing a step behind him. He stood up and turned to see the April masked moth.

The ice isn't flat like it should be but broken, more like the bark of a tree. In the cracks, the water is miscolored, more like glacial meltwater in its brilliant blue. He crouches down to detect the aroma, it's like nothing he's ever smelt before, not bitter, not sweet, not like pollution. Taking a stick he pokes at the ice and it's as solid as it looks. He dips the stick into the water and moves in just the way it should, just slower. The ripples radiate out as he expected, but almost as if in slow motion. He takes his eyes off the water and stands up, listening and watching. All is quiet. Hardly even a breeze in the trees.

Pilo was nowhere to be seen as May turned back to the ice. "I don't get it," he reached into the water trying to see what else was down there. "Every time I get closer to finding her body you show up," he stood up after finding a broach, it was a gold rose broach, worn by the capos and giving to them by the boss. He put the broach on and turned around. "Why do you have her mask?"

"You can't bring her back, May," Angelos said. "I know you still grieve for her," He said pulling his mask off and setting it on the ground. "I'm not so cold to mock your pain," he said sliding the mask to his feet.

"A wise decision, Angelos," he said before noticing the bee in a tree. "He knows I can see him correct?" He asked before motioning the bee down. "Come down, I won't kill you," he said. Pilo turned to Angelos who nodded. Pilo fluttered down as May grabbed his shoulder. "You know it takes 7 pounds to break the clavicle?" A sudden fist collided with collar bone as Pilo fell back letting out a loud scream and holding it. May loosened his tie wrapping it around his fist. "Just a way to get him out of the fight without killing him. "I'll heal him when one of us is dead," he said. "Sounds fair, right?"

Angelos nodded grabbing the polearm and pointing it at May. "En Garde," he said.