Chapter Text
I ran as fast as I could, smacking away branches and stumbling on tree roots. I could see the faint glow of fire illuminating the trees that loomed over me like they were going to swallow me in an endless darkness. My bag was threatening to fall off my shoulder as I ran.
I could hear the crunching of snow and dead leaves under the stomping of my feet. The coldness of winter was eating at my fingers as I hadn't had enough time to put on the appropriate clothes for the temperature, but that was the least of my worries.
"GET BACK HERE, WITCH!"
"It's getting away!"
"Don't let it get away!"
An ensemble of voices was yelling at me as I ran. I suddenly came to a stop. The ground in front of me was gone, I was at a dead end. I peered over the edge and stared at the faraway ground. I whipped my head up, not being able to bear how far away the ground was from me.
The sun had already set against the horizon and the moon gave faint light in the darkness of night. I turned and in the distance, I could see a horde of people, many of them holding torches and pitchforks. There was no way I could turn back now. After a few seconds, they caught up with me. I was cornered at a dead end like a wild animal.
"You have nowhere to flee, Encre."
Eterna gave me a look of pity.
"Now, return with us."
Eterna outstretched her arm to me.
"...No."
I simply say.
"You have no other choice. There is nowhere else you could escape to. Please I know we could convince them you're innocent.” She whispered to me.
I looked at the edge for one. last. time. I knew they would never listen to Eterna, if anything, they would think she was guilty as well.
"I'm sorry, goodnight Eterna."
I smiled at Eterna before I fell backward.
"Encre!"
She tried to reach out to me. The air rushed past my face and I squeezed my eyes shut. My body turned in the air to face down toward the fast-approaching ground with my arms outstretched. Branches smacked my face as I fell past them.
I took my last breath before my body slammed against the ground. The hit instantly knocked out any wind I had in my lungs.
"*Cough* hhhhh… *cough*"
I tried to get up but I couldn't conjure up any strength. Everything slowly went black as I found it hard to keep my sockets and I faded out of consciousness. I swear I could hear the sound of gentle footsteps.
My sockets slowly inched open and I was suddenly stuck with a sharp and unbearable pain that made me flinch. I looked up and saw a face above me. I could feel their arms under me. Were they carrying me? I couldn't make out any features on their face because they were looking up from me.
"Who?..."
I spoke up. The person looked down at me and brought one of their fingers up to my mouth.
"Shhhhhhh… it'll all be fine soon enough."
They had a reassuring smile and they were a skeleton like me… but different, instead of the usual white, they had black bones and they had odd blue fire-like markings around their eye sockets.
Despite my resistance, I started to nod off to sleep.
I awoke to the sounds of birds. I couldn't tell how much time had passed before I had. I was tucked into an unfamiliar bed. I groaned in pain, my head and body were aching.
"Oh! You're finally awake."
A soft voice broke through the silence. I turned my head to the right and saw someone in the doorway. It looked like they had just started to walk in.
I inspected their appearance. They were a short human woman with short brown hair and a maid's dress. They had a small smile.
"W-who are you?"
My voice was raspy and my throat was devoid of any moisture.
"Hello, my name is Fibi."
Fibi fully walked into the room, closed the door behind her, and walked up to the bed.
"Am I dead?!"
I grabbed my head to see if my hands would pass through my head.
"Oh dear heavens no!"
Fibi put her hand over her mouth and chuckled.
"Then, where am I?"
Fibi paused before talking again.
"You're in Master Fallacy's estate."
I took in my surroundings. The room was a shade of tan with bare walls and the floor was a dark hardwood. The floor was so clean that I could see Fibi's reflection in it!
"...Who?"
"That isn't important right now, the only important thing right now is how you feel."
She looked at me expectantly. It took me a second to realize she wanted me to tell her how I felt.
"Oh. Oh!" My head feels like it's caving in on itself and my ribs don't feel any better."
"That's understandable, from what I heard you took quite the fall."
The memory of previous events rushed to my head. Who was that skeleton monster? Was that Fallacy?
"Oh, yeah. That happened." I mumbled to myself, looking down and scratching my cheek.
It was quiet for a moment before Fibi spoke again.
"If you're in too much pain I have something that can help."
"You do?"
My head quickly arose in surprise.
"Yes, just give me a moment."
Fibi left the room. After she left I looked around a bit more. Next to me was a nightstand. On top of it was an oil lamp and my bag, it was a messenger bag. I usually used it to carry art supplies and other related things, like small canvases.
There was a window next to me. I looked out but I couldn't tell what time of day it was with all the clouds. After a few minutes, I heard the click of a door. Fibi had come back and she was holding a saucer with a teacup on it.
"Here."
She held it out, waiting for me to take it. I took it from her hands and tasted it.
"Blegh!"
I quickly stopped drinking it and poked my tongue out. It tasted bitter.
"I'm quite sorry for the unpleasant taste but it'll help, I promise."
I sucked it up and drank a little more before placing the teacup and saucer on the nightstand. Fibi walked to the door and before leaving she said this.
"If you need anything, just," Fibi paused for a moment, "call out for me, okay?"
"Ok."
Fibi smiled at me before leaving.
I have been at this place for five days so far. It is so boooooring. It's the same thing every day. Wake up, Fibi brings me tea and food throughout the day, I paint a bit, and then I go to sleep at the end of the day. I've been sleeping a lot since there isn't much else to do.
It was night when I suddenly had a burst of motivation so now I'm awake trying to look for something to draw.
"UGGGHHHHH! There's nothing to do around here!"
I complain to myself, flopping onto my back on the bed. There is nothing to draw in this room. It is so empty, I hate it. I know I can't complain since I was taken in out of the kindness of… what is his name again???
"F… Fal."
It's on the top of my tongue! I snap while trying to remember their name.
"Fallacy,” I yell out loud.
I mean, it's not like anyone else was in the room. Who else could I talk to? I've tried to wander this place but I always get caught by Fibi, she says I should stay here even when my bones heal until my bruises go too, but why? I'll be fine.
My thoughts continue to wander. What was I thinking about again? Meh, it's probably not that important. I look out the window. Maybe there is something out there for me to draw?
On the windowsill, I see a little baby bat, but it isn't a normal one. The inside of its wings are magenta and its eyes are pink so are its ears but it faded from yellow instead. Furthermore, it has 2 little triangles that connect and fade from yellow to pink.
“Woah…”
I slowly reach for my sketchbook from the nightstand, careful to not make any sudden movements. But when I grab it, it slips from my grip, landing on the ground with a loud BANG!
“Merde.”
As soon as the sound rings out the bat jumps off the window sill into the room. It flies to the door and ducks under it. I quickly hop off the bed and grab crutches, still holding the sketchbook, and hobble to the door and open it.
I glance back and forth down the hall to see where it went and race down the hall where I can see it turn a corner. I turn the corner but immediately run into someone's back.
I crash back, dropping both my sketchbook and my crutches and I land on my bottom.
“Ow.” I mumble to myself.
I look up and the person turns around. They are like me, a skeleton. They are wearing a butler outfit with a faded red and blue with an orange brim beret. Their eyelights are a pink circle with a tiny black dot in the middle and an upside-down white heart. They also are wearing oval glasses. Wait, wait, wait! Is that their soul in their eye socket!? I could feel my eye sockets widen.
“Oh, are you okay?”
The skeleton kneels and out stretches his hand.
“Is that your soul?” I ask, completely dismissing his question.
He seems taken aback for a second before speaking.
“P-pardon?”
“Your soul, is that it in your eye socket?”
I point to my own eye socket in a mirroring way.
“I guess you hit your head harder than I thought.” The skeleton mumbles.
This snaps me out of my weird trance.
“Wait what! What do you mean by that!”
My hands clenched into fists.
“Oh, sorry that was impolite. Let me help you up.”
I back away from his hand.
“I can get up myself!”
I try to lift myself up but it's hard to get with the cast on my leg. They grabbed my arm and pulled me up. When I get up I pull my arm away from them.
“I had it!”
I cross my arms.
“Sure.” They say doubtfully. They pick up my crutches and sketchbook and hand them to me. “What are you doing up and about? Shouldn't you be resting?”
I remember what I had been doing and look behind them but the bat was already gone.
“Aww. Well, I was chasing this bat-” I'm cut off.
“A bat!? What did it look like?”
“It was black with magenta, pink, and yellow.”
They let out a sigh and their nose bridge before speaking again. “Why were you chasing it? Were you trying to kill it or something?”
“What!? No, of course not! I just wanted to draw it!”
I held up my sketchbook. They looked shocked after which they had a gentle smile.
“Well I should probably bring you back to your room, you should be resting.”
I turn away from them.
“I can get there myself!”
I turn the corner I came from and stare. Which door was it again? Sure I've tried to explore but Fibi always brings me back! I have no idea which door it is!
I continue to stare at the many doors on the wall I came from.
“Bon sang!”
I see the skeleton walk up next to me.
“Having trouble?” They ask with a slightly smug grin.
“No! I'm fine.”
I don't even look at the skeleton.
“Alright, which one is it then?”
“Well it's that- no that- no- uhhh!”
I squint and quickly point at different doors, glancing at them.
“That's what I thought.”
The skeleton starts to walk down the hall and I reluctantly follow behind them with my crutches.
“I could have done it myself…” I grumble silently under my breath.
“What was that?”
The skeleton looks behind themself at me with the same grin from before.
“Ughhh, nothing.”
I roll my eyelights.
“Ok.” They respond with a cocky tone.
I catch up with them and question them. “What’s your name?”
“My name is Suave, you're Encre, correct?”
“Correct.” I confirm. “That's a bit of an odd name but it's not like I can talk, my name is just ink in French.”
“Really, French? Hm.”
Suave pauses and stops walking. I bump into him a bit and stumble back.
“May I ask a slightly personal question if you don't mind?”
“Uhh, sure.” It's not like I have anything to lose anymore.
“How did you fall?”
“Oh. I was being pursued by an angry mob. They wanted to convict me of witchcraft so I jumped off a cliff to get away from them.”
“Then where are you going to go when you're all healed up?” Suave seemed worried.
“I'm not sure. But I'll figure something out!”
Suave starts to walk again, stops in front of a door, and opens it.
“It was nice to meet you but it seems our little encounter has to come to an end. It was nice meeting you.”
He smiled at me.
“Likewise. Hope to see you later.”
I go through and he closes the door behind me. I hobble back to the bed and set my stuff down, my sketchbook on the nightstand and my crutches leaning against the nightstand.
I plop down in bed and get under the covers. My mind once again wanders. Where am I going to go after this? It's not really like I have anywhere else to go. I sigh. I'll figure it out. Like always.
Suave knocks on the door.
“Come in.”
A voice says from inside. Suave opens the door and walks in. The room is dark and the only light is from moonlight coming through a window. Fallacy is facing away from Suave, standing in front of a bookshelf and reading a book.
“What do you need, Suave?”
Fallacy doesn't look up from his book.
“Well, it seems our little guest has met Jasper.”
Fallacy slams his book close in anger.
“I told him to stay away.” He grits his teeth together and continues. “Is he at least ok?”
“Yes, luckily he was in his bat form. Encre bumped into me while chasing him down the hall.-”
“Why was he chasing him?” He suddenly interjects.
“I was just getting to that. He wanted to draw him.”
Fallacy freezes and turns his head.
“He wanted to do what?”
“Yeah, I wasn't expecting that either. I'm surprised he's able to run, he's only been here for a couple days. I also found out he's French.” He added.
“Didn't most French people migrate from around here thousands of years ago?”
“That's what I had assumed also.”
Fallacy sighed.
“You can leave now and tell Jasper to come here.”
Fallacy waves his hand, dismissing him. Suave raises his head and heads to the door but pauses when he is reaching for the doorknob.
“I learned how he fell. He was being chased for witchcraft, he jumped to escape and I was thinking since he has nowhere else to go-”
“No.” Suave is cut off before he can finish his sentence.
“But-”
“Silence.” He cuts him off again. “I know what you are going to say. No, he can not stay.”
Fallacy puts the book he is holding back on the shelf.
“But he has nowhere else to go!”
“And that isn't our problem!”
Fallacy turned around to face Suave.
“It's how it is with anyone else, we let them stay here while they heal and when they are done we drop them off at the nearest village,” He walks closer to him. “And what do you think he's going to do if we let him stay here and he finds me and Jasper are vampires? He'll probably run back to his village and tell them about us to clear his name!”
“You don't know that!”
Suave points at Fallacy.
“Neither do you! What if we let him stay here, he doesn't find out or freak out if he does and another vampire comes around here!? They will devour him!”
Fallacy breaths and calms down.
“I know you mean well but there's too many risks. I'm sorry.”
Suave went over the the door.
“Goodnight, brother.” He said before exiting.
“Goodnight…”