The Center of the Guild

Uteu wasn't exactly sure what he was expecting to see when he got to the middle square, the center of the Guild.

For it to be armed perhaps?

Barricaded and with people patrolling?

Whatever he had been picturing, this certainly wasn't it.

It was peaceful.

Just like how they called it, it was square in shape. A long road wrapped around the entire square. Several buildings boxed around the center with roads running through. The roads cut through the square, forming smaller rectangular blocks, sectioning off the buildings from each other.

The center itself was surprisingly, a park. It had a man made square shaped lake in the very middle. Four large, elaborate fountains sat at the corners of the artificial lake as decorations. Water flowed freely from the fountains and back into the artificial lake. In the lighting, small rainbows could be see as the light reflected against the spray.

The park had many different trees, placed in strategic locations to look beautiful and uncluttered. The benches around the park were dark in color, almost black.

Overall the square was huge!

Harvet let him take in his surroundings in peace so that he could familiarize himself and take in the view.

"It won't be long now."

Uteu turned his attention back to Harvet. Just as he was about to ask her what she meant, he heard something shift. Turning back towards the water, he realized that the fountains were shifting counter clockwise. As soon as they clicked into place, the water it sprayed turned bright red, like fresh blood.

It dripped into the water and formed red lines all over it, not fully mixing in with the regular water. Uteu watched, transfixed. The longer he watched, the more he felt that the lines looked familiar. He thought that they reminded him of the lines in the wooden shed from when he had first arrived here.

"This is..." He started.

"The teleportation array." Harvet finished.

"It's not activated, this is just one of the hours of the day that it can be used." She turned from the array and he followed her.

"Normally, people sent through this array are put directly into the middle of this pool of water. We encountered an anomaly when we arrived at that shed instead. It had old markings, so I believe that it was once either a place where they practiced the array or perhaps, used it as the array itself some time in the past."

"But we aren't here for that right now. We're going to need to question someone to find out where your little sister is being kept." She paused her steps behind a tall tree. She poked her head out and was observing a man who was just outside of the park.

From his place behind the tree, Uteu also observed the person. He quickly realized that the man fit the description Harvet had given him.

It was Jude.

The man's fedora was missing and his bald head shined in the morning light. He was pacing back and forth on the road, muttering to himself.

Harvet and Uteu glanced at each. Harvet took out a long strip of cloth and they both bolted out towards the short man. Uteu grabbed both of the man's arms while Harvet gagged him. Taking an arm to lessen Uteu's load, Harvet pulled them back into the park. Jude kicked out desperately, but didn't slow them down from taking him further into the park.

Harvet took both of the man's arms and tossed him down against a bench. She kept a very secure hold on both of his arms. Before he could even attempt to get up, she quickly pulled out the wires that the dove had used to tie her up and tied him securely to the bench. She took advantage of the fact that he was short and had him stretched out length wise.

His feet were tied to one end of the bench and his hands were separated. One was attached to the other handle of the bench above his head and the other hand was placed palm down over his chest where his heart was. After Harvet felt satisfied that he was completely secured, she moved away to look at her handy work.

"Uteu."

Uteu turned his head away from Jude to look at Harvet who had a very glum look on her face.

"After you get the information, please give me a few moments alone with him. I'll be sure to catch up with you as soon as I can, but there's something I need to do first." Harvet tilted her head to glance back at Jude.

She had a dead look in her eyes, all emotion slipped off her face as she waited for Uteu's reply.

"Alright, I have no problem with that."

Harvet nodded at his words and walked back over to the struggling Jude.

"We have a few questions and I suggest you answer them all. You know who I am, how I've been trained." Harvet's voice was low and gave off the feeling of danger.

She twisted one of his fingers, twisting it further and further until it creaked and he nodded frantically. She held it for a second longer before slowly letting go.

She gave Uteu a glance and nodded at him.

"You took my little sister. For what reason?" He didn't really ask, so much as demanded the answer from Jude. Harvet ripped the gag from his face and had a sharpened rock aimed at one of his eyes.

Jude's eyes flickered back and forth, nervously looking at the rock too close to his eye.

"I, I was told to! It wasn't my idea!"

"I asked for a reason." Uteu's voice remained firm.

"Fuck how should I know?! They don't tell me this shit!" Harvet dug down. Jude immediately closed the eye the rock hovered over. The rock scraped over his eyelid and he yelped.

"I really don't know! It was the Madame's most beloved person! He- He came to me and told me to get that little red headed girl or he'd have the Madame tear out my spine!" Harvet dug down harder, the rock started to dent the eyeball and cut into his eyelid, a thin trail of blood flowed.

"He didn't give me a reason, only a threat! I swear!!! Please stop!!" She lightened up only for a second, long enough for Uteu to ask another question.

"Where is she now?"

The man completely froze, no longer struggling. Harvet frowned and dug down, he barely flinched as it pierced through his eyelid.

"Wait." Uteu found himself saying to stop Harvet from destroying the Jude's eye.

He gently lifted Harvet's hand away as he looked down at Jude's face.

"Please. She's only six years old. She's my little sister. Can't you tell me?"

Jude twitched at Uteu's words and he moved his eyeballs to his left to stare at Harvet, ignoring the blood getting into his eyes.

"My daughter... she's six too." Then he turned his eyes back towards the sky.

"If I tell you, they'll take her instead." He then slowly closed his eyes but stopped when he saw Uteu's face. Some type of recognition flashed over his eyes and he breathed in, surprised.

"You... those eyes." Jude seemed to choke over his words, looking increasingly conflicted. The longer he stared at Uteu's face the more conflicted he became.

Letting out a long suffering sigh, Jude closed his eyes.

"She's under the teleportation array. Somewhere in the Madame's room is a tunnel that leads to the room she's being kept in. Don't ask me why she's there I really don't know."

Uteu thanked the man sincerely and gave a glance to Harvet and nodded at her.

However before he left he heard Jude speak out once more.

"I knew a woman once with eyes like your's. She was so gentle, so kind... If you're anything like that then please, please save my daughter."

Tears poured out of Jude's eyes, mixing with the blood there. They trailed down his face when he shut his eyes tightly. He began to sob uncontrollably, his chest heaving as he desperately tried to suck in oxygen.

"Her name- her name is Judith. Please- Please! I know I'm doomed for hell but she's innocent Please help save her!"