Head

"So this is what you meant by 'under us'," I asked, staring at everything around us.

When Kefi was about to attack that man, we began sinking into the ground and before long, we were submerged completely. It was a strangely calming experience.

Only you would think that, Meraki. It was terrifying!

Yeah. I could feel your fear and confusion muddling my other senses.

Isn't that an appropriate reaction given the circumstance?

Sure.

After we submerged and Kefi finally summoned the courage to open her eyes, we saw something odd.

I was expecting to find drainage pipes or rocks as we got further down but it was nothing like that. It was almost like we entered another era with the layout of the room. Wooden walls with everything decorated in … animal skin?

There were at least twenty men and women sitting on a long wooden table, talking and, occasionally, shouting at each other.

We hid the moment we heard their voices but Caris told that they can't see us because, and I quote, 'of his marvellous potion'.

"I can turn the effects off whenever I please and since we are already here, we don't have to worry too much about going back," was what he said.

"What was in that stuff, anyway?" Kefi whisper shouted at him as we sneaked up to them, hiding behind some chairs, right beside a fireplace with fire that gave no warmth.

"I'm not telling you. Chefs do not reveal their recipes either so why should I?"

"That doesn't count!"

"Shhh."

"What are we going to do now? I didn't expect them to have a triumph card like that up their sleeves." A woman shouted, hitting the table with her fists.

"Yeah. Since when do spirits and the Society work together, they have never seen eye to eye. Not to mention ITS A SNAKE SPIRIT." Another man shouted back.

"Hey, take it this way, they see us as such a big threat that they had to ask a snake spirit's host to help them." A man replied, leaning back against the chair. He sounded younger than the others.

Annoying.

"Sure, but because of that, our troops have been wiped out in few minutes and we had to send our own triumph card. It's not perfect yet and we just sent years of experiments out there. Who knows what will happen? And we didn't even get the chance to take notes."

Why does everyone look so blurry? I can hardly differentiate their faces.

That's just you Meraki.

Really? You can tell them apart?

Yup. They have such distinguishing features that I will be able to point them out in a crowded market place.

Really?

Yes. For example, that guy that just spoke has black hair with white and blue stripes, his face is a little crooked on one side and has one eye missing.

Really?

Yes. Are you only going to keep saying really? And his are the plainest looks of them all. How are you not noticing this?

Wait, let me ask him.

"Hey," I whispered as I tugged at Caris's sleeve, drawing his attention. "Can you make out their faces?"

"Hmm? Faces? No. It's nothing but blurry images. Why?"

"Really? Only I can see them? Why?"

"You're saying it now, Kefi." Meraki couldn't resist pointing that out. "And aren't there more important things to foc-"

"Shush. Why do you think I can make their faces out while both of you can't?"

"Could be because you are a spirit. They have become something like spirits, so they aren't really from this realm. That's just a theory though."

"-A black snake none the less!" A man shouted, forcefully hitting the table.

"Why do people do that?" I asked, seeing the cracks on the table from where we stood behind them.

"They believe it makes them look fiercer, scarier. But you know what they say, 'all bark and no bite'." Caris's glasses glinted as he said this, a wicked smile taking over his face.

"Shush. They are talking about me."

"What's so special about a black snake?" The casual guy spoke up.

"Listen, all snakes are dangerous but the black ones are extremely rare. They get bored easily and as such, do not make bonds with humans easily. They are also extremely sadistic, even to their hosts, discarding them whenever they feel like it. The only family I know to have enough ties to form a bond with them are the Sagepice. But they have been wiped out in an unknown attack one night so who could it be? Did someone escape?"

"What's this, are you afraid that the ghosts of the Sagepice family are here to haunt you?" A woman said, mocking him.

"Yeah, after all, you were assisting in the attack. Tell me, did you or anyone there have fun with the mistress of the house? I heard that she was beautiful." Another man spoke and I felt myself getting disoriented.

"Forget the mistress. How was the daughter?" Another man spoke and I could just hear the age in his voice, repulsive.

"I don't know. I was only there to help them break in and be the lookout. That's all I did."

"Ok. I think I have heard enough. This certainly wasn't the information we were trying to get but it was useful, none the less." Caris turned to me with the same wicked grin on his face as I looked back at him with wide eyes and began mirroring his smile. "Don't you think so, Meraki?'

"Yeah. So what do we do now?" I asked, my face still having that expression. I couldn't seem to control it.

Is it Kefi?

"What else? We round them up then take them in for questioning."

"This feels a little too easy," I said, still struggling with my facial expression.

"Well, no matter. How are we going to do this?" Kefi came out, her voice matched the expression I have perfectly.

So it was her.

"We reveal ourselves and then shout 'surprise', capturing every one of them using this." He took out a rope and handed it to us, taking several more out of his pocket.

"How did you do that?"

"Details, my dear. Details. Now, I will need the lovely snake spirit to seal off any chance of escape. Think you can do that?"

"Of course, what do you take me for? Since we are here in their 'place', I can do anything." Kefi boasted. "But I'll need two minutes."

"Ok then. I'll be counting on you."

Kefi began spreading her magic around, trying to be as subtle as possible so that they won't notice. She needed to create some kind of barrier around the place to prevent them from flying away through the walls.

"Are you sure they aren't just ghosts?" I asked, trying to grasp the situation.

"Yes." Both answered without hesitation.

"Each person, once they leave their body, heightens their skills. So they just might become extremely smart. It'll be interesting to see what they grew in."

"I can't wait."

Kefi and Caris are very compatible, with all their desire for destruction and mayhem.

"That snake girl even came into this rundown building. Just when I thought they would leave us alone. Why does she have to be so nosy?"

"Relax. There's no way she can find us here and remember? We set up a trap for her right? It's so elaborate that we would get caught in it too. We'll just have a new test subject."

"Speaking of which, I haven't felt her presence for a while now. What do you think happened?"

"She either fell into the trap or she left. Should we go check it out?"

"Yes. Let's go."

Kefi, are you about to be done?

Thirty seconds.

"Caris."

"Got it. Let's just mess with them a little. Gosh, I waited for this all my life."

As they began to move from their places, he started toppling over anything he could get his hands on. First was a flower vase.

That? That was what you waited all your life for?

"W-what was that?" The man who was part of the attack jumped first. He really is on the edge.

"The vase fell. Did someone push against it?"

"How? It's way over there and we are here." A woman pointed out as Caris pulled knocked down a cabin.

"What the hell? What's going on?!"

"Somebody's here. There's definitely somebody here!"

"How? We would have known if one of our own entered and shouldn't we be able to see something?"

"Then how else would you explain all this?" Just then, the chandelier above them came crashing down, breaking the table in half.

Is he trying to show that he is to be feared or something by hitting the table too?

"What is this?! If any of you are trying to prank us then quit it!"

As each item fell, they began to get more and more agitated, pointing fingers at each other and throwing accusations all around.

Done. We can attack. I'll signal Caris.

Wait. Now that they can't escape at all, I want to see where this goes.

What are you talking- Ohhhhh~ You're a sadist, Meraki.

I'm merely observing. They seem to have so much trust in the facts they know that they can't believe something beyond that is happening. What will happen, I want to see. Will they tear each other out from suspicions or will they finally accept that something other than what they know is happening.

Alright. This has high entertainment value as well.