Chaos, And In Human Form.

A younger Beatrice passed through the hallways, her dark purple hair packed into a pony tail. Her mother walked Besides her, and the latter was constantly muttering into her ears. "You should have seen him mother. He looked so amazing as he did that." Beatrice said, her eyes full of awe. "I bet he did. He is the only subject that you could bring up ever since we left the room." Querrin said, as she looked at her daughter with a smile. "Perharps, by any chance is it possible for father to get me engaged with him?" Beatrice inquired, as she looked at her mother with a longing gaze. "Hmm, we shall see about that. Although your coming of age isn't too far away, we can't let you get engaged to just anyone." Her mother speculated, as she opened the Door to the office. "Good morning, father!" Beatrice said excitedly, As she flung herself from across the room, embracing him in a warm hug. "Be careful, child." Her father strictly warned, although he returned the embrace as well. "If only she greeted me with that much enthusiasm this morning as she did with you, that would have made my day." Beatrice's mother said, as she seated herself down in the office. "What is that trying to imply? That she loves me more?" The baron inquired, as he gazed at his wife. The Baroness shrugged. "Goodness knows. The both of you are rather close afterall." She added, as Beatrice came to seat by her side. "Father, do you remember about Dennis?" She inquired, as she swung her legs happily in the air. "Who is that?" Her father interrogated, paying half of an attention to his document, the other half to his daughter. "Dennis! The boy I told you that I saw on the day of the crown prince's birthday banquet!" She exclaimed. But despite her vociferation, her father still remained clueless. "The Marquis's son!" She further emphsised, as she nearly ended up face palming herself. "Oh, the Marquis it?" Her father inquired with a look of realisation, as he continued to indulge in his initial occupation. "What about him?" He inquired. "I saw him again the day before,he stood with his father." She said, her eyes shimmering. The baron glanced at his daughter. "You are more infatuated with that boy than I believed you were." He said. "Thank goodness you noticed that, as well." Querrin uttered, as she lightly patted her daughter's head. "That person is all this child ever talks about these days." She added. "It is rather strange for you to display such a strong level of fondness to someone, Beatrice." Her father observed. "May I ask the reason why?" "Because he is kind-hearted!" Beatrice exclaimed immediately. "And good looking as well! And charismatic!" Beatrice said with no hesitation. "Is that all?" The baron inquired, with a slight smile on his face. "And also because he has a tendency to be a good husband! Most definitely husband material!" She added, as though she was competing for points on a debate. "What makes you think that he will be a good husband to you?" The baron inquired. "I sincerely don't think just because one poses himself to be a good person to you, actually makes that individual a good person." Her father said, with a serious look On his face. "Especially since you don't really know much about person. The traits you called out are just based off on mere assumptions." Her added. Beatrice appeared downcasted immediately. "What your father has said, is the right thing my child." Her mother informed her, as she gave Beatrice an understanding look. "You are still young, so you wouldn't really understand most of what he says right now. We just don't want you to get hurt." Her mother said, as she gently clasped Beatrice's smaller hands in hers.

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 She stared at the ceiling, as she laid on her back, reflecting reflecting upon the things that had occurred earlier on the day. "You were absolutely right, father." She muttered to herself. "I was just a child back then-and I will admit that I was a foolish one at that. But the hand of time cannot be reversed; the deed has already been done."

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 Sylvester was still dressing up in his room, when a knock on the door came through. "Come in." He said, knowing fully alright who the impending visitor would be. It was of no surprise therefore, when Beatrice walked into the room. "Good morning." She said, as she proceeded to seat on the chair in the room. "You are quite elegantly dressed today; are you perharps headed somewhere?" She inquired, as she eyed him from head to toe. "In a matter of fact, I am. I am going to accompany Dennis to visit the new mine he recently contracted, not like my presence is needed there anyway, but I don't understand why he is tugging me along." He complained. "But I am looking good, aren't I?" He inquired as he spread out his arms. "I will give it a ninety out of a hundred." Beatrice said, as she beamed at him. "You don't have to Dress up to look good, honestly, you look great In anything." She told him. "You really have a knack for exaggerating." Sylvester said, as he seated himself on the bed. "Katrina Is still on leave?" Sylvester inquired. Beatrice awkwardly looked away. "Just how many days did you give her?" Another question came forth. Sylvester sighed, when Beatrice did not respond to him. "So long as you are able to look after yourself properly while she is away." He told her simply. "So how was the visit to your parents home?" He inquired. "Fortunately for me, nothing catastrophic occurred. But It still felt nice to be back at home after so long." She said. "It seems like you have been homesick for quite some time now." Sylvester commented, of which Beatrice nodded. "I wonder, is It possible for Me to accompany you two to the mine?" Beatrice interrogated. However, the glare Sylvester gave to her obviously said otherwise. "Are you crazy?" Sylvester immediately reprimanded, causing Beatrice to flinch. "Are you aware of just how much dust might be released in the process of excavation?" He demanded. "It's just a bit of dust, I can always use my handkerchief to cover up." Beatrice said frankly, as she fidgeted with her hair. "It's already been decided." Sylvester declared adamantly. "Anyway, I have to go now. I will see you soon." Sylvester said, as he opened the Door. With no other alternative placed before her, Beatrice reluctantly stepped out. "Fine, young Master. I hope you enjoy the expedition." She said, with much untold grudge in her eyes. "It is not.. We will talk later." Sylvester concluded, as he swiftly ran down the hallways.

 The carraige ride was rather smooth and thrilling, they were able to get through more than half of the said route without much obstructions. Sylvester was seated on one side of the couch, while Dennis was seated on the other, with Cornelia as usual by his side. "I don't know why you intend to ruin such expensive clothes." Dennis began, as he glanced at his brother. "The dust can always be washed off at any point In time." Sylvester replied curtly, before gazing at Cornelia who was seated at the sidelines. "I understand the fact that she is your lackey, but do you honestly have to take her everywhere? Makes her seem more like a golden retriever than an asssassin." He said simply. "And why on earth is her skirt so short?" "It was based on her personal preferences, I honestly can't compel her to wear what she dislikes." Dennis told his brother, his voice as monotonous as ever. "Did you inform father about the mine?" Sylvester inquired. "I was expecting him of all people to be here." He added. "I did. But since he was not willing, I decided to leave the old man be. There is nothing much he could possibly do at this point anyway." Dennis said. "Besides, I am quite sure it would displease him to see his beloved friend In such a precarious situation either." He added. "Beatrice wanted to leave with us, initially." Sylvester suddenly blurted out. But his brother's eyes remained as cold and indifferent as ever. "What for? There is nothing she could possibly do there- it is not some tour." He informed, a mocking smile on his lips. "Fortunately, I was able to convince her to change her decision." Sylvester stated, as he ignored his brother's outburst. "Besides, I am sure she will be quite surprised if she found out how you actually procured that mine." Sylvester said, before glancing at Cornelia once more. The latter on the other hand, gazed out of the window, she didn't really want to have an association of any sort with this troublesome young man, who was seated opposite her. "You are free to inform her, if your heart so desires; it is not like she will be able to do anything to change the outcome of it all anyway." Dennis told him, without breaking into a sweat. "It seems as though your conscience has abandoned you completely." Sylvester muttered, his eyes showing a strong sign of disapproval. "Irregardless of how crooked the Viscount might be, that does not permit you to indulge into such corrupt measures.." "We have arrived." Dennis rudely interrupted, a slight frown on his face. Cornelia could only sigh inwardly. Such melodrama, and so early in the morning as well.

 It was a bright and sunny day, and the skies were rather clear. The mine in question was located a on a small plain, a good eight hundred kilometers from the city. "Was it really necessary for you to go so far just In order to attain a mine that was located on the outskirts of the city?" Sylvester inquired. "Everything that I do is for a reason." Dennis told him curtly. "Now stay silent and desist from making insidious enquiries." Sylvester could not help but frown at his brother's back. The mine In question was not very magnificent, it looked almost like every other average mine, but a major characteristic which set it apart was its grandiose size. But as they say, it is not What lies on the outside, but what lies within. Sylvester thought to himself, while silently praying in his heart that this was not a huge set up. The Viscount, Rodzev Heratck, could be seen standing near the mount of the mine, his hands folded. He had most definitely noticed then from afar, for the scowl which was peacefully nestled on his face became all the more obvious, which caused his features to look extremely distorted and grotesque underneath the summer sun. His carraige was kept not too far from where the mine itself was sited, and beside him stood a man who was more taller and buskier in physique than he was, causing him to seem quite petite. But apart from the Viscount and his said knight, was a persona whose identity remained shrouded in mystery. He had fox mask on his face, which was red in one half, and black on the other. His Grey dread locks laid around his shoulders in a mess. "Don't tell me.." Sylvester initially muttered to himself, before casting a quick glance at Cornelia. Although she didn't speak, and her body language failed to deceive her, those eyes said it all.

 "A very good morning to you, Viscount." Dennis began with a smile, as soon as he approached them. The Viscount clicked his tongue In response, as he stared at Dennis somewhat angrily. "Good morning, My lord." A matured voice came from behind the man wearing a mask. Although he didn't seem like it, the voice sounded quite polished and refined. "You came rather early, fox." Dennis said, as he turned to the other man, having been denied any form of courtesy from the older one. "Where is your horse?" Dennis inquired. "I left the beast to forlorn amongst the fields, he will come running when he hears the sound of my voice." Fox assured him. "Shall we?" Dennis inquired, as he turned to the Viscount. "Be my guest." The Viscount said, through gritted teeth. "Hope you brought the documents, Cornelia." Dennis stated, as he glanced at the girl who stood behind him. "They are safe and sound." Cornelia responded, as she patted the brief case which was in her hand.

 "I see you don't like to take your chances, Viscount." Dennis said, as both he and the viscount proceeded side by side. "You also took this matter quite seriously as well." The Viscount said, as he glanced at the man behind Dennis who proclaimed himself to be 'Fox.' "He was even here before I arrived." He added. "Well, One makes hay while the sun shines. The sooner we get this done and over with, the better." Dennis told him. "You do have a point there." The Viscount agreed, with a slight nod. As Sylvester walked behind his older brother, he didn't know why he had a strong inclination to glance upwards- but he finally understood when he did. Hanging down, from slightly dangerous angles, some grotesquely shaped, was stalactites, more than a hundred meters long. Their tips seemed even sharper than those of a sword. Mere looking at them alone sent chills towards the spine of an adult. If they ended up crashing atop Any living organism, it was beyond over. "Down." Fox suddenly said. "For what reason?" The Viscount inquired loudly. "This is absolutely absurd.." "If he tells you to go down, then go down." Dennis mercilessly interrupted him, as he laid himself upon the floor of the mine. Upon seeing that Both Cornelia and Sylvester laid themselves on the ground with no hesitation, The Viscount gritted his teeth before doing the same. With just an interval of a split second, a swam of bats came flying out in disarray, screeching loudly as they went towards the mouth of the mine. "Well. It seems like you don't know how to properly maintain a mine Viscount." Dennis said, as he stood erect, as soon the whole commotion was over. "It's been a while since I have been here, can you place the blame on me?" The Viscount inquired, as he shook the dust off from his clothes. "No matter about that, I will handle things. And I will first begin by getting rid of those ghastly weapons on the ceiling." He simply stated, ignoring the fact that his associate was turning red from anger. "How could you hear the bats before we did?" Sylvester inquired, as he turned towards Fox. "If you listen hard enough, you would be able to predict their arrival." The man said, with a slight shrug. "Apart from that, it seems to have been a while since any real job has been done here, so the mine echoes even more than it ought to." He explained. "I won't be the slightest bit amazed if it occurs either by nature or coincidence, if a wild beast ended up making this place its temporary abode." Dennis stated, as he glanced at the Viscount. "Rub my name through the mud, why don't you?" Heratck uttered in vexation, tightening his grip to the extent that the veins In his hand bulged. "It is a common fact. If operations consisted as they should be, such unforseen circumstance is very likely to occur, no?" Dennis said, as he looked at the Viscount with an incredulous gaze, before a smile subconsciously formed across his face. "Fortunately for us, the Viscount came prepared." Dennis commented, as he glanced briefly at the knight who towered over the Viscount. Although the Viscount was a rather tall man himself; the knight behind him made him seem so small. The giant in the making, however, just raised his eyebrow.

 As the group proceeded even further down the heart of the mine, they noticed some scattered rocks on the floor. It would have been alright if it was just three or five, not an entire pile of it. "What could be the cause of this, Viscount?" Dennis asked, as he stared at the heap. "It was an unforeseen disaster which occurred two months ago." The Viscount began to explain, although the look on his face said that he would rather not. "A group of my men were working, when one of the walls of mine which they were excavating upon suddenly collapsed. That is the report I received from the ones who managed to save their sorry selves." The Viscount said. "I haven't had time to clear out the rubble since then." "Do you know the cause for its sudden collapse?" Sylvester suddenly quipped in. The Viscount stared at this child which bore a strong likeness to Dennis. "I am still yet to investigate." He replied. "How could you possibly want to undergo such a transaction, if you are not even aware of the reason for its infrastructural error? Isn't that just being biased?" Sylvester argued. "That is exactly why I ceased all operations for over the past two months!" The Viscount said, his voice rising, which reverberated against the walls of the mine, causing the stalactites above to slightly quiver. "And don't even think of putting the blame on me, boy- it Is that brother of yours that specifically inquired for this mine." The Visocount replied, in a much lower voice. Sylvester shot a casual glance towards his brother, while wondering what was going on in those eyes of his. "Dereliction of duty is not an excuse, Viscount." Dennis's cold voice rang into the Heratck's ears. "You.." He began, but he suddenly thought the better of it. "You have already seen the entirety of the mine now, can we seal this deal already and be done with it?" The Visocunt inquired. "Patience, patience." Dennis said in a calm manner, as he placed his hands on the cold wall. "There is one more clause which is not fulfilled yet-may we kindly have a pick axe?" He inquired. "There are some over there." The Viscount pointed towards two pick axes, of which leant idly against the mine walls. Fox immediately walked up towards them with no hesitation, and picked one up. He immediately set into work; using the pickaxe to gently strike against the wall of the mine, neither using too much pressure nor too much force. Just the mere movement of his hands alone made it quite clear to everyone present that he possessed expert knowledge in this field. And while the pick axe continued to rap against the wall of the mine, several questions continued to pour forth into Sylvester's mind- who was the black python really, and what was their goal? And how did Dennis get entangled with them?

Fox paused In his occupations, as he carefully inserted his hand Into the shallow hole he created. He pulled it out, and in his palm laid a black stone, which he displayed to Dennis. "Onyx." Dennis muttered, as he inspected the precious gem. "The fact that one doesn't have to dig in too deep is quite advantageous, I will admit." Dennis said, as he played with the onyx stone which laid on his palm. "And it is also likely to possess some rare gems as well, which will also benefit me greatly." He added. "Cornelia, the documents please." Dennis said, after nodding his head continously in satisfaction. "Of course, my lord." Cornelia said as she presented the brief case towards him, which contained a pen as well the document. "I finally understand the reason why your were so resistant to part ways with this particular mine." Dennis said, as he hurriedly signed his name into the papers. "But rest assured, this mine is In good hands." He added.

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 The magnificent orange orb declared its retirement at it sunk Gradually behind the hills of the west. The decline of the day; and the upcoming advent of a new one. Market stalls began to close up their various enterprises one after the other, with some of them bidding one another farewells. The commoners dragged their heavy and exhausted bodies towards their various abodes, with only one wish In their minds, better living conditions and with hopes in their minds for a brighter future. But while everyone was hustling past, discussing about how eventful each of their days was, they failed to notice the small stream that trickled out of an alley, which turned several shades more crimson, as the rays of the setting sun got refracted on its surface. A woman with shoulder length black hair moved in opposition against the upcoming waves of people. She halted at the front of the alley, where an indistinct form of yelling could be heard.

 "Ahhhh! Spare me please, I beg of you!" A man writhed on the floor in agony. But his oppressor saw it as consent to drag his hand out even further. Due to the limits of the human body, the shoulder blade got dislocated with a low pop, causing the man to scream out In agony, as his left hand came crashing down lifelessly on his side. "You make too much noise. Shut up." The man with jet-black hair said, as his red eyes looked down mercilessly on his victim. He placed his foot on the man's head. He momentarily lifted up his eyes when he observed a silhouette standing at the entrance of the hallway. His lips slowly formed into a smirk. "You didn't tell me you would arrive today." Cornelia uttered to the figure, as she strode towards him. She had long changed her clothes, they were covered in dust anyway, and was instead putting on an elegant black dress. "I wanted to surprise you." The man informed her, as he gazed at her longingly. "It's been a while." He added. "Indeed it has. No letters, no informant, nothing. I must say that I am pleasantly surprised." She said, as she looked around the hallway which was littered with corpses and stained with blood. Cornelia even had to be cautious of her steps in order to not stain herself. "You just had to start a Mass assassination as soon as you came back. You could have killed them less brutally though." She complained, a frown on her face, as she gazed at the blood stained walls. "Forget about that." The man said, as he applied a bit of pressure under his foot, further inflicting pain on the person underneath. "How has the business with him been getting along?" He inquired. Cornelia didn't reply, but instead displayed a black stone which laid in her hand. "We visited the mine today. The results are quite promising." She curtly replied, as the man took the onyx stone from her, and raised it up to the last of the Sun rays. As expected, the rays shone right through. "He is the least person that I expect to be scammed." The man commented in a low voice, as he flipped the stone in his palm. "Miss! Please tell him to spare me!" The man began to call out to Cornelia. "I would rather watch from the sidelines." Cornelia said, her eyes devoid of any emotion. "Shall we make a deal?" The man said, as he looked down at his captive with a smile. "Sir?" The man inquired saw a light glimmer of hope. "You go back to your boss, and tell him to stop messing with my family if he doesn't want any trouble alright? Don't forget a single detail of that which was spoken just now." The man said. "Sir, in order to do that, you will have to release me first." The man which laid at the bottom told him with a smile. "Oh, how rude of me." The man said, as he lifted his foot slightly. But before the man beneath him could scamper off, that Same foot came crashing against the man's unfortunate head with full force. Blood and brain matter splattered everywhere, but Cornelia remained unfazed. She had long been accustomed to witnessing such gory sights. "I would have taken his head and sent it to his base, if only he remained silent." The man said, as he wiped off the blood that slowly trailed down his face. "Hmm, I am going to need white fang to clean this up." He said, as he looked back towards the alley.

 The two of them walked through the nearly deserted streets. The stars were almost visible at this point. "By the way, did you ask him for this? I am sure he wouldn't give it to you." The male said, as he walked Besides Cornelia. "I stole it." Cornelia admitted. "Quit casting those gazes upon me, I will eventually return it." She told him. "So I guess fox still went with you to the mine? It must have brought back some memories for him." The man said. "I don't know, I am not in his head." Cornelia begrudgingly said. "I can tell that you are mad at me. We will settle that later." The man commented, as he glanced forward. "Are we to still continue our collaboration with Lewis?" Cornelia inquired. "It is not necessary, but I find that man too intriguing to stop. As for why I find him interesting.." He glanced towards the woman at his side. "That will be my secret." "Anyway, it is Good to have you back, brother." Cornelia told him, as she moved even closer towards him. "Now that you are here, you can give the rest of the gang some edge. Am I right?" She inquired. "It really does feel good to be back." The man said, as he stretched out his arms.