Fran heaved, one, two, three, four times. Her breathing finally returned to normal and she rubbed her forehead with a hand. She could still feel the warmth from Kristine's kiss. Earlier, something had pulled her back to the train while she flew through the air…    

    With a groan, Fran stopped thinking about it. She leaned forward, steadying herself with a hand on the train's roof. Sweat droplets fell before her eyes down. The greyish pink glow reflected in it.    

    They still scraped at her mind. Ordering, asking, pleading for entrance. The screeches of them echoing through her mind. Passing to her eyes.     

    She wanted to tear them out. To scratch at them, stab them. To make the bulging pain in her eyes disappear. Fran stopped the hand that had moved before her eyes and wiped her cheeks. Not yet. It wasn't time yet.    

    While a warmth traveled from her forehead throughout her body, she looked up. Infinite darkness. Vast, endless and without light or sound. It should've been the same she saw from the window beside the bar. It should have been so…    

    Numerous stars shone in excitement. They moved and danced in the endless darkness. From tens to hundreds, then thousands. Her bleeding glowing greyish pink eyes reflected the hunger and fervor showed by these shadows. And her rapidly healing ears boomed from their screeches. A despairing screech also came from the train's front.    

    Fran tried to stand up yet fell on her face. While her nose bled, she struggled and struggled, however, she could only sit up at most. As if shackles had been placed on her, her lower body refused to comply.     

    Then she heard it. Amidst the screeches from the stars in the darkness, amidst the screaming pain of her eyes, laughter emerged in her mind.    

    Followed by another. Louder than before. Then another. Crazier than before. More and more ugly, inhuman laughter ridiculed her. They mocked her. Pleasured themselves in her misery. Anticipated her upcoming disaster.    

    On top of the train, amidst the darkness lit up by countless stars, Fran sat. She stared at her hands. The bruises slowly healed under the warm current flowing through her from her forehead. Her eardrum already recovered fully, letting in the screeches from the stars. However, the laughter in her mind drowned them out. It has always been like this. They laughed, screamed, mocked, whispered in her mind at all times. Doing all to make her go mad. Yet, because of these eyes. Because of these accursed eyes, she couldn't go mad. Even if she would want to, she couldn't.    

    However, she just wanted some quiet.

    Just some silence.    

    Fran raised her head. The blonde hair framing her eyes. Her small mouth opened. She spoke an old, forgotten language. Yet, everyone understood. Everyone listened. All obeyed.    

    "Quiet"    

    Fran closed her eyes and enjoyed the blissful silence. Even the piercing pain in her soul, from using those words, couldn't obstruct her enjoyment. Finally some quiet.    

    ---    

    The bartender held the glass high up to the light. After he confirmed it was clean, he put it back into the shelves behind him. He took care to not make a sound as he closed the door of it. Hearing the sound of a door opening, he looked over.

    A small smile below clean glasses on a refreshingly scholarly face, hiding clear blue eyes filled with life. The man smiled and strolled over to the bar, while not treading on any glass shards still on the floor. The other passengers ignored him, still under the orders of those words. Some of them even in a praying position. Yet none made a sound. Obeying the quiet.    

    The man sat down and nodded. With swift yet silent movements, the bartender put a glass filled with some scotch before him.  After a nod, he tasted the sweet liquid. It seemed to fit his tastes as evident from his increasing smile. Amidst the silence, under the curious gaze of the bartender, the scholarly man enjoyed a small drink. Until a tune broke the silence. A lovely tune, sung by an even lovelier voice. Full of mystery and love, soft and comforting, as if it wanted to make all fall asleep.     

    The tune sounded through the silence, through the endless darkness beyond the windows. It reminded the bartender of the girl with the fine blonde hair and unforgettable eyes. He smiled and looked at the mesmerized man sitting at his bar. The tune brought even more bliss to him than the scotch. He knocked lightly on the bar to wake him up and said with a smile.    

    "How about we make a deal?"      

    ---    

    Fran raised the warm cup and took a sip of the hot chocolate. Her head rested on the window. Beyond it, the town shrouded in snow and gold from lights seemed to be like a painting in the night. If it weren't for the bustle of humans, despite the late hour.  Yet, perhaps they added life to the bleakness a cold eternal winter could have. Although, she rather preferred the quiet such a winter could bring.    

    She sipped once more at her hot chocolate and let out a mixture of a sigh and yawn. Amused laughter came from Ginette beside her. She would like some comfortable sleep, yet it would not be possible this night.     

    "One is missing," A wizened voice said. Yes, one is missing. Two had been dealt with by her. One by Kristine and another two by the Senior Knights. However, six shadows had entered the train. The last one, the one to start all the panic, the one that possessed a father, killed the mother and let the boy be taken away, vanished. Hendricks sighed after she nodded to confirm.    

    "At least, it kept quiet so far. We also already dealt with the passengers so nothing should leak aside from an unusual 'turbulence' that seemed to have happened during the ride," Hendricks said while bringing a beer glass to his mouth. After he finished his sip, he continued, "So the rest of the night should at least continue peacefully."    

    Fran felt the guild's branch master gaze on her, probing her. The moon outside shone bright and big. Its silvery light illuminated the corners the golden lamps of Winter Town didn't reach. Yet, on the beautiful silver surface of the moon, a dark red crept up. So faint, so barely visible. Like red strings moving, encircling your neck...   

    She shook her head and focused on the delicious hot chocolate. Perhaps coffee would better to wake her mind, but she never had been fond of the taste.    

    The fingers on the clock moved along to the old man Hendricks sighs. The hot chocolate started to cool as it began to dwindle in her cup. Customers went and came, till only very few remained. They waited, for the inevitable horror to happen to the populace.    

    "How about you go to sleep?" Ginette whispered suddenly in her ear. Her low voice and warm breath tingled on her ears and skin. Fran shook her head as her cheeks heat up. In response, Ginette put an arm around her waist and pulled her close. Her face landed right on a soft bosom.    

    "Then at least rest properly until that," a whisper ordered her. Under the soft stroking on her hair and feeling the soft embrace, Fran complied and closed her eyes.     

    The warmth from her body, the slender fingers in her hair, the steady heartbeat. It all put her in a trance. As if asleep, yet also not. In and out of her blank dreamworld. If only the song from her...    

    Someone poked her cheek. Her eyes opened and met with loving honey-colored eyes. "It's time," Ginette said in a soft tone. Her hand still stroked the blonde strands of the girl in her bosom.    

    Fran blinked. She looked over and saw a young official in the guild's uniform speak with a solemn expression to Hendricks. As clear from Hendricks' frown, the news he received announced what they had waited for. After the young official finished, Hendricks stood up while steadying himself on his wooden cane. Fran also followed suit.    

    As she sat in the corner on the couch, she had to squeeze past Ginette. She ignored the soft bouncy feeling rubbing on her back and moved past the cafe owner. Her hasty actions inciting another laughter. Suddenly, a hand pulled her back.    

    The honey eyes stared at her while the warm breath heated her face up again. With a smile, Ginette stretched her right cheek with another hand.   

    "Take care, okay?" Ginette whispered. After a nod and a quick kiss on the red cheek, she let Fran go.    

    ---    

    Hendricks stood before a carriage while tapping his finger on his cane. He glanced at Fran exiting the cafe. Her hand held her right cheek.    

    "Did the Guild Master order this, young miss?" He asked.    

    Fran shook her head. "My own decision," she said while moving past him. With two bounced she entered the small carriage. Hendricks followed her and sat opposite of her down. A whip sounded followed by a neigh and the carriage began to move.    

    Left and right the carriage turned, giving Fran a tour of Winter Town. Street Lamps lit up the street at this late hour, along with the silver moon inlaced with red strings. At 3 o'clock in the night, most slept. Yet, silhouettes still moved on the sidewalk. Some seemed to move towards where they had come from. Some on their way to work. Some without a home. The closer the carriage brought them to their destination, the less frequent she saw those passersby.    

    "How did young miss know it would attack this night? It could've just lay low." Hendricks' old voice interrupted her gazing. She glanced at his curious wrinkled face before staring out of the window again. The Street Lamps illuminated her face gold every time they passed by one.    

    "In the end, these things are nothing more than servants," Fran said in a faint tone. Her melodious voice even without a ripple. "And their masters wish for nothing more than freedom."  

    She didn't explain further and Hendricks didn't ask more. Winter Town's scenery moved past the window till the carriage came to a halt. From the window, she could already see knights and officials in the guild's uniform busying themselves around an alleyway. Yet she could also see a man staring down at two differently dressed knights. A mix of white and black adorned their light armor and uniform underneath. A light blue chain hung from the swords at their waists. 

    A glass snowflake, almost glowing blue, nestled itself on the chain. It explained why the fain-golden dark-brown haired man argued with those knights. The reclusive ruler of Winter Town decided to meddle in this affair. 

    Fran averted her eyes and stood up. Hendricks had long left the carriage. The cold breeze hit her face once she landed on the ground. Her black dress flowed in motion. She once again felt glad for wearing a warm winter dress and gloves. The young official offering her a hand in assistance retracted it after he saw her jump down. He closed the door and followed her towards the group of four.    

    "....the guild master ordered it. She'll be able to lead us to the culprit..." Fran heard such from Hendricks as she neared the group. The two Duchess' knights glanced at her with a frown. The man smiled at her with his odd green eyes behind his glasses narrowing. After a nod, Fran walked past them. Their gazes and steps following after her. The various officials and knights from the guild made way for her after they saw who followed her. 

    A small alley. Lanterns hung on the wall, lighting it up. Yet, fog still obscured the vision. Aside from the fog, a metallic stench also was in the air. Her nose wrinkled. Droplets of warm water gathered on her face from the fog. Heavy and thick they felt. As if blood slid down her face again. How long she walked? The heavy fog numbed her and shrouded all. At least until her weary grayish-pink eyes flared up for a short moment. A clear vision again, Fran looked down.

    Stiff limbs propped up a bleeding torso like a human spider. A thick wooden spike pierced the stomach. Impaled on it hung the decapitated head of the corpse. The face distorted with agony and anguish. 

LittleCrow

Late....