November Storms

Snizzzle... snizzle... snizzle... snizzle...

Anger...

Snizzle... snizze snizzle snizzle... snizzle snizzle...

Hatred...

Snizzlesnizzlesnizzle... snizzlesnizzle... snizzle...

Malice...

Snizzzzzlee... snizze... sni--

Crack!

She was going to kill him.

'Pensive' wouldn't be enough to describe Igrene's expression. 'Angry' wouldn't be enough to describe Igrene's expression either. 'Murderous' doesn't even begin to explain it. Perhaps stronger words then, like livid? Malcontent? Irate? Ohh... yes... those words sounded so damn appropriate.

The halls were dark, drenched in shadows while the Red Serpent stood all alone. As usual, she could be found in some wayward hall, gazing over the estate's courtyard as her green eyes shined. No, not shine; glowed. Like lights dancing in the darkness, her green eyes could be seen from yards, if not miles away, staring endlessly.

Staring... staring...

Her nail filer sat broken in her hands; yet another frustrating mark against the night's already trying times. Was it not enough that they were still recoiling from the attack Zeit had on their estate? Yes, she and her sisters had healed, but her Master was still sore all over his body. To agitate him further with such information would not do well for his recovery.

And yet she knew she had to tell him soon.

CLICK! CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!

“Igrene. Did you feel that?”

Looking to the left, her gaze fell upon her sister, the Indigo Dragon. Emiline stared back, her visage just as sharp and livid as the Red Serpent's. Together, Marshal and Head-Housemaid met in this wayward hall, having felt the same disturbance at the same time. Which meant only one thing; this was no fluke.

“Yes, Emiline, I did,” Igrene said with a regretful nod, “Some... fool has deigned to bother our property,” she looked away, once more staring out the courtyard, “Kronos Watches has been disturbed. Someone broke inside of it; they tripped my field. The bastard.”

“Who do you think it was?” Emiline asked, “Do you think there were others besides Zeit and Oden? Another demon who wishes us dead?”

“Maybe... but I am not entirely sure...” the Red Serpent stated, “I do not believe it was a demon. Perhaps it was just a thief attempting to steal something within, only to see that we've already cleaned out the place. But if they were to discover the bunker beneath it before we've had the chance to destroy it...” she shook her head, “We cannot risk it.”

“Then what should we do?” Emiline asked, eyebrow raised.

Igrene hesitated to answer, for she knew not who it was that triggered her field. Kronos Watches was different from the estate; just because they owned it does not mean their sphere of knowledge existed to it. If that was the case, then they'd be able to sense and feel everyone within the entirety of Schonheit!

But first...

“We must tell Master Sebastian what has happened,” Igrene stated, “He will decide what we do next.”

Emiline nodded in agreement, though her face remained sharp. To think someone would have the audacity to bother anything that belonged to them. Even if they were nothing more than a petty thief, the Marshal would make them suffer for what they had done. Perhaps one would think that's extreme, but with that mysterious bunker still sitting beneath Zeit's store, they could not risk it getting out.

There are many things man is not meant to know. Many things that only the Faust family have the right to be privy to.

Together, Igrene and Emiline pulled away from the wayward hall, heading into the direction of Sebastian's bedroom. While it was late, they could not hesitate, needing Sebastian's input immediately. They would just ask for his forgiveness come the morning if they disturbed his rest.

Though from the smell of things, his rest had already been disturbed.

The door slid open, freeing the pervasive odor of sex that permeated the air. Both Igrene and Emiline appeared wide eyed, gobsmacked by the powerful scent. Freshly cut grass and ocean waves; the telltale odors of two particular wyrms mixing with the scent of their Master's musk. When it struck Emiline's nose in particular, she gave an annoyed snarl. Made even worse when the duo walked up to Sebastian's bed, pulling apart his curtains to reveal...

Nothing. Well, not entirely nothing; there was a bunch of discarded clothing resting on it.

“Hrrrrggh! I swear, if they agitated Master Sebastian,” Emiline snarled as her hand bawled into a fist, though Igrene giggled in a mirthful manner.

“Fufufufu! I'll be sure to note your jealousy for later,” the Head-Housemaid commented, much to her sister's chagrin.

Emiline pouted at her sister, but ultimately, she was caught red handed. Even if she was a bit jealous that Carmeline and Nadine were spending the night with their Master, that did not give Igrene the right to tease her about it. Perhaps she'd save her scolding remarks for later; right now they needed to share with Sebastian the information they had learned.

Just uh... where is he?

“Geh heh! Clam down, Master! I ain't goin' no where!”

“Hnnnngh! I'm not squirming that much! Nadine's tail is just... really ticklish!”

“Oh! Har... oopsie!”

Their voices came ringing from the bathroom, drawing Igrene and Emiline's eyes over. The Marshal remained sharp and annoyed, not to mention envious, while the Head-Housemaid continued to giggle. Together they walked towards their Master's bathroom, pushing it open together where--

“Huh?”

“Goh?”

“Hora?”

Their eyes befell Sebastian, Carmeline and Nadine, all in his bathtub together, with steaming hot waters covering their bodies. Was this bath to get rid of the copious odors of sex that drenched their bodies, or was it instead to help unwind following such acts? The young earl was reclining against his Groundskeeper, who used her larger body like some makeshift seat for him. In turn, Nadine was resting on his lap, the two drachenmagd once again sandwiching their Master, though in a manner less constricting on the lungs. Regardless, the trio were stunned to see them, with Sebastian naturally sporting the widest blush.

“I-I-Igrene! And Emiline! H-heh... uh... is... is something wrong?”

While seeing the trio in a state like this was enough to lighten the mood momentarily, Igrene's smile was quick to fade. Emiline's visage too shifted from annoyance and envy, to a more serious gaze. Noticing these changes, Sebastian realized something indeed was wrong.

Very wrong.

“Master Sebastian. We need to talk.”

…

“Haaah... well now... that is... alarming... oh man...”

If it's not one thing, then it's another.

Running his hand through his hair, Sebastian pondered the information just told to him. Someone broke into Kronos Watches, and they had no idea who. The shear fact that it was Zeit's business is what made everything so alarming. If it concerned the Watchmaker, it could not be good.

It was still night, probably some time around two or three AM, meaning Sebastian's sleep was cut short even more. He was probably going to wake up late tomorrow morning, but that didn't matter. Not now as he tried to imagine who or what would have any reason to bother the clock store.

“Do you think... hmm... do you think Zeit had more friends than just Oden?” Sebastian asked as he turned around.

“I am not sure,” Igrene answered as she arose from his bedside, her fingers prodding in a contemplative manner, “I am aware only of Zeit and Oden; I know not of any other allies they may have.”

“Is that so...?” Sebastian muttered as he tugged at the hem of his pajama shirt, “I hope it is not any other monster or demon or whatever... not so soon after the attack, anyway. Ummm...” he looked back at Igrene, raising an eyebrow, “So what do you think we should do?”

She raised her fingers and placed them on her chin, her eyes closing too as she thought about his request. Naturally, this would require an investigation, but that was a given. No, she could decipher Sebastian's words; she knew what he was really asking.

How do we deal with the situation?

“Perhaps it is some fool merely looking to make a quick pay,” Igrene finally answered as her eyes reopened, “One who does not realize that he walks upon a trove of great secrets man should not know of. If I may, Master, allow my sisters and I to investigate it while you continue to mend your body. Once we find out who it is, we will tell you, and you can decide what will be our next course of action.”

Just thinking about it sent a shiver down Sebastian's spine. While he did not like to entertain the thought that they may need to kill someone else, it was perhaps for the best. If it was a demon – a being who wishes them harm – then they had to protect themselves. He had no doubt that if it was something this terrible, Igrene... no... all of his drachenmagd would not hesitate to kill, destroy, or otherwise eliminate whatever or whoever it is that threatened them.

But if it was just some thief trying to make some quick case, perhaps no action need to be taken at all. It only depends on who it is that tried to bother their things.

“You should take your rest, Master,” Igrene stated, pushing open the curtains of his bed to reveal not only Nadine... but also Carmeline and Emiline who were currently grasping their hands at one another, “I'm sure my sisters cannot wait to sleep... as you can obviously tell.”

“Get out of the bed, Emiline!” the Orange Wyrm snarled as she warred with the Marshal, threatening to spill out over the bed in their growing tussle, “I already had to deal with Nadine tonight, I ain't gonna deal with you too!”

“It's 'am not'! Stop using 'ain't'!” the Indigo Dragon corrected as their quarrel continued growing in size, “And make room in Master Sebastian's bed. If all eleven of us can fit in here at once, there's no need for you to hog it all to yourself! Move! Over!”

“You know, I'm still here, right?” Nadine muttered in annoyance.

“I think you should quickly settle their toil,” Igrene whispered into Sebastian's ear, “Less my sisters make a mess of your room. Katherine already has her hands full trying to fix the rest of the estate; I don't think she wishes to come fix your bedroom too.”

“Hmm... no, I'm pretty sure Katherine would love fixing my bedroom too. But with these two here... oh... things would only get more messy,” Sebastian muttered as he walked towards his bed, “Girls, please! Stop it!”

…

Snizzle... snizzle... snizzle... snizzlesnizzlesnizzle...

“Mmmm...”

That damn noise. That damn noise! It kept niggling into his mind like a jackhammer outside one's window in the morning. Appropriate then that he didn't get much sleep last night, because all he could hear was the endless filing of nails. Was he going crazy? That sounded like the most appropriate answer, because he had no way of making it stop. It rang in his ears all throughout the night, rang in his ears this morning, and was ringing in his ears right now. Just...

Snizzle... snizzzle... snizz... snizle...

“Mmm...”

“What? Drank too much last night?”

Hansel looked over, eyes falling on Gretel as she leered annoyingly at him. He glared back, only to smile when she offered him a morning bagel and cup of coffee. For as egotistical and stuck up the Hauptmann could be, she at the very least cared about her fellow officers, especially him who tends to sleep more often than not.

“Well... I didn't drink more often than usual,” Hansel claimed as he took the bagel and coffee from her, “Danke, by the way.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she muttered whilst circling around to get into the passenger side of the car, “Let me guess; you mucked around at Grimm's bar again last night? What?” she leered at him, her fingers wiggling in the air, “Tried to explain your stupid theory about why the Earl of Faust apparently wanted some lonely watchmaker dead or whatever?”

“No! Well... no! I drank at home! Though that does remind me...” he took a bite of his bagel, “Nomph... mmmphh.. yaw knoh. Grihm's bhar hhas that pictuhr ohf... mmph... the earhl of Fhaust.”

“Dammit, Hansel! Swallow your food! What are you? Nine!?”

“Hmmph... glp... mmgghh... haah... okay, fine. Anyway, don't you know Grimm's bar has a picture of a Faust earl in it? I just now realized...” he closed his eyes as he thought about it, “What's the name again? Some Wilhelm, right? Yeah, Wilhelm Faust I think was the name ascribed to it. Drawn up sometime in the early 1900s. Jeeze... blows my mind.”

“What? Were you just born yesterday? How many times do I have to tell you that this city is owned by the Fausts?” Gretel exclaimed whilst cocking her head at him, “We have their statues everywhere, their photos everywhere, their names everywhere! When the Earl of Faust say something, we listen, and that's that! They may not mean much elsewhere, but they certainly do here. We should be so grateful that our current earl – Master Sebastian – appears to be a kind young man. Hmm...” she closed her eyes, thinking more about him, “I cannot believe he's Master Klaus' son. I still can't wrap my head around the idea that he even had kids. He was the most reclusive earl ever, from what my father said.”

“Hmm... yeeaaaaah...”

Crossing his arms, Hansel too thought about Sebastian and his place here. Who was he and where did he come from? His accent was American, so he wasn't native born to Schonheit, so he must not have grew up with his father Klaus. He was an outsider, born elsewhere and grew up elsewhere, only to suddenly become Earl of Faust.

Hansel himself cared not for traditions or history. Why should he listen to a bunch of rich farts? Because they happen to provide for everything here? Well... maybe he should, but maybe not to Sebastian. The kid wasn't from here, he was still young, still capable of making mistakes just as anyone else. Just because he is earl now doesn't suddenly mean he was supposed to fall in line and listen. Maybe for the others, but not for Hansel.

Sebastian was up to something in regards to Zeit, and he would find out if he must. Though he had to wonder...

“What do you think about the Earl of Faust?” Hansel asked, taking Gretel aback.

“Can't you just drop it? The Earl of Faust didn't do a damn thing to Zeit; he bought his storefront for God's sake!” his partner snarled, to which he rolled his eyes.

“I know that. I'm not asking you if you think he's up to something, I'm just wondering what you think about him,” he clarified whilst taking a sip of his coffee, “Yesterday morning was the first time anyone had seen him, isn't it? Or well... the first time any of us have seen him. What did you think of him?”

“Well... he's young,” Gretel replied as she thought about it, “Very, very young. I didn't think he'd be that young. He can't be any older than twenty, twenty one at the most. And he looks so... dainty. Like a cute little boy. But he didn't act like it,” she smiled a bit, “He had this kindness in his voice, far kinder than what I would suspect for an earl. They're usually so scary, from what I remember. Klaus and his grandfather were terrifying men; you remember them, right?”

“Boy do I...” Hansel muttered.

Now Klaus? He was an earl. Though rare to leave his estate, when he did, everyone felt it. He had this voice, this height, this power to everything he did that always attracted others. Occasionally he'd head to Schonheit's residential golf course to play the nines, and when he did, everyone would watch him. They'd keep their distance of course for fear of garnering his wrath, but it's also that allure of his which draw others in.

Sebastian lacked that. He lacked his father's gumption and power. But that's not to say he did not have power. When he spoke to the police department, he did not falter in his stance, did not shake. He looked everyone he spoke to square in the eye, and calmed others with his soft smile. If Klaus forced others to obey, Sebastian coerced them. You wanted to listen to him, not because you had to, but because it felt... good.

He was sweet, charming, kind. But that wouldn't work on everyone.

“Regardless of how nice the young earl appears, we should not gain his ire,” Gretel stated as she leered sharply at her partner, “He is still the Earl of Faust, and thus still controls the city of Schonheit. If we piss him off, there's no telling what he may do, so I'd rather not risk such a thing, got it?”

“Which is your way of saying, drop your inane investigation on the earl?” Hansel replied, reading between the lines.

“Oh! So you know what the word 'inane' means? I'm impressed, Hansel! And yes, stop it. Now drive the fucking car; we've got work to do.”

“Haah... okay okay, let's go.”

His eyes leered ahead and he quickly downed his bagel, before just as quickly drinking down his coffee. Yeah, it burned, but he was more than used to drinking hot coffee in order to beat down a lingering hangover. But it wasn't a hangover that had him bothered, was it? And while the brief conversation was enough to take his mind away from things, now that it was over, he found that noise coming back. Yes, that...

Snizle... snizzle snizzle... snizzlesnizzlesnizzle...

That...

“Um... Hansel? Is everything okay?” Gretel asked, noticing how tense he appeared as he gripped their steering wheel.

“Umm... y-yeah, everything's fine. Promise.”

…

I was surrounded on all sides; the roaring, her voice, endlessly beckoning to me. My heart was racing, the hypnotic slur of her words drawing me in deeper and deeper, while the roars from behind pushed me. All I could think was--

Jump. Jump. Jump. Jump. Jump. Jump. Jump. Jump.

So I did it. I jumped.

Leaping over the edge, I descended into a void of shadow. It all came rushing and roaring beside my head, as I kept falling and falling. If only one could feel my heart as I plummeted, then you too would no doubt feel true fear. At times, I feared that my roaring adrenaline would give me a heart attack, while my free fall continued uninhibited.

Only to suddenly see a set of eyes, eyes that glowed in such a vivacious manner. From the shadows next came arms that caused me to scream. But quickly they funneled around me, being sure to cover my mouth but not my nose. It silenced my horrified roars, using strength so great that I could not hope to rebuff it.

But the hands were not the hands of a great beast or monster like I feared. No, the hands were slender and soft, like the hands of a woman. Their nails were shape however, pointed too; no doubt could they penetrate me if need be. But before I could worry about it for too long, I found my head pulled towards...

Breasts.

Apologies Gretchen if you are reading this, but I did not realize they were breasts at the time. And such large ones at that. They cradled my head, their warmth keeping me safe while I heard the roars of those beasts from before. They were getting closer, nearing the edge I tossed myself from.

Zeit and Oden were approaching, but something had already caught me, something that was keeping me safe. I realized that 'something' was Mephistopheles; she was holding me. My screams died down as I pulled back, staring up to meet her face.

The beautiful face of a woman.

It wasn't slender, but it wasn't plump either. No, she had a somewhat round face with a pointed chin; like a young woman just on the cusp of motherhood. She had a soft, demure expression, though her green eyes were half-closed like she was in a state of exhaustion, and he eyelashes were thick like shadows. From her head spilled long, flowing white hair, but in the relative darkness of the ravine, I could not see more of it.

At the time, I did not understand. She was holding me up with but one of her arms. How was such a thing possible when she looked no younger than me? Her womanly face did not represent the level of power she held. I did not understand then, but I do understand now.

'Mephist--' but my whispers were covered again by her hand.

That's when a tail slithered between the two of us, placed to her lips to shush me in a manner similar to how you'd quiet a child. Yes, we needed to be silent, for Zeit and Oden were still above, still rampaging in search of Mephistopheles herself.

She kept me still, refusing to budge until she was sure I would keep quiet. I nodded in obedience, recognizing what may happen to the both of us if Zeit and Oden discovered me. Were they the ones who killed everyone in the basement? With their monstrous voices, I believe it to be so. But that did not matter at the moment.

Mephistopheles pulled me close, hugging me against her bosom once more as she stared up the ravine. The red moon still illuminated the lands above, and I could hear and see the roars given by Zeit and Oden. It shook the land like a windstorm, alerting Mephistopheles who quickly began moving. She did so at speeds that were simply impossible for a human woman, and one of her assumed size. Nor did she move like one either. Instead, it was like she was slithering upon the ground.

She was not human; I came to that realization quickly But if she was not human, then what was she? And where were we going? I thought about screaming again, but I had trusted her thus far for so long. I jumped and she caught me, and Zeit and Oden were coming for us. So I kept my tongue bit, waiting and watching as we made way into a den.

Eerie purple candles were lit, illuminating the area around us so that I could see it was a lair of some sort. A cavernous location that had carved stone walkways and walls strewn within it, stitched together in a somewhat wild yet slightly organic manner. Someone... something certainly lived in this lair. There was even a cauldron within the center where one could cook meals, but also a collection of strange items resting on drawers and other pieces of furniture. It looked like a cave befitting a witch.

But the design of the stonewalls struck me; they were Gothic in nature. Typically, such imagery brings to mind thoughts of God, but I felt as if God's warmth was incredibly distant from me. Could he even hear me in this distant realm? Where was I?

'We should be safe here,' Mephistopheles claimed as she placed me down.

I shivered in place, my heart racing a mile a minute. When I looked down, I saw a slithering, tail pace the floor. It was covered in scales of a variety of colors; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, brown, pink, black, and white.

I realized then the true nature of Mephistopheles' being, and yet I remained in place, far too scared to turn around and face her. It wasn't until her hands fell on my shoulders and began kneading them gently that I felt a modicum of tension being relieved. And yet her touch did not fill me with warmth, but ever increasing fear. However, in that fear, I smelled something sweet. It was like a mixture of odors that helped lull me into a sense of security, relaxing me further and quelling my racing heart. But above all, it was probably her voice that was the most calming of all.

'Faustus...'

I turned around to face her. From the waist up she had the flawless physique and body of a beautiful young woman, with lovely white hair that fell all the way down to her waist. She wore an elegant shawl of some sort that covered her from the neck down, but it was adorned in all sorts of trinkets and items that looked vaguely religious in nature. It matched with the veil that hung from her forehead, though said veil did not obscure her face, nor did it diminish her glowing green eyes.

However... that's the last thing human about her; her entire upper body. Everything from the waist below was covered in those multi-colored scales, with only a strange, elegant belt to differentiate the two halves. It was such a large tail as well, which slithered on the ground like a reptilian beast.

She wasn't human. She was half woman, half snake.

I was astonished by the woman before me. The amazing beauty of her upper-half, the monstrous size of her lower-half, and the somewhat embarrassed expression she had on her face. I stood before an echidna; the monstrous beast spoken of in Greek mythology, but she was not horrifying in the least bit.

She was... cute. Shy even. The way her green eyes averted their gaze from me, and her lips became a sheepish smile did not represent the aura of a monster, but instead the embarrassment of a young woman. And yet she towered over me thanks to the size of her reptilian lower-half, and the strength she exhibited before showed how mighty she could be.

But ultimately, I was just astonished to be in the same room of such a being. It was impossible that a creature like this existed, yes? But I was staring at her, I had felt her hand against me, felt her chest against me. I heard her speak, and she did not sound like a monster, she sounded like a woman.

'Must you... stare so hard?' she said in a shy, docile manner, her tail slithering near me, 'It is... embarrassing.'

I touched her tail when she said so, mesmerized by the feeling of her body. I kept thinking I would suddenly awaken within my room at the inn, but no, this was real; I was feeling this. My hand stroked along the texture of her body, feeling it bend and sway, proving that this was indeed happening.

'Mephistopheles?' I asked, needing confirmation.

She blushed, her hands raised up as her green eyes darted left to right. The sheepish smile on her lips continued growing in size, further and further, until she finally nodded.

'Yes', she said lowly, 'I am Mephistopheles...'

“More lemonade, Master?”

“Oh... yes, danke, Mylene.”

His eyes looked away from the pages of Heinrich's Records, watching as his cup was filled to the brim from his Parlor Maid's pitcher. Lemonade... considering Mylene's natural smell, was lemonade her favorite beverage? He rarely saw her drinking anything, but he knew his maids ate. They certainly loved comparing him to food, at the very least.

Breakfast in his morning courtyard... it was always the same. At times Sebastian wondered if he should at least strike up a conversation with his Parlor Maid, but he didn't. No, Mylene merely standing there with a beaming smile on her lips was more than enough company for him. However...

“Did you hear about what happened with Kronos Watches?” Sebastian asked as he looked at the Green Serpent.

“Nyaaaack! You mean that store belonging to the Watchmaker!? Yes, I've heard of it!” Mylene stated, a vein appearing on her forehead as she showed such vitriol towards Zeit and Oden, “Ahem... apologies, Master.”

“No need... I understand you all hate him for what he did, and rightfully so,” Sebastian said as he nodded, “However, Kronos Watches belongs to us now; I bought it. But according to Igrene and Emiline, someone broke into it last night. We're going to try and figure out who did so and why,” he raised an eyebrow, “Do you think Zeit has anymore friends running around here?”

“I doubt it... there's no way beings of his caliber could possibly exist in Schonheit without us knowing,” Mylene claimed... only to stop and think about her words, “Though... Zeit and Oden themselves were capable of doing so for decades so... perhaps we are not as aware as originally believed.”

“Hmm... well, it doesn't matter; we'll find out soon enough. I can only hope it doesn't cause any problems for us,” Sebastian stated, “Though that does make me wonder what we should do with Kronos Watches now that we own it. Emiline, Igrene, Faline and Larsine all did a good job clearing the place out so that no one could find Zeit's arcane books. But that doesn't mean we can't do something with the place, at least until we destroy Zeit's bunker.”

“Nyeh heh heh! I'd love to partake in that!” Mylene said with a grin adorning her lips.

Eeaaaar!

The sound of the door opening drew both of their eyes towards the hall, where their gazes met that of--

“Katherine?” said Sebastian, stunned, “What are you doing out here this early?”

The Housekeeper slowly entered the courtyard, her bespectacled eyes gazing first at her Master, then to her sister, before looking up and around their surroundings. It was a nice day today, but the gray clouds of a distant storm was starting to brew. Would it be strong – one of Schonehit's November storms – or would it be something weaker? Hmm...

Katherine's gaze eventually returned to Sebastian, her lips forming a smile before she performed a courteous bow to him. It took Sebastian aback again, for he wasn't expecting her to be so formal. He had spent so much time around her fellow drachenmagd, that they no longer felt the need to bow towards him. Sebastian didn't comment on her however, instead waiting for her to straighten up.

“Something wrong, Katherine?” Mylene asked, her typical moxie replaced with genuine concern.

“Ah... yes... no... yes,” the White Dragon replied, before focusing her attentions to their Master, “Apologies, Master Sebastian. I came to speak with you concerning what happened at the Watchmaker's store. Igrene has already informed you, correct?”

“Yes, she has,” Sebastian stated, “I'm planning an investigation as we speak. I'll bring Faline, Emiline and Adeline with me in order to do so. They have better eyes than me; they'll be able to notice things I don't. Ahem...” he looked at her, an eyebrow raising, “Do you wish to come too, Katherine?”

“Ah? Me? I thank you Master for the offer but... I'm afraid I cannot. I must stay here at the estate and continue my duties of looking after it,” she moved in closer, “Unlike my sisters, I... struggle whenever I leave the Faust Estate.”

“Huh? What do... oh... let me guess...” he reached up, his fingers tugging at her glasses, “Your eyes have something to do with it? Keeping your powers in check, I assume?”

“Korrekt,” she answered, “I only came to let you know what might happen if we find the culprit.”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“Master Sebastian... protecting our home... protecting you is very important to us,” Katherine stated, “Anything that threatens us or you must be eliminated. Much like with Zeit and Oden, if we think this person will bring us harm in any way, we will destroy them. No hesitation.”

“I see... well...” he nodded, “I understand, Katherine, and thank you for telling me this. But... hey, it may just be some petty thief looking for a score. I really hope it is, anyway.”

“For your sake... I do too,” the White Dragon replied as she turned away, “Now then, I must--”

Pat...

She looked down, noticing his hand wrapping around her wrist. Turning to face her Master, she noticed a pleading look in his eyes, and the charming smile on his boyish lips. Her other hand raised, resting on her chest as she got lost in his gaze, his face. It made that heart in her chest start to race.

“Would you... like to eat breakfast with me, Katherine?” Sebastian asked.

She didn't hesitate.

“Yes.”

…

“I cannot imagine the nerve someone would have to break into our property. Sickening!”

“Well... they wouldn't know its our property, would they?”

“Fuah! It doesn't matter! Such a shameful person; who'd steal from others in a place like Schonheit? The nerve...”

Leave it to Adeline to overdress for something as simple as an investigation. Then again, what is the correct wear for someone when performing said investigation? Business formal? Hmm... just a little something Sebastian never needed to ponder until now.

She sat in his lap; the small saffron shortstack of sweet smugness. While the Yellow Wyvern denied being Sebastian's doll everywhere save for the bedroom, she certainly enjoyed acting like it. Resting on his lap, pressing close to him, having her tail wrap around his waist; she wanted to be his all, his everything.

Maybe that's why her clothing was so out of the norm for her.

He was used to Adeline wearing dresses or skirts, typically a sundress of course. What he wasn't used to seeing her wearing would be shorts. Short shorts. Weren't shorts Nadine's domain when she wasn't working? Hell, he hadn't even seen Carmeline wear shorts, unless gym shorts count when they're all working out. It was an uncharacteristically contemporary look for the fashion-minded maid.

On her feet sat yellow heels, with black socks that extended all the way up to her thigh, though it flashed a helpful heaping of her legs before her shorts took over. It was a bit too tight, meaning plump amounts of flesh hung perfectly over the edge, which was only exacerbated by the tight shorts she wore as well. All of which hugged her body wonderfully, though that was no doubt the purpose.

As for her shirt, Adeline wore a yellow top, one with ruffles on it like the curtains on his window. It was tight around the top to no doubt flaunt her buxom chest, yet free-flowing around the bottom. Meaning that, yes, if she were to hop around, turn too fast, or even laugh hard enough, she'd flaunt her belly and midsection. Once again, this was probably the point.

Did she have to dress in such a way for something so serious? Haaah..

In contrast, Larsine was dressed in her violet butler uniform as usual, Faline was dressed in her green long coat and turtleneck as usual, and Emiline was dressed in her turtleneck and slacks as usual, only with a leather jacket on her shoulders. Oh... and a frustrated look in her eye.

Of course she was looking at them, her arms crossed, her teal eyes angry. But, no, she wasn't angry because of the situation; that being going to Kronos Watches in order to investigate it. No, she was angry because Adeline was sitting on Sebastian's lap! Not made any better by the teasing and taunting looks the Yellow Wyvern gave her sister every now and then. Or the swaying, hip movements she performed to ground her round ass into Sebastian's crotch. That in particular...

“Mfff... Adeline...” he muttered, though he didn't exactly tell her to stop... so instead, she only slowed down those hip movements.

Was that better or worse?

“We should focus on the task at hand,” Emiline claimed as she finally looked ahead, “Larsine, how much longer until we arrive?”

“Shouldn't be too much longer...” the Valet answered.

Driving through the streets of Schonheit, they were a bit more sparse than usual. Sebastian wondered why, though he blamed it on the gray clouds from above. It looked like it would rain later today, though he was left to wonder just how strong said storm may be. Schonheit was known for its strong storms alongside its elegance, was it not? But so far, he had yet to experience any of it. Here and now – on the onset of November – he wondered when the storms would become so powerful that they could charge Projekt Gottheit itself.

And to think, Mephistopheles herself had the ability to send Zeit and Oden to Earth without the need of some an arcane contraption.

No longer did Sebastian wonder what Mephistopheles was, now knowing her to be an echidna. But he was still not quite sure of who she was. A powerful being of some sort who not only birthed... no, wait, laid the drachenmagd as eggs, but also had enough strength to send Zeit and Oden through realms. Look, Sebastian's not sure what the logistics of inter-dimensional travel are, but seeing as how it took Heinrich Projekt Gottheit to do it, he figured it wasn't easy.

Hmm... maybe he should get back to reading Heinrich's Records; that may shed some light on his questions. But before he even got the chance to pull the book out...

“We've arrived,” Larsine announced.

They pulled up to the street curb, gazing at Kronos Watches together. But nothing about it seemed out of the ordinary; it looked virtually untouched. Whoever their supposed infiltrator was, they certainly knew not to leave a trace. This... this wasn't some run of the mill, spur of the moment thievery.

“Be careful, Master,” Emiline said as she stood before him in a defensive manner, “We know not who this perpetrator may have been.”

“I'm sure it's nothing,” Sebastian said, attempting to make light of the situation, “Though... I appreciate your resolve. Now then...” he gestured forward with his hand, “Could you do the honors?”

Nodding, Emiline's eyes focused forward and she opened the door, revealing the sparse emptiness of the once bustling watch store. Once again, nothing appeared out of the ordinary, for there was nothing in the place to begin with. They'd done an amazing job clearing out the building yesterday, leaving nothing in its wake. Not even dust.

So... where did this dirt come from?

It was a little bit; just a scuff mark in fact. You know the kind, right? Just a little foot print that you wouldn't even notice, let alone think about. A little brown here, a little gray there, and all of it in the slight shape of the bottom of sneakers. Hell, it was so invisible, so unnoticeable, that Sebastian himself didn't even see it.

But his maids did.

In a circle, Emiline, Larsine, Adeline, and Faline all gathered around the one shoe print, leering at it to the point that their eyes began to glow. It took Sebastian aback and he moved forward, only to stop and pull back. No, no, let them do what they were doing; he was nothing more than the human among them anyway.

Faline got down first, pulling out a metal needle which she used to pick up some of the dirt from off the ground. Lifting it, her eyes began glowing twice as bright, as if scanning the very existence of the dirt itself. Raising back up, her sisters too all intensely picked apart the dirt with their eyes, all whilst leaving Sebastian in the dark.

“Uh... girls...” he muttered, “Is... everything okay?”

“The dirt... it is from an apartment complex on the north side of the city. I think... Berhnardstr...” Faline claimed.

“The faint shape of the print... it resembles sneakers... Melvin and Hamilton, circa 2017, men's size 14,” Adeline continued as she looked back down, “Whoever broke into the store did so on their downtime.”

“And with the distance they traveled... this was not a spur of the moment thing,” Emiline added, her teeth baring fangs, “This was premeditated.”

“Huh? Whoa, wait... um...” Sebastian interjected before stopping to scratch the back of his head, “Let me... get this straight. This dirt is apparently from a apartment complex on the north side of the city, while the bottom design is from... Melvin and Hamilton...? How... how does that mean this is premeditated?”

“Think, Master,” Emiline answered, drawing his gaze towards her, “Faline claims the dirt to be from an apartment complex on the north side. If this was a random break in, our assailant would have collected dirt and grime from various places as oppose to only having dirt from his assumed home.”

“Meaning he got into his car and drove here,” Faline continued, garnering an 'Ah-ha' from her Master.

“So that's why you think it was premeditated. Whoever did it drove here specifically to break into the store... oh man...”

Closing his eyes, Sebastian laid his hand upon his face, thinking about all of this. Who would do such a thing and why? The more he thought about it, the more he feared it was yet another demon, or ally to Zeit's cause. And yet he was also quick to disregard such a thing. From all he knew reading Zeit's words and Heinrich's, only the Watchmaker and Oden hailed from other realms. But if not a demon, then who and why?

But wait...

“The bunker... is it still locked? It hasn't been disturbed, has it?” Sebastian asked as he looked at his maids, only for all of their eyes to come looking down.

The ground laid undisturbed, but the bunker sat beneath it. With one swipe of her hand, Emiline caused the floor's panels on the floor to pulsate in a bright flash of light. It lingered briefly, before fading away and vanishing to reveal the concrete beneath the store, and the hidden hatch leading to the bunker. Indeed, it remained undisturbed since the last time they were here, but the Marshal wasn't pleased quite yet.

Much like yesterday, she opened the latch to descend into the hidden bunker... only to return a few moments later, giving an affirmative nod.

“No one's been down there,” she claimed, with everyone giving a sigh of relief.

“Whoah... great,” Sebastian muttered as he placed his hand on his chest, “So that means whoever came here must not have known of it. And if they were in Zeit's circle, they would know it existed. So... that means it's not a demon like him. Thank goodness...”

“But that doesn't explain why someone would break into here,” Faline muttered, “It would have to be someone who has reason to break into this place...” she closed her eyes pensively, “One of Zeit's customers? No... no one would be so stupid as to break into a store just because they needed a watch...”

“What if it's sentimental?” Sebastian asked, only for Larsine to dismiss it with a shake of her head.

“Sentimental or not, to break into a place and risk capture for a watch would be... ignorant,” the valet replied, “They would have called the police in search of Zeit's disappearance...” her eyes widened, “Maybe that's it... maybe it's a police officer.”

“Why would you think that?” Emiline inquired.

“Think of it... Zeit suddenly vanished. Even if he was a recluse, he probably had some friends or colleagues outside of Oden,” she explained, “Meaning that his disappearance would not go unnoticed. Perhaps realizing this, the police came to the store to investigate.”

“They couldn't do so without a warrant,” Adeline replied, “Moreover, they would have investigated this place, learning that we bought this establishment. And the police would not be foolish enough to ever investigate a structure owned by the Faust family.”

“Hmmm... are you so sure about that?” Sebastian asked, drawing their eyes back to him.

“Fuh! But of course, Master!” Adeline replied, “What suicidal officer would ever think of investigating into the Faust family? And to do so in such an illegal manner as well!”

“Well... how else would you investigate an untouchable family?” Sebastian asked with a shrug of his shoulders, “You'd have to do so illegally, at least until you got answers.”

“I... don't quite follow,” Larsine muttered in a confused manner, only for Faline's eyes to suddenly glow.

“Oooooooh~! It's like a detective story!” she exclaimed, “A good cop must do bad things in order to gain the evidence he's looking for, even when no one else is on his side!”

“Heh heh... yeah, something like that,” Sebastian said as he sheepishly scratched the back of his neck, “Only... I guess in this situation, I'm the evil crime lord of the story... never thought I'd feel like this before...”

“So you think a police officer is investigating into you?” Emiline asked, to which the young earl nodded.

“Yeah, pretty much. And I can't lie, I gave them the ammunition to do it,” Sebastian stated, his expression shifting into a guilty frown, “We came in that morning demanding information on Zeit, so we'd obviously be suspect #1 if they think something happened to him.”

“No... no... only a fool would do something so ignorant!” Adeline cried, her foot slamming into the ground with enough force to shake the room, “How dare someone... how dare anyone question the Earl of Faust! Question you! They must be suicidal to do something so stupid!”

“Calm down, Adeline,” Sebastian said as he placed his hand on her head, patting it down, “Even if they do question me... I'm not that angry... hah...” he looked away, “After all, Zeit was a citizen of Schonheit, and we did kill him so... they have every right to investigate.”

“No...” Emiline replied, “They have the right to investigate commoners. Not you.”

Such a powerful statement... in the wrong hands, it could easily go straight to someone's head. For years, the Faust family have sat here as the undisputed kings and queens of Schonheit, where no one could even think about touching them. Even the police of the city did not question their authority, as Sebastian learned upon visiting the department yesterday. Such great power... it felt good, but he needed to reign himself in, less he be intoxicated by it.

So he took in a deep breath, understanding the situation and his drachenmagd's vitriol towards whoever was investigating them. If their mysterious interloper was indeed a police officer, then that narrowed the list down considerably. There were but so many officers after all.

But who would it be? Who would dare investigate the Earl of Faust? In fact...

“How did Igrene know someone broke into here?” Sebastian asked as he looked at Emiline, “And you did too, Emily... how?”

“Igrene placed a hex upon the store,” the Marshal explained, “A net to stop prying eyes from gazing inside as we cleared the place out. We wouldn't want to draw attention to us as we destroyed the bunker, nor did we want to risk someone sneaking into here while were weren't around. The hex comes with a curse itself.”

“A curse...? What curse?”

…

Snizzle... snizzle... snizzle... snizzlesnizzlesnizzle...

Haahh... hooooh... shit... did... did he, like hit his head last night or something? Why oh why did he still hear that damn nail filer!?

Snizzlesnizzle... snizzle snizzle snizzle...

“Haaah... hey Grimm... another hit over here, please?”

“Anymore, and I'll be driving you home. And I ain't doin' that again.”

“I'll have you know I can walk perfectly fine, you ass...”

Sweat percolated upon his brow, his hand rubbing his temple as the sinister nail filing noise continued to haunt him. To say Hansel was having a bad day would be an understatement; he was having a fucking terrible one. Everything was going fine at work – that's not the problem – but that damn noise that kept trickling into his ears. Endlessly, over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over!

Snizzle! Snizzlesnizzlesnizzle! Snizzle!

Fucking... damn... he wanted to put his pistol to his own head by now.

Poouuuuurrrrrr...

“Hah... danke...” he said, watching as his fourth cup that evening was filled to the brim.

Grimm's Bar was a favorite little spot of his, as well as his fellow members of the force. They all came here to eat, enjoying themselves and shooting the breeze after a hard day's work. Typically he'd be with them, yammering out and waxing poetic about some girl he knew in college. The name and hair always changes, but it's always the same girl. Hey, he's a story teller.

But today? No no... not today. He sat at the end of the bar with a half-eaten sandwich on his plate and a cup of pilsner in his hand, hoping some hard, cold alcohol would beat away the noise in his head. Clearly, it was not working.

“Hey, Hansel!” he heard his fellow officers heckle, drawing his eyes over briefly, “Why so glum!? C'mon over here and tell us about that crazy redhead you dated that one time! Or was she a blonde... a brunette?”

“Why bother askin'!?” another of his lawmen replied, “He always switches up the hair and the name and eyes anyway! But never the breasts! Ooh ho ho! Never the breasts! He always has to remind us about how large it is! HAH HAHAHAHAHA!”

He couldn't help but to roll his eyes, his ears ringing like he had a hangover when that wasn't the case. A part of him thought about rising up and putting them in their place, perhaps even indeed telling them that story of the redhead... or the blonde... or the brunette. But right now? Noooo, no, no. He wanted to go home, get an ice pack, lay it on his head, and maybe get some sleep.

Yeaaaaahh...

“'Ey! 'Ey! Where ya goin' Hansel!?” his colleagues cried, watching as he got up from his stool and looked to the door, “Suddenly got cold feet?”

“Oh fuck off Schmidt! Haaah... I'll see you all tomorrow,” Hansel muttered, his hand sliding into his coat to pull out some dollars, “Here, Grimm. Keep the change...”

The barkeep nodded, though Hansel's police friends continued laughing in their corner of the bar. Just hearing it was enough to trigger more of his pain, mixing in with the nail-filing noise which had troubled him all throughout the day. He continued brushing it off however, perhaps even planning to make a doctor's appointment for the near future. Whatever it takes to get this noise out of his head.

Ring-A-Ding!

Bringing up his hand as he exited the bar, Hansel waved it about in his face, testing just how buzzed he was at the moment. Unfortunately, he was still too sober to do something stupid; yet another curse of this headache-inducing sound. All the beer he drank only served to make his body hot, but not with the added benefit of reducing his mental capacity. He really did need that ice bag... and maybe a cold shower on top of that.

Pit... pit... pat!

“Haaah... really? Now...?” Hansel muttered in an annoyed manner as he gazed over head.

Schonheit had enough lights to illuminate even the night sky, or in this case, illuminate the gray clouds that covered the night skies. It had been raining on and off throughout the day, but now as he started his trek to home, he found the rain to really begin picking up. And here he was, having foolishly left his umbrella at his apartment despite knowing just how frequent storms occur in November here. Fucking nail-filing noise...

Welp, better get a move on...

He began heading off, his head held low to fight off the water, while his eyes remained locked forward. Still the sound of nail-filing afflicted him, scratching and scratching and scratching as he passed by others on the sidewalk. Sometimes he'd run his hand through his hair, half to dry some of the water, half to get a look around at his surroundings. Taking his usual path to his home, he didn't remember it being so...

Sparse...

The further he walked, the thinner and emptier the area around him became, and soon it was completely void of people. Was this because of the rain, which itself had grown even stronger during his walk? Yes, it was now beating against him, with slight grumbles of thunder in the distance, typically following faded flashes of light.

He was used to all of that but... what he wasn't used too was her.

Bringing his gaze back forward to look into the direction of where he headed, Hansel's eyes befell a young, petite woman. She stood on the corner of the street, her fists resting on her hips, her hair long and blonde. Adorned in what one could generously describe as a maid uniform, she stared in his direction, immobile and out of place.

Hansel... immediately felt something ill from her; this maliciousness that's hard to describe in words. He blamed it on her eyes. Where she stood at this time of night, her body was mostly covered in shadows, but not those eyes. They glowed like beaming yellow lights, trapping him in place.

Snizzle... snizzle snizzle...

Okay, well... that felt ominous, didn't it? Though this blonde young woman stood directly in his path to home, Hansel thought it best to take a different, more roundabout way to his apartment. So he cut through a nearby alley, the rain sounding less overbearing between the two buildings. Glancing over his shoulder, he wondered if the blonde girl was still there as he delved deeper into the back street. Instead, he saw another young woman appear.

This girl was a brunette, glasses on her face and a green cloak on her shoulders. And yet, she too was cast in a thick layer of shadows, ones that caused her brown glowing eyes to appear even more distinct. It was not so long after until she was joined by the blonde from before, the two of them looking at Hansel as they stood at the alley's entrance.

Snizzle. Snizzle. Snizzlesnizzle.

Looking away from the two, Hansel gazed down the alleyway before him to see the other exit. His footsteps increased, his walk transforming into a light jog as he got closer and closer and closer until--

Crack...

Yeah, the sound of knuckles cracking echoed out. A woman appeared at the exit to this alley, standing far, far, far taller than any woman he had ever seen. Her body was covered in a trench coat, but that did not hide the amazonian build she had on beneath. She was not alone, for beside her was a young girl, her height diminutive, yet her features so plump. Much like the woman beside her, she too wore a jacket, and much like the girls from before, they were covered in shadows save for their bright, glowing eyes.

Snizzle! Snizzle! Snizzle! Snizzle!

Fortunately for Hansel, this alleyway split off at three junctions, meaning he could turn at this corner beside him. His jogging had picked up in pace even more so than before, his eyes leering over his shoulders once or twice to see if anyone was following him. If they were, he couldn't hear their footsteps over the rain, his own footsteps, and the damned nail-filing sound that just seemed to get louder and louder.

What was going on?

SHLLIINNNGGG! CLANK!!!

“What the!?”

Hansel's eyes cut ahead, falling on a chain-link fence in front of him. It was open before, but now was suddenly closed, much to his surprise. And who did he see on the other end of it? Two young women; one dressed in a hoodie, the other dressed like a formal young man. They too had their bodies covered in shadows, save for their wide eyes that glowed.

SNIZZLE! SNIZZLESNIZZLESNIZZLE!!!

“Hurrrgghh! What do you want!?” Hansel shouted at the women, only for them to suddenly dart away, their bodies blurring like shadows all their own.

He rushed for the fence, clinging to and shaking it, only to stop as his head looked right. There was another path before him he could take, another alley through this maze of stone. It's then that he realized he was being purposefully guided on this path; someone was leading him on.

“Shit...” he muttered, the answer being as clear as day to him.

Walking down this alley, he heard the sound of boots and heels stepping against metal. It drew his eyes up, meeting the fire escapes above him where he saw a woman in a pink dress standing besides a woman in a black cheonsagm. The shadows... those damned, exaggerated shadows; they covered their bodies save for their bright eyes! This was madness! Just make it stop!

SNIZZLE!!! SNIZZLE!!! SNIZZLE!!! SNIZZLESNIZZLESNIZZLE!!!

“JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!!!” Hansel shouted, “WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FROM ME!?”

Rushing towards the alley's exit, he half expected someone else to suddenly appear in his way. Instead as he came to the end of the backstreet, his gaze befell a small park. Yeah, this park wasn't too far form his home; in fact he could see it from his apartment. Within said park was a statue of a woman, and from what memory says, her name was--

“Elza von Faust... you've gotta be kidding me,” Hansel said in disbelief.

His suspicions were confirmed, and he was no longer attempting to escape this small hell he was put in. Stepping forward, he walked upon the stone path that cut through the park. In the center of it was a gazebo, and sitting within said gazebo was a young man. Hansel came to a halt, for the young man was not alone. Besides him stood two women; the same women he remembered seeing at the police department when he came by yesterday. Which means the young man sitting between them was...

“Ah! You've arrived. Leutnant Hansel, am I correct?” Sebastian said, looking up at Hansel with a beaming smile upon his soft, boyish face.

The officer pursed his lips, mouthing out a word but not saying it. Instead he looked up at the two women beside Sebastian; the one with the green eyes and red dress, and the one with the teal eyes and leather jacket. The both of them were leering at him, but it was the blonde who was filing her nails. It was the exact same noise he had been hearing all day.

“What's going on?” Hansel asked, his eyes leering towards the young earl.

“Oh... right, I bet you'd like to know, wouldn't you?” Sebastian said whilst nodding, “Right... You've no doubt had a tiresome day. I know how it feels, promise. I wasn't always the earl of the Faust estate, heh!” he patted down the bench beside him, offering it's space to Hansel, “Come on, why don't you sit? Oh!” he looked over, “And Igrene, please, could you spare Leutnant Hansel the sound of your nail filing? I'm sure he's heard enough by now.”

“Yes, Master.”

Her filer left her nails, freeing Hansel of the sound that had hounded him since he broke into that store last night. He exhaled, not realizing just how constrained he was by a mere noise, but this only created more questions for him, and he realized this as he looked ahead with eyes wide. How did that happen? Was he just hearing her file her nails all day? But... this woman – Igrene – she was nowhere near him!

Hansel's heart began racing, but he kept himself in check. Sebastian was still patting the spot beside him, offering it. Getting the hint, the police officer gave a nod and swallowed his spit, before sitting down beside the young earl. When he turned around and looked out upon the park... they were all there.

Those eight women he passed by were all here, all in the park. And though they were closer now – meaning he could get a more defined look at them – that did not make them look any less sinister. Their sharp glares, their unflinching eyes, their intense visages; were they even human? None of this felt human. None of this felt...

“It's a nice night, isn't it?” Sebastian asked as he looked up at Hansel, “I'm used to rain. It happened often in the place I come from. But uh... Schonheit's supposed to have really strange, powerful storms out of season, right? That's what it's known for?”

“Uh... yeah... it is,” Hansel replied as he looked at the young earl, trying to ignore all the women around them and their powerful eyes, “You are... American, aren't you?”

“Heh heh... yes, my accent is terrible, isn't it?” Sebastian replied as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head, “Kind of embarrassing, really, but alas, I can't change who I am.”

Suddenly he took in a deep breath, his laughter dying down as he once more looked out over the park. Hansel did likewise, but those women and their eyes kept him pinned in place. He could feel his blood freezing over as they all stood there, looking at him, unblinking.

“Do my maids scare you?” Sebastian asked, jolting Hansel in place.

“They are... your maids...?” he asked, stunned that all these women worked under Sebastian, and all of them were out here to begin with. They all looked so wildly different from one another; some were tall, some were small, some were mature, some were young. About the only thing they all shared in common were that they were women! But even then, they just felt so... so...

Off...

“Why did you break into my store?” Sebastian suddenly asked, right out of the blue and without a moment of hesitation.

“Tch...! Wh... what are you talking about...?” Hansel replied, lying without hesitation.

Clack!

That seemed to alarm and frustrate the teal eyed woman beside him, for her foot suddenly slammed down. He looked at her, gazing into her eyes which he swore was easily tearing apart his very soul. His hands began to tighten, his anxieties over the situation only compounding. Thankfully, Sebastian was there to reign in his servant.

“Please, calm down, Emiline,” said the young earl, causing her bawled hand to unfurl.

“Haah... apologies, Master,” said the teal eyed woman.

“Now then, I repeat myself,” Sebastian continued on, his brown eyes gazing at Hansel, “Why did you break into my store?”

His boyish and beaming smile was so charming, so disarming. It quelled Hansel's fears a bit, though he naturally remained on edge when surrounded by the earl's many servants. They had such powerful and unfaltering eyes.

Stuck between the domineering eyes of these mysterious woman, and the kind eyes of the young earl, Hansel made a decision that was relatively easy.

Instead of answering Sebastian's question, he replied with,

“What did you do to Zeit Henlein?”

Sebastian nodded in confirmation.

“Ah, yes... I knew it...” he remarked, causing Hansel to raise an eyebrow, “I suppose yesterday morning when I showed up, it felt a little sketchy, huh? I appeared and just asked for Zeit's information, and left soon after. Yes, yes...” he smiled at Hansel again, “Heh heh! And you – being the dutiful policeman you are – investigated to see if something was up. I respect that.”

“R-really?”

“Oh yes! Heh heh! Everyone else probably told you not to do anything; I am the Earl of Faust!” Sebastian said with that charming smile and laugh of his, “They were probably like... 'no, don't investigate, he's the Earl of Faust, he owns this city' or something like that. Uh-huh, I understand...” his smile faded, his expression growing more serious, “Is that why you broke into my store? No one would help you? You had to take the law into your own hands?”

What was this kid? Some fucking psychic? How did he know all of this? Huh... maybe he was predictable. Yeah, that sounds more accurately. Well...

“You're right,” Hansel said, finding no need to lie, “I'm no fool, nor will I stand idly by and do nothing when someone vanishes,” he looked ahead to the maids, shivering as their eyes remained locked on him, “I'm not going to assume anything, but this feels... shady.”

“Yes, I know, and from your point of view, it certainly is,” Sebastian stated with a soft nod, “However...” he looked back up at him, “From my point of view, well... Zeit and his friend Oden... it's best if everyone merely forgot about them; they won't be around anymore.”

“What does that mean? Did you... kill them?” Hansel asked, to which Sebastian shook his head.

“Me? No...” he shrugged his shoulders, “But I wanted to.”

Sebastian's candid way of speaking on the situation spur even more fear within Hansel. He spoke so casually about the death of two men, yet he did so with this small, calming smile on his lips. Like a demon that invites one to their lair with a disarming voice and a kind smile... but there's something deeper behind all of this.

“Why?” Hansel asked, “He was a watchmaker.”

“To you he was. To me he was... something else,” Sebastian stated as he looked away from the officer, “For the betterment of everyone, it's good that he and his friend are no longer with us. If he was... well... life would never be the same.”

“You don't get to make that kind of decision, earl or not,” Hansel claimed.

Clack!

Once more Hansel tensed up, his pupils diluting as he again heard the sound of heels against the ground. One of Sebastian's maids moved in close, with the police officer even turning his head slightly to see which one it was. But before he could look too far, out the corner of his eye he noticed the one from before – Emiline – had moved a foot closer.

He was far too afraid to look over more.

“Normally I would agree but... I believe it goes without saying that, yes, I can make these decisions, and I will...” Sebastian claimed, causing Hansel to once again look at him, “I know this is difficult to swallow. I promise, even I find this hard to believe. I did not grow up as an earl... but I am a fast and patient learner. One detail I've learned since studying up on my family, is our tendency to handle situations that pertain to us personally. Times in the past where our family has had home intruders, times where we've been wronged, and yes, even robbed. All crimes committed against us – though few in the grand scheme of things – have all been handled by us and us alone. In the case of Zeit and Oden... this was one such time.”

“What did they do to you to deserve this?” Hansel asked, trying to at least get to the bottom of things.

“Even if I had enough time in the day, you would not believe me,” Sebastian remarked, his head shaking in a dismissive manner, “So I'll simply leave it at this; they broke into my home, attempted to bring harm against my maids and I. In turn, they were dealt with. Permanently. I do not enjoy what we did – I'd argue I'm a non-confrontational man – but I will do what must be done. They would have only continued to attempt bringing harm against my maids and I, and above all, I will protect them.” he smiled, “My maids... they are less like servants and more like family to me, I'd say. Ah... but I'm getting ahead of myself now...” he looked back at Hansel, giving him that beaming smile, “I respect your dedication, Leutnant. I had a conversation with your partner, Gretel, earlier today before coming to speak with you.”

“What!? Y-you did!?” Hansel muttered in surprise, his eyes darting about, “Listen, she didn't have anything to do with this; this was all me, I swear!”

“Heh heh! I know, I know! Don't look so scared, promise,” Sebastian said, his sweet voice calming the Leutnant down, “She argued in favor of you, you know. She and the rest of your police friends thinking highly of you, even if they also seem to think you're a bit lazy. A man who runs both hot and cold, my uncle would say. I respect that.”

“Hrrnngh... hmmm...”

Ya'know, one time years ago, Hansel got an insufficient grading on one of his tests. But this wasn't just a bad grade, no, this was the last straw in a series of bad grades he'd gotten. Enough so that his school called his parents, speaking to them personally in order to get to the bottom of things. There they learned all the dirty deeds he did... or, well, didn't do. Tests failed, projects lied about, papers undone; you get the gist.

That feeling of dread he got that day when he headed home, knowing a good ass-beating was eminent? Ooooooh boy... that was the most terrifying moment of his life. Going through the rest of school, riding the bus, walking home; his heart went down drop, by drop, by drop, by drop, by drop.

Throughout his life, he never thought anything could get as scary as that. Horror movies are nothing, fear mongering from news stations are laughable, the very real threat he encountered one day years ago in a hostage situation? Yes, even that paled in comparison to the idea of his mother with that belt as he came home from school.

But this? This younger man with blond hair, brown eyes, boyish charm, and a disarming voice? He was without a doubt the most horrifying person Hansel had ever come in contact with. The Leutnant's hand was tightening into a fist just to relieve some of the tension he felt, trying to calm his nerves in any way imaginable. But his head remained aching, and his blood was still cold. He had no choice but to hang his head low as he looked at the ground, nodding in a defeated manner as he said,

“Okay... I get it... I understand...”

“Wundervoll. I knew we'd see things eye to eye if we just sat down and spoke,” Sebastian stated, his smile growing as Hansel swore he saw rays of light beam from his face, “I'm so happy you're a very understanding man, Leutnant Hansel! I see why everyone speaks so highly of you!”

That voice... that damn, damn voice! Why was Sebastian being so... casual about things? His kindness only served to make Hansel even more anxious, fearing that – at any moment – some sniper would take him out from a distance, or something along those lines. Sebastian was being kind and nice, but nothing about this was good. The Leutnant understood his position; keep down and quiet...

Or else he'll be vanishing alongside Zeit.

Hansel truly didn't get a vibe of maliciousness from the Sebastian. However, that did not extend to his clearly sinister servants. These women – these maids – all eyed the Leutnant with gazes that could kill, and with the full intent to do so. He had no doubt in his mind that they'd slaughter him right here in the open if their Master commanded it.

His power was palpable, but the one in power was not powerful himself. Think about it...

“Carmeline. Come here please,” Sebastian suddenly said, the sound of his voice piercing the air and making Hansel shiver.

“What...?” he whispered.

Thunk...

Perhaps he had spoken too soon.

Looking forward, Hansel watched as one of Sebastian's servants walked towards him; the giant amazon from before in the trench coat. The Leutnant could swear that her every footstep made the ground shake around him, though that may have been his own fear for the situation exaggerating things. Nevertheless, she stood before him within this gazebo, her large frame blotting out the night sky behind her.

But it was those eyes. Those damn eyes.

Orange and bright... but he swore her pupils were slit like reptiles. When he gazed into those eyes, he knew he was not looking at anything even close to 'human'. Yes, she looked like a human in her body, but beneath this shell where was.... something else.

And that 'something else' suddenly grabbed him.

Her hand fell, no, slammed on his shoulder with enough force that he felt his bones rattle. Then she lifted, picking him up into the air like he weighed nothing more than a couple pounds. He was a grown man, one who weighted 190 or so pounds! But she one-armed him like he was nothing, even as he struggled against her.

“H-hey! Let go of me!” He growled, though all his thrashing amounted to nothing more than an annoyance to the orange-haired woman.

“I'd stop if I were you,” Sebastian remarked as he stood up and watched them, “Believe me when I say escaping Carmeline's grasp is impossible for the likes of us.”

Was this it? The moment where she kills him? How would she do it? Would she stab him? Shoot him? Slam him down with so much force that she broke his neck?

No.

Carmeline's hand instead slid into Hansel's pocket, making his eyes bulge. He struggled against her more while his eyes darted around in search of something, anything. Instead his eyes locked sight on Sebastian's face, the young earl's boyish charms being replaced with a more sharp gaze. He was looking for something too... and that 'something' soon revealed itself.

“Got you...” Carmeline whispered.

She pulled her hand back, revealing Hansel's phone. Not only was it on, it was recording. That sly, sly Leutnant; even when confused he was trying to get a leg up on the Earl of Faust. Having activated it sometime in the alley, he thought he could secretly record their conversation without Sebastian noticing it.

But he did, and now his maid was holding it.

“Just as resourceful as I thought you'd be,” Sebastian remarked, his boyish charms returning as he flashed Hansel a smile, “I really appreciate it, however! Such cunning cops we have in Schonheit; we truly have the best of the best! But...” his eyes then locked in on him, “You know I can't let you keep this, right?”

“I...”

“Don't worry. I understand, and really, no harm,” Sebastian stated in a warmhearted manner, “I appreciate your dedication to the people of our city, and I'm happy I have officers like you and Frau Hauptmann Gretel here every day. Now then...” he nodded, “Carmeline. Crush it.”

Hansel gritted his teeth as he leered at Carmeline, the orange-haired woman once more leering into his eyes. And... was it him, or had she sprouted horns from her head? In fact – as he looked around – all of Sebastian's servants had sprouted horns, tails, and reptilian eyes. And they all were looking at him. His heart began racing at double, no, triple the speeds, realizing he wasn't standing among humans at all, but monsters!

CeerrRRAAACCCKK!!!

SPLITTZZZZZZ!!!

His eyes cut over, watching as Carmeline's hand clenched over his smartphone, crushing it like she was some hydraulic press. Glass cracked, electricity cackled, and sparks even fluttered from within her palm. With one hand she broke his phone, grinding it into nothing but tiny little pieces. She then opened her hand, allowing those pieces to be swept away by the wind where they vanished.

Hansel watched, his spirit wavering, defeat flowing through him. Yes, he understood now; the Faust family truly is untouchable.

He blinked... and when his eyes reopened, the horns, the tails, the slit eyes that all the maid were sporting? Gone in an instant, leaving him to wonder if they were ever there, or if he only imagined it. But the shattered phone? Yes, that happened; he could not deny that.

Carmeline placed him back down, but Hansel's feet was like jelly. Shaking, he fell back upon the bench, sitting upon it while he tried to parse all that happened. That is until Sebastian stared at his face, his kind, beaming smile at odds with the dismal storm around them.

“It was a lovely conversation, Leutnant Hansel. Perhaps we can have another like it some time?” Sebastian commented, only to shake his head, “No... I think we should meet again under better circumstance. Well... until next time...” he gestured for the walkway ahead of him, “Come on everyone, let's go home.”

Slowly Hansel brought his head up, watching as Sebastian and the two servants with them in the gazebo all began to leave. One of his maids – the purple-haired one – pulled out an umbrella for her Master, with him thanking her for it. Meanwhile, the rest all traveled with him towards the sidewalk... well, all save for one.

One of the maids walked back to join him; the one in the red dress with the green eyes and blonde hair. She was standing with them in the gazebo, wasn't she? The one who was filing her nails.

Hansel jolted in place, fearing what she would do next. Instead her hand traveled into her pocket, pulling out... a new smartphone? Hadn't Carmeline just got done breaking the last one? The woman in red handed him this new phone, but her green eyes continued to penetrate his very soul. Grabbing his hand, she placed the new phone in his palm, gifting it to him as she said,

“Master Sebastian is a very kind and forgiving young man. You best be thankful he wished to give you a new phone, for he knew you'd be foolish enough to try and record your conversation. Now then...” she pulled away, “Never question my Master ever again.”

Hansel didn't say anything, instead nodding and accepting her words, and even swallowing his spit. She could sense it; the shear level of defeat within him. For now at least, he wouldn't be a problem to them. Now then...

Igrene turned away, walking with her sisters and Master back to the sidewalk. All the while Hansel sat there, questioning all that just happened.

A streak of lightning flashed through the skies.

…

“It felt good, didn't it? Having all that power.”

“Yes... yes it did...”

An ambient white light traveled along the furniture in his bedroom, casting a ghastly glow all around him. But... it wasn't unsettling. No, it felt more warm, more appropriate for what just occurred a few hours ago now. Standing here next to his window, gazing outside towards the stormy courtyard below, Sebastian felt... felt... felt...

He felt stronger than he'd ever felt in his entire life.

Rain pelted against his window, streaking down its surface while the courtyard outside had its bushes blown left and right. The storm had grown stronger by now, with the sound of it striking his walls transforming his bedroom into his own personal ambient sound chamber. Though knowing how the Faust Estate seemingly had everything, the young earl wouldn't be surprised if he did have an ambient sound chamber somewhere around here.

“My sister's spoke highly of how you handled the situation. Especially how you knew he was recording your conversation.”

“Ah... I don't think I did all that well,” Sebastian replied with a soft chuckle, his head shaking, “I'm sure Emiline, or Igrene, or Mylene... heck... all of them knew he was recording me. I just thought it was nice to buy him a new phone for when we broke it. Hmm... I'm sure you would have heard it to, Katherine...”

Turning around, Sebastian faced his bed where his eyes befell his Housekeeper. She sat on his mattress, resting on her knees while her body was covered in a translucent white nightgown, one that hugged her body tight while its bodice was in the shape of teardrops that covered her bust. All of the drachenmagd seemed to have their own special night clothes, even Katherine. The silver-white hue of it mixed with her paler skin and elegant hair, while her bespectacled eyes continued to enthrall him.

“I wish I was there to see your performance,” Katherine stated as Sebastian approached her on his bed.

“I know Igrene and Emiline... well... everyone will sing praises of what I did but... it wasn't that impressive, I'm sure,” Sebastian commented as he looked up at Katherine, his hand resting on her shoulders as she brought him in, “I don't see Leutnant Hansel as being a bad man. Quite the opposite really but...” he shook his head as his eyes closed, “He would never understand.”

“Humans never can understand the duties the Earl of Faust performs,” Katherine stated, “It's good that you put him in his place before he foolishly attempted to fix something that was never broken.”

“Yes... heh... I know,” Sebastian whispered.

Still, his heart raced, and not from fear of what he had done of course. No, like a child having experienced an epic action movie in the theaters, he relived the events of his conversation with Hansel in his head. Such an exciting endeavor, one that kept reminding Sebastian of just how strong he was. Well... Katherine said it herself, didn't she?

It felt good, didn't it? Having all that power.

“Hmmm... Katherine...”

“Yes, Master...?”

“I just... I... nmmm... mmmfff...”

his lips met hers, the kiss sweet, the taste vanilla. She was a slower kisser, pressing back into him while her arms held him in close. The sound of their liplock bounced off the walls, smacking and dancing, retreating... before coming back in to kiss again and again and again. But when she pulled away that last time...

“It's so hard, Master...” she whispered into his ears.

Her tail slicked around, rubbing against his crotch as she felt his hard on press against his pajama bottoms. He couldn't hide anything from his maids, could he? Not for long. But with how things were progressing, well... this was only natural.

“Let's just... take it slow tonight, Katherine,” Sebastian whispered, “Heh... Carmeline and Nadine put me through quite the wringer last night.”

“Ehehehehehe... okay, Master...” her eyes glowed as her arms tightened their hold around his neck, “I'll let you lead tonight.”

He nodded, his smile spreading out farther as the drive for pleasure slowly took over him. Leaning in, he pressed his lips to her once again, entering into a soft kiss as a hum escaped them. But his hands moved still, stroking down along Katherine's neck and shoulders to come resting upon her breasts. Fingers squeezing in, he clenched her tit through her nightgown, before sliding his hand back up to gently slide the strap down his shoulder.

“Haaah...”

One of her breast was revealed; large and round and rife to attention. So he squeezed it, fingers sliding into supple flesh as another moan left her lips. Still he kissed her, his lips pressing to hers to silence her moans, before sliding out to kiss upon her cheek, kiss upon her chin, coming own to her neck.

Katherine shivered with desire, her head leaning back as her Master showered her neck down with kisses and licks. Her glasses even became slightly skewed on her face, while her silver hair streamed down her back and pooled upon the bed. Sebastian meanwhile slipped off yet another one of the White Dragon's straps, her bodice falling over completely to flaunt her completely bare breasts.

Sebastian hands cupped in, pushing and lifting up Katherine's breasts as his hungry lips continued adorning her body in kisses. He slid down, licking her flesh before guiding one of her nipples straight into his mouth. He sucked on her flesh, moaning as her sweet, vanilla taste filled him. Arms wrapping around her waist, Sebastian pulled her in deeper, desperate to indulge in her flesh and form for as long as he could.

Her hand fell on the back of his head, coaxing more of her bosom into her mouth. And in turn, he gripped her tighter, holding her flush against his body as his hands slowly began pulling the dress from her form. Spit had begun trickling out of Sebastian's mouth where it slid along the curvature of her chest, oozing down where it stained her gown and his bed.

Inch by inch her dres came sliding off her body, withdrawn and left forming at her side. Katherine rested back on his bed, completely naked save for he elegant pair of panties resting on her hips. She laid back on his bed as she did so, flaunting her form to her Master. He smiled back, his pinching fingers gripping the band of her panties, pulling it down... and down... and down... and down.

But he didn't pull it off, no. Instead he left it handing on her ankle like some lewd little anklet.

Her pussy exposed, it oozed her sensual fluids down upon the bed. The vanilla odor was strongest now, with Katherine's body even shuddering to produce more of her scent. Enthralled by the smell, Sebastian leaned in close, his body hovering just a few inches shy of her crotch. His hands pushed up her legs, garnering a slight yip from her, though it was quick to disperse.

The lewd shape of her pussy, the oozing honey that poured from it, the slight puffing of the labia, and the cool white hairs that stuck to it. He stroked his hand along her pubic hairs, causing her hips to jolt from just his slightest touches. Was Katherine always this sensitive to his ministrations? Hmm... just a little something else he needed to learn about his White Dragon.

Stroke...

“Aahh...”

Stroke...

“Hoooh...”

Stroke...

“Mmmm... Masterrrr~”

He placed his hands to her labia in a 'v' manner, spreading her pussy apart so that he could gaze deep into the well of her womanhood. The oozing nectar, the bumps and grooves, the darkness in the distance; everything. Sebastian pulled in, his nose sticking up to her, and without hesitation...

“SNIIIIFFFFFFF!!!”

The sound of it was enough to make Katherine's body shudder again, though not to the same extent as feeling his tongue on her did.

“Haaaaaahhhnnn!?”

The audible smacking of his lips against her pussy rumbled into her ears, making her hips shiver as drool began oozing from her lips. Her Master was such a connoisseur of cunnilingus, expertly maneuvering his tongue within her folds as he explored her as deep as he could go. Was he good because of his teachings, good because of all the sex he's had as of late, or good merely because he wanted to please her to the best of his abilities?

Yes, yes, and most certainly yes.

Sebastian took his oral slow, sliding it and stroking it along the vaginal walls of his Housekeeper pussy. The vanilla taste surrounded and controlled his tongue, intoxicating him on her wonderful taste. All the while Katherine laid her hands above her head, her eyes closed shut as her mouth let loose moan after moan after moan of such melodic tendencies.

“Haaaaahhhnnnmm~~! Maaaassterrrr~!” Katherine cried, her body arching off the bed as she continued crying out in pleasure.

And he made sure his cunnilingus was loud. It wasn't enough for him to just eat her pussy, he wanted her to hear him eating her pussy. So he slurped, he suckled, he bit, he licked, he did everything! And all with it bouncing off the walls and straight into her ears.

By the time he was through, Katherine was left teetering on the edge of an orgasm, her white eyes glossy and her glasses fogged over. If they weren't, perhaps Sebastian would see the slight swelling of hearts dancing within her eyes. Her lips formed a kooky smile as her panting filled the air, all the while Sebastian leaned up to once again drink in the image of her beautiful body.

The sopping wet folds that called to him... hoooh... he grabbed his dick, more than ready to give it to her. He aimed it, everything was perfectly lined up, and Katherine could even feel the heat resonating from his cock as it drew near. Anticipation eating at her, she grabbed the bed sheets beside her head, clenching them in hand while Sebastian finally began pushing up into her. It was just...

“Nnnhoooooooaaaahhnnn!!!”

It slid into her body with nary a response, though Katherine would occasionally give a squeeze. The warm, wet moistness of her pussy made sure to clench and hold around every inch of his dick. It all popped and squelched and slurked; an audible orchestra of sensual sounds. Sebastian kept pushing up until they were locked together by their pelvises. Her legs spread, Katherine gazed down to the point where she and her Master was one, feeling his cock buried into her core.

Was it her, or was it deeper than usual?

“Haaah...”

His deep breath upon penetrating her echoed into her ears, and Katherine grew silent as well. Gripping her hips to brace himself, the young earl began pushing his length deep into her body, and pulling back with as much draw strength. The glands stroked along her bumps and folds, jolts and shivers rushing through her body as drool streaked down her chin. Katherine's body arched again, her breasts bouncing and her wings contorting, all as pleasure rushed her form.

Her pussy was swelling, making it even harder for Sebastian to push. But that didn't stop him from actually doing so, sliding in and out of that molten cunt as he put in more strength behind himself. Unlike previously with Nadine and Carmeline who took control over him, and even before that with Rodeline where he overdid things, now Sebastian had found himself a steady yet strong pace. His cock slid in and out of her cunt, beating down her defenses as every push jerked her up. His every impact made Katherine's breast bounce softly against her chest, a feeling that only increased with every passing second.

His strength doubled, his speed did too, all as his driving dick twisted and turned inside of her with grinds and thrusts. Sebastian abused the tiny little buttons within Katherine's cunt, making her eyes bulge as madness and pleasure flowed through her. Hunkering down, her Master began driving his cock like a piston inside of her, slamming away with precise aim. Katherine herself pushed up her legs, her eyes closing as her toothy smile spread out wide, these joyous tears even streaming down her face. She allowed Sebastian to have everything her body could offer, and everything beyond that as well.

Just keep slamming and thrusting and pushing and fucking and fucking and fuck!

“HAAAAHHHNNN!!! MAAASSSTEERRRR~~~!”

Those hips... those damn hips. They blurred as he slammed into Katherine, jerking her head back as she bit into her bottom lip. Her grip on her sheets had grown to the point that she had poked holes into his bed sheets, something Adeline will no doubt be dealing with in the days to come. As if either of them cared at the moment, not as Sebastian slammed harder and harder and harder and harder and harder!

And harder.

And harder.

And har--

“Gaaah! Ooooooooohhh...!”

“HAAUNN!?”

It came gushing inside of her like a waterfall; this thick torrent of copious Faust seed that spilled, and filled and dribbled over. Heavy and hot, steamy and smelly, it flowed into her, shot after shot after shot. And with a body as naturally cold as hers, something so hot immediately burned inside of her. Katherine groaned as she arched her back, her eyes closing and her pussy contracting, spasming around his girthy length as she too met her orgasm.

Vanilla. So much vanilla. It came gushing from her cunt in clear, white juices, and it filled the air all around them. All around his cock and pelvis she marred him with her vanilla scent and fluids, the stench of which coated the air in a fog that dominated his nostrils.

My... oh... my...

“Aaaahhhn...”

Plap...

With his head laying between Katherine's bosom while she held him close, Sebastian had to say; considering his somewhat poor showing with Rodeline, things could have gone worse. But as he laid against his Housekeeper with her hugging him in, he let a cute purring noise escape his lips.

“Hmmm... thank you for everything, Katherine...” he whispered, hearing her chuckle softly into his ear.

“Shhhh... Master... it's okay... ehehehehe... I love spending time with you...” she claimed whilst squeezing him, with him in turn squeezing upon one of her breasts, “Ohhh... haaaahh... hmmm...” she snuggled him deeper, her giggles flowing into his ears, “Don't worry, Master, I'm not going anywhere.”

“I know... and neither am I... I... haah...” he moved his head in closer, “Ahah... close the curtains please Katherine. And turn out the lights.”

“Eheheheheh... of course, Master...”

She raised her fingers up high, and...

Snap!