First Return

Masao led the two down an alley leading back to Elizabeth's mansion. Stopping at the end of each to check that the coast was clear before crossing the street to the next, to avoid constabulary who would ask questions of an orc man carrying a body. "Wait..." he said, poking his head out seeing a few officers and ducking back into the alley, motioning for them to step back into the shade a bit, and giving the shush motion waiting for them to pass.

The officers passed by without even realizing Maseo, Lily and the Orc, Nugbu, who still held Wayne in his arms, were there. If they had been caught with the rings of the Order could have gotten them out of answering questions, but the less the police knew the better.

By now the distant screams had, pretty much, died down. The streets were slowly going from the darker, grimmer alleyways, to the more bright and quiet streets of the upper class. It was as if this part of Paris was its own world in many ways. It wouldn't take long to get to Elizabeth's house from here.

Masao walked the group through back alleys until they arrived at more open streets, though Masao still took them a longer way only using mostly empty streets until they arrived at Elizabeth's home. Taking the opposite approach to keep the house blocking the line of sight of the nosey neighbor.

It was 12 year old Clement that spotted the group return through the back entrance first. He stood there for just a moment, having no idea if the house could hold another Orc. But then he spotted, the Orc holding a man who looked sick or was he....

"Captain Maseo, Miss Lavigne and umm...Sir," addressing the Orc as Sir because he didn't know his name. "I will fetch Lady Elizabeth." Clement didn't know what to make of the situation but that was usually the correct thing to do.

True to his word, Lady Elizabeth came outside in record time with Harold close behind.

All mages can sense life, it is like a glow, a warm feeling, even if the person is barely holding on. Elizabeth felt none of that coming from Lily's father. It was clear the man was dead.

"I am so very sorry, Lily." In a show of compassion, the Lady broke her formality for her younger friend, but anything more to that end would have to wait as Elizabeth had no idea how long the group had been carrying around Wayne's body.

Follow me," Elizabeth said. As they were walking, she asked. "Where are Mr. Sung, Miss Lagrave and Dr. Jackal?”

Masao paused a moment. "Well..." He said, unsure of what to say exactly. "He ran off so they went to get him. Considering the situation Mr. Sung sent us ahead to get Miss Lily to safety as a priority." He explained. "I expect they'll probably catch a cab back.”

Lily nodded and replied, "Thank you." in response to Lady Elizabeth's words. She was still upset at the sudden loss of her father but was slowly coming to terms with that. Oddly enough she was privately glad to see Big Red eat her father's killers alive since they got their "Just Desserts' in the end. She knew that Lady Elizabeth was going to have a busy night with the mission report, the funeral arrangements and the chaos caused by Big Red, so she was not offended by the short apology. So she then excused herself to freshen up in her room till they had to meet again.

Elizabeth quickly caught on that Dr. Jackal must have transformed even if Maseo didn't say those exact words.

Elizabeth nodded to Lily and let the woman go on her way. She would speak to her later.

She led Maseo and the Orc to Dr. Jackal's lab, opened up the door and went to a button on one of the far walls, and pressed it. What almost looked like a shelf came out of the wall but upon a closer look it was easy to tell it was a metal box, with a tube hooked up to it. Elizabeth opened the box, it was sized for a body. Maybe not an Orc body but an average height of many other races.

"Put him in here," Elizabeth watched as the Orc did just that. Once that was done the Eldren closed up the refrigerated box and, using the same button, slipped it back into the wall. It was a good thing there was more than one box, because Dr. Jackal still had the body he had been researching in here as well.

Elizabeth turned to the Orc. "Thank you, do you mind telling me your name?"

"Nugbu," The Orc responded.

"Well,then thank you for your help Nugbu. Come now, both of you, let us go back to the main house so you can get cleaned up and fill me in on what happened." Elizabeth led them back to the house, where Harold who had left for the house when Lily did, had started to get things ready.

Elizabeth excused and went to her office, asking Clement to get Cronk for her.

Masao nodded and headed off to his room at the house after having stopped a maid to get him what ever she could find that would roughtly fit him while his clothes were washed. Before stepping into the shower he opened the bag and looked at that statue called "The Visage" it was beautiful but still he couldn't understand how all this mess came partly over this coral statue. "Hmmm." he said closing the bag before getting cleaned up, dressing and taking the bag with him to meet with Lady Elizabeth.