Deep Slumber

Chapter 18

"Okay, so let me get this straight. Armin's been fucking kidnapped by vampires?!" Jean yelled, his fists clenched. Marco tried to calm him, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder. The others seemed confused, but soon overcome their confusion quicker than the horse.

"Yes Jean, that's what I said. You don't need to shout, horses should been seen and not heard."

"Fuck you Jaeger, I thought we agreed to stop the horse jokes!" Jean stepped closer to me, as if he was challenging me. I forgot how much fun it was to wind this guy up.

"Calm down Jean, Eren was just 'horsing' around." Connie said, snickers can been heard echoing though out the room. Jeans face grew red and as he was about to land a punch in my gut, Mikasa grabbed his wrist before his knuckles could touch my shirt.

"Guys! Don't fight among us! We have bigger problems than a petty quarrel between you too!" Mikasa shouted, stepping between us.

"Yeah Jean."

"Eren" Mikasa said, turning her head so her piercing grey eyes glared at me because of my sudden outburst.

"Okay, we're all frazzled, let's try and rescue Armin first. Please?" Krista says, moving a blonde strand of hair behind her ear. Mutters of agreement erupted into symphony once those words left her pink lips.

"Krista's right. Eren who, to be exact, kidnapped Armin?" Ymir asked, slinging her arm around Krista's shoulder.

"They called themselves Petra and Oluo, of course they could be aliases, completely fake identities, we have to bear that in mind."

"Okay, We have a lead. A small one, but we have something to work with."

"Yeah, true." I said, scratching the nape of my neck. A hundred possibilities for this situation running through my head. One kept reoccurring, kept surfacing my mind. "I once saw Petra talking to the Inn keeper."

"Great, why don't we split into two groups. One half can do research on, Oluo? Yeah, Oluo, the other half can find out about Petra."

"You guys heard Ymir, let's get going! The quicker we find out about those bastards the quicker we find Armin." I clapped my hands after I finished speaking, nodded of agreement appeared and everyone separated into two groups.

I edged around people and tried to find my way out of the sea of people. I stumbled over someone's foot and found my way out, brushing my hip on a wooden table.

"Eren! Wait, your not leaving my sight!" Mikasa yelled quietly as the other started to accomplish the task their group had been given.

"Sorry Mikasa, I was kinda finding it hard to breath amongst all those people. Needed some oxygen, very important."

"Fine, okay. So shall we find the inn keeper?"

"Yeah, let's check his offic."

"Sure." She said pulling her scarf around her neck tighter. I gently patted her shoulder and she weakly smiled at me, I smiled back and we made our way down the hall towards the office. Knocking on the door lightly we waited, minutes passed and time flew by along with our patience. I knocked again, loader, harder, my fist clenched tightly.

"Maybe he's away? We should come back later."

"I want wait a little long, you can go ahead if you want." I said, my green eyes meeting her cloudy spheres. She hesitated, her face embedded with confusion and a difficult decision awaited her answer.

"Eren... Are you sure?"

"Yeah! What the worst that could happen."

"Do I need to remind you abou-"

"I know, I know, know! I know... Trust me, please."

"It's not that I don't trust you, I'm scared...Just, please take care while I'm gone. Okay?" She murmured, turning her gaze away from me. I pulled her into a hug and she looked up at me when took a step back. Nodding softly she made her way back down the hall, occasionally sending a glance or two at me.

I knocked again, nothing. Again, nothing. Frustration over came me and I gritted my teeth, the old man has to have a hearing problems or is to busy to hear me.

I gripped the door nob, unlike the other rooms this one was plated with iron not copper or bronze. I twisted it, flakes of rust crumbled off and fell onto my finger tips. The old door groaned as I pushed it open, darkness has engulfed the office, only a faint outline of objects and furniture can be seen.

I squinted my eyes, trying to see inside the office. I stepped inside and ran my fingers along the smooth walls, looking for a light switch. I found one by the door and a dim light filled the room.

Laying on the desk was the Inn keeper, drenched in his own blood which seeped off the table and onto the once creamy carpet. His eye had rolled into he back of his head, leaving a white sphere, the capillaries enlarged with blood, snaking along the rotting surface. His mouth open in a forever silent scream, thin cuts were dotted across his cheeks staining his face crimson. Arm bent at an odd angle, the bone sticking out adding a distorted effect to the rotting corpse.

I stood there, not believing the horror before my eyes. The stench of flesh and copper filled my nostrils, I felt faint, sick, ready to pass out. My eyes flickered around the room in a hurry, everything was just a dull blur.

My breathing became intense as I saw the writing on the wall. Written in curly letters, the blood of the Inn Keeper used as the ink. Drops dripping down the wall mixing with other letters making the words almost unreadable, but I could see them perfectly.

Where the earth reaches the sky, is where you will find the prize.