Wicked [Super 4]

XII.Loss

Please excuse the amount of yapping in the first part of the chapter, I couldn't really fix it once I noticed it...

Franz

We've been here in Kingsland for a few hours. Brock and I have accompanied Twinkle to the dungeons, where she's been flying up and down the hallway for quite a while now. Alex's talking non stop with his dad and other knights, and Gene's with him. Apparently, they found Ruby's cell door opened and a dead knight in Leonora's chambers after a witch attack yesterday, in which the furios took part in. Neither of the two girls have been found, so Twinkle is practically losing it. Every once in a while, she remembers that Brock and me are here as well and comes up to us to say something like "What if a furio ate Alien? He isn't here either!" or "What if the witch turned them into rats, and someone accidentally kills them?!"

Brock, on the other hand, won't talk to anyone. Ever since we've told him that we had to leave his jeep behind, he's been mad at us. He'll get over it, I'm sure. I hope it's soon.

We hear someone's footsteps on the staircase, so Twinkle draws out her wand in case it's an undesired guest of some sort, but it turns out it's actually just Gene.

--This is the information we've gotten about the incident--He starts explaining the moment he steps on the dungeons' floor--. It was caused by a witch that the knights have identified as "Eloise Évêque", the daughter of one of the castle's nobles. She had been missing ever since the day we came back after our first mission together as the Super 4--. Whenever you hear Gene saying the name people chose for them, you can always notice a little hesitation. He doesn't really like it--. This Eloise was, apparently, very dear to Leonora. Nobody has been able to tell us why she would become a witch, as they do not know--. He pauses for a moment--. The dead knight is Gareth, and...

--Gareth?!--Twinkle interrupts, horrified--. But he's big and strong and has experience fighting witches, how could one have killed him?!

--He was--. Gene corrects her--. The body was found with two fatal wounds, one in his stomach and the other one in his head. I've been allowed to analyse them, and they haven't been opened via "magic", the piercing object was most likely cylindrical. My hypothesis is that a witch staff was the weapon used, as none of the other witnesses has reported the witch having anything else on her.

I listen attentively as he speaks. It is scary, yes, but it's also a really big chance to learn from the scientist of the year. However, I feel like I'm the only one really paying attention, as Twinkle is pensive and Brock is still sitting in his corner with his arms crossed.

--Lastly...--Gene starts again, but he gets cut off by Twinkle again.

--Gene, listen to me!--she suddenly starts, gesturing a lot--. What if this Eloise is Babacara's apprentice?!

--There's not enough rational proof of...

--Babacara blamed me and Alex for her apprentice disappearing--She explains it like it's the discovery of the century--. And this Eloise girl is related to both Kingsland and Enchanted Island!

--Enchanted Island..? But I didn't even mention...--The scientist looks more and more confused.

--There's a noble lady banned from Enchanted Island. My fairy friends told me once! She barged into the castle without permission a few days after I was banned, and asked to get taught "witchcraft". Of course, the fairies were VERY angry so they banned her right away! What if she went to Babacara after that?!

--Well, that...--Gene is clearly surprised. It almost feels like he didn't expect Twinkle to have anything but sparkles and rainbows inside of her brain--... That's a possibility. Babacara is an expert in the so-called art of "witchcraft", after all.