Chapter 5 Home is where the Heart is (Ubberific) GMed by ranger

[ranger]

Rikke moved down and as she drew closer it became evident that it was no lamp. A few moments later the glow began to move and went down the right path Rikke had yet to explore. Soon the glow vanished leaving Rikke and her bright light alone again. There was only one place to go and that is where the apparition had gone. Moving forward she began to hear slight whispers in the dark. Half made out words and phrases reached her ears. Soon she came to another split. Some stairs lead up but another heallway moved further into the darkness.

 

[Ubberific]

Rikke stepped closer, a tad more relaxed-- only for just as the girl moved towards the 'lamp'... said lamp began to move as well?! The small detail utterly rooting the rogue in place, as she'd look to the light suddenly move and dash aside! T-There were no footsteps to be heard even in this empty hallway, meaning.... meaning... Rikke felt an all-too unpleasant goosebump rush through her body, as right now she'd give everything to have Beauty in her hands!

S-still... be it out of hope or morbid curiousity, Rikke winced and followed the ghost-- H-Hey! Who knew! Maybe these were actually helpful spirits! Rikke assured herself in her mind, most choosing to believe the notion rather than truly embracing it! Still the deeper the girl went the worse it got, as suddenly the darkness and dread all around began to attempt and gain a voice! A voice that made the orange haired beauty rather than slowly walk, absolutely 'subtly' rush forward! So much that the moment she saw stairs she'd rush right up them!!! The single thought of 'G-Get me out of here! Please!!!' echoing through the beautys senses in borderline panic!

 

[ranger]

Rikke quickly mounted the stairs leaving the voiced down below. Reaching the top she found a much ruined hall. The immidiate path to her front was chocked with debris but passable, while the right had utterly collapsed. Moving forwad threw the chocked passage way RIkke soon came to a open area with two doors on either side and the cluttered hall going deeper. The door to he right once had a glass pane in its middle but had long busted leaving gleaming shards of glass scattered about. Her light cast enough into the room to reveal tables of some sort. The door to her left was similar but glass intact though its frosted glass let no light pass threw.

 

[Ubberific]

Rikke certainly needed a moment just almost running in-place to clam down, yet thankfully seemed the ghosts stayed back! "P-Phew..." goodness knew the rogue wouldn't look at night-time wanderings the same for quite a while after that! Still now that her presence of mind had returned for the most part, the girl could exhale and look back, as indeed seemed she had ascended atleast one floor up!--- Yet... where were the windows?

The small detail quickly spurring exceptionally curious gazes from the girls to each side and even up... as unbelieveably she didn't seem to be above ground yet? T-then this meant the old University had SEVERAL floors below ground?! It-it couldn't be... not unless it was for some sort of geomancy class! Yet clearly the answer whether she was indeed above ground would come only once she ventured deeper in! Steeling herself from her escape, the rogue lifted her lamp and moved onwards through the ruined building.

Glass rooms? Rikke blinked as she certainly couldn't even guess what these were... as out of curiousity, she'd attempt to open the intact one and shined her light inside, would the room allow it the girl even entering inside! Afterall.. .if she was going to solve this unexpected mystery of the complex beneath the University she'd need to actually look around for clues!

 

[ranger]

The door gave easily and Rikke stepped threw. Her light spreading threw the strange room full of tables and empty flasks beakers and jars. Some tipped or spilled leaving strange stains or even burns on the hard stone tables that dotted the room. A wall at the back end had several dozen jars full of liquids that the rogue couldn't puzzle out. Thankfully a discarded notebook had Handy Alchemical Formulas as it's title though the rest of the book was water damaged.

 

[Ubberific]

Oh... and Alchemy class! Rikke could only snicker to herself as after wandering the darkness and the ghostly guests downstairs the girls thoughts had certainly turned far more dire and dark! Still... it hardly explained why this place was underground, yet all the bottle and beakers certainly fit the scene perfectly. Though if there was little else, the rogue left the damaged book where she had found it and continued onwards... at the very least seems she reached the area where classes were taking place!

 

[ranger]

As Rikke perused the Alchemy lab she recalled that no such course was offered at the university currently. Still there was nothing else of note in the room unless she want to play mad Alchemist and experiment with old and probably unstable reagents. Leaving the room after he exploration she checked the other. This had similar tables but none of the alchemy tools. A box of very sharp looking knives and other questionable devices lay scattered on the ground however. No books or signs gave hint to what the this room had been, but a familiar looking brown stain on one of the tables made the hairs rise on the back of her neck. Still rusty knives aside there was little in this room to help her. It was then she felt another cool presence nearby accompanied by footsteps they sounded as if they where coming up the stairs.

 

[Ubberific]

Had the circumstances proved a tad different, perhaps the rogue would've indeed explored the potions and her own... questionable alchemy talents in full, though with ghastly escape from the ghosts not a dozen minutes ago and the sheer uncertainty of where the exit was, somehow the beauty didn't fully feel like indulging her curiousity this time! Well at least not through just goofing around!

Yet just as things seemed to grow far more comfortably and calm, the rogue moved onwards to the other room she had seen--- as she'd freeze up just upon the simple act of opening the door! An almost black blood caged table, glints of numerous sharp blades and an omnious atmosphere throughout! Rikke could only look on with a sheepish nervous smile and but a single cold bead of sweat rolling down her face... S-she couldn't catch a break in this place could she?!

Though as if the sight hadn't proved terrible enough the terrible chill returned, now accompanied by slow echoed 'Thuck... thuck... thuck's of someone climbing the stairs?!! The slow and horrendous echo throughout the empty blackened ruin nothing short of rushed goosebumps through the beautys body as she'd quickly pick up speed and move past the duo of rooms in whatever direction AWAY from the stairs! W-Why were the ghosts coming upstairs?!

 

[ranger]

A panic welling in Rikke the girl rushed forward only to trip on some unseen item that caused her to stumble. In an effort to catch herself her light fell free of her hand and bounced down the hall rolling to a stop right before a large gap in the floor. She was bathed in darkness just outside her lights gentle glow. She was thankful it hadn't gone out or tumbled into the hole below. Still as she regained her footing she could feel the hairs on her neck stand erect as out of the corner of her eye a pale blue figure almost indistinct walk by. Only a hint of swish hinted at the ghostly maids identity. It seemed to pay her no mind as it continued to walk down the hall unimpeded by its terrible state. A faint haunting hum that sounded familiar echoed past Rikke a tune she had heard in happier times at the Peslies. She watched as the ghostly maid walked right over the hole in the floor as if it was solid. Her own light seemingly brightening when it reached her dropped crystal. This seemed to cause the ghost to pause and even look down at the item seemingly confused before moving on once more. The ghost brighter light cast a bit further than her own and Rikke saw the hallway split again. The ghost turned left where Rikke knew the next stairs up would be. Suddenly the ghost girl shriked in terror before she seemed to fall as if slashed by a might claw her essence fading leaving only her light in the dark once more.

 

[Ubberific]

Rikke rushed only to trip and in seeming slow motion see her lamp rush forward from her hands and clink, clank and thunk some ways ahead of her and stopping right on the very edge of seeming utter darkness! The girls whole body tensing up as it lightly creaked turning to roll towards the unseen depths-- only to teeter back, spurring an utter sight of relief from the beauty. So much that her eyes would fall down lightly--- yet just as the crisis appeared to be averted something gently blue and bright caught the rogues notice on her peripheral vision!

The out of place color, spurring the beauty to slowly turn her head, moments later catching view of the ghostly pale foot seemingly silently and non-chalantly wlaking right past her?! The girl barely contained her scream, yet covered her mouth with both hands, before she could expose herself instead only watched the supernatural creature with wide eyes and a paler tone throughout her face! Yet the visage as ghostly as it was, not only did not seem hostile, but quite the opposite... as this seemed to replay the unknown figures last moments?

RIkke blinked as her eyes finally relaxed from her cower at the shriek, her eyes blinking as she'd visibly relax and carefully approach her lamp, before picking it back up... Still would the ghost not lie, whatever caused the girls demise seemed to be some sort of claw attack? One that the girl wasn't expecting judging by her calm movements? The rogues eyes narrowed as she'd look to try cross the gap, before heading to the spot this attack supposedly happened, perhaps there were some clues around there? The simple fact that the ghosts haunting her had turned out to be just echoes... still creepy echoes, but still innocent echoes of the unknown incident that may have cause the great fire, absolutely inspiring a fair bit of courage in the beautys heart! Courage that urged her to investigate!

 

[ranger]

Rikke easily fetched her light its brightness clearly revealing a sturdy beam for her to cross. Once accomplished she reached the site of the attack. Indeed this building shared a least the same shell as the dorms even if the main floors where a bit different. No signs of old blood showed themselves nor any remains perhaps the girl had been found before this place was abandoned. Still as her eyes glanced up the stairs she could see three massive claw marks along the wall and ceiling.

Going up would lead her higher up and closer too an exit but as her head turned to the right another set of ghostly echos echoed out, only these sounded like panicked running. The creature had come from the stairs. His first victim or at least by Rikke's knowledge was the poor maid here. Her eyes looked down the passage way before catching onto a faint flicker of another damaged light crystal down the hall.

 

[Ubberific]

Bingo! As while hints of the scene itself were hardly present, perhaps hinting at the attack may not have been as lethal as it appeared? The beauty all too clearly saw the scrapes on the walls around the stairs! Though since these were still visible, it meant noone fixed the wall up.. in turn hinting that this attack had come either during the event that closed the sector off OR after it was closed! In fact, was this unknown attack the reason the building was closed down?

Rikke gulped as she'd look down the haunting hallway, as even if the girl suspected whatever she saw there to be just an echo of a tragedy... potentially learning a tad more of this attack could prove important! Especially with the memories of the creature outside suddenly crossing the girls mind!... Chances were this event and what was going on outside were not entirely unrelated! Slim chances, but they were there! As with a deep breath and bracing herself for the worst and a haunting, the girl went onwards first to investigate the hall!

 

[ranger]

Gathering her courage Rikke moved on down the hall to the flickering light. Here she found more claw marks. Here a doorway sat just in the reach of her light. Once more the air got cool and she could see her breath in the air as another blue figure stepped threw the door. This one was more indistinct than before. She stumbled slightly fell to her knees holding her belly before falling to the ground and vanishing. Unlike the previous scene there was an old stain on the ground here. Who ever fell her didn't make it out. Oddly enough a rusted dagger lay nearby. It was an old style and small easy to hide, almost like a letter opener. Peaking to the room she found an office with a small desk, and another closed door inside.

 

[Ubberific]

Rikke winced, but blocked out most of the horrid image from her mind. As indeed heading here the rogue had another purpose... to determine where the attack had come from! Afterall, the stairs clearly had claw marks on them... yet were they marks of entry or exit? And was it just one creature? Though knowing the ghosts were still active and haunting around here, Rikke certainly felt almost.. uncomfortable to attempt and look through the papers! Moreso considering these were the victims!--- Wait.

"Hello!" Rikke suddenly spoke up piercing the silence all around "I'm Rikke! Rikke Daleru, if any of you still understand me. Please, help me find out what caused this!" though it was a long shot, considering how the ghosts appeared to be stuck in seeming brief flickering loops of their deaths, rather than exist beyond that.... yet it was worth a shot! Perhaps atleast one of the ghosts could guide the beauty directly to whatever was key and lied within here!

Yet would Rikkes call out remain unanswered, the rogue would sigh lightly and steel herself anew as she'd step inside the office and after giving the table a brief glance over, moved onwards! Where did this attack come from... there has to be clear indications, what with the brutal style of the creature and its massive claws!

 

[ranger]

Rikke called out, but nothing answered. Sighing she stepped into the room and looked over the desk. Most of the writing was too faded or damaged to make out. However a nearby nameplate read "Ms. Jones Secretary" It was then she felt the cool air chill her once more. Seemingly at the desk a figure sat flipping threw unseen paper work in a hurried panicked motion. Standing up she moved to the door where Rikke stood only to suddenly jerk to a stop turn towards the closed door. Her arm was raised as if someone had held it up. She mouthed some words that Rikke could hear, the sound having been lost to time. Suddenly the woman jerked and held her body before turning to the door and stumbling threw Rikke only to repeat what she had seen only moments before.

Though as the terrible scene played out before her she noticed the woman grow more defined as she got near RIkke's crystal. A similar thing had happened with the maid down the hall as Rikke recalled. Still the door the woman had looked at seemed to radiate dread, and faintly Rikke thought she could hear whispers again nipping at her mind.

 

[Ubberific]

This time though the rogue wouldn't succumb to fright, as her curiousity and courage lead her onwards! All these deaths and all these restless spirits... What was this tragedy? What had caused it?!... And perhaps most importantly, why had all these spirits not gone on to rest? This had to have happened so many years ago, but the ghosts still lingered... why? She had to investigate further!

After the chilling echo, the girls focus was nothing short of locked onto the unknown door! The way the spirit replayed her death, the attack had not come from outside the door, but rather took place inside this very same office! Meaning the attacker that got came from there, they had to! Rikkes grip on her lamp tightened as she'd step closer to the door, her eyes sharp and senses focused... before opening it up and peering what lied beyond!

 

[ranger]

The voices seemed to stop the moment Rikke touched the door. The sudden silence seemed to echo louder than the actual voices. As the door opened her light revealed total chaos in the room. Papers and books spun in an eerie cyclone. Everything else in the room was smashed, broken or tossed haphazardly about in piles. Seemingly as Rikke's light entered the room the cyclone destabilized a moment before righting itself in its fury once more. Unceremoniously a paper that had worked free of the whirlwind smacked Rikke in the face. Clearing it off she saw writing. It was labled as experiment three deceased.

 

[Ubberific]

What... the...heck? Rikke paused as she looked on to the unknown room that proved to be in such a state that it was impossible to even guess what it's purpose used to be! The situation hardly aided by the constant cyclone that seemed to spin in the middle of the room?! Though just as the beauty looked on to the room, suddenly with an almost comedic 'Smack!' a piece of paper got stuck on her face! "Mmh!" the girl stepped back from the unexpected impact and quickly pulled the paper off with a light frown, one that shifted to surprise and curiousity! 'Experiment three deceased?' experiment? Deceased?

Rikke looked back to the room where the ghostly echo replayed its death... Experiment? Was it the clawed creature? Then the alchemy lab... the servants passage... Were these truly parts of the official University at all? As the rogue suspiciouns nothing short of compounded all the more due to the several stories underground that she was stuck in at the moment! Still just to make sure the rogue looked over the rest of the paper if it had anything else on it in regards to the experiment, before turning her gaze to that whirlwind incase it seemed to whisk around some other noteable or read-able pieces! If there was nothing else that stood out, the rogue could only curse her luck at the rooms obscuring nature and continue onwards with almost more questions than answers, yet one strongly reinforced suspicion of where she had ended up!

 

[ranger]

The paper seemed to be a cover sheet to a larger part, its holes from the ring binder it was in had been torn. Steping closer to see if anymore papers could be read the cyclone seemed to wobble a bit. Rikke's eyes caught hits of other documents in the mass of swirling paper. But the cyclone still hindered her. Still she was a lucky girl and stepped even closer once more to try and snatch one of teh fluttering documents. This caused two things to happen. First off the papers suddenly went limp in the air as she approached throwing off her grab attempt, and secound when she stepped back once more the fury of the wind returned seemingly twice fold as if angry at the intrusion.

 

[Ubberific]

Why was there a cyclone inside the room to begin with?! Yet... somehow Rikke suspected that it was absolutely one of the key spots of this whole tragedy! Though what was causing such stupid fluctuations from it! If left alone it was constant, yet once she approached and during her initial investigation each time the cyclone seemed to shimmer out... and each time seemed to roar back to life after something changed?... Rikke paused as she'd place a finger on her lips in thought, before it hit her! Could it be...

The girl turned to her lamp with suspicion and attempted to extend it first effectively basking the cyclone in light! Afterall, both upon entry the rogue illuminated the room significantly and when she approached so did the light get a far better angle at the cyclone!... If this tornado was indeed related to the ghost apparitions, then just like them the crystals light may have an effect!