Lost Souls (Finished)

[Nathalia]

Bernard hurried down the hallway, his footsteps pounding heavily as he concentrated on the person he was seeking.

Why he hadn't noticed Lior's absence until now he had no idea...it was just that the boy was always so quiet and... Damn!

"Linda!"

He called, heading to her room, his heart practically in his mouth with worry, if anyone knew where Lior was, it would be Linda.

Arriving slightly out of breath he knocked on the door, words tumbling from his mouth before he could stop them.

"Linda? Linda, please. I need your help, Lior's missing, I have no idea where he's gone...I think...I think he might have run away- I...it might even have been my fault...I- shouldn't have..."

He cleared his throat, terrified of the thought of his godson out in the world...Lior had always done a poor job of taking care of himself...why hadn't he talked to him sooner?

"Linda?"

[Spiderfly]

Linda sat coiled up on a chair in her bedroom, head raised from it's seat over the specially made desk that sat shorter than most. She stared intently at the volumes infront of her, eyes scanning the aged leaf quickly. She found records so fascinating, history of former rulers, of upheavals and treachery. History was just as good as storytelling as far as she was concerned.

This way she learned about her family at the same time. She felt sorrow and loss for her Father, and for Uncle. She hadn't known what had happened to get them where they were but here it was, plain as day on paper. Though only the royal family themselves could access these books. And the recordkeeper made her promise to keep it their little secret that he let her take them from their guarded and safe home.

She heard steps but paid them no mind as she was so studiously lost within the text. A trait she had picked up from her uncle to be sure. They had spent hours together in complete frenzied silence, reading about various magical spells and theories.

So when she heard his voice she lifted her head quickly excited to see him and then. . those words. . .

"GONE!?" She near fell off the chair in her haste to get off of it and moved over to her Uncle hissing furiously. "What do you mean!? You're fault? What happened, what did you do!?" Her voice rose continuously until it was near screeching, tears streaming form her reptilian eyes. If she had hands she would have been hitting him.

[Nathalia]

Her Uncle knelt down to her level, eyes closed in what appeared to be pained repression. He was trying not to be so upset, he was upsetting her in turn.

Fool.. a fool and a failure as a godfather...

"I don't know, I didn't mean directly, he's just...he's always so on edge around me...perhaps I expected to much of him. And Pravus...he's far too hard on Lior, I'm afraid of what he might have said..."

He couldn't go on, he knew that Fino and Pravus tended to ignore the boy but...why hadn't he done something for his godson sooner!?

"We have to find him, Linda. I need your help. I can't leave...I can't find him. I need your help, sweetheart."

He bit his lip, reaching out and trying to comfort her.

"You know I would never do anything to hurt him, Linda, I love you two with all my heart, but I don't know if we over pressured him. And I don't know what he would do...I need your help to find him."

He whispered, stroking her crest soothingly.

"I can try to get a hint of where he's gone...but that's the best I can do."

[Spiderfly]

Linda sobbed. Oh poor poor Lior, out in the cold world on his own. It was different out there, even for those with means. She remembered seeing so many Cards littering the streets during her trips to the local magic shops. Some apparently didn't even have food to eat, or a roof of any sort. The thought of Lior living like that hurt her more than the fact he hadn't come to talk to her before leaving.

The hand stroking her crest was soothing and soon she became quieter, though the tears still streamed down her face.

"Oh I know Uncle. I'm so sorry I . . assumed. I have to go and get him! You must help me find where he is." Her ears decidedly ignored the words about father and papa, she knew all too well the stress they put on the boy. Though she was sure in papa's case it was through some odd sense of love for his only son.

"Please, we must hurry. What can we do to track him?"

[Nathalia]

"It's ok, it's ok. I don't blame you. Come quickly, I have an idea..."

Offering her his shoulder, he headed off down the hallway to his study. Pushing through the false wall into his actual place of work, he placed Linda down gently and began delving through books in a near frenzy.

"Here we go, a location spell. I'll sketch it out, then I'll need you to stand here, and think of him as hard as you can...I would but...it has to be a direct relative..."

Bernard sounded incredibly disgruntled at the end of that sentence and began to draw three interlocking circles on the stone in an odd green paste.

I should have been their grandfather...

"Ok, just think of him...now."

((OOC: When sitting in the circle and thinking of Lior, she'll be able to see him wandering Torquehelm. <3))

[Spiderfly]

Linda quickly moved up to her uncle's shoulder. Vaguely she realized that he was in reality her great-uncle, but she didn't really care. Her mind was racing, thoughts of Lior out on his own, suffering on some street corner. Oh gawd, what if he was on a street corner and someone tried to .. . she closed her eyes tightly. No, she couldn't think like that.

And anger began to well in her. Linda wasn't sure who it was directed it at, or even where it came from. She wasn't used to feeling this seething anger seeping through her body. But there it was nonetheless, if he was hurt when she found him, someone would pay and dearly.

She stayed within the circles as instructed once they reached his workplace. The anger welled further, this shouldn't be happening. She thought hard, of the moments they had spent in the gardens together. Of the night they had snuck out of the palace to watch the stars from outside the walls of their home. Linda thought of the moment in which she realized how horribly depressed her brother was, and still managed to do nothing about it.

Suddenly an image rushed through her mind. "TORQUE! Uncle he's in Torquehelm. Oh god. . ." Her head wobbled a bit. What was he doing in such a horrible place? She restrained herself from rushing from the circle in case she would disrupt something of the spell.

[Nathalia]

"Don't worry, don't worry. People are far less likely to hurt him there than a lot of other places..."

But he was worried...so close to the Tulgey...that was never good, even if the people of Torquehelm tended to be...well...bad off enough to be kind to strangers. Or at the very most ignore them.

He straightened suddenly.

"Hang on...Peaches! We need Peaches, come on, Linda"

He offered his shoulder again, glad that the thought of the odd Jack had come to him so quickly. Once Linda was situated he would begin striding quickly toward the stairs.

"She has some impressive powers too. You'll be safe with her...I'll make sure of it. Convince him to come back, and I'll have a talk with him when you do...reassure him that we care about him...if that's why he left."

Heaven knows I didn't take enough time to do that...

Damn but he felt awful, poor Lior...

Finally arriving at the Torquhelm feline's door, he raised a hand and knocked, hoping Peaches was in an agreeable mood.

[Kari Muffin]

Peaches hummed quietly to herself as she dusted the room. She really needed to clean more often with the horrible mess that this place was. The problem was that she was so easily distracted it wasn't funny. With a half sigh she set the duster back in it's proper place and continued to read her book.

Well, almost. She looked at the door with wide eyes. Someone was very firmly knocking. Who on earth wanted her attention right now? The feline flopped her book on the floor before quickly walking over to the door and opening it.

And... what?

"Your Highness Bernard and Linda... what exactly do you need?" She said with a small smile.

And what exactly are you doing here? Why exactly would you want my help if you need help? Her face showed no sign of waiting to ask these questions. After all, she was sure they would be answered soon enough.

[Spiderfly]

Linda moved quickly onto Bernard's shoulder, a few tears shedding down her reptilian face as they rushed towards Peaches room.

"I hope he's okay, I hope he's okay." She kept whispering to herself. Linda had tried so very hard to keep Lior happy. She had followed him night and day, and had made sure to be available as often as possible for anything he might need. And the stupid brat still didn't believe she cared enough to confide in her. She started, surprised by how she was thinking. That was unnecessarily cruel.

She shook out of her thoughts as they reached Peaches door and she was rather happy to see the woman somewhat flustered by their presence. Her eyes opened slightly and if she had hands she might have slapped them over her mouth as if she'd spoken a bad word. Why was she so mean today? What was wrong with her?

Linda burst out before she could help it. "Lior is gone!" And left the rest to Bernard.

[Nathalia]

Peaches's quirked smile always unnerved Bernard slightly. He bowed his head slightly in acknowledgment and opened his mouth to speak when Linda blurted out their problem from his shoulder.

He shrugged apologetically to Peaches, his expression slipping from hesitant to upset.

"Well, yes...that would be the problem. Peaches, we've discovered that Lior is...in Torquehelm."

Why was this so difficult? Oh, yes...the Cat unnerved him, he never could tell what her intentions were or if she was ever actually in the mood to help anyone. Well, hopefully she would be able to do this for him...and for Linda. Thinking that, he reached up and ran his fingers gently over Linda's crest, hoping to calm her, she had been twitching their whle walk here, poor thing.

"We need to find him and...I can't go. This week is the induction of the new Queen of Clubs, Serafino and I have to attend. Is there any way that you could take Linda and find Lior, Peaches? No one here knows Torquehelm better and we really need the help."

He sincerely hoped she would...if not, he would have to see if Pravus would take his daughter...he did not want to sink to that.