Hotel Selten

Monstrous Little Problem

After running through trees and almost stumbling because of the exposed roots them, Ophelia and others witnessed something that made their eyes widen in surprise. It may be night, but they can see a human with a half-octopus body on its bottom parts. Ophelia just froze as the others start to fight and kept fighting. She was fascinated, the creature may not be big, but it can wrestle them with its arms.

It roared, she was scared. Not because of how terrifying it was, but if the other people would hear that. “Ophelia! Do something! Don’t just stand there!” Thilda shouted as she tries to slice its tentacles. She failed as she was knocked back, almost hitting a tree. Ophelia’s trail of thoughts stopped as she realized what is happening. She looked around as she was thankful that there is a lot of water. She ran to the far side of the octopus monster and devised a plan.

Everyone is teaming up to tackle the monster and defeat it. Peony attacks her with her vines, but she kept getting hurt. It was like a fistfight, but with tentacles, or vines for her. Ophelia smirks as she ran to the others. “Thilda!” She shouted as the black-haired girl shouted back, “What!?” Thilda was busy holding off the creature’s tentacles. Ophelia pulled her away from the scene.

“What is it!?” She said impatiently and she was panting a lot. “I have a plan.” She just lets her talk as she huff and puff. “You guys distract the octopus monster, I will splash her with water to let her get distracted too. Let Peony hold her tentacle and the ones who have blades in their hands slice her tentacles. You okay with that?” Thilda’s face was enlightened, “Game.” 

She ran to her other companions as she shouts Ophelia’s plan, she just hopes this monster does not understand English. They all nod as the others start distracting the monster and make it confused. Ophelia was focusing as the water rises, it rose and rose. She looked where the octopus monster is and charged. She splashes the water on it as it was distracted. It can’t look around to see its attackers, it’s time for Peony to shine.

She grows her vines as she controlled them, wrapping them around to the monster, making its movements limited. “Go!” She shouted, a signal for the fighters with blades to slice its tentacles and weaken the monster. With their sharp weapons, they sliced the monster’s squiggly and moist tentacles. It roared in pain as they cut its only way to fight them. Ophelia keeps splashing the monster to efficiently blind and distracts it.

As Adam’s leaf sword slashes the last tentacle, the monster falls as its last base to stand gets taken away. It created a huge splash that made them wet. Thilda went to the top of the monster as she pierces its chest, killing it totally. To make sure, Adam slices its head. 

Peony piled the tentacles on a corner as Ophelia pants. Splashing a lot of water tires her since she can feel the weight of the water she is levitating. Some sit on the ground and rest their body. It was too much for a night. They don’t even know what time is it. They all pant and sweat was dripping. 

“Good job.” Thilda smiles as the others cheer, even they are all tired. The smile was plastered on their lips. “And, thank you Ophelia for suggesting a plan.” Ophelia just smiles, she was tired to say anything. “Should we go back and rest?” Bennet suggested as he yawns. They all agreed as they went back where the rest is, also taking the tentacles with them. 

When they came back, everyone was sleeping. They quietly entered as they look for their own places. The other fighters fell asleep already. Ophelia was going to sit as she notices Thilda is walking around again. “Aren’t you sleeping?” She asked as Thilda turned to her. “I need to watch for threats, don’t worry, after that fight, I got my adrenaline rushing, so, I am still pumped to guard.” 

Ophelia was a bit concerned about her, but she knows Thilda was tough. “I am born for this anyway, my name even means battle.” She added that made Ophelia concern less. “Good night.” She said before dozing off. 

Ophelia was awakened rudely by the rays of the sun. She was a bit unlucky that everything was in shade except her eyes. She yawns and stretches as she looks around the place. It was not a dream, everyone is still here, walking around the trees and even taking their breakfast. “G’morning.” Blaise greeted her as he tossed a can of corned beef. She smiles, “Good morning.”

She grabbed her personal spork that she has been using several times. She opens the can and started munching. “Maybe I’ll tell Hugo to buy another set of sporks, we’ve been using the same sporks every day.” She giggled and shook her head. “What? He’s that so cleanly guy, he should have thought that!” Ophelia just shrug it off and enjoyed her corned beef.

She saw Hibi walking around freely, she was eating too but she seems to drink the food out of the can. “Hey! It’s you!” She said as she sits beside her. “Hello, Hibi.” The red-haired girl smiles, Blaise excused himself so they could be private. “You guys are so kind! I thought I am gonna get killed, you know? But I was surprised when I was freed and handed food! Never tasted this for a while!” She was chewing, based on the can, she was eating the pork and beans one.

“Well, if you were found when we are still in the hotel, you could found a new home.” The statement raised Hibi’s curiosity, “Hotel? What do you mean?” Ophelia swallows her food, “Well, we are living in a hotel-like structure, or at least they call it a hotel. We were many, like you, the others were captured. We went all over here to rescue them.” From a happy-looking face, Hibi became concerned, “Really? I thought our place was the only one.”

“Well, we are coming for revenge, that’s why we are heading to Rennes.” They kept eating, still undisturbed. “Can I go with you? Please? I have nowhere to go—” Ophelia giggles, “Of course you can, that’s why you were offered food because you are now one of us.” Hibi’s eyes sparkle and she squeals slightly. “I am thankful, I thought I will be just wandering around the streets again.” 

After their breakfast, Ophelia approached Blaise who is finding something on the broken people. “What are you doing?” She asked as Blaise pats certain body parts, “I am just finding where the device is.” He started to pat the neck of the boy, he stopped as he felt something on his nape. “Aha!” He exclaimed as he went on his side, he pierced the syringe with a tranquilizer. The boy slept again as he cuts the back of his neck. They saw a metallic circle, with a blue glowing light on its center. 

Blaise touched it and was gonna pull it off, the boy suddenly wakes up and pushes him off, knocking him on the ground. He was struggling a lot. The others woke up too and were struggling hard to get off their ties. The girl bites the vine tie they have as Peony screams in pain. All of them were alerted.  

“What is happening?” Blaise exclaimed, their eyes were full of anger. Suddenly an unfamiliar vine wraps around their neck and chokes them. Their heads fall, signifying they are dead. Blaise was confused as Hibi entered the scene. “They don’t have a chance in redemption.” Her face was serious as she puts the vines away. “I haven’t told you guys, these things,” she sliced her upper arm open and pulls out a defective device, “They are alerted if they are getting pulled out of their host.” She throws the device on the ground and buries it with her feet, rubbing the dirt to it. 

“I have a defective one so it doesn’t get activated. The device also alerts its nearby brothers, so, if you mistakenly pulled it out, you can have an army running to you.” She added it made Blaise wonder. He examined the device as Hibi patched her wound up. He pulled the device out of the boy’s neck, it was thin. 

“I thought we would fight again, they seem stronger when they are triggered,” Ophelia commented as she helps her patch up Hibi’s wound. “They are, the device excretes that some sort of adrenaline?” She said as she smiles at Ophelia helping her. “I am glad that someone is aware of this.” Miss Eve entered the conversation, “Speaking of these things, can you lead us where could that doctor be?” Hibi was shocked, “You will help me?” 

“Well, along with the possibility of mapping the real mastermind here, I guess that’s so many opportunities, so sure.” Hibi hugs her which made the lady shocked but she hugged her back like a daughter of her own. “I am happy to help anyone who is in trouble, we can unveil more mysteries and answer the questions we’ve been asking for.” She added as Hibi released, “I wish for revenge too for my brothers and sisters, it hurts my heart to kill the others,” she looks at her dead relatives, “but, I don’t want them to harm anyone.”

“Well, you had the right choice. I know you don’t want to see them get killed by others.” Thilda joins in, she was sharpening her blade. Before moving forward, they buried their bodies and paid respect for their innocent souls that was been manipulated. Hibi shed tears, but it’s her last time. They went out of the little forest and went to the other side of another river.

Hibi leads them to another forest lawn. “So, you traveled far back here just to kill us?” Hugo asked her, who was crossing his arms. “Well, I have no choice. I need not blow up my cover to stay alive.” She sighs, “It was like hell to pretend to be manipulated there, I need not to scream whenever I am hurt and stay emotionless. I have others too that is just pretending, but they were busted, I don’t want to talk about what happened to them.” She wipes her tears. Ophelia comforts her. 

“At least you are out of that hell hole, is it far to go?” Hibi thinks, “It’s in Strasbourg. I don’t know where are we now, but based on how we traveled here, it seems we will be going there for days.” Thilda looks at her map, that thing you are saying is in the north, we passed by a river, double rivers, we may be here…” She pointed something at the map, “Yep, it’s really far.” She sets aside her map.

“How did you get here, anyway?” Hibi sighs, “It was a vehicle, but it was so closed, there are no windows, so I don’t really know where are we going. All we know is to keep off wandering people, which is you guys. I didn’t even know what the name of this place is and if am I still in France. But since you said so, I thought maybe the cathedral will be just near, at least… My time perception became vague in that facility.” 

“Do you know the turns and streets of the city you are saying?” Thilda asked, to which Hibi responded with a shook of her head. “I only know some… Maybe, but we are really imprisoned in that facility, so, I don’t even know where are we until we are deployed."

Thilda just became silent as she looks at the map, they were met by open space. But there are trees in the distance. They kept walking and walking until night came. They decided to stay there and let the night pass since they don’t know this territory.

“Hey.” Blaise greeted Hibi, “This may be a dumb question, but what’s the name of your manipulator, that doctor you are saying?”

“We call him Doctor Asante.”