French Mod 1914 Alternate History AAR (1897- ?) Les Flammes des Ténèbres

[gaiasabre11]

Ok, chaps, both good news and bad news

Bad news is that you may have to wait until around Sunday 9~11 p.m. GMT for the update. Good news is that the update is a queen sized or a almost double-the-normal-size update. Be ready for some horrible truth that is going to be revealed. Hope to see you folks tomorrow night. I may need some sleep here for now. Too much late night AAR typing is starting to blur my vision.

[Kurt_Steiner]

Be ready for some horrible truth that is going to be revealed.

Oh Gosh... are we to discover that Enewald is, in fact, Enewaldine?



Eagerly waiting, don't worry, take a rest and then...

[gaiasabre11]

Phew, the update is done. Took me something like twelve hours to write... I should announce that since this is a fairly longer update than usual, it may (and very possibly) be unclear or confusing in some parts. I'll still post the update with no pics yet, and it will be edited later when I have the time. I do have a lot of research papers to finish...

BTW this is the end of the current chapter. As a spoiler I'll say that next chpater will be focusing on Rommel and Aria.

Status: Text completed and mostly edited (hopefully ), pic added

................

Few days later, Christmas Eve, Naples, Kingdom of Italy


Rommel could not rest. Although the previous battle with the creature certainly exhausted him, many thoughts remained in his mind and kept him awake.

“Rico, here are your glasses,” said Rommel gently.

“Thank you very much, Monsieur Rommel,” said Rico as she took the glasses from Rommel’s outstretched hand.

“Monsieur Rommel… let’s head back quickly…” said Aria in her small voice.

Rico’s glasses were completely shattered in the previous battle, and Rommel took Aria and her out to buy a new pair, while Amatia and the Maestro stayed at where they were currently lodged to tend for Sonia. Sonia’s conditions were much better than a few days before, but she still had to remain in bed.

“I know that you want to get back to Sonia as soon as possible, Aria, but we still have to buy something for her to eat, too,” said Rommel softly as he gently patted Aria’s head. The small girl then went quiet.

“Ahhh… then what should we buy then?” asked Rico to herself while looking at the sky. The continuous rain had stopped. However the sky above remained cloudy and gloomy. The streets however were lively and filled with people preparing to celebrate the oncoming Christmas.

“Chirstmas…” muttered Rommel to himself. A day that he had cease to celebrate a long, long time ago…

Rommel looked at Rico from behind and thought to himself, “What am I dealing with right now?” After the battle with the creature in the villa, Rommel was not entirely sure what was he hadling with now.

“Rico…” began Rommel as he called the girl from behind, “Do you remember anything before you were with the Maestro?”

“Ermmm… not actually… I can only remember drinking something somebody gave me, and then being with some other girls… That was all I can remember before I met the Maestro. Why did you ask?” said Rico turning back to face Rommel with her new glasses on.

“Perhaps I just want to know more about you…” answered Rommel quietly. Asking the girls just cannot produce anything… do they even know or remember anything horrible that was being done to them?

It was not long before Rommel and the two girls got back to where they were currently residing. It was a typical Italian house: small but comfortable and extremely cozy, with enough rooms for Rommel and the others.

“Monsieur Rommel, Aria, you have returned” said Amatia when she saw Rommel and the other two girls in the house.

“I’m back too…” mumbled Rico a bit unhappy.

“Yes, I know, Rico,” said Amatia smiling jokingly. “Sonia is up now, should we go to see her?”

Rommel and the girls went to where Sonia was. Sonia was up on her bed with the Maestro by the bedside. Sonia still appeared to be pale, but still managed to smile when Rommel and the girls came in.

“I suppose we should first eat,” said Rommel quietly as he entered. The six of them then cramped themselves around a small table in the room and ate quietly, aside from the noises made when Amatia tried to steal some of Rico’s pasta.

…

“I suppose you have a lot to tell me, Maestro,” said Rommel after finishing the meal. The girls were left together while the Maestro and Rommel went together to another room.

“Yes. Shall we seat? It might take some time for me to finish,” replied Maestro Arioso.

The two of them then seated facing each other. The Maestro took out some files slowly after he sat down on his chair.

“Where would you like me to begin, Major Rommel?” asked the Maestro quietly.

“The beginning. From the beginning,” said Rommel seriously.

“From the beginning… very well... that will take us to many years ago… My memories don’t last that long, I’m afraid, so excuse me if there are gaps between segments of my story… and the girls…” said the Maestro before he cleared his throat.

“I was born in a musician’s family, and learned music since I was a young boy. I enrolled in a music academy and became a conductor at a very young age. My life was devoted to music at the very beginning, and music brought me fame and money. ” The Maestro then stopped briefly before continuing.

“It all began sometime around ten years ago, when something brought me down, and that was alcohol. The decent life I got from my fame throughout Italy brought me to heavy drinking, too heavy for my own good. My musical life crumbled when I drank too much the evening before I was suppose to conduct an opera before the King of Italy. I shouldn’t need to explain what happened at the opera, should I? It was pretty obvious that I was disgraced, ruined if you might say. All because of my silly alcoholism…” said the Maestro smiling sadly.

“Alcoholism…” said Rommel under his breath.

“Yes, yes… alcoholism… not expecting me to have that kind of a problem, am I right? I supposed I changed a lot since then. Anyways, after my life as a conductor was ruined I was left without any sort of income. My wife and children left me as an expected result, and I was left with virtually nothing after pawning basically everything valuable I have to make a living."

“What happened next was I got back to my alcoholism, trying to avoid the cruel realities of my life. And it was at that time he appeared… I did not know the identity of the man who appeared before me. However he offered me a job, drug trafficking. I did not know at the first place, and I was more than willing at the time as I was basically living with ever increasing debt. It was after I did a few “dealings” did I know what I was handling. However the pay was lucrative, and I could not face life without the money… and I continued with the work, until one time they injected me with what I was delievering… Ahhh… I guess it will be more obvious if I just show you what they did to me…”

The Maestro then rolled up his one of his sleeves. It was filled with tiny scars made by syringes. The Maestro was clearly also under heavy drug use.

“They… they are…” said Rommel as if choking on his words.

“Ah, do not worry if I’m under the same drugs as the girls,” said the Maestro looking at his arm as if examing every single scar. “The drugs I’m using is just a highly addictive drug, perhaps with the added side effect of speeding up the process of aging. You see, Major Rommel, I’m actually just around the same age as you are. Unless you are also under drug use as I am.”

Rommel looked at the Maestro in disbelief. The Maestro’s wrinkled face was full of sign of weariness.

“The drugs were highly addictive, as I said,” continued the Maestro. “A single injection of a small dose of it will immediately cause one to be addicted. The durg seemed to have originated from somewhere in the Amazon, obtained from French Guiana, I suppose. I tried various ways to refrain from using the drug. However the most I can do is to let my drug addiction stay dormat, and even then just the smell of the drug can let my addiction fully awake. I could not resist any orders given down to me ever since they drugged me. I’m… dependent… on it,” said the Maestro looking down before he continued.

“Major Rommel, you might think that I’m cruel to let the girls’ hands covered with blood, but I suppose I did not have much of a choice, am I right?” said the Maestro smiling sadly before rolling up his sleeve. A silence then hung between Rommel and him.

“Is that all?” asked Rommel after the long silence. “What about the girls? Why were they used for…”

“I suppose you’d want to first take a look at this,” said the Maestro as he handed Rommel a small hand written file.

Rommel received the file and looked at it. The paper was rather old and yellow, and the hand writing was barely illegible. However, Rommel still managed to piece out the following from the file.

X. Sordina (Sonia)

First practical product after series of conditioning. Found with scar on neck and inability to speak. Possibly cause: voice box severely damaged or “ripped off” by assault by dogs.
    
XI. Amatia

Found with severe scars and wounds in lower body. Possible cause: long term sexual offence. Seemed to be of Roma heritage

XII. Rico

Found with extremely poor eyesight. Possible cause: ingestion of methanol. Eyeglasses needed for all times.

“The girls were handed to me around seven to eight years ago, and I was instructed to take care of them while let them participate in any actions demanded of them. This was a note I obtained when one of the men handling the girls dropped it. The girls were all found in the hideout of human trafficking organizations. They were used as slaves, to satisfy any desire their potential masters may have.”

“How could that…”

“How could that ever happened? I suppose you know the answer to this yourself. A large underground human trafficking economy exists, and the girls were victims of it. It appears that the Legion had "saved" the girls before using them as test subjects constantly under “conditioning” or drug use. The girls seemed to be successful test subjects, as we constant receive orders for killings. I do not know exactly the effects of the drugs, except for enhanced body capabilities and memory loss. The girls did not know anything, including their names, when I first met them. Therefore I named them, and even train them with my musical knowledge, though at the same time I knew that another possible side effect of the drugs may be a shortened life span.”

“So the girls were “saved” from the possible fate of being sex slaves, and then used as test subjects, not to mention that they were used as killing machines after that? Do you suppose that they live a better life then?” asked Rommel almost angrily.

“I’m not implying that, though I did my best to let them live a better life, however short and cruel it may be. The girls were very possibly deliberately abandoned by their respective family, Monsieur Rommel. I assume that the girls were sold to the traffickers due to their handicaps or social status. They were unwanted people with no happiness whatsoever until they were part of the Legion, and even I did regain some of my happiness when I spend time with the girls. We are all just beings trying to seek happiness, however difficult it may be, am I right?”

Rommel felt stunned by the Maestro’s words. Another long silence came into existence before Rommel opened his mouth again.

“And Aria… ?”

“Yes, Aria. Aria is the special one. She was unlike the other girls under my care. She was sent to me not that long ago with no other instructions other than to take care of her. She did not went through any of the “conditioning” or did any of the killings as with the other girls. Aria, is… just like a normal child… normal... I assume,” said the Maestro.

“Normal… ?” asked Rommel doubtfully.

“Nothing is normal, I suppose you are thinking that in your mind?”

The Maestro had correctly guessed Rommel’s mind. Rommel thought about all of what the Maestro just told him. How could they all be true? Nothing is normal.

“You do not have to worry about our issues anymore, Major Rommel. I’m afraid we should depart from each other now,” said the Maestro as he got up from his chair as if he just read Rommel’s thoughts.

“What…?” remarked Rommel surprised.

“I’ve also received some files just then, Major Rommel. They are urgent. They indicated that we should depart from each other. It seems that you are being called to Algeria this very moment, while the girls and I shall remain in Italy,” said the Maestro calmly.

“Is that so…” said Rommel quietly. An unexpected departure from each other.

…

Rommel and the others walked It was already late in the night, and only the few streetlamps around provided lighting.

"Here will be fine. You do not need to accompany me anymore," said Rommel to the others once they reach a certain part of the city.

As Rommel prepared to depart from the others, he felt almost at a loss. The days that he had spent with the Maestro and the girls made him felt as he was with… family.

“I lost my family already… Lost already…” Rommel told himself bitterly in his mind.

Suddenly Rommel felt a touched from behind. He immediately jumped as if an enemy appeared. It was Sonia, looking rather sad at Rommel reacting like that.

“I’m I treating them like monsters?” thought Rommel, disgusted of himself.

As Rommel was in his thoughts, Sonia suddenly raised her hands and made a few gestures.

“Sonia says she wants you to pat her head,” said Rico smiling after interpreting Sonia’s hand signs.

“… very well…” muttered Rommel as he patted Sonia’s head softly. The girl smiled weakly but happily.

“Ahhh! I want you to pat my head too, Monsieur Rommel!” cried out Amatia.

“I’d like you to pat my head too…” said Rico in a rather small voice while looking to the side as if a little embarrased.

“If you requested it…” said Rommel quietly as he patted Amatia and Rico at the same time. Both seemd to be happy as they smiled.

“Monsieur Rommel…” cried out Aria in her small voice as she walked over to Rommel and hugged him. The little girl was just barely up to Rommel’s waist. However the warmth that passed over from the little girl was in an unexpected large quantity. Aria then looked up aat Rommel as if she wanted to say something, but just couldn’t force it through her mouth. Rommel looked back at Aria and gently patted her head. The little girl then kept quiet before letting go of Rommel.

“I suppose this is the end. Au revoir, Monsieur Rommel,” said Maestro Arioso looking sadly.

“Au revoir,” said Rommel quietly. He then turned and left, knowing that this may very well be the last time he would every see them. Rommel felt as if something was pinching tightly.

“Ahhh…” sighed Amatia. “So he just left like that… We canot even celebrate Christmas together…” she said as if disappointed.

“It is such a pity…” said Rico looking down. “Isn’t that right, Sonia… Sonia?”

Rico turned backed to face where Sonia suppose to be. Sonia was there standing, however blood was dripping down from her… while tears where forming at the corners of her eyes and rolling down her cheek. Three surgical knives punctured her abdomen from behind. The pointed tips of the blades sticking out of the gaping wounds they made.

“Good evening… Maestro… ladies…” said an eerie voice from the one holding the knives. “Maestro, I suppose you missed me after all these time, am I right?” said the voice as he lifted his hat that was hiding his face. A pair of coyote like eyes appeared along with a most chilling smile.

(I assume everyone is expecting someone to ask "Why so serious" by now)

221B Baker Street, London, December 1898


“Watson, can you get me some tea?”

“Yes, Holmes, here’s your tea. What are you working on now?”

“Just a second, Watson,” said Holmes looking rather concentrated while taking a sip out of his teacup.

Watson looked at Holmes uneasily. He already knew the answer to his own question. Ever since the incident that happened at Gloucester Holmes had been working on tracking down “Jack”. It had been more than a year since that incident happened, and more murders and “disappearances” were reported all over the country. It appeared that Jack had some serious organized crime in the works, and in a scale horribly large.

“Damnit… ” swore Holmes under his breath, looking more frustrated then ever as he crumbled a file and threw it aside.

As Watson watched Holmes struggle with his work, he tried to remember what happened at the docks in Gloucester. Watson only woke after he and Holmes were out of the warehouse that was in flames after they got out. According to Holmes, he had saved them both from an explosion by dragging the two of them out of the warehouse. Holmes accounted that he could have also been as unconcious as Watson if he hadn’t stabbed himself in the thigh with a small knife. The pain kept him awoke and enabled him to act, though an ugly scar now remained where the wound was made.

“Making any process?” asked Watson only half expecting an answer.

“Watson, let me concentrate here…” said Holmes without turning away from his work. Watson turned away from Holmes, knowing that “progress” was almost none existent. Almost every personnel in Scotland Yard was more or less involved in the investigation, and still no there was no trace of Jack’s whereabouts or his true identity.

“Watson, you might want to take a look at this,” said Holmes looking defeated.

“You got a lead?” asked Watson surprised at Holmes sudden remark.

“I believe so. Watson, though it is something that I wouldn’t even want to consider,” said Holmes shaking his head as he handed Watson a file.

Watson looked at the top of the file where Holmes had made several markings and read the following:

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

[BritishImperial]

this is really cool. i love the way different characters from different places come together. i cant wait to read about jekyll and hyde. and also,

wanna know how i got these scars?

[gaiasabre11]

this is really cool. i love the way different characters from different places come together. i cant wait to read about jekyll and hyde. and also,

wanna know how i got these scars?.

So I assume I got this through clear enough: Jack the Ripper = Jekyll / Hyde in my AAR. I'll simply refer to him by Jack or simply JTR from now on. Jack will not have any scars like Joker to talk about, but I have decided that JTR will actually a main villain that will appear throughout the whole AAR. Ever since I saw the Joker cast by Heath Ledger, I always thought that he had set a new standard for what a classic super villain should be like, and I wonder if I can surpass or at least achieve the same level with some characters in my work. Although it may seem a bit impossible, I'll still like to challenge Joker with JTR in this AAR.

So as another spoiler I'll say that Jack will still appear in the next chapter, along with General Mercier. General Mercier will still remain as the main antagonist in this AAR, although he is a villain that is unlike Joker and Jack. As I had revealed before, Mercier is more or less based of O'Brien in 1984, so think of what role he will play.

By the way if it is possible, please also comment on the Maestro and the girls. I'm a bit unsure whether or not did I get all their respective story lines to you readers. Furthermore, this update may be the very last part of the AAR where they will remain alive.

[Kurt_Steiner]

Furthermore, this update may be the very last part of the AAR where they will remain alive.

I don't like two parts of this sentence "may be" and "remain alive". Too dark...

As I see it, the fate of the Maestro and the girls are sealed. Both for their nature (and their use of drugs) and due to their work, their life is going to be brief, whether we like it or not. And now, to make them ever shorter, we have Jack to mess a bit around.

By the way, Jackshas managed to be more hateful than Mercier. And that's a lot.

[gaiasabre11]

I don't like two parts of this sentence "may be" and "remain alive". Too dark...

As I see it, the fate of the Maestro and the girls are sealed. Both for their nature (and their use of drugs) and due to their work, their life is going to be brief, whether we like it or not. And now, to make them ever shorter, we have Jack to mess a bit around.

By the way, Jackshas managed to be more hateful than Mercier. And that's a lot.

Yes I do agree that it got pretty dark. I do hope that you understand that this AAR is currently at its darkest stage yet. I do encourage people to read a short romance comedy novel or something after reading this. The next chapter will deal with Rommel and Aria, so you can expect things be more touching and emotional then. (Basically I'm also implying that Aria will live, if you're afraid of seeing her death)

Personally I like the characters of the Maestro and the girls a lot. I did spend a lot of effort developing their characters, and killing them of is actually a painful decision to do. People then may want to ask why am I writing such an AAR? Dealing with the darkness and cruelty of a century ago with characters that resemble O'Brien and Joker? The answer to these question will be answered sooner or later. I promise that.

BTW Mercier will be more hateful to you all readers than Jack in the end, that I'll gurantee. Perhaps not now, but we'll find out actually how vile Mercier is as this AAR progresses.

[BritishImperial]

oh, i hadn't worked out that Jack the Ripper and Dr Jekyll / Mr Hyde were the same person. thanks for clearing that up.

[Enewald]

This aar is no aar.
A great random story in other words.

[gaiasabre11]

This aar is no aar.
A great random story in other words.

Haha, I'm trying to write this AAR as a novel more or less, since I was writing on a novel before I started writing this AAR. Actually I'd like to write a love romance novel with a lot of comical elements after I'm completed this AAR. But that will be many years away from now.

oh, i hadn't worked out that Jack the Ripper and Dr Jekyll / Mr Hyde were the same person. thanks for clearing that up.

I didn't make it completely clear because at first I want people to guess what is the possibility of Jack = Jekyll / Hyde. But in the end I guess I just revealed it to you readers.

[gaiasabre11]

It seems that I'm only able to post the next update sometime in the weekend. Pretty busy as usual, and I'll get even busier when the midterms exams come up for me next week.

Hmmm... BTW something is still bugging me everytime I visit this thread. Aside from 3~4 loyal readers who always post replies (thank you my loyal readers ), all the other readers seemed to be lurkers in this thread (unless there is somebody constantly clicking this thread to get the # of views up ). I really do wish to see more replies and a sort of discussion here since this is a forum. Frankly, only the replies of my readers motivate me to continue posting updates. I do spend an awful amount of time for each update and I wish to see people leaving comments as a gesture of gratitude. Perhaps people are not that interested in posting replies because they can't find anything they consider good to say? All I want is some honest comments and thoughts, and I believe it will not take you more than a minute after reading to think of one.

Oh, and the Short Drama III will come on Feb. 14 if I'm able to finish Chapter VII before then.

[gaiasabre11]

Here's the update, folks. I'mnot able to get the updates as frequently before due to an increased school workload, and I'm afriad that this is a bit short, and bloody, even after I edited out most of the gruesome scenes. You are warned of the grueome content.

.............

Chapter VII

Naples, early morning, Christmas


It was not a nice morning for Rommel. Aside from the morning cold, the rain had started to fall again, making the weather outside terrible. A cup of warm coffee was a real saviour in these kind of times.

“Normal… is anything still normal?” Rommel asked himself deep inside his mind.

The contact that was supposed to bring Rommel to Algeria informed Rommel that the preparations were not ready as expected, and Rommel was to stay in Italy for a few more days. In practical, there was nothing for Rommel to do for the time being.

Thinking about what the Maestro said in the last evening unnerved him, but how should he react? Is there really anything that he could do to change the fates of the Maestro and the girls?

Suddenly it occurred to him that it might still be possible to spend some time with the Maestro and the girls. Will they be surprised, or even happy if he went to them again? Keeping those thoughts to himself, Rommel walked out of a small café where he was sipping some coffee. The rain was not falling in a terribly large scale, and Rommel proceeded on his way without an umbrella.

Rommel walked through the city streets to a large square of the city, which seemed to bear the name of Piazza del Plebiscito. A large group of people had gathered at the square despite the pouring rain. Something unusual must had happened. Rommel went forward to where the people had gathered.

The group of people had formed a circle around a certain spot. However, a gap was left opened for some unknown reason. Rommel went to the gap to see what was there that created the gap.

A flow of some sort of liquid was there. It was a somewhat redish liquid flowing down the drain. Rommel ran through his mind trying to figure out what was the liquid. It was not long before Rommel figured out something.

It was a mixture of blood, along with intestinal fluid. Flowing altogether down the drain.

…

Looking disgusted away from the bloody sight, Rommel looked around the area. There where signs of a fierce battle everywhere. Holes created by bullets was all over the place. Some serious structural damages were also made by an unknown origin.

A few Carabinieri were at the scene clearing up. Some make shift sacks used as body bags were there, and the Carabinieri promptly dropped multiple kinds of human remains into the sacks.

“Does this have something to do with the Maestro and the girls… ?” thought Rommel. “Who could have done it, and the victims were…”

Just as Rommel was searching through his mind for an answer to his question, he noticed a little girl standing alone. Her clothes were drenched, indicating that she had been outside in the rain for quite some time.

“… Aria… Aria…!” Rommel called Aria’s name, but the little girl didn’t seem to budge at all. Aria was just standing there motionless, watching the Carabinieri clearing up the bloody murder scene, trying to hold onto a shotgun with a shattered barrel, a pair of hadguns with the handles broken, and some knives with the blades split.

“… it could not be…” muttered Rommel astonished.

Aria seemed to have noticed Rommel when he called her, and slowly turned her head to face Rommel. Her expressionless face was accompanied by her hollow, empty eyes. The little girl then looked upwards at one of the pillars that was present around the square.

Rommel look up one of the white marble pillars where Aria was looking. A half of a kidney was held in place by a surgical knife struck into the pillar. On top of it, some message written by blood was there. It was written in English, which Rommel had little knowledge of. However, Rommel could just almost guessed what was the meaning of the message when he looked at the two bloody red words inscribed on the white pillar.

From Hell

Aria then looked back at Rommel. She had the same expressionless face as before, except that there was something sad, a sadness that could not be expressed locked in her eyes.

[Kurt_Steiner]

At least Aria is alive, I guess... Time to prepare Jack's return to hell, methinks...

[Enewald]

Von Hell?
Rommel can't speak english, oh my god!!!

[BritishImperial]

that was short, and bloody. but cool, as always. and whats happened to Aria?

[gaiasabre11]

At least Aria is alive, I guess... Time to prepare Jack's return to hell, methinks...

Jack will return to hell... but not yet... I still have to think of a suitable death for him.

Also, I hope that people know where the "From Hell" came from, since I didn't mention it. As a reminder for people who don't know, it was from the "From Hell" letter.

Von Hell?
Rommel can't speak english, oh my god!!!

I can't let Rommel have too much knowledge in languages, or it will ruin my character design for him. Since Rommel already knew German and Italian, and French from being a Legionnaire, I think that is quite enough. So sorry, little knowledge of English for Rommel, despite I'm writing this AAR in English.

that was short, and bloody. but cool, as always. and whats happened to Aria?

Spoiler: nothing happened to Aria, except for witnessing something that will haunt her forever.

[Kurt_Steiner]

Dunno what would be more infuriating in this situation, if the "From Hell" or the "Dear Boss" letters

And I'm afraid that what has Aria seen his the massacre of... not spoiling the brot this time...

[gaiasabre11]

Dunno what would be more infuriating in this situation, if the "From Hell" or the "Dear Boss" letters

And I'm afraid that what has Aria seen his the massacre of... not spoiling the brot this time...

I chose "From Hell" for a special reason, and it will be revealed later in this chapter. It will have something to do with the first "From Hell" letter.

Another spoiler: what Aria saw can not be described just with the word "massacre". There's more to it.

[gaiasabre11]

Update coming. Another bloody work, I'm afraid.

Upload complete, but basically it's a lot of rough work. Will edit more after some sleep

BTW, despite the lack of support I'm receiving lately, I'll still continue to work on this AAR, but perhaps in a less intense sort of way.

..........

Later that day, inside a residence


“I’m sorry to trouble you by staying with you,” said Rommel quietly, looking out the window and watching the pouring rain.

“Do not be bothered by that, Major Rommel, it does not trouble me at all. What I do mind now is the change you have since the last time I saw you.”

“… change?”

“Yes, I’d never have expected you to have a little girl with you,” said Rachmaninoff with a faint smile at Rommel.

Rommel looked back at the Rachmaninoff, before turning to Aria. The little girl had changed her clothes and was sitting quietly on the couch, staring at an empty space before her.

“I supposed something did happen, am I right?”

Rommel continued to look at Aria before he closed his eyes. A lot did happen.

…

“Aria… Aria!” Rommel tried to call Aria again.

“…”

“Aria!”

… (No response) …

Aria was just standing there, like all the life in her was suck out.

Suddenly a Carabiniere noticed Aria holding the broken and bloodied weapons of her sisters, and cried out, “Hey! What are you doing with all those things?”

The Carabiniere’s cry caught everyone’s attention, and soon there were multiple Carabineri surrounding Aria.

“Hand in what you are holding!” ordered one of the Carabiniere.

… (No response) …

“I said hand those things in!” the Carabiniere cried out, reaching out his hand for Aria.

As the Carabiniere reached out his hand, something unexpectedly landed on his jaw, smashing it and sending the Carabiniere flying.

“… what…” some other Carabiniere cried out in surprise.

“… do not… touch her…” said Rommel quietly, while redrawing his fist at the same time as he gave an unforgiving glare at the Carabineri.

“…get… get him!” cried a Carabiniere to his companions. The Carabineri then draw their truncheons and lunged at Rommel.

The first two were easily beaten by Rommel by at first dodging their attacks and then driving his knuckles into their respective throats. The other Carabineri swung their truncheons wildly, but gradually each of the men fell as Rommel targeted their joints, before landing his jackboots on the men’s ribs. The final Carabiniere standing was easily knocked out with a double roundhouse kick.

It only took Rommel a brief moment to dispatch all the Carabineri. However, the fight had frighten the crowd that was watching and the square was quickly cleared.

There was no one left in the square except perhaps Rommel and Aria. Rommel walked quietly to where Aria was.

“… Monsieur… Rommel…” said Aria weakly, looking at Rommel with her weary eyes. It seemed that she had not slept for the whole night.

“… sleep…” Rommel wrapped his arms around Aria, before he whispered into the little girl’s ears.

Aria looked at Rommel weakly as Rommel gently stroke her, before obeying Rommel and closed her eyes, finally falling asleep after her nightmarish night.

“… now… what should I do…” thought Rommel in his mind as he hold the now aslept Aria.

“Are… are you not Monsieur Rommel?” Suddenly a voice called Rommel from behind.

“You… you’re…” turning back. Rommel faced a man holding an umbrella for Aria and him.

…

Rommel came back from his memories. The rain was still falling outside.

“I’m really surprise to meet you here, Monsieur Rommel,” said Rachmaninoff slowly, while trying to sip some hot tea.

“I’m as surprised as you are, Monsieur Rachmaninoff,” answered Rommel.

“I am here because of invitations for some concerts held here. I assume you’re here because of your work.”

Rommel did not respond. It was true he was here because of work. Bloody work.
Rachmaninoff shifted his position in his chair before speaking, “I haven’t ask you this question yet. Who is the girl? Or is it unconvenient for me to ask?”

Rommel asked to himself, what is Aria to him now? An obligation left by the Maestro and the girls? Or is she just someone he felt attached to and cannot leave unless he felt she was safe and alright?

“Perhaps it is not appropriate for me to ask, Major Rommel,” said Rachmaninoff finally, breaking the silence that hung in the room. “Do stay here with me as long as you want. I certainly appreciate your company.”

…

A few more days past. It was approaching the start of a new year. The killings, “Christmas Massacre”, as it was called, utterly shock the local population of Naples. However, the people were still ready to greet the New Year in a mood of celebration.

“Aria, do eat,” said Rommel quietly while trying to feed Aria hot porridge with a spoon. The little girl obediently obeyed.

The past few days were filled with scences of Rommel trying to take care of the as if soulless Aria. The little girl obediently obeyed everything Rommel asked her to do, but otherwise she spend her time sitting somewhere, staring at an empty space before her. She also did not moved her lips to speak once more.

Rommel felt frusterated. The death of the Maestro and the girls were well enough to send him into a state of mental trauma. However, Rommel felt that taking care of Aria was the premier priority. Aria’s almost total lack of response and soulless state made Rommel felt that his care had no effect on “normalizing” Aria to she once was.

“Since when were things normal?” Rommel occupied his mind with the thought as he fed Aria from the spoon, before glancing outside of the window. It was unusually cold this winter for Naples. Snow was visibly falling from the sky.

Rommel watched the snow fell through the window before turning back again to Aria. The little girl did not even glance at the rare sight.

“Sleep, now,” said Rommel softly to Aria after letting Aria finish the bowl of porridge. “I shall go out now.”

Rommel had stayed with Aria almost all the time since their stay at Rachmaninoff’s residence. Rommel’s mentioning of going outside suddely caught Aria’s attention, as if it sparked something.

“Don’t…” began Aria as she weakly grabbed onto Rommel’s clothing, trying to hold Rommel back.

“What… what?” said Rommel a little bit surprised at Aria’s act.

“L'ange… noir,” continued Aria, “l'ange de la mort…”


Piazza del Plebiscito, a few hours before sunrise, Christmas


“Everyone… everyone is…” thought Aria.

Aria looked around her. Everyone is… The only one still alive was the Maestro, although a half of a dozen surgical knives pinned him onto a pillar.

“Well, well, Maestro, I think this is the end of our small hide and seek game, am I right?” A voice spoke from the darkness while the source walked to the Maestro. A gleaming smile also appeared.

“Aria…” said the Maestro weakly, “run…”

Aria wished that she can run. However her feet frozed not in the cold of the night, but in the sight of “carnage” of her sisters. Suddenly the voice spoke to a beast like figure that was above one of the corpse of her sisters, as if devouring…

“Brutus, I know that you like to eat with your new “mouth”, but are you a pig? How many times did I tell you that you should have some manners when eating?”

Brutus looked up as his master called him. The steel mask that he usually have on was not present. Bits of flesh hung from his new “mouth” as his anthropod-like mandibles shove the flesh in under the light of his glowing eyes.

(Brutus will look around like this without the mask, but please ignore the exoskeloton like body features below the neck)

The deaths were not part of a massacre. Instead, they were part of a hunting, followed immediately by feeding.

[BritishImperial]

this is getting steadily more bloody and disturbing by the day. which is a good thing. dont be discouraged by lack of readers, this is an excellent aar and the best dont alwaays have more readers.