I immediately regretted my trip into the woods off of the designated path. But only too late did I realize how thick the lush forest was and how easily I'd get lost. Now I was surrounded by walls of green, which hid within them sharp and pokey branches. I continued to push through, though, determined to find my way out before something else found me. After what seemed like an hour or two, but what could only have been a half hour in real life, I stumbled into a clearing. I looked up and saw that I was suddenly in the midst of the young mountain that overshadowed half of the forest. At the end of the opening was a shadowed cave, its entrance yawning open and its shadowy insides practically a wall against intruders.

But my curiosity would not be abated so easily. Whether it was some sort of spell or pure idiocy, I'd never know, but I found myself striding into the cave, my school uniform barely protecting me from the cool air within its depths. I suddenly felt very self-conscience. I tugged at my skirt, to cover up more of my well-sculpted thighs. It felt as if I had eyes pouring on me from every single direction. Eventually the cave became so low that I had to stoop down to fit. Whenever my face went through a spider web, it would lift some dust and immediately trigger an echoing sneeze. I just knew that I'd get caught, but couldn't help myself from going on farther.

Then an opening within the cavern showed itself, easily recognizable by the suddenly present torch-light. I walked into what seemed a large hall, its sides decorated with tapestries and artwork that few of today's society could appreciate. I walked slowly, dawdling to gaze at each picture, unaware that I was most likely in immediate danger.

"Excuse us, Miss, can we help you?"

The voice came from behind her as Kohryu stepped out from one of the side-chambers, the pale, corpse-like body back in its traditional armor. The muscular form blocked her exit, the eyes gleaming a bright and lively emerald from the visor of the iron helm. They looked dangerous, but their posture signaled no malice, and though their voice was odd, sounding like they were speaking through a veil of water, they clearly seemed to mean no harm.

"You appear to be rather lost, is that correct?" they tilted their head to the side, waiting patiently for an answer. They folded their arms behind their back, listening as Plague rustled the silken sheets from his mattress, coaxing himself from sleep at the sound of this strange but lovely intruder.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard the strange voice. I looked to my side and saw the zombie-like creature. But unlike the typical expectation that a zombie only moans, groans and always gropes around for brains was completely untrue. This thing could speak fairly elegantly and it wore well-kept armor. But my fears had proven true, I wasn't alone. I pulled down sheepishly at my skirt, hoping to cover up more of my slender legs. I was relieved that this thing didn't seem in any rush to attack me. It seemed more like a butler of sorts then anything.

"Y-yes, I am a bit lost." My voice was sheepish and nervous, my head lowered slightly. I felt like a dog that had just been caught doing something she'd been told not to do a hundred times. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to trespass."

The beast put a cold arm around her shoulder, pulling her body in close, their own flesh seeming like cool granite against her warm shape. They began to stride forward, eyes crinkling congeneally in what was unmistakably a smile, a seemingly pleased tone to their voice as they spoke.

"Why, no need to apologize in the least, little miss. The 'door' as it were, was, after all, open, was it not? We invite all visitors. It was only natural for you to be curious," the voice continued in its strange, wavering tone. Whatever horrible things could be said for this corpse-thing, it could certainly never be accused of being unkind or impolite.

"We noticed that you took particular interest in the artwork. The pieces in the hallway and lounge are scarcely indicative of the grandeur of the whole collection. Would you like us to show you to the grand gallery and the library?" they asked curiously, continuing to walk her down the twisting hall with their arm around her shoulder.

------------------------

Plague yawned as he pulled himself up from the bed, cracking his knuckles. He grabbed a rough gray towel, making his way to the baths to clean himself up before introducing himself to his newest guest.

I felt a shiver run down my spine as the rotted... thing... Put its arm around my shoulder. It felt as if its very presence sapped the warmth from my body. I walked rather stiffly, aware of the smell that seemed to be surrounding the creature like an aura. I did my best to breath through my mouth and not crinkle my nose. If it was being polite to me, I ought to try to do the same. Later on I'd realize how stupid such a notion was and that I ought to concentrate on more important matters, such as getting out without finding myself being dinner. But at the time, my only concern was keeping this thing's mind on more academic matters. I heard a soft sound in the distance, sort of like running water. I ignored it and turned my attention back to the zombie-thing.

"Uhm, sure, I'd be honored to see your collection. I'm sure that you must have spent a fortune collecting them." I cleared my throat slightly, a question popping up into my mind. I hoped the thing wouldn't take offence in my inquiry. "Pardon my... Forwardness... But you keep saying 'we'. Whom is this other person you're talking about?"

They chuckled lightly as the cavern floor slipped downward at a gentle gradient, leading way deeper into the bowels of the subterranean palace. Their grip on her shoulder was solid but not forceful, simply like a sculpted marble shoulderpiece that curved to fit her body.

"Our collection? Oh, no, dear, the artwork here belongs not to us. And we're afraid we didn't spend much to be in its presence. The time and effort paid to accrue this selection was that of our Master..." they seemed to catch themselves.

"We're very sorry, he doesn't like to be called that. And we're sorry if our speech confuses you, little miss, but we refer to ourselves as such because we are many," they assured her, the hallway suddenly opening up to the massive foyer of the library, four rows of shelves wide and impossibly large below the earth.

That chuckle sent shivers down my spine rather then comfort me. His arms and hands were cold, even through the relatively thin school uniform I was wearing. It chilled my flesh on contact. Then, when he gave me the explanation about the art gallery, I suddenly got a whole different feeling. A feeling of dread. A feeling that I didn't want to meet this 'master' of his. I paid little heed to his explanation for how he spoke and referred to himself as many. I knew that if I inquired any more about it, I'd fail to understand his explanation. So I didn't, instead I kept on walking.

My mind, on the other hand, was on other matters. How would I escape this place before the 'master' came? I was almost certain that he would not be happy about me barging into his home like this. And who knows what sort of evil, demented creature keeps a deceased corpse as his butler equivalent. I felt the ground dip in front of me gradually. "Will your, uhm, master be joining us at all this evening?" I tried to keep as polite as possible, despite my misgivings about this 'master'.

"Perhaps..." they said, trailing off as they walked among the humbling shelves of the massive library, small statues on pedestals marking their journey as the moved deeper and deeper into the cavern. Despite the rough-hewn appearance of the walls and cieling, the rest of the cave was incredibly civilized, the carpet on the floor plush and welcoming and the bookshelves themselves ornate and carved from some fragrant dark wood.

"He was asleep when you arrived, though we are rather certain he has awoken now. He has a strange sense about when someone has entered his home. It reminds us of how a spider knows a fly is trapped in her web because of the vibrations its struggles send through the silk..." Kohryu mused.

They stopped when they reached the back of the library. Here was a wide, sweeping railing that led along the edge of a cliff face, the floor giving way to a dark chasm with the sound of rushing water coming up from far, far beneath.

I was humbled by the enormous library. It was very large, its massive book cases almost buckling underneath the weight of the large tomes they carried. I recognized a few titles, mostly due to their subjects rather then an affinity with the book itself. My eyes continued to wonder throughout the library, eventually noticing just how high the ceiling was. Was I really that far beneath the mountain, or that far below the Earth's surface? My eyes grazed across the bare stone walls, their obsidian finish lending them a very ancient and well-preserved appearance.

I listened to the man-creature speak. I suddenly felt very fortunate when I figured out that the thing's master was asleep. But my false grasp at fortune was shattered when I caught the creature's reference to the past tense. He must be awake now... A chill ran down my spine at the homunculus' metaphor. I'd never felt this exposed, this helpless. Indeed a fly in a spider's nest. When we got to the balcony over the gorge, I felt myself immediately tempted to stare down into the hole, to gander at its depths. Once more, human curiosity got the better of me and I did just that, seeing only a black abyss which no light could reach. "However did you build this place?" I spoke clearly and as elegantly as I could. I clung to the feint hope that if I managed to impress the butler and his 'master' enough, they'd treat me as a guest rather then a meal.

"The master dug it. He said it took him many a year, and not many actions are beyond the scope of a creature like our master. We assume it was a very arduous task, though we know a great palace once stood in the abyss you now see. It was a gift to this cavern's owner, from his father, but a certain... whim of fate, we shall say... cast it into this darkness..." They paused before the railing.

Of course, were they able to read the girl's thoughts, they would have been rather amused. All guests within this certain cavern were likewise food, that was just the standard run of things, it seemed.

However, it was not to be so. A voice boomed out across the vast space of the library, gravelly and dark but filled with an amused sense of detachment, "Ah! Kohryu! I trust you all have been keeping our guest amused?"

It took me a little time to take in the creature's tale. This... Master must be very ancient or very powerful to have dug out these walls. I was startled when I heard the "Master's" voice, and felt like I was an exhibit passing through a museum, just a temporary treat. "Y-yes, he... I mean, they, have been very informative!" I felt my cheeks flush when I hesitated for a moment, choosing whether to refer to the zombie-thing in the plural or singular. "My name is Diana Varnia, it's a pleasure to meet you, sir." I smiled sheepishly. Why did I find this... Person (it took me a bit to decide between person and thing, as he hardly looked human) so intimidating?

"I'm glad to hear it. And glad to meet a girl with such pleasant manners. I'm afraid that most of the students your school puts out have a frightening tendency to scream and run for their lives when they see me. Isn't that disgraceful...?" he chuckled softly, moving towards her.

In one hand he held a bottle of dark red wine without a label resting in an iced bucket, in the other a pair of glasses. He set the bucket down on the table, pouring a glass.

"I'm not surprised you were received well. Kohryu... well... they're normally so polite with my guests, I'm afraid I've stopped making introductions myself. I scold myself whenever I allow them to make first impressions, but, well, you don't see me stopping them, do you?" he laughed pleasantly, holding out the glass, "Can I interest you in a drink, Miss... Diane was it?"

I laughed nervously at his reference to screaming and running school girls. My eyes strayed downwards, noticing the ice bucket and the wine. I sat down in the chair across from him, feeling an unspoken invitation to do so. "I suppose not. But why fix what's not broken, right?" Another sheepish smile graced my lips. I nodded my head in thanks when he held out the glass. I brought it close to me but didn't sip from it yet. I waited politely for him to pour himself a glass first. I once more felt very conscience about my skirt and tugged down at the hem, trying to hide more of my slender legs.

After a few moments of examining the person in front of me, I took a nervous sip from the wine glass, without even thinking. "Y-yes, my name is Diana. But you can call me Diane if you want. And other then 'Master, I haven't really anything more appropriate to call you. Might I inquire your name?" I went over what I said in my mind several times, insuring that I'd been as polite as I could have been in phrasing my request.

Plague brought the glass up to his mouth, pushing the edge between the bandages and tilting his head back to drink, clearing his throat slightly as he listened to her, "You may call me Plague, my dear," he said quite simply, watching her intently with that single eye as Kohryu bowed out, leaving them.

"Now, I don't want to be too frightfully untoward, but I am rather curious as to what brought you wandering into my home as such..." he asked, going for an air of curiosity but communicating a slight menace, "Not that I don't adore the company, of course, but please, miss, indulge my curiosity...

(Pardon the wait, please!)

I tilted my head slightly at his identification of himself. A synonym for disease hardly seemed like a fitting name. But then again, who knows where he came from? I took another sip and nearly gagged on the dribble going down my throat when he asked his question. I started coughing, patting my chest softly to emphasize that I was choking. After a few quick moments, I breathed again, but my face was a lovely and embarrassing shade of pink. The blush deepened when I began to formulate the answer in my mind. I took a deep breath. "Well, I was taking a walk through the forest and saw your... Home's entrance. I was curious as to what could be within such a large cavern and decided to explore it." I lowered my head, expecting a harsh lecture or some sort of verbal punishment. I deserved it, I supposed.