A Wish, (And Promise) Kept....

"The Manor" wasn't really a manor. It was really just a big house that was secluded on top of a hill. The closest neighbors Evans and Roland had were a good five minutes away. So it was really just them, and of course the occasional visit from Lewis and Luna. Still, every now and again Roland would hike up the trail just to get out of the house. Something his grandfather would do before he became ill.

Roland rested his hand on the window as the manor finally came into eye view, "So who was that guy Lewis? You seemed to know each other for a long while, but you never mentioned him. Neither did Grandpa."

"He's pure evil." Said Lewis simply, as he pressed harder on the gas pedal, going a little faster than the street limit allowed.

"Isn't that a bit of an over-exaggeration? He looks a tad shady sure. But I don't get Hitler vibes from him-"

A sharp jerk of the wheel pulled them into one of the only streets that lead to the house, "Warren is a psychopath Roland. A high functioning psychopath. If he could, he'd rip our throats out using his bare hands. The only reason he didn't was that it would be very messy, and he doesn't like getting his coat dirty."

Roland looked at Lewis, back to the road, then back at Lewis, "OOOkay? And what about these keys? Why are you so hellbent on getting them?"

"Because Warren wants them and he'll do anything to get them boy. Even if it means killing us." Another sharp turn as Roland swayed in the front seat. Knocking his head on the door frame. Earning a small grunt of pain.

"Again with the exaggerations." Roland rubbed his temple that throbbed from the impact, "Lewis, I love you, you know I do, and I believe you to a degree. The guy's shady, but he also doesn't look a day over forty, let alone seemed to do hard labor for a living. I'm sure you can take him with a good two-hit combo if it was needed." Roland smiled as he made two quick jabs in the air. Hoping to get a smile from his Godfather.

He received a look of guilt.

The car stopped in front of the vacant driveway as Lewis turned off the ignition and grabbed Evan's Urn, "I put two and two together on when I remembered the instructions he left us." He slammed the car door as he up to the Manor steps, "At first I thought it was for an entirely different reason. Being the romantic that he was, but now I think otherwise."

He opened the door with a set of keys before they both walked inside, with Lewis giving him a push towards the kitchen, "Go get a bucket of ice from the cooler and meet me in the Living room. I'll be waiting."

Roland gave a slow nod, well past asking why, or how come. And walked into the Kitchen. He poured the leftover ice cubes into the mop bucket before carrying it to the front into the living room, finding Lewis kneeling in front of the fireplace, muttering under his breath.

"I uh, got the ice. Now what?" He looked at the fireplace and raised an eyebrow, "We're not putting the fire out, right? That flame has been burning as long as I can remember."

"No, not with ice at least, it would be a waste." He patted the spot next to him, "Sit."

Roland sat, the hot flame already making him sweat under his clothes as he looked at the blaze. One of the many few rules Evan had for him was to never mess with the fireplace. They had the occasional argument over it. But Roland relented. In his final days, he always seemed at peace when he sat in front of it. Happy even.

"Kindra"

Roland's mind caught up to the present as he heard Lewis's words. Noticing his eyes were on the fire.

"Kindra, Evan's last wishes were to be with you, and for the boy to not carry the burden we had to those years ago. I can only do one of those things."

Roland kept silent. Listening to his Godfather's words. Noticing the cackles in the fire growing a tad more vibrant.

"I know we have never been on the best of terms. That we were always at each other's throats, but you knew I'd go to hell and back for you and Evan. And you'd do the same for me and the boy as well. So if Evans wants this instead of a burial. Then he shall have it. All I ask for in exchange is that you protect him, as you protected us." A tear streamed down his face as Lewis quickly wiped it away, "Roland, if you would throw the ashes into the fire?"

Roland softly nodded, opening the urn to reach in to scatter his grandfather's remains, and began to fulfill his grandfather's last wish.

The flames seemed to soften in intensity as the ashes hit the flames before finally taking on a dim glow. Lewis grabbed the tongs from the kindling set and stuck them into the fire. A faint smile grew as he clamps onto something solid and pulls it out, "Here they are."

It was just as Lewis said it was: a keyring of keys. Except it was the strangest looking keys he'd ever seen. There were ten in total. All of them looked warped and twisted in the light, but something tells Roland that this was their original form. Seeing as the metal didn't drip or looked to have warped from the intense heat.

Lewis stuck the keys into the ice bucket. A bellow of steam and sizzling ice follows as it dissolves the chilled surface, "There, now we wait for the keys to cool, give it a good five minutes or so. In fact-" he pointed to the kitchen, "Go and get more ice from the freezer. The sooner this is over with the better."

"Can we talk about-"

Lewis held up a hand, "After. Maybe in the morning. The day has been stressful enough already."

Roland held in a sigh he began to walk back into the kitchen. Thinking of what to ask in the morning, and silently hoping to get straight answers. Or at least answers with a lot more context.

BUZZZZZZZZ!

The doorbell rattled through the house as Roland made it halfway to the kitchen. Eyebrows raised, Roland walked to the door and looked through the peephole. Relaxing as he saw Luna's mess of midnight hair and silver eyes.

"Open the damn door, Roland! We need to talk!" She roared as her fist banged on the door.

He opened it, revealing Virri and Luna holding hands, Virri with a smile, and Luna with her signature frown.

"Okay, is this about leaving you earlier? We were coming back-"

Luna held up a sapphire pouch, much like the ones that were in Evan's chest, her frown deepening, "Talk."

Roland's eyes went from hers to Virri's, Warren's child was still smiling, but it no longer had the warmth from this afternoon. It was much colder.

Wrong.

Roland scratched his head, "Isn't... Isn't that one of the pouches from upstairs? I don't know what's-"

Roland didn't get to finish as Luna's fist collided with the left side of his face. A sickening crack echoed in his skull as he went down to the seasoned wooden floor. He fought back tears as his left eye rapidly began to seal shut.

"You don't know shit huh?!" She opened the pouch and began to dump it. Small metal coins hitting Roland's face as his right eye widens at the yellow design, and very distinct shine, "Virri was so kind as to obtain this on our way here, then it all made sense." She gritted her teeth as she continued, her breathing deepening to give in to her fury, "I didn't want to believe it, but then I looked into those 'judges' for the Deckman enrollment program." Roland looked up, she was seething, she looked like the devil in white makeup, but the worst part was her eyes. Pure pinpricks locked on her most loathed target, "Did you know each of them retired shortly after?"

"No- " A swift boot embedded itself in his diaphragm, knocking the wind out of him, he sputtered and coughed as a few hints of blood made themselves known in his spittle as he attempted to recover.

"Don't fucking talk! I'm talking! You utter another word and the next kick will break ribs!"

Roland kept silent, giving a shaky nod as Luna kneeled over him, "Turns out they had a very generous payout in their bank accounts. So much so that one could easily buy an island, two if they wanted." She gripped Roland's head and delivered another crushing blow to Roland's battered side. He was seeing stars at this point. Blood began to cloud his vision as Luna has no doubt has ruptured his iris. She was going to kill him, if not on purpose, then through her bout of rage.

"Lewis...Help." he croaked as he attempted to slowly crawl to the dining room.

A glob of spit hit his face as Luna stood up, "He's not coming to your rescue this time you privileged little shit, but if you want to see him so bad..." She gripped his shirt and began to drag him to the dining room. His vision was swimming at this point. But even he could make out the sight before him.

Weils sat on the couch sipping tea next to the small fire, His boots resting atop a bloodied Lewis, "Ah, glad you could join us Roland!" Said Weils as he set his teacup down, “I must apologize for the abrupt visit, but your Uncle made it imperative to move things along, Isn't that right Ardian?”

Lewis tried to raise himself back to his feet, only to have Weils dig his heel into his lower back, earning a pained reply, "Tsk tsk Adrian. Looks like that legendary strength of yours has finally left you." Mr.Weils smiled as he looked at Luna, "He used to be able to lift two full-grown Oxes like they were paperweights. I guess age has a way of taking away the best qualities of ourselves." He inwardly chuckled as he planted his foot firmly on his back, a sickening creak emitting as he walked over him to the younger man, “Now If you would be so kind as to tell me where they are dear boy?”

Luna dropped him, his head hitting the plywood with a hard smack, "Where...cough! cough! Is what?!" Roland sputtered, hacking up more blood then he should be. It was hard to see. Hard to breathe. He was drowning from the inside out. He’s not supposed to be bleeding this much right?

Weils snapped his fingers between Roland's eyes, "The keys dear boy, the keys! I know it's here, I can feel it!"

Roland looked at Lewis, before back at Weils, "I'm not telling you shit- Auuugh!!!!!"

Weils gripped Roland's right arm and gave it a good jerk in the opposite direction. Bone protruded from the unclean break as Roland's left arm now hung limply in his grasp, "JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!!!" The only clear sentence that seemed to flee his throat as unregistered pain sent signals to his battered skull.

"Honestly, you humans are so fragile." Weils took a cloth from his coat pocket and began to wipe off the blood that splattered his face, "Now, where are the keys boy? You should be thankful for that small slap on the wrist."

Roland was still screaming, every part of him felt hot, a burning in his bones and lungs. And a searing pain in his mangled arm. Though truth be told, it's not every day you get to feel what it's like to have a piece of your body broken like a pair of twigs.

"Hmmm, I'm sorry, but I don't speak in blood-curdling screams," Weils sighed as he walked to Lewis instead, "How about you old friend? Are you finally going to give it up?"

Lewis said nothing, hands sprawled across him. Weil put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a comforting pat, "We both knew this day would come Adrian. Me enjoying your last moments in this cesspool of a world. It's been a long time coming, but I'd like to finally go back home." He pulled out a small dagger with a serrated tip, "Now I was being merciful with the boy, but I'll only give you one chance." The smile left his face as he placed the blade to his throat.

Roland tried to formulate words, but between the shattered arm, the pool of blood in his left eye, and the wheezing cough, it was more than what could be done.

Lewis looked to his godson, before he gave a tearful smile, before looking back to his oldest adversary, "Hey...Weils, Remember... What was her name, Patricia?"

Weil's eyes narrowed as he arched his hand.

"I...must admit when...I didn't think Monolith could do the job. But turning in her head was a great achievement. You should have seen the parade they gave us after killing that witch. Truly some-"

Lewis gurgled the last words as Weils silenced him. Blood pooling under his throat as the self-described gentleman proceeds to gouge out his jugular in a blind fury. Tears rolled down Roland’s face as he tried to reach out, only to have a sharp heel pin his mangled hand back to the wood. He looked up and saw Luna giving him a smirk. Her eyes beaming with a familiar joy that she shared oh so few times. She kneeled down and whispered into his ear, “It makes me oh so happy that I get to take that inheritance I've been hearing about for so long off your hands. And all the more as I get to watch you-”

“Fuck!”

Luna turned to see Wails clutching a charred hand. His hand. A sizzling sound could be heard as steam and smoke began to waft off the set of keys that seemed to glow with a growing heat. His daughter rushed to his side, only for him to shrug her off, Fear morphing his features as he attempted to quickly reach for the Keyring, “Damn it! Grab it before she!-”

The Keys gave a bright gleam, before consuming the manor in flames.