17 ~16~

The air grew more and more frigid the higher and higher they climbed. Tiny snowflakes felt like pins and needles against their face's. "We have to go lower Dolion!" Benjamin called out.

"No! We can see more from up here"

"Right now I'm not seeing anything except trees and clearings-"

"Wait! Look Ben, there. Right there"

Benjamin squinted his eyes and could make out the shape of a large manor in one of the dark clearings.

"The girl was right! It's really there!"

"Don't get your hope's up to much mate. We still don't know if Mazereth is in there or not"

"Right. How do we get down there without being noticed"

Benjamin could sense Dolion's indecision.

After a long moment of silence he finally said, "We have to jump"

"Come again?!"

"We can get close enough to be able to jump and not kill ourselves"

"And what happens when one of us brakes an arm. Or a leg. Or a neck!"

Dolion shrugged. "Lets just hope not"

Then he began to steer Nyx down and to the left.

"On three Benny...1...2...3!"

It was worse then free falling down one of those magic holes. Benjamin tried to grab hold of something. Anything!

But he was too far from any trees. They landed with a loud THUMP! And for a moment, Benjamin couldn't tell if he was still falling or if it was just his imagination.

He laid there, still as ice until Dolion pushed him into a sitting then helped him to his feet.

"Come on" Dolion whispered as the two of them crept closer and closer to the dark manor.

Benjamin peered into the dirty windows but couldn't see anything. It was too dark inside. If anyone was in there, he couldn't tell.

"It still looks vacant" Benjamin whispered.

"We can't be sure" Said Dolion. "We have to go in"

"And how do you suppose we do that-"

Benjamin jumped at the sound of shattered glass.

"Through the window" Dolion said grinning.

Benjamin didn't testify. He climbed in after Dolion and found himself in a dusty parlor.

He stared at all the old Victorian style furniture that he hadn't noticed that Dolion had moved from beside him.

"Look at this" Dolion said stroking the wood floor near the fireplace. "This is new"

"Some one's definitely been here"

He stood up, and wiped his dirty hands down the sides of his pants.

"Come on, We'd better keep looking"

Benjamin nodded and followed close behind as Dolion lead the way through the house.

They searched through every single room but caught sight of no one.

"What's this?" Benjamin asked pulling up a lose plank of wood in the hall.

"Nice job Benny"

"Stop calling me that"

Dolion moved the Plank of wood aside and peered down into the floor. There was an orange light coming from below them.

"Come on" Dolion whispered as he slid himself down into the hole. And after him Benjamin did the same.

They were suddenly inside of a secret room decorated in red and black decor and a warm fire blazing in the onyx fireplace.

"Boys!" Prim's voice rang from behind them.

When they turned around they found her against a marble pillar bound by her ankles and wrists.

"Prim!" Dolion exclaimed with a mixture of relief and guilt.

The two rushed by her side to untie her bounds and help her up.

"Are you alright?" Benjamin ask's. Prim nodded.

"How on earth did you find me?"

"The girl helped us. She knew exactly where you'd be"

As they helped her to her feet Benjamin could feel Prim tense up beside him.

"Guys, the girl...She's Mazereth"

Confusion was written on both of their face's. "What? No, Prim, she helped us" Said Dolion.

"It was probably a trap or something. You have to believe me-"

"We do" Dolion said. "We do.. But right now all I'm worried about is getting you out of here"

"Me too" Added Benjamin.

Together they helped Prim up into the main level of the house and out of the secret room.

She sighed as the cool air kissed her face. With the fire burning constantly it was always warm in that tiny room.

"How do we get out of here?" Prim asked peering down the dark hallway.

"There's a window, in the parlor that Benjamin and I entered through"

Prim nodded and followed the two through the house and into the small parlor. But there was no broken window.

Dolion cursed and rushed over to the fully intact window. It wasn't broken, yet thousands of shards of glass crunched beneath his feet.

"You didn't honestly think it would be that easy, did you?" Asked a voice in the darkness.

When the three of them spun around the room was lit with the dim light from a new fire and the girl was resting on a long sofa in the middle of the room.

"It really is you" Dolion sighed in disbelief.

The girls face grew dark as she stood.

"Give me the girl" She demanded.

"I'm sorry" Benjamin said stepping in front of Prim. "But we can't do that"

The girl lunged herself at the three of them, but they were too quick. They ran out of the Parlor and into another room that looked to be the kitchen.

"What do we do now?" Prim asked as Dolion pulled her down beside him to hide behind the kitchen island.

"I could distract her then you guys could sneak out the front door-"

Dolion shook his head. "That's a risk. We don't even know if that door would open. Besides, even that is too easy"

"We I don't see you coming up with a brilliant plan"

Dolion looked around. Maybe there was another window or trap door? No, that could take hours to locate and they didn't have that kind of time.

"Let's head up to the roof" Dolion whispered suddenly.

"Why the roof?" Prim asked.

"Because Prim, I don't believe this monster is really the girl who has lead us all this way"

"Yeah" Benjamin agreed. "Why would Mazereth lead us straight to her?"

"Because she want's me!"

"Either way" Said Dolion. "If this really is the girl, we'll have access to Nyx. And if it isn't, that means the girl is still coming with an army of her own. If we're on the roof it'll safe us less time because she won't have to go searching the whole house for us"

Dolion could see Prim was deep in thought. He knew she knew he was right.

"Ok" Prim finally said. "Fine, we'll go up to the roof"