Wholehearted Half-Souls

Chapter 23: Bloodlust (Part 3)

The late afternoon has dawned. Kris stirs, and sniffs the air, then opens his eyes. Staring up at the ceiling, he quietly says, "much-needed rest." He slowly rises from the mattress and saunters towards the front door. (I should probably change my residence again), he thinks. (First, the hidden basement underneath the sports bar. Then, the abandoned basement. Then, just random trees in the woods. Now, this house.)

Kris pushes the front door open and walks down the hill through the forest, humming a cacophony of notes. The sour notes fly into the air and sing for the trees as he approaches the outskirts of Ebott again. (Hmmm...there should be something viable around here.)

After several minutes, Kris closes in on the street in front of him. He hears a pair of familiar voices coming from the opposite direction and ducks behind the closest building. Peering from around the corner, he sees two pairs of antlers — one taller, rugged-looking male and a smaller, purer-looking female. He winces. (The reindeer family! That's right; their family member is the same one I kidnapped a few weeks ago and interrogated.) Kris shakes his head and rubs his forehead. (Shame she was of no use.)

Rudy pats his child on the back, voice echoing in golden tones. "We will search again tomorrow, Noelle. How about we look right after youth group?"

Noelle lowers her head and holds her stomach. "Dad, I don't wanna go to youth group tomorrow. I either wanna be searching for Dess or be back home."

Rudy rubs his daughter's head and sighs. "I'm worried sick like you are, too. But perhaps your friends could instill some jolly into your heart. Maybe get your mind off things." Noelle stares at the ground as they walk past Kris. Kris ducks further behind the building as the two reindeer continue. "What about that Asriel kid, Noelle? You're friends with him; he seems nice. And Frisk, our ambassador...he's certainly a good friend. Maybe he could counsel you; wouldn't you agree?"

Noelle stops in her tracks. Her golden blonde hair sways and flies over her eyes. "I didn't want to burden them...with my problems. They've been through enough." Noelle sighs and kicks a rock into the gutter beside her. "Azzy has a lot more faith than me, just in general. But...even with that, I'm not sure if he could bear my burden right now. Frisk is either at home sleeping or in his small office in the Ebott town hall whenever he's not in school or training. I can't bring more trouble to them."

Rudy's brow twists with sadness. "My child, you are a sweetheart, and I'm very proud of you. To see how you've grown into a fine young woman brings joy to my heart. However, I'm sure you wouldn't burden those brothers if you leaned on them. They're good friends; remember to trust them, ok? We all need friends like that, and I don't want you to fight this burden on your own."

Noelle smiles. "Thanks, Daddy."

Rudy hugs Noelle. Kris moves behind the building further, and Rudy's ear twitches. He stares at the building and snorts. "Huh...weird. Anyhoo, maybe we should try looking into that one place next? What's it called...Seven Souls?"

Kris crouches on the ground and listens in. "Seven Souls...do they suspect I've killed at least seven monsters?"

Kris leans in more closely. Noelle walks backward and nods, with her eyes once again drying off. "Yeah, Seven Souls Yoga Studio! Dess used to hang out there all the time."

Rudy nods and smiles. "Yup, I know it. Heh."

Kris' eyes narrow, and he nods. (I didn't kill her in that building. Although...they might have information. I should probably get out of here and run back into hiding.)

Kris begins to walk away from the building he's using as camo. As he walks, Noelle and Rudy start crossing the street and approaching the Seven Souls yoga studio a few buildings down from the corner.