"Well that's that then." Morgan said as he closed the door to the servant's room. "Probably goes without sayin' but let's not tell the kiddies, eh?"
There was a rare look of pain etched onto his usually smiling face that Dean found incredibly disconcerting. His father's easygoing expression was almost a constant, except in the most dire of circumstances. The last time Dean remembered Morgan frowning like that was when his mother passed away during Oscar's rebellion.
Dean nodded.
"That goes without saying. Layota went down the mountain to get help. That's what we're going to tell them."
Yes, it was a lie, but Dean didn't have the heart to tell them the truth. Layota's death had hit him and even his father pretty hard. The old lady had been a mother to many of the inhabitants of the monastery from multiple generations, both noble and commoner. The monastery would never be the same without her.
As they climbed the stairs towards the first floor, Dean's mind recalled bygone days playing in the monastery. Layota would always watch on as he played with Rosetta, Nicolas, Maria, Addi and-. No, it was only those four who stayed here as orphans. Including Matin, who visited with him and that made five. She would feed them, scold them, and treat them like any mother would. All the more tragic that three of them had died before her. Dean found it amazing that she had maintained a positive attitude for the surviving children after all she'd been through. After the death of his own mother, Layota had been a very important pillar in his life. He promised himself that he'd never forget her kindness and to do all in his power to keep the children alive.
"At the end of all things, makes sense that us Kasanaghs would be the last ones kicking, eh boy?"
Dean turned to see that a confident grin had returned to his father's face.
"Surprised you weren't one of the first to kick the bucket, Father," Dean replied with a sardonic smile of his own.
"Nonsense, it'll take more than a monster infestation to take me down. I have many women waiting for me back in the capital, you know. It wouldn't do to go breaking their hearts!"
Dean struggled to keep the amiable smile on his face. Of course his father would have to go and mention his mistresses now, of all times. His mind formed an image of his smiling mother for a moment, but he dispelled it. This wasn't the time to dig up old grudges. There was too much at stake, and they had already lost too much.
He hoped Matin, even if he was that monster he had just seen, was safe. He knew it was unlikely, but despite what his father might say, Marianne was more stubbornly tough than anyone else he knew. That woman just had a knack for surviving impossible odds. One did not become the most powerful noble in the empire simply by being lucky, after all. On top of that, she had the added difficulty of being born a woman. Climbing to the top in this cruel, prejudiced world was not something most people could do. No, something like this wouldn't put her down.
When they reached the top of the stairs, Morgan took a seat on the chair facing the main entrance, the old piece of furniture creaking slightly beneath his weight.
"Now you go get some shuteye. I'll cover the rest of the night," he said, thumping his chest.
Dean bit his lip while crossing his arms, looking down at his lounging father with a mocking smile.
"Sure you can handle it? It's pretty easy to drift off to sleep without meaning to at your age."
"What was that, brat? Goddess above, if I wasn't sitting down right now I'd give ye a black eye. Where'd you learn to disrespect your elders like that?"
It might have been his imagination, but Dean thought he saw Morgan straighten up a little as he glared up at him.
"Respect is something earned through actions, not age," Dean replied sagely.
"Ah, shut up. You read too much, kid. You know that?"
"Whatever you say, Father. Also, don't drink too much." Dean replied, pointing at the glass bottle sticking out of his father's jacket.
"Yeah, yeah, it's just to keep me warm, now off with ye."
Dean shrugged and left the man to his watch. He heard a cork pop as he went and sighed. Even in such horrible circumstances, he and his father could only joke around, throwing light barbs at each other like a couple of chummy classmates. They hadn't had a decent conversation in years, and it seemed even a life or death situation wasn't going to change that.
"Eh, what was I expecting anyway?" He muttered to himself. "Don't really feel like having that kinda conversation, anyway."
Things would be easier this way.
Dean found it difficult to sleep that night. He kept wondering if there were any survivors. He had no idea where they were or if they were alive or dead. Not that it mattered, he couldn't abandon the kids, not when his father was the only other adult around. Then there were Oscar, Methaeus and Mitch. He didn't know why, but he was sure they were still alive. Perhaps he should move the kids to the catacombs?
No, he had a feeling that would be disastrous. Oscar was up to something, and whatever it was, it was likely dangerous. As much as he wanted to go out once more, Dean had to remain here. It didn't take him long to fall asleep once he lay down. The stress of the day had brought him to the brink of exhaustion.
The next morning came, and it took the combined shouting of almost all the orphans to rouse Dean from his sleep. As his bleary eyes focused, the demanding faces of Mark and Lappi came into view.
"Hey, wake up, you're awake, aren't you?"
"Where's mother?"
Dean's pleasant, half-asleep gloom was washed away the moment Lappi asked her question. That's right. At this very moment, down in the ground floor servant room, Layota was-
Swallowing deeply as bile rose from his stomach, he forced a smile onto his face.
"Good morning," Dean said, pushing an overly eager Mark out of his way as he sat up.
"Dean, I don't see Mother Layota, where is she?" Lappi demanded in her usual haughty tone.
Dean needed a moment before he could tell the lie. He scratched his head as he tried to ignore the painful knot in his stomach.
"We decided last night that someone needed to go get help. Layota said she would do it and set off at first light. She's going to get help for us, so don't you worry," he said, trying to form a reassuring smile.
Both Lappi and Mark looked at each other in confusion as more of the children joined the questioning.
"You sent an old lady down the mountain by herself?" Yato asked. Poking his head between Mark and Lappi.
"She can't do that, she'll get tired!" Fuelle added, standing a little away from the others.
As the children looked up at him expectantly, Dean wondered to himself if this was truly the right course of action. Well, he wasn't about to tell these poor kids the truth. That was a certainty. So, if he was going to lie, best to go all in with it. With a firm push, he leapt to his feet.
"Don't be stupid, kids. This is Layota we're talking about. She's been raising brats like you for the last century. There's nothing she can't do!"
As insane as it sounded. Dean felt comforted by the fact that he actually believed those words. He was certain that old lady could have done the impossible if it was for the sake of these kids. In that regard, he felt the same.
As much as he wanted to go looking for Addi, Cait, Matin and the others, it was clear that these children needed his protection more than anyone else.
"He's right, I saw her lift Moke with one arm while holding a watering can in the other! She's super strong for a granny!" Mark shouted.
"Woah really? But Moke's so fat, not even Dean could lift him!" Riyu added with a challenging scowl.
"Hey, he's not fat!" Fuelle shouted, placing her hands on a despondent-looking Moke's shoulders.
"Yes, he is!"
Dean sighed as the group descended into civil war, forgetting all about their matron. Layota really had to deal with a lot. Not that he could blame the kids. This was an extremely stressful situation for them to be in. The fact that they could squabble was probably a good sign.
With a sigh, he got down on one knee and looked Riyu in the eyes.
"Saying something like that is going to make Moke sad," Dean said slowly. "And making him sad will make Layota and me sad too. Do you want something like that, Riyu?"
Riyu pursed her lips as she glared back at Dean. He didn't flinch or look away. He was used to that glare.
"No, but I was just-" she said, her lips trembling and glare hardening.
Dean held up a hand.
"You need to be careful about how you treat others. Sometimes what you think is right can end up hurting them."
An image of Matin flashed in his mind. Along with the image, the creature's words rang in his mind, condemning him as a major source of Matin's pain.
"Lucky for you, there's a peaceful solution. Go on, say sorry to Moke."
Riyu resisted a little more, but with the help of Fuelle, who always took the adult's side, she finally relented and apologised. Dean was surprised by how heartfelt it sounded, given her prior resistance.
"If only we adults could be as honest," Dean muttered wryly.
"Adult? Big words for a brat who hasn't even finished his education."
Dean turned to find his father standing by one of the bookshelves, dark bags beneath his eyes and that same bottle of whiskey poking out from inside his coat pocket.
"Give it a rest, you old codger. I've made it this far, haven't I?" Dean said proudly.
Morgan chuckled and said no more on the topic.
The rest of the day was uneventful. Well, relatively uneventful. Ensuring that the kids stayed put and that relative peace was maintained between them was a full-time job. It was soon obvious that asking his father for help only seemed to make things worse. The man had a bad habit of riling the children up, and so Dean was left alone to care for them. As the day drew to a close, he formed a newfound respect for Layota. How had she kept this up for fifty years? He felt exhausted, both mentally and physically, after only half a day.
The next day, Dean and his father were talking near the front entrance of the library. A few ghouls had come snooping the previous night and had needed to be dealt with swiftly.
"Well, this isn't looking good at all." Morgan said, as he watched the creatures scurry around from behind an old arrow slit.
"They've never tried to attack the library head on before," Dean added.
It was bound to happen eventually. Dean wasn't sure what their senses were like, but if they had run out of easy prey, then they would be forced to try breaking into the library itself. The constant snow must have made food scarce in the great forest.
"Looks like we're the last ones standing after all, eh, boy?" Morgan joked.
Dean bit his lip. He hoped that wasn't the case, but it was difficult to imagine the others surviving all this time out there. However, there was one group whom he couldn't imagine being dead yet.
"I don't think we are." Dean said. "Oscar, Mitch and Methaeus are probably still alive."
Morgan raised an eyebrow.
"What makes ye say that? They went down into the catacombs ages ago. Surely they couldn't survive down there that long?"
Dean shook his head and told his father about his encounter with the emperor. He had no actual evidence to suggest they hadn't been overrun in the meantime, but for some reason Dean couldn't imagine that being the case. Especially with more and more monsters gathering in the monastery ever since Layota died and Matin transformed. He had gone to the rooftop the day before and found the place swarming with the creatures.
"So that bastard's actually gone and tampered with it," Morgan muttered to himself while stroking his chin, a rare troubled look on his face.
"You know something?" Dean asked.
Morgan's eyes widened for a moment at Dean's question, but a moment later, his usual carefree smile had returned.
"Eh, not really. Something got to do with these new lyth stones we've been carrying around, I'd wager. In any case, I doubt they'll survive much longer even if they haven't kicked the bucket yet."
Morgan didn't elaborate further, even with Dean's attempts to probe some answers. Whatever the reason, the man seemed more subdued than usual after that.
"Hey! Why can't I keep watch too? I don't need to sleep with these kids."
"You're a kid yourself, you know," Dean muttered to the indignant Mark.
The boy had been pestering Dean, constantly asking to help with guard duty, and while his efforts were commendable for his age, Dean saw no reason to entertain his thoughts of showing off. He had to wonder who had put those notions in the kid's head.
Dean was taking first watch that night, but he was a bit late. Mark, Riyu and Lappy just weren't settling down, and he had to spend a lot of time getting them ready for bed.
The two girls were taking advantage of Mark's distraction, whispering and giggling to each other as they watched the exchange.
Dean had to take a deep breath to prevent his anger and frustration from exploding.
"Listen, kid. You have an important duty, and I need you to rest if you're going to take it on, yeah?"
"What duty?" Mark asked, folding his arms exaggeratedly.
"If things go wrong, I need you to be the leader and help the other children run and hide, alright? You're my second in command after all."
"I'm second in command? Like Miss Addi was with Mother Layota?"
The boy seemed to misunderstand the power dynamics within the monastery, but at least he had latched onto the whole second-in-command thing. Well, that would have to do. The smile that was forming on the child's face was proof enough that he had persuaded him.
"Who else? Of course, the great Dean Kasanagh will leave it to you, so will you do your duty and get some rest?"
Mark needed no more convincing and, thankfully, after glaring in their general direction, both of the girls also ran back to their sleeping mats, giggling all the while.
All was quiet that night, and Dean was just nodding off when Morgan finally got off his backside and took over.
"Must've gotten your way with kids from your mother cause you certainly didn't get it from me." The man laughed.
Dean froze.
"What?" he asked dumbly.
This had to be the first time Morgan had mentioned his wife in close to a decade. It had come as such a surprise that Dean doubted his own ears.
Morgan simply smiled and shook his head, seemingly at a loss for words.
"Take good care of them while I keep watch, will ye? Raising a kid is no simple task, let alone raising dozens. Just remember not to be too pushy, ye don't wanna end up like Marianne."
"That sounds a bit final. Planning to drink yourself to death tonight, old man?"
His mind blank, Dean couldn't think of any other response and went for the usual jab. Dammit, if even his father could speak honestly now out of all times, why couldn't he? Sadly, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get rid of that bitter feeling every time he spoke to his father.
Morgan simply chuckled and turned to face the entrance. Feeling the gnawing sense of regret, Dean sighed.
"I'll look after them, but don't you go slacking off either, yeah? We need you here."
Feeling a little heat rush to his face, Dean quickly walked off. Why did all his charisma have to drain away in the face of his father? He returned to his bedside quickly and got under the covers.
I'm acting like an embarrassed princess. Dean thought to himself as he chuckled.
His father was a useless skirt chaser who had never really given a damn about his fourth son. However, Dean supposed he could be thankful. Because of Morgan, he had his freedom. It was much more than Matin ever had, and that had to be better than the total control Marianne forced upon him.
"Hope you're alright, Matin," Dean said to himself.
"Shhhh, the others are trying to sleep, Dean!"
The voice that came from the darkness belonged to Fuelle, strict and diligent as always. Smiling at the thought of being lectured by a child, Dean actually managed to fall into a relatively peaceful sleep.
Dean awoke to sun drifting in from an arrow slit in the wall. He felt rather refreshed and stretched as he sat up.
Wait.
Sunlight?
Dean leapt to his feet and looked around. Some children were also stirring, but he didn't dwell on that. Morgan was supposed to wake him just after sunrise.
"What's going on?" Dean whispered before setting off at a dash towards the staircase, a growing sense of worry within him.
He found the chair they used to keep watch empty, with a piece of paper resting upon it. Oddly, he felt an odd sense of relief. He had honestly expected to come across a corpse. The paper alluded to something completely different. Taking it in both hands, he carefully read the contents.
Dean
The kids only need one Kasanagh to keep watch over them. I got better things to be doing.
Don't worry, I kept watch until just before sunrise.
I leave the rest in your capable hands.
Dean felt a wave of disappointment wash over him. He should have known the old man would pull something like this. Probably lost his nerve and set off down the mountain. Self-serving as always.
"Leave everything to me, will you?" He hissed. "Why don't you ever think of others, you damned bastard?"
His father's habit of not telling anyone anything was really the worst part about him. He just rushed headlong into whatever caught his fancy, leaving everyone else behind.
"Dean, is everything ok?" Fuelle asked from a distance, having followed him. There was a look of deep concern written on her face.
"Yeah," Dean answered, his voice sounding breathless. "Nothing to worry about."
"Where's old man Morgan?" She asked.
Dean smiled.
"He was worried about Layota so he went after her. Nothing to worry about," He said, his voice now shaking.
Fuelle looked at him with a level gaze, her expression making her disbelief obvious. He felt his muscles tense. Fuelle had always been very sharp for a child, and it was clear she knew he was keeping something from her. He could only hope she wouldn't tell the others.
"Nothing to worry about, yeah?" Dean repeated.
Fuelle looked back to where the other children were resting and closed her eyes for a moment.
"Yeah, ok, of course nothing's wrong. Good morning, Dean."
Dean felt relieved that Fuelle had understood his meaning. How had Layota raised her to pick up on subtleties like that?
He felt a chill as he walked back to the study area. Not from the cold outside, but from the grim realisation that he was the one remaining force keeping the children alive. His hands were tied. He couldn't move from this location until the blizzard stopped. He'd have to trust that all those who went missing managed to survive on their own somehow.
As he met the drowsy eyes of the waking children, Dean swore to himself that he would see all of them safely through this ordeal.