[h3][center][i]On the Way to Somewhere Red[/i][/center][/h3]

The invitation was rather sudden, however it was one that Etsuko figured they couldn't refuse. Upon separating from Cyril and his Sentinels, she and Calypso began to journey back to their home in the mountains. Because their small village was closer to the mountains, the air was a little crisper than the more desirable air around the Capitol. It was a humble village, with many a hard worker. By the time they had arrived, the villagers were beginning to shut their windows and lock their doors; the shepherds were rounding up their sheep and the children were getting one last game in before dinner. The journey took them two days, however the company was good and it was something they were both used to at this point. 

When they arrived to the small cottage they shared, she was happy to see that a fire had already been started. Her family lived in the village as well, however after Etsuko’s affinity for divination became clear, she chose to live away from her family, worried that the other villagers would accuse them of dark magic.

The inside was large enough for the two young women. Upon entering, a fireplace was placed towards the left side of the room, guarded by a stone wall. Bookshelves and rather comfortable looking chairs accompanied the area. The center consisted mainly of a dining table and a kitchenette and further were two doors that led to their bedrooms.

They were there for at least an evening before an invitation from a certain Lady Renata appeared. Both young women had just been cleaning up after breakfast--Etsuko cleaning the dishes and Calypso putting them away in the high cupboards--when the fortune teller turned and found said invitation. She mumbled to herself, swearing that it hadn't been there before, however, once she saw who it was from, she knew right away that it was clearly from a very important person. The name was one that Etsuko had heard before, and figuring that it'd be better to be on this woman's good side rather than her not-so good side, she prepared for another trip.

Etsuko stayed quiet for the majority of the journey there. The changing surroundings seemed like something out of a story and something she might have spun in her imagination. But the fact that it was all real…made her nervous. She was glad to have Calypso by her side; having to navigate this on her own would have probably resulted in her turning back and trying to find her way back to her own village. Chances were, she would have gotten lost and perished.

Shaking her head, she gulped and tried to clear her mind. She had no idea why a demon, let alone Lady Renata herself, would ask for her presence. She doubted it had nothing to do with her fortune telling skills. There had to be something beyond that, a catch.

They had left early in the morning, with the rising sun in front of them as they entered the mountains. Very quickly the trail they followed became overgrown and disused; the superstitious villagers they lived with were comfortable with going any direction but east, and probably for good reason. Something about the mountain range became distinctly unwelcoming the further they went. The old trees seemed to crowd together, looming over them as their gnarled roots tried to trip the two up with every step. The subtle sounds made by animals began to fade away as they were left behind. Everything began to turn grey as life seemed to fade and a mist crept in. The silence was suffocating, even their steps muffled as they continued on.

The mist continued to thicken that it became almost impossible to see. The thick branches of the trees above did little to help, blotting out the sun entirely before long. Their journey was cold, dark, and uncomfortable. Though the forest seemed truly lifeless, the feeling that something was watching them made their hair stand on end. Despite this all, little about Calypso's smiling expression changed...

And then it was as if they suddenly broke through a wall. The mist and treeline cleared immediately, the feeling of being watched disappearing with it. The sun, however, did not return. Though their journey had been long, it couldn't have been any later than midday, and yet up in the sky hung an impossibly massive and very red moon. The night sky was dark, twinkling with stars of red and white. This beautiful sight was above a just as beautiful and massive mansion, made of deep red brick and wood. There were many wings and floors to the mansion that sprawled out in front of them, complete with tall tower-like structures. Dozens of windows were spread evenly over the various shapes of the structure, glowing ever softly with faint light from within.

All around the mansion was large expanses filled with gardens and paths. Just in front they could see several fountains spread out, with long stretches of bushes, trees, and flowerbeds spread symmetrically out. The flowers were all a deep red. These well-maintained areas were surrounded by a fence that apparently went around the entirety of the mansion, the trees suddenly stopping at least five yards from it in all directions, and where they exited was directly in front of the gate. As they approached, both doors of the ornate gate swung inward, and a path of dark stones led from the gate all the way to front of the mansion, where there were two large and heavy doors.

It took them over a minute to make the slow walk from the path from gate to the doors; such was the size of the space they had to cross. The double front doors of the mansion were set at the top of several covered steps, and as they reached these steps the doors swung inward on their own accord. There was a man waiting just beyond the doors. He stood straight with perfect posture, and though he was clearly in his sixties he was physically fit. His grey hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and over his left eye he wore a monocle. The man wore a dark black vest with a deep red shirt with long sleeves beneath it, and his pants were dark as well. He wore very black but very shiny shoes, and he also wore gloves as well.

This man was the first sign of true life they had seen in hours, and the man gave them a perfectly composed smile as he bowed before them.

[b]“Ms. Tanaka and Ms. Calypso, you're right on time. Please, enter. I am Richard Leto, head butler to the Lady Renata, and it is a pleasure to meet you.”[/b]

After feeling lost for a good few hours, the fact that a goal was in sight put Etsuko at ease. The Diviner allowed herself to be taken aback by their beautifully red surroundings, probably the most color they had seen all day. As they reached the entrance of the mansion, with the doors opening just as they arrived on the final step and the butler introducing himself as Richard, she found herself relaxing. Perhaps it was because of the butler’s demeanor or the fact that they were finally out of the forest, but whatever it was, Etsuko began to breath easy.

She didn’t say anything, deciding to simply approach the butler who called himself Richard. There was something about him that was awfully familiar, however she couldn’t quite place it. Again, she continued to try and clear her mind of anything negative and told herself that at least she was here with Calypso.

Though it took a moment, her teal eyes came to focus on the butler in front of them. She managed to give a smile and a small curtsy.

[b]“It's nice to meet you, Mr. Leto.”[/b]

The butler continued to smile at the both of them, giving the both of them a nod as Calypso brought up her hand to wave by wiggling her fingers. The man took one step back before turning, allowing them to enter the mansion fully. Within, the entrance way was dark, lit just enough for them to see. The high ceiling was far above, and there were stairways on either side that led immediately to the second floor and beyond. There were many doors that led deeper into the mansion, and many hallways as well. Paintings of scenes from everything from still life to scenic artwork hung on the deep red walls, and there was plenty of decorative furniture that vases of more flowers sat upon.

[b]“This way, if you please.”[/b] Richard led them to one of the hallways to the right, at an easy pace. As they walked along through the hallways, to their left the walls were tastefully decorated in a similar manner to that of the entrance way, with closed doors every so often. Just like in the entrance way, there was just enough light provided by candles for them to see where they were going. To their left were windows, allowing them to see the gardens and grounds from a different angle.

The path through the mansion that Richard led them through had many turns. There were plenty of places where hallways converged and split away from one another, and windows came and went. The farther they went though, once again the unsettling feeling that something wasn't quite right set in, though it wasn't immediately apparent; they had seen the mansion from the outside, and yet through a combination of how often they turned and how often windows appeared and disappeared on their path, the path took them through a space that didn't quite fit in the confines of the mansion they had seen before. More often than not they turned several times in quick succession, in such a way that they would have followed a square around to the side they had initially started on, and yet the paintings and decorations were different...

From the night sky outside to the halls within the mansion, it was impossibility after impossibility.

Etsuko was beginning to feel dizzy with all of the twists and turns that the mansion seemed to be full of. She almost feared for a day when she would have to find herself alone in these hallways, trying to navigate her way back to the entrance. In a way to keep herself entertained, she tried to find landmarks, things to remember and mark the path, should she ever find herself alone. Unfortunately, all of the stimulus overwhelmed her brain and almost leaned on Calypso for some support. The fortune teller gave her kudos to Richard for being to navigate through these hallways with ease.

They eventually reached their destination as the hallway came to an end to a set of double doors. In front of these doors Richard stopped, turning to face them once again. His polite, reserved smile was on his face as he gave another bow of the head before he said, [b]“Allow me to present the Lady of Demons, Karin Renata.”[/b]

With that he turned, opening the doors.