When Tel had woken up in a basement, the family thought she was a ghost and hid for their dear lives. She couldn't blame them. Though it was probably because of that she was able to eat to her full and changed her clothes. 

A brown skirt and a tight red sleeved blouse. She wore breeches under hers for swift movement. 

In her pockets, she had a well folded drawing of the mansion. Her and Salah were the true artists among their siblings. Hammad had always commented on their skill. 

Tel stopped in front of a hardware building and approached a man in blue uniform, sitting by the door. A baton rested on his hips. She assumed he was a guard or something close to one.

He had a red bulbous face, short hair that seemed to have a lice infestation. She ignored his shortcomings only to be choked by the stench of his breath or all of him. She couldn't tell. For one such as him, he was quite irresponsible but who was she to judge.

He eyed her and went back to his small bottle. Tel cleared her throat, "My good man, could you please help me—" 

"There's no work for whores here. This isn't a parlor." His words were slur and his tone rough. Worse, the images in his mind were so… dirty! It made her bristle in annoyance. She left him to his peace but not before she screamed in his head. 

DIEEEEEEE! 

He jerked from his chair and spilled his drink on his area and placed a fat hand on his chest. 

Tel smiled to herself as she heard the man cursing. 

"You had something to do with that, didn't you?"  

She tilted her head towards the man who spoke. She feigned innocence. A hand going to her lips. "How can you say that? I was barely close to him." 

The man chuckled his reply. His raven black hair and morning dew eyes would surely mark him as memorable. Thank Virtue she wasn't a mooneyed girl. 

"I'm Imram." He held out his hand. She took it. "Tellese." 

She ignored his questioning eyebrow, pushing her drawing towards him. "So what can you tell me about this drawing, Imram?" 

"It's pretty good. You drew it?" 

"Look closely." 

Imram narrowed his eyes on the paper. His reaction was slight but she picked it up. The muscles around his eyes quirked in recognition. He knows it. 

"The Antiquen. Why?" 

How to put it without sounding funny? 

She smiled and briefly read his mind. It's all the way in Valdrell. They didn't tell me she was this pretty. 

She frowned at him for his jumble of thoughts. 

"How can I get to Valdrell from here?" 

"You have an appointment there?" 

She snatched her drawing from him. "You could say that. So, Imram, are you going to be a gentleman and help?" 

"Of course. This way." 

She matched his steps easily. She was tall for a girl like that should matter. 

Tel itched for a conversation. She loved conversations for obvious reasons. 

"Imram, I hate to be intrusive but what do you do for a living?" 

His mind went blank. Odd. It must be a secret then. With that she knew his next words were going to be lies. "Just your average mint. A jack of all trades, you might say." 

An interesting man. "Do you have money for a locomotive? Don't tell me a lady of your stature intends to walk there?" His thoughts said he expected as much.

She studied Imram's beautiful face, while trying to think. How would Hope have said it? 

"You're not lost, are you?"

Tel bit the corner of her mouth. "I am." Sort of. 

Imram paused for a moment. "I happen to be headed to Valdrell, you know. At least now the private compartment won't be boring. The station is up ahead. Wait here." 

Tel smiled. "Thank you."

A thought slipped from him and Tel caught it. 'Let me get the others.'

What others? Didn't he just imply he was traveling alone? Something's not right with this guy. He's sketchy and I'm going to find out what, Tel thought cautiously. 

She peered ahead and saw the station. The metal —what had he called it— locomotive waited as humans boarded it. Responsible and healthy curiosity guided her steps towards the station as she admired the locomotive. Impressive, the length of it, she remarked, eyes fixed on it. 

Tellese cocked her head as Imram came back. Holding a bag, he smiled warmly and presented a bill to her. "I've got tickets for the train." 

"Great. Thank you, Imram. You're way too kind." She accepted her ticket and followed him into the train. 

The inside was like a horse carriage. Perhaps this was modeled after it. Imram led her down the corridor into a more refined section of the locomotive. 

"This is ours." He declared as he opened the door into the private compartment. It was large for the both of them and she had to admit it was quite comfy. This should cost a lot. 

Tellese began to feel bad and felt like Imram was doing too much for a stranger when she noticed his unease. Slight as it was, she noticed it. He kept glancing at the door, checking his pocket watch. The man who owned the house she had woken from had one. 

Where are they? Any minute now, His thoughts, all the while not meeting her eyes. 

This has to be the others. Maybe he wasn't the kind and epitome of goodness she'd thought he was. It was too good to be true. He has to be a kidnapper or close, even so they are in for a surprise. 

The door to the compartment burst open and Tellese was on her feet, palm on Imram's wrist, making sure she touched his skin and whispered. "Sleep." 

His mouth opened like he wanted to protest but his nervous system obeyed Tel without question, eyes rolling into his head and fell asleep. His two comrades reacted faster and one pushed her against the other end of the compartment. Both wore strange masks, black gloves and long sleeves.

What the…?

She bit the hand over her mouth and screeched in their heads. 

They yelled and backed away from her, hands going over their ears. Disoriented, she pushed up the mask on the kidnapper closest to her, exposing his lower neck. Her palm made contact with cool skin and he slumped a moment later. The last one shook his head and brought out a dagger. "They told me it won't be easy, Sinister, so I'm allowed to use force." 

He knows what I am! "Who's they?" 

He lunged for her, going over his sleeping friend. Tel sidestepped his lunge and caught his arm. She twisted but he anticipated that and flipped his knife effortlessly to his free hand, moving to stab with it. 

He fell face first mid movement. When she'd twisted his arm, it was to shift his sleeve. 

Tel let out a breath she was holding. That was… exciting. She wasn't supposed to find it exciting but she did. Some things were clear now, she still knew how to fight. Hammad would be proud. Hours and years learning hand combat with her siblings were still stuck in her memory and instinct. 

She rummaged through Imram's bag. A drawing of her came out. Ah, explains how they knew me. Still doesn't explain what they wanted or who sent them. 

Tel also found a key with a number tag. A mask similar to the ones Imram's accomplices had on. A tin can with a yellow marked skull sign on it. 

I have a feeling this was for me. She shook her shoulders uncomfortably. "Well guess who's unconscious? Not me." She said to the empty compartment. I should move them out of here. 

********

Sometime later, Tel sat in her private compartment. The key was for a storage compartment, probably intended for her, where she had stuffed Imram and friends. Finally, some peace and quiet. I hope it lasts.

Tel worried for her destination, for her siblings. They'll be fine. I just need to get the house, then find them. 

Moments before she could drift away, she heard a very familiar voice. "Tellese?" 

She lifted her head and saw Hope. Tel gasped and rushed her sister into an embrace. 

"Hope! It's so good to see you." The world was suddenly not lonely. She had her sister, one of them at least.

Hope was grinning widely. Tel made her sit. "How are you? Where have you been?" 

"Well I have been better that's for sure. I had the biggest shock of my life. Big enough to dwarf my hunger. Is that food?" The packed food hurtled into Hope's hand before Tel could respond.

"I woke up in some family's storehouse and discovered new things like clothes have changed and they are considerably better than before. Although they could do with a little bit of my touch, the makeup and hairstyles as well." 

Of course. Of course, you know better. Hope wore breeches, a brown waistcoat over a dark green sleeved blouse. 

"Anyways, all that isn't important." Hope devoured the chips in a very unladylike manner. She must be really hungry.

"It isn't?" 

"Mm hmm. I almost passed out when I discovered I've been asleep for like a hundred years or so. More?" She pointed and the next pack was in her hand. 

"What? A century? That's impossible!" 

"Why? You think all these came into being overnight? Look at all this," Hope waved her free hand around. "Not even ten years would be enough. It's quite possible." 

"It isn't. No one can slumber for that long. Not even bears." 

Hope stifled a yawn. "We aren't anyone, nor are we bears. Tell me something." Hope took Tel's hands in hers. "You do know where you're headed right?" 

Tel frowned, she had to stop herself from reading Hope's mind. Hammad had chastised her from doing that to any of her siblings. "Yes. Some city called Valdrell. I think that's supposed to be Valdova. Apparently, the mansion is still where we left it. Possibly slumbering." 

Hope sighed in relief. "That's good to know. The past uh what is it? Sixty hours? Is time still counted the same way? Let's assume it is. The past sixty hours or so have been tiresome and confusing. I had no idea where to go after the house didn't respond to my call."

Tel had tried that too. "It's good to have you here, Hope. And you still blab a lot." 

Hope grimaced. "I'm not blabbering. And do you know they're calling whatever happened to us 'Virtue's Cleansing'."

Tel frowned and with cause. "Cleansing? They make it sound like we are a disease." 

Hope shrugged, "If I recall correctly, they did see us as one. Because they wouldn't have named us 'Sinisters' if they didn't." 

"Any idea what happened to us?"

Hope looked up with genuine worry. "I don't know Tellese. That day is still foggy to me. I'm worried about the others. You think Balat would be fine?" 

Tel… blinked. "That was not who I expected you to ask after. I mean you always fight with him." 

"That's because he can be insensitive. I'm also worried about Xena. She was always the quiet one." 

"I'd be worried for anyone who tried to double cross her." Like they tried with me.

Fun Fact for this update ----------

Right from where we stopped last chapter.

Vanity. What Vanity is has been debated by religious scholars over the years. Some say Vanity isn't the primordial force of evil or opposite of the deity, Virtue. But rather a force that wants the end of things. Of course, others have strongly opposed this opinion, stating that Vanity is the exact opposite of Virtue, and the embodiment of vain qualities.
Some scholars claim the name Vanity is too vague to define the being.