House of Memories [Closed]

"Well, you're coming from uphill, aren't ya?" he said. "Only estate up there, that it is."

As Valen lifted the cart, the man would fix the wheel back in place.

"I used to send up my harvest there a lot," the farmer said. "But that was a long time ago. Ten...fifteen years? Hard to say. Then it was abandoned because of..."

"Because of what?"

The words came from Liseran. She was still hiding in the dark of her hood, but she suddenly seemed very interested in the story.

"Ah, my apologies good miss," he said, tipping his hat. "Almost didn't see you there. Well, I'm not sure the entire reasons, but something urgent happened that made the family relocate. Mum wasn't in the picture anymore, I heard. Only the father and daughter were left, poor things."

"...I see..." she said quietly.

"But that's not the only misfortune to fall on the estate. Rumors had it that it was cursed," he said. "The family had always had a lot of misfortune. Many years back, the family was practically in ruin because damage had across their fields. The missus before the one I mentioned was also out of the picture. Died of poor health."

"And how do you know all this exactly?" Liseran asked incredulously.

"Word gets around," he said with a shrug. "Especially when help gets terminated and leave the house. I'm glad it's back again, but I'd be wary. Misfortune falls on that family as easy as a plague."

The man got back up, stretching his arms as he did.

"Thank you for your help, mister. I'll be going to find my hub back, but it should be easy enough to put on by myself," he said. "You two be careful now. There have been attacks lately."


"Attacks?"

"Several deaths have happened recently," he said. "All look like murders or attacks from beasts. Some say its an Incantus, but I reckon it might be those damn vampires everyone's been talking about."

Valen eyed Liseran as she chimed in before turning his attention at the man's account. He listened thoughtfully but didn't comment much. Instead, Valen put a hand on his chest and dipped his head in curtsy.

"My, my, vampires? Never heard of such a thing when they hired me," he lied with a straight face. "But such things are figments of myth, just like dragons and fairies. Regardless, how about I help you find your cap for your protection? Perhaps you can tell me more about these odd attacks in exchange?"

This man seemed to be the type to keep an ear out so Valen was willing to find out what more he knew. Besides, something didn't seem right here.

The man rubbed his chin.

"That feels like an unfair offer," he said. "After all, I would have told you regardless. But the help is quite appreciated."

"So what exactly did happen?" Liseran asked, her voice still low and meek.

"Well, there have been a series of killings recently this month," he said. "It started with a maid coming back from night errands. She died rather violently the poor thing, like she was ravaged from the inside with a knife. At least, that's what the people who witnessed the death early in the morning said. The Expiate are very tight-lipped about it. They sent an investigator here a few days ago, but if anything, they're just trying to clean up the mess. Two more deaths followed afterwards in the same violent manner. But what's concerning is that people have started to go missing."

"Missing?"

The man nodded.

"More servants are being asked to stay in for curfews as those who go out late at night never end up coming back," he said. "And what's worse is that there's been a strange fog in the evenings. That normally doesn't happen until autumn, but we're getting it a lot and it doesn't make it easier for people to find out what's happening."

"I see..." she said.

"What else would you like to know?" he asked.

"My, that is concerning," Valen said. "It really does sound like the tales of the vampires. So these attacks only happen at night? Where have they happened? I must tell the mistress to steer clear of such areas."

"It seems so," he said. "People are mostly found dead by the time morning occurs and by that time the blood's dried up and the body's gone stiff."

The old men then went a little stiff and lowered his hat in apology. He looked at Liseran.

"Ah, my apologies, I didn't mean to go into gruesome detail and unsettle the young lady," he said.

"E-eh? I-I'm not upset," Liseran said. [color=#9074e1]"I'm a grown woman, thank you. I can handle such details. You need not worry about me, kind sir. Though, does the same apply to the people who go missing?"

The man bobbed his head

"Yes, they almost always go missing if they're sent out in the evening for errands," he said.

"I see..."

Liseran turned to Valen.

"Well, we better find the hub cap," she said. "It should just be a little up the road right?"

"Most likely," he said. "Though, you really don't have to bother finding it if you can't. I can go up myself. I doubt people would steal all this cabbage if I left it alone."

"I believe in doing good deeds for the sake of them," Valen stated innocently before heading off in the indicated direction on his own. As they headed up the road, Valen would drop the smile and mutter, "So, is being nosy a new passtime or are you here for more than cabbages?"

As Valen headed up, he'd notice Liseran still talking with the old man, but it wouldn't be long before she caught up with him.

"So we should be looking for a large rock then," she said matter-of-factly. "If your theory is correct, then it the hub would have fallen near it or around it right?"

As they headed back up the trail leading towards the manor, there was a split in the road that started to go downhill again to what looked like a small mill farm. They'd notice the carriage tracks had come from there. It was a bit more of a climb, but the two would definitely see a moderately-sized rock partially embedded in the ground.

"That must be it," Liseran pointed.

As she and Valen headed in its direction, she'd hesitantly give him a glance.

"So what do you make of these murders?" she asked.

"They target isolated people at night making sure there are few witnesses as possible," Valen stated plainly. "It's either a cautious enough serial killer or a pack of smart enough animals."

Upon seeing the rock, Valen looked around, specifically in the direction the wheel was coming up the way.

"Also there's a nosey women who should be at home skulking about. Perhaps she's hoping she's tiny enough that people won't notice her."

Liseran's cheeks puffed up when Valen called her out for being nosy.

"N-no I'm not!" she said huffily. "I-I just wanted to go out, alright? Besides, if there's another Incantus here, then I have a responsibility to--"

"And you're sure that no one left your house last night?" a raspy voice said from below.

Liseran flinched and almost instantly hid behind Valen, her hands wrapping around his arms as she did. The voice had been almost entirely familiar to her father's that it made her jump.

When the two would look down, however, there was a man in a black trench coat with black hair with crossed arms talking to some of the farmers. Pale with a square face and vibrant blue eyes, he didn't seem pleased with what he was hearing.

"It's not that I'm accusing you of anything, I'm just saying I saw no force of entry at the premise," he said. "It feels like your daughter left out of her own volition. And no, it can't be vampires because vampires don't exist."

Valen narrowed his eyes, quickly and quietly drifting towards a tree to hide behind and listen in on what was going on. It seems they weren't they only one involved in this situation, but how this new character was going to effect the flow of the story was still in the air.