Fallen Stars

Chapter 9

TYGRON

We returned to Hunter's meeting house after the search party. We were waiting for the investigation team where Kingston was, studying what we found, waiting for them to return.

"A lot of statements have been coming from people but there's one thing that could greatly help us progress to finding the true culprit of these occurrences," The leader named Warren said and placed a lot of cartographs of faces on the meeting table. People inside the meeting were fewer than before as the majority were scheduled for the search and the ones on break will be placed in the meeting to maximize the numbers for all the possible assignments.

"All of these faces are people who have done crime and are still being searched by hunters and the palace alike. You can bring any one of these cartographies at home," the leader continued to state.

There are a lot of personalities on a lot of papers that create a lot of work for the Hunters' High House. I just took one of them and went home as the others did when the meeting was adjourned.

Our shift on the search and rescue sessions was over for the meantime and we all went back home to have our dinners before we could have another search at night. But, in my case, I'm a substitute in a tavern to whom Sergei is invited tonight. I wonder if they are still allowed to be open even though restrictions have been placed to not get out at night.

Anyway, it was already near sunset and I arrived at the door of my own home and knocked but no one answered. Where is Cathera? She hasn't gone home yet? Maybe she's just sleeping. I know that she's a deep snorer.

I opened the door. No porridge was on the pot, no aroma wafting around the house and no one bought candles for the night making it dark inside the house. Where the hell is Cathera?

I searched for a candle on the shelves, hoping to find a half-used one, and saw a small bundle left and lit one of them. I searched around the house holding that candle.

"Cathera!" I called out. Still, none replied.

I went to the backyard because that's the only place I know where she can't hear me while tending her garden. She was not there when I checked though.

I then went to the kitchen if I just didn't see her, to be sure. Still, none were found.

Next, I went to her bedroom, maybe she was sleeping soundly. She's still not there.

I even noticed her 'Starfall' book just lying on her bedside table. She's still amused by it, huh?

Then, before I closed the door of her room I noticed. The wooden floor near the entrance is somehow fragile. It even croaked in with just a slight step.

"Hmm?"

I went to step slightly on the same spot, again and again, to ensure that it was frail. And just after a few consecutive steps it suddenly made a tiny cracking sound.

"I had this already changed last month," I whispered to myself as I stepped away from the fragile portion of the floor.

I went inside the room and closed the door looking at the floor and kneeling on it to investigate. As I swiped my hand on the floor to wipe the dust away the dark roasted floor was suddenly revealed

"What on earth?" I exclaimed.

To my surprise, I stood up and looked around and I saw the wall behind the door also black like it recently got in fire, smelling like something recently charred.