What Goes Bump In The Night

I: Another Case

Surrounded by the sounds of nature, it's hard to ever feel scared; after all, it serves as a reminder that you're never truly alone. The repetitive songs of the crickets, an owl's warning cries, even the distant call of a wolf leading their pack. You'd be hard-pressed to find a moment of true isolation. Letting each layer of noise serenade me, makes the journey between scattered towns far easier. Rotelan is quite an expansive land, with many unique scapes to be found throughout. Unfortunately for me, I've rarely been out at the same time the Master Star above has. Instead, I spend my time under the many less luminous stars, blanketed by a sky of deep purple so dark it appears like an abyss. Although depending on your location within Rotelan, you may be visited by the Great Ribbons: a stream of multicolored lights that dance overhead, showing all manner of elegant hues to the world below. Here, at the southern village of Bellburg, the Great Ribbons are nowhere in sight. I do see several torch lights in the distance, illuminating a town resting beside a forest-covered hill. Mud, formed from recent rainfall, lays the groundwork for the village. I can clearly spot several wooden homes and the accompanying structures, like shops, gardens, and a church. Hardly anyone is out, a direct cause of the monsters that tend to lurk in the absence of the Master Star. Peculiarly, there's a small home far from the village center. A good place to begin my investigation, outsiders tend to have the most to say about their fellow villagers.

Knocking upon the warped and viciously aged door earns a reaction of footsteps from within. They approach, undo a few metallic locks, then pull inward. A young woman answers, her eyes sitting over bags of exhaustion and darkening an otherwise pale face.

"Yes?"

She groans, tired and hardly able to speak loudly.

"Hello-"

I begin, trying to put on my most amicable impression.

"-I would like to speak with the master of the home, is that alright?"

The young girl sighs and closes the door for a moment. An angry voice replies, snapping at the girl for carrying my request. Heavier footsteps, far denser than the first set, approach. With an ear-paining moan, the door opens and I come face to face with a thin man. He's tall, but oddly shaped. Every limb appears malnourished, I would even wager his ribs could easily be seen poking through the curtains of his skin. Yet, he has a full belly that protrudes through his worn white cotton shirt.

"What do you want?"

His tall neck grumbles as he speaks.

"I'm Alisia Langhardt, may I come in?"

He scratches the bumpy stubble on his chin.

"I don't know. What business do you have here?"

Moving rigidly, I pull back the sleeve of my brown leather coat, revealing the scarred skin on my left forearm. Proximal of the wrist, I have a branding dealt by a steaming iron that leaves an intricate mark: the seal of the Church.

"I am here on behalf of the Axial Church, dispatched here to investigate some harrowing matters."

He reels slightly, eyes focused on the elevated and discolored skin.

"So you're an Extermination Maiden?"

"Yes, now may I enter? I would like to speak with you about some rumors."

The man swallows a lump in his throat before slowly heaving the door wide, I nod and step in. It's a fairly standard farmer's home: a main room that features a dining table, fireplace, and corner for cooking. There are two plates of finished food at the table, the fireplace is properly stoked, and a majority of the home is in an unfortunate condition. The young woman, I would age about sixteen, hides behind the table. Peeking from behind her is a little boy, aged around seven. The man I assume to be the father steps over to the kitchen to retrieve a mug of cheaply brewed alcohol.