Tales of Avanturia 1

Chapter 9: Widly Grinning

„We need you to tell us everything you know about the Manticore."

„It all happened just so fast... *cough* It started with a loud, sharp scream followed by rashling and the creeking of wood. Behind us a wood was cut down and fell.. When he turned around to look.. It was already too late it had jumped towards us and we both tried to jump to the sides, but.. not everyone of us managed it in time.. I wanted to help, but I was already too late. It.. it had.. I've never seen anything like it... and I'll probably never get those pictures out of my head..."

The servant broke down in tears. The memories were simply too much.

„It's okay," Fenrock interrupted, „You don't have to say more."

„Yes, this is more than enough for now, thank you." Bella agreed.

The five then left the room again, heading for the main hall again.

„So, what is your plan of action, sir Stormblade?" Bjornvald asked.

„We'll take a look at this place, wait until the Manticore shows up and then do something ridiculously dangerous and in the process getting rid of your little problem." Fenrock replied.

„I appreciate your enthusiasm, sir.." Bjornvald mumbled.

„Of course, you could say that. I prefer to call it 'Healthy bit of lunacy' ." Fenrock said.

Once they arrived in the forest, it wasn't long until they found the broken tree. It looked like it was basically ripped off and apparently also thrown a few feet. They also spotted some of the remains of the servant. Bones and a bit of rotting, half eaten flesh, together with some bits of cloth. The stench was imaginably horrible.

While Brynjolf and Bella stood there rather clueless of what was going on, Fenrock seemed to know just, what had to be done..

„Claw marks on the tree.. Aggressive..." he mumbled to himself, observing the huge claw marks on the ripped tree. He then proceeded to take a look at the remains, „Ugh, horrible stench.. Can't be from the decaying process alone.. Victim probably got poisoned before death. Scent of urine.. Scared to piss.. It seems like our boy likes to toy with his victims before he kills them. Arms, ripped off, thrown around, eaten..." Fenrock was refering to a severed limb, that was lying on the ground a few feet away, „Legs, gone. Chest ripped open, entrails either eaten or scattered.."

„Do you have any idea, what he's doing...?" Brynjolf asked, looking to Bella.

„I.. I think, he looks for clues..?" she replied unsurely.

„Looks like we have a professional here..."

A low voice said. The three looked around, but didn't see anything.. „Can't see me?" the voice asked, „Pardon me, I always forget, how naive you humans can be.."

„Oh don't worry, we can see you." Fenrock replied, holding his eyepatch in his hand. With his eye of the Blood Rose, he looked around, advising the other to do the same. And when they did, they spotted a black figure sitting on the asp of a tree.

With yellow eyes and a terrifyingly wide grin, it looked at the three Blood Roses, seemingly interested in those humans, „The curse of the Blood Rose, huh...?" It commented, „It's been quite a while, since I've last seen those eyes.."

„I can only give that back," Fenrock replied, „But what is a Phooka doing here?"

A Phooka, a shapeshifting creature, that can appear to humans in any kind of form, preferably that of a horse, a dog or a rabbit. Phooka's, even when they shapeshift have a signature black fur. In there regular form, they look like a cat with the body of a monkey and long, hare like ears. Also they have very long tails, which they sometimes use to hang on trees. However, there is one significant difference, their grin. It can stretch out to almost the entirety of their face, much like the Cheshire Cat. It is impossible for a normal human to see a Phooka, unless they allow them, but the Blood Roses can, while in Blood Rose state, see any kind of creature.